Topical application of particulates for production of reduced fat, low fat, and no-fat baked goods and snacks

A method for producing reduced fat, low fat, or no-fat baked goods or snacks comprising:

• forming a dough into pieces,
• baking the pieces,
• continuously transporting and tumbling said baked pieces through a rotating drum, said rotating drum having longitudinally disposed vanes mounted to an inside wall for carrying said baked pieces up the inside wall of said drum as it rotates about its longitudinal axis,
• reducing the fat content of said baked pieces by separately applying a particulate composition and a reduced amount of oleaginous liquid adhesive composition to said baked pieces along a substantial length of said rotating drum so that said reduced amount of liquid adhesive composition causes said particulate composition to adhere to said baked pieces without substantial penetration of said adhesive composition into said baked pieces and without loss of binding or adhesion of said particulate composition to said baked pieces as they are transported and tumbled in the rotating drum, said liquid adhesive composition being applied by spraying the baked pieces when they are located at a higher position up said inside wall than when said particulate composition is applied to said pieces, said liquid adhesive composition and said particulate composition being applied along substantially the same length of said drum.

A method for producing reduced fat, no-fat, or low fat baked goods or snacks comprising:

• transferring baked good or snack pieces to a rotating drum,
• tumbling said pieces within said drum,
• reducing the fat content of said pieces by replacing an oil-based spraying medium with an aqueous-based liquid adhesive composition and spraying said aqueous-based liquid adhesive composition upon the tops and bottoms of said tumbling pieces from a plurality of nozzles,
• separately dispensing a particulate composition as a curtain upon the tops and bottoms of the pieces as they are tumbled so that said aqueous-based liquid adhesive composition causes said particulate composition to adhere to said top and bottom surfaces without substantial penetration of said adhesive composition into said pieces and without loss of binding or adhesion of said particulate composition to said pieces, and
• drying the pieces while being tumbled, the drying being performed by passing air through apertures in the surface of the rotating drum.