Granola-type food product and method

Abstract

A grain product is provided that contains flaked grains stabilized in a solid foam matrix that contains no added fat and cohesively binds together the flaked grains. The solid foam matrix has an expanded volume formed by introduction of a gas, which may be formed in situ by evolution of a gas upon reaction of at least one gas-releasing compound with at least one material selected from the group consisting of an acid or an acidic salt when the foam matrix materials are in a fluid state. Preferably, the gas-releasing compound is a leavening agent or virtually any chemical compound that, by reaction with another compound, results in the evolution of a gas in a sufficient amount to form the desired liquid foam that can be dried or cured to form a solid foam matrix. The flaked grain product typically having a density in the range of from about 22 lb/ft3 to about 31 lb/ft3. In this embodiment of the invention, the grain product comprises flaked grain or grains bound together in a solid foam matrix which binds together the flaked grain or grains. The method can include reacting a gas-releasing compound with at least one material selected from the group consisting of an acid and a salt of an acid, resulting in the evolution of a gas to form a fluid foam that can be dried or curved to form a solid foam matrix. Additionally, a method is provided for making the inventive granola-type product. The method includes mixing flaked grain with a fluid foam or foamable mixture. The mixture of fluid foam and flaked grain is then dried or cured to form the product composed of flaked grain bound in a solid foam matrix.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.