Self-sealing expanded edible product

An expanded food product prepared from a pre-expanded food formulation comprising a hydrocolloid and water, said expanded food product comprising a cellular inner portion containing pores formed by vaporization of at least a portion of said water and a substantially self-sealing surface portion having a greater density than said inner portion, said expanded food formulation having a dust percentage less than about 0.1 percent.

A method of preparing an expanded food product having a cellular inner portion and a substantially self-sealing surface portion comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a pre-expanded food formulation comprising (i) structure-enhancing hydrocolloid present in an amount between about 0.25 weight percent to about 10 weight percent, (ii) water in amount effective to provide a water activity between about 0.35 to about 0.65 in said food formulation, (iii) a bulking agent, (iv) optionally sugar, (v) optionally fat, and (vi) optionally protein;
• and
• (b) vaporizing an effective amount of said water to form said expanded food product with a substantially self-sealing surface portion, wherein a ratio of a center density of said cellular inner portion to a surface density of said surface portion is in a range of about 1:1.25 to about 1:2.5.

An expanded food product prepared from a pre-expanded food formulation comprising (i) dextrin, gelatin and starch in an cumulative amount between about 0.9 percent by weight and about 1.0 percent by weight, (ii) sugar in an amount between about 60 and about 90.0 percent by weight, (iii) water in a range between about 5.0 and about 6.0 weight percent, (iv) fat in a range between about 6.0 and about 7.0 weight percent, wherein a portion of said sugar is in a crystalline state in said expanded food product which comprises a cellular inner portion containing pores formed by vaporization of at least a portion of said water and a substantially self-sealing surface portion having a greater density than said inner portion, wherein the expanded food product has a center density and a surface density and the ratio of said center density to said surface density ranges between about 1:1.25 to about 1:2.5.