Crunchy puffed pulses crumbs for food applications

Abstract

The invention relates an edible food coating composition comprising expanded grains, wherein the grains are selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean, sorghum, quinoa, amaranth, rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, oat, teff and mixtures thereof, the expanded grains have an average porosity between 30 and 50 % with a volume averaged pore diameter between 50 and 80 µm, and the expanded grains have a mean particle diameter (d4,3 µm) comprised between 07 and 2.5 mm. The invention also relates to a method for producing and use of said edible food coating composition.

Description

[0001] Crunchy puffed pulses crumbs for food applications

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of an edible food coating composition comprising expanded grains. The present invention also relates to a method for producing an edible food coating composition comprising expanded grains.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Healthy eating is presently one of the main trends world wide, and the food industry has a growing interest in the development of cooking methods and appliances with no or less oil and fat.

[0006] For example, air frying has become a popular cooking method among consumers due to its ability to produce crispy, delicious food with significantly less oil than traditional frying methods. This modern appliance is particularly favored for preparing coated and breaded meats and vegetables, offering a healthier alternative without compromising on taste and texture.

[0007] The consumers desire such non-oil or less-oil cooking to bring organoleptic properties comparable to the traditional frying with considerable oil and fat. However, existing bread crumbles or batter coatings do not sufficiently match expectations from consumers.

[0008] There is thus persistent consumers' need for novel solutions of non-oil or less-oil cooking which can provide more delightful and appealing sensory aspects.

[0009] Any reference to prior art documents in this specification is not to be considered an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.

[0010] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The object of the present invention is to improve the state of the art, and in particular to provide a composition and a process for making such composition that overcomes the problems of the prior art and addresses the needs described above, or at least to provide a useful alternative.The inventors were surprised to see that the object of the present invention could be achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims further develop the idea of the present invention.

[0012] Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention relates to an edible food coating composition comprising expanded grains, wherein

[0013] the grains are selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean, rice, sorghum, millet, quinoa, amaranth, rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, oat, teff and mixtures thereof,

[0014] the expanded grains have an average porosity between 30 and 50 % with a volume averaged pore diameter between 50 and 80 pm, and

[0015] the expanded grains have a mean particle diameter (d4,3 pm) comprised between 0.7 and 2.5 mm.

[0016] In a second aspect, the invention relates to a method for producing the edible food coating composition according to the invention, comprising steps of:

[0017] a) providing grains selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean, rice, sorghum, millet, quinoa, amaranth, rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, oat, teff and mixtures thereof,

[0018] b) heat-treating the grains under a temperature of at least 150°C for at least 60 seconds to obtain whole expanded grains, wherein the whole expanded grains have an average porosity between 30 and 50 % with a volume averaged pore diameter between 50 and 80 pm, and

[0019] c) milling the whole expanded grains obtained in step b) to obtain the expanded grains having a mean particle diameter (d4,3 pm) comprised between 0.7 and 2.5 mm.

[0020] In a third aspect, the invention relates to use of the edible food coating composition according to the invention, for coating a food material cooked under a temperature of at least 140°C.

[0021] In a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a food product comprising a food material coated with the edible food coating composition according to the invention.

[0022] The edible food coating composition according to the invention provides innovative coating and breading solutions, which give a crunchy texture like deep-fried food in traditional cooking with oil or fat. The edible food coating according to the invention has good fixation onto a surface of food ingredients without requiring additional underlayer or binder materials, thus provides a superior option for non-oil or less-oil cooking such as air frying, convectionoven etc. The edible food coating composition according to the invention is based on expanded grains, that can not only provide clean label products but also enhance nutritional profiles of the final dish. Compared to the conventional coatings such as bread crumbles, the edible food coating composition according to the invention is more nutritious with higher proteins and delivers a delightful taste and a crunchy texture that are appealing to consumers.

[0023] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of embodiments of the invention, in connection with the attached drawings.

[0024] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 shows X-ray tomograph images of a whole expanded red lentil (1A), a raw red lentil (IB), a whole expanded chickpea (1C), and a raw chickpea (ID) in Example 1.

[0026] Figure 2 shows the analysis of bulk particle density and tapped density of the milled expanded red lentils and chickpeas in Example 1.

[0027] Figure 3 shows pictures of the milled expanded red lentils coating compositions with different particle sizes (3A), the chicken pieces directly coated with these coating compositions before (3B) and after air-fryer cooking (3C) in Example 2.

[0028] Figure 4 shows pictures of the milled expanded rice coating compositions with different particle sizes (upper panel) and the chicken pieces directly coated with these coating compositions after air-fryer cooking (lower panel) in Example 6.

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] As used in the specification, the words "comprise", "comprising" and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to", as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense.

[0031] The expressions "comprised between X and Y" and "from X to Y" include boundaries, unless explicitly stated otherwise. These expressions mean that the target range includes the X and Y values, and all values from X to Y.

[0032] As used in the specification, the word "about" should be understood to apply to each bound in a range of numerals. Moreover, all numerical ranges should be understood to include each whole integer within the range.As used in the specification, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0033] As used in the specification, the term "substantially free" means that no more than about 10 weight percent, preferably no more than about 5 weight percent, and more preferably no more than about 1 weight percent of the excluded material is present. In a preferred embodiment, "substantially free" means that no more than about 0.1 weight percent of the excluded material remains. "Entirely free" typically means that at most only trace amount of the excluded material is present, and preferably, no detectable amount is present. Conversely, "substantially all" typically means that at least about 90 weight percent, preferably at least about 95 weight percent, and more preferably at least about 99 weight percent of the material is present.

[0034] Unless noted otherwise, all percentages in the specification refer to weight percent, where applicable.

[0035] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms have and should be given the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

[0036] The present invention relates to an edible food coating composition comprising expanded grains, wherein

[0037] the grains are selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean, rice, sorghum, millet, quinoa, amaranth, rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, oat, teff and mixtures thereof,

[0038] the expanded grains have an average porosity between 30 and 50 % with a volume averaged pore diameter between 50 and 80 pm, and

[0039] the expanded grains have a mean particle diameter (d4,3 pm) comprised between 0.7 and 2.5 mm.

[0040] The term "edible food coating composition" as used herein refers to any edible composition which is used as a coating of a food material to be cooked. The edible food coating composition according to the invention may be directly put onto a food material to be cooked, without requiring other binder materials such as eggs, flours, water etc. The edible food coating composition according to the invention may also be used for making a batter or coating to coat a food material, by being mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, flours, water etc.The term "expanded grains" as used herein refers to grains after being thermally treated either by implementing a puffing step or a popping step and milled. By "expanded grains", it is understood as milled puffed or popped grains.

[0041] The term "expanded grains" can also be understood as "milled expanded grain". These terms have the same meaning, are interchangeable and can be used independently of each other.

[0042] The expanded grains according to the invention can be obtained according to any well-known methods in the state of the art implementing a puffing or a popping step and a milling step.

[0043] The term "whole expanded grains" as used herein, refers to the grains after being thermally treated either by implementing a puffing step or a popping step.

[0044] In some embodiments, the expanded grains have an average porosity between 30 and 50 %, preferably between 32.5 and 45 %, more preferably between 35 and 42.5 %.

[0045] In some embodiments, the expanded grains have a volume averaged pore diameter between 50 and 80 pm, preferably between 50 and 75 pm, more preferably between 50 and 70 pm.

[0046] In some embodiments, the expanded grains have a mean particle diameter (d4,3 pm) comprised between 0.7 and 2.5 mm, preferably between 1 and 2 mm, more preferably between 1.5 and 1.8 mm.

[0047] Bulk density is defined as the mass of the powder divided by the volume of the space below the upper surface of the powder when it is placed in a container. The bulk density refers to the volume including both the gaps between constituent particles and the voids within particles. Two types of bulk density are often used: initial bulk density is the bulk density when well-dispersed particles are put gently into a container, while tap density or tapped density is that obtained after a tapping procedure in which the powder container is repeatedly lifted and dropped onto a solid surface. The ratio of the tap density to the initial bulk density is called the Hausner ratio, and is used as a measure of powder flowability or compressibility. The term "bulk particle density" as used herein refers to the initial bulk density in contrast to the term "tapped density". The bulk particle density can be calculated through the formula PB=M / VB, where ps is the bulk density, M is mass in grams, and VB is the bulk volume in milliliters. The bulk volume includes the volumes of the particle solid, interparticle voids, and pores in the particles. The bulk particle density and the tapped density may be measured using a GranuPack (Granutool).In some embodiments, the expanded grains have a bulk particle density comprised between 0.3 and 0.7 g / mL, preferably between 0.4 and 0.6 g / mL.

[0048] In some embodiments, the expanded grains have a tapped density comprised between 0.3 and 0.7 g / mL, preferably between 0.4 and 0.6 g / mL.

[0049] In some embodiments, Hausner ratio of the expanded grains is less than 1.25, preferably less than 1.2.

[0050] The grains are selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean, rice, sorghum, millet, quinoa, amaranth, rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, oat, teff and mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the grains are selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the grains are selected from the group consisting of lentil, chickpea and mixtures thereof. The lentil may be or comprise puy lentil, green lentil, red lentil or mixtures thereof.

[0051] In some embodiments, the edible food coating composition further comprises less than 20 wt % of at least one additional ingredient selected from the group consisting of salt, oil and / or fat, seasonings, dry herbs and mixtures thereof, as compared to the total weight of the composition.

[0052] In some embodiments, the edible food coating composition comprises at least 80% of the expanded grains, less than 10% of oil and / or fat, and less than 10 % of seasonings, as compared to the total weight of the composition.

[0053] The present invention also relates to a method for producing the edible food coating composition according to the invention comprising steps of:

[0054] a) providing grains selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean, rice, sorghum, millet, quinoa, amaranth, rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, oat, teff and mixtures thereof,

[0055] b) heat-treating the grains under a temperature of at least 150°C for at least 60 seconds to obtain whole expanded grains, wherein the whole expanded grains have an average porosity between 30 and 50 % with a volume averaged pore diameter between 50 and 80 pm, and

[0056] c) milling the whole expanded grains obtained in step b) to obtain the expanded grains having a mean particle diameter (d4,3 pm) comprised between 0.7 and 2.5 mm.

[0057] In some embodiments, the method further comprises a step of:d) dry-mixing the expanded grains obtained in step c) with at least one additional ingredient selected from the group consisting of salt, oil and / or fat, seasonings, dry herbs and mixtures thereof.

[0058] The expanded grains are expanded by heat-treating the grains. The heat-treating step b)can be achieved by using any well-known methods in the state ofthe art. The term "heatingstep" as used herein refers to a step wherein the grains are heated until there are expanded, i.e. either puffed or popped. In some embodiments, the heat-treating step b) can be implemented by using a device selected from a group consisting of a puffing gun, a puffing canon, a microwave, a puffing reactor, a puffing vessel equipped with a steam injection inlet and an instant pressure release outlet, a hot air popper and combinations thereof. Preferably, the heat-treating step b) is implemented by using a puffing gun. The use of a puffing gun is advantageously effective in providing the edible food coating composition according to the invention. For example, extrusion puffing which is commonly used for puffing corn and rice was less effective compared to gun puffing in successfully providing the edible food coating composition according to the invention with desired sensory aspects and coating performance.

[0059] In some embodiments, the heat-treating step b) is performed under a temperature comprised between 150°C and 300°C.

[0060] In some embodiments, the heat-treating step b) is performed for a time period comprised between 60 seconds and 2 minutes.

[0061] In some embodiments, the heat-treating step b) is performed at a pressure comprised between 2 and 20 bar.

[0062] The present invention also relates to use of the edible food coating composition according to the invention, for coating a food material cooked under a temperature of at least 140°C.

[0063] The edible food coating composition according to the invention may be used for any food material which is to be cooked. In some embodiments, the edible food coating composition according to the invention is used for coating a food material to be cooked under a temperature of at least 140°C, for example under a temperature from 160°C to 210°C. In some embodiments, the edible food coating composition according to the invention is used for coating a food material to be cooked in an air fryer, oven, convection oven, fritter, and / or on a flying pan.In some embodiments, the food material to be coated with the edible food coating composition according to the invention is selected from the group consisting of meat, fish, vegetable, culinary fruit and dough.

[0064] The present invention also relates to a food product comprising a food material coated with the edible food coating composition according to the invention. For example, the food product may be chilled food, retorted food, frozen food, or ready-to-cook meal product. The food product may be cooked under a temperature of at least 140°C, for example under a temperature from 160°C to 210°C. The food product may be cooked for example in an air fryer, oven, convection oven, fritter, and / or on a flying pan.

[0065] Those skilled in the art will understand that they can freely combine all features of the present invention disclosed herein. In particular, features described for the product of the present invention may be combined with the use of the present invention and vice versa. Further, features described for different embodiments of the present invention may be combined.

[0066] Furthermore, where known equivalents exist to specific features, such equivalents are incorporated as if specifically referred in this specification. Further advantages and features of the present invention are apparent from the figures and non-limiting examples.

[0067] EXAMPLES

[0068] Example 1: Edible food coating compositions based on expanded red lentils and chickpeas Red lentils and chickpeas were puffed in a puffing gun at a temperature from 150 to 300°C at a pressure from 2 to 20 bar, for 60 seconds for red lentils and for 70 seconds for chickpeas to obtain whole expanded red lentils and whole expanded chickpeas, respectively.

[0069] Porosity and pore size of the whole expanded red lentil and chickpea were analysed using X-ray tomography. FIG. 1A shows an X-ray tomograph image of the whole expanded red lentil, in which a porous structure is observed in contrast to a raw red lentil with no pores in FIG. IB. Similarly, FIG. 1C shows an X-ray tomograph image of the whole expanded chickpea, in which a porous structure is observed in contrast to a raw chickpea with no pores in FIG. ID. Porosity and pore size measurements on the whole expanded red lentil and chickpea were performed with Amira software. Amira software is known as a tool for measuring pore diameter, sphericity, and distribution, as well as characterizing pore networks and connectedporosity through dynamic image analysis and 3D visualization. The whole expanded red lentils had average porosity of 41% and a volume averaged pore diameter of 68 pm. The whole expanded chickpeas had average porosity of 35% and a volume averaged pore diameter of 51 pm.

[0070] The whole expanded red lentils and chickpeas obtained as above were milled using a Fitz Mill, and then sieved to give the particle sizes cut off 0.7 - 2.5 mm. Then, the mean particle diameter (d4,3 pm) of the milled expanded red lentils and chickpeas was measured by using dynamic image analysis of the dispersed expanded grains with a Camsizer XT (Retsch). The expanded grains were dispersed in a dry dispersion unit with an atomizing pressure of 200KPa. The mean particle diameter (d4,3 pm) of the milled expanded red lentils and chickpeas was 1.769 mm and 1.673 mm, respectively.

[0071] Bulk particle density (i.e. initial bulk density) and tapped density of the milled expanded red lentils and chickpeas were analysed with a Granupack using a 3 mm base, 2000 taps at 1 tap / second. Granupack is known as an automated instrument used to measure the bulk density, tapped density, Hausner ratio, Carr index, and packing dynamics of granular materials. It utilizes a high-resolution inductive sensor and a smart initialization protocol to ensure repeatable and precise results. The bulk particle density of the milled expanded red lentils and chickpeas was 0.43 g / ml and 0.45 g / ml, respectively. The analysed tapped density is shown in FIG. 2, showing up to 500 Taps. The average tapped density of the expanded red lentils and chickpeas until 500 Taps was 0.49 g / ml and 0.54 g / ml, respectively. Hausner ratio was 1.14 (red lentils) and 1.19 (chickpeas), respectively. There was little difference in density before and after tapping, indicating that the particles are flowable.

[0072] Example 2: Coating performance of edible food coating compositions based on expanded red lentils

[0073] Coating performance of the expanded red lentils in different particle size was analysed as follows. The whole expanded red lentils obtained as above in Example 1 were milled using a Fitz Mill and sieved to give different particle size cut off points ranging from < 0.5 mm to > 3.15 mm as seen in FIG. 3A.

[0074] Chicken pieces of about 4 cm in length and width and 2 cm in height (around 32 cm3) were directly coated with the milled expanded red lentils with different particle sizes, respectively, without addition of any binder or fat / oil. Then, the coated chicken pieces were cooked in an air-fryer at 170°Cfor 7 minutes. FIG. 3 shows pictures of the milled expanded redlentils coating compositions with different particle sizes (3A), the chicken pieces directly coated with these coating compositions before (3B) and after air-fryer cooking (3C).

[0075] The coatings with particle sizes of smaller than 0.5 mm and 0.5 - 0.7 mm sticked well on a chicken surface with a homogeneous appearance, but failed to give a crunchy texture. The coatings with particle sizes of 2.5 - 3.15 mm and larger than 3.15 mm did not stick and hold well on a chicken surface and many particles fell during cooking. They gave also a too hard texture which was not pleasant and comfortable to eat. The particle sizes ranging from 0.7 mm to 2.5 mm were found to be the optimal range which gave homogenous coating and good adherence to a chicken surface as well as the desired crunchy texture.

[0076] Example 3: Chicken nuggets application

[0077] Two samples of edible food coating composition according to the invention, one based on puffed red lentils (sample 1) and one based on puffed chickpeas (sample 2), were prepared respectively as follows.

[0078] Grains (red lentils or chickpeas) were puffed in a puffing gun at a temperature from 150°C to 300°C at a pressure from 2 to 20 bar, for 60 seconds for red lentils and for 70 seconds for chickpeas to obtain whole expanded grains. The whole expanded grains were milled using a Fitz Mill, and then sieved to give the particle sizes cut off 0.7 - 2.5 mm. Then, 100 g of the expanded grains crumbs obtained after sieving was mixed with 5 g of high oleic sunflower seed oil and 2 g of fine salt to obtain samples 1 and 2.

[0079] Further samples were prepared by adding a spice mix to the above edible food coating compositions based on puffed red lentils and puffed chickpeas, respectively. Specifically, 5 g of masala spice mix was further added to the above sample 1 based on puffed red lentils after sieving to obtain sample 3. Similarly, 5 g of zaatar spice mix was further added to the above sample 2 based on puffed chickpeas after sieving to obtain sample 4.

[0080] Chicken pieces of about 4 cm in length and width and 2 cm in height (around 32 cm3) were coated with the above-obtained samples 1-4 of edible food coating composition, respectively, and cooked with an air fryer at 180°C for 6 minutes to obtain a golden-brown coloration and a crunchy texture. All samples 1 to 4 provided chicken nuggets with desirable appearance and texture even without binder and additional oil for cooking.

[0081] Example 4: Potato croquettes applicationPotato puree was shaped in spheres of 2 cm in diameter, dipped in an egg wash and coated with samples 1-4 of edible food coating composition in Example 3, respectively. The croquettes were cooked with an air fryer at 180°C for 6 minutes to obtain a golden-brown coloration and a crunchy texture.

[0082] Example 5: Eggplant application

[0083] Eggplants were peeled and cut in cubes of 2 cm. The cubes have been blanched for 2 minutes in boiling salted water. The blanched eggplants cubes were dipped in an egg wash and coated with samples 1-4 of edible food coating composition in Example 3, respectively. The croquettes were cooked with an air fryer at 180°C for 6 minutes to obtain a golden-brown coloration and a crunchy texture.

[0084] Example 6: Coating performance of edible food coating compositions based on expanded rice

[0085] Coating performance of expanded rice in different particle size was analysed in the same manner as Example 2. Whole expanded (puffed) rice purchased from a commercial supplier was used in this Example.

[0086] FIG. 4 shows pictures of the milled expanded rice coating compositions with different particle sizes (upper panel) and the chicken pieces directly coated with these coating compositions without addition of any binder or fat / oil and cooked in the air-fryer at 170°C for 7 minutes (lower panel).

[0087] The coatings with particle sizes of smaller than 0.5 mm and 0.5 - 2 mm sticked well on a chicken surface with a homogeneous appearance, but failed to give a crunchy texture. The coatings with particle sizes of 2 - 3.15 mm did not stick and hold well on a chicken surface and many particles fell during cooking. Even with particle sizes of 2 - 3.15 mm, the expanded rice coating gave a too soft texture with no crunchiness. Furthermore, the surface of the cooked chicken with the expanded rice coating was quite white and did not give ideal golden brown appearance in contrast to the expanded red lentils coating under the same cooking condition in Example 2.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An edible food coating composition comprising expanded grains, whereinthe grains are selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean, sorghum, quinoa, amaranth, rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, oat, teff and mixtures thereof,the expanded grains have an average porosity between 30 and 50 % with a volume averaged pore diameter between 50 and 80 pm measured with an X-ray tomography image analysis, andthe expanded grains have a mean particle diameter (d4,3 pm) comprised between 0.7 and 2.5 mm measured with dynamic image analysis.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the expanded grains have a bulk particle density comprised between 0.3 and 0.7 g / mL, preferably between 0.4 and 0.6 g / mL measured with an automated instrument using a 3 mm base, 2000 taps at 1 tap / second.

3. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the expanded grains have a tapped density comprised between 0.3 and 0.7 g / mL, preferably between 0.4 and 0.6 g / mL measured with an automated instrument using a 3 mm base, 2000 taps at 1 tap / second.

4. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein Hausner ratio of the expanded grains is less than 1.25, preferably less than 1.2.

5. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the grains are selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean and mixtures thereof.

6. The composition according to claim 5, wherein the grains are lentil and / or chickpea.

7. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising less than 20 wt % of at least one additional ingredient selected from the group consisting of salt, oil and / or fat, seasonings, dry herbs and mixtures thereof, as compared to the total weight of the composition.

8. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising at least 80% of the expanded grains, less than 10% of oil and / or fat, and less than 10 % of seasonings, as compared to the total weight of the composition.

9. A method for producing the edible food coating composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8 comprising steps of:a) providing grains selected from the group consisting of lentil, faba, pea, chickpea, cowpea, pigeon pea, bambara, white bean, red bean, rice, sorghum, millet, quinoa, amaranth, rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, oat, teff and mixtures thereof,b) heat-treating the grains under a temperature of at least 150°C for at least 60 seconds to obtain whole expanded grains, wherein the whole expanded grains have an average porosity between 30 and 50 % with a volume averaged pore diameter between 50 and 80 pm, andc) milling the whole expanded grains obtained in step b) to obtain the expanded grains having a mean particle diameter (d4,3 pm) comprised between 0.7 and 2.5 mm.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising step of:d) dry-mixing the expanded grains obtained in step c) with at least one additional ingredient selected from the group consisting of salt, oil and / or fat, seasonings, dry herbs and mixtures thereof.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the step b) is performed at a pressure comprised between 2 and 20 bar.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the step b) is performed with a puffing device selected from the group consisting of a puffing gun, a puffing canon, a microwave, a puffing reactor, and a puffing vessel equipped with a steam injection inlet and an instant pressure release outlet.

13. Use of the edible food coating composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, for coating a food material cooked under a temperature of at least 140°C.

14. The use according to claim 13, wherein the food material is selected from the group consisting of meat, fish, vegetable, culinary fruit and dough.

15. A food product comprising a food material coated with the edible food coating composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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