Multi-layered Food Product with Steam-resistant Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microwave-ready snacks with crispy coatings face challenges in maintaining crispiness due to steam penetration during heating, limiting their convenience and preparation time.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layered food product is created by encapsulating a filling with yeast-leavened dough and further enveloping it in a chemically-leavened batter layer, allowing for microwave reheating and subsequent oven reconstitution to achieve a crispy exterior and soft interior without the chewy consistency of traditional yeast-leavened bread.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If crispy-coated snacks are heated in a microwave oven, then heating time is reduced, but the coating becomes moist and soggy due to steam penetration
Solution Approach 1:
The food product is divided into distinct layers: an inner filling layer and an outer coating layer. This segmentation allows each layer to serve its specific function - the filling generates steam while the outer coating remains protected from direct steam exposure, maintaining crispiness even during microwave heating
Solution Approach 2:
The product uses composite material structure with different layers having different properties. The outer coating layer is designed to be steam-resistant while the inner filling contains moisture. This composite structure enables the product to withstand microwave heating without the coating becoming soggy
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional oven or frying is used to maintain crispiness, then coating quality is improved, but preparation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The product is pre-cooked and pre-assembled with the filling enclosed within the coating structure before packaging. This preliminary action allows the product to be ready for quick microwave reheating while maintaining the crispiness that would normally require lengthy conventional cooking
Solution Approach 2:
The product structure and composition are specifically designed with parameters optimized for microwave heating. The coating material composition, thickness, and structural properties are adjusted to allow rapid heating while preventing steam penetration, achieving crispiness in much shorter time than conventional methods
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-layered food product comprises a filling encapsulated by a substantially baked yeast-leavened dough. The encapsulated filling is further encapsulated by a substantially baked chemically-leavened batter layer.