Multi-textured Grain Snack with Cooked and Crispy Matrix
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multi-textured baked snacks, such as chips and crackers, often rely on flour-based doughs and fail to effectively utilize the temperature and moisture of cooked grains to create a light, healthy, and multi-textured product with both airy and crispy portions, which can result in a snack that is either too hard to chew or lacks a unique eating experience.
Innovation Solution
A method involving combining a cooked grain or legume with its crispy form, pre-gelatinized starch, syrup, water, oil, and seasoning to create an agglomerated mixture, which is then sheeted and baked to a low moisture level, resulting in a multi-textured snack with at least 50% composition from the cooked and crispy grain, and seasonings, to achieve a unique texture and flavor profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flour-based doughs are used to make baked crispy snacks, then the snacks can be easily manufactured, but they fail to achieve a light multi-textured product with both airy and crispy portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by combining cooked grain particles with crispy grain particles in a matrix formed from starch, syrup, water, and oil. This composite structure allows the snack to simultaneously exhibit airy and crispy textures, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and multi-texture achievement. The cooked grain provides binding moisture while the crispy grain provides texture, creating a composite material that delivers both desired properties.
2Shape
If high levels of crispy grain inclusions are incorporated, then the snack achieves a light multi-textured appearance, but the snack becomes too hard to chew
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the moisture content of the cooked grain particles and the composition of the binding matrix (starch, syrup, water, oil ratios). By adjusting these parameters, the snack achieves a balance where crispy grain inclusions provide multi-texture appearance while the optimized moisture and binding agents ensure adequate chewability, preventing the snack from being too hard to chew.
3Quantity of substance
If cooked grain is used to bind crispy grain, then the snack achieves a light and healthy profile, but the binding effectiveness depends on precise temperature and moisture control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-cooking the grain particles before incorporation into the snack matrix. This pre-cooking step establishes the necessary moisture content and binding properties in advance, allowing the cooked grain to effectively bind the crispy grain inclusions during mixing. This preliminary preparation reduces the need for precise temperature and moisture control during the final manufacturing process, as the binding capability is already established.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the creation of a light, healthy, multi-textured snack with a unique eating experience by forming a continuous gelatinized matrix that binds high levels of low-density inclusions, ensuring the snack is not too hard to chew while maintaining a low fat and sugar content, providing a visually appealing and enjoyable texture.
Implementation Method 1
forming a continuous gelatinized matrix that binds high levels of low-density inclusions
Implementation Method 2
baking the one or more sheets to a moisture level of about 2% to about 4%
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-textured, baked, grain-based or legume-based snack includes a cooked grain or legume together with a crispy form of the grain and legume to create a baked multi-textured light snack having airy portion and crispy portions to provide consumers with a unique eating experience. Methods of preparing the snack are also provided.