Nut-Based Snack Chips Using Frozen Dough for Crispiness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snack products made from starch-based doughs struggle to maintain authentic flavor and nutritional value of ingredients like nuts and seeds due to high fat content, moisture loss, and processing methods that degrade flavor and nutrients, resulting in products with artificial flavors and higher fat content than desired.
Innovation Solution
A dough composition comprising 40-70% culinary nut material, 30-60% pre-gelatinized starch, and 20-60% water, with optional ingredients, that is sheeted and dried at low temperatures to form a shelf-stable half-product, which can be cooked by baking, frying, or microwaving to produce crispy snack chips with reduced fat content and authentic flavor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If nut based materials are used in high fat content, then nutritional value and authentic flavor are improved, but the dough becomes rubbery and elastic, difficult to sheet to thin gauge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical state of the nut based material by freezing it at -20°C to -70°C before incorporation. This parameter change transforms the fat content from a liquid/rubbery state to a solid state, preventing the dough from becoming rubbery and elastic while maintaining the nutritional value and authentic flavor of the nut based material.
2Shape
If high temperatures and long cooking times are used to produce crisp snack product, then crispiness is improved, but flavor and nutritional value of ingredients are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary freezing of the nut based material at -20°C to -70°C before incorporating it into the dough. This preliminary action preserves the flavor and nutritional value by preventing degradation during subsequent cooking processes, while still achieving the desired crispiness through controlled cooking parameters.
3Ease of manufacture
If defatted, roasted nut meal is used, then challenge of high fat content is avoided, but high temperatures and long cooking times degrade flavor and nutritional value
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of defating the nut based material, the patent applies preliminary freezing at -20°C to -70°C. This approach avoids the flavor and nutritional degradation associated with high-temperature processing while still managing the fat content issue through freezing, which solidifies the fats and prevents the dough from becoming rubbery.
4Productivity
If high shear extrusion or steaming is used during processing, then processing efficiency is improved, but nutritional value is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates the nut based material in a frozen state before processing, which protects the nutritional value from degradation during high shear extrusion or steaming. The freezing step performed beforehand prevents nutrient loss while allowing efficient processing to proceed.
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 results in snack chips with high nutritional value, authentic flavor, and reduced fat content, maintaining the natural taste and texture of the main ingredient without the need for artificial flavors, while being crispy and crunchy.
Implementation Method 1
a starch material made from materials selected from the group consisting of tapioca, rice, and mixtures thereof; wherein at least 40% of the starch material is pre-gelatinized
Implementation Method 2
The sheeted dough is cut and dried to form a fabricated snack product or 'half product'
Implementation Method 3
which can be cooked by baking, frying, or microwaving to produce crispy snack chips with reduced fat content and authentic flavor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A snack chip comprising from about 40% to about 60% of nut based material; from about 40% to about 60 % of starch material made from materials selected from the group consisting of tapioca, rice, and mixtures thereof; from about 0.1% to about 5.0% water; and from about 0% to about 20% of optional ingredients. At least about 40% of the starch material can be pre- gelatinized. The snack chip can be made by combining the nut based material and dry ingredients with water to form a dough, which is then sheeted, cut into individual pieces, and braked to form the snack chip. Alternatively, the cut pieces can be dried to form a half-product and then cooked to form the snack chip.