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  Encapsulated acid and food product including sameRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Packaged Or Wrapped Product, Having Specific Electrical Or Wave Energy FeatureThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060018999. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND [0001] 1. Technical Field [0002] The invention relates to the manufacture of food products, and specifically to flavorings for use in the manufacture of food products. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] The convenience to consumers provided by prepared food products combined with consumers' desire for new and interesting foods has led to a demand for ever-wider variety in the flavors and textures of food products. For example, in foods such as microwave popcorn, efforts have been made to develop a fuller range of flavors as found in other snack foods such as potato chips and pre-popped popcorn. Several varieties of flavored microwave popcorn are already commercially available, including butter, caramel, sweet corn, and "kettle corn." [0005] Certain flavors, such as sour cream and onion, cheese flavors, as well as other flavors, have proven difficult to adapt for use in microwave popcorn. These flavors are said to have an "acid note"--that is, one component of the flavor that makes the taste identifiable is the sourness of acid. In products other than microwave popcorn, these flavors are generally produced through the addition of an acid, such as citric acid. In microwave popcorn, however, the inclusion of conventional flavoring formulations using acids has been largely unsuccessful, because upon heating, the acid eats through the paper popcorn bag preventing proper popping and allowing the oil mixture to run out of the bag onto the floor of the oven. [0006] To avoid these undesirable effects of applying conventional flavoring formulations to microwave popcorn, attempts have been made to use acid that is encapsulated in a high-melt fat. One way that fat-encapsulated acid may be prepared is in a fluidized bed dryer in which acid particles are coated with desired thickness of a high-melt fat. [0007] Encapsulated ingredients are commercially available, and are used in many types of food products such as baked goods, ice cream, candy, processed meats, and health foods. It was thought that use of a fat having a high melting point would keep the acid separated from the bag long enough to avoid the acid damaging the bag. These attempts were largely unsuccessful, and the bags were still damaged. Attempts to avoid bag damage by increasing the amount of fat used in encapsulation were equally unsuccessful. [0008] Thus, past attempts to produce microwave popcorn flavored with an "acid note" have failed due to an inability to prepare a viable acid flavoring for use in the packaged product. Accordingly, there is a need for an improvement that would allow the production of microwave popcorn in the desired flavors using a standard packaging without damaging the package. SUMMARY [0009] It is an advantage of the invention to provide for the use of fat-encapsulated acid as a flavoring in food products without excessive damage to the packaging. One barrier to the use of commercially available fat-encapsulated acid with certain types of food products is the presence of residual acid not encapsulated in fat, which is an artifact of the production of fat-encapsulated acid. Because not all of the acid particles are coated in fat, the residual acid particles form a fine dust that collects on the encapsulated acid particles. In food products such as microwave popcorn, this dust of acid particles causes damage to the package. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a fat-encapsulated acid is washed to remove the residual, unencapsulated acid, so that the remaining, fat-encapsulated acid can be successfully used without damaging the package. [0010] According to a first aspect of the invention, a method is provided for producing a fat-encapsulated acid suitable for use in food products. A fat-encapsulated acid is rinsed with water to reduce the amount of acid that is not encapsulated in the fat. The fat used to encapsulate the acid has a predetermined melting point, and the water has a temperature lower than the melting point of the fat. This allows the water to wash the excess acid off the fat without melting the fat and washing away the encapsulated acid as well. [0011] According to a second aspect of the invention, a method is provided for producing a food product. A fat-encapsulated acid is rinsed with water to reduce the amount of acid that is not encapsulated in the fat, and the fat-encapsulated acid is then suspended in a slurry also containing oil. The slurry is combined with a food product, and the combination of the slurry and food product is then packaged. [0012] Product counterparts to these embodiments are also provided. Other embodiments, systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional embodiments, systems, methods, features and advantages be included within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. [0014] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method of rinsing an encapsulated acid according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [0015] FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing the steps of manufacturing microwave popcorn in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0016] Turning now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a flowchart 10 of a method for producing a fat-encapsulated acid suitable for use in food products. A fat-encapsulated acid (step 1), such as a commercially available fat-encapsulated acid, is rinsed with water (step 2) to reduce the amount of acid that is not encapsulated in the fat. [0017] To prevent the premature release of the acid, the fat used to encapsulate the acid may be a high-melt fat, and may have a melting point higher than about 30.degree. C. (85.degree. F.). The melting point of the fat should be higher than the temperature at which the food product will be stored to ensure that the acid is not released during storage. Melting of the fat during storage or otherwise before cooking could reduce or eliminate its effectiveness in the cooking process and could also potentially allow the acid to damage the package during storage. One fat that may be used in encapsulated acids is hydrogenated vegetable oil, which may include soybean oil, but other fats that are similarly suited for food use may also be used, such as palm oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, and blends of these oils. [0018] The water used to rinse the fat-encapsulated acid may be room temperature, or any temperature that does not melt the fat away from the encapsulated acid. A temperature lower than the melting point of the fat, allowing the removal of excess acid from the fat without excessively melting the fat and washing away the encapsulated acid, is suitable. The acid may be rinsed in any of a variety of ways. For example, water may be poured over the encapsulated acid to remove the residual acid. The encapsulated acid can be combined with water and stirred or agitated. The encapsulated acid can be drained on filter paper or an appropriately sized mesh screen. With respect to one commercially available encapsulated acid, designated Confecshure.RTM. 371, a smaller than 16 mesh screen should be used. With respect to another commercially available encapsulated acid, Bakeshure.RTM. 509, a smaller than 10 mesh screen should be used. [0019] Acids that may be used in the present invention include citric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, propionic acid, sorbic acid, succinic acid, and any other acids that are suited for use in food products. The acids are preferably in solid form. Combinations of acids may also be used. [0020] FIG. 2 is a process diagram of an exemplary method for producing a food product, e.g., microwave popcorn, including fat-encapsulated acid. The fat-encapsulated acid may be rinsed with water to reduce or eliminate the amount of acid that is not encapsulated in the fat, as described above in connection with FIG. 1. Continue reading... Full patent description for Encapsulated acid and food product including same Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Encapsulated acid and food product including same patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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