APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREPARING PUFFED FOOD

• Main Authors: AHARONSON, Gilad, SAT, Zemer
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 28.06.2023
• Subjects: FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HUMAN NECESSITIES; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY ASINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES

Apparatus and method for preparing a puffed food product. At least one profood item is placed within a compartment defining a sealed enclosure. The profood item comprises a shell, and an interior contained within the shell, the interior comprising a foodstuff comprising at least one starch, and a liquid adapted to form a vapor when subjected to heating. The pressure in the compartment is rapidly reduced with a pressure device, while heating the compartment, until the profood item reaches breakage threshold conditions at reduced breakage temperature, causing a rupturing of the shell, inducing a sudden release of the vapor at a high pressure, resulting in puffing of the starch to produce the puffed food product. The reduced breakage temperature may be in the range of 200-220° C. The pressure reduction may take place in less than 1 second. The puffing process duration may be in the range of 6-7 seconds.