Feedback control of food texture system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10791753-B2
Application number	US-201615092960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2016
Priority date	Sep 24, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A feedback and feedforward as well as a statistical predictive control system and method for continuously controlling texture of a food snack in a manufacturing process. The feedback system includes a quantitative texture measuring tool that is positioned downstream of a food processing unit. The texture measuring tool continuously measures a texture attribute of food snack from the food processing unit and feeds back texture attribute information to a controller that controls input parameters to food processing unit such that the texture attribute of a resultant food snack falls within an acceptable limit. The texture measuring tool comprises an excitation tool that strikes the food snack and produces an acoustic signal that is processed by a data processing unit. The data processing unit identifies relevant frequencies in the acoustic signal and quantitatively measures a texture attribute based on a correlated model that includes the relevant frequencies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closed loop feedback method for controlling a texture attribute of a food product in a continuous food manufacturing process that includes a texture measuring tool positioned in the food manufacturing process, the texture measuring tool comprising:
a housing;
a laser generator attached to the housing;
an acoustic capturing device proximally located to the housing;
a data processing unit in communication with at least the acoustic capturing device;
wherein the method comprises, sequentially:
(1) processing food ingredients in a food processing unit to produce the food product;
(2) conveying the food product through the texture measurement tool;
(3) non-invasively measuring the texture attribute of the food product passing through the texture measuring tool with a laser from the laser generator to non-invasively strike an exterior surface of the food product to heat the exterior surface to cause rapid thermal expansion of the struck exterior surface and produce an acoustic signal that is detected by the acoustic capturing device; wherein the measuring comprises using the data processing unit to quantitatively measure the texture attribute of the food product based on converting the acoustic signal from a time domain to a frequency domain, identifying relevant frequencies and their associated intensities, and quantifying the texture attribute of the food product based on the relevant frequencies and the associated intensities;
(4) determining if the texture attribute measured in step (3) is within an acceptable range and, if so, proceeding to step (7);
(5) determining if the texture attribute measured in step (3) is outside the acceptable range in step (4) and, if so, rejecting the food product;
(6) transmitting feedback information regarding the measured texture attribute to the food processing unit and using the feedback information to automatically adjust input parameters to the food processing unit such that the texture attribute measured for subsequent food products produced from the food processing unit falls within the acceptable range;
(7) accepting the food product; and
(8) packaging the accepted product.

2. The feedback method of claim 1 wherein the feedback is continuous.

3. A feedforward method for controlling an output texture attribute of a food product in conjunction with an input texture measuring tool and an output texture measuring tool, each tool positioned in a continuous food manufacturing process with each of the input texture measuring tool and the output texture measuring tool comprising:
a housing;
a laser generator attached to the housing;
an acoustic capturing device proximally located to the housing;
a data processing unit in communication with at least the acoustic capturing device;
wherein the method comprises sequentially:
(1) non-invasively measuring an input texture attribute of food ingredients as they pass through the input texture measuring tool using an input texture laser from the input texture laser generator to non-invasively strike an exterior surface of the food ingredients to heat the struck exterior surface of the food ingredients to cause rapid thermal expansion of the struck exterior surface of the food ingredients and produce an input texture acoustic signal that is detected by the input texture acoustic capturing device; wherein the input texture data processing unit is configured to quantitatively measure the input texture attribute of the food ingredients based on converting the input texture acoustic signal from a time domain to a frequency domain, identifying relevant input texture frequencies and their associated input texture intensities, and quantifying the input texture attribute of the food ingredients based on the relevant input texture frequencies and the associated input texture intensities;
(2) determining if the input texture attribute measured in step (1) is within an acceptable input range and, if so, proceeding to step (4);
(3) determining if the input texture attribute measured in step (1) is outside the acceptable input range in step (2) and, if so, rejecting the food ingredients and proceeding to step (1);
(4) programming plural input parameters to a food processing unit based on the input texture attribute measured in said step (1);
(5) processing the food ingredients using the food processing unit to produce the food product;
(6) conveying the food product through the output texture measurement tool;
(7) non-invasively measuring the output texture attribute of the food product as it passes through the output texture measuring tool using an output texture laser from the output texture laser generator to non-invasively strike an exterior surface of the food product to heat the exterior surface of the food product to cause rapid thermal expansion of the struck exterior surface of the food product and produce an output texture acoustic signal that is detected by the output texture acoustic capturing device; wherein the output texture data processing unit is configured to quantitatively measure the output texture attribute of the food product based on converting the output texture acoustic signal from a time domain to a frequency domain, identifying relevant output texture frequencies and their associated output texture intensities, and quantifying the output texture attribute of the food product based on the relevant output texture frequencies and the associated output texture intensities.

4. The feedforward method of claim 3 wherein the step of measuring said output texture attribute further comprises the steps:
(8) determining if said output texture attribute measured in said step (7) is within an acceptable output range and, if so, proceeding to step (11);
(9) determining if the output texture attribute is outside the acceptable output range in step (8) and, if so, rejecting said food product;
(10) transmitting feedback output texture attribute information to an output controller and using the feedback output texture attribute information to automatically adjust the input parameters to the food processing unit such that the output texture attribute measured for subsequent food products produced from the food processing unit falls within the acceptable output range;
(11) accepting the food product; and,
(12) packaging the accepted product.

5. The feedback method of claim 1 , wherein said food product is passing within said housing when said laser strikes said food product.

6. The feedback method of claim 1 , wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture frequencies in said acoustic signal; said frequencies range from 0 to 200 KHz.

7. The feedback method of claim 1 , wherein said acoustic capturing device is positioned such that said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture energy density in said acoustic signal within a range of 62.5 mJ/mm 2 to 594.5 mJ/mm 2 .

8. The feedback method of claim 1 , wherein said food product is a starch based food snack.

9. The feedback method of claim 1 , wherein said food product is a potato chip.

10. The feedback method of claim 1 , wherein said texture attribute measured in said step (2) is selected from a group consisting of: hardness, fracturability, tooth-pack, crispiness, denseness, roughness of mass, moistness of mass, residual greasiness, surface roughness, and surface oiliness.

11. The feedforward method of claim 4 wherein said transmitting said feedback output texture attribute information in said step (10) is continuous.

12. The feedforward method of claim 3 , wherein said input texture acoustic capturing device is configured to capture input texture frequencies in said input texture

Assignees

• Frito Lay North America Inc

Inventors

• Bai Ou
• Bourg Jr Wilfred Marcellien
• Fagan Scott
• Michel-Sanchez Enrique
• Mirza Shahmeer Ali

Classifications

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• G01N2291/023

  Solids · CPC title

• G01N29/4445

  Classification of defects · CPC title

• G01N33/10

  Starch-containing substances, e.g. dough · CPC title

• A23L19/18 Primary

  Roasted or fried products, e.g. snacks or chips · CPC title