Snack food product and method of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12342829-B2
Application number	US-202217665541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2022
Priority date	Feb 6, 2022
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A shaped snack product having a substantially uniform thickness and an exposed surface area that is capable of receiving seasoning. Processes for making a shaped snack product include forming a shaped dough piece followed by intermediary steps that allow for slicing of the subsequently formed baked shaped piece producing at least two sliced pieces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process comprising:
extruding dough into a shaped dough piece having a top surface opposed to a bottom surface to define a substantially uniform thickness between the top surface and the bottom surface;
pretreating the shaped dough piece to form a pre-treated piece;
baking the pre-treated piece to form a baked piece encapsulated by an outer shell and having a moisture content of about 16.5 wt. % to about 21 wt. %;
slicing the baked piece in a direction parallel to the top and bottom surfaces to form sliced intermediate pieces, each sliced intermediate piece having a thickness less than the substantially uniform thickness; and
drying the intermediate pieces to form shaped snacks.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising, after drying, applying seasoning to the shaped snacks.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the seasoning is applied to each shaped snack in an amount greater than 5 wt. % of a total weight for each shaped snack.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the top and bottom surfaces are substantially flat.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the pretreating is selected from par-cooking or a caustic bath.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein slicing results in at least three sliced intermediate pieces.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the outer shell of each sliced intermediate piece covers about 5% to about 65% of a total surface area of each sliced intermediate piece.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein each sliced intermediate piece has an exposed surface in the range of about 35% to about 95% of a total surface area of each sliced intermediate piece.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein about 10% or less breakage occurs during slicing.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein each shaped snack has a first surface with an outer shell and a second surface opposite the first surface and being devoid of an outer shell.

Assignees

• Frito Lay North America Inc

Inventors

• Kreter Kevin
• Egnatchik Robert

Classifications

• A21D8/02

  Methods for preparing dough; Treating dough prior to baking · CPC title

• A21D13/40

  Products characterised by the type, form or use · CPC title

• A21D13/47

  Decorated or decorative products · CPC title

• A21D13/28

  characterised by the coating composition · CPC title

• A21D13/24 Primary

  coated after baking · CPC title