FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and process for preparing breaded food products, such as chicken or other poultry, seafood, meat, or vegetables. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and process for exposing edible dust on a food product to steam so that breading adheres substantially uniformly to the product to contribute flavor and texture, and to help retain the product's desired moisture content and texture during

10 cooking. The present invention also relates to a food product prepared according to the process described in this application.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELEVANT ART

¹⁵ In the past, various means have been tried for adhering a layer of breading to a food product. Conventionally, breaded food products are prepared by separately formulating a batter of flour, water, optional flavoring ingredients, and other optional additives, 20 including, for example, egg and milk derivatives. The batter typically is applied by immersing an uncooked food product so that the batter forms a film around the product. Frequently, a layer of breading is then applied to the moist batter layer. The breading typically comprises small particles of

\. * 25 dried flour or equivalent material and often includes seasonings and coloring agents to impart the final flavor,

texture and other desired qualities to the food product. After the breading step, the product can be cooked, or it can be refrigerated or frozen for cooking at a later time.

The batter coating generally helps to preserve the adhesion of the breading and the moistness of the coated product during cooking and consumption. However, the quality and flavor of the product can suffer even if the product's moistness is preserved in this way. Use of a batter layer also can result in a hard outer coating which results in an unfavorable consumer experience. In addition, the batter an _d breading usually adhere only poorly to the product and may fall off during the cooking process, especially if the product is poultry that is fried. The loss of breading during cooking can increase production costs by necessitating frequent changing of cooking oil. Furthermore, the loss of breading during cooking or handling prior to consumption also results in an unfavorable consumer experience.

These drawbacks have prompted efforts to find means to improve the adhesion of the breading layer to the cooked food product, while achieving the goals of the breading process. These goals include creating a product with consistent and superior flavor, texture and other qualities despite a variety of breading and cooking sequences prior to consumption. These sequences include, for example, cooking the food product prior to breading and thereafter breading the food product for subsequent consumption or freezing for

rethermalization; breading and then cooking the food produc _t for immediate consumption; freezing the food product after breading for later thawing and cooking; and breading and then cooking the food product for immediate freezing and subsequent rethermalization. Other goals include minimizing the time spent in the breading step of preparing breaded food products, and reducing waste during the preparation process. Still another goal is to produce a food product whose preparation and quality are not substantially dependent on the characteristics of the flour ingredients in the breading. The achievement of these goals is important in the commercial food industry, especially for example in the restaurant sale of prepared, ready-to-eat chicken products. Maintaining consistent product quality, under a variety of breading and cooking sequences, provides useful flexibility in the preparation of the food product. Reducing the time spent to prepare the product and reducing the waste during product preparation helps to reduce the cost to consumers. In addition, reducing the sensitivity of product quality to the characteristics of the breading both expands the types of ingredients that may be used in the breading, thereby lowering production costs, and helps to assure consistent product quality. For example, reduced sensitivity to the characteristics of the flour ingredient commonly used in breading is particularly important in maintaining consistent product quality for chicken or other breaded food products

prepared in different geographical locations, where the characteristics of available flours may vary substantially.

Previous attempts to provide breaded food products, especially breaded chicken, have not achieved these goals of the breading process with full success. U.S. Pat. No.

3,078,172 typifies the conventional technique discussed above of applying a batter to seal the food product, and then applying bread crumbs or other coating materials to the batter. U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,370 is also typical of previously known techniques in which a poultry product is coated with a batter. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,069, a conventional batter layer is applied to a precooked food piece; the battered piece must then be cooked again, for instance by deep frying, to prepare it to be eaten. Products prepared according to these patents, however, also exhibit the unfavorable characteristics of food products prepared by conventional techniques of applying a batter and then a breading layer to the battered product before cooking.

Other efforts, also not fully successful, have focused on the composition of the breading or the means for adhering the breading to the food product. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,646, a pre-dust layer of dry material at least 50% of which is pregelatinized starch is applied to the surface of the product, followed by moisture in an amount sufficient to convert the starch into what is, in effect, a layer of batter. Thus, the disclosed technique alters the

manner in which a batter film is formed, but still requires the use of batter-forming ingredients in the pre-dust layer and necessarily leads to the formation of a batter layer exhibiting the same unfavorable characteristics of products to which a batter layer is applied prior to breading. U. _S . Pat. No. 3,723,137 likewise alters the sequence of steps in which the batter is formed, using pregelatinized starch as a major component of the batter, but again requires specific ingredients and necessarily leads to a battered product with substantially the same unfavorable characteristics of a batter film on a food product such as poultry. More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,933 addresses the gluten content of the materials used to coat the food product, but still requires coating the product with a batter, resulting in unsatisfactory adhesion of the breading to the food product. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,185 teaches that chicken parts should be seared in hot water to release fat and to make the parts tacky, and expressly directs the application of a batter to the chicken parts before cooking, resulting in a food product with less than satisfactory characteristics.

While U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,719 ("'719 patent") teaches a process for preparing a batter-free breaded poultry product, that patent does not satisfactorily achieve the goals of the breading process discussed above. In particular, the invention described in the '719 patent

requires the use of a high gluten flour, to be adhered to the food product as a pre-dust. In addition, after this pre-dust is applied, the '719 patent also instructs that the food product be hydrated, preferably by passing the pre-dusted food product though a fine, gentle mist of water sprayed through a plurality of nozzles. The apparent disadvantages of the approach taught in the '719 patent include its dependence on the quality of the flour included in the pre- dust and the need to control the force of the water spray. In addition, while use of the process taught in the '719 patent results in improved adhesion of the breading to the food product, as compared with conventional batter methods, further improvements in adhesion are desirable under the subsequent steps of freezing, cooking and eating, and the handling normally attendant with each such step.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a process and apparatus for preparing breaded food products such as chicken or other poultry, seafood, meat, vegetables and other food products that may be breaded. The process, as broadly described herein, comprises the steps of adhering an edible dust to the surface of a food product; exposing the edible dust to sufficient steam to uniformly adhere the steamed edible dust to breading; and then uniformly adhering breading to steamed edible dust.

-The present invention, as broadly described herein _, also provides an apparatus for exposing a food product to steam comprising a substantially enclosed housing, motor- driven conveyor means, steam manifold means, and means for controlling the exposure to steam of the food product within the substantially enclosed housing. The substantially enclosed housing has a first opening and a second opening. The motor-driven conveyor means transports the food product through the first opening into the housing, and through the second opening out of the housing. The steam manifold means is located within the housing, and has a plurality of openings for releasing steam within the housing. The means for controlling the exposure to steam of the food product controls either or both the speed of the motor-driven conveyor means and the release of steam from the manifold means.

The present invention also encompasses a breaded food product prepared according to the process described in this specification. An object of the present invention is a process for uniformly adhering breading to uncooked or cooked food products, such as chicken or other poultry, seafood, meat, vegetables, and other food products that may be breaded, to produce cooked products with consistent and superior flavor, texture, moisture and other qualities. More particularly, an object is to maintain consistent and superior food product

quality regardless of the breading and cooking sequences prior to consumption. These breading and cooking sequences include, for example, cooking the food product prior to breading and thereafter breading the food product for subsequent consumption or freezing for rethermalization; breading and then cooking the food product for immediate consumption; freezing the food product after breading for later thawing and cooking; and breading and then cooking the food product for immediate freezing and subsequent rethermalization.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the time required to uniformly adhere breading -to uncooked food products.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the waste of breading material during the preparation of breaded food products.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the waste of cooking oil occasioned by excessive loss of breading during the cooking process for breaded food products. A further object of the invention is a process for uniformly adhering breading to food products that is less sensitive to variations in the gluten content and other characteristics of the flour ingredient of the edible dust adhered to the food product. Another object of the invention is a process for uniformly adhering breading to food products that results in

improved a ^~ dhesion of the breading to the food product under subsequent conditions of freezing, cooking and eating, and the handling of the product that occurs at each such condition. A further object of the invention is an apparatus for exposing food products, such as chicken or other poultry, seafood, meat, vegetables, or other food products that may be breaded, to steam sufficient to render an edible dust adhering to the product capable of adhering uniformly to breading.

Another object of the invention is to maximize the adhesion of the breading to the food product while minimizing the weight of water added to the food product to produce the adhesion. Additional objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part are obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention also may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention. Together with the

description, these drawings serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an apparatus for exposing dusted food product to steam, in accordance with the presen _t invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 1, taken along line A-A depicted in FI _G . _1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 1, taken along line B-B depicted in FI _G . _1; FIG. 4 is a top view of a portion of a stainless steel mesh conveyor belt for use in the apparatus depicted in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the conveyor means of an apparatus for exposing dusted food products to steam, in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention is useful for the preparation of food products, including for example chicken or other poultry, seafood, meat, vegetables and other food products that may be breaded. A preferred embodiment is used to prepare pieces of chicken, including wings, legs, thighs and breasts. The chicken pieces may include individual parts as well as quarter, half or whole chickens, and may contain naturally occurring bones or may have had any bones removed. The chicken product comprising a preferred embodiment of the

present invention may retain the original skin or may have had the skin removed prior to dusting with an edible dust, exposure to steam and breading.

The process contemplated by the present invention comprises the steps of adhering an edible dust to the surface of a food product; exposing the edible dust to sufficient steam to adhere the steamed edible dust to breading,- and then adhering breading to the steamed edible dust. Additional optional steps include cooking the food product after the breading-adhering step and freezing and then rethermalizing the food product after the cooking step. Other optional steps include freezing the food product after the breading- adhering step, and then cooking the food product after the freezing step. The edible dust may be applied to the food product by dredging the product through the edible dust or by sprinkling the edible dust onto the product. In the preferred embodiment, the edible dust covers essentially all of the surface of the food product. The edible dust may be a dust comprising fine particles of one or more edible substances that will adhere to the surface of the food product. The edible dust preferably is based on one or more cereal or protein flours, and may optionally contain salt and flavoring agents. The edible dust should be dry enough to be free-flowing particles capable of being picked up on to the surface of the food product; preferably the edible dust is

essentially dry. For the desired adhesion of the edible dust to occur, the food product should have some degree of surface moisture. However, excessive moisture may inhibit the proper formation of the edible dust coating. In a preferred embodiment, edible dust is adhered to a piece of uncooked chicken. An optional but preferred step is to marinate the food product in a water-based marinade, which imparts the necessary moisture for proper adhesion of the edible dust to the surface of the food product while also imparting desired flavor and additional moisture to the interior of the product. The ingredients used in such marinades are well known in the art. A further preferred embodiment is thus to adhere edible dust to a piece of uncooked, marinated chicken. Other preferred embodiments include adhering edible dust to a piece of uncooked chicken from which the skin has not been removed. In a further preferred embodiment, edible dust is adhered to a piece of uncooked chicken, from which the skin has not been removed, so that edible dust covers essentially the entire surface of the uncooked chicken piece. Another preferred embodiment includes adhering edible dust to the exposed flesh of a piece of uncooked chicken from which the skin has been removed. In a further preferred embodiment, edible dust is adhered to a piece of uncooked chicken, from which the skin has been removed, so

that edible dust covers essentially the entire surface of _t he piece of uncooked chicken.

In other preferred embodiments, a piece of cooked chicken, that optionally may have been marinated, is adhered with edible dust. In these embodiments, the skin of the piece of cooked chicken may or may not have been removed, and edible dust may cover essentially the entire surface of the chicken piece.

After the edible dust is applied to the food product, the dusted food product is exposed to steam in such a manner so that the edible dust is rendered capable of adhering to breading. In a preferred embodiment, the edible dust is capable of adhering uniformly to breading. Typically this occurs when the edible dust layer is rendered tacky to the touch. A minor amount of experimentation may be required to optimize the steam exposure conditions, for example depending on the size and shape of the food product piece, and the compositions of the edible dust and of the breading to be applied after the exposure to steam. In a preferred embodiment, the desired level of tackiness is imparted to the edible dust by exposing the edible dust adhering to a chicken piece to steam for approximately 30 seconds. For alternative embodiments, depending on the size and shape of the food product piece and the compositions of the edible dust and breading, the desired tackiness may be achieved by steam

exposure varying from approximately 5 seconds to approximately 120 seconds.

Breading is then adhered to the steamed edible dust adhering to the surface of the food product. For this purpose, breading includes any type of free-flowing particulate bread-based or cereal-based composition like those conventionally used in preparing breaded food products such as chicken. Preferably, the breading is essentially free of surface liquid, and may contain seasonings as desired. The breading may be applied to the food product by dredging the piece of food product through a layer of breading material, or the breading may be sprinkled or otherwise deposited on the piece. Preferably, the breading covers all of the steamed edible dust on the surface of the product.

After the breading step, an uncooked product can be cooked immediately, for instance by baking or deep fat frying. In a preferred embodiment, the product is cooked by blanching it in heated oil and then is baked in an oven. Depending on the food product, oil temperatures may vary from 260° - 375° F., blanching times may vary from approximately 5 seconds to approximately 200 seconds, and baking times may vary from approximately 1 minute to approximately 30 minutes. The product so prepared can be eaten immediately after cooking. Alternatively, the breaded food product so

prepared can be frozen and stored for subsequent rethermalization.

In the case of a product that is cooked prior to breading, the product can be rethermalized and eaten after breading, or frozen for subsequent rethermalization. The breading thus applied exhibits very satisfactory and substantially uniform adhesion to the food product, both upon initial application and under the subsequent conditions of freezing, cooking, and eating, and the handling normally attendant with each such condition.

The breading thus applied also results in the retention of a very high proportion of the original moisture of the poultry piece, even after cooking.

The product produced by the steps described above is thus characterized in having a layer of an edible dust adhering to the surface of the food product and having a layer of breading substantially uniformly adhering to the edible dust. The product is further characterized in that the production process does not involve immersing the food product piece in batter.

In embodiments in which the edible dust is based on a cereal or protein flour, the process described above does not substantially depend for its utility and efficiency on the gluten content and other characteristics of that cereal or protein flour.

- The present invention also encompasses an appara _t us for exposing to steam an edible dust adhering to- the surface of food product so that the edible dust is rendered capable of adhering to breading. Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, in a preferred embodiment the apparatus 20 for exposing a food product to steam comprises a substantially enclosed housing 26, motor-driven conveyor means, steam manifold means, and means for controlling the exposure to steam of the food product on the conveyor within the housing. In a preferred embodiment, housing 26, motor-driven conveyor means, steam manifold means and means for controlling the exposure to steam of the food product are all attached directly or indirectly to frame 22. Frame 22 may be made of steel or stainless steel, and may be mounted on wheels or casters 24.

Housing 26 has a first opening and a second opening, and includes an enclosure hood 28. In a preferred embodiment, enclosure hood 28 comprises two tapered sections 30 removably attached to frame 22 and a middle section 32 supported by and removably attached to two support stands 34 attached to frame 22 at the center of each side of frame 22. Endless conveyor belt 36 transports food product through the first opening in the substantially enclosed housing 26, into the housing 26, and out of the housing 26 through the second opening. In a further preferred embodiment, endless conveyor belt 36 is supported by idler rollers 42 and 44 attached to

frame 22. ^• The metal mesh construction of endless conveyor belt 36 preferably permits steam and food drippings to pass through endless conveyor belt 36. In a preferred embodiment, endless conveyor belt 36 is constructed of Flat-Flex®, an interlocking metal strand product manufactured by Wire Belt Company of America (Londonderry, New Hampshire) . A portion of a preferred construction of endless conveyor belt ₃₆ is depicted in FIG. 4. The upper level of endless conveyor belt 36 rides on an motor-driven axle 38 which engages the upper level of the endless conveyor belt 36 by means of teeth or gears mounted on the axle 38. In a preferred embodiment the axle 38 is located at a distance approximately one-third the length of the housing 26, measured from the entrance of the upper level of the endless conveyor belt 36 into the first opening of housing 26. In a preferred embodiment, axle 38 is driven by a hydraulic motor 40, but other driving means such as an electric motor may also be used.

Referring to FIG. 3, in a preferred embodiment endless conveyor belt 36 is supported by a plurality of belt supports 46. Each belt support 46 preferably is held in place by two spacer bars 48, a plurality of which are attached to frame 22 and extend transverse to and under the upper level of endless conveyor belt 36. Each spacer bar 48 preferably supports approximately two belt supports 46 per linear foot. Idler roller 50 is also mounted to frame 22,

and provides support to the lower portion of the endless conveyor belt 36.

Another preferred embodiment of the motor-driven conveyor means is depicted in FIG. 5 and comprises two endless conveyor belts. Referring to FIG. 5, in this embodiment, food product is transported through housing ₈₈ by means of a first endless conveyor belt 84 and a second endless conveyor belt 86. These first and second endless conveyor belts 84 and 86 are arranged longitudinally in housing 88. First endless conveyor belt 84 is driven by drive axle 92 and is supported and guided by large idler roller 94 and small idler roller 96. Second endless conveyor belt 86 is driven by drive axle 98 and is supported and guided by large idler roller 100 and small idler roller 102. In this embodiment, the upper level of each of first endless conveyor belt 84 and second endless conveyor belt 86 are approximately in the same horizontal plane. Food product enters housing 88 on the upper level of first endless conveyor belt 84, and is transported by first endless conveyor belt 84 approximately half-way through housing 88. A short space separates the upper level of first endless conveyor belt 84 from the upper level of second endless conveyor belt 86. Food product of sufficient size is automatically transferred from the upper level of first endless conveyor belt 84 to the upper level of second endless conveyor belt 86, which transports the food product so

transferred through the remainder and out of housing ₈₈ . In this embodiment, first and second endless conveyor belts ₈₄ and 86 need not be porous, and steam can be applied to the under-side of the food product by means of steam source ₉₀ located in a space between first endless conveyor belt ₈₄ and second endless conveyor belt 86.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the steam manifold means may be embodied as main steam feed pipe 52, steam pipes 54 and 56, and steam manifolds 58 and 60. In a preferred embodiment main steam feed pipe 52 is connected to a steam source, and main steam feed pipe 52 feeds two steam pipes 54 and 56 that supply steam to manifolds 58 and 60 within housing 26. Steam pipe 54 attaches to manifold 58, which is supported transverse to and above endless conveyor belt 36 by two support stands 62 and bracket 64. Steam pipe 56 attaches to manifold 60, which is supported transverse to and below the endless conveyor belt 36 by bracket 66, which is attached to frame 22. Manifold 58 and manifold 60 each contain a plurality of openings, for releasing steam within housing 26. In a preferred embodiment, the openings are nozzles 68. Each manifold 58 and 60 is equipped with a ball valve 70 having a lever 72 for manual control of ball valve 70 to open, close, or throttle ball valve 70 to vary the pressure of the steam fed into manifolds 58 and 60. Steam gauges 74 mounted on steam pipes 54 and 56 monitor the pressure of steam at

manifolds 58 and 60. In an alternative embodiment, a steam pipe connects to a single steam manifold.

A drip pan 76 is preferably mounted to frame 22 beneath the housing 26. Condensed steam and drippings from the food product can be diverted by the drip pan 76 to a drain or tank.

The means for controlling the exposure to steam of the food product preferably controls either or both the speed of the conveyor and the amount of steam released within the housing. Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment is equipped with a central control box 78, which has control 80, providing means for stopping, starting and controlling the speed of endless conveyor belt 36 as it passes through housing 26. A master switch 82 allows entire apparatus 20 to be started or stopped. Ball valves 70 can be manipulated to control the amount of steam released within housing 26.

In operation, apparatus 20 is turned on with the master switch 82 with the speed of endless conveyor belt being adjusted by manipulation of control 80. Food products adhered with edible dust are placed on the upper level of endless conveyor belt 36 before that upper level travels into the first opening of stainless steel housing 26. Steam from steam manifolds 58 and 60, dispersed in the housing 26 directly above and beneath endless conveyor belt 36, passes through endless conveyor belt 36 and envelopes the dusted food products to moisten the edible dust to the desired level

of tackiness. After the food products so exposed to steam travel on the upper level of endless conveyor belt ₃₆ through the second opening of housing 26 out of the housing ₂₆ , the food products are removed from endless conveyor belt 3 ₆ an _d then breaded.

The present invention also encompasses food products prepared in accordance with the process described herein. In a preferred embodiment, the food product so prepared is chicken. We have described an apparatus for exposing dusted food product to steam that allows a precise control of the amount of steam exposure. We have also described a process for using this invention as a step in preparing a breaded food product without immersing the product in batter, and the product prepared thereby. We have further described a product prepared in accordance with the process described herein. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to this invention of an apparatus and process for preparing breaded food products, and product thereby, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. It is also intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of the apparatus and process for preparing breaded food products, and products prepared thereby, provided such modifications and variations come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.