PRODUCT

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention, relates to encrusted edible products produced by co-extrusion particularly, biscuit-like soft-filled baked food products with high sugar content, and production methods thereof.

PRIOR ART

Filled snack products which have an outer shellformed from edible dough, is produced at an extruder. Snack product, consists the process steps of co-extrusion of an inner filling and outer shell from dough together from an extrusion head, cutting the unbaked dough when a pre determined product weight is reached and providing one after another in a spherical form on a moving conveyor and baking partially flattened external shell on the conveyor in a baking oven until having crusty structure.

US4734024A patent publication, discloses an apparatus for shaping a spherical body consisting of dough crust and a filling is provided. A continuously fed cylindrical body, consisting of dough crust and a filling, is constricted by at least three slidable members which form an opening or closes it. . The members slide on each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body. The contact area of the members with the surface of the cylindrical body gradually decreases as the opening is closed, thereby constricting the cylindrical body and shaping the spherical body.

Filled dough spherical body obtained by the known methods, is disposed on a conveyor belt. The viscosity and the weight of the dough causes the spherical bodies to release themselves on the conveyor and a round flat biscuit form is obtained.

Flat food products that are carried to the baking oven via the conveyor, are baked and packaged and delivered to the consumers. Flat round food products, such as biscuits, are aligned equiaxial and packed. Thus, a cylindrical packaging form is obtained. Edges of the flat spherical structures, could be broken inside a cylindrical packaging during the transport. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide filled baked dough outer shell food products in a standard size.

To achieve the aforementioned objective, invention comprises a production assembly for an edible product, particularly a cookie comprising an extruder consecutively co-extruding closed filled dough pieces from a viscous inner filling with an outer dough crust made of edible dough encapsulating the inner filling and a conveyor transporting the filled dough in parts. The production assembly further comprises a mold provided between the extruder and conveyor is having a recess surrounding the dough pieces provided directly inside the recess such that each one of the filled dough pieces are shaped on the surrounding recess by its own weight. Due to the fillings pressure, the outer shell which has tendency to collapse owing to the fluidal structure, spreads inside the recess, wholly or largely will be able to form the shape of the recess in a sufficient time. Subsequent to a hardening process, for example baking, size of the filled dough will be fixed by baking, will be able to be packaged tightly without exceeding an outer size defined by the recess.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the recess is provided at upper wall of the mold is forming an inlet. In this case, with the extruder supplying each filled dough piece on the mold, the filled dough automatically proceeds in the recess. Alternatively, it is possible for the inlet to rest on one side of the mold and to rotate the mold receiving each filled dough into an upper position by turning it sideways and move in the recess due to its own weight.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the extruder is aligned at the top of the recess while filled dough delivery. In this case, it is accelerated with the free fall of the piece of filled dough obtained by the extruders each co-extrusion, in to the recess and taking the form of the recess in a short time and it is even possible to penetrate the corners in angular recess structures.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the width of the outer shell is set to at least 0,5 mm resisting against a pressure from inner filling occur when contacting to the recess. The pressure created by the inner filling to the outer shell, which starts with the contact of the outer shell to the recess’ inner wall, especially the high pressure caused in corner froms, resistance is assured because of the outer shell thickness. Thus, the integrity of the outer shell is maintained and undesirable conditions such as rupture and inner filling flowing out and overflowing from the recess are avoided. In a possible embodiment, outer shell thickness is selected from 1 mm to 5 mm, for example 2 mm.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the recess comprising a flat base and an angled inner wall at which the outer shell is pushed to force form an edge portion by its own weight. In a possible embodiment, the planar base prevents the formation of a high tension on the outer shell since it will be the region on which it contacts and spreads with the weight of the outer shell. Subsequently, since the pressure by the inner filling on the outer shell will be substancially compensated during spreading to the planar base, it becomes possible for the filled dough to withstand the extra stresses of angled inner wall with a thin outer shell structure. Since the outer shell will accumulate more in the corner, it becomes possible to form a food product with increased strength from the corners, especially biscuits.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, inner wall is arranged perpendicular to the base. With the inner wall being perpendicular, after filled dough is spread around the planar base, the outer shell along the inner wall is contacted from the end of a lateral camber to the middle of the vertical wall, so that the pressure of the inner filling is spread evenly along the inner wall in two directions.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a baking oven is provided at a vicinity of an end of the conveyor and configured such that outer shell formed to substantially shape of recess is baked to a crusty structure. The baking oven, enables the outer shell to be hardened by baking at e.g. between 180°C and 200°C and therefore the products sizes are fixed.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises the steps of continious co-extrusion of the inner filling and outer shell in filled dough pieces by an extruder in one another; providing filled dough directly to corresponding the recess of the mold from the extruder; rest until the filled dough shaped inside the recess by its own weight and bake until the outer shell of the filled dough turn into in a crusty structure. Thus, a food product which wholly or largely takes the shape of the recess, especially biscuits, is obtained.

A preferred embodiment of the invention further comprises the step of transporting the mold on the conveyor while the filled dough provided inside the recess is shaped to the recess form. In this case, without a waiting step after the extrusion, the extruded products are able to take the recess form while transporting to the baking oven. A preferred embodiment of the invention is a filled biscuit. It has been found that sugary products, especially a sugary dough that forms the outer shell, could take an angular form quickly and without tearing during the transport.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 , is a schematic illustration of a representative embodiment of the co-extruded filled food product manufacturing the apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2a, is a top representation of a mold having a cubic recess used in manufacturing assembly shown in Figure 1 .

Figure 2b, is a top representation of a mold having a recess with a pentagonal prismatic cross section.

Figure 2c, is a top representation of a mold having a recess with a cylindrical cross section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the intentive subject matter has been described with reference for examples, such that there is no restriction and only to better describe the subject matter.

US4762723 patent publication which was incorporated by reference, discloses examples of filling and dough recipes of a biscuit produced by co-extrusion. In Fig. 1 , an edible dough of this type and an oil-based cream inner filling provided from a depositor (1 ) form filled dough (30) pieces by co-extruding through an extruder (2) having a cutter and EP1 199938 nozzles which is also incorporated by reference. The filled dough (30), maintains its plastic formingproperty at the outlet of the extruder (2). A prismatic mold (10), moves forward on a conveyor (20) conveyor belt (22) with a recess (13) corresponding to each extruder (2) nozzle. The conveyor’s (20) one end is located under the extruder (2) and reaches to a baking oven (50) from the other end. The mold (10), is separated from from the outer periphery (1 1 ) from another mold (10) at a distance where it is arranged sequentially on the conveyor belt (22). The recess (13) is accessed through an opening surrounded by a planar upper wall (12). The extruder (2) is aligned on the recess (13) by the means of the nozzle during the supply of filled dough (30). The recess (13) has different cross-sections according to the biscuit geometry desiredto be obtained. A mold (10) having a square cross-section shown in Figure 2a is used to obtain the cubic filled biscuit. On the other hand, Figure 2b shows suitably a recess (13) to produce a pentagonal prismatic biscuit. Figure 2c shows a mold (10) with a circular cross- section recess (13) to obtain a cylindrical biscuit.

The recess (13) comprises a planar base (14) (alternatively a shaped base may be formed) and an inner wall (15) that delimits it. The mold (10) sits on the conveyor belt (22) via its planar bottom section (16). There is a 90° angle between the base (14) and the inner wall (15). Therefore, a corner form is obtained between the inner wall (15) and the base (14).

Figure 1 , shows the steps of biscuit formation respectively, with each mold (10). The conveyor (20) carrying the mold (10) runs in a horizontal plane and the mold (10) recess (13) faces upright thereon. Under the extruder (2), a newly filled dough supplied mold (10) is shown. Flere, the filled dough (30) can be extended to a drop structure due to its plastic forming property or can be supplied in spherical form according to the extruders (2) characteristics. In the next mold (10), the filled dough (30) sits to the base (14) from a bottom contact section (36) of the outer shell (32) due to its weight. Because of the pressure applied by the inner filling (34) to the outer shell (32), the outer shell (32) bulge out from the sides. Thus, a lateral contact section (35) extends over the inner wall (15) from the side middle section. The filled dough (30) presses the dough outer shell (32) by the weight of the inner filling (34), completely seated from its side to the inner wall (15) as will be seen in the next mold (10). Meantime, the filled dough (30) extends completely to the base (14) by increasing the bottom contact section (36). By this means, the filled dough (30) substantially has the shape of the recess (13) by the shape of the outer shell (32). As shown in the next mold (10), the upper wall (39) of the filled dough (30) is flattened beacuse of its weight as long as the mold (10) advances on the conveyor (20). In a possible embodiment, at this stage or at a later stage, flavor may be added to the upper wall (39). During the movement on the conveyor (20), the filled dough (30) which takes the form of the recess (13), is taken into the baking oven (50) and cooked until the outer shell (32) hardens and the baked product (40) is packaged.

The time spent by the mold (10) on the conveyor (20) and the dough fluid consistence of the outer shell (32), i.e. the high plastic formation property, allows the outer shell (32) to penetrate more to the corners on the recess (13) to form a more anguler structure. Therefore, the filled dough (30) is transferred on a conveyor (20) for at least 5 seconds, taking into account the fluidity characteristics of a biscuit dough. In the corners, it is possible to obtain a filled biscuit with high structural strenght, for example by the accumulation of the outer shell (32) between the inner wall (15) and the base (14). The production of cubic and filled bisccuits is made possible by a mold (10) having a square cross-section as shown in Figure 2a. REFERANCE NUMBERS

1 Depositor 30 Filled dough

2 Extruder 32 Outer shell

10 Mold 34 Inner filling

1 1 Outer periphery 35 Lateral contact section

12 Top wall 36 Bottom contact section

13 Recess 37 Side Wall

14 Base 38 Lower Wall

15 Inner wall 39 Upper Wall

16 Bottom section 40 Baked product 20 Conveyor 50 Baking oven

22 Conveyor belt