Method for processing materials to change their texture, apparatus therefor, and resulting materials
US5855941A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 12, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jan 5, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 12, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA23P30/32
- WIPO fieldFood chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Materials, for example, plant-based food products, are subjected to heat and pressure in a processing enclosure, wherein the pressure is greater than the pressure of the atmosphere. The heated, pressurized materials are then subjected to a pressure-reduction phase during which the pressure in the processing enclosure is reduced at a rate greater than 500 millibars per second and by an amplitude greater than 1 bar. The rapid pressure-reduction phase of the invention contributes to the production of processed materials having a slightly spongy structure that is due to the presence of micro-cavities that promote the recapture of subsequent moisture.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.