Method for the manufacture of rice-based food additive

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/611,464 filed Jul. 7, 2000, now abandoned, entitled: Apparatus and Method for the Manufacture of Rice-Based Food Additive, which is a continuation-in-part of PCT application PCT/US98/25610 filed Dec. 3, 1998 entitled: Apparatus and Method for the Manufacture of Reduced and Low Fat Pasta Filata Cheese which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/869,114 filed Jun. 4, 1997 entitled: Apparatus and Method for the Manufacture of Reduced and Low Fat Pasta Filata Cheese, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,030, all hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Background of the Invention

The invention relates generally to an ingredient, apparatus and method for the production of high moisture food items, and in particular, to an apparatus and process for incorporating rice-stabilized water into food items including cheese and sausage.

Interest in reduced and low fat foods that nevertheless maintain the mouth feel, and texture of the original foods has led to interest in replacing fat with fat mimetics and increasing the moisture content of these foods so as to dilute fat with water.

The simple introduction of additional water to most products is not successful because of problems of product rheology, water release in storage and changed functionality. For these reasons, gums may be added to stabilize or bind the water in the product. The introduction of substantial amounts of gum may make a product less appealing and some consumers may avoid products with gums in favor of what is considered more “natural” ingredients.

The parent application to the present case describes a method of making of low fat pasta filata cheese by incorporating a water-rice mixture into the cheese at the kneading stage. It was found that this rice mixture allowed significant amounts of moisture to be added to cheese, thereby diluting fat, without adversely affecting the texture for which such cheeses including mozzarella cheese are prized.

The inventors have since discovered that the rice mixture may be used to significantly increase the water content of a variety of foods, not only pasta filata cheeses, but also other cheese and cheese products, sausages and the like. By incorporating and stabilizing water, the food retains its functionality, flavor and texture with reduced fat on a wet basis.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a commercially practical method of high percentage augmentation of the moisture in food products. The invention combines rice grains and heated water and subjects the mixture to high shear to liquefy it without substantial release of water. This mixture is added to the desired food product while in liquefied form.

Although the inventors do not wish to be bound by a particular theory, this high shear method of producing a liquefied rice mixture is believed to preserve the structure of rice necessary to its water holding capacity. Further, this method is readily adapted to large process volumes and may use low cost rice as opposed to more expensive rice flours.

Specifically then, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing an augmented moisture food product using the steps of combining rice grains and heated water in a ratio allowing substantially complete absorption of the water within the rice grains. The mixture is then subjected to a high shear to liquefy the mixture without substantial release of water from the rice and then combined with the low moisture food ingredient.

Thus, it is one object of the invention to provide a natural and low cost method of stabilizing water to be introduced into food products to reduce their fat content or for other purposes.

The step of shearing the mixture of rice may include circulating the rice and water in a vessel with a high shear mixer and pumping the rice and water through a shear pump.

Thus, it is another object of the invention to provide a method of on-site preparation of a rice blend that is amenable to processes where occasional storage and transfer is required. The shear pump may recirculate the rice mixture to keep it liquefied and may be used to easily transport the rice mixture through standard pipes in liquefied form to where it will be needed.

The vessel may have heated walls and the method may include the step of scraping the inner surface of the walls of the heated vessel during the processing of the rice mixture. Thus, it is another object of the invention to provide for a simplified preparation of the rice mixture in a single vessel.

The food ingredient to which the rice mixture is added may be pasta filata cheese, other cheese and cheese products, or sausage meat.

Thus, it is another object of the invention to provide a general purpose, natural food substitute that may be used in a variety of products.

The rice grains and water may stand in the ratio of substantially one to two by weight.

Thus, it is another object of the invention to provide for extremely high water capacity in the rice mixture.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessary represent the full scope of the invention, however, and reference must be made to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

is a simplified perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention for producing a reduced and low-fat pasta filata cheese showing a multiple auger heating system for the rice-based cheese substitute and a spray nozzle positioned over a hopper receiving standard pasta filata cheese and communicating with an upwardly extending kneading vessel;

FIG. 2

is a cross sectional view of the kneading vessel and spray nozzle of

FIG. 1

taken along lines

2

—

2

of

FIG. 1

showing the internal auger and the path of standard pasta filata cheese into the upwardly opening hopper;

FIG. 3

is a detailed fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along lines

3

—

3

of

FIG. 1

showing two kneading augers within the kneading chamber of

FIG. 2

in intermeshed counter rotating configuration;

FIG. 4

is a block diagram of the apparatus of

FIGS. 1-3

showing the path of the rice cheese substitute and standard pasta filata cheese during the process;

FIG. 5

is a cross-sectional view of a preparation vessel that provides an alternative method for the manufacture of the rice cheese substitute;

FIG. 6

shows an arrangement of a manufacturing line employing two kneading vessels of

FIG. 2

, two of the manufacturing vessels of FIG.

5

and two modified vessels similar to that of

FIG. 5

providing holding tanks, together allowing for continuous manufacture of the pasta filata cheese of the present invention;

FIG. 7

is a perspective view of a cheese volume flow meter such as may be used with the present invention for determining the flow rate of cheese or other material so as to provide a basis for automatic control of the ratio of the rice/cheese blend and cheese in the auger system of

FIGS. 1 and 6

;

FIG. 8

is a simplified cross-sectional view along lines

8

—

8

of

FIG. 7

showing the pin wheel for measuring linear flow of the cheese and thickness gauge for gauging its cross-sectional area to determine total volume; and

FIG. 9

is a figure similar to that of

FIG. 6

showing use of the rice blend in the manufacture of cream cheese.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Apparatus and Process

Referring now to

FIGS. 1 and 4

, a reduced and low-fat cheese manufacturing apparatus

10

includes a motor-driven grinder

12

of conventional design having a hopper

14

sized to receive blocks of a rice mixture

16

whose preparation will be described in detail below. An auger

18

(shown in

FIG. 4

) is positioned within the grinder

12

and driven by motor

20

to force the semi-solid rice mixture

16

past a cutter head

21

so as to be macerated and extruded as indicated by arrow

22

for receipt by a second hopper

24

. The second hopper

24

opens into one end of a tubular heating chamber

26

which includes a second auger

28

driven by motor

30

to move the macerated rice mixture

16

along the length of the tubular heating chamber

26

from the hopper

24

to an exit port

31

at the opposite end of the tubular heating chamber

26

. The tubular heating chamber

26

is jacketed by a concentric hot water jacket

32

through which heated water

34

is passed. The heated water

34

is given a temperature so as to heat the macerated rice mixture

16

to approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit as it passes along tubular heating chamber

26

.

When the rice mixture

16

reaches exit port

31

, it is sufficiently liquefied so that it may be received by a metering pump

36

of conventional design which provides a precise volume flow of the rice mixture

16

into connecting pipe

38

leading to a second tubular heating chamber

40

. Second tubular heating chamber

40

is similar in construction to tubular heating chamber

26

having a generally cylindrical lumen holding a third auger

42

driven by a motor

44

to move the liquefied cheese rice substitute from connecting pipe

38

to an exit port

46

. Again, second tubular heating chamber

40

has a hot water jacket

48

regulated to adjust the rice mixture

16

to a temperature from 185-190 degrees Fahrenheit. The heated and liquefied rice mixture

16

exits port

46

to valve

50

which may recirculate the rice mixture

16

through recirculation pipe

52

back to hopper

24

so as to constantly keep the rice mixture

16

flowing and heated, even if cheese is not actively being processed.

When pasta filata cheese is being processed, the rice mixture

16

passes through tube

56

to a spray nozzle

58

. The nozzle

58

is a length of pipe having a plurality of holes drilled in its lower surface to provide an orifice through which a rice mixture

16

may exit.

Referring now to

FIGS. 1

,

2

, and

4

, the reduced and low fat cheese manufacturing apparatus

10

may be positioned to receive standard pasta filata cheese

60

directly from a stretching machine, but prior to its molding, chilling, or brining. Ideally, the pasta filata cheese

60

is delivered from the stretcher (not shown) at a temperature of approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit and has a fully formed fiber structure. The pasta filata cheese

60

drops into hopper

62

at the base of an upwardly sloping kneading chamber

64

. Referring in particular to

FIG. 4

, the kneading chamber

64

is jacketed with a concentric steam jacket

74

adjusted to a temperature of approximately

140

degrees Fahrenheit, but beneath the melting point of the cheese mixture

72

. The spray nozzle

58

is positioned above the hopper so that the liquefied and heated rice mixture

16

may be sprayed upon the surface of the pasta filata cheese

60

as it enters the hopper

62

. The flow rate of the pasta filata cheese

60

and the rice mixture

16

from nozzle

58

may be adjusted so that the combined pasta filata cheese

60

and rice mixture

16

(cheese mixture

72

) is as high as 10-25% rice mixture

16

by weight.

Referring now to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, positioned within the kneading chamber

64

are twin augers

66

having helical vanes

68

passing in helixes of opposite “hand” around shafts

70

so that the vanes

68

may intermesh while the shafts

70

turn in opposite directions. A motor

76

turns the augers

66

through a conventional gear drive as will be understood to those of ordinary skill in the art. The augers

66

so turning provide a generally upward motion to the mixture of the pasta filata cheese

60

and the rice mixture

16

through the kneading chamber

64

.

The clearance between the vanes

68

and the walls of the kneading chamber

64

and the pitch and speed of the augers

66

is adjusted so that the cheese mixture

72

is stretched and folded between the augers and the inside of the kneading chamber

64

without cutting, so that the fibers of the cheese are preserved, yet coated uniformly with the rice mixture

16

. Generally, the augers

66

provide a similar action to hand kneading in which the palm of the hand is pressed against a lump of dough of cheese to roll it along a hard surface, stretching and compressing the cheese back upon itself.

At the upper end of the kneading chamber

64

is an exit opening through which the cheese mixture

72

exits as a reduced and low-fat pasta filata cheese. It may then be received by a molder chiller or brining tank of conventional design.

The reduced and low-fat cheese manufacturing apparatus

10

is generally instrumented and controlled through a control panel

80

providing control for the speed of the metering pump

36

of the motors

30

,

44

, and

76

and of valves necessary to hold the temperatures of the hot water jackets

74

,

48

, and

32

within the range as described. The heated water

34

may be provided by a steam heat exchanger

82

shown in

FIG. 4

which provides heated water

34

directly to hot water jacket

48

which may then be cooled and transmitted to jackets

74

and

32

by metering valve

84

.

The Rice Mixture

The rice mixture

16

is formed principally of rice and water mixed and heated until it reaches a gel-like consistency. Preferably, the rice may be crushed in a grinder to a consistency of approximately two-millimeter particle size. A ribbon blender may then be used to mix the rice with approximately two hundred percent water by weight while it is heated to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for at least thirty minutes. The rice is then allowed to cool for approximately one hour with blending while other ingredients are added until it has reached approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It is then molded into forty-pound blocks and refrigerated. The blocks are fed into the hopper

14

of the reduced and low-fat cheese manufacturing apparatus

10

as they are needed.

Although the exact composition of the rice mixture may vary, in a preferred embodiment, the rice mixture is compounded of the following ingredients:

TABLE I

Ingredient

Percent by weight

Water

 39%

Rice

37.2% 

Corn syrup

7.1%

Whey powder

4.8%

B950 food starch

4.8%

Maltrin M040

4.8%

Salt

1.0%

Cheddar flavor

0.5%

Guar Gum

0.8%

The composition of the rice mixture

16

with respect to its minor ingredients may be varied, particularly with respect to emulsifiers and flavoring agents.

In yet another embodiment, the rice/cheese substitute may be formulated for a substantially higher percentage of water.

TABLE II

Typical Batch

Ingredient

Percentage by Weight

Amounts

Long grain white rice

28%

300 lbs.

Water

60%

650 lbs.

GPC-Maltrin®

  3-6%

 50 lbs.

M200 Corn Syrup Solids

GPC-Maltrin®

2.5-5%

 40 lbs.

M040 Maltodextrin

GPC-Pure-Set®

2.5-5%

 40 lbs.

B950 Food Starch-

Modified

In preparing this blend, the equipment described above with respect to

FIGS. 5 and 6

may be used with 650 lbs. of water added to the heated vessel

90

and brought to a boiling temperature of 212° F. Three hundred pounds of rice may be added to the heated vessel

90

, the rice being generally intact or naturally broken rice kernels without grinding or similar preprocessing. Heat may be introduced into the vessel

90

and the rice may be cooked for 25 minutes after which the scraper blades

128

and high shear mixer head

116

are started. The remaining ingredients are then added and the mixture agitated and sheared for ten additional minutes. Finally, the rice mixture

16

is pumped through shear pump

132

to be circulated for 20 minutes.

On-Site Manufacture of the Rice-Based Cheese Substitute

Referring now to

FIG. 5

in an alternative embodiment, the of the grinder

12

, tubular heating chamber

26

and tubular heating chamber

40

(shown in

FIG. 4

) previously used to prepare a premanufactured semi-solid rice mixture

16

, may be replaced and the need for premanufacturing avoided by using a batch operated heated vessel

90

on-site.

The heated vessel

90

is a double-walled container having a cylindrical inner wall

92

surrounded coaxially by a cylindrical outer wall

94

. The walls

92

and

94

continue around a lower base of their respective cylinders to culminate in an axial drain port

96

providing a passage from a mixing volume

98

surrounded by the inner wall

92

. The inner wall

92

and outer wall

94

define between them a steam jacket volume

100

into which steam may be introduced and extracted through ports

102

. In this manner, the inner wall

92

may be heated to a controlled temperature so as to heat the material contained within the mixing volume

98

.

An upper cover

104

joins the inner wall

92

and outer wall

94

at their upper edges and covers the mixing volume

98

. Cover

104

is breached by access hatch

106

into which

ingredients as will be described may be introduced. A smaller entrance port

108

through cover

104

allows for the recirculation of material from inside the volume

98

out through the drain port

96

and back into the entrance port

108

as will also be described.

Mounted on top of the cover

104

is a shear mixer motor

110

driving a shaft

112

piercing the cover

104

and terminating within the volume

98

at a high shear mixer head

116

. Such mixer heads

116

are well known in the art and are commercially available from Admix of Manchester, N.H., United States under the tradename Rotosolver. During operation, the high shear mixer head

116

will rotate as indicated by arrow

118

.

The shaft

112

may be off center to the center axis of the cylindrical volume

98

to allow for the passage of a scraper shaft

120

through cover

104

along the center axis. The scraper shaft

120

is driven by scraper motor

122

also mounted on top of cover

104

. The scraper shaft

120

terminates at its lower end at a bearing

124

axially aligned with the drain port

96

but supported above the drain port

96

so as not to obstruct it. Scraper shaft

120

rotates about its extent as driven by the scraper motor

122

and as indicated by arrow

121

.

Extending symmetrically and radially outward from the lower end of the scraper shaft

120

, above the bearing

124

, are scraper arms

126

which follow along and above the portion of the inner wall

92

forming the lower base and along and inside the portion of the inner wall

92

forming cylindrical vertical walls. Scraper blades

128

are attached along the arms

126

between the arms and the inner wall

92

so as to scrape along the inner wall

92

preventing overheating of material immediately adjacent to the heated inner walls

92

. Scraper blades

128

are staggered with respect to the opposing arm

126

so as to provide essentially uniform coverage of the inner wall

92

adjacent to steam jacket volume

100

.

During operation, rice grains and heated water may be introduced through access hatch

106

. Preferably, the rice grains are unground rice comprising whole grains and broken grains such as naturally occur during grain shipping and handling. Other ingredients according to the table provided above may also be added at this time.

Steam introduced into the steam jacket volume

100

maintains the mixture at between 185 and 190° F. while it is blended with the high shear mixer head

116

and prevented from caking to the inner wall

92

by scraper blades

128

.

Referring now to

FIG. 6

during blending, the mixture may be extracted from drain port

96

to be pumped by positive displacement pump

130

and then by shear pump

132

through valve

134

back into entrance port

108

providing additional shearing of the mixture and its constant recirculation. Still referring to

FIG. 6

, two such vessels

90

and

90

′ may be arranged to operate in tandem so that one vessel may be cleaned or refitted while the other vessel is creating the rice water blend. By means of valve

134

, (or valve

134

′ on tank

90

′), the contents of the vessels

90

and

90

′, respectively, may be pumped to a pasteurizing tank

136

(or

136

′) being identical to vessels

90

and

90

′ except for the absence of the shear mixer motor

110

, shaft

112

, and high shear mixer head

116

. Tanks

136

and

136

′ include inlet ports

137

,

137

′ connected each to an outlet of valves

134

or

134

′.

The pasteurizing tanks

136

,

136

′ may each have a positive feed pump

140

(or

140

′) receiving mixture from the tank

136

or

136

′ through drain ports

139

or

139

′, respectively,

corresponding generally to drain port

96

as pumped by the pumps

140

or

140

′ to valves

142

or

142

′ for recirculation back into the tanks

136

,

136

′. Valves

142

and

142

′ provide the rice water mixture to two way valves

146

and

146

′ which may direct the mixture either of hopper

62

or

62

′ of two corresponding kneading chambers

64

or

64

′ or to a second inlet on the other valve

146

,

146

′.

Thus, vessels

90

and

90

′ may be operated on a batch or intermittent basis with their product shunted to respective pasteurizing tanks

136

or

136

′ for pasteurizing and holding. Tanks

136

and

136

′ may hold the cheese rice substitute until it is needed and then via valves

142

and

142

′ set to provide either of the kneading chambers

164

or

164

′ with the mixture. As have been previously described, each kneading chamber

164

or

164

′ includes an auger

66

or

66

′ for kneading the rice water mixture into pasta filata cheese.

It will be understood, therefore, that the kneading chambers

64

and

64

′ may be operated on an essentially continuous basis with the rice cheese substitute being manufactured in batches in vessels in

90

and

90

′. Further the operation of the equipment need not be halted for cleaning operations of the vessels

90

,

90

′,

136

or

136

′ as dual flow paths exist to either of the kneading chambers

64

or

64

′.

Referring now to

FIGS. 7 and 8

, a cheese flow meter

170

useful for metering the rice mixture

16

into the cheese

60

or other food base includes an entrance aperture

172

through which cheese

60

may be introduced prior to the introduction of the rice mixture

16

.

The cheese

60

travels along guiding trough

174

which terminates at an end lip

176

which may communicate with the hopper

62

shown in

FIGS. 1

,

2

and

6

of the kneading chamber

64

. The trough

174

provides a generally rectangular cross-section defined between a bottom horizontal wall and upstanding sidewalls. An open upper face of the trough

174

is partially covered by a pivoting gauge plate

178

hinging about an axis

180

generally perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the trough

174

and the travel of the cheese

60

.

As pivoted, the gauge plate

178

may have one end follower

182

resting lightly upon the surface of the cheese

60

as it moves through the trough

174

, the gauge plate

178

angularly pivoting with movement of the follower end

182

up and down as the height of the mass of cheese

60

changes.

A sensor end of the gauge plate

178

opposite the follower end

182

with respect to the axis

160

may include a proximity sensing target

184

adjacent to a proximity sensor

186

positioned thereabove. The operation of the proximity sensor target

184

and proximity sensor

186

is to provide a measure of the height of follower end

182

above the bottom of the trough

174

and thus an electronic measurement of the height of the cross-section of cheese

60

flowing through the trough

174

.

Thus, it will be understood that insofar as the cheese

60

as it flows and spreads generally the full width of the bottom wall of the trough

174

, the height of the follower end

182

above the bottom of the trough

174

, together with knowledge of the width of the trough

174

, provides a measurement of the cross-sectional area of the cheese

60

passing over the lip

176

.

The follower end

182

of the gauge plate

178

may support rotatable pinwheels

188

being disks generally mounted for rotation along axis

190

parallel to axis

180

. The periphery of the disks including radially extending pins

192

that may engage the surface of the cheese

60

as it passes above the lip

176

but beneath the follower end

182

. The pin wheels

188

are free to rotate as the cheese

60

moves thus measuring in their rotation, a linear distance or velocity of cheese

60

passing over the lip

176

.

The rotation of the pin wheels

188

may be detected by an electronic rotation sensor

196

of conventional design and provided to a microprocessor or microcontroller (not shown) together with the signal from the proximity sensor

186

to provide a volume rate or total volume of cheese flowing past lip

176

.

This volumetric rate may be used to control a metering valve

50

prior to nozzle

58

to, in turn, control the ratio or rice mixture

16

to cheese

60

on an automatic basis. It will be understood that the cheese flow meter

170

may be used for a variety of materials other than pasta filata cheese where such metering is required.

Cream Cheese

Referring now to

FIG. 9

, the rice blend of the present invention may find application in the manufacture of low fat cream cheese which begins with the culturing of a starter mix being, for example, in the case of low fat cottage cheese, skim milk

200

contained in a culturing silo

202

. The starter mix may be incubated at 89° to 92° Fahrenheit with a bacterial starter culture suitable for cream cheese manufacture and preferably calf rennet according to techniques well known in the art. The culturing may continue for 6-8 hours until a PH of 4.6 is reached.

At this time the curd is broken up, cooked to 130F. to 170 Fahrenheit, and pumped by pump

204

into cream cheese separator

206

being a centrifugal type separation apparatus such as are available from a variety of different manufacturers and well known in the art. The separator

206

is operated so as to remove whey through whey outlet

208

and to provide a curd material having 40% to 60% moisture content by weight.

The moisture-reduced curd is then homogenized between 2500 and 3000 psi by homoginizer

207

. The homogenized cream cheese is received by a blender

210

, for example, a double agitator type blender. The blender

210

also receives the rice/water mixture at

140

to

160

degrees Fahrenheit as described above through valve

146

and the curd and rice/water mixture are blended at 120 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. The rice/water mixture may be added to the moisture-reduced curd in an amount of 0% to 30%. During the blending process, salt may be added to the product.

Optional homogenization may occur at this time.

From the mixer the completed low fat cream cheese may be run through a heat exchanger

216

to cool it down or may be hot packed using hot pack equipment well known in the art.

Processed Meats—Sausages

Originally, sausage was produced in order to preserve excess meat. Today sausage is produced to meet the unique texture and flavor supplied by these products. Being meat products these foods typically have high fat and cholesterol. The industry is always searching for ways to maintain flavor and textural characteristics of these products while reducing fat and cholesterol.

Sausages are prepared in a variety of methods but typical procedures indicate chilled meat is blended with a solution of seasonings, water, and cure which is a preservative such as nitrates. The combined ingredients may include gums or alginates to help firm the product. Once the final mixture is made, the products are placed in a casing and cured by smoke and heat until an internal temperature of 155 F. is reached.

The use of rice mixture allows the sausage producers to dilute the fat and cholesterol, while maintaining flavor and texture characteristics. Another advantage of the rice mixture is that the use of gums or alginates are reduced or eliminated. Using a rice mixture also produces a more friendly ingredient statement.

The above description has been that of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will occur to those that practice the art that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In order to apprise the public of the various embodiments that may fall within the scope of the invention, the following claims are made.