Abstract: To cut food material, in particular potatoes and sweet potatoes, into continuous close-loop shapes, a cutting blade assembly is used. The cutting blade assembly consists of an outer and at least one inner concentrically arranged cutting blade, where each cutting blade has a close-loop cross-sectional shape. The space between adjacent cutting blades forms a cutting tube. The cutting tubes ultimately form the cross-sectional shapes of the cut food material. Supports, such as blade guides and plungers are slidably positioned between the cutting blades in the cutting tubes. These supports maintain the distance between adjacent cutting blades and assist in separating cut food material from the cutting blades. This cutting blade assembly may be used in a method and system for cutting food material into continuous close-loop shapes.

Abstract: A dry batter for use in preparing a batter slurry for coating food pieces, other than potato pieces, so as to enhance crispness hold time for extended periods in take-out food conditions, with said dry batter comprising 97.4 to 99.8% by weight of a batter base selected from a modified food starch batter base and a flour batter base. The batter base comprises a modified food starch of from 10 to 30%, or from 50 to 60% by weight of the dry batter. The modified food starch is acetylated, cross-linked or acetylated and cross-linked. The dry batter further comprises from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight of calcium lactate and from 0.1 to 1.6% by weight of de-oiled lecithin. Coated food pieces are par-fried and preferably frozen. The frozen pieces, once reconstituted, retain their crispness under adverse, e.g. high humidity, conditions such as those encountered under take-out conditions where such pieces are typically placed into a closed container for home delivery or take out.

Abstract: A batter slurry, for coating food pieces so as to enhance crispness hold time for extended periods in take-out food conditions, comprising, as a percentage of a dry batter used to make the slurry, 97.4 to 99.8% by weight of a batter base selected from a modified food starch batter base and a flour batter base. The batter base comprises a modified food starch of from 10 to 60% by weight of the batter. The modified food starch is acetylated, cross-linked or acetylated and cross-linked. The dry batter further comprises from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight of calcium lactate and from 0.1 to 1.6% by weight of de-oiled lecithin. Coated food pieces are par-fried and preferably frozen. The frozen pieces, once reconstituted, retain their crispness under adverse, e.g. high humidity, conditions such as those encountered under take-out conditions where such pieces are typically placed into a closed container for home delivery or take out.

Abstract: A batter slurry, for coating food pieces so as to enhance crispness hold time for extended periods in take-out food conditions, comprising, as a percentage of a dry batter used to make the slurry, 97.4 to 99.8% by weight of a batter base selected from a modified food starch batter base and a flour batter base. The batter base comprises a modified food starch of from 10 to 60% by weight of the batter. The modified food starch is acetylated, cross-linked or acetylated and cross-linked. The dry batter further comprises from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight of calcium lactate and from 0.1 to 1.6% by weight of de-oiled lecithin. Coated food pieces are par-fried and preferably frozen. The frozen pieces, once reconstituted, retain their crispness under adverse, e.g. high humidity, conditions such as those encountered under take-out conditions where such pieces are typically placed into a closed container for home delivery or take out.

Abstract: A batter slurry, for coating food pieces so as to enhance crispness hold time for extended periods in take-out food conditions, comprising, as a percentage of a dry batter used to make the slurry, 97.4 to 99.8% by weight of a batter base selected from a modified food starch batter base and a flour batter base. The batter base comprises a modified food starch of from 10 to 60% by weight of the batter. The modified food starch is acetylated, cross-linked or acetylated and cross-linked. The dry batter further comprises from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight of calcium lactate and from 0.1 to 1.6% by weight of de-oiled lecithin. Coated food pieces are par-fried and preferably frozen. The frozen pieces, once reconstituted, retain their crispness under adverse, e.g. high humidity, conditions such as those encountered under take-out conditions where such pieces are typically placed into a closed container for home delivery or take out.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for coating potato strips using low levels of pre-gelled modified starches characterized by a Brookfield viscosity of from 15 to 100 cp when measured on a 6% solids basis. The invention also provides methods for coating potato strips using low levels of high amylose starches.

Abstract: A batter slurry, for coating food pieces so as to enhance crispness hold time for extended periods in take-out food conditions, comprising, as a percentage of a dry batter used to make the slurry, 97.4 to 99.8% by weight of a batter base selected from a modified food starch batter base and a flour batter base. The batter base comprises a modified food starch of from 10 to 60% by weight of the batter. The modified food starch is acetylated, cross-linked or acetylated and cross-linked. The dry batter further comprises from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight of calcium lactate and from 0.1 to 1.6% by weight of de-oiled lecithin. Coated food pieces are par-fried and preferably frozen. The frozen pieces, once reconstituted, retain their crispness under adverse, e.g. high humidity, conditions such as those encountered under take-out conditions where such pieces are typically placed into a closed container for home delivery or take out.