Abstract: A system and a process for making food products, such as dehydrated potato products, with reduced water usage, and reduced waste water production, are provided. The system includes a precooker, a cooler and a cooker having sealed process chambers in flow communication with one another, and augers for moving the food product through the process chambers. In addition, valves seal the process chambers, and transfer the food product between the process chambers at a controlled rate. The process includes the steps of precooking the food product using steam, cooling the food product using vacuum cooling and conduction cooling in combination, and then cooking the food product using steam. The process also includes the steps of moving the food product at the controlled rate using the valves, and mixing the food product during the precooking, cooling and cooking steps.

Abstract: A process for preparing potato products, such as potato chips, cottage fries, and French fries is provided. The process includes the steps of: placing raw potato slices on a moving conveyor belt; dockering the potato slices by moving the slices under a rotating dockering brush having flexible bristles; and then cooking the dockered potato slices. The finished products are characterized by fewer pillows and blisters, lower moisture contents, and reduced cooking times.

Abstract: A method for testing the ingredients of fabricated snack products includes the steps of; producing snack product test pieces using a test ingredient; evaluating certain characteristics of the test pieces; and then using this information to predict the characteristics of a fabricated snack product containing the test ingredient. Initially, a dough containing the test ingredient is mixed under controlled conditions. A quantity of the dough is extruded using an extrusion apparatus adapted to extrude the dough at a uniform rate regardless of the dough's consistency. The extruded dough is then cut into dough pieces having a uniform length, wall thickness and density. Next, the dough pieces are cooked at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to form the snack product test pieces. Characteristics of the test pieces are determined and analyzed as a predictor of similar characteristics in a fabricated snack product containing the test ingredient.

Abstract: A dough-processing system for dividing a dough sheet into multiple separate portions and transporting each portion in a predetermined direction. A rotary cutter, having a multiplicity of cutting dies affixed thereon, divides the dough sheet. The cutting dies have an exterior peripheral cutting edge for cutting the linear dough sheet into two or more linear portions for further processing on standard conveyor systems and an interior peripheral cutting edge for cutting an interior portion from the snack-piece dough. The rotary cutter includes an internal helical auger rigidly affixed to an external cylindrical mandrill having first and second ends and having a multiplicity of cutting dies affixed thereon. The rotary cutter has an ever-increasing diameter funnel path for transporting the interior cut portion of the snack-piece dough into the interior of the rotary cutter and thereupon the helical auger transports it out to the side of the rotary cutter.

Abstract: A dough-processing system for dividing a dough sheet into multiple separate portions and transporting each portion in a predetermined direction. A rotary cutter, having a multiplicity of cutting dies affixed thereon, divides the dough sheet. The cutting dies have an exterior peripheral cutting edge for cutting the linear dough sheet into two or more linear portions for further processing on standard conveyor systems and an interior peripheral cutting edge for cutting an interior portion from the snack-piece dough. The rotary cutter includes an internal helical auger rigidly affixed to an external cylindrical mandrill having first and second ends and having a multiplicity of cutting dies affixed thereon. The rotary cutter has an ever-increasing diameter funnel path for transporting the interior cut portion of the snack-piece dough into the interior of the rotary cutter and thereupon the helical auger transports it out to the side of the rotary cutter.

Abstract: A process for producing expanded corn snack products. The products are preferably made in a fluted ring shape, and have an expanded, airy texture. The process for producing the products includes successive cutting steps wherein the corn is comminuted to a relatively narrow particle size distribution with most of the corn retained on a #40 or #60 mesh screen. The corn is comminuted by impelling whole cooked corn kernels against a blade and through a screen having a ratio of open area screen material of from about 1:1 to about 3:1.

Abstract: A process for producing expanded corn snack products. The products are preferably made in a fluted ring shape, and have an expanded, airy texture. The process for producing the products includes successive cutting steps wherein the corn is comminuted to a relatively narrow particle size distribution with most of the corn retained on a #40 or #60 mesh screen. The corn is comminuted by impelling whole cooked corn kernels against a blade and through a screen having a ratio of open area:screen material of from about 1:1 to about 3:1.

Abstract: Corrugated snack food pieces are fabricated from a dough directed through a pair of mated corrugated sheeting rolls. The dough is impressed with the corrugated pattern of the sheeting rolls and subsequently cut into individual snack food pieces. The dough is fed directly into the sheeting rolls so that no prior memory is imparted to the dough sheet prior to receiving its corrugated shape. The corrugated sheeting rolls may be scored transverse to the corrugations to provide transverse webs of dough between adjacent corrugations.

Abstract: Dough pieces are dockered by a rotating flexible bristle brush to form dockering holes in the dough to prevent puffing during frying. The flexible bristles increase the point density of dockering holes in the dough while avoiding sticking or wrinkling of the dough during the dockering step.

Abstract: Dough pieces are dockered by a rotating flexible bristle brush to form dockering holes in the dough to prevent puffing during frying. The flexible bristles increase the point density of dockering holes in the dough while avoiding sticking or wrinkling of the dough during the dockering step. Upon frying a fried snack product having dockering holes is produced.

Abstract: A process for making fried expanded snack products includes preparing a moist dough principally from solids, such as corn or potato solids. Larger particle size dry food particles, such as wheat or rice particles, are included in the dough. The dough is then formed, such as by roller-forming, into a thin sheet, and dough pieces cut from the sheeted dough are fried in hot cooking oil to form a fried expanded snack. The larger food particles project through or are contained in the surface of each dough piece to cause steam to escape during frying, which greatly reduces "puffing", i.e., formation of undesired bubbles in the snack, during frying. By providing a sufficient number of larger particles with an average particle size at least about to the thickness of the dough piece (so that an appreciable number of particles can project through or be contained in the surface of the dough piece), formation of undesired large bubbles is significantly reduced.

Abstract: A method for producing fried snack products of controlled shape comprises introducing dough pieces into a shallow depth of frying oil and allowing the dough pieces to travel unsupported through the oil while frying to a set shape. The shallow depth of the oil prevents the pieces from overturning in the oil while frying, so they form a controlled shape. In one embodiment, a two-layer sheeted dough is formed from dissimilar potato-based dough layers adhered and cut into layered dough pieces introduced into the shallow oil depth. The first layer is on the bottom and the second layer is at the top of each dough piece. The layered dough pieces maintain their original orientation in the shallow oil depth as they fry to form a fried potato skin product having a convexly curved upper layer and a concavely curved bottom layer. The dough pieces are partially fried in the shallow oil depth to set the curved shape, after which the partially fried pieces are finish-fried in a greater depth of frying oil.