Filled food product, related semi-processed product, and methods and apparatuses for producing same

• US 20060216378A1
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pikono Srl
• Original Assignee: Pikono Srl
• Inventors: Boscolo, Rosanno
• Application Number:
  US11/406,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20060216378A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/94
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 5/026 for baking waffle cups or cones
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 15/007 Apparatus for filling baked articles filling pieces of dough A21C9/06; filled bakery products A21D13/30, A21D13/80
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 15/025 Apparatus for shaping or moulding baked wafers, e.g. to obtain cones for ice cream
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 13/33 Edible containers, e.g. cups or cones
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 13/41 Pizzas

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filled food product, the semi-processed product from which the food product is obtained and the methods and plant for producing the same. The semi-processed product consists of a single whole piece of dough. Such dough consists of a partially cooked mixture of water and flour. The semi-processed product is formed into a goblet-like shape, has an axis c-c and an opening which defines a plane π. The axis c-c is inclined and oblique with respect to the plane π of the opening. The finished food product is obtained by the filling and the cooking of the semi-processed product.

Claims

1. A semi-processed food product (1) formed into a hollow goblet-like shape of a cone aligned along an axis c-c having an opening (5) suitable to receive a filler (8) and consisting of a single and whole piece of dough obtained from a mixture comprising water, flour and a rising agent, the said semi-processed food product being suitable to constitute a food product to be cooked at a temperature of at least 280°

C., wherein said semi-processed food product is obtained by moulding, rising and partially cooking at a temperature which is comprised between 30°

C. and 170°

C. below the said cooking temperature an individual amount of dough without said filler.

2. The semi-processed food product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the temperature of said partial cooking step is approximately 110°

C. below the said cooking temperature.

3. The semi-processed food product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the temperature of said partial cooking step is approximately 210°

C.

4. The semi-processed food product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rising agent is chosen between a chemical rising agent and an organic yeast which is primarily brewers yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and the mixture from which the dough is obtained comprises cooking salt (NaCl).

5. The semi-processed food product in accordance with claim 1, wherein said opening (5) defines a plane π

and said axis c-c forms a predefined angle α

comprised of of between 5° and

45° and

preferably between 16° and

25°

with the perpendicular p to the plane π

.

10. A method for producing a food product (7) comprising the steps of:

providing a semi-processed food product (1) according to claim 1;

inserting a filler (8) through the opening (5) of the semi-processed product (1);

cooking the filled semi-processed product (7) at a temperature comprised of between 280°

C. and 350°

C., preferably at approx. 320°

C., for a time comprised of between 2 and 5 minutes, preferably approx. 3 minutes cooling the finished product to a temperature preferably comprised of between approx. 65°

C. and 75°

C. which is considered to be ideal for consumption.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising the step of maintaining said food product (7) at said temperature comprised of between 65°

C. and 75°

C. in case it is not consumed immediately.

6. A method for the production of a semi-processed food product (1) formed into a hollow goblet-like shape of a cone having an opening (5) suitable to receive a filler (8) and consisting of a single and whole piece of dough obtained from a mixture comprising water, flour and a rising agent, the said semi-processed food product being suitable to constitute a food product to be cooked at a high temperature, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring out the ingredients and mixing the measured ingredients so as to obtain a homogeneous mass of dough;

dividing the dough into individual amounts;

letting the dough to rise up either prior to or subsequent to its division into individual amounts;

forming into the goblet-like cone shape and partially cooking said individual amounts in a heated mould;

cooling the resulting semi-processed food product (1) to a temperature at or below ambient temperature.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the partial cooking step occurs at a temperature comprised of between 180°

C. and 250°

C., preferably at approx. 210°

C., for a time comprised of between 2 and 5 minutes, preferably for approx. 3 minutes.

8. The method in accordance with claims 6 also comprising a final step of deep freezing the semi-processed food product at temperature of less than −

18°

C. suitable for storage.

9. The method in accordance with claims 6 also comprising a final step of packaging, in a modified atmosphere, the semi-processed food product.

30. A method for producing a food product (7) comprising the steps of:

providing a semi-processed food product (1) produced according to claim 6;

inserting a filler (8) through the opening (5) of the semi-processed product (1);

cooking the filled semi-processed product (7) at a temperature comprised of between 280°

C. and 350°

C., preferably at approx. 320°

C., for a time comprised of between 2 and 5 minutes, preferably approx. 3 minutes

cooling the finished product to a temperature preferably comprised of between approx. 65°

C. and 75°

C. which is considered to be ideal for consumption.

12. A mould (10) for manufacturing a semi-processed goblet-like food product (1) in the shape of a hollow cone aligned along an axis c-c having an opening (5), the mould comprising a male half-mould (11) and a female half-mould (12) adapted to receive an individual amount of at least partially risen dough obtained from a mixture comprising water, flour and a rising agent, wherein:

a cone-shaped gap (14), in which a side space (16) and a bottom space (15) can be identified, are provided between said male half-mould (11) and female half-mould (12);

both said male half-mould (11) and female half-mould (12) are equipped with means, preferably electrical resistances (13′

), providing heat by direct contact to the dough;

the male half-mould (11) comprises a collar (110) and an underlying mandrel (111) moving relative to each other along said cone axis c-c while the dough is subjected to a partial cooking step in order to compensate the pressure of the gas developed inside the mould by a volume increase in said gap (14).

13. The mould in accordance with claim 12, wherein said mandrel (111) is slidably mounted on a mandrel-holding plate (13), an elastic element (119) being interposed between said mandrel and said mandrel-holding plate.

14. The mould in accordance with claim 13, wherein said elastic element (119) is a spring surrounding a support (115) of the mandrel (111) sliding in a bush (113) arranged on said mandrel-holding plate (13).

15. The mould (10) in accordance with claim 12, wherein said collar (110) is releasably mounted on a collar-holding plate (112) so as to be interchangeable in various shapes.

16. The mould in accordance with claim 12, wherein along the outer surface of said mandrel there is provided at least one recess or undercut (114) in form of a closed loop circumferentially arranged perpendicular to said axis c-c.

17. The mould in accordance with claim 12, wherein the side space (16) in said gap (14) has a thin thickness relative to the overall size of the semi-processed food product.

18. The mould in accordance with claim 12, wherein the female half-mould (12) consists of one single piece.

19. An apparatus for producing a finished food product (7) comprising a semi-processed partially-cooked goblet-like product (1) in the shape of a hollow cone aligned along an axis c-c with an opening (5) and a filler (8) inserted through said opening, the apparatus comprising:

a filling station,

a cooking station suitable to submit said product at a cooking temperature which is comprised between 30°

C. and 170°

C. above the temperature used when manufacturing said semi-processed product (1),

a cooling path and

a drawing chain (62) constituting a closed path traversing said filling station, said cooking station and said cooling path.

20. The apparatus in accordance with claim 19, wherein said cooking station comprises an oven (61) equipped with means for producing heat selected from the group comprising electrical elements, quartz lamps, wood combustion chambers, gas burners.

21. The apparatus in accordance with claim 19, further comprising a plurality of baskets (63) defining an axis s-s substantially coincident with the axis c-c of a semi-finished product (1) hold in the same baskets which are adapted to be transported by said drawing chain (62) along said closed path.

22. The apparatus in accordance with claim 21, comprising means adapted to make said baskets (63) rotate around their axis s-s at least along the length inside said oven.

23. The apparatus in accordance with claim 22, wherein said means adapted to make said baskets (62) rotate comprise a cogwheel (65) fixed at the base of each basket and adapted to engaging a rack (66) fixed alongside the drawing chain (62).

24. The apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein the baskets (63) are made of a couple of metal rings connected by rods.

25. The apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein said cooling path comprises a thin plate (67) which sits beside said drawing chain (62) partially overhanging said baskets (63) and impeding their removal for a length immediately following said oven.

26. The apparatus in accordance with claim 20, wherein said oven (61) comprises an inlet aperture (68) and an outlet aperture (69) which are spaced apart from one another.

27. The apparatus in accordance with claim 26, wherein each aperture (68, 69) is splayed, namely the part of the aperture on the inner side of the oven is larger than that on the outer side.

28. The apparatus in accordance with claim 19, further comprising a heated counter (70) comprising at least one cavity (71) complimentary to a semi-processed food product (1) for maintaining the finished food product (7) at an ideal temperature for consumption if it is not consumed immediately after cooking.

29. The apparatus in accordance with claim 28, wherein said counter (70) is equipped with electrical heating elements for providing said ideal temperature, which comprised of between 60°

C. and 80°

C., preferably between approx. 65°

C. and approx. 75°

C.