FEEDBACK CONTROL OF FOOD TEXTURE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20170086479A1
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frito-Lay North America Incorporated (PepsiCo Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Frito-Lay North America Incorporated (PepsiCo Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bai, Ou, Bourg, Wilfred Marcellien Jr., Fagan, Scott, Michel-Sanchez, Enrique, Mirza, Shahmeer Ali, Richardson, Scott G., Shao, Chen C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,070,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/18 Roasted or fried products, e.g. snacks or chips
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/023 Solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02466 Biological material, e.g. blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2638 Complex surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/041 on the surface of the material, e.g. using Lamb, Rayleigh or shear waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/14 using acoustic emission techniques echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2418 using optoacoustic interaction with the material, e.g. laser radiation, photoacoustics photoacoustic cells G01N21/1702; measuring characteristics of vibrations by using radiation-sensitive means G01H9/00; acousto-optical conversion techniques for short-range imaging G01S15/8965; sound-producing devices using laser bundle G10K15/046
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4445 Classification of defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/10 Starch-containing substances, e.g. dough

Abstract

A feedback and feedforward as well as a statistical predictive control system and method for continuously controlling texture of a food snack in a manufacturing process. The feedback system includes a quantitative texture measuring tool that is positioned downstream of a food processing unit. The texture measuring tool continuously measures a texture attribute of food snack from the food processing unit and feeds back texture attribute information to a controller that controls input parameters to food processing unit such that the texture attribute of a resultant food snack falls within an acceptable limit. The texture measuring tool comprises an excitation tool that strikes the food snack and produces an acoustic signal that is processed by a data processing unit. The data processing unit identifies relevant frequencies in the acoustic signal and quantitatively measures a texture attribute based on a correlated model that includes the relevant frequencies.

Claims

1. A feedback system for controlling texture of a food product in a continuous manufacturing process, wherein said system comprises:

a food pre-processing unit;

a food processing unit;

a texture measuring tool positioned downstream from said food processing unit, wherein said texture measuring tool is configured to quantitatively measure a texture attribute of said food product that is output from said food processing unit by use of a laser to excite a portion of a food product and an acoustic capturing device to capture an acoustic signal generated by the laser excitation;

said texture measuring tool configured to measure said texture attribute non-invasively;

said texture measuring tool further configured to convert said acoustic signal from a time domain to frequency domain; and

a controller, said controller controlling a plurality of input parameters to said food processing unit and said food pre-processing unit based on input from said texture measuring tool.

2. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said controller utilizes said texture attribute information to control said plurality of input parameters to said food processing unit said food pre-processing unit such that a texture attribute of a resultant food product output from said food processing unit falls within an acceptable limit.

3. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said food product is moving on a production line when said laser strikes said food product.

4. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said food product is stationary on a production line when said laser strikes said food product.

5. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said texture attribute is selected from a group comprising:

hardness, fracturability, denseness, crispiness, tooth-pack, surface roughness, oily mouthfeel, surface oiliness, moistness of mass, roughness of mass, and residual greasiness.

6. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said food product is a starch based food snack.

7. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said food product is a potato chip.

8. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device is a microphone;

said microphone is configured to be wired to a data processing unit in said texture measuring tool.

9. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device is a microphone;

said microphone is configured to wirelessly connect with a data processing unit in said texture measuring tool.

10. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture said acoustic signal within the frequency range of 0 to 200 kHz.

11. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture said acoustic signal in a single direction.

12. The feedback system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture sound waves in all directions.

13. A feedback method for controlling texture of a food product in a food manufacturing process, said method comprises the steps of:

(1) processing food ingredients in a food processing unit to produce said food product;

(2) measuring a texture attribute of said food product with a texture measuring tool;

(3) determining if said texture attribute is within an acceptable limit, if so, proceeding to step (6);

(4) if said texture attribute is outside an acceptable limit in step (3), rejecting said food product;

(5) feeding back information to said food processing unit to adjust input parameters to said food processing unit, proceeding to step (1); and

(6) accepting said food product and proceeding to step (1).

14. The feedback method of claim 13 wherein said feedback is a closed loop feedback.

15. The feedback method of claim 13 wherein said feedback a continuous.

16. The feedback method of claim 13 wherein said adjusting input parameters step is automatic.

17. The feedback method of claim 13 wherein said adjusting input parameters step is manual.

18. A feedforward system for controlling texture of a food product in a continuous manufacturing process, wherein said system comprises:

a food pre-processing unit;

a food processing unit;

a texture measuring tool positioned downstream from said food pre-processing unit, wherein said texture measuring tool is configured to quantitatively measure an input attribute of food ingredients that are input to said food pre-processing unit by use of a laser to excite a portion of said food ingredients and an acoustic capturing device to capture the acoustic signal generated by the laser excitation;

said texture measuring tool configured to measure said texture attribute non-invasively;

said texture measuring tool further configured to convert said acoustic signal from a time domain to frequency domain; and

a controller, said controller controlling a plurality of input parameters to said food processing unit and said food pre-processing unit based on input from the texture measuring tool.

19. The feedforward system of claim 18 wherein said controller utilizes said input attribute information to control said plurality of input parameters to said food processing unit said food pre-processing unit such that a texture attribute of a resultant food product output from said food processing unit falls within an acceptable limit.

20. The feedforward system of claim 19 wherein said texture attribute is selected from a group comprising:

hardness, fracturablity, denseness, crispiness, tooth-pack, surface roughness, oily mouthfeel, surface oiliness, moistness of mass, roughness of mass, and residual greasiness.

21. The feedforward system of claim 18 wherein said food product is a potato chip.

22. The feedforward system of claim 21 wherein said input attribute is selected from a group comprising:

moisture, solids content, density, and hardness.

23. A feedforward method for controlling output texture of a food product, said method comprises the steps of:

(1) measuring an input texture attribute of food ingredients with an input texture measuring tool;

(2) determining if said input texture attribute value is within an acceptable input limit, if so, proceeding to step (4);

(3) rejecting said food ingredients and proceeding to step (1);

(4) programming plural input parameters to a food processing unit based on said input texture attribute value;

(5) producing food product from said food processing unit; and

(6) measuring an output texture attribute and proceeding to step (1).

24. The feedforward method of claim 23 wherein the step of measuring said output texture attribute further comprises the steps of:

(1) determining if said output texture attribute is within an acceptable output limit;

(2) if said output texture attribute is outside an acceptable output limit in step (7), rejecting said food product; and

(3) feeding back output texture attribute information to an output controller to adjust said input parameters to said food processing unit; and

(4) accepting said food product.