Moisture barrier composition for biscuits

Abstract

An at least partial, typically non-continuous, moisture barrier coating composition applied to the external surface of biscuits, such as scones or muffins. Use of the composition achieves significantly improved flavor, moisture retention in the interior of the biscuit, and a significantly improved biscuit exterior.

The invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . A food coating composition comprising: 
 a biscuit substrate comprising a biscuit surface; and    a substantially non-continuous coating composition comprising a starch component at least partially covering the surface of the biscuit substrate wherein the non-continuous coating composition forms at least a partial moisture barrier on the surface of the biscuit.    
     
     
         2 . The food coating composition of  claim 1 , wherein a biscuit comprises a scone.  
     
     
         3 . The food coating composition of  claim 1 , wherein a biscuit comprises a muffin.  
     
     
         4 . The food coating composition of  claim 1 , wherein the biscuit substrate comprises dough.  
     
     
         5 . The food coating composition of  claim 1 , wherein the coating composition comprises a wet slurry when applied to the biscuit.  
     
     
         6 . The food coating composition of  claim 5 , wherein the starch component comprises a modified wheat starch.  
     
     
         7 . The food coating composition of  claim 6 , wherein the modified wheat starch comprises an oxidized and substituted wheat starch comprising a substitution level of from about 0.01% to about 1%.  
     
     
         8 . The food coating composition of  claim 6 , wherein the food coating composition consists of an oxidized and substituted wheat starch comprising a substitution level of from about 0.01% to about 1%.  
     
     
         9 . The food coating composition of  claim 6 , wherein the modified starch has been modified by acetylation, hydroxypropylation, oxidation, substitution, crosslinking or a mixture of these modifications.  
     
     
         10 . The food coating composition of  claim 6 , wherein the starch component comprises at least one modified starch chosen from the group consisting of a potato starch, a rice starch, a corn starch, a tapioca starch or a wheat starch.  
     
     
         11 . The food coating composition of  claim 5 , wherein the wet slurry comprises: 
 from about 10 to about 90% modified tapioca starch; and    from about 10 to about 90% modified wheat starch.    
     
     
         12 . The food coating composition of  claim 11 , wherein the wet slurry further comprises corn syrup solids.  
     
     
         13 . The food coating composition of  claim 12 , wherein the modified wheat starch comprises an oxidized and substituted wheat starch comprising a substitution level of from about 0.01% to about 1%.  
     
     
         14 . The food coating composition of  claim 5 , wherein the wet slurry comprises: 
 a starch component comprising a modified potato starch and a modified wheat starch;    a leavening system;    a stabilizer;    an emulsifier;    a sweetener; and    a dextrin.    
     
     
         15 . The food coating composition of  claim 14  comprising: 
 from about 0.5% to about 3% stabilizer;  
 from about 0.5% to about 5% emulsifier;  
 from about 5% to about 30% sweetener; and  
 from about 5% to about 60% dextrin.  
 
     
     
         16 . The food coating composition of  claim 15 , wherein the emulsifier comprises lecithin.  
     
     
         17 . The food coating composition of  claim 16 , wherein the leavening system comprises: 
 from about 0.5% to about 5% sodium acid pyrophosphate; and    from about 0.5% to about 5% sodium bicarbonate.    
     
     
         18 . The food coating composition of  claim 17 , wherein the stabilizer comprises xanthan gum.  
     
     
         19 . The food coating composition of  claim 18 , wherein the dextrin comprises a low-solubility dextrin.  
     
     
         20 . The food coating composition of  claim 5 , wherein the starch component comprises a pregelatinized, acetylated, and cross-linked waxy maize starch.  
     
     
         21 . The food coating composition of  claim 20 , wherein the starch component consists of a pregelatinized, acetylated, cross-linked waxy maize starch.  
     
     
         22 . The food coating composition of  claim 1 , wherein the coating composition comprises a dry dust composition.  
     
     
         23 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein the biscuit substrate comprises dough.  
     
     
         24 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein the biscuit substrate comprises a scone.  
     
     
         25 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein the coating composition comprises at least one modified starch component and an emulsifier.  
     
     
         26 . The food coating composition of  claim 25 , wherein the modified starch component has been modified by at least one of the modifications selected from the group consisting of acetylation, hydroxypropylation oxidation, substitution, and crosslinking.  
     
     
         27 . The food coating composition of  claim 25 , wherein the modified starch component is chosen from the group consisting of a potato starch, a rice starch, a corn starch, a tapioca starch and a wheat starch.  
     
     
         28 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein the dry dust composition comprises: 
 from about 60% to about 99% modified starch; and    from about 1% to about 40% emulsifier.    
     
     
         29 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein the starch component comprises a high-solubility dextrin.  
     
     
         30 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein a water mist is applied to the biscuit substrate prior to application of the dry dust composition.  
     
     
         31 . The food coating composition of  claim 30 , wherein the biscuit substrate is thermally processed after application of the dry dust component.  
     
     
         32 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein a moistening composition is applied to the biscuit substrate.  
     
     
         33 . The food coating composition of  claim 32 , wherein the moistening composition comprises water.  
     
     
         34 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein the moisture barrier comprises: 
 from about 20% to about 100% dextrin;    from about 0.1% to about 30% starch component;    from about 0.1% to about 30% filler;    from about 0.1% to about 20% color development component; and    from about 0.01% to about 5% flow agent.    
     
     
         35 . The food coating composition of  claim 30 , wherein the dextrin comprises a high-solubility dextrin.  
     
     
         36 . The food coating composition of  claim 35 , wherein the high-solubility dextrin comprises a high-solubility tapioca dextrin.  
     
     
         37 . The food coating composition of  claim 36 , wherein the color development component comprises dextrose.  
     
     
         38 . The food coating composition of  claim 37 , wherein the flow agent comprises monocalcium phosphate.  
     
     
         39 . The composition of  claim 27 , wherein the biscuit substrate is moistened, the coating composition is applied to the biscuit substrate and the coated and moistened biscuit substrate is thermally processed.  
     
     
         40 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein the coating composition comprises: 
 from about 5% to about 60% starch component wherein the starch component comprises an oxidized and substituted wheat starch comprising a substitution level of from about 0.01% to about 1%;    from about 0.01% to about 10% of a leavening system;    from about 0.05% to about 3% stabilizer;    from about 0.5% to about 5% emulsifier;    from about 1% to about 30% sweetening agent; and    from about 5% to about 60% dextrin component.    
     
     
         41 . The food coating composition of  claim 40 , wherein the leavening system comprises: 
 from about 0.5% to about 5% sodium acid pyrophosphate; and    from about 0.5% to about 5% sodium bicarbonate.    
     
     
         42 . The food coating composition of  claim 41 , wherein the emulsifier comprises lecithin, the stabilizer comprises xanthan gum, the sweetening agent comprises sucrose, and the dextrin comprises a corn dextrin.  
     
     
         43 . The composition of  claim 27 , wherein the biscuit substrate is moistened, the coating composition is applied to the biscuit substrate and the coated and moistened biscuit substrate is thermally processed.  
     
     
         44 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein the coating composition comprises at least one starch component selected from the group consisting of: a modified waxy maize starch; a modified tapioca starch; and a modified wheat starch.  
     
     
         45 . The composition of  claim 44 , wherein the biscuit substrate is moistened, the coating composition is applied to the biscuit substrate and the coated and moistened biscuit substrate is thermally processed.  
     
     
         46 . The food coating composition of  claim 44 , wherein the modified waxy maize starch comprises a pregelatinized, acetylated, and crosslinked maize starch.  
     
     
         47 . The food coating composition of  claim 22 , wherein the coating composition comprises: from about 60% to about 99% of a starch component and the starch component comprises a modified corn starch; and from about 1% to about 40% emulsifier.  
     
     
         48 . The food coating composition of  claim 47 , wherein the emulsifier comprises a lecithin.  
     
     
         49 . The composition of  claim 47 , wherein the biscuit substrate is moistened, the coating composition is then applied to the moistened biscuit substrate and is thermally processed.  
     
     
         50 . A method of making a product comprising: 
 providing a biscuit substrate at least partially derived from dough and a food coating composition comprising a starch component;    at least partially coating the surface of the biscuit substrate with the food coating composition, which forms a substantially non-continuous moisture barrier on the surface of the biscuit substrate upon thermal processing;    optionally moistening the biscuit substrate prior to or after application of the coating composition to aid adherence of the moisture barrier to the biscuit substrate; and    thermally processing the biscuit to form a finished biscuit having a substantially non-continuous moisture barrier with improved moisture retention of the biscuit substrate compared to an uncoated thermally processed biscuit substrate.