System and method for producing a dehydrated food product

Abstract

A process and apparatus for preparing a dried food product said process comprising treating a dried food with an aqueous acidulant, in an amount and for a period of time which is sufficient to modify a surface of the food to increase water permeability; dehydrating the acidified food to obtain a desired moisture content with heat; cooling the heated dehydrated acidified food; and infusing the cooled dehydrated acidified food with an infusate.

1 . A food product, comprising a dried fruit which has been rehydrated with an aqueous acidulant during agitation, to increase a porosity of a dried fruit skin and remove non-fruit components and dissolve at least a portion of soluble fruit components to produce a rehydrated fruit, which is subsequently dehydrated at a temperature above about 150 F, until a desired moisture content is achieved, to produce a porisified dehydrated fruit, and thereafter cooling to a temperature below about 100 F and infusing with a liquid heat labile infusate which adds at least one flavor or nutritional component to the porosified dehydrated fruit, to produce an infused dried fruit. 
     
     
         2 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein the infused dried fruit is packaged in a moisture barrier package at a temperature of between about 50 F to 35 F. 
     
     
         3 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein the porisified dehydrated fruit is infused at a temperature of between about 70 F to 100 F. 
     
     
         4 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein the infusate comprises a heat labile flavorant. 
     
     
         5 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein the infusate comprises a vitamin. 
     
     
         6 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein the rehydrated fruit is dehydrated at a temperature of between about 160 F-180 F, and the porosified dehydrated fruit is infused at a temperature of about 70 F. 
     
     
         7 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous acidulent comprises a citric acid solution or a malic acid solution. 
     
     
         8 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein the infusate comprises a nutritional fortification. 
     
     
         9 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein said agitation of the dried fruit with the aqueous acidulent is performed in a continuous process cascading drum tumbler, which receives the dried food on a conveyor, submerses the dried food in the aqueous acidulent during cascading drum tumbling, to remove debris. 
     
     
         10 . The food product according to  claim 1 , wherein the porosified dehydrated fruit has a reduced concentration of sugar near a surface with respect to the dried fruit, wherein the porosified dehydrated fruit displays reduced clumping and stickiness than the dried fruit. 
     
     
         11 . A method of forming a food product, comprising:
 rehydrating a dried fruit with an aqueous acidulant during tumbling in a continuous process cascading drum, to increase a porosity of a dried fruit skin and remove non-fruit components and dissolve at least a portion of soluble fruit components to produce a rehydrated fruit;   draining aqueous acidulent and debris;   dehydrating the drained rehydrated fruit at a temperature above about 150 F, until a desired moisture content is achieved, to produce a porisified dehydrated fruit;   cooling the porisified dehydrated fruit to a temperature below about 100 F;   infusing the cooled porisified dehydrated fruit with a liquid heat labile infusate which adds at least one flavor or nutritional component, to produce an infused dried fruit.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising packaging the infused dried fruit in a moisture barrier package at a packaging temperature of between about 50 F to 35 F. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the porisified dehydrated fruit is infused at a temperature of between about 70 F to 100 F. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the infusate comprises a heat labile flavorant. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the infusate comprises a vitamin. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the rehydrated fruit is dehydrated at a temperature of between about 160 F-180 F, and the porosified dehydrated fruit is infused at a temperature of about 70 F. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the aqueous acidulent comprises a citric acid solution or a malic acid solution. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said continuous process cascading drum receives the dried food on a first conveyor, submerses the dried food in the aqueous acidulent during cascading drum tumbling, and provides the porosified rehydrated fruit on a second conveyor, wherein excess aqueous acidunent drains from the porosified rehydrated fruit on the second conveyor during transfer. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said rehydrating wherein reduces a concentration of sugar near a surface with respect to the dried fruit, wherein the porosified dehydrated fruit displays reduced clumping and stickiness than the dried fruit. 
     
     
         20 . A continuous process for preparing a dried food product said process comprising:
 (a) treating a dried food by submersing at least a portion of the dried food supplied by a first conveyor, in a warm aqueous acidulant in an inclined axis continuous horizontal tumbler system, for a period of time which is sufficient to modify a surface of the food to increase water permeability of a dried food skin and at least partially rehydrate the dried food, while removing a portion of a water soluble sugar component of the dried food near an outer surface which causes stickiness and clumping;   (b) dehydrating the treated dried food by maintaining the at least partially rehydrated dried food at a temperature above about 150 F withdraw from the inclined axis continuous horizontal tumbler system on a second conveyor system, the at least partially dehydrated treated food having reduced clumping and stickiness with respect to the untreated dried food;   (c) cooling the dehydrated treated food to a temperature below about 100 F by at least flowing cold air over the at least partially dehydrated dried food on a third conveyor system;   (d) spray infusing the cooled dehydrated treated food with a heat labile infusate to evenly coat the cooled dehydrated treated food without substantially rehydrating the cooled dehydrated treated food; and   (e) continuously packaging the infused cooled dehydrated treated food in a series of separate vapor barrier packages at a temperature of between a temperature above a freezing point and 50 F,   wherein the aqueous acidulent flows down an inclined portion of the inclines axis continuous horizontal tumbler in a same flow direction as the dried food, and at least a portion of the aqueous acidulent which has already been used to treat the dried food is captured from a bottom portion of the continuous tumbler, filtered and recycled at a top portion of the continuous tumbler.