Foamed, dough-based food and apparatus and method for production thereof and use of the apparatus

Abstract

A dough-based food product, an apparatus and method for production thereof. A food product matrix to be foamed includes a proportion of a starch-containing raw material and a proportion of water. Gas that has been dissolved or is to be dissolved is introduced into the food product matrix to be foamed. The gas is dissolved under pressure in the food product matrix to be foamed. Gas bubbles are formed by expansion and increasing the volume with a resulting reduction in density of the dough as a result of bubble growth for formation of a foamed food product matrix of the food product to be produced. The foam is then stabilized. Gas is introduced into and dissolved in the aqueous component of the food product matrix to be foamed in a subcritical state below the critical point and at a pressure of 10 bar≤p<gas critical pressure.

1 . An apparatus for production of a food product, comprising
 at least one device suitable to prepare dough for the production of a dough-based food product matrix to be foamed as well as a supply device for supplying a gas into the dough-based food product matrix to be foamed,   wherein the apparatus is embodied in such a way that gas can be introduced into the aqueous portion of the food matrix to be foamed in a subcritical state below the critical point at a pressure of 10 bar≤p<critical pressure of the gas by means of the supply device, and wherein a dissolving of the introduced gas in a subcritical state below the critical point can be adjusted in the apparatus at a pressure of 10 bar≤p<critical point of the gas for attaining a foamed, dough-based food product.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises an extruder as device for the preparation of dough and is configured to carry out the steps of
 a providing a food product matrix to be foamed, comprising a proportion by weight of a starch-containing raw material (R) and a proportion by weight of water (W),   b introducing a gas that is to be dissolved or has been dissolved into the food product matrix to be foamed,   c dissolving the gas or introducing the dissolved gas under pressure in the aqueous portion of the food product matrix to be foamed,   d forming gas bubbles by pressure relaxation and increasing the volume with a resulting reduction in density of the dough as a result of bubble growth for formation of the foamed food product matrix of the food product to be produced,   e stabilizing the foam of the foamed food product matrix.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the gas is introduced and dissolved in a subcritical state below the critical point at a pressure of 10 bar≤p<critical pressure of the gas in step b and/or step c. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the foam stabilization of the foamed food matrix is attained by heat-induced solidification in step e. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) or noxious gas (N 2 O) is introduced as gas in each case in their subcritical state in step b and/or c. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein pressures of 25≤p≤65 bar and a temperature of <31° C. are present in the case of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as subcritical gas in step b and c. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the apparatus further comprises:
 a raw material supply device for supplying a starch-containing raw material into the extruder; and   a liquid supply device, which is arranged downstream from the raw material supply device in the process direction of the extruder, for supplying liquid, in particular water,   wherein the supply device is connected downstream from the liquid supply device in the process direction.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the extruder is a twin-screw extruder designed in the same direction or in the opposite direction. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a container, which can be closed in a pressure-tight manner, as device for the dough preparation, wherein a relaxation nozzle is arranged in a discharge area, which is designated for the escape of the dough-based food product matrix, of the container, which can be closed in a pressure-tight manner, to attain a pressure relaxation and thus to form a foamed, dough-based food product matrix. 
     
     
         10 . A foamed, dough-based and gluten-free food product, in particular gluten-free long-life baked goods, such as snack products or snack baked goods, respectively, or gluten-free fresh baked goods, produced from a dough prepared for the production of a dough-based food product matrix to be foamed and by supplying a gas into the dough-based food product matrix to be foamed,
 wherein the gas has been introduced into an aqueous portion of the food matrix to be foamed in a subcritical state below the critical point at a pressure of 10 bar≤p<critical pressure of the gas, wherein a dissolving of the introduced gas in a subcritical state below the critical point was adjusted at a pressure of 10 bar≤p<critical point of the gas for attaining the foamed, dough-based and gluten free food product; and   wherein the food product comprises a proportion by weight of a starch-containing raw material, as well as a proportion by weight of water for the formation of the food product matrix to be foamed.   
     
     
         11 . The food product according to  claim 10 , wherein the food product has been produced by the steps of
 a. providing the food product matrix to be foamed, comprising the proportion by weight of the starch-containing raw material and the proportion by weight of water,   b. introducing the gas that is to be dissolved or has been dissolved into the food product matrix to be foamed,   c. dissolving the gas or introducing the dissolved gas under pressure in the aqueous portion of the food product matrix to be foamed,   d. forming gas bubbles by pressure relaxation and increasing the volume with a resulting reduction in density of the dough as a result of bubble growth for formation of the foamed food product matrix of the food product to be produced, and   e. stabilizing the foam of the foamed food product matrix.   
     
     
         12 . The food product according to  claim 10 , wherein the dough-based food product matrix to be foamed is yeast-free. 
     
     
         13 . The food product according to  claim 10 , wherein the food product has a porosity with average densities ≤0.5 g/cm 3  for long-life baked goods and ≤0.3 g/cm 3  for fresh baked goods. 
     
     
         14 . The food product according to  claim 10 , wherein the food product has a porosity with average bubble diameters for long-life baked goods of ×50.3≤0.5 mm and of ×50.3≤3 mm for fresh baked goods. 
     
     
         15 . The food product according to  claim 11 , wherein the gas is introduced and dissolved in a subcritical state below the critical point at a pressure of 10 bar≤p<critical pressure of the gas in step b and/or step c. 
     
     
         16 . The food product according to  claim 11 , wherein the foam stabilization of the foamed food matrix is attained by heat-induced solidification in step e. 
     
     
         17 . The food product according to  claim 11 , wherein carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) or noxious gas (N 2 O) is introduced as gas in each case in their subcritical state in step b and/or c. 
     
     
         18 . The food product according to  claim 17 , wherein pressures of 25≤p≤65 bar and a temperature of <31 C are present in the case of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as subcritical gas in step b and c.