Cooked and uncooked caramel slurries and products prepared using the cooked caramel slurries, and methods of preparing caramel slurries and coating a cooked caramel slurry onto a food piece.

Disclosed herein are compositions and articles made therefrom, the compositions and articles comprising at least one hydrocolloid, at least one plasticizer, at least one filler and/or humectant and water. Typically, the components are derived from biological sources, such as seaweed, plants, or animals. Typically, the components are made from food quality ingredients, making the compositions and articles edible and/or biodegradable. The compositions are used to form articles, such as straws, and the articles have desirable flexibility and moisture barrier properties, such as swelling resistance, as well as biodegradability and/or compostability properties.

Described are coated food products having a sugar (sucrose) coating, the coating exhibiting desirable levels of sucrose crystallinity and a desired sucrose ratio (total sucrose per total soluble solids), as well as methods or preparing such coated food products and coating.

Described are coated food products having a sugar (sucrose) coating, the coating exhibiting desirable levels of sucrose crystallinity and a desired sucrose ratio (total sucrose per total soluble solids), as well as methods or preparing such coated food products and coating.

A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces comprises: (a) providing or receiving a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces; (b) applying an oil-water emulsion to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion; and (c) reducing the initial moisture level, in the absence of frying in oil, to a moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 80% by weight to provide a cooked food product, comprising said predetermined amount of oil, wherein step (c) does not comprises frying the food pieces in hot oil.

An acid-oil dispersion composition for use in coating a cereal piece. The acid-oil dispersion composition comprising an edible acid particles dispersed in an edible oil component, wherein the acid particles are in a range of about 1 wt % to about 25 wt % of the acid-oil dispersion composition; and wherein the edible oil component is at an amount that is in a range of about 75 wt % to about 99 wt % of the acid-oil dispersion composition.

Individual non-sticky coated food pieces are produced by applying a composition to a surface of food pieces to produce coated food pieces. The composition includes water and a soluble solids component having a soluble solids content including erythritol in an amount of about 50%-90% by dry weight of the soluble solids content. The soluble solids content also includes a water-soluble carbohydrate having an average dextrose equivalent (DE) of 4 to 30 in an amount of about 2%-40% by dry weight of the soluble solids content. The coated food pieces are dried to form dried pieces having at least a partial coating in which the soluble solids component has a crystallinity of from about 15%-60%, the erythritol contributing substantially all the crystallinity of the coating. The dried pieces are cooled to produce the individual non-sticky coated food pieces, which are then packaged.

Individual non-sticky coated food pieces are produced by applying a composition to a surface of food pieces to produce coated food pieces. The composition includes water and a soluble solids component having a soluble solids content including erythritol in an amount of about 50%-90% by dry weight of the soluble solids content. The soluble solids content also includes a water-soluble carbohydrate having an average dextrose equivalent (DE) of 4 to 30 in an amount of about 2%-40% by dry weight of the soluble solids content. The coated food pieces are dried to form dried pieces having at least a partial coating in which the soluble solids component has a crystallinity of from about 15%-60%, the erythritol contributing substantially all the crystallinity of the coating. The dried pieces are cooled to produce the individual non-sticky coated food pieces, which are then packaged.

Provided are: a processed edible powder that, when used in a fried-food coating, makes it possible to improve the texture of the coating to a desired texture that undergoes little deterioration over time, makes excellent crispiness and lightness texture; a method for manufacturing said processed edible powder; a fried-food coating in which said processed edible powder is used; a method for manufacturing a fried-food coating; and a method for improving the texture of a fried-food coating.

An oil and fat solidifier is mixed with an edible powder formed from a starchy and/or fibrous raw material to obtain a processed edible powder. Using the processed edible powder as a raw material in a fried-food coating makes it possible to obtain a fried-food having a desired coating texture that undergoes little deterioration over time, makes excellent crispiness and lightness texture.

Provided are: a processed edible powder that, when used in a fried-food coating, makes it possible to improve the texture of the coating to a desired texture that undergoes little deterioration over time, makes excellent crispiness and lightness texture; a method for manufacturing said processed edible powder; a fried-food coating in which said processed edible powder is used; a method for manufacturing a fried-food coating; and a method for improving the texture of a fried-food coating.

An oil and fat solidifier is mixed with an edible powder formed from a starchy and/or fibrous raw material to obtain a processed edible powder. Using the processed edible powder as a raw material in a fried-food coating makes it possible to obtain a fried-food having a desired coating texture that undergoes little deterioration over time, makes excellent crispiness and lightness texture.