The present disclosure relates to a method of isolating a yeast strain that is able to degrade L-asparagine under non-inducing conditions comprising repeated cycles of adaptive evolution and mutagenesis followed by strain selection. Also included are yeast strains obtained by the method, and methods and uses thereof for reducing asparagine, and thus acrylamide, during food preparation and processing.

Chips infused with meat are produced according to the disclosed method. The method includes preparing a dough mixture by mixing at least one of a grain component and a vegetable component with water in a mixer and transporting the dough mixture from the mixer into an extruder. In the extruder, a ground meat product is introduced into the dough mixture to form a meat-infused dough mixture which is then extruded and cooked to make the chips. Typically, after extrusion, the meat-infused dough mixture will be cut and fried.

Stackable, farinaceous based low-fat snack chips are produced from a thin chain link strip of dough blanks by baking the strip in an oven with the strip blanks supported and carried by a lower mold assembly. Alternatively, the strip may be partially baked and then fried with the strip blanks sandwiched between upper and lower molds to produce reduced fat stackable snack chips.

A dough composition for the manufacture of baked snack chips, the dough composition comprising: a mixture of a solid component and a liquid component, the solid component comprising a dehydrated potato ingredient, and the liquid component is an oil-in-water emulsion comprising a liquid lecithin ingredient, a vegetable oil ingredient and water, wherein the liquid lecithin ingredient comprises lecithin derived from vegetable oil in a vegetable oil carrier, wherein the vegetable oil ingredient comprises or consists of sunflower oil, the lecithin is derived from sunflower oil and the vegetable oil carrier comprises or consists of sunflower oil. There is also disclosed a method of making the dough composition and a method of making snack chips from the dough composition.

The present invention refers to a snack of the potato chips type, comprising at least one starchy material and macroparticles of at least one vegetable material, preferably selected among vegetables and fruits, wherein at least part of said macroparticles is visible to the naked eye and wherein said macroparticles are dispersed in said starchy material. The present invention further refers to a process for producing a snack, and to an unexpanded gelatinized product (pellet).

A vegetable snack product includes a base starch, corn flour, whole vegetable flour other than potato and corn, vegetable powder other than potato and corn. The vegetable snack product provides at least 15% of real vegetables exclusive of potato and corn and has a bulk density between about 60 g/L to about 84 g/L. An exemplary method of making a vegetable snack product includes hydrating a dry mix containing a base starch, corn flour, whole vegetable flour other than potato and corn, and vegetable powder other than potato and corn to form a dough containing from 31.5% to 35.5% of moisture. The dough may be extruded through a die slot to form a continuous sheet that may be cut to form individual snack sized pieces, which are then fried pieces to form a vegetable snack product.

A stand alone container for housing dehydrated foodstuff and for use in a foodstuff machine has a continuous sidewall with first and second ends forming a storage area. A piston is complementarily positioned within the sidewall proximate the first end and is slidable with respect to the sidewall. The container contains dehydrated foodstuff located in the storage area and a removable cover positioned proximate the second end. The foodstuff machine includes a machine housing having an access opening for receiving the container having dehydrated foodstuff therein. A hydrating and positioning system moves from a loading position when the container is in the access opening to a hydrating position with the container second end above the first end and then to a transfer position where the first end is positioned above the second end. A liquid dispenser is positioned above the container when the container is in the hydrating position. The foodstuff machine has a transfer arm having an operative end for receiving the container and is movable from a first position that supports the container in the transfer position to an extrusion position where the container is located over a cooking station. A piston rod is operatively associated with the piston in the container and moves to force the piston toward the second end of the container to force hydrated foodstuff through the die to form uncooked strips which drop into the cooking station.

A method of making a vegetable- and/or fruit-containing snack food is described. The snack food includes a rigid starch matrix that contains potato starch and a plurality of individual pieces of vegetable and/or fruit randomly distributed throughout the matrix. At least 50% by number of the pieces have a minimum dimension of at least 0.75 mm and a maximum dimension of up to 7 mm. The matrix includes a first cellular structure of first cellular pores having a first pore size distribution and the pieces include a second cellular structure of second cellular pores having a second pore size distribution. At least some of the second cellular pores are defined by polysaccharide cell walls of the respective vegetable and/or fruit. The first pore size distribution has a larger number-average pore size and a wider distribution than the second pore size distribution.