WO2005084153A2

WO2005084153A2 - Compressed food product and methods for its preparation

Info

Publication number: WO2005084153A2
Application number: PCT/SG2004/000144
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chee Tet Lim
Original assignee: Tastyfood Industries (S) Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2004-03-08
Filing date: 2004-05-21
Publication date: 2005-09-15
Also published as: TW200533298A; WO2005084153A3; CN1666643A; CN100558252C

Abstract

The invention provides a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of: (a) mixing food material with a liquid to form a slurry; (b) reducing the liquid content of the slurry to form a product capable of being milled; (c) processing the product of step (b) to produce a product capable of being compressed into a tablet; and (d) preparing the milled mixture from step (c) as a tablet.

Description

Compressed Food Product and Methods for its Preparation

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for producing a compressed food product suitable for animal (including human) consumption. It also relates to food products produced by the method.

Background Art

In our current climate many people do not consume sufficient nutritional food due to the increasing tendency of people to miss meals and the growing consumption of fast food and take-away meals. Many consumers, particularly children, also dislike the taste of many fruits, vegetables and/or cereals and thus are unwilling to eat a range of foods to achieve a balanced and healthy diet. As a consequence of these problems the health of many consumers has substantially declined over the last few decades.

To combat these problems the food industry has carried out an immense amount of research to develop food preparation techniques that allowed fresh fruit, vegetables and cereals to be prepared in a variety of different physical forms that are consumer friendly. That is, food products have been developed that are easy to consume, involve limited preparation time and retain the same nutritive value as fresh fruit, vegetables and cereals.

Manufacturers working in the cereal industry have developed many different food products using a wide variety of cereal grains. For example, manufactures have developed cereal flakes, puffed flakes, biscuits, flours, cakes etc. Cereals are also used as additives and fillers in many different food products.

Cereal flakes represent a substantial market, particularly in the breakfast product markets. As a consequence of this various kinds of cereal flakes are now developed for the breakfast market. One such flake is: "vitamin wheat" which is composed of wheat flake, oatmeal and barley flake. The problem with most cereal flakes is that they must be mixed with a liquid prior to ingestion. Where the cereal product is prepared in an aggregated form the product needs to be immersed in hot water or must be eaten as soon as immersed with water. The delicacy and nutritive value of such products has however rapidly developed a market for nutritive cereal flakes. However, sometimes people may feel the inconvenience of these foods, particularly during outdoor travels.

Thus, there is a need to develop a nutritive compressed food product that can be carried and consumed conveniently.

Summary of the Invention

The invention provides a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of: (a) mixing food material with a liquid to form a slurry;

(b) reducing the liquid content of the slurry to form a product capable of being milled;

(c) processing the product of step (b) to produce a product capable of being compressed into a tablet; and (d) preparing the milled mixture from step (c) as a tablet.

Food material that may be used in the method of above method will include cereals, fruits and vegetables.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of: (a) mixing milled food material with a liquid to form a slurry;

(b) reducing the liquid content of the slurry to form a solid product;

(c) processing the product of step (b) to produce a particulate product capable of being compressed into a tablet; and

(d) preparing the milled mixture from step (c) as a tablet. In a second embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mixing milled food material with a liquid to form a slurry;

(b) reducing the liquid content of the slurry to form a paste; (c) processing the paste of step (b) to remove aggregate product from the paste; and

(d) preparing tablets from the product of step (c) using wet compression technology.

In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mixing milled food material with a liquid to form a mixture wherein the liquid is at least 100 parts per weight;

(b) reducing the liquid content of the mixture by baking such that the liquid content after baking is less than about 15%w/v; (c) milling the product of step (b) to produce a particular material suitable for tablet preparation; and

(d) preparing the milled mixture from step (c) as a tablet using compression technology.

In an alternate form the invention resides in a tablet produced by any one of the methods of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a flow diagram detailing a preferred method of performing the present invention;

Figures 2 - 5 show various shapes that tablets of the compressed food product of the present invention may take. Disclosure of the Invention

General

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variation and modifications. The invention also includes all of the steps, features, compositions and compounds referred to or indicated in the specification, individually or collectively and any and all combinations or any two or more of the steps or features.

The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein, which are intended for the purpose of exemplification only. Functionally equivalent products, compositions and methods are clearly within the scope of the invention as described herein.

Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Other definitions for selected terms used herein may be found within the detailed description of the invention and apply throughout. Unless otherwise defined, all other scientific and technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs.

Detailed Disclosure

The inventors have determined that an improved compressed food product can be produced following the method of the invention. In particular, they have determined that the product so produced is easy to package, store and consume and still retains (or possibly improves upon) the nutritive value of the product. When the improved compressed food product is produced via direct compression technology a product is produced which ameliorates the weakness of currently available nutritive cereal flake products whose consuming method is limited by conditions of use.

Accordingly, the invention provides a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of: (a) mixing food material with a liquid to form a slurry;

The food material may be obtained from any edible plant source. Such plant sources can include cereals (such as wheat, corn, barley, rice, oats), legumes (such as beans, peas, lupins, lentils, chickpeas, soya beans), walnut kernel, black sesame, fruits, nuts, vegetables or herbs. Preferably, the food material is milled cereal grain.

The food material can be prepared as a combination of the aforementioned food sources. For example the food material can include a combination cereal grains such as wheat, corn, barley, rice or oats. Alternatively, the food material can comprise (a) a plurality of fruits or legumes or nuts or vegetables or herbs prepared in either dry form or used in raw form; or (b) a combination of foods selected from the group including: cereals, fruits, legumes, nuts, vegetables and herbs.

Where the food material is in solid form it should first be processed to a form permitting dispersion of the food product in the liquid. This may be achieved by processing the food product in either a dry or wet environment using a food processor that cuts the food product up into particulate form or alternatively it can be milled in a crushing or grinding mill. Where food processing is carried out in a wet environment the food material may first be mixed with the liquid and then processed. Alternatively the food material may be processed in a liquid that is either retained or removed and then the processed food product is then combined with the liquid that is used in step (a) of the method.

Milling of the food material is preferred where the material is grain cereal. Further, one skilled in the art will appreciate that milling may take place in either a dry or wet environment. Preferable where the food material to be milled is a grain cereal the milling is performed in a dry environment.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mixing milled food material with a liquid to form a slurry; (b) reducing the liquid content of the slurry to form a solid product;

(d) preparing the milled mixture from step (c) as a tablet.

In this embodiment the food material is milled and then mixed with a liquid to form a slurry. Milling of the food material may be carried out by any method known to the skilled person, such as the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze food material to increase fragility before using a hammer mill to pulverize, ball mill processes, pressure rollers or stone mill processes. Further routine methods known to the person skilled in the art may be employed to mill the food material. Preferably, such milling is done in a colloid mill. More preferably, the milling reduces the particle size to 100-120 meshes.

The amount of liquid used in the method is not narrowly critical, provided that the resulting dispersion is sufficiently fluid to permit mixing. In general, this requires that there be at least 25 parts liquid per food material, with amounts of at least 50 parts liquid per part food material being preferred. The maximum amount of liquid is in no way critical, but amounts in excess of 200 parts per part of food material are unnecessary and only increase drying time and/or heat requirements and may preclude some drying techniques, such as drum drying, which requires a relatively viscous liquid. In general, amounts of from about 50 to about 150 parts of liquid per part of food material are employed. For example, about 100 to about 120 parts of liquid per part of food material are employed.

Liquids suitable for mixing with the food material to produce a mixture include, for example, filtered water, sterilised water, purified water, deionized water and double deionized water. Various flavouring, sweeteners and lubricants can be added to the liquid prior to its application to the food material. Such products are added where the palatability, texture, hardness or disintergrant properties need to be varied.

Where a combination of food materials are used in the method the water and the various food materials can be combined simultaneously, or in any order. In a preferred technique, however, food materials are consecutively added to the water with the resulting mixture being thoroughly stirred to form a dispersion before the next material is added. Where the food material is milled to prior to combination with the liquid, various food materials may be milled together. Alternatively the materials may be milled separately and then mixed together thoroughly prior to combination with the liquid.

In general, the particle size should be below about 100-mesh, and particle sizes in the range of from about 200- to about 325-mesh are preferred.

In addition to the food material and the liquid, auxiliary ingredients may be added to the mixture prior to reducing the liquid content. Such auxiliary ingredients may be chosen from the list comprising: oligosaccharides and sugars such as sucrose or maltose, calcium lactate, milk powder and non-dairy milk, protein, vitamins, flavourings such as vanillin, cocoa powder and preservatives.

The mixture comprising the milled food material, liquid and any auxiliary ingredients may be further milled. Any method employed to mill the food material discussed above may be employed to further mill the mixture.

The liquid content of the mixture may be reduced by a variety of methods such as heating, roasting, toasting, baking (such as by spray drying, tray drying, drum drying, and the like) or lyophilising. Other methods known to persons skilled in the art to reduce a liquid content are also within the scope of this application. Preferably, where the compressed food product is composed of cereal grain material the liquid content of the mixture is reduced by baking the mixture, such as, for example, baking the mixture in a double-drum dryer at between 50°C and 160°C.

It is preferred that, by reducing the liquid content, the liquid in the mixture is reduced to less than 15%. More preferably, the moisture is less than 9% and most preferably less than 4%. Preservatives may be added to the mixture, particularly if the liquid content of the mixture is above 9%.

After the liquid content of the mixture has been reduced, the mixture is then processed. The mixture at this stage may be a paste or a solid product. Further processing of the mixture at this stage in the method reduces aggregate formation and/or disperses matter through the mixture. Processing of the mixture after reduction of the liquid content also aids in the formation of tablets of the desired hardness and aids in the formation of tablets that are easily dissolved in liquids such as milk and water, or eaten in dry form. Any method capable of processing substantial dried material to form particulate material may be employed at this step. Preferably, milling the mixture after the liquid content has been reduced forms particulate material. For example, such milling may be done in a colloid mill

Particulate material produced by step (c) in the method will reduced the product into particulate form having the desired dimensions and, if necessary, screened to achieve the proper size range and distribution. To ensure good flowability it is desired that the particles be larger than 100 mesh, and preferably be in the range of between about 40 to 80 mesh. The resulting particulate product comprises minute particles of the food material and or any other additives that may have been introduced into the mix. It is substantially different in appearance and properties from mixtures of the same dry materials obtained by blending or the wet granulation technique.

After milling, auxiliary ingredients can be added to the mixture. Any number of ingredients may be selected, alohe or in combination, based upon their known uses in preparing compressed compositions. Such ingredients include, but are not limited to binding agents, disintegrants, filling agents, hardening agents, polysaccharide materials, lubricants, flavours (such as vanillin), flavour enhancers, sweetener (eg sugars (such as sucrose or maltose)), colours, preservatives, calcium lactate, milk powder and non-dairy milk, protein, vitamins and cocoa powder. Some of these ingredients are included to aid in dissolution, consumption acceptability such as taste, texture and colour of the compressed form, while others aid in the processing of the product, by improving powder flowability. In a particularly preferred form of the invention the compressed food product may include one or more of the following ingredients.

(a) 'Binding agents' that impart cohesive qualities to the powdered material(s). Commonly used binders include acacia, alginic acid, alkali metal alginate, carbomer, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, dextrin, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, ethyl cellulose, gelatin, glucose, guar gum, hydroxyethyl-, hydroxypropyl- and hydroxypropyl methyl-cellulose, hydrogenated vegetable oil, spray-dried lactose; anhydrous lactose, magnesium aluminum silicate, maltodextrin, methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, unmilled; spray-congealed mannitol; povidine, starch (e.g., corn starch), partially or fully pregelatinized starch, and zein.

(b) 'Disintegrants' such as starch derivatives and salts of carboxymethylcellulose and effervescent agents. Effervescent agents include effervescent couples such as an organic acid (eg, citric, tartaric, malic, fumaric, adipic, succinic, and alginic acids and anhydrides and acid salts), or a carbonate (eg sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, sodium glycine carbonate, L-lysine carbonate, and arginine carbonate) or bicarbonate (eg sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate)

(c) 'Hardening agents' such as calcium carbonate, di- and tri-calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, microcrystalline cellulose, powdered cellulose, dextrates, dextrin, sugars such as dextrose, fructose, lactose, mannitol, sorbitol, sucrose, glyceryl palmitostearate, kaolin, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, maltodextrin, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, starch, pregelatinized starch, talc and hydrogenated vegetable oil. (d) "Polysaccharide material" as used herein means an organic polymeric material considered as derived from aldose or ketoses by condensation polymerization, composed of repeating monosaccharide units, and are branched or straight-chained, looped or coiled. An exemplary polysaccharide derived from hexoses has the general formula (C₆Hιo0₅)_n.

Polysaccharide materials as meant herein to include those materials that are, or may in the future be, approved for human consumption. Preferred polymeric materials include the dextrins and maltodextrins. 'Maltodextrin' is a mixture of polysaccharides resulting from acid or enzyme hydrolysis of common starch (such as corn starch or waxy maize starch). "Starch" means a natural polymer derived from plant materials, and is commonly found in the form of tiny microscopic granules (5-25 microns in diameter) comprised of stratified layers of starch molecules formed around a hilum nucleus. The starch granule may be round, oval or angular in shape, and consists of a radially oriented crystalline aggregate of two anhydrous D- glucose polymers: amylose and amylopectin.

(e) Lubricants are typically added to prevent the material(s) being tableted from sticking to the tablet press punches. Commonly used lubricants include magnesium stearate, stearic acid and calcium stearate.

(f) Filling agents such as lactose monohydrate, lactose anhydrous, and various starches.

(g) Sweeteners such as any natural or artificial sweetener including sucrose, xylitol, sodium saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, and accsulfame K.

(h) Flavouring agents.

(i) Preservatives such as potassium sorbate, methylparaben, propylparaben, benzoic acid and its salts, other esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid such as butylparaben, alcohols such as ethyl or benzyl alcohol, phenolic compounds such as phenol, or quarternary compounds such as benzalkonium chloride. (j) Other excipients such as starch, cellulose, talc, glucose, lactose, sucrose, gelatin, malt, rice, flour, chalk, silica gel, magnesium stearate, sodium stearate, glycerol monostearate, sodium chloride and dried skim milk.

The proportion of food material to other additives in the compressed food product is not critical, but obviously depend upon the volume of food material desired in the food product, as well as the properties desired in the product. In general, the compressed food product can comprise at least 50 per cent of the food material, and may comprise as much as 50 per cent by weight of additive material. Typically however the compressed food product will contain 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 99% food material and a reduced proportionate amount of the additives. In an alternate form the compressed food material can include 100% food material and no additive material.

The preparation of a compressed food material containing one or more food materials requires that the materials to be compressed into a form that possesses certain physical characteristics. Among other things, the material to be compressed should be free flowing, and, importantly, must possess sufficient cohesiveness to insure that the solid form remains intact after compression.

The compressed food material may be prepared in a variety of different forms including tablets, briquettes, capsules, beads, lozenges, cakes or pellets. Preferably the compressed food material is prepared as a tablet. "Tablet" as used herein is intended to encompass compressed nutritive and formulations of all shapes and sizes, whether coated or uncoated.

A tablet is formed typically by pressure being applied to the food material (including additives) to be tableted on a tablet press. A tablet press includes a lower punch that fits into a die from the bottom and a upper punch having a corresponding shape and dimension which enters the die cavity from the top after the tableting material fills the die cavity. The tablet is formed by pressure applied on the lower and upper punches. The ability of the material to flow freely into the die is important in order to insure that there is a uniform filling of the die and a continuous movement of the material from the source of the material. Processes for tableting are well known to those skilled in the art. Modern compression tableting techniques-irrespective of the type (and ultimate shape of the end product)-utilize a piston like device with three stages in each cycle: (1) filling-adding the powder constituents of the tablet to the compression chamber; (2) compression-forming the tablet; and (3) ejection-removing the tablet. The cycle is then repeated. Representative tablet presses are the Fette P 1200 rotary pelleting press, the Manesty Express 20 rotary press, the Manesty D3A Dry Cota rotary tablet press, and the Key International Rotary tablet Press. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other tableting machines capable of compressing a tablet can also be used.

The tablets prepared according to this invention preferably have a diameter of between 40 mm and 50 mm, and a weight between 25 and 60g. The compaction pressure used for preparing these tablets are between 2 and 200 kN (kilo- Newtons), preferably 2 to 100 kN, and desirably in the range from 40 to 90 kN, 50 to 80kN, 60 to 80kN or 70 to 80kN. In general, a conventional tablet, formed with a single compression stroke, is typically manufactured at a compression force in the range of 18 to 27 kN. With these high compression forces, variations in the compressing force of less than 1 kN usually results in negligible variation in the amount of food material contained in the tablet.

In order to make a compressed food material in the form of tablets, preferably all ingredients must have certain physical characteristics, including the ability to flow freely, and acceptable cohesion (or compressibility). Because many materials have some, or none, of these qualities, techniques must be developed to impart these characteristics to the constituents. In this context, 'free flowing' means that the particles to be compressed must enter the compression chamber as discreet particles. While particles that are not "free flowing" can be used in tableting contexts, they can be utilized only if force feeders or other mechanical means are utilized to move the particles. To facilitate the free-flowing nature of the particle mixture sometimes a lubricant is added to the mixture. Such lubricants are commonly included in the final tableted product in amounts usually less than 1% by weight. Two criteria in the quality of a tablet are crushing strength (or hardness) and friability. The resistance of the tablet to chipping, abrasion, or breakage under conditions of storage, transportation and handling before usage depends on its hardness. Hardness is measured by determining lateral breaking strength (expressed in kiloponds (kp) Strong Cobb Units (SCU) wherein 1 kp=1.4 SCU) exerted on a single tablet at the moment of rupture. The strongest tablet has the highest kp value. Tablets of insufficient hardness exhibit capping and/or lamination and can easily break apart or disintegrate under normal handling and packaging conditions. Tablets of insufficient hardness cannot be used for lozenges or mints which are designed to be sucked in the mouth, releasing the active ingredient(s) or flavour over time, and may have an undesirable powdery, grainy or coarse mouthfeel.

Friability is also a standard test known to one skilled in the art. Friability is measured under standardized conditions by weighing out a certain number of tablets (generally 20 or more), placing them in a rotating Plexiglas drum in which they are lifted during replicate revolutions by a radial louver, and then dropped through the diameter of the drum. After replicate revolutions, the tablets are reweighed and the percentage of powder "rubbed off' or broken pieces is calculated. Friability in the range of about 0% to 3% is considered acceptable for most drug and food tablet contexts. Friability which is about 0% to about 1% is preferred, while 0% to 0.6% is more preferred, while friability less than about 0.3% is most preferred.

Using various compression forces, tablet hardness limits of 5.0 SCU to 11.0 SCU (7 kp to 12 kp), 10.0 SCU to 14.0 SCU (14 kp to 19 kp) and 14.0 SCU to 28.0 SCU (19 kp to 39 kp) for various types of food material compositions, respectively, will provide acceptable results. These hardnesses result in acceptable adherence of the press coat to the core tablet for all three products, with no picking, capping or lamination. When the compositions are compressed within those hardness limits, broken or chipped tablets are minimized or eliminated, and weight loss is expected to be less than one percent.

A variety of tablets may be produced according to the above methods. Depending on the hardness, and palette acceptable food material including additives, if any, the tablet may be either chewable or swallowable. Chewable tablets produced according to the present invention exhibit hardness within the range of about 5 SCU to about 11 SCU (7 kp to 15 kp). A most preferred range is between about 7 to about 9 SCU (9 kp to 12 kp). Swallowable tablets may exhibit a hardness within the range of about 10 SCU to about 28 SCU (about 14 kp to about 39 kp), with a preferred hardness between about 12 to about 35 SCU (17 kp to 35 kp). Whether the present process produces a chewable or swallowable tablet, the tablets friability is within the range of about 0.6% to 0%, and preferably 0.3 to 0%.

Swallowable tablets made according to the present invention may be prepared to disintegrate in more than 20 seconds and in less than 30 minutes. The minimum disintegration time of 20 seconds permits the consumer sufficient time to swallow a whole tablet and avoid in-mouth dissolution. Preferred dissolution times are greater than about 40 seconds, more preferably greater than 60 seconds and most preferably more than about 90 seconds to permit the tablet to travel the oesophageal channel intact. If the disintegration time is less than 30. seconds, the surface integrity of the tablet is compromised in the mouth providing the dissolution of the surface layer after a few moments residence time. Such tablets are typically coated thinly to mask the taste of the active ingredient from the consumer. It is preferred that tablets made according to this invention maintain their surface integrity for more than about 15 seconds or more to avoid the necessity for a taste masking coating. It is believed that such surface integrity properties are achieved with a disintegration time of about 40 seconds or more.

Tablets prepared by the above method are not restricted to a single layer. They may include multiple layers, wherein each layer includes either food material of a different type and or layers of different hardness or disintegration times. Such variation will depend on the nature of the product, the food material used and the application for with the compressed food product is to be employed.

To control the rate at which the food material is released from the tablet, it may be desirable to coat the tablet with a biodegradable polymer that softens during a period that results in an increase in the release rate of the food material. Coating the compressed tablets with one or more layers of a biodegradable polymer also reduces the absorption rate of the food material.

A biodegradable polymer material that can be used in the present invention should preferably be a biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric material. Preferably, the biodegradable polymer used in the preparation of the vegetable matter tablet is long lasting. The matrix material should be biodegradable in the sense that the polymeric material should degrade by bodily processes to products readily disposable by the body and should not accumulate in the body. Suitable examples of polymeric matrix materials include poly(glycolic acid), poly-D,L-lactic acid, poly-L-lactic acid, copolymers of the foregoing, poly(aliphatic carboxylic acids), copolyoxaates, polycaprolactone, polydioxonone, poly(ortho carbonates), poly(acetals), poly(lactic acid caprolactone), polyorthoesters, poly(glycolic acid- caprolactone), polyanhydrides, and natural polymers including albumin, casein, and waxes, such as, glycerol mono-and distearate, and the like.

By "biodegradable" is meant a material that should degrade by bodily processes to products readily disposable by the body and should not accumulate in the body. The products of the biodegradation should also be biocompatible with the body.

By "biocompatible" is meant not toxic to the human body, is pharmaceutically acceptable, is not carcinogenic, and does not significantly induce inflammation in body tissues. ^■ .

The compressed food product of the invention can be administered to any mammal. Preferably, the mammal is a human being. Compressed food products suitable for consumption by animals and in particular in man typically must be sterile and stable under the conditions of manufacture and storage.

In a second embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mixing milled food material with a liquid to form a slurry;

(b) reducing the liquid content of the slurry to form a paste; (c) milling the paste of step (b) to remove aggregate product from the paste; and

According to this embodiment of the invention the compressed food product is prepared by wet compression techniques. A person skilled in the art will be familiar with such technology and will understand it application to the method of the invention.

Further, a person skilled in the art will understand that all of the food materials, liquids, ingredients and additives described for use in the preparation of direct (dry compression products) may be employed in this embodiment of the invention. Likewise each of the methods for preparing the product can be equally applied to this embodiment of the invention except that the compression process is done under wet conditions.

In a third embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of:

(b) reducing the liquid content of the mixture by baking such that the liquid content after baking is less than about 15%w/v;

(c) milling the product of step (b) to produce a particular material suitable for tablet preparation; and

In a preferred form of this embodiment of the invention the method comprises the steps of: (a) mixing milled food material with a particle size of between 100 and 120 meshes with a liquid to form a mixture wherein the liquid is between 100 and120 parts per weight of water;

(b) reducing the liquid content of the mixture by baking at between 50 °C and 160 °C such that the liquid content of the product after baking is less than 15% (preferably less than 9% and desirably between 3 and 4%);

(c) milling the mixture to give particles with a mesh size of between 80 and 100 meshes; and (d) preparing the milled mixture as a tablet with a pelleting machine using pressure of between 40 kN and 80 kN.

In an example of the invention the method comprises selecting food material from the main raw materials such as wheat, sugar and so on, pulverizing, and then mixing them together, adding water and stirring them to form a paste, drying and tableting, which is characterized in that the production process of said compressed food product comprises:

1) selecting food materials, removing impurities and sand, then pulverizing these main raw materials to 100-120 meshes respectively, and mixing them according to certain ratios; 2) adding water to the mixture of the raw materials from step 1), and stirring them to form a paste, the amount of water is 100-120 parts by weight, maltose may also be added into the mixture;

3) grinding the mixture into a fine paste with a colloid mill;

4) baking and tableting the paste with a double drum dryer with the baking temperature of the double drum dryer of 50-160°C, the moisture content of the finished product after tableting is 3%-4%;

5) grinding the tableted main materials of step 4) to 80-100 meshes again; 6) adding auxiliary ingredients to the materials of step 5), then stirring to make a uniform mixture;

7) compressing the mixture into tablets with a rotary pelleting machine with the pressure of the rotary pelleting machine of 40-80 kN; and 8) packing.

In accordance with the above example of the invention the food material in step 1 is a raw material(s) selected from the group comprising wheat, corn, rice, walnut kernel, black sesame, sugar, cocoa powder, soya milk powder, oat and so on, wherein sugar may be sucrose or oligosaccharide. The auxiliary ingredients in step 6) comprise low-fat milk powder, non-dairy milk, calcium lactate, vitamin, protein, vanillin and so on.

The present invention also provides a plain compressed food product prepared by the above-mentioned method. The said plain compressed food product mainly consists of the following raw materials (parts by weight):

Main raw materials: Wheat 50-60 Corn 5-6 Rice 5-10 Sucrose 6-12

Auxiliary ingredients:

Low-fat milk powder 10-12 Maltose 3-8 Non-dairy milk 2-3 Calcium lactate 0.25-0.3 Vitamin 0.5-1 Vanillin 0.05-1 Protein 4-5.5

The present invention also provides a black-sesame-walnut compressed food product prepared by the above-mentioned preparation method. The said black- sesame-walnut compressed food product mainly consists of the following raw materials (parts by weight): Main raw materials:

Wheat 40-50 Black sesame 10-12

Walnut kernel 10-12 Rice 10-15 Sucrose 10-12 Corn 5-6

Auxiliary ingredients:

Maltose 2-3 Low-fat milk powder 5-6 Non-dairy milk 2-3 Calcium lactate 0.25-0.3 Vitamin 0.5-1 Protein 4-5.5

The present invention also provides a soymilk compressed food product prepared by the above-mentioned preparation method. The said soymilk compressed food product mainly consists of the following raw materials (parts by weight):

Main raw materials:

Wheat 50-60 Corn 5-6

Rice 10-15 Soymilk powder 10-12

Sucrose 6-12

Auxiliary ingredients:

Maltose 3-8 Protein 4-5.5

Calcium lactate 0.25-0.3 Vitamin 0.5-1

The present invention also provides a chocolate compressed food product prepared by the above-mentioned preparation method. The said chocolate compressed food product is mainly consisted of the following raw materials (parts by weight):

Main raw materials:

Wheat 50-60 Corn 5-6

Rice 5-10 Cocoa powder 3-4

Sucrose 6-12

Auxiliary ingredients:

Maltose 3-8 Low-fat milk powder 10-12

P.alr.ii ιm lar.tf.tf. n 95-n Vitamin f) fi-1 Protein 4-5.5

The present invention also provides an oat compressed food product prepared by the above-mentioned preparation method. The said oat compressed food product mainly consists of the following raw materials (parts by weight):

Main raw materials:

Oat 60-70 Oligosaccharide 15-20

Auxiliary ingredients:

Low-fat mill <i powder 10-15 Calcium lactate 0.25-0.3

Vitamin 0.5-1 Protein 4-5.5

The present invention has many advantages: since the compressed food product has been compressed during the above-mentioned process, the compressed food product has a relatively smaller size while retaining the ingredients of the original nutritive food material. Moreover, the consumption of said compressed food product is not limited by conditions, since it can be dissolved in fluids such as milk and water or be eaten in dry form. The compressed food product can supply nutrition instantly. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for outdoor activities.

The present invention also relates to products produced according to any one of the above methods.

The invention is illustrated in the following examples. The examples do not limit the scope of the invention in any manner. All percentages and ratios are by weight unless otherwise stated.

Examples Example 1

As illustrated in Figure 1, the method comprises the steps of: (a) screening raw materials; (b) pulverising raw materials; (c) formulating; (d) adding water and stirring; (e) grinding to paste; (f) baking and tableting; (g) grinding; (h) adding auxiliary materials; (i) stirring; (j) compressing into tablet; and (k) packing. Methods for carrying out each of these steps and materials that can be used in each of these steps are described generally in the body of this specification. Each of the methods and compositions is incorporated into this Example.

Example 2

Formulation and preparation method of plain compressed food product : The plain compressed food product mainly consists of the following raw materials and auxiliary ingredients (parts by weight):

Main raw materials: Wheat 50-60 Corn 5-6 Rice 5-10 Sucrose 6-12

Auxiliary ingredients:

Low-fat milk powder 10-12 ' Maltose 3-8

Plant milk extract 2-3 Calcium lactate 0.25-0.3

Vitamin 0.5-1 Vanillin 0.05-1 Protein 4-5.5

The procedure for producing the plain compressed food product comprised:

1) Selecting 50 parts of wheat, 6 parts of corn, 8 parts of rice, and 12 parts of sucrose (in weight), removing impurities and sands, then pulverizing these main raw materials to 100-120 meshes (100 meshes for this example) respectively, and mixing them according to the above ratio;

2) Adding water to the mixture of the raw materials of step 1), and stirring them to form a paste with a stainless steel liquid agitator, wherein the amount of water was 100-120 parts by weight (100 parts by weight in this example), maltose may be added into the mixture on demand;

3) Grinding the mixture into a fine paste with a colloid mill, and then pumping the paste by stainless steel pipe into a double drum dryer for tableting;

4) Baking and tableting the paste with the double drum dryer, wherein the baking temperature of the double drum dryer was 50-160°C (155°C for this example), and the moisture content of the finished product after tableting was 3%-4%;

5) Grinding the flake product materials tableted in step 4) to 80-100 meshes (decided according to the desired products) with CF300A pulverator;

6) Adding the following materials into the materials of step 5): 10 parts of low-fat milk powder, 3 parts of maltose, 3 parts of non-dairy milk, 0.3 parts of calcium lactate, 0.5 parts of vitamin, 0.05 parts of vanillin, and 4 parts of protein;

7) Compressing the mixture into tablets with a rotary pelleting machine, wherein the pressure in the rotary pelleting machine was 40-80 kN (80 kN in this example); and

8) Packing.

Example 3

Formulation and preparation method of the black-sesame-walnut compressed food product : The black-sesame-walnut compressed food product mainly consists of the following raw materials (parts by weight):

Main raw materials: Wheat 40-50 Black sesame 10-12 Walnut kernel 10-12 Rice 10-15 Sucrose 10-12 Corn 5-6

Auxiliary ingredients: Maltose 2-3 Low-fat milk powder 5-6 Plant milk extract 2-3 Calcium lactate 0.25-0.3 Vitamin n 5-1 Pmtein A-F, F> The steps for producing the black-sesame-walnut compressed food product were similar to those in Example 2, except that the materials used in each step were selected according to the list in this example and the pressure in the rotary pelleting machine was 60 kN.

Example 4

Formulation and preparation method of the soymilk compressed food product : the soymilk compressed food product mainly consists of the following raw materials and auxiliary ingredients (parts by weight):

Main raw materials:

Wheat 50-60 Corn 5-6

Rice 10-15 Soymilk powder 10-12

Sucrose 6-12

Auxiliary ingredients:

Maltose 3-8 Protein 4-5.5

Calcium lactate 0.25-0.3 Vitamin ' 0.5-1

The steps for producing the soymilk compressed food product were similar to those in example 2 except that the materials used in each step were selected according to the list in this example and the pressure in the rotary pelleting machine was 40 kN.

Example 5

The chocolate compressed food product mainly consists of the following raw materials and auxiliary ingredients (parts by weight):

Main raw materials: Wheat 50-60 Corn 5-6 Rice 5-10 Cocoa powder 3-4 Sucrose 6-12 Auxiliary materials: Maltose 3-8 Low-fat milk powder 10-12

Calcium lactate 0.25-0.3 Vitamin 0.5-1 Protein 4-5.5

The steps for producing the chocolate compressed food product were similar to those in Example 2, except that the materials used in each step were selected according to the list in this example and the pressure in the rotary pelleting machine was 70-80 kN.

Example 6

The oat compressed food product mainly consists of the following raw materials and auxiliary ingredients (parts by weight):

Main raw materials: Oat 60-70 Oligosaccharide 15-20

Auxiliary ingredients:

Low-fat milk powder 10-15 Calcium lactate 0.25-0.3

Vitamin 0.5-1 Protein 4-5.5

The steps for producing the oat compressed food product were similar to those in Example 2, except that the materials used in each step were selected according to the list in this example and the pressure in the rotary pelleting machine was 70-80 kN. Since the sugar used here are oligosaccharides, the resulted product is suitable for diabetic patients.

In Examples 2-6, the addition of maltose may improve the flavour and taste of the compressed food product, and the level of maltose can be adjusted on demand.

As showed in Figs. 2-5, the compressed food product may be compressed into rectangle, square, oval, round or other shapes upon tableting.

Claims

The Claims Defining the Invention are as Follows

1. A method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mixing food material with a liquid to form a slurry; (b) reducing the liquid content of the slurry .to form a product capable of being milled;

(c) processing the product of step (b) to produce a product capable of being compressed into a tablet; and

(d) preparing the milled mixture from step (c) as a tablet.

2. In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mixing milled food material with a liquid to form a slurry;

(b) reducing the liquid content of the slurry to form a solid product;

(d) preparing the milled mixture from step (c) as a tablet.

3. In a second embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mixing milled food material with a liquid to form a slurry; (b) reducing the liquid content of the slurry to form a paste;

(c) processing the paste of step (b) to remove aggregates product from the paste; and

4. In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for producing a compressed food product, said method comprising the steps of:

(c) milling the product of step (b) to produce a particular material suitable for tablet preparation; and (d) preparing the milled mixture from step (c) as a tablet using compression technology.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2 wherein the liquid content of the mixture is reduced by heating, roasting, baking, toasting, drying or lyophilising.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the liquid content of the mixture is substantially reduced by baking the mixture.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the baking is carried out at between 50 °C and160 °C.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein reduced liquid content is less than 15%.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein reduced liquid content is less than 9%.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein substantially reduced liquid content is less than 4%.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the food material is selected from the list comprising: cereals, legumes, walnut kernel, black sesame, fruits, nuts, vegetables and herbs.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the food material is milled cereal grains.

13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein liquid is added to the food material at between 100 and 120 parts per weight of water.

14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein auxiliary ingredients are added to the slurry in step (a) prior to reducing the liquid content.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the auxiliary ingredients are selected from the list comprising: oligosaccharides and sugars such as, sucrose or maltose, calcium lactate, milk powder and non-dairy milk, protein, vitamins, flavourings such as vanillin, cocoa powder and preservatives.

16. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the particle size obtained in step (c) of the method is between 80 and 100 meshes.

17. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein auxiliary ingredients are added to the mixture after step (c).

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the auxiliary ingredients are selected from the list comprising: oligosaccharides and sugars such as sucrose or maltose, calcium lactate, milk powder and non-dairy milk, protein, vitamins, flavourings such as vanillin, cocoa powder and preservatives.

19. A compressed food product produced by the method of any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. A method for producing a compressed food product, comprising selecting main raw materials such as wheat, sugar and so on, pulverizing, and then mixing together, adding water and stirring them to form a paste, drying and tableting, which is characterized in that the production process of said compressed food product comprises: (a) selecting main raw materials, removing impurities and sand, then pulverizing these main raw materials to 100-120 meshes respectively, and mixing them according to certain ratios; (b) adding water to the mixture of the raw materials of step 1), and stirring them to form a paste,

(c) grinding the mixture into a fine paste with a colloid mill;

(d) baking and tableting the paste with a double drum dryer with the baking temperature of the double drum dryer of 50-160°C, the moisture content of the finished product after tableting is 3% - 4%;

(e) grinding the tableted main materials of step 4) to 80-100 meshes again;

(f) adding auxiliary materials to the materials of step 5), then stirring to make a uniform mixture; (g) compressing the mixture into tablets with a rotary pelleting machine with the pressure of the rotary pelleting machine of 40-80 kN; and

(h) packing

21. The method for producing the compressed food product as claimed in claim 20, wherein the main raw materials used in step a) comprise wheat, corn, rice, walnut kernel, black sesame, sugar, cocoa powder, soymilk powder, oat and so on.

22. The method for producing the compressed food product as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the sugar is sucrose or oligosaccharide.

23. The method for producing the compressed food product as claimed in claim 20, wherein maltose may be added in step 2).

24. The method for producing the compressed food product as claimed in claim 20, wherein the amount of water added in step 2) is 100-120 parts by weight.

25. The method for producing the compressed food product as claimed in claim 20, wherein the auxiliary materials in step f) comprise low-fat milk powder, plant milk extract, calcium lactate, vitamin, protein, vanillin and so on.

26. A plain compressed food product prepared according to the preparation methods as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 and 20 to 25, which comprises the following raw materials (parts by weight): Wheat (50-60), Corn (5-6), Rice (5-10) and Sucrose (6-12) and the following auxiliary ingredients (parts by weight): Low-fat milk powder (10-12), Maltose (3-8), Plant milk extract (2-3), Calcium lactate (0.25-0.3), Vitamin (0.5-1), Vanillin (0.05-1 ) and Protein (4-5.5).

27. A black-sesame-walnut compressed food product prepared according to the preparation methods as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 18 and 20 to 25, which comprises the following raw materials (parts by weight): Wheat (40-50), Black sesame (10-12), Walnut kernel (10-12), Rice (10-15), Sucrose (10-12) and Corn (10-15) and the following auxiliary ingredients (parts by weight): maltose (2-3), Low-fat milk powder (5-6), Plant milk extract (2-3), Calcium lactate (0.25-0.3) Vitamins (0.5-1 ) and Protein (4-5.5).

28. A soymilk compressed food product prepared according to the preparation methods as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 and 20 to 25, which comprises the following raw materials (parts by weight): Wheat (50-60), Corn (5-6), Rice (10-15), soymilk powder (10-12) and sucrose (6-12), and the following auxiliary ingredients (parts by weight): Maltose (3-8), Protein (4-5.5), Calcium lactate (0.25-0.3) and Vitamins (0.5-1 ).

29. A chocolate compressed food product prepared according to the preparation methods as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 and 20 to 25, which comprises the following raw materials (parts by weight): Wheat (50-60), Corn (5-6), Rice (5-10), Cocoa powder (3-4) and sucrose (6-12) and the following auxiliary ingredients (parts by weight): Maltose (3-8), Low-fat milk powder (10-12), Calcium lactate (0.25-0.3), Vitamin (0.5-1), and Protein (4- 5.5).

30. An oat compressed food product prepared according to the preparation methods as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 and 20 to 25, which comprises the following raw materials (parts by weight): Oat (60-70), Oligosaccharide (15-20) and the following auxiliary ingredients (parts by weight): Low-fat milk powder (10-15), Calcium lactate (0.25-0.3), Vitamin (0.5- 1) and Protein (4-5.5)