Application of Essence in Puffed Food
1. Definition and Classification
According to the current National Food Safety Standard for Puffed Food, puffed food refers to food with loose or crispy texture made from grains, potatoes, beans, fruits and vegetables, nuts or seeds as the main raw materials through puffing technology. It mainly includes two categories:
• Oil-containing puffed food: Products made by frying in edible oil, or adding/spraying edible oil, such as potato chips and corn curls.
• Oil-free puffed food: Products without adding or spraying edible oil during the production process, such as rice cakes and popcorn.
2. Production Process
The production process of puffed food mainly includes raw material processing, mixing, puffing (extrusion puffing or frying puffing), drying (for oil-free process), seasoning, packaging and other links. The key links are puffing and seasoning, which directly affect the quality, texture and flavor of the final product.
3. Key Control Points in Puffed Food Production
(1) Raw material moisture: The moisture content of the mixed materials needs to be accurately controlled, usually in the range of 12%-16%, which directly affects the puffing degree.
(2) Puffing temperature and pressure:
• Extrusion puffing: The temperature of the barrel is usually controlled at 120-180℃, and the pressure drops sharply at the die to achieve puffing.
• Frying puffing: The oil temperature needs to be stabilized at 180-190℃ for 6-8 seconds to prevent excessive oil content or scorching.
(3) Drying (oil-free process): The secondary drying temperature is 70-80℃, so that the moisture content of the semi-finished product is reduced to about 8%, ensuring the final puffed product has a crispy taste.
(4) Seasoning: The temperature of the seasoning liquid should be ≤60℃, with uniform spraying and stable adhesion rate.
(5) Packaging: It needs to be quickly nitrogen-filled and sealed in a clean environment with humidity <60% to prevent the product from moisture absorption and oxidative rancidity.
(6) Oil safety: Strictly control the acid value of frying oil ≤5mg/g and peroxide value ≤0.25g/100g, and replace it regularly.
4. Timing of Essence Addition in Puffed Food
(1) Addition process and temperature control
After puffing, baking/frying, spray while hot on the cooling conveyor belt. At this time, the product temperature is recommended to drop to 60-80℃, which can not only ensure the effective adsorption of essence, but also avoid the rapid volatilization or decomposition of aroma caused by high temperature.
(2) Requirements for essence
It is necessary to select oil-soluble essence or water-oil dual-purpose essence with high temperature resistance (>100℃) to ensure its stability in the early processing and good adsorption on the surface of oil-containing products with long-lasting fragrance.
(3) Notes on essence addition
It must be evenly distributed through atomized spraying or mixing with oil followed by drum mixing. The addition amount needs to be accurately measured (usually 0.1%-0.3%) and determined through small-batch tests to avoid excessive stimulation and peculiar smell. The flavor should be coordinated with the main body of the product.
5. Basic Principles for Selecting Essence for Puffed Food
(1) According to the flavor of puffed food, both sweet and salty edible flavor essences can be used for flavoring puffed food. The company’s sweet edible oil-based essence, water-oil dual-purpose essence and powder essence (microcapsule type) are suitable for flavoring puffed food, and the company’s sweet edible oil-based essence is preferred as the first choice for sweet flavor essence for puffed food.
Edible salty oil-based essence, water-oil dual-purpose essence and powder essence (reaction type) are also suitable for flavoring puffed food. The company’s edible salty oil-based essence is preferred as the first choice for salty flavor essence for puffed food.
(2) The selection of essence for puffed food must meet the following basic requirements:
• Extremely high temperature resistance: It must be able to withstand short-term high temperature above 180℃ to adapt to the processing environment of frying, baking or extrusion puffing, and keep the flavor stable without decomposition.
• Distinct and coordinated flavor: Strong aroma permeability, long-lasting fragrance, and can be well integrated with main flavors such as cheese, cream and barbecue without producing peculiar smell.
• Form adaptability: Priority is given to oil-soluble or water-oil dual-purpose essence, which is convenient for uniform dispersion and adhesion on the product surface through spraying or mixing.
(3) Recommended dosage of essence for puffed food: 0.1%～0.3%
6. Common Product Quality Problems and Main Causes in Puffed Food Enterprises
(1) Flavor problems
• Oil rancidity (rancid taste): The main reasons are poor quality of raw material oil, untimely replacement of frying oil (exceeding the standard of acid value and peroxide value) or poor packaging tightness leading to product oxidation.
• Insufficient or uneven flavor: Caused by improper seasoning process parameters (such as poor spraying amount and temperature control) or poor temperature resistance of essence, resulting in volatilization loss during processing.
(2) Texture problems
• Not crispy, damp and soft: The core reason is poor packaging barrier or insufficient nitrogen filling, leading to the invasion of environmental moisture; followed by improper puffing process and high initial moisture content of the product.
• Poor puffing degree: Caused by uneven raw material moisture and improper control of puffing temperature/pressure/time parameters.
7. Recommended High-Quality Essence Products for Puffed Food of the Company
|
Model
|
Product Name
|
Character
|
Color
|
Aroma Description
|
Product Features
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
200734
|
Sweet Corn Oil Essence
|
Oily
|
Pale Yellow
|
Boiled tender sweet corn aroma
|
Tender and sweet corn flavor
|
|
200525A
|
Cream Essence (Extra Concentrated)
|
Oily
|
Pale Yellow
|
Cream aroma with prominent umami
|
Characteristic cream aroma
|
|
200565
|
Chocolate Oil Essence
|
Oily
|
Pale Yellow
|
Pure chocolate fresh milk aroma (white chocolate)
|
Sweet chocolate flavor
|
|
300193
|
Almond Essence
|
Water-Oil Dual-Purpose
|
Colorless
|
Strong and penetrating almond aroma
|
Almond flavor with a little bitterness
|
|
300292
|
Butter Essence
|
Water-Oil Dual-Purpose
|
Pale Yellow
|
Strong natural butter aroma
|
Natural fermented butter sour taste
|
|
500491
|
Fresh Milk Essence (High-Temperature Resistant)
|
Powder
|
White
|
Delicate and strong natural milk aroma
|
Milk flavor with fruit aroma, heavy sweetness and good application effect
|
|
500532
|
Vanilla Powder Essence
|
Powder
|
White
|
Natural vanilla bean aroma
|
Characteristic vanilla aroma with a little anise flavor
|
|
500882
|
Vanillin Essence
|
Powder
|
White to Pale Yellow
|
Pure vanilla aroma
|
Strong and prominent vanilla aroma
|
|
500524
|
Milk Flavor Powder
|
Powder
|
White
|
Pure cream aroma
|
Characteristic cream aroma
|
|
500773
|
Potato Powder Essence
|
Powder
|
White
|
Fried potato aroma
|
Fried potato flavor with stimulating spiciness
|
|
601106
|
Chicken Essence Powder
|
Powder
|
Pale Yellow
|
Thick chicken soup aroma with a little sauce aroma and chicken texture
|
Sauce aroma and mellow fried chicken flavor
|
|
601095
|
Beef Powder Essence
|
Powder
|
Pale Yellow
|
Strong roasted beef aroma with a little meat texture
|
Roasted beef flavor with sauce aroma
|
