Directly edible and rapidly rehydratable compacted and dehydrated food bar and method of making the same

Claim 1

A RAPIDLY REHYDRATABLE, COMPACTED, DEHYDRATES FOOD BAR COMPRISING DISCRETE PARTICLES OF BLANCHED AND FREEZE-DRIED POTATOES SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY MIXED WITH NON-POTATO FOOD BAR-FORMING INGREDIENTS IN THE APPROXIMATE PROPORTION OF ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF SAID PARTICLES OF POTATOES TO ABOUT 90 TO ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF SAID NON-POTATO FOOD BARFORMING INGREDIENTS, SAID PERCENTAGES BEING BY WEIGHT, SAID POTATO PARTICLES HAVING VOLUMES OF FROM ABOUT 1/64 CUBIC INCH TO ABOUT 1/8 CUBIC INCH WHEN MIXED WITH SAID NON-POTATO FOOD BAR-FORMING INGREDIENTS, SAID COMPACTED, DEHYDRATED FOOD BAR HAVING A BULK DENSITY FROM ABOUT 1.0 TO ABOUT 1.4 GM PER CC AND A MOISTURE CONTENT OF FROM ABOUT 1 PERCENT TO ABOUT 4 PERCENT BY WEIGHT.

Claim 5

A method of making a compacted food bar of low moisture content which is rapidly rehydratable in cold water and is directly edible, easily bitable and chewable without prior rehydration which comprises the steps of: a. spraying freeze-dried potato particles having volumes of from about 1/64 to about 1/8 cubic inch and a moisture content of from about 1.0 percent to about 4.0 percent by weight with sufficient water to increase their moisture content to from about 5 percent to about 15 percent by weight, b. holding said potato particles with said water sprayed thereon in a closed container for a time from about 3 to about 6 hours sufficient to accomplish equilibration of said water in said potato particles, c. adding said equilibrated potato particles to a mixture of non-potato food bar-forming ingredients in the proportion of about 10 percent to about 20 percent by weight of the freeze-vacuum-dehydrated potato particles to about 90 percent to about 80 percent of said non-potato food bar-forming ingredients and blending said equilibrated potato particles with said non-potato food bar-forming ingredients, d. compressing said blended equilibrated potaTo particle mixture with said non-potato food bar-forming ingredients at a pressure from about 800 psi to about 1500 psi for a dwell time of from about 5 to about 20 seconds to form a compressed food bar of a thickness of about 0.25 to about 0.75 inch, and e. redrying said compressed food bar by vacuum drying to a moisture content of from about 1 percent to about 4 percent by weight.

Claim 6

A method of making a compacted food bar of low moisture content which is rapidly rehydratable in cold water and is directly edible, easily bitable and chewable without prior rehydration which comprises the steps of: a. spraying freeze-dried potato particles having volumes of from about 1/64 to about 1/8 cubic inch and a moisture content of from about 1.0 percent to about 4.0 percent by weight with sufficient water to increase their moisture content to from about 5 percent to about 15 percent by weight, b. holding said potato particles with said water sprayed thereon in a closed container for a time from about 3 to about 6 hours sufficient to accomplish equilibration of said water in said potato particles, c. adding said equilibrated potato particles to a mixture of non-potato food bar-forming ingredients in the proportion of about 10 percent to about 20 percent by weight of the freeze-vacuum-dehydrated potato particles to about 90 percent to about 80 percent of said non-potato food bar-forming ingredients and blending said equilibrated potato particles with said non-potato food bar-forming ingredients, d. compressing said blended equilibrated potaTo particle mixture with said non-potato food bar-forming ingredients at a pressure from about 800 psi to about 1500 psi for a dwell time of from about 5 to about 20 seconds to form a compressed food bar of a thickness of about 0.25 to about 0.75 inch, and e. redrying said compressed food bar by vacuum drying to a moisture content of from about 1 percent to about 4 percent by weight.