Process of producing rottable thin-walled shaped bodies made of starch

We claim:

1. A process of producing rottable, thin-walled, shaped baked bodies in a multi-part baking mold which may be opened and closed, which comprises the steps of

(a) opening the baking mold and placing on one of the parts of the opened baking mold a substantially fat-free baking composition containing the following ingredients:

(1) 30% to 63%, by weight, water,

(2) 27% to 69%, by weight, starch base,

(3) 0.04% to 11%, by weight, of at least one release agent selected from the group consisting of medium- and long-chain fatty acids and their salts, derivatives and amides, medium- and long-chain substituted fatty acids and their salts, derivatives and amides, and polymethylhydrogensiloxanes and polymethylhydrogenpolysiloxanes, the siloxanes being present in amounts of 0.05% to 6.5%, by weight,

(4) 0% to 10%, by weight, thickening agent,

(5) 0% to 28%, by weight, high-cellulose raw material,

(6) 0% to 16%, by weight, fibrous material,

(7) 0% to 10%, by weight, non-fibrous filler,

(8) 0% to 4.5%, by weight, humectant,

(9) 0% to 10%, by weight, coloring material,

(10) 0% to 0.1%, by weight, zirconium salt, expressed as ZrO.sub.2, in solution,

(11) 0% to 0.25%, by weight, preservative, and

(12) 0% to 0.5%, by weight, antioxidant;

(b) closing the baking mold after a sufficient amount of the substantially fat-free baking composition has been placed on the one mold part to fill the baking mold and baking the baking composition at a temperature of 145.degree. C. to 230.degree. C. for 25 to 230 seconds;

(c) opening the baking mold after the baking composition has been baked, and removing the baked shaped bodies therefrom; and

(d) conditioning the baked shaped bodies at a temperature range of 15.degree. C. to 59.degree. C. at a relative humidity range of 25% to 86% for a time of 30 to 210 minutes to produce a conditioned shaped body containing 6% to 22%, by weight, moisture.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the baking composition contains 42% to 58%, by weight, water.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the starch base is selected from at least one member of the group consisting of potato starch, corn starch, wheat starch, rice starch, tapioca starch and mixtures thereof, flour and mixtures of different flours.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the baking composition contains 36% to 56.5%, by weight, starch base.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the baking composition contains 44% to 49%, by weight, starch base.

6. The process of claim 3, wherein the baking composition contains 5% to 100%, by weight, potato starch, based on the total weight of the starch base.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the baking composition contains 0.2% to 4.5%, by weight, release agent.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the release agent is selected from the group consisting of stearic acid and its sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum and zinc salts, fatty acids having a chain length in excess of C.sub.12 and its salts and derivatives, and a mixture thereof.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 4.2%, by weight, polymethylhydrogensiloxane as the release agent.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the release agent comprises polymethylhydrogenpolysiloxane having the general formula

R.sub.3 SiO(SiH(CH.sub.3)O).sub.n SiR.sub.3,

wherein R is H, methyl or alkyl, and n is an integer between about 40 and about 100 when R is methyl.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the thickening agent is selected from the group consisting of gelatinized starch, pregelatinized starch, waste bake products, guar meal, pectin, carubine, carboxymethylcellulose, gum arabic and mixtures thereof.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 7.5%, by weight, of the thickening agent.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the baking composition contains 1% to 5.5%, by weight, of at least one member selected from the group consisting of gelatinized starch, pregelatinized starch and waste baking products.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein the baking composition contains up to 2%, by weight, of at least one member selected from the group consisting of guar meal, pectin, carubine and carboxymethylcellulose.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the baking composition contains up to 26.9%, by weight, of pulp as high-cellulose raw material.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the high-cellulose raw material contains up to 16%, by weight, substances having a restricted water absorbency.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the substances comprise wood chips.

18. The process of claim 1, wherein the high-cellulose raw material contains substances having a very high water absorbency.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein the fibrous material comprises a member selected from the group consisting of plant fibers, fibers of synthetic resin, glass, metal and carbon, and a mixture thereof.

20. The process of claim 1, wherein the non-fibrous filler comprises a member selected from the group consisting of substantially inert fillers, inorganic substances, protein, shellac, calcium carbonate, coal, talc, titanium dioxide, silica gel, aluminum oxide, soybean protein powder, wheat gluten powder, chicken protein powder, casein powder, caseinate powder and a mixture thereof.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein the baking composition contains up to 3%, by weight, of the non-fibrous filler selected from the group consisting of shellac, soybean protein powder, wheat gluten powder, chicken protein powder, casein powder and caseinate powder.

22. The process of claim 20, wherein the baking composition contains up to 1%, by weight, of the protein.

23. The process of claim 1, wherein the baking composition contains fillers and binders selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, talc, acetylated cellulose, aluminum oxide, activated carbon, shellac, and a mixture thereof.

24. The process of claim 23, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 17.2%, by weight, of the calcium carbonate.

25. The process of claim 23, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 12.5%, by weight, of the talc.

26. The process of claim 23, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 14.1%, by weight, of the acetylated cellulose.

27. The process of claim 23, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 12.5%, by weight, of the aluminum oxide.

28. The process of claim 23, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 12%, by weight, of the activated carbon.

29. The process of claim 23, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 5%, by weight, of the shellac.

30. The process of claim 11, wherein the baking composition is prewhipped and contains a protein selected from the group consisting of casein, sodium caseinate, soybean isolate, chicken egg white, and a mixture thereof.

31. The process of claim 30, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 2.5%, by weight, of the casein, based on the dry solids content of the composition.

32. The process of claim 30, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 1.3%, by weight, of the sodium caseinate, based on the dry solids content of the composition.

33. The process of claim 30, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 2.6%, by weight, of the soybean isolate, based on the dry solids content of the composition.

34. The process of claim 30, wherein the baking composition contains 0.1% to 1.7%, by weight, of the chicken eggwhite, based on the dry solids content of the composition.

35. The process of claim 1, wherein the humectant is selected from the group consisting of common salt, glycerine, glycols, sorbitol and a mixture thereof.

36. The process of claim 35, wherein the baking composition contains up to 3.5%, by weight, of the common salt.

37. The process of claim 35, wherein the baking composition contains up to 2.5%, by weight, of the glycerine.

38. The process of claim 35, wherein the baking composition contains up to 2.5%, by weight, of the glycols.

39. The process of claim 35, wherein the baking composition contains up to 4.5%, by weight, of the sorbitol.

40. The process of claim 1, wherein the coloring material is selected from the group consisting of inorganic pigments, natural and synthetic dyestuffs, sugar color, carbon blacks, and a mixture thereof.

41. The process of claim 40, wherein the baking composition contains up to 10%, by weight, of the inorganic pigments.

42. The process of claim 40, wherein the baking composition contains up to 0.1%, by weight, of the natural and synthetic dyestuffs.

43. The process of claim 40, wherein the baking composition contains up to 2.5%, by weight, of the sugar color.

44. The process of claim 40, wherein the baking composition contains up to 1%, by weight, of the carbon blacks.

45. The process of claim 40, wherein the baking composition contains up to 3.5%, by weight, of the cocoa powder.

46. The process of claim 1, wherein the baking composition is an ordinary wafer dough without fat and lecithin operating as a release agent.

47. The process of claim 1, comprising the further step of opening the baking mold for short time during baking.

48. The process of claim 1, comprising the further step of adding an additional material to the baking composition placed on the one baking mold part in the opened baking mold and baking the baking composition with the added additional material in the closed baking mold to produce composite shaped baked bodies.

49. The process of claim 48, wherein the additional material is a sheetlike material.

50. The process of claim 49, wherein the additional sheetlike materials are shaped baked bodies produced by the process of claim 18.

51. The process of claim 48, wherein the additional material is a threadlike material.

52. The process of claim 48, wherein the additional material is placed on the one baking mold part before the baking composition.

53. The process of claim 48, wherein the additional material is placed on the one baking mold part after the baking composition.

Description Submit all comments and votes

This invention relates to a process of producing rottable thin-walled shaped bodies, in which a baking composition made of starch is applied to the lower mold half of a composite, preferably bipartite, mold, the closed mold is heated to bake the shaped body, and the baked product is subsequently conditioned.

The process in accordance with the invention can be used to make, e.g., the following shaped bodies: Cups, plates, fast-food packages, package inserts, so-called trays, paper- and cardboardlike sheets and webs-e.g. for use as insert sheets in boxes of chocolates-or for retaining lumps in packages or as a basic material for composite materials to be used for packaging, e.g., as more or less regularly shaped small bodies for use in combination with plastics, e.g., as a filling material for protecting packaged goods against shocks, like the known Styropor chips.

For the purposes of the present invention the term "thin-walled" indicates the thickness of a wall which resists fracture and cracking in its intended use and which can still be baked between two mold halves on conventional automatic wafer-baking machines (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,438,685 and 4,648,314 and Published German Patent Application 3,346,970).

Those products of the above-mentioned kind which are presently on the market consist mainly of plastic and/or paper and are made from a raw material consisting of petroleum or wood. Rapidly growing plants, such as starch or oil plants, have not yet been used as a main raw material for making such products, which in a broader sense might be described as packaging materials. For instance, plant starches, plant oils and plant fats are globally available as industrial raw materials beyond nutritional requirements.

Specifically, starch is an interesting starting material, which can be reacted to swell and to be cross-linked and can be heated in physical and chemical processes to form consolidated structures, such as are known from baked products, e.g., in the crust of bread.

In the field of durable baked products, edible wafers made in the form of sheets (flat wafers, paper-thin wafers), cornets, cups, etc. constitute products which may be used for packaging functions, e.g., for ice cream, but owing to their typical properties-they are crisp, fragile, brittle and susceptible to moisture and to oxidation-cannot comply with several essential requirements to be met by a package as regards stability and protective function.

Edible wafers are made in accordance with various recipes, which are known from the patent literature and the technical literature (see, e.g., DE 17 82 502; DE 29 29 496; DE 32 39 871; P.E. Pritchard, A. H. Emery, D. J. Stevens (1975) The Influence of Ingredients on the Properties of Wafer Sheets in FMBRA Report No. 66; D. J. R. Manley, Technology of Biscuits, Crackers and Cookies, Ellis Horwood Limited, 1983, pages 222 et seq.; E. Winter, CCB Rev. Chocolate, Confectionary & Baking, 5 (3), 19; (1980).

In the recipes for the baking of wafers, wheat flour and water are called for in major amounts in addition to a number of minor ingredients, which are essential for the making of that product:

Leavening: Sodium hydrogen carbonate is used in an amount of 0.2 to 0.8% of the flour employed. Part of it may be replaced by ammonium hydrogen carbonate, or yeast may also be used.

Fats: Fats/oils must be used in an amount of 1 to 3% based on the amount of flour in order to facilitate the removal of the wafers from the baking mold (release agent). Magnesia is also sometimes recommended for that purpose but owing to its basic nature may give rise to problems regarding the stability of the baked products.

Lecithin: Lecithin is used in the making of wafers as an emulsifying agent and when used in a larger amount may also be regarded as a release agent.

In such recipes, oils and fats are used mainly not for reasons of taste but are required to prevent a sticking to the baking mold. Lecithin also facilitates the removal from the mold and emulsifies the oil/fat content in the aqueous wafer-baking composition.

The last-mentioned ingredients fat and lecithin are often introduced entirely or in part in the form of egg powder, milk powder or soybean flour meal. Such additives will also influence the structure, color, and taste of the wafers. This is also true for optionally employed contents of sucrose and/or glucose (0 to 3% of the flour content). Salt is used as a spice in an amount of 0 to 0.6% based on flour.

Other optional ingredients are, e.g., whey powder, flavors or coloring materials.

The mixed baking composition is baked, as a rule, for about 1.2 to 3 minutes when the baking plates are at a temperature of 160.degree. to 180.degree. C.

Owing to the leavening, which causes the low fat content to be distributed over a very large surface area, such wafers have a porous structure so that the unpackaged wafers become rancid very soon as a result of the oxidative cleavage of fats under the influence of light and atmospheric oxygen within days to weeks.

Light-colored and white paper-thin baked wafers are made from baking compositions in which wheat flour has been replaced in part or entirely by starch materials, such as cereal starch and potato starch. In that case a sticking to the baking molds must also be prevented by the use of oil/fat as a release agent, which in most cases must be used in a higher concentration than in normal wafer baking compositions, or the surfaces of the baking molds must be specially finished, e.g., polished and/or chromium-plated. Release oils, paraffins or waxes are laternatively used to treat the baking mold. But this gives rise to difficulties in the release of water vapor and often results in poorly shaped products.

During the baking process the starch is gelatinized so that the structure is consolidated.

The gluten contained in the flour employed will bind water contained in the baking composition and during the baking process will be denatured and cross-linked in the wafer structure and will thus contribute to the strength and texture of the product.

In the making of wafers, the structure of the product will mainly depend on the consolidation by the protein and by the partial gelatinization of the starch.

That gelatinization begins at about 60.degree. C. and can be performed only in the presence of free water. Unless sufficient water is present, the temperature required for gelatinization initially rises continuously and the gelatinization is finally terminated.

In parallel to the requirement of water for the gelatinization the heating during the baking process will result in an increasing evolution of vapor, by which the amount of water which is available quickly decreases but which is of high significance for the loosening of the wafer product and for the formation of its porous structure. As the concentration of fat in the composition increases, increasingly larger amounts of the grains of starch will be coated with fat and said hydrophobic particles will render the evaporation more difficult and will result in an intermittent and often irregular loosening and in a poor surface finish of the wafer products to be baked. The use of lecithin will oppose said effects.

The known production processes are not able to eliminate the adverse effects of the baking fat on the structure and to oppose the changes in odor and taste which are due to hydrolyzing and oxidizing processes during the time in which the products are used.

In wafer products said rapidly ensuing changes in odor and taste are delayed by a dense and light- and air-impermeable package and--at least for the consumer--are masked for some time by the pleasant as-baked flavor which is present. These changes are mainly due to three components of the composition:

1. The added fat: In that respect an improvement can be achieved by the use of only saturated fats so that the durability of the wafer products can be increased by 50 to 200%. But unsaturated fats are contained also in the flour.

2. The lecithins used as an emulsifying agent contain also unsaturated fatty acids. Whereas the amount in which lecithin is added (as such or in other ingredients, as described hereinbefore) may be decreased, this will render the technological processes of the baking operation more difficult and will result in a poorer quality of the resulting product.

3. Alkaline leavening substances will increase the pH value so that the above-mentioned changes will be promoted.

Surprisingly it has been found that the use of fatty acids having medium or long chain lengths and/or of their salts and/or acid derivatives will permit a baking of waferlike products without any addition of fat and lecithin and in most cases without any leavening.

This is the more surprising because experiments with substances having similar release properties, such as waxes and paraffins, which are often used as release agents, have not given satisfactory results.

It has also been found that polymethylhydrogensiloxanes may be used in addition to or may partly and in some cases entirely replace the above-mentioned release agents.

Preferred polymethylhydrogensiloxanes have the general formula

R.sub.3 SiO(SiH(CH.sub.3)O).sub.n SiR.sub.3

wherein R stands for H, methyl or alkyl and, if R is methyl, n is a number between about 40 and about 100.

For this reason the process of the kind defined first hereinbefore is characterized in that in order to produce a product which is tough and strong and has a high mechanical stability

1) a baking composition is used which is substantially fat-free and has been prepared from the following ingredients:

a) 30 to 63% by weight, preferably 42.0 to 58.0% by weight, water;

b) as a starch basis 27.0 to 69% by weight, preferably 36 to 56.5% by weight, particularly 44 to 49% by weight, of a starch or a mixture of different starches and/or a flour or flour mixture;

c) as a release agent 0.04 to 11% by weight, preferably 0.2 to 4.5% by weight, of one or more fatty acids having medium or long chain lengths and being optionally substituted and/or of their salts and/or of their acid derivatives, such as acid amides; said components may optionally be supplemented or replaced in part or, in individual cases, entirely replaced by 0.5 to 6.5% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 4.2% by weight, polymethylhydrogensiloxanes, and where both groups of compounds are used in conjunction with high concentrations of fatty acids the concentration of polymethylhydrogensiloxanes should not exceed 3% by weight, as a rule;

d) 0 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 7.5% by weight, of a thickening agent, particularly 1.0 to 5.5% by weight dried gelatinized starch, pregelatinized starch or waste baked products, and/or 0 to 2% by weight, preferably 0 to 1.0% by weight, guar meal, pectin, carubine, carboxymethyl cellulose and/or 0 to 5.5% by weight, preferably 0 to 3% by weight, gum arabic;

e) 0 to 16.0% by weight, preferably 0 to 11% by weight, high-cellulose raw material, in case of pulp up to 26.9% by weight and/or other plant fibers and/or fibers of plastic, glass, metal, carbon and others;

f) 0 to 10% by weight, preferably 0 to 7.5% by weight, non-fibrous fillers, such as calcium carbonate, coal, talc, titanium dioxide, silica gel, alumina;

0 to 3% by weight, preferably 0 to 2.5% by weight, shellac;

0 to 2.0% by weight, preferably 0 to 1.0% by weight, soybean protein, wheat gluten powder, chicken protein powder, casein powder, caseinate powder;

g) as a humectant

0 to 3.5% by weight, preferably 0 to 2.5% by weight, common salt and/or

0 to 2.5% by weight, preferably 0 to 1.5% by weight, glycerine, glycols and/or

0 to 4.5% by weight, preferably 0 to 3.5% by weight, sorbitol;

h) as a coloring material

0 to 10% by weight, preferably 0 to 7.5% by weight, inorganic pigments and/or

0 to 0.1% by weight natural and synthetic dyestuffs and/or

0 to 2.5% by weight, preferably 0 to 1% by weight, sugar color and/or

0 to 1% by weight carbon blacks and/or

0 to 3.5% by weight, preferably 0 to 2.5% by weight, cocoa powder;

i) as structure-consolidating agent a zirconium salt solution, preferably as an alkaline solution of ammonium zirconium carbonate, the amount of zirconium compounds expressed as ZrO.sub.2 amounting to 0 to 0.1% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 0.05% by weight;

k) 0 to 0.25% by weight, preferably 0 to 0.1% by weight, preservatives; and

l) 0 to 0.5% by weight, preferably 0 to 0.1% by weight, antioxidants;

2) the baking composition filling the mold is baked at 145.degree. to 230.degree. C. for 25 to 230 seconds; and

3) the resulting product is conditioned to contain 6 to 22% by weight moisture.

The action of the above-mentioned fatty acids and/or their salts and/or their acid derivatives and/or the above-mentioned polysiloxanes as additives instead of the above-described fats/oils and/or emulsifying agents, which additives permit the production of a baked product having the mechanical properties to be described hereinafter, is independent as far as the fatty acids are concerned of the degree of saturation of the fatty acids used but can preferably be stated with saturated and/or monounsaturated fatty acids and hydroxyfatty acids.

But it is noted that the high oxidation resistance of the product to be described hereinafter will particularly be achieved with saturated fatty acids.

The fatty acids employed have chains of medium or long length with a chain length preferably in excess of C12, particularly C16 and C18.

The term "fatty acid having chains of medium or long length" includes the chain length distributions typically obtained in the production of such acids from plant fats and animal fats. This means that, e.g., the term "stearic acid" means that the major component is stearic acid but the usual fatty acid spectrum of, e.g., hardened plant oils and plant fats is also present, which includes fatty acids having shorter or longer chains, as well as minor amounts of the corresponding unsaturated fatty acids.

The stated effect is also achieved with salts of the fatty acids, preferably of stearic acid, particularly with the stearates of calcium, magnesium, aluminum, and zinc.

The presence of the described fatty acids and/or their salts and/or their acid derivatives permits the production of shaped products with use of various high-starch raw materials.

It has already been mentioned that the fatty acids and/or their salts and/or their acid derivatives may optionally be replaced by polymethylhydrogensiloxanes.

In view of his or her knowledge a person skilled in the art was bound to expect that at temperatures in excess of 120.degree. C. the use of said polysiloxans will involve a formation of covalent bonds with OH groups, e.g., of the starch. This will result in a hydrophobic surface, e.g., on the grains of starch, so that the evaporation and the formation of a gelatinized starch matrix will be opposed.

But surprisingly said polysiloxane will not oppose the disintegration of the structure of the grains of starch during the baking process, and that disintegration can be detected with an electron microscope and will result in the formation of a continuous starch matrix. The matrix is even slightly consolidated and in the case of a siloxane concentration in the lower part of the stated range between 0.05 and up to 2% by weight a certain release action will be effected, which will facilitate the removal from the mold. That effect may be due to the binding of soluble components of the baking composition, which are responsible for the sticking.

But the simultaneous cross-linking of the polysiloxanes and their partial hydrolysis by the vapor which is present at an elevated temperature will particularly in the case of concentrations above 2% by weight oppose the removal from the mold, particularly in case of high concentrations of polysiloxane. Boundary layers will be formed on the baking mold and after repeated baking cycles will cause the shaped bodies to stick to the baking mold. That effect may be opposed by the co-use of the above-defined fatty acids and/or their salts and/or their acid derivatives.

From the above it is apparent that the fatty acids and/or their salts and/or their acid derivatives are preferably used as release agents within the scope of the present invention.

In the making of wafers and in related baking operations, leavening agents, such as sodium hydrogen carbonate, will promote the loosening of the baked products by the water vapor.

The products become more porous, lighter in weight, and more fragile. In the process in accordance with the invention the co-use of leavening is not essential and will produce only a slight loosening effect. The porosity of the products can be controlled by the control of the water content alone and will result in a material having a density in the range of 0.08 to 0.38 g/cm.sup.3, preferably of 0.12 to 0.30 g/cm.sup.3.

If a higher porosity is desired for certain reasons, this can be achieved by an addition of leavening only to a restricted degree in case of starch recipes (no cereal flours).

The expression "substantially fat-free baking composition" used in the definition of the invention means that fat or oil is not added to the baking composition, which contains only the fat which is introduced by the starch base.

For instance, starch of potatoes, corn, tapioca, rice, and wheat contains less than 0.6% by weight fat and type 550 wheat flour and type 997 rye flour contains less than 1.4% by weight fat.

In addition to the fatty acids described in detail and their salts and derivatives and the polysiloxanes used to make oxidation-resisting products and as agents used instead of conventional fats and emulsifying agents to promote the structuring of the product and its removal from the molds in the machines, the following raw materials are required or may be used to make the products to be produced in accordance with the invention:

water

starch or high-starch raw materials

thickening agents

fibrous materials, preferably high-cellulose solids

humectants

coloring materials

preservatives

antioxidants

As has been mentioned hereinbefore, 30 to 63% by weight water are added to the baking composition in the process in accordance with the invention. That value does not include the "combined" water which is introduced by additives with the exception of additives which have a very high "free" water content, such as pulp.

Under the usual conditions of production and storage, the raw materials used in the process in accordance with the invention have a natural equilibrium moisture content, with which they generally have a particularly long shelf life.

This relates mainly to water, which has no or a highly reduced dissolving power and significantly differs from free water, e.g., also as regards its mobility and its evaporation and freezing behavior. (Water of constitution, vicinal water, stratified water, according to O. FENNEMA "FOOD CHEMISTRY", 2nd edition, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1985, pages 23 et seq.).

A removal of that water content by correspondingly severe drying conditions will result in irreversible changes of the properties of the materials. This is specifically true for the main raw materials, the polysaccharides, where pronounced hysteresis phenomena can be detected by a comparison of the adsorption and desorption isotherms.

For this reason it is not necessary and does not make sense to use specially dried raw materials or materials adjusted to a specified water content in the process in accordance with the invention.

The following Table indicates the water contents of the raw materials which are used in the recipes, generally as a powder.

______________________________________ Water content (% by weight) ______________________________________ Potato starch 15.5 to 18.6% Corn starch 12.6% Wheat starch 13.5% Tapioca starch 12.4% Rice starch 13.8% Corn amylo starch 14.4% Pea starch 11.4% Wheat flour 12.2 to 14.6% Rye flour 14.2% Dried gelatinized potato 10.0% starch Dried gelatinized corn 5.0 to 7.0% starch Guar meal 4.0% Carboxymethylcellulose 7.0% Pectin 7.0 to 10.0% Cellulose 6.0 to 10.0% Straw 7.2% Bran 13.1% Flax 9.4% Chopped beetroots 8.7% PHB 0.3% Mg stearate 3.5% Calcium stearate 2.0% Talc 0.1% TiO.sub.2 0.2% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 4.6% Silica gel 1.0% Coal (norite) 10.0% Acetylcellulose 4.3% Caseinate 7.4% Casein 9.0% Soybean protein 6.0% Chicken protein powder 8.5% Wood meal 17.0 to 36.0% Starch slurry 61.7%; 57% Pressed pulp 84.0% ______________________________________

Doughs are usually not cohesive if they contain less than 40% by weight water; they are usually plastic if they contain less than 44% by weight water and they are usually flowable to highly flowable if they contain more than 45% water.

But said limits will depend on the binding of the water of the high-starch raw material employed and on the concentrations of the thickening agent and of the high-cellulose raw material.

As is apparent from the recipes stated hereinafter, a major amount of the solids called for by the recipe consists of starch and/or high-starch raw materials. To achieve an adequate mechanical strength, starches which will exhibit a high viscosity increase and, as a result, a high consolidation, at the beginning of the gelatinization, such as potato starch, will be preferred. Potato starch will be preferred, particularly in amounts between 10% and 100%. But that starch content may alternatively be provided by other starches, particularly wheat starch or rice starch, or by flours, particularly wheat flour.

The most important function of high-starch raw materials in the production process is the structuring by swelling, gelatinization and cross-linking. These processes will be highly influenced by

the structure of the starch grains, specifically by the manner in which the amylose is included in the amylopectin matrix

the extent and the manner of the escape of amylose

ionic and non-ionic accompanying substances

Particularly the complexing of the amylose by lipis and other properties which are due to the anylose fractions will be more significant where cereal starches are used and in some cases may result in a partial weakening of the structure of the shaped bodies and in a formation of cracks.

For this reason potato starch and tapioca starch as well as corn starch are preferred to, e.g., wheat starch, wheat flour, rice starch.

In practice the use of 100% potato starch, tapioca starch or corn starch is preferred. The use of pure cereal flours and of pure rice starch, wheat starch, corn amylo starch or waxy corn starch is less desirable.

As will be shown in individual illustrative recipes, a desirable effect of the release agent can also be obtained with flours alone, without a use of starch, provided that

1. the lower oxidation resistance is tolerated or is increased by an addition of antioxidants;

2. the release agent content is increased or the flour content is decreased by a diluent (cellulose, starch);

3. as is shown in Recipe No. 64, a pasty, doughlike baking composition is employed.

The use of non-flowable compositions of cereal flours will reduce the extraction of soluble flour components, which are responsible for the sticking. This will decrease the amount of release agent required.

The production of the products in accordance with the invention depends on the use of homogeneous compositions for the primary molding process. To avoid a sedimentation of the raw material particles employed, particularly of the starch, it is desirable to co-use a thickening agent. Various additives, known per se, are suitable for that purpose:

1. Gelatinized starches and starch-containing products which can be prepared as finished products, such as dried gelatinized starches or dried gelatinized flours, or by a gelatinization immediately before the baking compositions are prepared. As a rule, between 1 and 10% by weight of the total starch content should be gelantinized. The optimum is between 2 and 5% by weight in dependence on the kind of starch or flour.

2. As an alternative, conventional gelling and thickening agents may be used, preferably guar seed meal, carubine meal, carrageen, pectin, modified starches and carboxymethylcellulose. The concentration should be between 0.1 and 1.0% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 0.8% by weight, based on the starch content.

Agents stated sub 1. and 2. may also be used in combination.

The sedimentation of the starch grains in flowable baking compositions may also be prevented by an intense stirring before the feeding. The use of thickening substances will be technologically desirable for an undisturbed processing of baking compositions which as high-starch raw materials contain pure starches or in addition to cereal flours contain more than 4% by weight starch.

Besides, the use of thickening agents in plastic or non-cohesive baking compositions is not excluded.

As regards strength, the properties in use of the products to be made will be improved by the co-use of fibrous raw materials (natural fibers, synthetic fibers, glass fibers), particularly by the co-use of high-cellulose raw materials. Cellulose, bran, straw, beetroot fibrous materials and wood chips will be preferred.

Cellulose is desirably used as a substantially dry fiber having fiber lengths between 30 and 1500 micrometers or as raw bleached and unbleached raw pulp. Raw pulp will have to be properly defibrated for a substantially homogeneous distribution in the baking composition.

In many cases, non-fibrous fillers may desirably be added to the baking compositions instead of or in addition to the above-mentioned fillers.

Such fillers have no primary structuring function but owing to their hardness, their binding in the starch matrix or a specific interaction with starch may have a hardening or stiffening effect. Besides, the baking composition may be diluted or the structure of the baking composition and of the shaped bodies may be stabilized thereby.

The examples of such fillers stated hereinbefore in the definition of the invention and in the following recipes are representative of the large number of known filling and reinforcing agents. For instance, coal may be used in the form of graphite, carbon black, activated carbon, carbon fibers.

Silica gel as precipitated SiO.sub.2, quartz meal and chemically related substances, such as glass meal, glass fibers, silicates, kaolin, talk, mica.

Mainly by their surface-activating action the stated proteins will mainly influence the impact behaviour and the texture of the baking compositions and in addition thereto will exert favorable influences on the uniform pore structure of the shaped bodies.

The adjustment of the moisture content of the product described in step 3) of the production of the products mentioned first hereinbefore may be assisted by the use of humectants, known in other fields, for the control and the maintenance of said moisture content.

The color of the packaging products is initially determined by the color of the raw materials and by possible influences of a baking process and is modified by the co-use of dyestuffs, pigments or fillers which are soluble in aqueous fluids or can homogeneously be distributed. Fillers will influence the surface finish and the specific gravity of the product in known manner (see the recipe examples 53 to 59).

1. Inorganic color pigments:

The pigments may be used in a concentration of up to 10% by weight, preferably up to 7.5% by weight.

2. Dyestuffs:

a) Natural dyestuffs having a high coloring power; preferred are water-soluble natur