Dairy-based product and method and process for producing same

• US 20080075816A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ConAgra Foods (Conagra Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ConAgra Foods (Conagra Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Roger, Jensen, Mark W., Carlson, Rudolph, Smith, Jennifer Fichter, Sweley, Jess, Jobman, Scott, Jalowitz, Carl, Egli, Gabrielle
• Application Number:
  US11/903,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20080075816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/250
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 2210/30 Whipping, foaming, frothing or aerating dairy products
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 2270/05 Gelled or liquid milk product, e.g. yoghurt, cottage cheese or pudding being one of the separate layers of a multilayered soft or liquid food product
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/1524 Inert gases, noble gases, oxygen, aerosol gases; Processes for foaming
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/1544 Non-acidified gels, e.g. custards, creams, desserts, puddings, shakes or foams, containing eggs or thickening or gelling agents other than sugar; Milk products containing natural or microbial polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose or cellulose derivatives; Milk products containing nutrient fibres

Abstract

A dairy-based product comprises an aerated, non-cultured dairy-based component, and a stabilizer for stabilizing at least one air cell within the aerated, non-cultured dairy-based component.

Claims

1. A dairy-based product, comprising:

an aerated, non-cultured dairy-based component; and

a stabilizer for stabilizing at least one air cell within the aerated, non-cultured dairy-based component.

2. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second non-cultured dairy-based component.

3. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second non-cultured dairy-based component is aerated.

4. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second non-cultured dairy-based component is non-aerated.

5. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a third non-cultured dairy-based component.

6. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 2, wherein a third non-cultured dairy-based component is aerated.

7. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 2, wherein a third non-cultured dairy-based component is non-aerated.

8. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dairy-based product has a shelf life of about 12 months or less.

9. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aerated, non-cultured dairy-based component has an overrun of about 15% to about 50% by weight.

10. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dairy-based product has a fat level of about 2% to about 50% by weight.

11. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizer comprises a gum and a gelatin.

12. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizer comprises a gum and a gelatin, the gum is at least one of a xanthan gum, a carrageenan gum, a guar gum, a locust bean gum, or a karaya based gum.

13. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizer comprises a gum and a gelatin, the gum is about 0.01% to about 0.30% by weight of the dairy-based product.

14. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizer comprises a gum and a gelatin, the gelatin is about 0.10% to about 1.0% by weight of the dairy-based product.

15. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dairy-based product contains at least one of a whipped pudding or a mousse.

16. The dairy-based product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dairy-based product contains at least one of pudding or tapioca.

17. A system for producing a dairy-based product, comprising:

a first mixer for mixing components to form a first mix;

a second mixer for mixing the first mix and ingredients to form a final mix;

a pasteurizer for pasteurizing the final mix to form a pasteurized composition;

an aerator for aerating the final mix in the pasteurizer; and

a filler for inserting the pasteurized composition into a package.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a homogenizer for homogenizing the first mix.

19. The system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a whipper for whipping the pasteurized composition.

20. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the pasteurizer is capable of reducing an amount of vegetative organisms and an amount of spores in the dairy-based product.

21. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the pasteurizer comprises a scrape surface heat exchanger.

22. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the pasteurizer comprises a scrape surface heat exchanger, the scrape surface heat exchanger comprising a heat section, a tower water section, and an ammonia section.

23. The system as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the pasteurizer comprises a scrape surface heat exchanger, the scrape surface heat exchanger comprising a heat section, a tower water section, and an ammonia section, and

wherein the aerator injects gas into the final mix before the final mix enters the tower water section of the scrape surface heat exchanger.

24. The system as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the pasteurizer comprises a scrape surface heat exchanger, the scrape surface heat exchanger comprising a heat section, a tower water section, and an ammonia section, and

wherein the aerator injects gas into the final mix before the final mix enters the ammonia section of the scrape surface heat exchanger.

25. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the aerator injects a gas into the final mix to aerate the final mix, the gas is at least one of air or nitrogen.

26. A method for producing a dairy-based product, comprising:

mixing components to form a first mix;

mixing the first mix and ingredients to form a final mix;

pasteurizing the final mix to form a pasteurized composition;

aerating the final mix during pasteurizing; and

inserting the pasteurized composition into a package.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising homogenizing the first mix.

28. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising whipping the pasteurized composition.

29. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the components comprise at least one of oil, sodium stearoyl lactylate, water, or flavorings.

30. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the components comprise an oil, the oil comprises about 3.0% to about 6.5% by weight of the non-cultured dairy-based product.

31. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the ingredients comprise at least one of sugar, water, starch, coloring, or flavoring.

32. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the pasteurizing the final mix provides a shelf life of about 12 months or less.

33. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the pasteurizing reduces a number of vegetative microorganisms and a number of spores in the dairy-based product.

34. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the aerating the final mix during pasteurizing provides an overrun of about 15% to about 50% by weight of the dairy-based product.

35. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the ingredients comprise a stabilizer.

36. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the ingredients comprise a stabilizer, the stabilizer comprising a gum and a gelatin.

37. The method as claimed in claim 26,

wherein the ingredients comprise a stabilizer, the stabilizer comprising a gum and a gelatin, and

wherein the gum is at least one of a xanthan gum, a carrageenan gum, a guar gum, a locust bean gum, or a karaya based gum.

38. The method as claimed in claim 26,

wherein the ingredients comprise a stabilizer, the stabilizer comprising a gum and a gelatin, and

wherein the dairy-based product comprises about 0.01% to about 0.30% gum by weight.

39. The method as claimed in claim 26,

wherein the ingredients comprise a stabilizer, the stabilizer comprising a gum and a gelatin, and

wherein the dairy-based product comprises about 0.10% to about 1.0% gelatin by weight.

40. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the pasteurizing the final mix to form a pasteurized composition comprises utilizing a scrape surface heat exchanger.

41. The method as claimed in claim 26,

wherein the pasteurizing the final mix to form a pasteurized composition comprises utilizing a scrape surface heat exchanger, and

wherein the aerating the final mix during pasteurizing comprises injecting a gas into the final mix before the final mix is cooled in the scrape surface heat exchanger.