AQUEOUS FOAMS, FOOD PRODUCTS AND A METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME

• US 20100310746A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Kolodziejczyk, Eric, Bezelgues, Jean-Baptiste, Leser, Martin, Michel, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,778,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/541
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 2/16 Fatty acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 2/183 Natural gums
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 2/186 Starches; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 2210/30 Whipping, foaming, frothing or aerating dairy products
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 1/30 Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 2200/06 containing beet sugar or cane sugar if specifically mentioned or containing other carbohydrates, e.g. starches, gums, alcohol sugar, polysaccharides, dextrin or containing high or low amount of carbohydrate
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 2200/14 containing fruits, nuts, e.g. almonds, seeds, plants, plant extracts or essential oils
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 2220/02 Foamed, gas-expanded or cellular products
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/346 Finished or semi-finished products in the form of powders, paste or liquids A23G3/343 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/42 characterised by the carbohydrates used, e.g. polysaccharides containing dairy products A23G3/46
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/48 containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts containing gums A23G3/42
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/52 Aerated, foamed, cellular or porous products
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/34 characterised by carbohydrates used, e.g. polysaccharides characterised by the dairy products used A23G9/40
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/42 containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts containing gums A23G9/34
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/46 Aerated, foamed, cellular or porous products
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 27/60 Salad dressings; Mayonnaise; Ketchup
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/20 containing gelling or thickening agents marmalades, jams, jellies or other similar fruit or vegetable compositions A23L21/10
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/212 Starch; Modified starch; Starch derivatives, e.g. esters or ethers containing starch hydrolysates, e.g. dextrin, A23L29/30
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 9/20 Cream substitutes
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/40 : Foaming or whipping

Abstract

The present invention describes an aqueous foam that includes water, at least one polysaccharide and food-grade, interfacially active particles. The present invention also describes an indulgent shelf-stable foamed food product that contains this aqueous foam. The indulgent shelf-stable foamed food products of the invention have an improved foamed and modular product texture.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. An aqueous foam comprising gas bubbles that are stabilized by food-grade, interfacially active particles wherein the particles are made from materials selected from the group consisting of seeds, spices, spores, grains, sugar crystals, lamellar surfactant crystals, nutrient crystals, protein aggregates, polysaccharide aggregates, protein-surfactant aggregates, protein-polysaccharide mixtures, polysaccharide-polysaccharide mixtures, polysaccharide-protein phase separating mixtures, and mixtures thereof.

43. The foam according to claim 42, which further comprises a polysaccharide or hydrocolloid in an amount of 1 to 60 wt.-% based on the components of the aqueous foam and wherein the food-grade, interfacially active particles are present in an amount of 0.5 to 10 wt.-% based on the components of the aqueous foam.

44. The foam according to claim 43, wherein the polysaccharide is a starch, cellulose, gum or derivative thereof, or the hydrocolloid is carrageenan, guar, caroube acacia, or xanthan gum or an alginate.

45. The foam according to claim 42, wherein the food-grade, interfacially active particles are selected from seeds, spices, seasonings, spores, cloves, pepper, fennel, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, poppy grains, paprika, cinnamon, talcum, pollen of flowers, wheat germs, wheat bran, saffron, coconut, cacao, melanoidins, sugar crystals, milk proteins, ginger, curry, cell wall material, nutrient crystals, phytosterol crystals, cholesterol crystals, hesperidin crystals, lycopene crystals, carotenoid crystals, flavonoid crystals, antioxidant crystals or mixtures thereof.

46. The foam according to claim 42, wherein the food-grade, interfacially active particles are made from a lamellar phase forming surfactant selected from sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), calcium stearoyl lactylate (CSL), salts of fatty acids, lactic acid ester of monoglycerides (LACTEM), citric acid ester of monoglycerides (CITREM), succinated ester of monoglycerides (SMG), diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglycerides (DATEM), phospholipids, sucrose esters, polyglycerol esters, propylene glycol stearate, sorbitan monostearate (SMS), sorbitan tristearate (STS) or mixtures thereof.

47. The foam according to claim 42 having an overrun of 200% to 500% and a water content of up to 90% based on the components of the foam.

48. A food product comprising an edible material that includes an aqueous foam according to claim 43.

49. The food product according to claim 48 wherein the edible food is selected from the group consisting of ice cream mixes, sorbet mixes, dessert mousse mixes, dairy products, fermented dairy products, soups, sauces, mayonnaise and beverages, dressings, liquid dairy products, creams, imitation creams, concentrated milks, condensed milk, non-dairy creams, toppings, chilled dairy, confectionery filling, candies, dough, batter, and mixtures thereof.

50. The food product according to claim 48 having an overrun in a range of 10 to 300%.

51. A process of producing a shelf-stable foamed food product according to claim 48, which comprises:

forming an aqueous foam comprising water, at least one polysaccharide or hydrocolloid and the interfacially active particles; and

adding the aqueous foam to a an edible food to form the product.

52. The process according to claim 51, wherein the aqueous foam is formed by heating a mixture containing water, at least one polysaccharide or hydrocolloid and an ingredient that forms the interfacially active particles to a temperature in a range of 60 to 100°

C., cooling the mixture to a temperature in a range of 0 to 30°

C. and aerating the mixture.

53. The process according to claim 51, wherein the aqueous foam is prepared separately and subsequently added to the food product with continuous mixing.

54. The process according to claim 51, wherein the aqueous foam is prepared in the food product to be foamed.

55. The process according to claim 51, wherein the amount of polysaccharide or hydrocolloid is in a range of 20 to 50 wt.-% and the amount of interfacially active particles is in a range of 1 to 5 wt.-%.

56. The method according to claim 51, wherein the food-grade, interfacially active particles are selected from seeds, spices, seasonings, spores, cloves, pepper, fennel, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, poppy grains, paprika, cinnamon, talcum, pollen of flowers, wheat germs, wheat bran, saffron, coconut, cacao, melanoidins, sugar crystals, milk proteins, ginger, curry, cell wall material, nutrient crystals, phytosterol crystals, cholesterol crystals, hesperidin crystals, lycopene crystals, carotenoid crystals, flavonoid crystals, antioxidant crystals or mixtures thereof.

57. The method according to claim 51, wherein the food-grade, interfacially active particles are made from a lamellar phase forming surfactant selected from sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), calcium stearoyl lactylate (CSL), salts of fatty acids, lactic acid ester of monoglycerides (LACTEM), citric acid ester of monoglycerides (CITREM), succinated ester of monoglycerides (SMG), diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglycerides (DATEM), phospholipids, sucrose esters, polyglycerol esters, propylene glycol stearate, sorbitan monostearate (SMS), sorbitan tristearate (STS) or mixtures thereof.

58. The process according to claim 51, wherein the aqueous foam is aerated to an overrun of 200% up to 500%.

59. The process according to claim 51, wherein the edible food is selected from ice cream mixes, sorbet mixes, dessert mousse mixes, dairy products, fermented dairy products, soups, sauces, mayonnaise and beverages, dressings, liquid dairy products, creams, imitation creams, concentrated milks, condensed milk, non-dairy creams, toppings, chilled dairy, confectionery filling, candies, dough, batter, or mixtures thereof.