GB2509315A - Instant granule with improved appearance - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of producing a food concentrate in the form of an instant granule comprising powders bound together by solidified fatty material and a non fatty liquid colourant, the method comprising the steps of blending 5-30% of liquid colourant with melted fatty material to make a dispersion; combining 10-25% of the dispersion with dry powdered ingredients to make a granule mix; forming the granule mix into shreds and cooling and packaging the shreds. The granule mix may be made in an extruder, and the dispersion in an in-line mixer. The liquid colourant is preferably caramel, and no handling of caramel powders is required. Also claimed is a food concentrate in the form of an instant granule comprising powders bound together by solidified fatty material, a non fatty liquid colourant being incorporated into the granule.

Description

INSTANT GRANULE WITH IMPROVED APPEARANCE

The present invention relates to a food concentrate in the form of a granule. It further relates to a process to prepare such a granule and to the use of said granule to prepare e.g. a gravy, sauce, soup, stock, drink or as a seasoning ingredient for use in cooking. More particularly it relates to granules with improved appearance.

Dry instant sauce and gravy granules have been well known in the food industry for many years and offer the consumer the convenience of long shelf life together with rapid make up using hot water either from a kettle or in a cooking vessel.

Colorants and taste imparting ingredients (such as caramel and salt) will usually be present in such a product and thickening ingredients such as starches will be included as well where the made up product has to have significant hot viscosity.

The colorants and taste imparting ingredients can be readily water dispersible, but the starch will begin to swell and hydrate as soon as it contacts hot water, and undissolved lumps will form in the product if this process is not controlled. To prevent this and keep the product instant, the dry powders are commonly bound together into granules with a fatty material which is solid at ambient temperatures, but melts in use, thereby releasing the powders at a safe rate into the hot water. For economy the ingredients are typically combined in a high shear mixer and subsequently extruded to make the final granule shreds (Figure 1), but those skilled in the art will realise that a range of process equipment can be used for both the mixing process and to make the final shreds.

These products work very well in terms of instant make up, but their appearance as seen by the consumer in pack is uninspiring and grey. The fat and most of the powdered ingredients are colourless and powdered colorants like caramel can only contribute darkness. As a result there is little sense of the rich colours which will be produced when the granule is made up with hot water and consumed. It is not possible to improve the granule appearance by adding extra colorant via recipe adjustments as the product would then give the wrong colour when finally made up by the consumer.

GB669363 teaches the use of oil dispersed aqueous colorants to improve the colour of oil based ice cream coatings, but such high fat content coatings naturally produce a smoother and brighter appearance compared to instant granules which include high levels of particles like salt and starch. In addition there is no separate product make up step with ice cream, so the coatings can be formulated with whatever colorant level suits the manufacturer. A still further disadvantage of GB669363 is that an added emulsifier is required to make a stable emulsion even with a water content in the coating of only 0.1 to 0.5%.

Oil-in-water emulsions are known in the field of granule manufacture, but not for appearance improvement. W09728705 teaches the use of oil-in-water emulsions as binding agents in a process to make instant granules, however the patent is solely concerned with achieving good dispersibility in hot water. It requires the use of emulsifiers and stabilisers to produce a fully stable oil-in-water emulsion with the water phase of the emulsion containing a smaller amount of oil in dispersed form. The granules produced by the process require drying and no mention is made of improved (or even different) granule appearance. Similarly EP0509748 teaches a process for incorporating fat in animal feed by using an extruder to compound solid ingredients with an oil-in-water emulsion, but the patent specifically mentions that the physical properties of the final pellets were unchanged by using an emulsion.

Hence there is a need for a food concentrate in the form of a granule that addresses one or more of the shortcomings of existing granules.

Coating the surface of already completed granules with a thin layer of colorant is possible in theory, but in practice would add undesirable cost and complexity to the manufacturing process and the extra process step could also compromise other quality attributes such as shred length and breakage levels.

Dissolved colorants can potentially offer richer colours, but simply replacing the colorant powders with concentrated aqueous solutions at the mixing stage is not a preferred option as adding water to a high shear mixer or extruder runs the risk of agglomerating the powders as well as increased energy uptake in the mixer.

Agglomeration of the starch and other powders could compromise product performance by encouraging lump formation when the product is made up by the consumer. Increased energy uptake also has negative consequences as hotter shreds will be weaker and stickier and thereby prone to both greater breakage and later clumping during packaging and distribution.

The present invention solves this problem by using a liquid colorant, but keeping it apart from the powders for as long as possible in the process. Typically the granule recipe includes significantly more fat than colorant, so it is possible to disperse the liquid colorant into the melted fatty material and then use this water-in-oil dispersion to bind the powders together.

Dispersion of the liquid colorant may be facilitated by warming it in advance in cases where its viscosity is inconveniently higher than that of the melted fatty material. The temperature of the fatty material has to be hot enough that the fat is melted, i.e. typically above 50°C. However temperatures much above 55°C are not preferred as the final product would then take too long to cool. Attempting to pack warm shreds runs the risk of breakage if the shreds are weak, or clumping if they are too sticky.

Typically the water content of the dispersion will be 5 to 30%, preferably 10 to 20%. Such a dispersion can be made using any of the standard methods well known to those skilled in the art and is simply fed into the normal process instead of pure melted fatty material. Special emulsifiers or stabilisers are not required as the fraction of liquid to be dispersed is low and the dispersion is used almost immediately. In a particularly preferred embodiment the dispersion is made using an in-line mixer just before feeding into an extruder.

Where particularly low levels of colorant are to be added a sub-portion of the fatty material can be used if preferred.

Surprisingly it has been found that the colorant dispersion can survive initial mixing with the powders despite its significant water content. The manufacturing step of making shreds involves higher amounts of shear, however, and this causes many of the dispersion droplets to be released from the dispersion and to spread over the powders just before the shreds are formed. The result is a much richer surface colour (Figure 2), but without the negative consequences listed above, even though some of the liquid colorant can end up encased in solid fatty material which is opaque. It should be emphasised at this point that the granules in Figures 1 and 2 have the same chemical composition apart from a trivial difference in moisture content.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is hypothesised that part of the reason why the invention is so beneficial is the way it creates a less angular shred surface. The surface of a traditional shred is covered with angular fat crystals (Figure 3) and it is well known that rough surfaces scatter more light and so look whiter. In contrast the inventive shred shows a primarily smooth surface with few visible fat crystals (Figure 4), so the shred will appear closer in colour to that of the colorant. This aspect of the invention could not be replicated by simply coating the surface of already completed granules with a layer of colorant or by using colorants sequestered by known methods such as encapsulation.

A still further example of the improvement is shown in figuies 5 and 6. The traditional shreds contain many black specs from particles of undissolved and unhydrated caramel (Figure 5), but these are absent from the inventive shreds (Figure 6).

The fat's ability to hold the shreds together is unimpaired despite the difference in apparent surface crystallinity and any residual colorant droplets still present, i.e the cooled shreds have comparable strength to traditional shreds. The presence of solidified fatty material makes the dispersion inherently stable once the granules have cooled and any free surface water is safely absorbed by the powdered ingredients. Consequently the final product comprises free flowing shreds and gives good dispersibility when made up with hot water, as in traditional products.

An additional environmental benefit of such a process is that there is a net energy saving compared to using fully dried colorant powder. A still further benefit of using the invention is that liquid colorants are easier to handle with minimum mess than powders, thereby reducing cleaning and handling costs in manufacture.

Example 1

The traditional product shown in Figure 1 was manufactured by blending 16% fat (melted at 50-55°C) into a gravy powder mix comprising 3% caramel powder together with salt, starch, maltodextrin, and flavour imparting components. The mix was plasticised in an extruder and then formed into strands by extruding it through an arrangement of die holes. The admixture of a large quantity of cool powder to the hot fat brought the temperature of the mix below the fat's initial temperature, so fat crystals began to torm, thereby giving the strands strength.

While still warm the extruded strands readily broke up into shorter shreds under their own weight and could be packed into consumer ready packs after a short (<5mm) cooling period. The final product produced was free flowing but grey and dusty looking in appearance and had a surface largely covered in fat crystals (Figure 3).

Example 2 (15.8% liquid caramel dispersion) For the inventive product shown in Figure 2, powdered caramel was omitted from the powder mix. Instead 3% of liquid caramel solution was dispersed in the 16% fat (again melted at 50-55°C) using an in-line static mixer and the combined dispersion was then fed into the extruder. No emulsifiers or stabilisers were added to the dispersion and the specification of the fat was unchanged. (It was sufficient to create a dispersion which looked uniform to the eye; very fine or closely mono-sized droplets were not essential.) The powder + dispersion mixture was plasticised in the extruder as before and extruded through the same arrangement of die holes at essentially the same flowrate and temperature. Again the extruded strands readily broke up into shorter shreds and could be packed into consumer ready packs after a short (<5mm) cooling period. The final product granules were free flowing with a rich brown colour and had a surface largely free of fat crystals (Figure 4). However when the granules were dissolved in hot water the gravy produced was identical in appearance and sensory quality to Example 1.

Example 3 (14.3% liquid caramel dispersion) For richer granules more fat may be used. The 3% of powdered caramel was omitted from the powder mix as in example 2, but the 3% of liquid caramel solution was dispersed in 18% fat (again melted at 50-55°C) using an in-line static mixer and the combined dispersion was then fed into the extruder. No emulsifiers or stabilisers were added to the dispersion and the specification of the fat was unchanged. The powder + dispersion mixture was plasticised in the extruder as before and extruded through the same arrangement of die holes at essentially the same flowrate and temperature to make shreds.

Example 4 (17.4% liquid caramel dispersion) For some flavour variants (such as onion) a lower proportion of fat may be used.

The 3% of powdered caramel was omitted from the powder mix as in example 2, but the 3% of liquid caramel solution was dispersed in 14.3% fat (again melted at 50-55°C) using an in-line static mixer and the combined dispersion was then fed into the extruder. No emulsifiers or stabilisers were added to the dispersion and the specification of the fat was unchanged. The powder + dispersion mixture was plasticised in the extruder as before and extruded through the same arrangement of die holes at essentially the same flowrate and temperature to make shreds.

Example 5 (10.4% liquid caramel dispersion) The same invention can be applied for products where a paler granule appearance is desired (e.g. chicken flavour granules with a caramel content of only 1.8%). In this case 1.8% of powdered caramel was omitted from the powder mix and 1.8% of liquid caramel solution was dispersed in 15.5% fat (again melted at 50-55°C) using an in-line static mixer and the combined dispersion was then fed into the extruder. No emulsifiers or stabilisers were added to the dispersion and the specification of the fat was unchanged. The powder + dispersion mixture was plasticised in the extruder as before and extruded through the same arrangement of die holes at essentially the same flowrate and temperature to make shreds.

Claims (16)

1. Claims 1. A method of producing a food concentrate in the form of an instant granule comprising powders bound together by solidified fatty material, and characterised in that the visual appearance of the granule is improved by incorporating a non-fatty liquid colorant. Said method comprising the steps of: a) blending 5 to 30% of liquid colorant with melted fatty material to make a dispersion b) combining 10-25% of the dispersion with dry powdered ingredients to make a granule mix c) forming the granule mix into shreds d) cooling and packaging the shreds.
2. 2. A method as in claim 1 wherein 10-20% of liquid colorant is blended with melted fatty material to make a dispersion.
3. 3. A method as in claim 1 or 2 wherein the granules produced have the majority of their surfaces free or substantially free of angular fat crystals.
4. 4. A method as in claims 1-3 wherein the change in fat crystal form is achieved without the need for added emulsifiers or special fats.
5. 5. A method as in claims 1 -4 where the granule mix is made in an extruder.
6. 6. A method as in claims 1 -5 where the dispersion is made in an in-line mixer.
7. 7. A method as in claims 1 -6 where the liquid colorant is caramel.
8. 8. A method as in claims 1 -7 where no handling of caramel powders is required.
9. 9. A food concentrate in the form of an instant granule comprising powders bound together by solidified fatty material and characterised in that a non-fatty liquid colorant has been incorporated in the granule.#
10. 10. A food concentrate as in claim 9 wherein the granule strength! flowability and dispersibility when made up with hot water are comparable to traditional instant granules.
11. 11. A food concentrate as in claim 9 or 10 wherein a majority of the granule surface is free or substantially free of angular fat crystals.
12. 12. A food concentrate as in claims 9-11 wherein the liquid colorant is caramel.
13. 13. A concentrate as in claims 9-12 wherein the concentrate is packaged into consumer ready packaging.Amendments to claims have been filed as follows 10 Claims 1. A method of producing a food concentrate in the form of an instant granule comprising powders bound together by solidified fatty material, and characterised in that the visual appearance of the granule is improved by incorporating a non-fatty liquid colorant. Said method comprising the steps of: a) blending 5-30% of liquid colorant with 70-95% of melted fatty material to make a dispersion b) combining 10-25% of the dispersion with 75-90% of dry powdered ingredients to make a granule mix c) forming the granule mix into shreds d) cooling and packaging the shreds. C')2. A method as in claim 1 wherein 10-20% of liquid colorant is blended 0 with 80-90% of melted fatty material to make a dispersion. r3. A method as in claim 1 or 2 wherein the granules produced have the C') majority of their surfaces free or substantially free of angular fat crystals.4. A method as in claims 1 -3 wherein the change in fat crystal form is achieved without the need for added emulsifiers or adjustments of the fat composition or level.5. A method as in claims 1 -4 where the granule mix is made in an extruder.6. A method as in claims 1 -5 where the dispersion is made in an in-line mixer.7. A method as in claims 1 -6 where the liquid colorant is caramel.8. A method as in claims 1 -7 where no handling of caramel powders is required.9. A food concentrate in the form of an instant granule comprising powders bound together by solidified fatty material and characterised in that the visual appearance of the granule is improved by incorporating a non-fatty liquid colorant and the majority of the granule surface is free or substantially free of angular fat crystals obtainable by the steps of: a. Blending 5-30% of liquid colorant with 70 -95% of melted fatty material to make a dispersion; b. Combining 10-25% of the dispersion with 75 -90% of dry powdered ingredients to make a granule mix; c. Forming the granule mix into shreds; d. Cooling and packaging the shreds.cy) 10. A food concentrate as in claim 9 wherein 10-20% of liquid colorant is blended with 80 -90% of melted fatty material to make a dispersion.11. A food concentrate as in claims 9-10 wherein the change in the fat r crystal form is achieved without the need for added emulsifiers or adjustments of the fat composition or level.12. A food concentrate as in claims 9-11 where the granule mix is made in an extruder.13. A food concentrate as in claims 9-12 where the dispersion is made in an in-line mixer.
14. 14. A food concentrate as in claims 9-13 wherein the liquid colorant is caramel.
15. 15. A food concentrate as in claims 9-14 where no handling of caramel powders is required.
16. 16. A food concentrate as in claims 9-15 wherein the concentrate is packaged into consumer ready packaging.