HK1174215A - A jellified food product - Google Patents

Description

Gelled food products

Technical Field

The present invention relates to drinkable gas-containing products having a flowing gel texture. In particular, the present invention relates to a food product comprising a gas and having a gel texture which shows a pleasant foaming effect in the mouth when consumed as a beverage. The invention also relates to a method of preparing a drinkable gas-containing food product having a flowing gel texture.

Background

Drinkable carbonated beverages are well known. Examples of drinkable gas-containing beverages are carbonated soft drinks such as lemonade. In addition, carbonated milk products are also available on the market. In addition, carbonated beverages based on fruit juices and vegetable extracts are also widely accepted by consumers.

The above drinks and beverages are liquid and do not contain any thickener. At the same time, gel-like, but still flowable carbonated drinks and beverages have been described. WO 98/04158 describes an alcoholic beverage with a light gel structure. These beverages contain an amount of a gelling agent, such as carrageenan. EP 0796046B 1 describes a carbonated spoonable semi-solid cultured yoghurt product which may contain gums as thickeners.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a drinkable gas-containing food product having a gel texture with improved stability to provide a pleasant foaming mouthfeel upon consumption of the food product, which provides a pleasant way of consumption for the consumer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an economical method of preparing a drinkable gas-containing food product having a stable, flowing gel texture.

Summary of The Invention

The above object is solved by the independent claims. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the subject matter of the independent claims.

Thus, in a first aspect, the present invention relates to a gas-containing food product having a gel texture in a resting (still) state, which can be brought into a foamed state, preferably reversibly into a foamed state, by a consumer by mechanical agitation, e.g. shaking by hand, said product comprising pectin, an acid, a liquid and a gas, wherein the pH of the composition is in the range of 2.5 to 5.0. Preferably, according to the invention, the product has a viscosity of less than 2000 centipoise, measured in a Brookfield viscometer with assembly 93-C at 8 ℃ at a speed of 5RPM, so that the product can be consumed, preferably by drinking or sipping. In the remainder of the description, the product should be considered drinkable, although it is only a preferred embodiment.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a process for preparing a still gas-containing food product having a gel texture which can be brought into a foamed state, preferably reversibly, by a consumer by mechanical agitation (e.g. shaking by hand), said process comprising the steps of: mixing pectin, an acid and a liquid and optionally at least one of a sweetener and a flavoring agent; pasteurizing the mixture; injecting a gas to form a gas-containing product; holding the gas-containing product for a period of time of from 0.25 to 5 minutes, preferably from 0.5 to 2.5 minutes; the product is stored under isobaric conditions and the product is filled into containers under isobaric conditions.

Brief description of the drawings

Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the description of the presently preferred embodiments which follow, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a process schematic illustrating how to produce a drinkable gas-containing food product of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the detailed examples given below, the drinkable gas-containing food product of the present invention has a flowable gel texture. When a drinkable gas-containing food product is filled in a suitable container (e.g., bottle, cup, etc.) and sealed, the gel is in a quiescent state, i.e., no gas bubbles are visible in the product, as a large portion of the gas volume is uniformly dissolved in the gel matrix.

However, when the gelled food products are subjected to a certain type of stress (stress), typically during shaking by the consumer's hand, the gas in the food product is degassed from the gel matrix and shows a foaming effect.

In addition to this still-to-foam effect, the consumer perceives a foaming mouthfeel whether the gas is dissolved in the gel matrix (at rest) or not (in the foamed state).

More importantly, with the food gel product of the present invention, it is possible for the consumer to adjust the intensity of the foaming effect desired. Starting from a still product, the consumer can eat it as it is without stirring it, or the consumer can shake the product more or less in order to obtain a corresponding more or less foaming effect.

The shaking force required to initiate the foaming effect from a stationary product is gradual. This means that if the shaking force applied by the consumer is not high, the gas released from the gel matrix into the bubbles will be low, so that the foaming effect and the foaming mouthfeel will also be low. The foaming sensation in the mouth between the non-shaken product in the resting state and the shaken product in the foamed state will also differ due to the thixotropy (tixocopy) of the gel, which causes its viscosity to become less once energy is applied to the gel matrix by shaking. Conversely, if the applied force is higher and/or the time is longer during shaking by the consumer, the gas dissolved in the gel matrix will be released as bubbles in a higher amount.

No value of the shaking force is given herein; since such shaking force may vary from person to person depending on age, sex, physical condition, etc. But it is typically recognized by the present invention that the shaking force is one that can be applied by anyone over the age of 5.

If the product is cooled to refrigerator temperature (typically at a temperature between 4 ℃ and 8 ℃), the bubbles are dissolved back into the product again and the gel texture is the same as before shaking, that is to say, in a resting state, i.e. without a noticeable foaming appearance. In such cases, the volume of gas that is undissolved (i.e., present as bubbles in the gaseous state) is so low that there are substantially no bubbles that are visually noticeable to the consumer.

If the consumer shakes the product more vigorously and/or for a longer period of time, the degassing effect is higher and the foaming effect in the mouth will be greater.

The volume of gas in the product is between 1g/l and 10g/l of gel product and the product has a foaming mouthfeel.

For the drinkable, gas-containing food products of the invention, it is important that the pH of the food product is in the acidic range. According to the invention, the pH of the composition is in the range of 2.5 to 5.0. Preferably, the pH is in the range of 3 to 4.5, more preferably in the range of 3.5 to 4.0.

It is also important that the viscosity of the product according to the present invention, as measured in a Brookfield viscometer with assembly 93-C at 8 ℃ at a speed of 5RPM, is preferably below 2000 centipoise, so that the product is substantially a liquid that is consumed by drinking.

The drinkable gas-containing food product of the present invention comprises pectin as a gelling agent to provide the product with a flowing gel character. Pectin suitable for use in the food products of the present invention is either hypermethylated pectin (HM pectin) or hypomethylated pectin (LM pectin). The amount of pectin contained in the food product of the invention is preferably in the range of 0.1-5.0 wt.%, more preferably 0.5-2.5 wt.%, most preferably 1.0-2.0 wt.%.

The food product of the present invention also comprises an acid to adjust the pH to the desired range. The presence of acid in the food product of the invention results in a decrease in the pH value, which allows better dissolution of the gas in the product. In addition, the acidic pH promotes a refreshing sensation and also acts as a preservative for the product.

The amount of acid in the product is preferably 0.01-1.0 wt%, more preferably 0.1-0.5 wt%, most preferably 0.2-0.4 wt%.

The liquid content providing the skeleton (in combination with pectin) for the gas of the drinkable gas-containing food product is preferably 70.0-95.0 wt.%, more preferably 80-90 wt.%, most preferably 85-88 wt.%.

Gas is added to the drinkable food product of the present invention to provide a foaming effect upon agitation by the consumer. The concentration of gas in the product is preferably 1.0-10g/l, more preferably 2.0-5.0g/l, most preferably 2.0-4.0 g/l.

As noted above, it is important for the drinkable gas-containing food product of this invention that the pH be maintained in the range of 2.5 to 5.0 in the product. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pH is in the range of 3 to 4.5, more preferably in the range of 3.5 to 4.0.

The acid contained in the food product of the invention may be any food grade organic or inorganic acid. The organic acid is preferably selected from citric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid and mixtures thereof, more preferably citric acid.

The mineral acid can be any food grade quality mineral acid. Examples of the inorganic acid are phosphoric acid, fumaric acid, carbonic acid and mixtures thereof, of which phosphoric acid is more preferred.

Most of the drinkable, gas-containing food products of this invention are comprised of a liquid matrix, which can be any liquid suitable for forming a beverage. Preferably, the liquid base is selected from the group consisting of water, fruit juice, fruit pulp (fruit pulp), coffee, tea, milk and derivatives thereof, soy based beverages, natural extracts, chocolate based beverages, smoothies and mixtures thereof, more preferably water and fruit juice.

Any gas suitable for food purposes may be included in the product of the invention. Suitable gases are, for example, CO₂、N₂、O₂Or even atmospheric air (which will be filtered to meet food safety requirements). Mixtures of gases are also suitable.

It should be noted that CO₂Is a gas that provides optimal properties in terms of solubility in the food matrix, especially when pectin is used as gelling agent, so that the effect is reversible from rest to foaming.

The drinkable gas-containing food product of the invention may also comprise up to 20% by weight, preferably 3.0-15.0% by weight, more preferably 10-13% by weight of at least one natural sugar, if appropriate. Examples of natural sugars are sucrose, all types of glucose syrup (syrup glucose) or fructose syrup (syrupfree). The natural sugar can be replaced by a smaller amount of natural or artificial high intensity sweetener to achieve the same sweetening effect. Examples of natural high intensity sweeteners are plant extracts such as stevia (stevia) extract or steviolbioside a. Examples of artificial sweeteners are aspartame, acesulfame, sucralose (sucralose), saccharin, neotame (neotame), and mixtures thereof. Mixtures of natural sugars and artificial sweeteners are also suitable.

The food product of the invention may also contain up to 2.0 wt.%, preferably 0.1-1.0 wt.% of flavouring agents, if desired. Typically, the flavoring agent is one or a combination of food grade flavoring agents used in soft drink applications. Examples of flavourings are those selected from lemon, orange, raspberry, cola, banana, coffee or blackcurrant flavourings.

The drinkable gas-containing food product of the present invention may be a non-alcoholic food product or an alcoholic food product. In the case of alcoholic products, alcohol, such as ethanol, is added externally. The alcoholic food product may contain up to 10% by weight, preferably 4.5-8% by weight, of ethanol.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the food product may further comprise additives, such as vitamins, minerals and probiotics.

The drinkable gas-containing food product of the present invention may be a beverage, preferably a carbonated beverage. Examples are carbonated soft drinks based on water (flavoured or unflavoured), fruit juices, vegetables and alcoholic fruit juices. A further product of the invention is a so-called "ready-to-drink" beverage, such as a wine drink mix (spirit mix).

The drinkable gas-containing food products of the invention having a flowing gel structure can be prepared by using a liquid gas (e.g., liquid CO)₂) The injection method is used for production. The method comprises the steps of mixing, heat treatment, gas injection, hold time, isobaric storage and isobaric filling.

In detail, one method of preparing the food product of the present invention is the method shown in fig. 1, which comprises the following steps:

1. mixing:

ingredients such as pectin, acid and liquid and optionally at least one of sweeteners and flavors are mixed in a conventional mixer with standard agitation.

2. And (3) heat treatment:

thereafter, the above mixture was subjected to standard pasteurization. The temperature is set at 85-140 ℃, preferably about 90 ℃, for a time of 10 seconds to 10 minutes, preferably 6 to 8 minutes, followed by a temperature decrease of 8 ℃.

3. Gas injection:

injecting a gas, such as CO, in a rotor-stator arrangement at a continuous temperature of 2-30 ℃, preferably 6-10 ℃₂. Adjusting injected CO according to flow of premixed products₂The amount of (c). A control pressure valve is provided to ensure hold-up time and proper absorption of the gas at the outlet product of the rotor-stator system. The operating pressure in the control pressure valve is 50-400kPa, preferably 80-200 kPa.

4. Retention time:

this step is provided in order to ensure proper absorption of the gas in the liquid. This is achieved firstly after a suitable contact between the two phases. The holding time is set in the range of 0.25 to 5 minutes, preferably 0.5 to 2.5 minutes, most preferably 0.5 to 1.5 minutes.

5. And (3) isobaric storage:

the stabilized product is stored in an isobaric tank with a headspace pressure of 50 to 400kPa prior to the filling step. The temperature is kept constant, preferably at a constant temperature of 5 ℃. More generally, a control pressure valve is provided in the preparation system, which ensures a retention time and a proper absorption of the gas by the product at the outlet of the rotor-stator system. The operating pressure in the control pressure valve is 50-400kPa, preferably 80-200 kPa.

6. And (3) isobaric filling:

filling is performed by an isobaric filling system, which may be performed under aseptic conditions. If the filling is carried out in an isobaric device, the final product will have a lower gas content.

Once the product is finally filled, the product is stored at a temperature between 2 and 12 ℃ for at least 45 days without loss of gas while maintaining the gel texture.

In a preferred embodiment of the process of the invention, in the mixing step, the acid used is selected from organic and inorganic acids, such as those described above, and the liquid used is selected from water, fruit juices, fruit pulp, coffee, tea, milk and its derivatives, soy-based beverages, natural extracts, chocolate-based beverages, smoothies and mixtures thereof.

In the gas injection step, any food grade gas may be used. Preference is given to using CO₂To produce a drinkable food product containing carbon dioxide of the present invention which exhibits excellent foaming effect.

The product of the invention is filled with suitable containers, such as cans and cups made of glass, aluminum or plastic. After filling, the container is hermetically sealed according to standard practice.

The method provides a stable gas-containing food product having a flowing gel structure. The product shows a pleasant foaming effect when consumed as a beverage. The product remains stable in the container for at least 45 days in a cool environment of 2 to 12 ℃.

The invention is illustrated below by way of non-limiting example.

Mixing the following components in the ratio:

composition (I)	Dosage of	%
			Water (W)	52.03	86.58%
White sugar	7.18	11.95%
			Pectin	0.66	1.10%
Citric acid	0.13	0.22%
			Raspberry flavor Ref 288264	0.09	0.15%

The ingredients were mixed with standard stirring at a temperature of about 30 ℃.

The pH of the product (mixture) of this stage is in the same range as the pH of the final product, i.e. pH 3 to 4.5.

After mixing, standard pasteurization was carried out at a temperature of 92 ℃ for 6 minutes, followed by a temperature reduction of 8 ℃.

Thereafter, at a continuous temperature of 8 ℃CO injection in rotor-stator device₂. Adjusting injected CO according to flow of premixed products₂The amount of (c). The operating pressure in the control pressure valve is 100 kPa. CO in the product₂The final concentration of the gas was 1.5-5g/L (measured with a Steinfurth apparatus).

Thereafter, a holding time (stabilization time) was performed for a period of 45 seconds.

The product was stored in an isobaric tank with a headspace pressure of 100 kPa. Thereafter, the product was filled in plastic bottles using an isobaric filling system. The bottled product was stored at 5 ℃.

This product has been tested and found to be a raspberry flavored refreshing beverage which exhibits a pleasant foaming mouthfeel when consumed.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. Such changes and modifications are therefore intended to be covered by the appended claims.

Claims (18)

1. A drinkable gas-containing food product having a flowing gel texture comprising a gelling agent, an acid, a liquid and a gas, wherein the pH of the food product is in the range of 2.5 to 6.0, wherein the gas is dissolved in the gel matrix such that the product has a still state and a foaming mouthfeel, and the volume of gas in the product is less than 10g/L, preferably 2-5 g/L.

2. Food product according to claim 1, wherein the dissolved gas is degassed by shaking by hand or similar mechanical agitation, such that the volume of undissolved gas is below 10g/L product, preferably 2-5g/L product, and the product has a foaming mouthfeel.

3. The food product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gelling agent is pectin, such that gas is reversibly dissolved in the product.

4. Food product according to claim 3, wherein the undissolved gas is re-dissolvable into the product by lowering the temperature of the product by 0-20 ℃, preferably 4-15 ℃, more preferably 4-8 ℃.

5. Food product according to any of the preceding claims, comprising 0.1-5.0 wt.%, preferably 0.5-2.5 wt.% pectin, 0.01-1.0 wt.%, preferably 0.1-0.5 wt.% acid, 70.0-95.0 wt.%, preferably 80-90 wt.% liquid.

6. The food product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pH is in the range of 2.5 to 5.

7. The food product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the acid is an organic acid or an inorganic acid.

8. The food product of claim 7, wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, and mixtures thereof.

9. The food product of claim 7, wherein the inorganic acid is selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, fumaric acid, carbonic acid, and mixtures thereof.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9Food product, wherein the gas is selected from CO₂、N₂、O₂Air and mixtures thereof.

11. The food product according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the liquid is selected from the group consisting of water, fruit juice, fruit pulp, coffee, tea, milk and derivatives thereof, soy-based beverages, natural extracts, chocolate-based beverages, smoothies and mixtures thereof.

12. The food product according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising up to 20 wt.%, preferably 3.0-15.0 wt.% of sugar.

13. The food product according to claim 12, wherein the sugar is selected from natural sugars selected from sucrose, all types of glucose or fructose syrups and mixtures thereof.

14. Food product according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising up to 2.0 wt.%, preferably 0.1-1.0 wt.% of a flavouring agent.

15. Food product according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising up to 10 wt.%, preferably 4.5-8 wt.% ethanol.

16. A method of preparing a drinkable gas-containing food product having a flowing gel texture comprising the steps of:

-mixing pectin, an acid and a liquid and optionally at least one of a sweetener and a flavouring;

-subjecting the mixture to pasteurization;

-injecting a gas to form a gas-containing product;

-holding the gas-containing product for a period of time of 0.25 to 5 minutes, preferably 0.5 to 2.5 minutes;

-storing the product under isobaric conditions;

-filling the product in a container under isobaric conditions.

17. The process according to claim 16, wherein the gas injection is carried out at a pressure of 50 to 400kPa, preferably 80 to 200 kPa.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein in the mixing step the acid used is selected from the group consisting of organic and inorganic acids and the liquid used is selected from the group consisting of water, fruit juices, fruit pulp, coffee, tea, milk and derivatives thereof, soy based beverages, natural extracts, chocolate based beverages, smoothies and mixtures thereof.