Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Building up units from diverse edible particulate material...
Reexamination Certificate
1996-08-21
2001-09-11
Paden, Carolyn (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Building up units from diverse edible particulate material...
C426S471000, C426S588000, C426S453000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287616
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a powdered creamer which is soluble in cold water and to methods for the production of the creamer. For this invention water is considered to be cold if it is at a temperature of 30° C. or less.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Powdered non-dairy creamers are well known and are widely used; particularly as coffee or tea creamers. Typically these creamers contain about 35 to 50% by weight of fat, about 25 to 40% by weight of a sugar-based sweetener, about 3 to 10% of a protein, and emulsifiers, stabilizers and buffers. However the amount of the sweetener may increase to about 70% if sugars such as corn syrup are used. The powdered creamers are typically produced by subjecting a solution containing the components to spray-drying.
The fat used is usually a fat or oil which is bland or neutral in flavor and which remains stable over long periods. Coconut fat, in particular, has been widely used. The protein used is usually a milk based protein such as casein; often in the form of sodium caseinate. Corn syrups are commonly used as the sugar-based sweetener.
When dissolved in hot water, these powdered creamers dissolve rapidly to whiten the beverage and provide a creamy mouthfeel. However, when these creamers are added to cold water, for example at about 20° C., they are usually at best sparingly soluble. Usually the powdered creamer merely floats on the surface of the liquid; even with stirring. This makes these powdered creamers unsuitable for use in cold beverages. However, many beverages which are usually drunk hot are now being made and consumed at temperatures below about 30° C. Further, many beverage powders, such as those which provide milk-type drinks when reconstituted, are intended to be dissolved in cold liquid. If the beverage powder is to contain the creamer as well, the creamer must be soluble in cold water.
One attempt to deal with the problem is disclosed in Korean patent publication 86-121. The patent discloses the application of 0.5 to 2% by weight of lecithin and 0.5 to 3% by weight of a medium chain triglyceride to the surface of a powdered coffee creamer. The medium chain triglyceride and the lecithin are described to improve the wettability of the powdered coffee creamer and hence the dissolution time in cold water. However, it is often undesirable to coat powders with oily material and medium chain triglycerides greatly add to the cost of the creamer.
Therefore there remains a need for an acceptable powdered creamer which is able to dissolve in cold water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a powdered creamer which is soluble in cold water.
Accordingly this invention provides a powdered creamer which comprises agglomerated creamer particles, the creamer particles each comprising a sweetener, a water-dispersible or water-soluble protein and an edible oil having a bland flavor and a melting point below 10° C.
It is surprisingly found that if a low melting point oil is used as the oil component of the creamer particles and the creamer particles are then agglomerated, the resulting powdered creamer has excellent solubility in cold water. For example, the powdered creamer is able to dissolve in water at a temperature of about 20° C. in about 40 seconds or less. Conventional powdered creamers usually do not dissolve at all in water at a temperature of about 20° C. and hence the invention provides a significant improvement.
Preferably, the edible oil has a melting point of less than about 5° C.; for example about 0° C. to about 2° C. Further, the edible oil is preferably a vegetable oil which contains high levels of mono-unsaturates; for example a vegetable oil in which the fatty acid moieties in the triglyceride comprise at least about 70% by weight of oleic acid and less than about 20% by weight of linoleic acid.
Especially preferred is a vegetable oil in which the fatty acid moieties in the triglyceride comprise at least about 80% by weight of oleic acid and the mass ratio of oleic acid to linoleic acid is about 1:0.01 to about 1:0.09. Sunflower or canola oil which has a melting point of about 0° C. to about 2° C. and which contains at least 85% by weight of oleic acid is particularly suitable.
The edible oil is preferable present in an amount of about 25% to about 45% by weight of the powdered creamer; more preferably about 30% to about 36% by weight.
The creamer particles may further comprise an emulsifier; preferably in an amount of about 0.5% to about 1.5% by weight of the powdered creamer. The emulsifier is preferably a mixture of distilled monoglycerides and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono-diglycerides. Further, the powdered creamer may include a surface coating of an emulsifier; for example lecithin.
The powdered creamer preferably has a particle size greater than about 1.5 mm; more preferably greater than about 1.65 mm.
The powdered creamer may include entrapped gas which causes foaming upon dissolution of the powdered creamer.
In another aspect, this invention provides a process for the preparation of a powdered creamer, the process comprising forming a solution of a sweetener, a water-dispersible or water-soluble protein and an edible oil having a bland flavor and a melting point below 10° C.; drying the solution to form creamer particles; and agglomerating the creamer particles to provide the powdered creamer.
The invention also provides a powdered creamer obtained by the process.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the invention are now described by way of example only. The powdered creamer is made up of agglomerated creamer particles which each contain sweetener, protein and oil.
The sweetener used in the creamer particles may be any suitable food grade sweetener; for example those conventionally used in the production of powdered creamers. Examples of suitable sweeteners are sugars such as corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltodextrin, and the like, and mixtures of these sugars. Corn syrup is particularly suitable (especially dried corn syrup solids) since corn syrup adds bulk to the powdered creamer without imparting excessive sweetness. Maltodextrin, either alone or in combination with other sugars, may also be used; particularly if a product having less sweetness is desired. In any event, the particular sweetener or combination of sweeteners selected is not critical; the primary determining factors being the desired taste, sweetness and bulk. The amount of sweetener used will vary depending upon the sweetener, the desired level of sweetness and the strength of the sweetener; but preferably comprises about 30 to about 70% by weight of the powdered creamer.
The sweetener may also contain artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, cyclamates, acetosulfame, L-aspartyl based sweeteners such as aspartame, and mixtures of these. If an artificial sweetener is used, it is suitably combined with bulking agents such as maltodextrins and polydextrose. In this case, the total amount of sweetener and bulking agent is usually in the range of about 40 to about 70% by weight; artificial sweetener itself usually comprising less than 1% by weight.
The protein may be selected from any suitable water-dispersible or soluble protein; for example those normally used in powdered creamers. Examples of such proteins are soy protein, non-fat milk solids, whey solids, casein salts such as sodium and calcium caseinate, rice protein, wheat protein, oat protein, and the like. Mixtures of the various proteins may also be used. Sodium caseinate is most commonly used. The protein is preferably present in an amount of about 0.5 up to about 6% by weight. If the protein source is not pure protein, a greater amount of the protein source may be required to obtain the desired protein level.
The edible oil may be any suitable oil which is stable, bland in flavor, and which has a melting point below about 10° C. The edible oil may also be hydrogenated. Particularly suitable are vegetable oils which have high levels of mono-unsaturates; for example vegetable oils in which the fatty a
Beeson Christine A.
Erickson Linda
Nestec S.A.
Paden Carolyn
Winston & Strawn
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