Colored food composition, in particular for decorative use

Details Colored food composition, in particular for decorative use Colored food composition, in particular for decorative use

1986-10-29

1988-07-26

Hunter, Jeanette

Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products

Addition of dye or pigment, including optical brightener

426540, 426575, 426573, 426576, A23L 1275, A23L 104

Patent

active

047599367

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a colored food product, in particular for decorative use, and to a process for producing such a food composition. The invention also relates to the use of this composition as food decoration for example, for cured fish or meat products or "charcuterie" (cold meats, pates and the like) and for "patisserie" (pastries) or frozen products.
In the sphere of "charcuterie", for example pates, or of "patisserie" it is desirable to decorate the products with various patterns or inscriptions (for example birthday cakes). To do this, it is possible to use plastic objects, but it is obviously much more preferable to use a food composition which can be eaten with the actual product.
In industry, problems are encountered due to the fact that food decoration is difficult to position automatically, its mechanical properties deteriorate rapidly over time and the coloring which it contains has a high tendency to diffuse into the product on which it is placed.
Thus, with traditional food decorations, when the food is coated in jelly, the colors migrate rapidly into the jelly, which is an aesthetically disastrous effect. For the same reasons, it is difficult to produce multi-colored decorations because the colorings will gradually mix by migrating into one another.
Thus again in frozen products such as "buches" (log-type cakes), traditional food decorations do not freeze well and do not allow automatic positioning.
According to the specification EP-A No. 0 048 123, gelled emulsions containing alginates are known, which are set by the action of divalent or trivalent ions, for example Ca.sup.++ ions. Thus, the gels obtained are irreversible, and in particular not heat-reversible. They are used as coating and covering agents for all sorts of food products. They are intended to have a protective or covering effect and are necessarily relatively sticky.
The invention allows the problems mentioned above to be overcome without having the disadvantages of the gels described in the above-mentioned European specification. It relates to a colored food composition, in particular for decorative use, which has very good mechanical stability, does not deteriorate over time and allows automatic positioning. This composition freezes well and shows good color retention when it is surrounded with substances with a high water content such as jelly.
The composition is flexible and elastic and is heat-reversible, giving an impression of melting in the mouth of the consumer. It is not flavored and is organoleptically completely neutral, leaving the impression only of the food product which it is decorating.
According to the invention, the colored food composition is characterized by the following combination expressed in parts by weight:


______________________________________ oil 3 to 7 hydrophobic pigment and/or 0.2 to 2 coloring emulsifier 1 to 2 gelling agent comprising 0.1 to 2 carrageen water 75 to 95. ______________________________________
The composition has a non-sticky feel and can therefore be packaged according to a further embodiment of the invention. In particular, it may be presented in individual packages of the blister type, for example. It can easily be removed from its mold.
Preferably the oil is composed of triglycerides, the emulsifier is composed of mono and/or diglycerides and the gelling agent also contains agar-agar. The agar-agar is advantageously in proportions by weight of between 15 and 75% of the total gelling agent.
The composition can also contain other constituents intended to give it a particular character depending on the use which is envisaged, for example, guar gum, gelatin, glycerol and citric acid (taste and pH adjustment).
The colored food composition can also contain potassium sorbate or another potassium salt such as KCl in a proportion of from 0.01 to 0.1% by weight, and may be flavored by addition of a suitable flavoring agent.
Any food-quality coloring or pigment which may be hydrophobic or completely water-insoluble may be used as coloring.

REFERENCES:
patent: 2191352 (1940-02-01), Aprean
patent: 2694643 (1954-11-01), Robinson
patent: 2864706 (1958-12-01), Stoloff
patent: 3483002 (1969-12-01), Stein
patent: 3493383 (1970-02-01), Ryan
patent: 4381318 (1983-04-01), Lynch
patent: 4471001 (1984-09-01), Lynch

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