Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Beverage or beverage concentrate
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-08
2001-04-17
Weier, Anthony J. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Beverage or beverage concentrate
C426S596000, C426S658000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217931
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a composition which when mixed with hot water, yield a thickened coffee beverage, and to the process for obtaining such a composition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Thickened beverages are used by patients in long term health care facilities and hospitals to address a swallowing condition known as dysphasia. It has been known that patients with swallowing problems are capable of handling thickened beverages. Because of the nature of this condition, it is important that the patient receive a product that is smooth textured and free of lumps. The degree of thickening needed is determined by the severity of the swallowing condition. Therefore, the beverage must also be consistent in terms of thickness from use to use. In recent years many new products have been introduced to address this need. These have included dry mixes, in which a starch is spooned into a liquid and mixed, as well as ready to serve thickened drinks. While the powered products have worked acceptably well in cold beverages, they have been unsuccessful in hot applications.
Currently, agglomerated pre-gelatinized starches are sold in the health care market for use as thickeners for beverages, either hot or cold beverages. Standard pre-gelatinized starches are generally difficult to mix into liquids. The process of agglomeration is a common technique used to improve the instantness of dry powders and mixes. The process involves, essentially, the sticking together of fine powder to form a bigger particle. In doing so, this product will have a lower bulk density and disperse more easily into liquids.
In the process of agglomerating, the powder is misted with a liquid as it is tumbled. In this way the particles are wetted and stick together. The environment in which this takes place is usually hot such that the agglomerate dries as it forms. In many cases, the powder is agglomerated using only water. However, solutions incorporating other ingredients, such as hydrophilic materials like sugars, dextrins, or cellulose, have also been used. Agglomerated starches have been successful as instant thickeners in cold beverage application but they have been met with only marginal success in hot applications. In hot liquids, the starch, even if agglomerated, tends to wet and begin hydrating before it has a chance to disperse. This leads to particles clumping together and forming lumps.
One method to counteract this lumping is to make a harder agglomerate by coating the starch with a carbohydrate based solution. This coating tends to slow down the hydration and allow the starch particles to disperse first. This essentially is the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,020 which relates to a process for producing a dry edible product having an admixture of starch and maltodextrin, which is made by mixing the maltodextrin with water, then mixing in the starch and conditioning, drying, then grinding to a desirable size. The resultant product, containing dry food ingredients, can be reconstituted with water without lumping. The drawback of this method when used to make thicken beverages for dysphasia patients is that slow hydration means that the liquid doesn't thicken quickly, and there is a tendency to add more starch powder than is needed. By the time the patient in the care facility receives the product, it may be too thick for their needs. In many cases the starch never fully hydrates. This partially hydrated starch may present an unacceptable mealy or granular texture.
PCT Application 91/118 517 relates to a process for the production of instant coffee powder, using a finely ground polysaccharide, such as maltodextrin in a mix with milled spray dried soluble coffee extract, and a small amount of finely ground roast coffee. This mix is reconstituted with hot water to give an instant coffee drink with the taste and aroma sensation of fresh coffee. However, this drink is not a thickened drink which is suitable to dysphasia patients.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,682 claims a food mix containing fructose, and a mixture of modified food starch with maltodextrin, with a defined moisture content. This product is not a thickened product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,720 prepares a flavored food, or coffee product by mixing the flavor oil with an entrapped mixture of flavor oil in a starch or dextrin matrix. This food mix is not a thickened drink product.
In summary, the prior art provides food powders which when mixed with hot water, tend to lump. When and if the powders do disperse, they take too long to thicken and don't provide a smooth textured product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises an improved thickened hot beverage drink mix, which can be quickly mixed into a thickened state to create the desired beverage drink, especially a hot coffee beverage. This has been accomplished by dispersing or diluting a starch, which is a quick hydrating agglomerated form, in a low bulk density maltodextrin matrix. With this composition, the mixture can easily disperse in the hot water, and the starch is prevented from clumping together by the presence of the maltodextrin particles which act to separate the starch granules. The maltodextrin then dissolves leaving the starch particles separated and free to hydrate without clumping. In this invention there is also added a thin layer of mono and diglycerides to the starch/maltodextrin composition. Although this invention should not be bound by theory, this ingredient is believed to help adhere the starch and maltodextrin together and to prevent separation and stratification of these components due to particle size and density differences. This is particularly important during handling and storage of the food product. By the prevention of this separation, each sample of food product has the same ratio of starch and maltodextrin, as well as flavorants and colorants. This helps to ensure a consistent product to the end user with each use.
The principle object of the invention is to provide an instant thickened coffee beverage mix which can be easily and quickly prepared by blending with hot water without clumping.
Another object is to provide the process for producing the instant thickened coffee beverage characterized by quick hydration and thickening without lumping or clumping.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the description and examples hereinafter appearing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Beverages designed for dysphasia patients are usually classified into three consistencies, known as “nectar”, “honey”, and “pudding”. This classification is rather loosely adhered to. Each manufacturer or facility applies their own standard to these consistencies. What compounds this confusion is the fact that most of the thickened liquid products, because of their nature, have slightly different flow properties. Thickened Juices flow different than thickened milk. While there is no objective industry standard for distinguishing these consistencies, this invention provides a guideline by which to distinguish each consistency.
Even though flow properties are different, a viscosity measurement can be used to characterize different thickened liquid products. This invention measures viscosity by using a Brookfield viscometer (Model LVT), which measures the resistance generated by rotating a standard spindle through the product. The viscosities which have been established for a given consistency should fall into the following ranges: Nectar, 500-1400 centipoise as measured with a number 3 spindle at 60 rpm (cps); Honey, 1800-3500 cps. As measured with a No. 3 spindle at 30 rpm; and pudding, >5000 cps. as measured with a No. 3 spindle at 12 rpm. These were determined at the serving temperature of the product, 140° to 150° F.
The process for producing the hot coffee thickened beverage which is readily dispersible in hot water utilizes a pre-gelatinized starch, which is in a quick hydrating agglomerated form, mixed in a low bulk density maltodextrin matrix.
The agglomerated starches used in the pr
Novartis Nutrition AG
Pfeiffer Hesna J.
Thallemer John D.
Weier Anthony J.
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