Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Stabilizing or preserving agent or emulsifier other than...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-04
2003-03-11
Weier, Anthony J. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Stabilizing or preserving agent or emulsifier other than...
C426S601000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06531177
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to compositions for use in adding additives to liquids. More particularly but not exclusively, this invention relates to compositions for use in emulsifying and/or stabilising food products.
Many food products require use of emulsifiers and stabilisers in order to attain their optimum performance. Incomplete dispersion of the combination of ingredients is extremely common, an effect which may or may not be apparent during the mixing process.
Emulsifier and/or stabilisers can be dispersed by premixing with other dry solids (e.g. sugar) and sprinkling into the liquid mixture at, for example, 50-55 Celsius with continuous stirring. This can be done either with or without premixing, but premixing is desirable because fewer problems are then experienced. In another method emulsifiers and stabilisers may be combined either by spray-chilling or agglomeration into small granules or coarse powder; these products are more consistent and disperse rather more easily (for example at lower temperatures and with easier mixing). The food is then homogenised using a pressure homogeniser; alternatively, homogenisation may be accomplished using high-speed homogeniser mixers.
Manufacturers experience many difficulties, which vary with the machinery, methods and levels of competence in production. Stabilisers (generally hydrocolloids or other long chain molecules with viscosity-enhancing and/or water-binding characteristics) can hydrate quickly with increase of viscosity so that further dispersion of grains is hindered; the ingredients may obviously disperse incompletely, with lumps of material which will not disperse. Other disadvantages are that a slime of non-dispersed emulsifier/stabiliser may be retained in the mixing vessel, so that the food has received the incorrect active dosage. In such cases, in-line filters, where used, may become blocked with incorrectly dispersed ingredient (again indicating a reduced effective dosage) and the machinery will need to be stripped more often. The difficulty can be much worse in some areas where old machinery is inadequate for correct mixing.
When the above occurs (which may not always be obvious at the mixing stage), the final product will be inconsistent, or be incorrectly stabilised or emulsified. Manufacturers will find unexplained products variation in mixes with the same formulation and processing, with consequent inefficiencies. The mouthfeel of the final product is affected, as is the structure and technical performance.
Modern processing systems attain better productivity in the case of many frozen products, if the mixture requires a minimum period of ageing (cool storage with gentle agitation to enable stabilisers, milk proteins etc. to achieve their full performance). Frequently measures to speed production will produce an obvious deterioration in product quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided a composition for use in adding an additive to a liquid, said composition comprising a first ingredient comprising the additive, and a second ingredient comprising a fat material, wherein the first ingredient is dispersed within the second ingredient.
Preferably, the additive comprises an emulsifier and/or a stabiliser.
According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a composition for use in emulsifying and/or stabilising a food, said composition comprising a first ingredient comprising an additive in the form of a food grade emulsifier and/or a food grade stabiliser, and a second ingredient comprising a food grade fat material, wherein the first ingredient is dispersed within the second ingredient.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a method of producing a composition for use in adding an additive to a liquid, said method comprising providing a first ingredient comprising the additive, providing a second ingredient comprising a fat material in liquid form, and mixing the first and second ingredients such that the first ingredient is dispersed within the second ingredient.
Preferably the additive comprises an emulsifier and/or a stabiliser.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of producing a composition for use in emulsifying and/or stabilising a food product, the method comprising providing a first ingredient comprising a food grade emulsifier and/or a food grade stabiliser, providing a second ingredient comprising a food grade fat material, and mixing the first and second ingredients such that the first ingredient is dispersed within the second ingredient.
The second ingredient may be melted and the first ingredient may thereafter be added thereto. Alternatively, the, or at least some of the, first ingredient may be melted and the second ingredient added thereto.
Preferably, one embodiment of the method involves mixing the emulsifier and the stabiliser and thereafter adding said mixture to the fat material, which may be molten. Alternatively, the emulsifier, the stabiliser and the fat material may be added together as a substantially single step. In a further embodiment, the emulsifier may be melted and the other ingredients added thereto.
The mixture of the first ingredient and the fat material may be heated and mixed in appropriate mixing apparatus. The first and second ingredients may undergo a grinding step before or after substantially complete melting of the first and second ingredients has occurred.
In another embodiment, the fat material may be heated, preferably to melt the fat material substantially completely and thereafter the first ingredient may be added. Alternatively, the first ingredient may be added to the fat material during heating.
Preferably, the first ingredient is substantially uniformly dispersed within the second ingredient. The dispersal of the first ingredient in the second may comprise dissolving the first ingredient in the second. The dispersal of the first ingredient in the second ingredient may comprise dissolving and/or suspending at least part of the first ingredient in the second ingredient.
Preferably, the fat material is substantially solid at room temperature, and said composition is preferably substantially solid at room temperature.
Preferably, the ingredients are mixed at an elevated temperature whereby the fat material is in a molten form.
After the ingredients are mixed, the composition is desirably allowed to solidify. Conveniently, the product is cooled to allow it to solidify. The mixed composition may be extruded during cooling to allow the composition to solidify in a desired configuration.
The temperature at which said mixing takes place may be in the range of from substantially 25° C. to substantially 75° C., preferably substantially 50° C. to substantially 70° C., for example substantially 52° C. to substantially 68° C. More preferably, the temperature of mixing is in the range of from substantially 55° C. to substantially 70° C., for example substantially 57° C. to substantially 67° C.
The first and second ingredients may be mixed by stirring. The mixing step may be carried out for a period of time of up to substantially 24 hours, desirably, up to, or for, substantially 15 hours, preferably up to, or for, substantially 4 hours, more preferably up to, or for, substantially 2 hours. In one embodiment, the mixing step was carried out for a period of time in the range of from substantially 2 hours to substantially 4 hours. Preferably, measurement of the time for mixing the ingredients commences after the ingredients have been added together. Before or during mixing the ingredients may be subjected to particle size reduction by particle size reduction means, preferably, to a particle size of less than substantially 20 &mgr;m. Preferably, the ingredients are ground by grinding means.
The additive may be provided in an amount of from substantially 40 wt % to substantially 80 wt %, preferably from substantially 60 wt % to substantially 70 wt %, more preferably substantially 64 wt % to substantially 68 wt %.
The proportion
Adams, Schwartz & Evans P.A.
Weier Anthony J.
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