Creamy mouthfeel agent for foods and beverages

Details Creamy mouthfeel agent for foods and beverages Creamy mouthfeel agent for foods and beverages

1999-01-29

2004-01-06

Corbin, Arthur L. (Department: 1761)

Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products

Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...

Gels or gelable composition

C426S578000, C426S656000, C426S657000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06673384

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an agent useful for imparting a creamy, lubricious, thick and/or rich mouthfeel to food and beverage products. The present invention also relates to a method for producing this agent, and the use of this agent in various food and beverage products.
BACKGROUND
A creamy, lubricious mouthfeel is desired in many instant and ready-to-eat/drink food and beverage products such as flavored beverages (coffees, hot chocolates, teas, creamy juice drinks, milk shakes and the like); mayonaise, salad dressings, sauces, gravies, puddings, and mousses. Consumers generally desire a particular creamy mouthfeel, richness, sweetness and flavor impact in these products. These attributes are usually delivered by commerically prepared creamers, or hydrocolloids, pectins, and/or starches. Alternatively, the food or beverage product may be formulated to contain high solids.
Many of these food and beverage products are sold ready-to-eat/drink, and usually have greater than 10% solids. Many of these products are sold to the consumer in dry mix form as an “instant” product and the consumer prepares the final form to be consumed using water, milk, juice or other suitable liquid. If the solids level cannot be easily and reliably controlled when the instant product is reconstituted by the consumer, then the consumer may perceive these products as thin and watery. In beverage products, there may be a failure of the product to develop a foamy texture or frothy head.
Creamy and/or rich food and beverage products typically rely on finely dispersed fat (i.e. homogenized fat) to deliver desired mouthfeel. This emulsified fat is generally delivered by liquid or spray-dried non-dairy creamers, whole milk, or low-fat milk. The level of fat generally found in these products provides insufficient mouthfeel benefits. These mouthfeel benefits can be improved by increasing the level of fat, either by using a more fatty creamer, or by adding additional fat to the food or beverage product. However, increasing the level of fat creates other issues such as the stability of the fat against oxidative reactions, the development of off-flavors and the potential instability of the emulsion designed to deliver the finely dispersed fat. Further, since typical non-dairy creamers typically contain only 35-50% fat, delivering increased mouthfeel can require significantly higher volumes or dosages of powdered products. This makes these powdered products less useful as spoonable executions.
An alternative approach to delivering mouthfeel in food and beverage products is to use ingredients that increase the thickness (viscosity) of the product. However, increasing the viscosity of the beverage does not necessarily translate into an increase in desirable mouthfeel attributes. Mouthfeel is more of a sensory perception influenced by forces distinct from those that contribute to viscosity which give the perception of thickness. Hydrocolloid gums and water-soluble starches are typically used to increase beverage thickness (i.e. viscosity). However, hydrocolloid gums can only develop limited mouthfeel, and often impact negative textural effects such as “sliminess” or “stringiness”. In addition, beverage products, especially hot beverages, which incorporate high concentrations of hydrocolloid gums are subject to gel upon cooling.
Water-soluble starches can also be used to increase viscosity and provide limited mouthfeel. However, the quantity of water-soluble starch needed to deliver these attributes is usually so high that more solids are added and the desired target dosage of solids in instant products cannot be achieved. Mouthfeel, richness, creaminess, sweetness and flavor impact can be increased by delivering a higher dosage of solids. However, a higher level of solids requires larger volume of product to be used. Generally, this translates to formulation difficulties, which vary, given the end-application of the food and beverage product. For instance, in instant beverage products, this usually translates to an increase in the amount of dry product (usually the number of spoonfuls) necessary to prepare the beverage. For puddings, mousses, dressings, gravies, and sauces, the amount of dry material necessary to make the final product increases dramatically. This leads to increased size of packaging necessary for the same amount of finished, consumable products; packaging would have to be, either, enlarged to get the same amount of servings of food to be consumed (this leads to environmental and storage issues), or the consumer would get less servings out of the current packaging size (this leads to consumer inconvenience). Additionally, at high levels of solids, flavor and mouthfeel can be distorted. High levels of solids can lead to higher level of fat and/or calories, as well as increased cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an agent for imparting creamy mouthfeel (referred to herein as “creamy mouthfeel agent”) to foods and beverages. Said agent comprises a water-insoluble component and a water-soluble component. Said water-insoluble component has particles with a mean particle size diameter of from about 0.1 to about 3.0 microns and comprises: (a) from about 5 to about 70% of a microparticulate component; (b) from about 0 to about 60% of fat/oil component; (c) from about 0 to about 5% of emulsifier component; (d) up to about 5% of a microcrystalline cellulose component. Said water-soluble component comprises: (a) from about 0.05 to about 40% of a thickener; (b) from about 0 to about 10% sodium caseinate; (c) from 0 to about 40% milk solids; and (d) from about 0 to about 4% processing aids. The creamy mouthfeel agent also comprises from about 0 to about 10% flavorants. Said flavorants can be part of the water-insoluble portion, the water-soluble portion, or both. The water-insoluble components comprises at least about 40%, preferably at least 60%, of the total solids of the creamy mouthfeel agent and/or the ratio of water-insoluble components to water-soluble components (I/S) is about 0.8 or greater, preferably about 1.5 or greater.
The creamy mouthfeel agent of the present invention can be used in food and beverage products where a rich, creamy mouthfeel is desired, and is particularly preferred in those food compositions where creamer products have been conventionally used (e.g. instant flavored coffees). Products where the creamy mouthfeel agent is suitable for use include instant and ready-to-serve beverages (flavored and unflavored coffees and teas, hot chocolate, juice-containing beverages, nutritional drinks in the form of shakes, malts, and the like (e.g. ENSURE®, a shake like beverage); puddings; sauces; gravies; dressings; mousses; ice cream; yogurt; cream cheese; cheese dips and/or spreads; sour cream; vegetable dips and/or spreads; icings; whipped toppings; frozen confections; milk; coffee whitener; coffee lighteners; and dips and spreads.
The present invention also relates to a process for producing the mouthfeel agent of the present invention. Said process requires mixing of the water-insoluble, ingredients (e.g. the fat and emulsifier) first, then adding the water under high shear mixing. The water-insoluble ingredients, (corn syrup solids, starch, gums), are then added to the emulsion formed. The microparticulate component is then added under low shear mixing. The mouthfeel agent is homogenized at 1000/4600 psi in a conventional homogenizer..
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A. Definitions
As used herein, the terms “ready-to-serve” food or beverage; “ready-to-eat” food; “ready-to-drink” beverage are used interchangeably to refer to food and beverage products that are in a ready-to-use, consumable form.
As used herein, the terms “instant” and “soluble,” as they relate to food and beverage products, are used interchangeably to refer to food and beverage products, such as instant or soluble coffee products, that are relatively soluble in water, especially hot water. A mix (either in powder, dry mix, concentrate or emulsion form) is sold

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