Edible compositions including particulated gel

Details Edible compositions including particulated gel Edible compositions including particulated gel

2000-03-21

2002-11-26

Bhat, Nina (Department: 1761)

Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products

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

Gels or gelable composition

C426S519000, C426S565000, C426S576000, C426S577000, C426S578000, C426S579000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06485771

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to frozen and non-frozen edible compositions which include particulated gels, and to processes for the preparation of such edible compositions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Gels of various types have been used in food and food products for many years. Indeed, naturally occurring gelling materials have long found a use in traditional food preparation.
Among known gels which find use in food production are particulated gels which are caused to set under the application of shear, causing a gel to form in particles of a size which depends on the constituents of the gel and the amount of shear applied. Also used in food production are conventionally set gels, which are prepared by causing a solution of a gelling component to set, substantially in the absence of shear.
Using such gels, together with other ingredients, gelled food products having a variety of textures may be obtained. However, there is a continuing consumer demand for food products, including gelled food products, having an increased variety of textures and/or appearances. Accordingly, there is a need for food products having novel textures and/or appearances, compared to food products which are currently obtainable.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an edible composition which includes a particulated gel and has a novel texture and/or appearance, and to provide a process for the preparation of such an edible composition.
Surprisingly, it has been found by the present inventors that the rheological properties of a particulated gel are such that it may be filled into a suitable container with one or more other particulated gels in such a way that the particulated gels substantially do not mix, giving rise to a range of edible compositions of novel texture and/or appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is provided an edible composition having a first part including a first particulated gel and at least one other part including a second particulated gel, said first part being substantially unmixed with said other part or parts.
According to a second embodiment of the present invention there is provided a process for preparing an edible composition, including providing a first part including a first particulated gel and providing at least one other part including a second particulated gel, filling said first part into a container and filling said other part or parts into said container substantially without mixing said first part with said other part or parts.
According to a third embodiment of the present invention there is provided an edible composition, including a particulated gel suspended in a continuous phase of a hydrocolloid gel.
According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention there is provided a process for preparing an edible composition including a particulated gel suspended in a continuous phase of a hydrocolloid gel, the process including providing a solution including a first gelling component and a hydrocolloid component, causing said first gelling component to gel under the application of shear, thereby forming a particulated gel, and thereafter causing said hydrocolloid component to gel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As used herein, the terms “substantially unmixed” and “substantially without mixing” mean that each part in the edible composition is distinguishable to the eye or by taste or mouthfeel from the other part or parts of the edible composition.
A particulated gel in an edible composition of the invention is prepared from any gelling agent or agents capable of forming a particulated gel under appropriate conditions. Typically, the gelling agent or agents are selected from the group consisting of gellan (native or de-acylated), agar, alginate, modified alginates such as propylene glycol alginate, pectin, iota-carrageenan, kappa-carrageenan and furcelleran. The gelling agents for preparing the particulated gel in the first and other parts of the edible composition of the first embodiment may be the same or different. Usually, the parts of the edible composition of the first embodiment are different in texture, colour and/or flavour. The gelling agent which produces the particulated gel in an edible composition of the invention may be caused to gel by first dispersing and hydrating the component at above its gelling temperature and cooling the resulting solution or sol, or through the addition of an effective cation either at elevated temperature or in the cold. Thus, this gelling agent may be dispersed and hydrated with or without heating. Examples of suitable cations which may be added to cause this gelling agent to gel are well known to persons skilled in the art and include Na
+
, Ca
2+
, K
+
and H
+
. The cation may be added to a solution of this gelling component just prior to gelling or it may be present in the solution of gelling component in sequestered form and desequestered by any known method to cause the gelling component to gel. Examples of sequestering agents include sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, EDTA, citric acid, sodium citrate and other citric acid salts, phosphoric acid, dicalcium phosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate. Desequestering is typically brought about by a change in the pH of the solution of the gelling agent.
However the gelling agent which produces the particulated gel is caused to gel, the gelling is carried out under shear so as to form the particulated gel.
The edible composition of the first embodiment may further include one or more hydrocolloids in one or more of the parts, in addition to the particulated gel. In this form of the first embodiment, and in the edible composition of the third embodiment of the invention, the hydrocolloid may be any hydrocolloid known for use in food applications. The hydrocolloid and the gelling agent which forms the particulated gel may be the same or different. The particulated gel may be prepared separately and added to a dispersed hydrated suspension or solution of the hydrocolloid component or the particulated gel may be formed in the presence of a dispersed hydrated suspension or solution of the hydrocolloid component. In one form of a process of the second embodiment, a particulated gel is suspended in a hydrocolloid in at least one part of the edible composition, and that part is filled into a suitable container together with the other part or parts of the composition, prior to setting the hydrocolloid component. It will be appreciated that in order to form a continuous phase of a hydrocolloid gel, the hydrocolloid is gelled under conditions of low shear.
Usually, in a process in which the particulated gel is formed in the presence of another gelling component, the two gelling components are different from each other and have different gelling properties, so that the gelling component which forms the particulated gel is capable of being gelled under conditions wherein the other gelling component remains as a sol. For example, in such a process a hydrated sol of both gelling components may be cooled through a temperature below which one, but not the other, forms a gel, while shear is applied. Under these conditions, the first gelling component forms a particulated gel suspended in a solution of the second gelling component. Further cooling of the mixture to below the gelling temperature of the second component causes the second component to set into a gel. Alternatively, the two gelling components may be the same. In such a composition, the same gelling component may be added in two portions and hydrated separately under different conditions. For example, the gelling component may be added and hydrated either hot or cold, and then suitable cations may be added or released with application of shear to form a particulated gel. A second portion of the same gelling component may then be added and hydrated in the presence of the particulated gel, to form an edible composition of the third embodiment or one part of an edible composition o

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