Flavored instant coffee products having variegated...

Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Preparation of frozen or shaped product wherein the product...

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C426S285000, C426S594000, C426S453000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06207206

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present application relates to flavored instant coffee. More specifically, the present application relates to a rapidly soluble flavored instant coffee having a variegated appearance that enhances desired flavor characteristics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A relatively new entrant to the instant coffee market is flavored instant coffee. Typically, a flavored instant coffee contains a mixture of instant coffee particles, creamer, sweetener, and flavorings. A key challenge in flavored instant coffee products is to provide the right amount and balance of coffee and characteristic flavor, e.g., vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut. Increasing the coffee and characteristic flavor perception without increasing the level of the respective flavor ingredient or throwing the flavor equilibrium out of balance can be difficult. Other key product attributes, primarily creaminess and sweetness perception, and solubility also need to be maintained.
Current flavored instant coffee products on the market provide an essentially uniform appearance in terms of color and particle size. A variegated appearance in both color and particle size for flavored instant coffee powders can be desirable in enhancing the various flavor components, e.g., having brown clusters mixed in a white powder to enhance the coffee and vanilla flavor perception respectively or having brown clusters mixed in a reddish chocolate powder to enhance the coffee and chocolate raspberry flavor perception, respectively. However, achieving the right variegated appearance in a flavored instant coffee is not a trivial task. Simply mixing darker and lighter colored particles of different sizes will not provide a contrasting color appearance because the smaller flavor particles (i.e., the cocoa, coffee and other flavors) tend to uniformly coat the larger particles (typically sugar and creamer). In addition, when much larger particles are mixed together with a fine powder, the larger particles tend to segregate out of the mixture, forming a layer on top of the powder. Therefore, it would be desirable to have the smaller particles be agglomerated in such a way that they remain attached to the specific particles they are agglomerated to, yet easily disintegrate in solution. In addition, it would be desirable to be able to agglomerate the particles such that two distinct, separate colored streams are obtained that do not segregate when combined.
Various methods are known for agglomerating powders, each producing an agglomerate that is physically and visually unique. Agglomeration can improve solubility by increasing both wetting time and porosity. However, if agglomeration results in particles that are too dense or strong, it can have the opposite effect, i.e., reduce solubility. Further, if the agglomerated particles are too coarse, specific attributes such as creaminess and sweetness that are important to flavored instant coffee products can be perceived as being lower in the agglomerated products. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a particular particle size distribution that allows certain agglomerated particles that enhance the flavor attributes to be visible, yet maintains a somewhat powdery form without significant particle segregation.
A dense, strong agglomerate is desirable for a flavored instant coffee product. Particle strength is important in maintaining the desired particle size distribution and appearance. The bulk density of the agglomerated product should also allow a dosage equivalent to the unagglomerated (powder) form of the product containing the same ingredients. In addition, agglomerates having these characteristics still need to be rapidly soluble in water.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to flavored instant coffee products having a variegated appearance. These flavored instant coffee products comprise a mixture of:
a. from about 10 to about 90% of a first portion of (typically darker) colored soluble agglomerated particles having a particle size distribution such that 100% of the particles pass through a 10 mesh screen, from about 10 to about 35% of the particles are on a 16 mesh screen, from about 30 to about 70% of the particles pass through a 16 mesh screen and are on a 45 mesh screen, and from 0 to about 40% of the particles pass through a 45 mesh screen, the first portion of colored agglomerated particles comprising at least one darker colored flavorant selected from cocoa and instant coffee agglomerated onto a first edible carrier; and
b. from about 10 to about 90% of a second portion of (typically lighter) colored soluble agglomerated particles differing in color or shade of color from the first portion of colored agglomerated particles and having a particle size distribution such that 100% of the particles pass through a 12 mesh screen, from about 5 to about 25% of the particles are on a 16 mesh screen, from about 20 to about 70% of the particles pass through a 16 mesh screen and are on a 45 mesh screen, and from about 15 to about 60% of the particles pass through a 45 mesh screen, the second portion of colored agglomerated particles comprising a dairy or nondairy creamer and a flavorant other than instant coffee agglomerated onto an edible carrier, provided that when the darker colored flavorant is only cocoa, the second portion of colored agglomerated particles further comprise instant coffee agglomerated onto the edible carrier.
The present invention further relates to a process for making these instant coffee products. This process comprises the steps of:
a. providing a first (typically darker) colored mixture comprising from about 10 to about 40% of at least one darker colored flavorant selected from cocoa and instant coffee, and from about 60 to about 90% of a first edible carrier;
b. adding from about 5 to about 10% of an agglomerating fluid to the first colored mixture;
c. agglomerating the first colored mixture after step (b) to form first colored agglomerated particles;
d. drying the first colored agglomerated particles to a moisture content of about 3.5% or less;
e. sizing the dried first colored agglomerated particles to provide sized first colored agglomerated particles having a particle size distribution such that 100% of the particles pass through a 10 mesh screen, from about 10 to about 35% of the particles are on a 16 mesh screen, from about 30 to about 70% of the particles pass through a 16 mesh screen and are on a 45 mesh screen, and from 0 to about 40% of the particles pass through a 45 mesh screen;
f. providing a second (typically lighter) colored mixture differing in color or shade of color from the first colored mixture and comprising from about 35 to about 75% of a dairy or nondairy creamer, from about 1 to about 10% of a flavorant other than instant coffee, and from about 25 to about 65% of a second edible carrier, provided that when the darker colored flavorant is only cocoa, the second colored mixture further comprises from about 10 to about 30% instant coffee;
g. adding from about 5 to about 10% of an agglomerating fluid to the second colored mixture;
h. agglomerating the second colored mixture after step (g) to form a second colored agglomerated particles;
i. drying the second colored agglomerated particles to a moisture content of about 3.5% or less;
j. sizing the dried second colored agglomerated particles to provide sized second colored agglomerated particles having a particle size distribution such that 100% of the particles pass through a 12 mesh screen, from about 5 to about 25% of the particles are on a 16 mesh screen, from about 20 to about 70% of the particles pass through a 16 mesh screen and are on a 45 mesh screen, and from about 15 to about 60% of the particles pass through a 45 mesh screen; and
i. combining from about 10 to about 90% of the sized first colored agglomerated particles with from about 10 to about 90% of the second lighter colored agglomerated particles to provide a mixture of first and second colored agglomerated particles.
By agglomerating specific portions of the formulation, a variegated appearance is p

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