Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Foam or foamable type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-12
2002-08-13
Bhat, Nina (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Foam or foamable type
C426S567000, C426S578000, C426S393000, C426S394000, C426S399000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06432466
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to frozen dessert products. More particularly, the present invention relates to formulations and methods for producing frozen products for dessert use that provide creamy smooth texture and high fruit delivery.
2. Statement of the Problem
Frozen dessert products enjoy great popularity. Many variations of frozen products have been developed for dessert use, including “sorbet”-type products. Sorbet-type products are particularly popular and have a wide appeal. Distinguishing features of conventional sorbet products are that they are generally composed of a combination of sugar, frozen water, fruit, juice, and perhaps other flavors.
Others have expended considerable effort to develop a sorbet-type product, but such products are unable to deliver both a creamy texture and high fruit delivery. When fruit pieces and fruit puree are added to such products in order to deliver fruit, the usual texture achieved is cold and icy, rather than smooth and creamy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to frozen dessert products having a desirable creamy texture and providing high fruit delivery. In addition, the present invention provides for different embodiments of frozen dessert products. All of these characteristics are obtained by the present invention with simple and straightforward formulations. The use of such simple and straightforward formulations is unexpected and not predictable.
“High fruit delivery” is defined for this description as the ability to provide in the product a strong fruit flavor and a high quantity of fruit in the form of fruit puree and/or fruit pieces.
The frozen dessert product of the present invention is formulated with ingredients that may provide fat, protein, carbohydrates, water, sweeteners, fruit taste, fruit, emulsifier, and stabilizer constituents in a combination that permits the attainment of the desirable properties described above. The attainment with these ingredients of these properties is deemed unexpected and not predictable.
The frozen dessert product of the present invention preferably comprises, on a percent solids (dry) basis, about 1% to about 12% high fructose corn syrup, about 5% to about 20% corn syrup having a DE of about 36, about 2% to about 22% sucrose, about 2% to about 6% maltodextrin, about 0.2% to about 5.0% egg white, about 1% to about 9% FRUITRIM® blend (comprising fruit juices and natural grain dextrins), and about 0.2% to about 1.5% stabilizer. In some embodiments, the frozen dessert product may comprise in addition to the above items, about 0% to about 0.12% emulsifier, about 0% to about 1.5% modified food starch, about 0% to about 10% yogurt culture, about 0% to about 5% milk fat, or about 0% to about 10% milk solids non-fat (MSNF). The product may also be fortified and/or enriched with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
A method for production of the frozen dessert products is also provided by the present invention. In this method, a base mixture is prepared by placing into a mixer high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup (36 DE), sucrose, maltodextrin, egg white, FRUITRIM® blend, stabilizer, emulsifier (if used), modified food starch (if used), milk fat (if used), milk solids non-fat (if used), and vitamins (if used). The base mixture is agitated for a time to thoroughly mix the ingredients. The base mixture is then pasteurized and homogenized. After these steps, the base mixture is placed in a holding tank for flavoring with, for example, fruit puree, flavor ingredients, and/or fruit mixture. The base mixture and fruit puree or flavor ingredients are blended to form a final mixture and then passed through a scrape surface heat exchanger with final extrusion temperature from 18 degrees F to 23 degrees F. Fruit pieces and bulky flavor ingredients may be added prior to packaging using a conventional fruit feeder. Final product density ranges from about 4.5 to about 8 lbs/gallon. The final mixture is then packaged by conventional methods. The packaged mixture is then hardened for a predetermined period of time to a core temperature below −10 degrees F.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide frozen dessert products having a desirable creamy texture. It is another object of the present invention to provide frozen dessert products that have a high fruit delivery. It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods for producing frozen dessert products having the above-identified properties.
These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides frozen dessert products that provide a creamy texture and high fruit delivery. Methods of production for the frozen dessert products are also disclosed herein. The frozen dessert products can be produced by the methods in a variety of flavors.
Throughout the specification and claims, percentages and ratios are by weight unless otherwise indicated and temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit unless otherwise indicated.
The frozen dessert products of the present invention generally contain high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup having a DE of about 36, sucrose, maltodextrin, egg whites, FRUITRIM® blend (comprising fruit juices and natural grain dextrins), and stabilizers. In some embodiments, emulsifiers, milk solids non-fat, milk fat, modified food starch, and/or vitamins are present in the formulation. The amount and exact character of each ingredient will depend upon such factors as the character of the other ingredients and the desired nature of the end product. For example, the amount of fat is varied to provide regular and non-fat frozen dessert products. Furthermore, for example, egg whites are added in various amounts to provide a desired texture.
In an important embodiment, the composition of the present invention that can be used to prepare frozen dessert products generally has the following components as set forth in Table I.
TABLE I
Ingredient
Range (%)
High Fructose Corn Syrup
1-12
Corn syrup (about 36 DE)
5-20
Maltodextrin
2-6
Sucrose
2-22
FRUITRIM ® blend (fruit juices and
1-9
dextrins)
Stabilizer
0.2-1.5
Egg Whites
0.2-5.0
Fruit puree
20%-90% by volume
Yogurt culture
0-10
Emulsifier
0-0.12
Modified Food Starch
0-1.5
Milk fat
0-5
Milk Solids Non-fat (MSNF)
0-10
Water
q.s.
Milk solids non-fat can be derived from cream, milk (including condensed milk, skim milk, and condensed skim milk), and non-fat dry milk. Milk solids non-fat aid in providing textural properties.
Dairy cream and milk are the preferred fat sources. It is to be understood that other fats can be used in the present invention.
The sweetener ingredients preferably are a combination of high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sucrose, maltodextrin, and FRUITRLM® blend that provide a desired level of sweetness and texture to the frozen dessert products. The non-high-fructose corn syrup preferably has a dextrose equivalent (DE) of about 36, which is in the low DE range of corn syrups. Corn syrups possessing a DE of about 24 to about 42 can be used in this invention. Corn syrup of 36 DE may be used in a highly preferred embodiment for ease of processability and satisfactory low-molecular-weight sugar composition.
The stabilizer ingredient may also contribute to the attainment of the desired features of the new frozen dessert products. The stabilizer ingredient is used to improve the ability of the products to withstand commercial shelf life and substantial heat shock without undue deterioration. The stabilizer ingredient may include stabilizers derived from plant gums and animal sources. Other stabilizers may be appropriate for use in the present invention, and such stabilizers will be evident to those skilled in the art and are meant to be included in this description of the frozen dessert products.
FRUITRIM® is the trademark for a liquid,
Backinoff Scott B.
Brake Nicole C.
Martin, Jr. Robert W.
Dorr, Carson , Sloan & Birney, P.C.
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc.
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