Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Foam or foamable type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-09
2002-08-20
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
C426S101000, C426S660000, C426S656000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06436460
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to novel water ices aerated with a water soluble gas. In particular the invention relates to novel water ices aerated with a water soluble gas which contain an antifreeze protein in their composition.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
It is highly desirable to be able to manufacture a water ice having novel shapes, properties and/or textures. Until now, however the ability to provide such a high degree of novelty and interest to the products has been limited. In particular products have to be manufactured with the ability to survive packaging, storage and distribution.
It is especially desirable to be able to provide a water ice that has a low calorific content. Such a water ice has the advantage of being particularly refreshing.
However, if a low calorie containing water ice is manufactured in the conventional way a very hard block of ice is achieved which is not acceptable to the consumer when eaten at typical freezer temperatures.
Products which have been aerated by soluble gases such as carbon dioxide and/or nitrous oxide have been disclosed in the literature. Examples are U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,531 and JP 80013708.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,531 (Cornelius) discloses a process whereby a water and orange juice mixture is aerated wish nitrous oxide gas to form a semi frozen comestible.
JP 80013708 discloses a granular frozen drink that may be drunk through a straw. A syrup is mixed with the water and carbon dioxide within a machine for manufacturing a frozen drink such that a carbon dioxide gas is located among the frozen material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,656 describes a smooth textured soft frozen water ice with a solids content of 18-26 wt % and an overrun of between 25-70% using air, where the water ice contains from 0.05 to 0.5 wt % of a stabilising mixture.
GB 915 389 describes a fat-free ice cream containing dispersed air or gas so that it is easily cut or bitten when cold.
However we have found that such products have stability problems such that they cannot be further processed, for example they can be difficult to extrude, and also they are not storage stable at −18° C.
In our co-pending application PCT/EP 99/0029 (published as WO 99/38386 on Aug. 5, 1999 after the priority date of the present application) a water ice product which is stable to processing and storage at −18° C. is provided having a channelled porous structure. However it is disclosed in WO 99/38386 that stable water ice products aerated with water-soluble gases cannot be provided if the product has a gas phase volume of greater than 0.45 after hardening. We have surprisingly found that water ice products having an antifreeze protein in their composition may be aerated with water-soluble gases such that a much higher gas phase volume may be achieved.
Additionally the inclusion of an antifreeze protein in the water ice composition provides the ice confection with specific defined mechanical properties. Such water ices have novel textures and/or properties and products may be provided having complex, highly defined shapes. The novel features can be retained during packaging, storage and distribution.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly the invention provides a water ice comprising an antifreeze protein, a stabiliser and not less than 0.1 wt % of a protein based aerating agent obtainable by a process comprising aerating the water ice with an aerating gas which contains at least 50% by volume of a water soluble gas such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and mixtures thereof.
Preferably the aerating gas contains at least about 50% by volume, more preferably at least about 70% by volume of a water soluble gas, most preferably 100% by volume.
By water ice is meant a frozen solution made essentially from sugar, water, fruit acid or other acidifying agent, colour, fruit or fruit flavouring.
The water ice will typically have an ice content of at least 30% by volume when measured at −18° C., more preferably at least 40% by volume when measured at −18° C., most preferably at least 50% by volume when measured at −18° C.
The ice content may be determined following the techniques described in the article by B de Cindio and S Correra in the Journal of Food Engineering, Volume 24, pages 405-415, 1995. The enthalpy data required for this technique is obtained using adiabatic calorimetry (Holometrix Adiabatic Calorimeter). The ice contents as expressed herein are measured on an 80 g sample poured into the sample holder of the calorimeter and cooled to −75° C. by placing the assembly in dry ice prior to placing in the calorimeter (precooled to between −70° C. and −80° C.). The enthalpy data obtained was analysed to give ice content as a function of the temperature following the method of Cindio and Carrera.
In general the water ice has a total soluble solids content of less than 40% by weight, preferably less than 25% by weight, most preferably less than 15% by weight. For low calorie water ices the soluble solids content may be as low as approximately 5% by weight.
Typically the total soluble solids of the composition used to make water ice product of the present invention is in the range 5 wt % to 30 wt %, preferably 6 wt % to 25 wt % for example 7 wt % to 20 wt %.
The total soluble solids content is measured at 4° C. and is the % by weight of the total composition that is dissolved at that temperature.
A further advantage of water ice products which have been aerated with a water-soluble gas is that they are surprisingly provided with a surface which is substantially free from stickiness. Usually a non-sticky surface is obtained.
The water ice, must include within its composition a stabiliser and not less than 0.1 wt % of a protein-based aerating agent. Preferably a stabiliser is included in an amount of at least 0.1 wt %. The maximum amount of stabiliser is about 1.0 wt %. Preferably the amount of stabiliser is in the range of from 0.1 to 1.0 wt %, more preferably 0.15 wt % to 0.7 wt %, for example 0.2 to 0.5 wt %. For a given formulation and/or processing conditions the exact amount of stabiliser required will depend on the type of stabiliser used. The amount of stabiliser refers to the total amount of stabiliser(s) in the product.
As used herein the term “stabiliser” refers to compounds conventionally referred to in the art as stabilisers. They improve the stability of the water ice composition before freezing and act as thickening agents. It is believed that they increase the viscosity of the liquid phase before and during freezing.
Any stabiliser may be used, however Locust Bean Gum (LBG) is the preferred stabiliser. Other stabilisers that may be used include Agar-Agar, Algin-sodium alginate, proplyene glycol alginate, Gum acacia, Guar seed gum, gum karaya, oat gum, gum tragacanth, carrageenan and salts thereof, furcellaran and salts thereof, psyllium seed husk and cellulose stabilisers. Mixtures of any of these stabilisers may be used.
The amount of protein based aerating agent in a product aerated with water soluble gas is not less than 0.1 wt %. The typical wt % range for the aerating agent in the composition is 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt %, more preferably 0.15 wt % to 0.4 wt %, more preferably 0.15 wt to 0.25 wt %.
An aerating agent, as the term is used herein, refers to any component which because of its surface activity and/or the viscosity it imparts, aids the formation of smaller gas cells (than would otherwise be formed) and resists their coalescence or separation in the unfrozen matrix.
Any protein based aerated agent may be used, for example egg based aerating agents such as egg white, sodium caseinate, soya isolate, wheat gluten and whey protein. Preferably the aerating agent is a hydrolysed milk protein such as Hyfoama (Trademark from Quest) and hydrolysed soya protein such as D-100 (trademark from Gunter Industries). The aerating agent is to be understood not to include aerating gas as referred to below.
By antifreeze protein (AEP) is meant a protein which has significant ice recrystallisation inhibition properties as
Daniel Adrian
Lacy Ian
Oldroyd Jon Richard
Bhat Nina
Good Humor-Breyer's Ice Cream, division of Conopco, Inc.
McGowan, Jr. Gerard J.
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