Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coated – fluid encapsulated – laminated solid... – Frozen material
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-26
2001-06-05
Weier, Anthony J. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coated, fluid encapsulated, laminated solid...
Frozen material
92, 92
Reexamination Certificate
active
06242022
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to production of articles of ice confectionery coated with a dry particulate material, more particularly in the form of flakes.
Articles of ice confectionery coated with solid articulate materials are generally made by machines comprising a conveyor belt for the individual ice portions, a feed hopper above the conveyor belt delivering a curtain of particulate material through which the portions pass and an element for recycling the particulate materials. The recycling element may be a bucket elevator or a trough-equipped drum through which the conveyor belt passes, as described for example in French Pat. No. 2 419 028 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,083. The use of moving parts to recycle the particles is not compatible with the coating of brittle particles of a certain size such as, for example, cereal flakes which have to be able to remain intact.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problem addressed by the present invention was to coat an ice portion with a dry and brittle particulate material, more particularly cereal flakes, in such a way that the portion would be completely covered with particulate material over its upper surface and its sides and in such a way that the particulate material would retain its shape and its crispiness both in storage and on consumption.
The process according to the invention is characterized in that the frozen ice portion is precoated at least over its upper surface and its sides with a liquid fatty layer, in that the still soft fatty surface is uniformly covered with particulate material by surrounding the ice portion with a bed of solid particulate material, in that the articles to which the solid particulate material has adhered are separated from the free solid particulate material and in that the substantially intact particulate material is recycled so that it may be reused.
The present invention further includes a confectionery article produced by the process and also includes a machine for carrying out the process of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In this disclosure, the expression “substantially intact”, as applied to the particulate material, means that most of the particulate material has remained intact and that any fines are eliminated, for example by means of a sieve, before the particulate material is reused. An embodiment of the process of the invention, therefor, is characterized in that before the particulate material is recycled, it is freed from any fines present by sieving. The operation by which the fines are separated is preferred because their presence on the surface of the fatty layer could prevent the particles from adhering which would result in an uneven coating.
One embodiment of the process according to the invention is characterized in that the application of the particulate material on the fatty-coated article is accompanied by cooling the fatty-coated article and wherein during the cooling, the particulate material is applied prior to the solidification of the fatty coating at its surface so that the surface is tacky so that the particulate material adheres to the fatty coating surface.
In one preferred embodiment, the portions and the particulate material are coated with a liquid fatty layer so as to cover the upper surface, the sides and the butt of the articles.
Thus, the particulate material is completely surrounded by a coating which acts as a moisture barrier both with respect to the ice cream and with respect to the surrounding environment.
The machine according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises:
a unit for precoating the upper surface and sides of the ices portions with a liquid fatty composition, a particle application unit comprising means for forming a bed of particles surrounding the upper surface and the sides of the ice portions coated with fatty composition and means for separating and recirculating excess particles.
In one preferred embodiment, the machine according to the invention additionally comprises a final coating unit for coating the ice portions with a liquid fatty composition.
The invention is illustrated by the following detailed description of one particular embodiment of the machine according to the invention and its mode of operation given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Database Abstract. Dialog. Foods Adlibra. Food Trade Review. p. 568. Author: NA, Nov. 1985.*
Database Abstract. Dialog. Foods Adlibra. International New Product Report. pp. 23 and 25. Author: NA, Jun. 1990.
Bertrand Francis-Victor
Mange Christian
Nestec S.A.
Vogt & O'Donnell, LLP
Weier Anthony J.
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