Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Beverage or beverage concentrate
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-15
2001-01-16
Weier, Anthony J. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Beverage or beverage concentrate
C426S650000, C426S569000, C426S570000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174557
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an instant particulate dry mix composition which, upon addition of water, produces a cappuccino beverage having a foamed upper surface which is marbled in appearance, and to a method of producing the dry mix composition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Authentic cappuccino from a machine is made by adding foamed milk to black coffee thereby creating a white foam on the surface of the coffee. The foam becomes brown as sugar is stirred into the beverage. The degree of browness of the foam may depend on how the drink is stirred and may range from a streaky marbled appearance to completely brown.
In contrast to the appearance of an authentic cappuccino, cappuccinos prepared from instant powders as presently marketed typically do not form a white foam. Rather, a uniformly colored brown foam forms immediately upon reconstitution due not only to stirring, but also as a result of the fine coffee powder dissolving in the liquid between the foam bubbles.
In contrast to most instant cappuccino powders, U.K. Patent No. GB 2,301,015 discloses an instant cappuccino powder in which the foam remains substantially white. Maintaining the white foam color is achieved by delaying solubility of the coffee powder for about 5 to 10 seconds after addition of water. In order to create such delayed solubility, the coffee particles are coated with a coating which reduces solubility in water, such as coatings based on carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
The substantially white foam which results upon reconstitution of the soluble coffee beverage of G.B. 2,301,015 is not necessarily desirable since consumer research shows that, with respect to instant cappuccino powders, consumers significantly prefer a powder which, when reconstituted in water, forms a beverage having a foam with a non-uniform color, i.e., a marbled appearance, rather than a uniform brown or uniform white color.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an instant particulate dry mix beverage composition for producing a cappuccino beverage having surface foam with a marbled appearance which simulates the marbled appearance of authentic cappuccino, and to provide a method of preparation of the composition. The term “marbled” as used herein to describe the surface foam produced on cappuccino beverages prepared from the present dry mix compositions means that the foam includes brown streaks, swirls or points at the surface of a yellowish brown to white foam background.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The foregoing and other objects which will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, are achieved in accordance with the invention by providing an instant dry mix particulate coffee beverage composition for producing a cappuccino beverage having a surface foam having a marbled appearance, the composition comprising a particulate foaming creamer, and freeze-dried coffee granules having an outer surface layer which is rapidly soluble and a larger inner core layer which is slowly soluble, and by providing a method of preparing the instant dry mix particulate coffee beverage composition comprising dry mixing the particulate foaming creamer and the freeze-dried coffee granules. Preferably the freeze-dried coffee granules are prepared by deaerating and then freezing a coffee extract containing at least 55% coffee solids. The frozen comminuted granules are then dried using a relatively slow drying process which holds water in the granules for a longer period of time than conventional freeze-drying methods to obtain granules having a density from 0.3 to 0.45 g/cc.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4438147 (1984-03-01), Hedrick
patent: 4746527 (1988-05-01), Kuypers
patent: 4748040 (1988-05-01), Kuypers
patent: 5721003 (1998-02-01), Zeller
patent: 5741538 (1998-04-01), Stipp et al.
patent: 5780092 (1998-07-01), Agbo et al.
patent: 4407361 (1995-09-01), None
patent: 2301015 (1997-04-01), None
Gamez-Rumpf Alexandra G.
Panesar Satwinder Singh
Kraft Foods Inc.
Marcoux Thomas A.
Weier Anthony J.
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