Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coated – fluid encapsulated – laminated solid... – Isolated whole seed – bean or nut – or material derived therefrom
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-26
2003-02-18
Paden, Carolyn (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coated, fluid encapsulated, laminated solid...
Isolated whole seed, bean or nut, or material derived therefrom
C426S466000, C426S618000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06521273
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to malt-infused cocoa and chocolate formulations. In effect, the present invention relates to chocolate formulations having cereal-based cocoa extenders, where the cocoa extenders are derived from toasted malted cereals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present discussion assumes a working knowledge by the reader and practitioner of this invention of the basics of chocolate formulations in general, and of the manner in which cereals, such as barley, are malted.
Nonetheless, for purpose of understanding certain terminology used herein, a brief review of those technologies now follows.
It is well known that cocoa is the principle flavouring ingredient, and a principle fat ingredient, of chocolate. Eating chocolates, such as milk chocolate and the like, are compound formulations which employ additional sources of fat, milk solids, and the like, but cocoa is the principle flavour source.
Cocoa is derived from the cacao tree, which was originally native to South America, but which is now widely cultivated around the world in the equatorial regions. That is to say, cacao trees are grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions only. Cocoa is obtained by fermenting the fruit, which grows in pods that contain a sweet pulp with rows of embedded seeds. The fermented pods are treated to extract the seeds, which are then cured and roasted, to obtain clean kernels—which are referred to in the industry as cocoa nibs. Cocoa products generally have relatively high food values because of their fat, carbohydrate, and protein contents.
Cocoa beans comprise approximately 54% fat, and that fat content is taken into account in arriving at certain ranges of ingredients as discussed hereafter.
Chocolate liquor is obtained by grinding the roasted cocoa nibs, so as to form a thick smooth paste.
Very often, the cocoa liquor—also, variously referred to as chocolate liquor or chocolate liquid—is pressed using hydraulic presses. The paste is placed between press plates and high pressure is applied, with a yellowish-white vegetable fat being squeezed out. That fat is known as cocoa butter, and it carries a significant chocolate flavour. Most flavour constituents of the cocoa lodge themselves in the fat.
What remains in the hydraulic press after the cocoa butter has been removed is a pressed cake, which is known in the industry as cocoa powder.
However, various cocoa powders are known in the industry as having more or less fat content, depending on the amount of pressing—pressure and time—that has been applied to the cocoa liquor.
As noted, another principle ingredient in preparation of the malt-infused chocolate formulations in keeping with the present invention is finely ground toasted malted cereals.
Of course, malting is well known in the whisky and beer industries, and the term refers to the preparation of cereal grain—usually barley, but other cereals as noted hereafter may also be malted—for further processing in the distilling and brewing industries. The following discussion is particularly in respect of the preparation of malted barley, a principle ingredient in the preparation of beer.
First, the barley or other cereal is steeped. By that, it is meant that the barley is soaked in water, under specific and controlled conditions, the details of which are not relevant to the present invention.
Thereafter, the barley is germinated, during which enzyme production occurs in the kernels, and new growth of the kernels occurs.
Thereafter, what is by then known as the malt, is kilned. That is to say, the germination process in the malt is arrested, and the malt is dried and cured.
In the drying step, the malt is heated to a relatively low temperature over a fairly long period of time; in the curing stage the temperature is raised—typically, the curing temperature is below the boiling point of water—after which the malting process is concluded.
However, in keeping with the present invention, one further step occurs, and that is to toast the malted cereal. By toasting, it is meant that the malted cereal is exposed to a relatively high temperature for a relatively short period of time, whereby it changes its colour by darkening, carmelization of sugars in the cereal will occur, and most remaining moisture will be driven off.
It has been noted that cacao trees are grown only in tropical and sub-tropical regions. However, as a consequence of market forces, including increased demand for cocoa and chocolate products, the price of cocoa has increased considerably over the past decade or so. Accordingly, supply has fallen behind demand.
The situation has been somewhat exacerbated because a number of European countries now permit up to 5% vegetable oil—palm kernel oil, or the like—to chocolate. This has put forward pressure on the price of cocoa butter, and upward pressure on the price of the non-fat portion of the cocoa bean production, namely the cocoa powder.
Moreover, the price of cocoa powder is calculated from the sum of the total asking prices, particularly in the futures market, less the highest demand—which in this case, is for cocoa powder. Thus, the price of cocoa butter has slipped, relative to the price of cocoa powder.
That is, at least in part, because the use of cocoa powders in various food products such as desserts, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, snacks, chocolate milk, cocoa beverages, and so on, has increased, beyond the demand for compound chocolate where the contribution of cocoa butter is required—such as in eating chocolate as used in chocolate bars and chocolate-based confections, in enrobing chocolate, and the like.
The present invention is predicated on the fact that cocoa butter can be used for the fat source in the preparation of chocolate formulations. Either cocoa butter, or cocoa liquor, can be employed, it being recognized that the fat content of cocoa liquor is approximately 54% and that the fat content of cocoa butter is effectively 100%.
Thus, in order to provide a standard chocolate formulation having approximately 10% to 12% fat content, with 78% to 80% non-fat content, (or other standard chocolate formulations as described hereafter), and having in mind that a significant chocolate flavour contribution can be derived from the use of cocoa fat, and that further flavour contribution can be derived in respect of a toasted, carmelized, flavour contribution, the present invention unexpectedly recognizes therefore that toasted malted cereals can be employed to provide significant bulk and appropriate flavour contributions to chocolate formulations.
Thus, as will be noted hereafter, malt-infused chocolate formulations can be provided that will result in organoleptic characteristics, colour, handling characteristics, and the like, which are the same as commercial cocoa.
To arrive at the provision of the non-fat, cereal-based cocoa extenders in keeping with the present invention, the applicability and suitability of barley—specially two-row barley—as well as wheat, rye, buckwheat, oak, and rice, and mixtures thereof, is discussed hereafter.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Rikon et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,153, issued Jun. 15, 1982, teaches a formulation and process for the preparation of imitation cocoa powder. This patent specifically discusses the provision of a completely imitation product which is intended to replicate cocoa, and has particularly for its purpose to provide an imitation product which replaces natural cocoa powder without having to adjust or vary the formulation for products which would otherwise contain natural cocoa powder. Thus, the Rikon et al patent is specifically intended to provide an imitation cocoa replacement, as opposed to cocoa extenders, where the imitation cocoa provides essentially the same functional and organoleptic properties in the end use product to be manufactured from the imitation cocoa, as those which are obtainable with natural cocoa powders.
Thus, Rikon et al teaches a product which is not at all natural in the sense that it is not derived from cocoa beans, as is the present invention. Indeed, the patent teac
(Marks & Clerk)
Paden Carolyn
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