Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coating of a solid food with a liquid – By chocolate or theobroma cocoa derived
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-06-26
Bhat, Nina (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coating of a solid food with a liquid
By chocolate or theobroma cocoa derived
C426S068000, C426S091000, C426S100000, C426S101000, C426S103000, C426S249000, C426S307000, C118S667000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06251456
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to striped coatings for confectionaries, preferably iced confection novelties such as ice cream bars, and to methods and apparatus for depositing such coatings.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Coated ice confections or ice cream novelties are popular products. Generally, these products have a solid chocolate coating that is applied by dipping an ice cream bar into a bath of liquid chocolate coating material. The products are cooled to solidify the coating and the resulting product is then packaged.
If desired, two separate layers of coatings, either of the same or different flavors or colors, can be provided in such products. It is not easy to apply a patterned or discontinuous coating onto the ice cream bars as they move along a production line. Particularly, it is difficult to produce chocolate coatings having a striped appearance formed from two layers of chocolate, principally because there is only a very short time period within which the second layer must be applied to the first layer in order to achieve satisfactory adherence. The chocolate layers are usually applied in liquid, semi-liquid, or paste form either by spraying, pouring, dipping, or pressing in a cold environment. Generally, this procedure results in the first layer glazing over to form a frost of condensation shortly after application thereof (less than 30 seconds), which prevents the second liquid layer from adhering properly.
Several references disclose different types of chocolate or other edible coatings having the adherence problems discussed above. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,777,896 discloses an edible container shaped like a log made by spreading a plastic edible coating on the outside of a cylinder, adding bonbons to simulate branch stubs, and covering with a second layer of chocolate in a semi-liquid or plastic state.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,097 discloses hollow candy bodies made of chocolate having areas of the body formed with a color contrasting with the color of a major portion of the body. The hollow candy body may be prepared by chilling a dark chocolate in a portion of a mold, closing the mold and filling the mold with a light color chocolate, and chilling the mold again to form the light chocolate body overlaid by dark chocolate patches.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,288,970 discloses a confectionery such as ice cream having a coating of chocolate or other edible composition. In particular, the coating is provided with line formations or perforations that are pressed into the coating to control and limit the separation of coating from the confectionery product.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,457,110 discloses a method of coating chocolate edibles by dip-coating the chocolate edible in a coating of sufficiently low viscosity without the addition of cocoa butter. The chocolate is disclosed to be non-flowing at high temperatures due to the lack of cocoa butter in the composition during the dipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,853 discloses a frozen confection having a plurality of ingredients of individual colors, as well as a gravity feed arrangement for feeding a plurality of nozzles with the individually-colored ingredients so as to facilitate greater distribution of the ingredients.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,502 discloses marshmallow and other variegates having the ability to maintain a clear and distinct line of demarcation or delineation with a frozen dessert matrix into which the variegate is incorporated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,200 discloses a method for producing three-dimensional decorations of a fatty confectionery material on a base confectionery, such as with a nozzle attached to a compressible bag for depositing the decorations. The deposition preferably occurs from a rotary sprayer, which deposits the decoration by use of a plurality of recesses in a mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,128 discloses a method of making an iced piece of cake and providing good adhesion between the icing coating and the cake by adding a bonding layer to a cake, applying the icing, completely enrobing it with a chocolate layer, cooling and solidifying the chocolate layer, and subsequently decorating the top and sides by pressing thereon “squiggles” having a different color.
We have now devised an apparatus and methods for obtaining coatings having a striped appearance, as well as confectionery or ice cream products having a coating formed thereon from two layers of coating material, whereby the second layer adheres satisfactorily to the first layer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method of making a striped confectionary product by providing at least one confectionary with a first surface and a liquid coating, and subsequently simultaneously applying a series of stripes of liquid coating upon the confectionary while moving the confectionary along a production line. Thereafter, the coating is solidified to form a striped confectionary product.
Optionally, the method includes applying a layer of at least one coating material onto the confectionary by dipping, enrobing, or spraying. The latter can be applied either before or after the stripes are applied onto the confectionary. Included among the coating materials applied are milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, or combinations thereof, optionally the chocolate is partially substituted with a lesser fat component.
A confectionary coated using the present invention include but are not limited to a frozen dessert, ice cream, baked product, praline, cake, fondant, water ice, sherbet, wafer cone, ice cream sandwich component, or cookie.
The stripes can be applied essentially at the same time with a uniform spacing between them in a striped fashion or a non-linear fashion with at least two changes in direction, such as a crisscross pattern. The stripes can be applied when the confectionary is in a horizontal position or a vertical position. The stripes can be of a color or coating material that is different from other stripes being applied to the confectionary; for example, a confectionary with a crisscross pattern can have different types of chocolates such as milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, or combinations thereof, and the chocolate may be partially substituted with a lesser fat component. Optionally, the confectionary may have at least two surfaces and stripes are provided on each surface, with the stripes being of the same or different color or coating material.
The method may also comprise collecting and re-using liquid coating material or chocolate that is dispensed but not applied upon the confectionary.
The present invention is also directed to an apparatus for applying stripes of coating material on a confectionary wherein at least one nozzle applies a stripe of coating material onto the confectionary as the confectionary moves past the nozzle in a production line. The apparatus includes one or more manifolds to provide the nozzle or nozzles with coating material in liquid form and having a viscosity and temperature sufficient to prevent plugging of the nozzle; one or more link member for moving the nozzles to apply different configurations of the stripes onto the confectionary as it moves past the nozzle. Where a plurality of nozzles are provided, the nozzles are mounted on the manifold and at least two link members are provided for moving the manifold in X and Y directions during coating application.
The present invention is also directed to a system for providing a striped coating on a confectionary wherein the above described apparatus, is included within a production line for moving confectioneries past the apparatus so that a stripe of coating material can be applied onto a confectionary at it moves past the nozzle. Included within the system is a tank for collecting coating material that is dispensed from the nozzle but which is not applied upon the confectionary for re-use of the material. The production line can rotate the confectionary from a vertical position to a horizontal position such that the stripes are applied while the confectionary is in the horizontal position. When a plurality of nozzles a
French William
Maul Gary P.
Bhat Nina
Nestec S.A.
Winston & Strawn
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