Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Basic ingredient lacteal derived other than butter...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-02
2003-10-21
Paden, Carolyn (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Basic ingredient lacteal derived other than butter...
C426S034000, C426S631000, C426S533000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06635303
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to powdered milk solids having a specific free fatty acid profile that may be used to prepare chocolate having a flavor profile with a developed milk character, which may be described as having a cheesy, soured and perceived “soapy” character. The invention is also directed to a method of preparing such powdered milk solids by enzymatic modification, a method of preparing chocolate using the powdered milk solids and the chocolate prepared thereby.
2. Related Background Art
It has long been known that the flavor profile of milk chocolate can vary. Many attempts have been made to control this variability and consistently achieve a particular flavor profile. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,966,460 is directed to the preparation of milk-containing products, such as milk chocolate, with a distinctive milk or butter flavor by adding lipolyzed butter fat to the milk solids used in the milk-containing product. The success of this method, however, is challenged in U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,743 which alleges that the process of U.S. Pat. No. 1,966,460 resulted in “off” flavors.
This problem is alleged to have been overcome in U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,743 by using an enzyme composition having both lipolytic and proteolytic qualities for modifying milk powder. In particular an enzyme powder is employed that is said to produce relatively higher levels of C6 and higher fatty acids compared to the level of C4 and lower acids, but where the level of C4 free fatty acid is greater than the other lower fatty acids. The enzyme powder is added to whole milk powder in amounts up to 50%, preferably 1% to 5%, to obtain milk chocolate with a modified flavor. The exemplified milk powders all have a C4 to C6 and higher fatty acid percentage ratio greater than 1:2.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,638,418 is directed to the preparation of a milk product that imparts a desirable flavor to milk chocolate by hydrolyzing milk fat and reducing two of three categories of free fatty acids. The categories are described as volatile water-soluble free fatty acids, volatile water-insoluble free fatty acids and non-volatile water-insoluble free fatty acids. It is stated that the first two categories of free fatty acids should be present in slight excess to the free fatty acids of the third category. There is, however, no disclosure of the specific fatty acid profile of the milk fat. Moreover, in tests conducted by the present inventors it was found that under certain high temperature and pressure conditions (e.g. 140° C. and 47 psi) the ratio of C4:C14 in milk powder actually increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,835,593 describes the preparation of a base flavor by enzymatic hydrolysis of milk fat and protein. The base flavor may be used to prepare an artificial chocolate or to modify the flavor of chocolate. It is alleged that the base flavor contains buttery aromas suggestive of the cowy butyral character desired in milk chocolate. The specific fatty acid profile of the flavor is not disclosed.
Acceleration of the lipolysis in milk powder for use in milk chocolate is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,568. The technique is performed by adjusting the pH of the mixture of ingredients used to produce milk chocolate. The lipolysis generally results in 2.4 to 2.5% by weight of free fatty acids based on total fat. Again there is no specific disclosure of the free fatty acid profile.
A crumb-flavored milk chocolate composition prepared by adding fatty acids to milk powder at a temperature below the melting point of the fatty acids and then using the mixture in the manufacture of milk chocolate is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,538. The product may also be prepared by lipolysis of the milk powder to preferentially produce long chain fatty acids.
Milk solids powders that have the specific free fatty acid profile described herein and that consistently provide the desirable developed milk flavor provided for by the present invention in the production of chocolate are not disclosed or suggested in the above-noted references. The phrase “developed milk flavor” as used herein means a chocolate that organoleptically may be described as having aromatic characteristics of fermented and enzymatically altered milk products such as cheese and/or sour aromatic associated with “milk bottle” odor. Aromatic sour is associated with fermented and enzymatically altered milk products such as yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk. Accordingly, a milk solids powder that would consistently provide such developed milk flavor to chocolate would be highly desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related to a powdered milk solids that may be used in the preparation of chocolate, most preferably milk chocolate, to provide a product having a desirable developed milk character. In particular, the powdered milk solids of this invention has a free fatty acid profile wherein the weight ratio of butyric acid (C4) to myristic acid (C14) is equal to or less than 1:2, preferably in a range of 1:2 to 1:10,000, more preferably 1:2.5 to 1:100, even more preferably 1:3 to 1:10 and most preferably 1:3 to 1:6.
The invention is also related to the methods of preparing the powdered milk solids having the above described fatty acid profile. This can be achieved by several different methods. For example, the milk powder may be prepared by adding the desired fatty acid(s) to a conventional untreated milk and drying the same to obtain a milk powder having the required C4 to C14 fatty acid profile. Alternatively, the desired fatty acids may be added at the preferred levels indirectly to any of the chocolate ingredients contained in a chocolate or coating formulation or directly into a liquid finished chocolate product. Addition in this manner is possible with careful addition of the fatty acids and with sufficient blending to assure proper dispersion either to a liquid or dry powder chocolate ingredient. Some fatty acids are volatile components. As such overheating and volatilization of these compounds may result in loss of the flavorants. Dispersion may be carried out using high shear mixers, during batching, conching, liquefaction or standardizing using all known conventional blending equipment. Fatty acids as described herein may be derived from any known means. Typically, fatty acids may be sourced from natural sources via extraction or synthetically produced by enzyme addition or chemical means.
In another embodiment, the milk powder of this invention can be prepared by treating a conventional enzymatically treated milk powder with vacuum to reduce the C4 concentration to achieve the desired C4 to C14 weight ratio. Yet another manner of preparing the milk powder of this invention includes enzymatically modifying a liquid milk to directly obtain a milk having the required C4 to C14 ratio. As used herein, the phrase “liquid milk” includes milk, reconstituted milk, partially reconstituted milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, recombined milk, i.e., milk reassembled from milk components, skim milk containing one or more of milk fat, anhydrous milk fat, milk fat equivalents and butter, and mixtures thereof. It may also be possible to spray dry a cultured milk to obtain the powdered milk solids of the invention.
Yet another embodiment of this invention includes enzymatically treating milk fat, anhydrous milk fat or butter to achieve the desired weight ratio of C4 to C14 or alternatively to remove undesirable fatty acids through steam distillation to achieve the desired C4 to C14 weight ratio. The resultant milk fat or butter may be added to the admixture used to prepare chocolate so as to obtain a chocolate having the required C4 to C14 weight ratio.
Yet another embodiment of this invention is directed to the method of preparing a chocolate having developed milk character by mixing (i) the powdered milk solids of this invention, (ii) optionally, but preferably, cocoa butter, (iii) cocoa solids and/or chocolate liquor and (iv) sugar. If desired, the chocolate prepared thereby may also include milk and/or milk solids that ha
Johnson Janice M.
Willcocks Neil A.
Youcheff Gary
Hawley & Hoops, Inc.
Paden Carolyn
LandOfFree
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