Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coated – fluid encapsulated – laminated solid... – Sugar or carbohydrate containing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-26
2002-05-14
Bhat, Nina (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coated, fluid encapsulated, laminated solid...
Sugar or carbohydrate containing
C426S306000, C426S660000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06387422
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to reduced fat, reduced calorie confectionery products, particularly reduced fat, reduced calorie, coated chocolate confections.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Confectionery products typically are formed from high calorie, high fat compositions made from a variety of fats, sugars, starches, flavorings, nuts and other similar ingredients. Such products include confections with high calorie, high fat, flavored filling mixtures coated by chocolates, chocolate-based coatings, sugared, fat containing coatings, or other such coatings that form a shell-like exterior around the high calorie, high fat filling.
In such coated confections, the filling mixtures typically are a major contributor to the organoleptic characteristics, flavor profiles, textures, and mouth feel characteristics of the confections. In many such coated confections, the fillings provide the dominant sweetness and flavor component of the confection. Thus, the organoleptic properties, dissolution rate and texture of the fillings frequently are a critical concern in ensuring that the confection meets the desired requirements for a commercially acceptable product. In addition, the shelf-life of the filling mixtures and their interactions with the shell-like coatings of such confections are a major factor in the storage conditions required for the confections and their expected shelf-life. Accordingly, the composition and properties of the filling mixtures as they affect the shelf-life of the confectionery products also are significant concerns both in the production of the products and in the development of new, improved confectionery products.
In conventional coated confections with chocolate or chocolate-based fillings, the flavor, texture and organoleptic qualities of the fillings normally are dependent on the fat components of the chocolate or chocolate-based components and also on the high calorie sweeteners, typically sucrose, used in such fillings. Cocoa butter generally is the predominant fat component in chocolate or chocolate based fillings. Cocoa butter has a relatively narrow, sharp melting point range that is sufficiently below normal body temperatures so that the chocolate fillings quickly melt in a consumer's mouth. Cocoa butter's rapid melting characteristic further allows for the rapid release of desirable volatile flavor components, and provides a viscous, flowable mass that provides desirable organoleptic, texture and mouth feel characteristics. The use of cocoa butter, in addition, allows for the suspension and fine dispersion of water soluble, high calorie sweeteners throughout the filling. Consequently, those sweeteners may be released from the filling quickly and without gritty or other unwanted residues.
Conventional high fat, high calorie chocolate fillings typically contain very low amounts of water, and thus have a low water activity or a
w
. As referred to herein, the water activity of a confectionery product component or part of a component is a measure of the free water released by the product as a function of the water vapor pressure produced by the product or product component in a closed space. The a
w
is expressed as a ratio of this vapor pressure over the vapor pressure of liquid water at the same temperature. Water activity is commonly measured by determining the relative humidity of the air space above a product sample at room temperature, under controlled conditions, which then is divided by 100, the assumed relative humidity of liquid water under those conditions. In other words, a product that produced a relative humidity of 45% at room temperature has an a
w
of 0.45.
One benefit of low water contents in conventional high fat, high calorie fillings is that such fillings, in combination with conventional coating which also have a low a
w
, provide a relatively long, unrefrigerated shelf-life when transported and stored under proper conditions. The low water contents and water activities of such confections, and particularly the fillings, inhibits the growth of undesirable spoilage and other microorganisms. The low water contents and a
w
of conventional coated confections also reduce the risk of deleterious effects on texture, appearance, organoleptic and other properties of the confections due to the presence of significant amounts of free water in the confection.
The release of appreciable amounts of free water from a confectionery product, particularly coated confectionery fillings, encourages the growth of undesirable microorganisms by providing a favorable environment for microorganisms in the presence of readily available food sources, e.g., the fats and sweeteners comprising the confection. Furthermore, the presence of free water in a coated confection often leads to the build up of fluids at the interface between the coating and the filling that can weaken or crack the coating, and may lead to partial dissolution of the water soluble components of the filling coating. If sufficient free water is released, then seepage from confection may occur producing an undesirable appearance, and contaminating surrounding products and surfaces.
The release of excess free water from such fillings further may result in water migration from the filling into the coating which can lead to a variety of coating failures, discoloration or dissolution of the coatings, as well as an undesirable alteration of the confection's appearance and texture. Further, the release of excess water in such products may lead to the hardening and increasing of the chocolate's melting point and the undesirable appearance of a “bloom” or presence of cocoa fats on the exterior surface of confectionery coatings.
The preferred water activity for the fillings used in coated confectionery products is usually less than about 0.8. This is below the water activity generally necessary to release sufficient free water to support significant undesirable microorganism growth and to cause significant undesirable functional changes in the fillings or the coatings used in conventional confections.
Conventional high fat, high calorie, coated chocolate or chocolate-based confections typically contain about 30% to 60% by weight sugar, about 10% to 70% by weight chocolate liquor (which contains about 50% by weight cocoa butter and finely ground cocoa bean), about 20% to 25% by weight added cocoa butter, and small amounts of other ingredients including nuts, fruits and flavoring. Not only do conventional chocolate confections commonly contain 30% to 34% by weight total fat in the form of cocoa butter, they are usually high in saturated fats. In many instances, such high concentrations of saturated fats in a confection is considered undesirable in view of the established adverse health effects of saturated fats in food products. Similarly, the combination of the amounts of fats in conventional chocolate confections and the relatively high sweetener content of such products results in a product with a relatively high caloric content which is undesirable for those on a reduced calorie diet by choice or due to medical necessity.
Consequently, there has been considerable interest in reducing the fat and calorie contents in coated confectionery products. Several of such efforts have focused on attempts to achieve significant fat and calorie reductions while obtaining flavor, texture, organoleptic and mouth feel properties very similar to, if not identical to those of conventional high fat, high calorie confections.
In one approach, the cocoa and other fats used in conventional confections are replaced by fat substitutes and fat mimetics. One effort using that approach was directed to developing reduced calorie chocolates using fat substitutes and mimetics that simulate the texture and organoleptic properties of cocoa butter, such as those described in Surber et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,795 and the references cited therein.
In those efforts, a primary concern was the development of properties and processing procedures for fat substitutes and mimetics to provide them
Bhat Nina
Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery
Kraft Foods Inc.
LandOfFree
Reduced calorie coated confections does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Reduced calorie coated confections, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Reduced calorie coated confections will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2883638