Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Beverage or beverage concentrate
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-03
2003-04-15
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
C426S580000, C426S584000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06548101
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a stable, whitened coffee concentrate and a process for producing the concentrate. The invention also relates to a method for stabilizing whitened coffee concentrates.
BACKGROUND
Coffee products that contain mixtures of soluble coffee solids and milk solids are commonly found in two forms; as soluble beverage powders or as ready-to-drink liquid beverages. Although these products appear to be simple, numerous difficulties need to be overcome in order to produce them. For example, the inherent instability of coffee and milk mixtures creates a significant problem that needs to be overcome.
For soluble beverage powders, a common problem is the appearance of flocculated milk proteins when the beverage is reconstituted with water. The flocculated milk proteins negatively affect consumer acceptability. The problem of flocculation of the milk proteins in coffee beverages has been satisfactorily dealt with by a process in which the milk proteins are subjected to a processing step that controls flocculation. After processing in this way, any flocculated milk proteins in the reconstituted beverage are too small to be visible. This process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,733.
For ready-to-drink liquid beverages, in addition to the problems with flocculation of milk proteins, it is found that lipids in the beverage rise to the surface of the beverage in the form of globules. These globules form an agglomerated, white layer known as a cream layer and the phenomenon is known as creaming. Upon shaking of the container, the globules usually re-disperse within the beverage, however, a persistent, visible white ring usually remains on the container at the interface between the liquid beverage and the gas above it. The presence of this ring is unacceptable to consumers. Processing techniques and stabilizers are necessary to deal with the problem.
The stability problems become even more pronounced when whitened coffee products are formulated into a liquid concentrate. Typically, the coffee component of these concentrates develops increased acidity over time. The increased acidity negatively influences the taste of products reconstituted from the concentrate. Furthermore, the increase in acidity leads to other problems such as curdling of the milk component, gelation, and sedimentation. Therefore, despite the advantages offered by whitened coffee concentrates they are not commercially available, since the consuming public will not accept products that exhibit the above-identified problems. Thus, there is a need for a stable, whitened coffee concentrate that avoids the above-identified problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stable, whitened coffee concentrate; a method for stabilizing a whitened coffee concentrate; and a method for making the stable, whitened coffee concentrate. The stable, whitened coffee concentrate includes concentrated milk components, concentrated soluble coffee solids, and coffee aroma, wherein the solids concentration of the whitened coffee concentrate is above about 25% by weight. The ratio, on a dry basis, of non-fat milk solids to coffee solids may be between about 1:0.1 and 1:0.7. The concentrate shows substantially no change in viscosity after at least 5 months storage at room temperature.
The coffee aroma may provided in the form of an aromatized coffee concentrate. Preferably, the aromatized coffee concentrate has a total organic content (TOC) of above about 300 mg/100 g of aromatized coffee concentrate and more preferably a TOC of above about 450 mg/100 g of aromatized coffee concentrate. Preferably, the coffee aroma also includes highly volatile aroma components.
The concentrate may include between about 50% and 60% sugar, between about 15% and 25% non fat milk solids, between about 8% and 15% soluble coffee solids, and between about 8% and 15% milk fat, the percentages being on the basis of dry weight. Preferably, the solids concentration is between about 70% and 80% by weight. Preferably, the concentrated soluble coffee solids are enzymatically hydrolyzed. The concentrate may also include one or more additives such as buffers, sweeteners, flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers or mixtures thereof. The concentrate may be packaged in a single-serve sachet.
The method of stabilizing the whitened coffee concentrate involves adding to a whitened coffee concentrate a sufficient amount of coffee aroma to stabilize the coffee concentrate and provide a stable, whitened coffee concentrate having a solids concentration above about 25% by weight. Preferably, the amount of coffee aroma is between about 1 and 3 percent by weight and contains highly volatile aroma components.
The stable, whitened coffee concentrate is prepared by combining concentrated coffee solids with concentrated milk components to provide a whitened coffee concentrate; adding to the whitened coffee concentrate a sufficient amount of coffee aroma to stabilize the whitened coffee concentrate and provide a stable, whitened coffee concentrate having a solids content of above about 25% by weight; homogenizing the stable, whitened coffee concentrate to increase the dispersion of fat in the stable, whitened coffee concentrate; and packaging the homogenized stable whitened coffee concentrate.
The amount of coffee aroma may be from about 1 and 3 percent by weight. Preferably, the coffee aroma contains highly volatile aroma components. In addition, one or more additives such as buffers, sweeteners, flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers or mixtures thereof may be added to the stable, whitened coffee concentrate. The whitened coffee concentrate may be subjected to colloidal milling.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The invention provides a stable, whitened coffee concentrate that can be stored under shelf conditions for long periods of time without significant stability and flavor-degradation problems. For example, the concentrate may be stored for more than about 5 months, preferably more than about 9 months, and more preferably more than about 12 months without significant stability and flavor-degradation problems. The stable, whitened coffee concentrate does not exhibit a harsh acidity after storage and exhibits a reduced tendency to undergo gelation and sedimentation during storage. By gelation is meant an increase in viscosity of the concentrate over time. By sedimentation is meant the formation of a solid that precipitates from the concentrate and settles to the bottom of the container in which the concentrate is packaged.
The whitened coffee concentrate comprises a mixture of concentrated milk components, concentrated soluble coffee solids, and a stabilizing amount of a coffee aroma. The whitened coffee concentrate has a solids concentration above about 25 percent by weight, preferably between about 30 and 75 percent and more preferably between about 55 and 72 percent.
The concentrated soluble coffee solids may be provided in the form of a soluble powder or suitable base coffee concentrate. By coffee concentrate is meant a concentrated extract of roast coffee. The base coffee concentrate may be prepared, by one of two methods. In the first method, soluble coffee powder is dissolved in water to provide a base concentrate with the desired concentration of coffee solids. In the second method, a coffee extract is obtained by a coffee extraction process and the resulting extract is concentrated to the desired concentration of coffee solids. The coffee extract may be obtained by extracting roasted coffee beans with a solvent. Methods for extracting roasted coffee beans and for concentrating the resulting extract are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Any suitable extraction procedure or concentration procedure may be used. The choice and design of the extraction procedure and concentration procedure is a matter of preference and has no critical impact on the invention.
Optionally, the concentrated coffee solids may be subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis; for example using a gamanase. Hydrolysis using a gamanase of
Bodenstab Stefan
Cevallos Agustin
Chmiel Oliver
Knoblich Cristin
Kuslys Martinas
Nestec S.A.
Weier Anthony J.
Winston & Strawn
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