The present invention relates to frozen confectionery products having at least one ingredient which is dispersed in said frozen confectionery in a non-homogeneous fashion. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such frozen confectionery products.
Traditionally, frozen confectionery products are manufactured by preparing a mix of ingredients such as milk, sweeteners, stabilisers, emulsifiers and flavourings, pasteurising and homogenising the mix prior to freezing, optionally with incorporation of air.
The initial ingredients are thus homogeneously distributed in the resulting frozen confectionery product.
It has now been found that frozen confectionery products having an alternative distribution of certain ingredients can be manufactured and provide the consumer with an alternative sensory perception when consuming the product.
The object of the present invention is thus to provide a frozen confectionery product which provides an alternative organoleptic sensation when consumed.
This object is achieved by means of the independent claims. The dependent claims further develop the central idea of the present invention.
Thus, in a first aspect, the present invention relates to a frozen confectionery product comprising a frozen water-based matrix and optionally a coating, wherein at least one ingredient is dispersed throughout said matrix according to a continuous or stepped gradient of concentration.
In a second aspect, the present invention is concerned with a method for the manufacture of a frozen confectionery product comprising the step of:
filling a frozen mould with a liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix comprising a mixture of ingredients, wherein the concentration of at least one ingredient varies over time during filling according to a continuous or stepped gradient.
In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a frozen confectionery product comprising the step of:
filling a frozen mould with a liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix comprising a mixture of ingredients, sucking back at least part of the frozen confectionery mix in order to create a void in said mould, filling said void with a second liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix comprising at least a further ingredient and allowing the further ingredient to diffuse over time during freezing.
A method for the manufacture of a frozen confectionery product comprising the step of:
dipping a stick in a series of baths, each bath comprising a frozen confectionery mix comprising a mixture of ingredients, wherein the concentration of at least one ingredient increases or decreases continuously in each consecutive bath, also forms part of the present invention.
The present invention relates in a further aspect to a method for the manufacture of a frozen confectionery product comprising the step of filling a mould by spraying the mould with a liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix.
Finally, products obtainable by the methods of the invention also pertain to the present invention.
The present invention is further illustrated by means of the figures, wherein:
The present invention relates to a frozen confectionery product comprising a frozen water-based matrix and optionally a coating, wherein at least one ingredient is dispersed throughout said matrix according to a continuous or stepped gradient of concentration.
By “water-based matrix” is meant any traditional matrix which is used in the production of ice cream, sorbet, mellorine, water ice etc. Such matrix may thus contain a varying amount of water depending on the intended final product.
The frozen confectionery product may thus be ice cream, mellorine, sorbet, water ice. Preferably, it is a water ice.
Preferably, the frozen confectionery product is provided in the form of a single consumable portion, for example a portion of 150-200 g. For instance, the frozen product may be in the form of a bar, cone or any moulded shape.
At least one ingredient in the frozen product of the invention is not homogeneously present, but dispersed according to a particular concentration gradient throughout the product. This has the advantage of providing a specific sensory pattern, which provides the frozen confectionery product with surprising organoleptic properties.
The ingredient which is dispersed according to a particular concentration gradient may be selected from any ingredient that may impact the taste, olfactory, trigeminal, textural and visual properties of the frozen confectionery product. For example, the ingredient may be a tingling agent such as that described in EP 07120825.0, a refreshing agent such as that described in EP 07120824.3. Other examples of ingredients are colourings, flavourings etc. The ingredient may be a single compound or a mixture of compounds.
In a preferred embodiment, the ingredients dispersed in the frozen confectionery product are selected from a tingling agent, a cooling agent and/or a salivating agent.
Tingling agents may be a mixture of sichuan pepper and cinnamaldehyde.
Examples of salivating agent, also called “mouth watering agent”, include extracts from pepper, onion, garlic, radish, horseradish, mustard, chilli, ginger, Jambu Oleoresin or para cress (Spilanthes sp.) in which the active ingredient is Spilanthol, Japanese pepper extract (Zanthoxylum peperitum), including the ingredients known as Saanshool-I, Saanshool-II and Sanshoamide; black pepper extract (piper nigrum), including the active ingredients chavicine and piperine; Echinacea extract; Northern Prickly Ash extract; and red pepper oleoresin.
Cooling agents may be selected from menthol derivative compounds, acyclic and/or cyclic carboxamides, N-substituted paramenthane carboxamides, phosphine oxides, substituted p-menthanes, menthoxypropane, alpha-keto enamine derivatives, N-substituted p-menthane carboxamide, menthyl half acid ester derivatives, cubebol.
In a further preferred embodiment, the frozen confectionery product comprises a tingling agent, a cooling agent and a salivating agent dispersed throughout the product according to a concentration gradient. The salivating agent is preferably at its highest concentration in the core of said product.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the gradient of concentration of at least one ingredient is continuous throughout the frozen confectionery product. The concentration of said ingredient therefore increases or decreases continuously throughout the product. The increase or decrease in concentration may be radial, i.e. from the inside to the outside of the product. Alternatively, or in addition, it may be vertical, i.e. from the top to the bottom of the product.
In another embodiment of the invention, the ingredient may be dispersed in the frozen product according to a stepped concentration gradient. By stepped concentration gradient is meant that, throughout the product, the concentration of said ingredient increases up or decreases down to a certain point, then stagnates at said concentration over a certain distance, then increases or decreases again respectively and so on.
The frozen product may thus be made of layers, each layer comprising a specific concentration of at least one ingredient and a different concentration of said ingredient in the adjacent layers, wherein the concentration either increases or decreases throughout the product. The layers may be horizontal such that the concentration would increase or decrease vertically throughout the product. Alternatively or in addition, concentric layers could be present such that the concentration of at least one ingredient increases or decreases radially throughout the product.
Thus, the present invention also relates to multi-layered products. Preferably, the layers are concentric and/or horizontal. By “multi-layered” is meant, a product comprising at least 3 layers, preferably at least 5 layers. The product may comprise up to 150 layers. The products having concentric multi-layers have been found to exhibit an exceptionally smooth texture.
Depending on the ingredient which concentration is non-homogeneous throughout the product, the concentration increase may be visually noticeable or may be perceived only upon consumption.
In a further embodiment of the invention, at least a further ingredient may be dispersed with a continuous or stepped gradient of concentration throughout said confectionery product, which gradient is different or opposite to the gradient of the first ingredient.
According to this embodiment, at least two ingredients may be dispersed non-homogeneously throughout the frozen product according to different concentration gradients. Thus, the concentration of one ingredient could be increasing from top to bottom while the concentration of a further ingredient is decreasing from top to bottom.
The present invention also relates in a further aspect to methods for the manufacture of a frozen confectionery product.
A method according to the present invention comprises the step of filling a frozen mould with a liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix comprising a mixture of ingredients, wherein the concentration of at least one ingredient varies over time during filling according to a continuous or stepped gradient.
The concentration of said ingredient preferably decreases or increases over time during the filling.
In a further aspect, the filling step may be intermittently interrupted in order to such back part of the liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix. This embodiment is illustrated in
According to another embodiment, the method for manufacture of a frozen confectionery product may comprise the step of filling a frozen mould with a liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix comprising a mixture of ingredients, sucking back part of the liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix in order to create a void in said mould, filling said void with a second liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix comprising at least a further ingredient and allowing the further ingredient to diffuse over time during freezing.
This embodiment is illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment of the present methods, the filling of the mould may be carried out by spraying. This may be done by using a filling system using an air or nitrogen atomising nozzle or any other spraying system producing a mist of frozen confectionery mix. It has been found that using such a filling system yields products having an exceptionally smooth texture. This filling system is illustrated in
Thus, the present invention relates in an aspect to a method for the manufacture of a frozen confectionery product comprising the step of filling a mould by spraying the mould with a liquid or viscous frozen confectionery mix. Preferably, the spraying is carried out such that concentric layers are formed. The product obtainable by said method also forms part of the present invention.
In order to vary the concentration of at least one ingredient over time whilst filling the mould, a mixing chamber is preferably used which comprises frozen confectionery mix ingredients. Further ingredients are then periodically added to the chamber during filling. The addition of further ingredients may be programmed. If an increase of concentration of at least one ingredient is wished, said ingredient is added over time to the chamber during the filling process. If a decrease of concentration of at least one ingredient is wished, said ingredient is present from the start in the frozen confectionery mix, and further frozen concentration mix without said ingredient is added to the chamber over time, in order to decrease the concentration of said ingredient over time.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in
Thus, said reservoirs comprise a different mix of ingredients. For instance, one reservoir could comprise the frozen confectionery ingredients mix with a further ingredient (X+1) and the other reservoir could contain the frozen confectionery ingredients mix without the further ingredient or with a different further ingredient (X or X+2). Then, by varying the contribution of each reservoir over time to the mixing chamber, the concentration of specific ingredients varies during the product preparation.
Preferably, the mould wall is dipped in an alcohol gel bath or any other frozen bath such that when the mix is filled into the mould (G), it immediately freezes on contact with the mould. The frozen bath could be at a temperature minimum of −40° C. for instance.
The present invention thus allows to produce frozen confectionery product having a non-homogeneous distribution of at least one ingredient according to a continuous or stepped gradient.
According to the filling system of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a final product with concentric layers. This may be achieved by the method illustrated in
The filling system of the invention further allows, according to an embodiment, the production of frozen confectionery product with horizontal layers.
Using the filling system of the present invention, up to 150 successive concentric and/or horizontal layers may be obtained. This presents the advantage that very subtle changes in perception upon consumption can be achieved. The resulting frozen confectionery product possesses organoleptic properties which could not be achieved with standard frozen confectionery manufacturing methods.
Furthermore, the inside of the mould may be coated with a thin layer of confectionery, for example chocolate or fruit base, prior to filling it with the frozen confectionery mix. The resulting product may thus be provided with a thin confectionery coating.
Once the mix is filled into the mould, it is then further processed according to standard frozen dessert manufacturing process. Thus, a stick is typically inserted into the mould. The product is eventually demoulded, and further packaged according to standard practice.
Another way to obtain a product according to the invention is further illustrated in
Referring to
Additionally, bath 2 may comprise 0.09% of a refreshing agent, bath 3 may comprise 0.18% of said refreshing agent, bath 4 may comprise 0.26% of said refreshing agent and bath 5 may comprise 0.35% of said refreshing agent.
Preferably, bath 1 comprises, alternatively or in addition, a salivating agent at its highest concentration compared to the concentration of salivating agent in successive baths. Thus, the resulting frozen confectionery product comprises a high concentration of salivating agent in the core of the product. The resulting sensory pattern upon consumption is particularly advantageous as it provides the consumer with a “mouth cleansing” effect at the end of consumption.
The resulting frozen confectionery product comprises several layers each having subtle variations in concentration of an ingredient. This has a positive impact on the overall organoleptic properties of said product.
A product obtainable by any of the present methods also forms part of the present invention.
The present products are thus superior to standard frozen confectionery products in that a tailored sensory profile can be achieved in an easy way, thus providing alternative sensations upon consumption.
The present invention is further illustrated herein by means of the following non-limiting examples.
A frozen product is manufactured using two reservoirs (reservoirs A and B) comprising standard frozen confectionery mix. One reservoir (reservoir A) additionally comprises mouth watering agent at 0.35%, while the other reservoir (reservoir B) additionally comprises a cooling agent at 0.02%.
The reservoirs are linked to a programmable mixing chamber which is programmed according to the table below:
Depending on the filling method used, the resulting product has at least two ingredients dispersed according to a concentration gradient. A tailored release sensory pattern may thus be obtained upon consumption of the final product.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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07123966.9 | Dec 2007 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP08/67291 | 12/11/2008 | WO | 00 | 6/21/2010 |