Patent Application
20080038435
The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following discussion.
The formulation of the precursor for a whippable dessert topping or filling in keeping with present invention has been provided above. However, to reiterate what that formulation is, for purposes of the present discussion, it is as follows:
Some discussion of each of the constituent components of the formulation is now given. First, it has been noted that the water phase of the formulation in keeping with present invention may comprise bovine-derived water which is typically skim milk or buttermilk which has been derived from a butter chum. Mixtures and combinations of those may also be employed. Alternatively, it has been noted that the water phase may be substituted by specially treated water which has been so treated so as to have a pH and mineral content similar to the water constituent of bovine-derived water, and to which skim milk or buttermilk solids have been added to the same extent as they will occur in ordinary skim milk. It is this water phase to which the other ingredients which comprise the vegetable fat/solids phase are mixed and blended. In all events, the water phase has 3% to 12% by weight of dissolved skim milk or buttermilk solids therein.
The vegetable oil constituent of the vegetable oil/solids phase typically comprises a mixture of short chain vegetable oils having C12 to C14 carbon atoms, blended with long chain vegetable oils so as to produce the proper and appropriate whipping, freezing, and taste profile such that the taste and mouth feel of the whipped topping, when whipped, will be essentially the same as that of real whipped cream. However, the blending comprises choosing appropriate short chain vegetable oils and long chain vegetable oils as may be economically available at the time of year and in the geographic location where the invention is being practiced.
Typically, short chain vegetable oils that find a particular usefulness in the practice of the present invention include palm kernel oil, fractionated palm kernel oil, coconut oil, babussu oil, tucum oil, and shea butter. Typical long chain vegetable oils include soya bean oil, palm oil, canola oil, corn oil, flax seed oil, and sunflower seed oil. Mixtures and combinations of those oils, and others, will provide SFI characteristics similar to those of natural butterfat, namely:
Thus, the vegetable oil constituent will have significant solids content at 10° C., and zero solids content at 40° C. Accordingly, the remaining constituents which comprise the vegetable fat/solids phase of the formulation in keeping with present invention may be melted and dissolved into the water phase at elevated temperatures. Then, upon homogenization and cooling, a whippable product which, upon whipping, will have a mouth feel similar to that of whipped cream, is provided.
The addition of the remaining solids provides for the necessary sweetness, flavor, stability, and shelf life of the precursor formulation and/or the whipped dessert topping or filling which is produced therefrom. The purpose of the sugar and salt, and flavor, is self-evident; the purpose of the lecithin, gums, and emulsifier is to provide for shelf life and stability. These additional constituents, however, do not affect the storing or eating characteristics of the product. Moreover, the specific choice of flavor, gums, and emulsifier, is beyond the scope of the present invention but it will be evident to those skilled in the art that any suitable flavor such as vanilla extract or the like, and any suitable gums such as guar, carrageenan, xanthan, and mixtures and combinations thereof, may be employed. The emulsifier must be such that it is compatible with the non-fat milk solids, vegetable oils, and other constituents that are employed in formulations according to the present invention.
It has been noted that the vegetable fat constituent may be in a range of from 12% up to 35%. Typical “low fat” formulations of whipped toppings, and whipping cream sold in aerosol containers, comprise from 17% to 22% fat composition, but may be somewhat lower in some circumstances. In that case, it may be appropriate to add additional skim milk solids; and particularly, it may be appropriate to add condensed skim milk in order to provide for the addition of the further solids which might be required. If so, then condensed skim milk will form part of the water phase of the formulation of the present invention. Moreover, modified milk solids may be added, if required, to provide a higher calcium content than would otherwise occur; it being noted, however, that the additional calcium content is natural, and has been milk-derived. Real whipping cream typically comprises approximately 35% butterfat, and the intention of the present invention is to emulate that fat content, particularly in circumstances where richness of the dessert topping or filling is desired.
Still further, the fat composition constituent of the formulations in keeping with present invention may be structured having a full comprehension of the polymorphic behavior of the fats so that beta prime orienting lipids occur in the formulation in order to create emulsion stability and to control the latent heat release of the product when it is cooled; and particularly, when it is frozen. Otherwise the air holding capacity and stability of the whipped product may be compromised.
It has been noted above that mixtures and combinations of short chain and long chain vegetable oils can be blended into a blend which will have appropriate SFI characteristics similar to those of natural butterfat, and which will exhibit the proper melt profile and crystallization rate. Thus, when such oil blends are employed in the formulations of the present invention, the formulation will assure emulation of real whipped cream in such matters as viscosity, whippability, stability, and eating quality.
Reference is made to the following table, which shows typical SFI characteristics values for butterfat, palm oil, fractionated palm kernel oil, palm kernel oil, and a typical oil blend which can be employed in carrying out the present invention. That oil blend may be formulated from a mixture of fractionated palm kernel oil, coconut oil, soya oil, and canola oil, sunflower oil, or a mixture of canola and sunflower oils.
It will be seen that both palm oil and a blended short chain and long chain oil mixture in keeping with present invention have SFI characteristics that are not profoundly different than those of butterfat. However, those skilled in the art will understand that palm oil per se is not suitable for the purposes of providing the vegetable fat constituent of the vegetable fat/solids phase of the formulation of the present invention, which requires emulation of many other butterfat properties such as melt profile, crystallization rate, whippability, stability of a whipped product, and so on. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that when non-fat milk solids are added to a blended fat system, in keeping with present invention, each incremental addition of solids will affect the firmness of the fat system in such a manner that the increasing firmness is essentially logarithmic in nature.
In carrying out the method of the present invention, it is noted that the first step is to mix all the ingredients of the formulation together and to heat the same to at least 78° C., so as to melt and dissolve the fat and solids ingredients. At same time, all the constituents are blended together. Then, the blended ingredients will be pasteurized at a temperature of at least 80° C. While the blended ingredients are still hot, at least above 75° C., they are then homogenized at a homogenization pressure of at least 1000 psi up to 7000 psi. All of those steps and the machinery that is used for them are well known to those skilled in the dairy arts, and particularly to those having experience with the production of whipped dairy products.
After the first homogenization step the product is then cooled to a temperature of 25° C. to 45° C. Thereafter, it is once again homogenized while at that lower temperature; and once again it is homogenized at pressures of 1000 psi to 7000 psi.
After the second homogenization step, the homogenized precursor formulation may then be packaged or placed in suitable containers and kept at temperatures not below 10° C. and not above 45° C. This homogenized precursor formulation finds a very ready market with commercial bakeries, hotels, and restaurants. There, the product will be used in the preparation of various desserts and baked goods which require a whipped topping or a whipped filling which will emulate the appearance, flavor, and mouth feel, of real whipped cream.
Other consumers of the homogenized precursor formulation may be producers of a whipped dessert topping of the sort sold in the retail market to household consumers. Thus, appropriate containerization for the homogenized precursor formulation when in its unwhipped condition may be such as tanks or drums in which large quantities may be delivered. On the other hand, the homogenized precursor formulation may also be placed into aerosol cans to be dispensed as a whipped topping, in particular; in which case it may find customers in both the commercial and retail markets.
When the product is whipped by being aerated in such as a Votator™ or other whipping machine, typically air is entrained into the product. If so, then it may be desirable for the whipped product to be packaged in individual small packages which are then sealed and treated in such a manner that the temperature of the packaged product is quickly reduced to below 0° C. This assures that surface area of the whipped product, and thus its overrun with respect to the original volume of the homogenized precursor formulation, remains stable; and the increased surface area of the whipped product decreases the freezing time.
A precursor formulation in keeping with present invention had the following specific formula:
The formulation was manufactured in keeping with the steps of the present invention, as described above. The homogenization pressure at each of the hot and cool homogenization steps was 6000 psi.
The formulation had very good whippability and mouth sense, and was no different in any subjective test than whipping cream. The whipped product exhibited excellent air entertainment and stability, and could be substituted for whipped cream in eating tests.
There has been described typical formulations for a whippable dessert topping or filling which comprises milk solids and vegetable fats, and which avoids any use of hydrogenated fats or trans-fatty acids, but which emulates real whipping cream as to color, taste, mouth feel, and which provides a whipped product which emulates real whipped cream. It will be understood and appreciated that other modifications and variations to the formulations in keeping with present invention, and its method of production, will be evident to those skilled in the art and may be employed without, however, departing from the spirit and scope of the present claims.
Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” or comprising, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of stated integers or steps, but not to the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. It will also be understood that phrases such as “similar to” and “to the same extent” imply properties and ranges which are not dissimilar to those to which they have been compared, but which are not necessarily exactly the same.
