Method of packaging a frozen dessert

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for packaging a thick but malleable frozen dessert and for dispensing it under pressure in the expanded state. According to this method the product is placed in the semi-frozen state and containing a soluble gas uniformly distributed in its mass in a container and a propellant gas which is substantially insoluble in the said product is chosen; the product is dispensed by opening the dispensing member, the said product being expanded to the degree determined during filling by expansion of the expansion gas, which is dissolved therein.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to a method of packaging a thick but malleable frozen dessert, and for dispensing it under pressure in the expanded state, it being possible for the degree of expansion to be chosen independently of the consistency of the said dessert. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0002] When it is desired to dispense a frozen dessert in the expanded state, that is to say in aerated form, it is known by patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,778 to foam an ice-cream or milkshake mix in order to expand it, to fill receptacles with portions of the expanded mix, which receptacles are then placed in a freezer and where the product is then preserved at freezing temperature. The product is spoonable at this temperature. In fact, the step of foaming at a positive temperature with the introduction of air creates an expanded state which is not stable. There is no indication that the product can be introduced into a pressurized container or can be dispensed at the cold...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The aim of the present invention is to provide a method of packaging and dispensing a thick but malleable frozen dessert, by means of which, on the one hand, it is possible to package the said product in a pressurized receptacle with a high enough pressure given the viscosity of the product, and, on the other hand, it is possible to choose the degree to which the product is expanded at the output of the pressurized receptacle independently of the pressure required for propulsion of the product from the receptacle and of the speed at which the product comes out of the receptacle.

[0008] By virtue of such a method, it especially becomes possible to dispense a frozen dessert, such as the one described for example in European Patent EP B 878 998 or in French Patent Application FR 02 05620, by choosing the degree of expansion that is desired for the product dispensed at the outlet of the receptacle; in fact, it is desirable not to dispense such a frozen dessert in the form of a compact paste, but it is also desirable to prevent dispensing in the form of a foam which is too aerated.

[0016] The partly frozen and partly expanded mix is placed in the container by means of a metering device maintaining the initial pressure in the pipes and in the metering unit, for example by exerting a counterpressure upstream from the dispensing member. This way of proceeding makes it possible to limit the expansion of the volume of the product during filling by partial expansion of the expansion gas.

[0017] According to a first embodiment of the filling step of the method, a metering nozzle moving with an up and down movement is used as filling device, allowing filling by rising from the bottom of the containers, of the type called “bottom-up filler”, so as to maximize the filling and to prevent the formation of pockets free of product. The container is filled, then closed by the dispensing member, sufficiently quickly to limit the expansion.

[0026] According to the invention, it has been found that good results were obtained with regard to the expansion degree and its stability when 80 to 200 l of expansion gas, especially N2O, per 100 l of mix were used. Thus, expansion of about 5 to 35% by volume was obtained at the freezer (depending on the pressure in the said freezer) and about 50 to 100% by volume in the final product delivered. This difference in expansion is due to the fact that most of the expansion gas is dissolved in the freezer during the expansion and freezing operation. This gas partially comes out of solution on leaving the freezer and much more strongly in the dispensing member of the container on dispensing at ambient pressure. It is advantageous according to the invention to check that the expansion is as small as possible during filling so as to maximize the amount of product metered into the containers. On the other hand, it will be advantageous for the product leaving the dispensing member to have an expansion comparable to that which is common in ice-creams. This results from increasing the amount of product metered at constant volume. The best results were obtained at a constant pressure of about 4 to 5 bar in the freezer and by maintaining a counterpressure of the same order, in the pipes feeding the metering element and in the latter.

Problems solved by technology

In fact, the step of foaming at a positive temperature with the introduction of air creates an expanded state which is not stable.

However, this procedure is not satisfactory for two reasons:

on the one hand, the amount of propellant gas dissolved in the product is difficult to control, such that the expanded state obtained is not constant and that the amount of gas remaining available for propulsion of the product is therefore not constant either; and

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