Instant raw sugar square block and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to the field of raw sugar production. In particular, the invention provides an instant sugarcane, palm or coconut raw sugar block and a preparation method thereof.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of food products. In particular, the present invention provides an instant jaggery cube and a method for preparing the same. Background Art

[0002] The Background Description includes information that may be helpful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication explicitly or implicitly referenced is prior art.

[0003] Today, people are becoming more aware of their food choices and are opting for organic or natural alternatives to processed or ultra-processed foods. There is an area where people are demanding better unprocessed food options rather than specific highly processed food options.

[0004] Around the world, about 3.7 billion cups of tea and about 4 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. A study in Public Health in May 2017 found that about two-thirds of coffee drinkers and one-third of tea drinkers put sugar (sugar cubes / sugar powder) or sugary flavorings in their drinks. In addition to tea and coffee, many other hot / cold beverages are served around the world after refined sugar is added. Long-term use of white sugar (in the form of sugar cubes / sugar granules / sugar powder) (which is added to their cups of tea / coffee and other drinks) will affect their physical health. Even brown sugar cubes, which are touted as a better alternative to white sugar cubes, are not much better as they are also processed with various chemicals and have little nutritional value.

[0005] Overuse of this pure sugar with zero nutrition is leading to various health issues around the world. Refined sugar intake is linked to diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has almost tripled globally since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults aged 18 years and above (39% of adults) were overweight. Of these, more than 650 million people (13% of adults) were obese. Refined sugar intake is considered to be one of the major reasons for the increase in obesity worldwide. Aware of these issues, many people around the world want to switch from refined white / brown sugar to unrefined / organic / healthier sweeteners like jaggery, honey, etc.

[0006] Jaggery is considered the healthiest alternative to refined white / brown sugar as it is less likely to alter the taste of the food to which it is added. According to current technology, jaggery is produced in three forms: solid, granular and liquid. However, jaggery is less expensive and has nutritional and medicinal properties; its routine use in tea / coffee / other beverages and food preparations in its three existing forms is somewhat challenging. In the solid form of jaggery, the main challenge is the low solubility due to its extremely low osmotic pressure. The time-consuming process of dissolving solid jaggery in tea / coffee / other hot or cold beverages makes its use less attractive. Although jaggery in granular / powder form can be dissolved in tea / coffee / other beverages, its inherent moisture content can lead to microbial growth in it and shorten its shelf life to a few months. In addition, due to its inherent moisture, it becomes sticky and non-free-flowing, which makes it inconvenient to use. Therefore, there are convenience, hygiene and quality issues associated with the use of jaggery granules / jaggery powder, which makes it less attractive. The use of jaggery in liquid form is very limited in some food preparations, which is further impaired by the same limitations as jaggery in granular form.

[0007] At the industrial level, the raw sugar available in granular form is not produced in the form of fine powder and has uneven moisture locked in particles of different sizes. It also has some insoluble particles and stickiness. When compressed into a mold, the uneven moisture is destroyed and appears on the surface of the block and sticks to the mold, making it impossible to form a block.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a new and improved form of raw sugar and a method for its preparation that is commercially acceptable and overcomes one or more problems associated with conventional forms and methods of preparation. The present disclosure satisfies this existing need.

[0009] Purpose of the Invention

[0010] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a solution to overcome one or more problems associated with conventional forms of raw sugar and methods of its preparation.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide instant dissolving raw sugar cubes.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide instant raw sugar cubes having excellent shelf life.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide commercially acceptable instant dissolving raw sugar cubes.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for preparing instant raw sugar cubes.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide an easy to follow process for preparing instant raw sugar cubes.

[0016] Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the present invention. Summary of the invention

[0017] The present invention relates generally to the field of raw sugar production. In particular, the present invention provides instant raw sugar cubes and a method for preparing the same.

[0018] The inventors of the present invention surprisingly observed that when raw sugar cubes are produced by taking raw sugar granules / raw sugar powder of sugar cane, palm or coconut having a specific moisture level as a starting material and grinding and sieving the material to achieve a specific size and moisture of the granules, this provides the required moisture level and the resulting cubes (instant raw sugar cubes) show excellent dissolution properties.

[0019] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method of preparing instant jaggery cubes, wherein the instant jaggery cubes are produced by using jaggery powder of sugar cane, palm or coconut as a raw material.

[0020] In another aspect, the present invention provides a process for preparing instant jaggery cubes, wherein the process comprises the following steps: a) taking jaggery powder of sugar cane, palm or coconut; b) grinding the jaggery powder; c) sieving the jaggery powder to obtain free-flowing granules of a specific size and moisture; d) forming jaggery cubes by compressing the granules in a mould under a specific compression force; and (e) packaging the jaggery cubes.

[0021] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for preparing instant cane, palm or coconut jaggery cubes, wherein the process comprises the following steps:

[0022] (a) Grinding jaggery powder / granules of sugarcane, palm or coconut having a moisture level of 3% to 5% in a grinder to uniformly disperse the moisture;

[0023] (b) sieving the sugar cane, palm or coconut raw sugar powder / granules obtained in step (a) to obtain free-flowing granules of equal size ranging from 1 mm to 3 mm;

[0024] (c) pressing the free-flowing granules in a mould coated with a non-stick coating using a hydraulic press to obtain raw sugar cubes;

[0025] (d) drying the formed raw sugar cubes at a temperature of 50° C. to 120° C. for 5 to 30 minutes to obtain dried raw sugar cubes;

[0026] (e) cooling the dried raw sugar cubes at a temperature of 15° C. to 40° C. for 5 to 30 minutes to obtain final raw sugar cubes; and

[0027] (f) The raw sugar cubes are packed in aluminum based wrappers with double seal to ensure that moisture does not enter into the final raw sugar cubes.

[0028] In one embodiment, the size of the raw sugar particles of sugar cane, palm or coconut obtained after sieving is 1 mm to 3 mm, preferably 1.25 mm to 2.5 mm, most preferably 1.5 mm to 2 mm. In one embodiment, the size of the raw sugar particles is about 1.8 mm.

[0029] In one embodiment, the raw sugar cubes are dried and then cooled prior to packaging. In one embodiment, the step of drying the raw sugar cubes comprises exposing the raw sugar cubes to a temperature of 50°C to 120°C for 5 to 30 minutes. In one embodiment, the step of drying the raw sugar cubes comprises exposing the raw sugar cubes to a temperature of 70°C to 110°C for 10 to 25 minutes. In one embodiment, the step of drying the raw sugar cubes comprises exposing the raw sugar cubes to a temperature of about 90°C for a period of about 20 minutes. In one embodiment, the drying step is achieved by using hot air. In one embodiment, the cooling step comprises exposing the dried cubes to a temperature of 15°C to 40°C for 5 to 30 minutes. In one embodiment, the cooling step comprises exposing the dried cubes to a temperature of 20°C to 30°C for 5 to 15 minutes.

[0030] In one embodiment, the sieving step further comprises simultaneously removing any insoluble matter present in the raw sugar powder.

[0031] Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] With reference to the non-limiting embodiments described in detail in the following description, the embodiments of this paper and various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more comprehensively. The description of known components and processing techniques is omitted to avoid unnecessarily blurring the embodiments of this paper. The embodiments used herein are only for the convenience of understanding the mode in which the embodiments of this paper can be put into practice, and further enable those skilled in the art to put into practice the embodiments of this paper. Therefore, these embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments of this paper.

[0033] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used in the disclosure of the present invention, including technical and scientific terms, have the meanings commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. By way of further guidance, term definitions may be included to better understand the teachings of the present invention.

[0034] As used in the description herein, the meanings of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0035] As used herein, the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprising", "include", "includes" are non-limiting, i.e., other steps and other ingredients that do not affect the end result can be added. The above terms include the terms "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of".

[0036] As used herein, the terms "composition," "blend" or "mixture" are intended to be used interchangeably.

[0037] As used herein, the terms "weight percent," "vol %," "percent by weight," "wt%" and variations thereof refer to the concentration of a substance, i.e., the weight of the substance divided by the total weight of the composition, multiplied by 100. It should be understood that, as used herein, "percent," "%," and the like are intended to be synonymous with "weight percent," "vol %," and the like.

[0038] In some embodiments, the amount of the expression composition for describing and claiming some embodiments of the present invention, the numerals of properties such as concentration, reaction conditions should be understood to be modified by the term "about" in some cases. Therefore, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description are approximate values, which can change according to the desired characteristics sought to be obtained according to the specific embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be explained according to the number of reported significant figures and by applying common rounding techniques. Although the numerical range and parameters of the wide range of some embodiments of the present invention are approximate values, the numerical value set forth in the specific examples is reported as accurately as possible.

[0039] Recitation of ranges of values ​​herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.

[0040] The titles and abstracts of the inventions provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments.

[0041] The following discussion provides many example embodiments of the subject matter of the present invention. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the subject matter of the present invention is considered to include all possible combinations of disclosed elements. Therefore, if one embodiment includes elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment includes elements B and D, the subject matter of the present invention is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not clearly disclosed.

[0042] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of raw sugar manufacturing. In particular, the present invention provides instant raw sugar cubes and methods for making the same.

[0043] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a process for preparing instant jaggery cubes, wherein the instant jaggery cubes are produced by using sugarcane / palm / coconut jaggery powder as raw material.

[0044] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for preparing instant jaggery cubes comprising the steps of: a) taking jaggery powder of sugar cane, palm or coconut; b) grinding the jaggery powder; c) sieving the jaggery powder to obtain free-flowing granules of a specific size and moisture; d) forming jaggery cubes by compressing the granules in a mould; and (e) packaging the jaggery cubes.

[0045] In one embodiment, grinding and sieving help balance the moisture trapped in the raw sugar particles and provide particles of a desired size. In one embodiment, the sieving step also includes simultaneously removing any insoluble material present in the raw sugar powder.

[0046] In one embodiment, the moisture content of raw sugar cane, palm or coconut raw sugar powder / granules is between 3% and 5%. In another embodiment, the moisture content of raw sugar cane, palm or coconut raw sugar powder / granules is between 3.5% and 4.5%.

[0047] In one embodiment, the particles of sugar cane, palm or coconut raw sugar obtained after sieving have a size of 1 mm to 3 mm, preferably a size of 1.25 mm to 2.5 mm, most preferably a size of 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm. In an embodiment, the particles of raw sugar have a size of about 1.8 mm. In one embodiment, the cubes are prepared by using any conventional method known or understood by those skilled in the art to achieve the intended purpose.

[0048] In one embodiment, the block is formed in a mold by judiciously selecting the compression force, temperature, and duration to achieve the desired block density.

[0049] In one embodiment, the pressing in the hydraulic press can be at 25 kg / cm 2 Up to 75kg / cm 2The compression force and the density of about 0.85 to 1.10 are carried out. In one embodiment, the compression can be carried out at 45kg / cm 2 Up to 55kg / cm 2 The compression force and the density of about 0.95 to 1.0 are carried out. In one embodiment, the compression can be carried out at 50 kg / cm 2 The compression force is about 0.975 and the density is about 0.975.

[0050] In one embodiment, the mold is coated with a non-stick coating. In another embodiment, the non-stick coating of the mold is a hard chrome coating, a CVD (chemical vapor deposition) coating, and a PVD (physical vapor deposition) coating.

[0051] In one embodiment, the raw sugar cubes are dried and then cooled prior to packaging.

[0052] In one embodiment, the resulting raw sugar cubes are dried by using any conventional method known or understood by one skilled in the art to achieve the intended purpose.

[0053] In one embodiment, the step of drying the raw sugar cubes comprises exposing the raw sugar cubes to a temperature of 50°C to 120°C in a conventional heater / convection heater / hot air heater for 5 minutes to 30 minutes. In one embodiment, the step of drying the raw sugar cubes comprises exposing the raw sugar cubes to a temperature of 70°C to 110°C for 10 minutes to 30 minutes. In one embodiment, the step of drying the raw sugar cubes comprises exposing the raw sugar cubes to a temperature of 80°C to 90°C for 15 minutes to 25 minutes.

[0054] In one embodiment, the drying step is accomplished by using hot air. In one embodiment, the block is air dried at a temperature of 50°C to 120°C. In one embodiment, the block is air dried at a temperature of 70°C to 110°C. In one embodiment, the block is air dried for a period of about 5 minutes to 30 minutes. In one embodiment, the block is air dried for a period of about 10 minutes to 25 minutes. In one embodiment, the block is air dried for about 20 minutes.

[0055] In one embodiment, the cooling step comprises exposing the dried block to a temperature of 15°C to 40°C for a period of 5 minutes to 30 minutes. In one embodiment, the cooling step comprises exposing the dried block to a temperature of 20°C to 30°C for a period of 5 minutes to 20 minutes. In one embodiment, the cooling step comprises exposing the dried block to a temperature of 20°C to 25°C for a period of 5 minutes to 15 minutes. In one embodiment, the cooling step comprises exposing the dried block to a temperature of about 25°C. In one embodiment, the cooling step comprises exposing the dried block for about 10 minutes.

[0056] In one embodiment, after cooling, the obtained instant raw sugar cubes are immediately packaged. In one embodiment, the cubes are immediately packaged into single cube packages. In one embodiment, the cubes are immediately packaged into aluminum foil packages. In one embodiment, the cubes are immediately packaged into aluminum foil packages into single cube packages.

[0057] In one embodiment, the moisture content of the instant raw sugar cubes is less than 2%. In one embodiment, the moisture content of the instant raw sugar cubes is between 0.5% and 2%. In one embodiment, the moisture content of the instant raw sugar cubes is between 0.5% and 1.5%. In one embodiment, the moisture content of the instant raw sugar cubes is less than 1%.

[0058] In another embodiment, the instant raw sugar cubes dissolve in a given beverage within a time period of 2 seconds to 60 seconds. In one embodiment, the instant raw sugar cubes dissolve in a given beverage within a time period of 5 seconds to 30 seconds.

[0059] In another embodiment, the instant raw sugar cubes dissolve in hot water at 60°C to 70°C with stirring at 50 RPM in less than 20 seconds.

[0060] In another embodiment, the instant raw sugar cubes dissolve in cold water at 8°C to 12°C at 50 RPM in less than 40 seconds.

[0061] In another embodiment, the raw sugar cubes may be raw sugar cubes with spices or flavorings. In an embodiment, the spices or flavorings are selected from cloves, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, basil, nutmeg, turmeric, cocoa, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, almonds, Giloy, Ajwain, cumin, flaxseed, fenugreek, moringa, cashews, and the like.

[0062] In one embodiment, the entire process steps are performed in a relative humidity (RH) controlled environment, wherein the RH is maintained below 35%.

[0063] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for preparing instant cane, palm or coconut jaggery cubes, wherein the process comprises the following steps:

[0064] (a) Grinding jaggery powder / granules of sugarcane, palm or coconut having a moisture level of 3% to 5% in a grinder to uniformly disperse the moisture;

[0065] (b) sieving the sugar cane, palm or coconut raw sugar powder / granules obtained in step (a) to obtain free-flowing granules of equal size ranging from 1 mm to 3 mm;

[0066] (c) pressing the free-flowing granules in a mould coated with a non-stick coating using a hydraulic press to obtain raw sugar cubes;

[0067] (d) drying the formed raw sugar cubes at a temperature of 50° C. to 120° C. for 5 to 30 minutes to obtain dried raw sugar cubes;

[0068] (e) cooling the dried raw sugar cubes at a temperature of 15° C. to 40° C. for 5 to 30 minutes to obtain final raw sugar cubes; and

[0069] (f) The raw sugar cubes are packed in aluminum based wrappers with double seal to ensure that moisture does not enter into the final raw sugar cubes.

[0070] In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for preparing instant cane, palm or coconut jaggery cubes, wherein the process comprises the following steps:

[0071] (a) Grinding jaggery powder / granules of sugarcane, palm or coconut having a moisture level of 3% to 5% in a grinder to uniformly disperse the moisture;

[0072] (b) sieving the sugar cane, palm or coconut jaggery powder / granules obtained in step (a) to obtain free-flowing granules of the same size of 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm;

[0073] (c) pressing the free-flowing granules in a mould coated with a non-stick coating using a hydraulic press to obtain raw sugar cubes;

[0074] (d) drying the formed raw sugar cubes at a temperature of 80° C. to 90° C. for about 20 minutes to obtain dried raw sugar cubes;

[0075] (e) cooling the dried raw sugar cubes at a temperature of 20° C. to 25° C. for about 10 minutes to obtain final raw sugar cubes; and

[0076] (f) The raw sugar cubes are packed in aluminum based wrappers with double seal to ensure that moisture does not enter into the final raw sugar cubes.

[0077] In one embodiment, process steps (a) to (f) are performed in a normal environment or a relative humidity (RH) controlled environment, wherein the RH is maintained below 35%.

[0078] In one embodiment, process steps (a) to (f) are performed in a relative humidity (RH) controlled environment, wherein the RH is maintained below 35%.

[0079] In one embodiment, cooling is performed in a relative humidity (RH) controlled environment, wherein the RH is maintained below 35%. In one embodiment, packaging is performed in a relative humidity (RH) controlled environment, wherein the RH is maintained below 35%.

[0080] In one embodiment, the cube has a shelf life of more than 6 months. In one embodiment, the cube has a shelf life of more than 12 months.

[0081] In one embodiment, the cubes have a lower density than solid raw sugar and are permeable, thus, dissolving quickly in hot / cold beverages and other food preparations, thereby overcoming the low solubility problem of solid raw sugar. In one embodiment, in cold beverages, refined white sugar cubes fail to dissolve completely despite vigorous stirring, while these raw sugar cubes dissolve quickly. This makes instant raw sugar cubes a perfect, healthy and even better alternative to refined white / brown sugar cubes.

[0082] In one embodiment, these cubes also overcome the moisture content problem inherent in raw sugar granules / raw sugar powder, as the moisture content of the raw raw sugar granules is balanced in the first stage of production by grinding and sieving, thereby evenly distributing the moisture over the desired size of the granules. This also solves the stickiness problem. Moreover, by using a specific quality of stainless steel material with a non-stick coating to make the mold of the machine, the stickiness problem is further solved. Thereafter, during the drying of the cubes, the moisture in the cubes is removed to acceptable industry standard levels to avoid microbiological activity. In one embodiment, the cubes are immediately packed into aluminum foil packaging into single cube packaging to further ensure that there is little to no microbiological activity over an extended shelf life.

[0083] Furthermore, it is easy for consumers to switch from one type of sweetener cube to a healthier type of sweetener cube as the convenience of use and storage is not changed and hence no change in consumer habit patterns is required. This would make instant jaggery cubes a commercially acceptable alternative.

[0084] Example

[0085] The present invention is further explained in the form of the following examples. However, it should be understood that the following examples are merely illustrative and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0086] Example 1: Instant Cane Raw Sugar Cubes

[0087] raw materials Sugarcane raw sugar granules / powder from open market Amount of raw materials 100g Moisture content of raw materials 4％ Color of raw materials Light Brown Relative humidity of the environment Below 35%

[0088] Manufacturing steps

[0089] Step I: The moisture level of the raw material was tested in a Wensar Moisture Analyzer Model PGB-1MB and the moisture reading of the material was obtained to be 4%.

[0090] Step II: Grind 100 g of raw material in a grinder at 15000 RPM for 5 seconds to get uniform distribution of moisture in the jaggery particles.

[0091] Step III: The raw material obtained in step II was sieved with a No. 10 sieve (ASTM E11) with a pore size of 2 mm to obtain raw sugar particles with a maximum particle size of 2 mm. In this step, all insoluble substances in the raw material were removed. The net amount of the remaining raw material was 80 grams.

[0092] Step IV: The raw materials obtained in step III were poured into 18 mm x 18 mm stainless steel molds coated with hard chrome to ensure 100% demoulding. Each mold was filled with 5 grams of raw materials.

[0093] Step V: Use 50KG / cm 2 The mold is compressed with a compression force to form a sugarcane raw sugar cube with a size of 18 mm×18 mm×16 mm (L×B×H) and a density of 0.965.

[0094] Step VI: The Nos. 16 cubes obtained in step V were dried in a conventional drying heater with hot air circulation at a temperature of 85°C for 20 minutes. Each cube showed a weight loss of 0.16 g (3.20%) after drying. The moisture level was checked in a Wensar moisture analyzer model PGB-1MB and the moisture reading of the cubes was 0.80%.

[0095] Step VII: The dried cubes obtained in step VI were cooled at a temperature of 25°C for 10 minutes. After cooling, the moisture level was checked in a Wensar moisture analyzer model PGB-1MB and the moisture reading of the cubes was 0.85%. The color of the final cubes was light brown.

[0096] Step VIII: Pack the cooled cubes obtained in step VII in aluminum foil packaging as individual candy packaging for each cube.

[0097] Step IX: A dissolution test was performed by placing the cubes obtained in step VIII into hot water at 70°C and stirring at 50 RPM. The cubes completely dissolved in water within 15 seconds.

[0098] Step X: A dissolution test was performed by placing the cubes obtained in step VIII into cold water at 10°C and stirring at 50 RPM. The cubes completely dissolved in water within 35 seconds.

[0099] Example 2: Instant Palm Jaggery Cubes

[0100] raw materials Palm jaggery granules / powder from open market Amount of raw materials 100g Moisture content of raw materials 3.75％ Color of raw materials brown Relative humidity of the environment Below 35%

[0101] Manufacturing steps:

[0102] Step I: The moisture level of the raw material was tested in a Wensar Moisture Analyzer Model PGB-1MB and the moisture reading of the material was obtained to be 3.75%.

[0103] Step II: Grind 100 g of raw material in a grinder at 15000 RPM for 5 seconds to get uniform distribution of moisture in the jaggery particles.

[0104] Step III: The raw material obtained in step II was sieved with a No. 10 sieve (ASTM E11) with a pore size of 2 mm to obtain raw sugar particles with a maximum particle size of 2 mm. In this step, all insoluble substances in the raw material were removed. The net amount of the remaining raw material was 80 grams.

[0105] Step IV: The raw materials obtained in step III were poured into 18 mm x 18 mm stainless steel molds coated with CVD to ensure 100% demoulding. Each mold was filled with 5 grams of raw materials.

[0106] Step V: Use 50KG / cm 2 The mold was compressed with a compression force of 100 to form palm jaggery cubes with dimensions of 18 mm×18 mm×16 mm (L×B×H) and a density of 0.965.

[0107] Step VI: The No. 16 cubes obtained in step V were dried in a conventional drying heater with hot air circulation at a temperature of 85°C for 20 minutes. Each cube showed a weight loss of 0.15 grams (3%) after drying. The moisture level was checked in a Wensar moisture analyzer model PGB-1MB, and the moisture reading of the cubes was 0.75%.

[0108] Step VII: The dried cubes obtained in step VI were cooled at a temperature of 25°C for 10 minutes. After cooling, the moisture level was checked in a Wensar moisture analyzer model PGB-1MB and the moisture reading of the cubes was 0.79%. The color of the final cubes was brown.

[0109] Step VIII: Pack the cooled cubes obtained in step VII in aluminum foil packaging as individual candy packaging for each cube.

[0110] Step IX: A dissolution test was performed by placing the cubes obtained in step VIII into hot water at 70°C and stirring at 50 RPM. The cubes completely dissolved in water within 14 seconds.

[0111] Step X: A dissolution test was performed by placing the cubes obtained in step VIII into cold water at 10°C and stirring at 50 RPM. The cubes completely dissolved in water within 35 seconds.

[0112] Example 3: Instant Coconut Jaggery Cubes

[0113] raw materials Coconut jaggery granules / powder from open market Amount of raw materials 100g Moisture content of raw materials 3.80％ Color of raw materials brown Relative humidity of the environment Below 35%

[0114] Manufacturing steps:

[0115] Step I: The moisture level of the raw material was tested in a Wensar Moisture Analyzer Model PGB-1MB and the moisture reading of the material was obtained as 3.80%.

[0116] Step II: Grind 100 g of raw material in a grinder at 15000 RPM for 5 seconds to get uniform distribution of moisture in the jaggery particles.

[0117] Step III: The raw material obtained in step II was sieved with a No. 10 sieve (ASTM E11) with a pore size of 2 mm to obtain raw sugar particles with a maximum particle size of 2 mm. In this step, all insoluble substances in the raw material were removed. The net amount of the remaining raw material was 80 grams.

[0118] Step IV: The raw materials obtained in step III were poured into 18 mm x 18 mm stainless steel molds coated with PVD to ensure 100% demoulding. Each mold was filled with 5 grams of raw materials.

[0119] Step V: Use 50KG / cm 2 The mold was compressed with a compression force of 100 to form coconut jaggery cubes with dimensions of 18 mm×18 mm×16 mm (L×B×H) and a density of 0.965.

[0120] Step VI: The No. 16 cubes obtained in step V were dried in a conventional drying heater with hot air circulation at a temperature of 85°C for 20 minutes. Each cube showed a weight loss of 0.15 g (3%) after drying. The moisture level was checked in a Wensar moisture analyzer model PGB-1MB and the moisture reading of the cubes was 0.80%.

[0121] Step VII: The dried cubes obtained in step VI were cooled at a temperature of 25°C for 10 minutes. After cooling, the moisture level was checked in a Wensar moisture analyzer model PGB-1MB and the moisture reading of the cubes was 0.85%. The color of the final cubes was brown.

[0122] Step VIII: Pack the cooled cubes obtained in step VII in aluminum foil packaging as individual candy packaging for each cube.

[0123] Step IX: A dissolution test was performed by placing the cubes obtained in step VIII into hot water at 70°C and stirring at 50 RPM. The cubes completely dissolved in water within 15 seconds.

[0124] Step X: A dissolution test was performed by placing the cubes obtained in step VIII into cold water at 10°C and stirring at 50 RPM. The cubes completely dissolved in water within 35 seconds.

[0125] The description of the above specific embodiments so fully reveals the overall nature of the embodiments herein that others can easily modify and / or adapt these specific embodiments for various applications by applying existing knowledge without departing from the overall concept, and therefore, these adjustments and modifications should and are intended to be understood as belonging to the meaning and scope of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments.

[0126] It should be understood that the wording or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description, not for limitation. Therefore, although the embodiments herein have been described according to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be implemented by modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments described herein.

[0127] Advantages of the present invention

[0128] The present disclosure provides instant raw sugar cubes that may overcome one or more problems associated with traditional forms of raw sugar and methods of making the same.

[0129] The present disclosure provides instant raw sugar cubes.

[0130] The present disclosure provides instant raw sugar cubes which, when formed into cubes in a mold, have moisture evenly distributed throughout the cube.

[0131] The present disclosure provides instant raw sugar cubes having acceptable moisture levels in the dried cubes according to industry standards.

[0132] The present disclosure provides instant raw sugar cubes which have little microbial activity during the shelf life after packaging.

[0133] The present disclosure provides instant raw sugar cubes with excellent shelf life.

[0134] The present disclosure provides commercially acceptable instant dissolving raw sugar cubes.

[0135] The present disclosure provides a method for preparing instant raw sugar cubes.

[0136] The present disclosure provides an easy to follow method for preparing instant raw sugar cubes.

Claims

1. A method for preparing instant cane, palm or coconut jaggery cubes, wherein the method comprises the following steps: (a) Grinding jaggery powder / granules of sugarcane, palm or coconut having a moisture level of 3% to 5% in a grinder to uniformly disperse the moisture; (b) sieving the sugar cane, palm or coconut raw sugar powder / granules obtained in step (a) to obtain free-flowing granules of equal size ranging from 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm; (c) pressing the free-flowing granules in a mould coated with a non-stick coating using a hydraulic press to obtain raw sugar cubes; (d) drying the formed raw sugar cubes at a temperature of 80° C. to 90° C. for 15 to 30 minutes to obtain dried raw sugar cubes; (e) cooling the dried raw sugar cubes at a temperature of 20° C. to 25° C. for 5 to 20 minutes to obtain final raw sugar cubes; and (f) The raw sugar cubes are packed in aluminum based wrappers with double seal to ensure that moisture does not enter into the final raw sugar cubes.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sieving step further comprises removing insoluble matter present in the raw sugar powder of sugar cane, palm or coconut.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding spices or flavorings to the raw sugar cubes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressing step (c) is performed at 25 kg / cm 2 Up to 75kg / cm 2 The compression force is about 0.85 to 1.10 and the density is about 0.85 to 1.

10.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method steps are performed in a relative humidity (RH) controlled environment, wherein the RH is maintained below 35%.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the moisture content of the final raw sugar cubes is less than 2%.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dissolution time of the raw sugar cubes in hot water at a temperature of 60°C to 70°C with stirring at 50 RPM is less than 20 seconds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dissolution time of the raw sugar cubes in cold water at a temperature of 8°C to 12°C with stirring at 50 RPM is less than 40 seconds.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the spices or flavoring agents are selected from the group consisting of cloves, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, basil, nutmeg, turmeric, cocoa, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, almonds, Tinospora cordifolia, ajwain, cumin, flaxseed, fenugreek, moringa, and cashew.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-stick coating is a hard chrome coating, a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) coating, and a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating.