Plant-based frozen confection
By using a combination of soy protein and/or pea protein and carob protein in plant-based frozen confectionery, the shortcomings of existing plant-based frozen confectionery in taste and texture are solved, achieving better sensory characteristics and viscosity control in factory production.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202380058721.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-08-12
- Filing Date
- 2023-07-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing plant-based frozen confectionery has shortcomings in terms of flavor and texture, especially the inherent taste and high viscosity of legume proteins lead to poor texture after aging and difficult to achieve the creamy taste and texture of dairy ice cream.
Using a combination of soy protein and/or pea protein and carob protein, the microstructure and sensory properties of plant-based frozen confectionery are improved by adjusting the weight ratio of the two (4:1 to 1:1), maintaining the appropriate mixture viscosity, and mimicking the texture of dairy ice cream.
Through this combination, the sensory properties of plant-based frozen confectionery are significantly improved, with better flavor, smoother texture, and able to maintain appropriate viscosity in factory production.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to plant-based frozen desserts, and in particular to the use of a specific mixture of plant-based proteins in plant-based frozen desserts. Background Art
[0002] Plant-based foods are a growing consumer trend, which is believed to be driven by growing health and environmental awareness. As a result, there is currently an increased demand among consumers for frozen desserts that are not based on dairy ingredients but use plant-based alternatives.
[0003] Frozen desserts in which some or all of the dairy ingredients have been replaced by plant-based ingredients are commercially available. For example, legume proteins, such as soy or pea proteins, are increasingly being used in frozen desserts. However, the flavor and texture of frozen desserts formulated with certain legume proteins remain unattractive to some consumers. In particular, their widespread acceptance is hampered by issues surrounding their taste, as legume proteins tend to have an inherent taste that formulators must mask to create a neutral product matrix. In addition, consumers desire frozen desserts that are dairy-free but have the creamy mouthfeel and texture of regular ice cream.
[0004] The molecular structure of plant proteins is very different to that of dairy proteins, and a number of technical challenges can be encountered when formulating plant-based frozen desserts. One of these challenges is maintaining the right mix viscosity over time, as differences in protein structure often mean that plant-based premixes have a higher viscosity than dairy premixes, especially after the premix has aged. Another challenge relates to texture and mouthfeel, as dairy proteins stabilize partial coalescence of the fat phase and maintain small air bubbles in the frozen dessert.
[0005] Therefore, there remains a need for improved formulations for plant-based frozen desserts which overcome one or more disadvantages associated with existing formulations. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The inventors have found that improved plant-based frozen desserts can be provided by using carob protein in addition to soy protein and / or pea protein. Therefore, the present invention relates to a plant-based frozen dessert comprising fat in an amount of 1-15wt%; sugar in an amount of 10-30wt%; and plant protein in an amount of 0.4-10wt%, wherein the plant protein comprises a first plant protein (P1) and a second plant protein (P2) in a weight ratio (P1:P2) of 4:1 to 1:1, and wherein the first plant protein (P1) is soy protein and / or pea protein, and the second plant protein (P2) is carob protein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention relates to a plant-based frozen dessert. As used herein, the term frozen dessert refers to a dessert for consumption in a frozen state (i.e., wherein the temperature of the dessert is below 0°C, and preferably, wherein the dessert contains a large amount of ice). Definitions of various terms and techniques used in the manufacture of frozen desserts are given in Ice Cream by H. Douglas Goff and Richard W. Hartel (2013, 7th edition, ISBN 978-1-4614-6096-1).
[0010] As used herein, the term "plant-based" refers to frozen desserts that are mainly formulated with ingredients of plant origin. However, it should be understood that plant-based frozen desserts can be fortified with vitamins and / or minerals, or flavored with ingredients that are not strictly derived from plants (such as honey). Preferably, at least 98% of the dry weight of the ingredients are derived from plants, more preferably at least 99%, at least 99.5%, at least 99.9%, and most preferably 100% of the dry weight of the ingredients are derived from plants. In particular, it is preferred that the frozen dessert is substantially free of animal-derived ingredients, and the amount of animal-derived ingredients thus included is less than 0.1wt%, preferably less than 0.05wt%, and more preferably less than 0.01wt%.
[0011] The frozen dessert contains the vegetable protein of the amount of 0.4-10wt%. Because high levels of vegetable protein are associated with undesirable mouthfeel characteristics (such as grittiness) and / or flavor malfunction, it is preferred that the frozen dessert comprises the vegetable protein of the amount of 8wt% or less, 6wt% or less, 5wt% or less, or even 4wt% or less. The frozen dessert preferably comprises the vegetable protein of the amount of at least 0.45wt%, at least 0.5wt%, at least 0.55wt% or even at least 0.6wt%. Most preferably, the frozen dessert comprises the vegetable protein of the amount of 0.6wt% to 2.5wt%, or even 0.6wt% to 2wt%.
[0012] The vegetable protein comprises a first vegetable protein (P1) and a second vegetable protein (P2) in a weight ratio (P1: P2) of 4:1 to 1:1. The first vegetable protein (P1) is soy protein and / or pea protein, and the second vegetable protein (P2) is carob protein. In other words, the vegetable protein may comprise soy protein and carob protein, or pea protein and carob protein, or soy protein, pea protein and carob protein. Therefore, both the first and second vegetable proteins are pulse proteins.
[0013] The combination of the first vegetable protein and the second vegetable protein has advantages over using either protein alone. In particular, the combination is believed to produce a frozen dessert having a good microstructure and acceptable organoleptic properties while maintaining a suitable mixture viscosity to allow factory production.
[0014] The weight ratio of the first vegetable protein to the second vegetable protein (P1:P2) is from 4:1 to 1:1. Thus, the frozen dessert usually comprises more first vegetable protein (P1) than second vegetable protein (P2), and never comprises more second vegetable protein (P2) than first vegetable protein (P1). Preferably, the weight ratio of the first vegetable protein to the second vegetable protein (P1:P2) is from 3.5:1 to 1:1, 3:1 to 1:1, 4:1 to 1.2:1, 3.5:1 to 1.2:1, 3:1 to 1.2:1, 4:1 to 1.5:1, 3.5:1 to 1.5:1, or even 3:1 to 1.5:1.
[0015] The frozen dessert preferably comprises the first vegetable protein in an amount of at least 0.3 wt%, at least 0.4 wt%, at least 0.5 wt% or even at least 0.6 wt%. High levels of the first protein (i.e. soy protein and / or pea protein) are preferably avoided as they are associated with undesirable flavours. Thus, the frozen dessert preferably comprises the first vegetable protein in an amount of no more than 5 wt%, no more than 3 wt%, no more than 2 wt% or even no more than 1.5 wt%.
[0016] Adding carob protein to a frozen dessert comprising soy and / or pea protein may result in the frozen dessert being considered more indulgent. The frozen dessert preferably comprises the second vegetable protein (i.e. carob protein) in an amount of at least 0.15 wt%, at least 0.2 wt%, at least 0.25 wt% or even at least 0.3 wt%. The frozen dessert preferably comprises the second vegetable protein (i.e. carob protein) in an amount of no more than 2 wt%, no more than 1.5 wt%, no more than 1 wt% or even no more than 0.5 wt%.
[0017] As the frozen dessert is a plant-based frozen dessert, it is preferred that the frozen dessert is substantially free of dairy ingredients including milk protein. As used herein, "substantially free" means that the frozen dessert contains said ingredients in an amount of less than 0.1 wt%, preferably less than 0.05 wt%, more preferably less than 0.01 wt%.
[0018] The frozen dessert comprises fat in an amount of 1 wt% to 15 wt%, preferably 2 wt% to 12 wt%, 3 wt% to 10 wt%, or even 4 wt% to 8 wt%. The fat is preferably a vegetable fat (such as coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil or a mixture thereof), and particularly preferably the fat is coconut oil.
[0019] Frozen desserts contain 10wt% to 30wt% sugar. Sugar is used in almost all types of frozen desserts and has two main functions: providing sweetness and controlling ice volume. As used herein, the term "sugar" includes monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides (formed by 3 to 10 monosaccharide units). Monosaccharides include glucose, fructose, galactose and mannose. Disaccharides include sucrose, lactose and trehalose. Oligosaccharides include raffinose. The term "sugar" does not include polysaccharides containing>10 monosaccharides. Some ingredients that are usually included in frozen desserts may increase the content of sugar. An example is corn syrup (sometimes called glucose syrup)-it is a mixture of monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides.
[0020] High concentrations of sugar may bring unwanted sweetness and / or calories to the frozen dessert. Therefore, the amount of sugar in the frozen dessert is no more than 30wt%, preferably no more than 28wt%, no more than 25wt% or no more than 22wt%. On the contrary, if the frozen dessert is a scoopable product, low concentrations of sugar may be inappropriate because low concentrations of sugar tend to cause the frozen dessert to have a high ice content. Therefore, the amount of sugar in the frozen dessert is at least 10wt%, preferably at least 12wt%, at least 15wt% or at least 20wt%.
[0021] The frozen dessert may further comprise nut solids, preferably in an amount of 1 wt% to 8 wt%, 1.5 wt% to 5 wt% or even 2 wt% to 4 wt%. Preferred sources of nut solids include almonds, cashews, coconuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios and mixtures thereof. Almond or coconut solids are preferred. If present, nut solids are preferably added in the form of nut paste or nut butter.
[0022] The frozen dessert preferably comprises an emulsifier or a mixture of emulsifiers, such as mono-diglycerides, etc. For example, the frozen dessert may comprise an emulsifier in an amount of 0.05 to 1 wt%, 0.1 to 0.8 wt% or 0.2 to 0.5 wt%.
[0023] Although not required, the frozen dessert typically comprises at least one stabilizer, which is preferably selected from: locust bean gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, tara gum and mixtures thereof (e.g., a mixture of locust bean gum and guar gum). The amount of stabilizer in the frozen dessert is preferably 0.05 wt% to 1 wt%, 0.1 wt% to 0.8 wt% or 0.2 wt% to 0.5 wt%.
[0024] The frozen dessert may optionally comprise a non-nutritive sweetener, such as aspartame, acesulfame K, erythritol, sucralose or one or more steviol glycosides, such as rebaudioside A. Mixtures of two or more non-nutritive sweeteners may also be used.
[0025] The frozen confection may optionally contain colouring and / or flavouring.
[0026] The frozen confection is preferably aerated. As used herein, the term "aerated" means that the confection has an overrun of at least 30%. Preferably, the frozen confection has an overrun of 50% to 150%, 70% to 140% or even 80% to 120%. The overrun (in "%) is defined by the following equation:
[0027]
[0028] The expansion ratio is measured at ambient temperature (20°C) and atmospheric pressure.
[0029] The frozen dessert may optionally comprise other components including, but not limited to, inclusions, sauces and / or toppings.
[0030] The frozen dessert of the present invention can be made by any suitable method. Frozen desserts are usually prepared by freezing a premix (preferably a pasteurized premix) of ingredients such as water, fat, freezing point depressants, vegetable proteins (including soy protein and / or pea protein and carob protein) and optionally other ingredients (such as emulsifiers, stabilizers, pigments and spices). Other components (if present) are usually added after the premix is frozen.
[0031] Numerical ranges expressed in the format "from x to y" are understood to include x and y, and in any range of specified values or amounts, any particular upper value or amount can be associated with any particular lower value or amount. Unless otherwise indicated, wt% refers to weight percent based on the weight of the entire formulation (including water).
[0032] Except in the examples and comparative experiments, or where otherwise expressly indicated, all numbers are understood to be modified by the word "about". As used herein, unless otherwise indicated, the indefinite article "a / an" and its corresponding definite article "the" mean at least one, or one or more. Example
[0033] The examples are intended to illustrate the invention, but the invention is not limited to these examples per se.
[0034] Example 1
[0035] Plant-based frozen dessert formulations were prepared according to the recipes in Table 1. Sample A contained pea protein, and samples 1 to 3 contained a combination of pea protein and carob protein. The designated first protein level (P1) was the amount of protein provided by the pea protein source (83% protein content), and the designated second protein level (P2) was the amount of protein provided by the carob protein source (54% protein content).
[0036] Table 1: Plant-based frozen dessert formulations
[0037]
[0038]
[0039] Briefly, the ingredients (excluding coconut oil) were combined and mixed with heat (60°C to 75°C), then coconut oil was added and further mixed. The mixture was pasteurized and homogenized, then aged at 4°C for 24 hours.
[0040] After the aging step, the mix was aerated in a scraped surface heat exchanger (standard ice cream freezer). The air input was controlled to give a target overrun of 100% and the freezing was controlled to give a target extrusion temperature of -6°C.
[0041] A panel of tasters evaluated the sensory properties of the frozen desserts. All members of the taste panel indicated that the sensory properties of Sample 2 were better than or comparable to Sample A, and the majority of the taste panel indicated that the sensory properties of Samples 1 and 3 were better than or comparable to Sample A. In addition, Sample 1 was considered more enjoyable and had fewer off-notes than Sample A.
[0042] Thus, samples containing a combination of pea protein and carob protein had improved organoleptic properties compared to samples containing pea protein alone.
[0043] Example 2
[0044] Plant-based frozen dessert formulations were prepared according to the recipes in Table 2. Sample B contained soy protein, and samples 4 and 5 contained a combination of soy protein and carob protein. The designated first protein level (P1) was the amount of protein provided by the soy protein source (90% protein content), and the designated second protein level (P2) was the amount of protein provided by the carob protein source (54% protein content).
[0045] Table 2: Plant-based frozen dessert formulations
[0046]
[0047]
[0048] Briefly, the ingredients (excluding coconut oil) were combined and mixed with heat (60°C to 75°C), then coconut oil was added and further mixed. The mixture was pasteurized and homogenized, then aged at 4°C for 24 hours.
[0049] After the aging step, the mix was aerated in a scraped surface heat exchanger (standard ice cream freezer). The air input was controlled to give a target overrun of 100% and the freezing was controlled to give a target extrusion temperature of -6°C.
[0050] A panel of tasters evaluated the sensory properties of the frozen desserts. All members of the taste panel indicated that the sensory properties of Sample 5 were better than or comparable to Sample B, and the majority of the taste panel indicated that the sensory properties of Sample 4 were better than or comparable to Sample B.
[0051] Thus, the samples containing a combination of soy protein and carob protein had improved organoleptic properties compared to the samples containing soy protein alone.
[0052] Another frozen dessert (Sample 6) containing 0.48 wt% pea protein and 0.32 wt% carob protein was prepared in a similar manner (Sample 4; P1:P2=1.5:1). The frozen dessert was evaluated by a taste panel and all members of the taste panel considered the frozen dessert to have acceptable sensory properties. In particular, Sample 6 was considered to have significantly less off-flavors typically associated with plant proteins than the control sample (0.8 wt% pea protein).
Claims
1. A plant-based frozen dessert comprising fat in an amount of 1-15wt%; sugar in an amount of 10-30wt%; and plant protein in an amount of 0.4-10wt%, wherein the plant protein comprises a first plant protein (P1) and a second plant protein (P2) in a weight ratio (P1:P2) of 4:1 to 1:1, and wherein the first plant protein (P1) is soy protein and / or pea protein, and the second plant protein (P2) is carob protein. 2 . The plant-based frozen dessert according to claim 1 , wherein the plant protein comprises the first plant protein (P1) and the second plant protein (P2) in a weight ratio (P1:P2) of 3:1 to 1:
1. 3 . The plant-based frozen dessert according to claim 2 , wherein the plant protein comprises the first plant protein (P1) and the second plant protein (P2) in a weight ratio (P1:P2) of 3:1 to 1.5:
1.
4. A plant-based frozen dessert according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the frozen dessert has an overrun of 50% to 150%.
5. A plant-based frozen dessert according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the frozen dessert comprises plant protein in an amount of 0.5-6 wt%.
6. A plant-based frozen dessert according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the frozen dessert comprises sugar in an amount of 15-25 wt%.
7. A plant-based frozen dessert according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the frozen dessert comprises fat in an amount of 3-10 wt%.
8. A plant-based frozen dessert according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the frozen dessert comprises the first plant protein (P1 ) in an amount of 0.3-5 wt%.
9. The plant-based frozen dessert according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the frozen dessert comprises the second plant protein (P2) in an amount of 0.15-2 wt%.