Composition for coating frozen confectionery and method of making same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition for coating a frozen confectionery and a method of making the same. The present invention relates to a composition for coating a frozen confectionery, the composition comprising from 10% to 50% by weight of a dry glucose syrup having a DE (dextrose equivalent) of less than 40, and having a total amount of monosaccharides and disaccharides of less than 10% by weight, and a water activity of less than 1.0, and from 35% to 70% by weight of fat. The invention also relates to a method for preparing said composition.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of PCT application PCT / EP2016 / 057950, filed on April 12, 2016, entitled "Composition for Coating Frozen Sugar Food and Method for Preparing the Composition". The PCT application entered the Chinese national phase on October 16, 2017, and the application number is 201680022024.4. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to compositions for coating frozen sugary foods, and more particularly, to coating compositions having a low sugar content. The invention also relates to methods for preparing such compositions. Background Technology

[0003] Coated frozen confectionery is a popular product among consumers. Its sweetness is the main reason for its widespread appeal. Another important characteristic is the texture of the coating.

[0004] As people become increasingly health-conscious, there is a growing demand to reduce the calories, sugars, and fats in frozen sweetened foods. Nutritionists recommend that consumers reduce their intake of added sugars and consume more unrefined carbohydrates, especially for children.

[0005] Many frozen sweeteners on the market claim to be low-sugar or sugar-free due to their content of polyols and / or strong sweeteners. However, polyols may have a mild laxative effect when consumed in large quantities, and some consumers do not approve of the use of strong sweeteners, especially in foods intended for young children where their use is not recommended.

[0006] It is well known that sugars are essential to the sensory properties of frozen confectionery. Sugars serve at least a dual function in frozen confectionery. They provide sweetness and enhance flavor while lowering their freezing point, making frozen confectionery palatable; they also contribute to the texture of the coating.

[0007] It is well known that the lower sugar content (monosaccharides and disaccharides) in frozen confectionery leads to reduced sweetness and flavor, increased hardness, and the risk of causing a burning sensation in the mouth. For ice cream, lower sugar content makes the product more difficult to scoop out.

[0008] The sweetening power and freezing point depression coefficients of different sugars are not the same. Generally speaking, monosaccharides (such as glucose, galactose, or fructose) lower the freezing point more than disaccharides (such as maltose, lactose, and sucrose).

[0009] In this context, the term "carbohydrate" will be defined as a mixture of monosaccharides and disaccharides. For example, sucrose, glucose, fructose, and maltose are various sugars according to this definition. Furthermore, the term "sugar" will be defined as sucrose or table sugar.

[0010] Fat-based chocolate coatings or composite coatings are commonly used to coat frozen confectionery. The physical properties of the coating, particularly its chewiness and setting time, are determined by the crystallization of the fat. Coconut oil has traditionally been used to prepare composite coatings for frozen confectionery, as it has a saturated fatty acid (SFA) level of 91%. In coatings with high fat content, the SFA level is typically above 50%.

[0011] Furthermore, regarding fats, consumers seek healthier products that offer the same properties. The solution lies in coating blends containing specific liquid oils and palm oil fractions with lower SFA (Self-Fat Acidity). The viscosity of these blends is crucial for achieving SFA reduction, as excessively thick coatings result in higher fat content and consequently, higher SFA levels.

[0012] Therefore, it is desirable to impose certain limits on the sugar, fat, and saturated fatty acids added to frozen sweeteners. Examples of such limits per serving are: 150 kcal, 9g fat, and 7g saturated fat. For children's products, the specific target is 110 kcal or less per serving.

[0013] The most direct solution to reduce sugar content is to simply reduce the amount of sugar mixed in the coating preparation. However, this will also reduce the total solids content and affect the properties of the coating. Due to the high fat content, such a coating will have a very low (almost watery) viscosity, resulting in only a very thin coating layer.

[0014] A common solution to balance this reduction in total solids is to use additives such as sugars (fructose), polyols (erythritol, sorbitol), and fiber (promitt). ™ And salt. Unfortunately, these extenders may be undesirable for several reasons: too expensive, poor consumer acceptance (clean label), adverse digestive problems, metallic or bitter aftertaste.

[0015] Glucose syrup can be considered a potentiator to overcome most of these problems. When used in aqueous suspensions, the resulting coatings will be of a fairly soft ganache type. However, dry glucose syrup is known to be hygroscopic. This hygroscopicity will affect both the coating manufacturing process and its application. Due to its difficulty in handling, those skilled in the art will avoid using glucose syrup when it comes to liquid coating formulations.

[0016] Common extenders such as fibers will reduce the sensory properties of coatings (less "sweet" taste or metallic aftertaste). Finally, replacing sugar with extenders will affect the application characteristics of the coating solution. When it is a liquid (coating bath), the melt temperature and viscosity can be altered; when it is a solid (hard coating around frozen products), brittleness can be changed. There is no guidance in the prior art on what the optimal solution would be for including fibers in coatings.

[0017] Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the sugar content in the coating of frozen confectionery while maintaining the physical properties of the coating (such as brittleness, texture, melting behavior, absence of gritty texture, and sweetness) and avoiding unpleasant aftertastes.

[0018] In addition, a sugar coating is required in which the physical properties of the coating meet the requirements of the operating parameters (such as dripping time and setting time, pick-up weight, plastic viscosity, yield value) without affecting the coating cracking or fissures.

[0019] In addition, it is necessary to reduce the amount of sugar and SFA in the coating of frozen sugary foods while maintaining the above characteristics.

[0020] Purpose of the invention

[0021] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide a frozen confectionery product with a low-sugar coating, the coating having physical properties acceptable to consumers.

[0022] A second objective of the present invention is to provide a coating composition for frozen confectionery that has acceptable processing characteristics.

[0023] A third objective of the present invention is to provide a low-sugar and low-SFA coating composition for use in frozen confectionery. Summary of the Invention

[0024] It has been unexpectedly discovered that certain types of dry glucose syrup can be used as a extender in ice cream coatings, thereby reducing sugar content without altering the physical properties of the coating, and further without increasing the viscosity of the coating bath.

[0025] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a composition for coating frozen confectionery, the composition comprising:

[0026] 10% to 50% by weight of dry glucose syrup, said dry glucose syrup having a DE (dextrose equivalent) of less than 40, and having a total monosaccharide and disaccharide content of less than 10% by weight, and a water activity of less than 1.0 (preferably less than 0.6); and

[0027] 35% to 70% by weight of fat.

[0028] It has been found that the coatings according to the present invention meet the requirements of operating parameters (dripping time and setting time, pick-up weight, plastic viscosity, yield value) without affecting coating cracking or fissures. Detailed Implementation

[0029] In this context, the term "carbohydrate" will be defined as a mixture of monosaccharides and disaccharides. For example, sucrose, glucose, fructose, and maltose are various sugars according to this definition. Furthermore, the term "sugar" will be defined as sucrose or table sugar.

[0030] It has been discovered that using a composition for coating frozen foods, wherein the composition contains

[0031] 10% to 50% by weight of dry glucose syrup, said dry glucose syrup having a DE (dextrose equivalent) of less than 40, and having a total monosaccharide and disaccharide content of less than 10% by weight, and a water activity of less than 1.0, preferably less than 0.6; and

[0032] 35% to 70% by weight of fat,

[0033] It is possible to obtain a coating that meets the requirements of operating parameters without affecting coating cracking or fissures, and has a reduced amount of sugar while maintaining the physical properties of the coating.

[0034] Surprisingly, dry glucose syrups with monosaccharide and disaccharide content below 10% (wt%) have been observed to exhibit low hygroscopic behavior. "Low hygroscopicity" means that the product has a limited tendency to absorb water from its surrounding environment.

[0035] During coating manufacturing, the hygroscopic dry glucose syrup will absorb any ambient moisture, increasing the coating's viscosity (especially its yield value). Furthermore, the resulting coating will have a higher water activity, making it more susceptible to microbial activity and thus resulting in a shorter shelf life. During application, the coating will further increase in viscosity, making the coating process difficult to control. The problem of clumping should also be considered.

[0036] The term "dry" glucose syrup means that the glucose syrup contains less than 5% water.

[0037] The dry glucose syrup according to the invention preferably has a DE value of 20 to 40, more preferably 25 to 40, and even more preferably 30 to 35. The dry glucose syrup having the stated DE value is commercially available from ingredient suppliers such as Tate & Lyle or Tereos.

[0038] "Water activity" refers to the partial vapor pressure of water in a substance divided by the partial vapor pressure of pure water at the same temperature. Using this specific definition, pure distilled water has a water activity of exactly one. Substances with higher water activity tend to support more microorganisms. Bacteria typically require at least 0.91, while fungi require at least 0.7.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the dry glucose syrup according to the present invention:

[0040] - This dry glucose syrup does not contain any polyols, such as mannitol or sorbitol, and / or

[0041] - This dry glucose syrup contains less than 5% dextrose, preferably less than 3%, and / or

[0042] This dry glucose syrup contains less than 8% maltose.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the composition further comprises less than 25% by weight of sugars, preferably 5% to 22% by weight of sugars.

[0044] According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the sugar is selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, or combinations thereof.

[0045] Furthermore, when considering compositions containing the sugars, the dry glucose syrup may be present in an amount of 10% to 30% by weight.

[0046] Advantageously, the dry glucose syrup according to the invention can thus replace a portion of the sugar to obtain a low-sugar coating composition.

[0047] In another embodiment, the present invention relates to compositions wherein dry glucose syrup is present in an amount of 15% to 50% by weight.

[0048] In one particular embodiment, the dry glucose syrup according to the invention can replace all sources of sugar (sucrose). In other words, the resulting ice cream coating contains no other ingredients besides the dry glucose syrup to sweeten the composition.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the composition according to the invention contains fat, wherein the fat has a saturated fat level (SFA) of less than 60%.

[0050] The compositions according to the present invention can be combined using known techniques to reduce the fat and SFA (saturated fatty acid) content of chocolate coatings: EP2099313 (Nestec) and EP2367441 (Unilever). These patents neither address the problem of reducing sugar content in coatings nor propose the use of dry glucose syrup in coating formulations.

[0051] Fats and sugars are uniformly mixed in a composition for coating frozen confectionery. The curing step of the composition is related to the crystallization of fat molecules. The crystallization of fat molecules will be affected by the presence of other molecules, and any modifications to the composition may affect this crystallization / curing step. The texture (brittleness or crispness) of the coating on frozen confectionery can be considered a driver of consumer preference, and therefore maintaining this characteristic is important.

[0052] The fats suitable for use in the compositions according to the present invention may be selected from: coconut oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil, palm oil fractions, sunflower oil, olive oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, shea butter, mango kernel oil, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the fats are selected from: intermediate grades of palm oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, or combinations thereof.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the present invention contains fat, said fat comprising...

[0054] 8% to 15% by weight of liquid oil, and

[0055] 20% to 62% by weight of intermediate grade palm oil, the weight being based on the total weight of the composition.

[0056] Preferred liquid oils for the compositions according to the present invention are sunflower oil, olive oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, or combinations thereof.

[0057] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid oil is sunflower oil.

[0058] In another particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid oil is rapeseed oil.

[0059] Sunflower oil and rapeseed oil are particularly suitable within the scope of this invention because they have low SFA content, are odorless, and are reasonably priced.

[0060] According to the present invention, the composition may contain 0.1% to 2% by weight of an emulsifier selected from sunflower lecithin, soybean lecithin polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR; E476), ammonium phospholipid (YN; E442) or combinations thereof.

[0061] According to another embodiment, the composition of the present invention may further comprise 5% to 25% by weight of non-fatty cocoa solids.

[0062] If the cocoa content is below 5%, the cocoa flavor will not be strong enough for consumers to perceive it as cocoa flavor, and above 25% is usually unsuitable because it will result in a very strong and bitter taste.

[0063] Furthermore, the compositions according to the invention may, in a preferred embodiment, contain 1% to 20% by weight of skim milk solids. Less than 1% skim milk solids result in an unsatisfactory color, flavor, and texture from a sensory point of view. More than 20% skim milk solids do not achieve the additional beneficial effects.

[0064] In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for preparing the coating composition as described above, the method comprising the following steps:

[0065] - The dry glucose syrup is mixed with the liquid oil.

[0066] - Add the remaining ingredients to the blend, then

[0067] - Grind the blend to obtain the composition.

[0068] In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for preparing the coating composition as described above, the method comprising the following steps:

[0069] - Mix the dry glucose syrup with the other dried ingredients of the composition.

[0070] - The dried mixture is then blended into the oil, and then...

[0071] - Grind the blend to obtain the composition.

[0072] It is important to immerse the glucose syrup in oil before grinding. If the ingredients are all dry-refined, an amorphous structure is formed, which readily absorbs moisture (hygroscopicity). This will negatively affect the viscosity of the coating composition.

[0073] The present invention also relates to a method for preparing coated frozen confectionery, the method comprising providing a coating composition according to the invention and coating the frozen composition.

[0074] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to frozen confectionery coated with a composition according to the invention.

[0075] Preferably, the frozen confectionery according to the invention may have a coating thickness of 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

[0076] Furthermore, the frozen confectionery according to the present invention can be ice cream.

[0077] Example

[0078] The following examples illustrate various embodiments of this disclosure by way of example and not limitation.

[0079] Formulation and preparation :

[0080] Product preparation

[0081] It should be understood that various variations and modifications of the currently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. These changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter of the invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. Therefore, these changes and modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

[0082] A coating sample was prepared by mixing dry ingredients, oil, and emulsifier (lecithin only) to obtain a batch of 1.8 kg. After mixing, the composition was milled in a mill (Royal Duyvis Wiener 1-WS; 8 mm steel balls) at 45°C for 18 minutes. At the end of milling, other emulsifiers (PGPR), pigments, and flavorings were added to the composition and stirred at 150 rpm for 30 minutes.

[0083] Example 1 :

[0084] Example 1 discloses a reference and two coating formulations according to the invention (Table 1). The purpose of this example is to demonstrate the processing performance of the compositions according to the invention when using high fat content (approximately 62% of the total coating composition in this example). The applicability of the invention to low SFA compositions is also demonstrated.

[0085] Composition

[0086]

[0087] Table 1: Low-sugar coating compositions, % by weight

[0088] Sample A-0 is a reference for a typical coating composition. This sample is not within the scope of this invention.

[0089] Sample A-1 discloses the use of dry glucose syrup to replace 50% of the sugar. The fat content is 62% (sunflower lecithin accounts for 0.47% of the fat), and the SFA content is 51.5%.

[0090] Sample A-2 discloses the replacement of 50% of the sugar with dry glucose syrup in a low SFA composition. The fat content is 61.6%, and the SFA content is 31.76%.

[0091] All samples exhibited similar viscosities. A-0 and A-1 had the same plastic viscosity. A-2 had a slightly higher plastic viscosity than A-0. The perceived sweetness of samples A-1 and A-2 was slightly lower than that of A-0, but still acceptable from a sensory point of view. All of these samples were suitable for any standard coating process.

[0092] Example 2 :

[0093] Example 2 discloses a reference and two coating formulations according to the invention (Table 2). The purpose of this example is to demonstrate the processing performance of the compositions according to the invention when used with a low fat content (approximately 40% of the total coating composition in this example). Furthermore, the samples of Example 2 contain cocoa powder to demonstrate the effectiveness of the invention in the field of cocoa coatings. The applicability of the invention to low SFA compositions is also demonstrated.

[0094] Composition

[0095]

[0096] Table 2: Low-sugar cocoa coating compositions, % by weight

[0097] Sample B-0 is a reference for a typical cocoa coating composition. This sample is not within the scope of this invention.

[0098] Sample B-1 discloses the replacement of 50% of the sugar in a cocoa composition with dry glucose syrup. The fat content is 40%, and the SFA content is 37%.

[0099] Sample B-2 discloses the replacement of 50% of the sugar with dry glucose syrup in a low-SFA cocoa composition. The fat content is 40%, and the SFA content is 22%.

[0100] B-0 and B-1 have the same plastic viscosity. Due to the addition of PGPR, the plastic viscosity of B-2 is lower than that of B-0. The perceived sweetness of samples B-1 and B-2 is comparable to that of B-0. All of these samples are suitable for any standard coating process.

[0101] Example 3 :

[0102] Example 3 discloses a reference and a coating formulation according to the invention (Table 3). The purpose of this example is to demonstrate the processing performance of the composition according to the invention when dry glucose syrup is used to completely replace sugar.

[0103] Composition

[0104]

[0105] Table 3: Sugar-free cocoa coating compositions, % by weight

[0106] Sample B-0 is a reference for a typical cocoa coating composition. This sample is not within the scope of this invention.

[0107] Sample B-3 discloses the use of dry glucose syrup to replace 100% of the sugar. The fat content is 40%, and the SFA content is 37%.

[0108] B-0 and B-3 have the same plastic viscosity. The perceived sweetness of sample B-3 is slightly lower than that of sample B-0. Sample B-3 is suitable for any standard coating process.

[0109] Example 4 :

[0110] Example 4 discloses comparative samples and references (Table 4). The purpose of this example is to demonstrate that any type of glucose syrup will not affect the processing performance of the compositions according to the invention.

[0111] Composition

[0112]

[0113] Table 4: Comparative examples of sugar-free cocoa coating compositions, % by weight ,

[0114] Sample B-0 is a reference for a typical cocoa coating composition. This sample is not within the scope of this invention.

[0115] Sample B-4 discloses the use of dry glucose syrup to replace 100% of the sugar, which is not within the scope of this invention (total monosaccharide and disaccharide content is higher than 10%, which is 16% in this sample).

[0116] The plastic viscosity of B-4 is higher than that of B-0. The perceived sweetness of sample B-4 is significantly lower than that of B-0. Sample B-4 is not suitable for any standard coating process.

Claims

1. A composition for coating frozen confectionery, said composition comprising: 10% to 50% by weight of dry glucose syrup, said dry glucose syrup having a DE (dextrose equivalent) of less than 40, and having a total monosaccharide and disaccharide content of less than 10% by weight, and a water activity of less than 1.0; and 35% to 70% by weight of fat.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises less than 25% by weight, preferably from 5% to 22% by weight, of sugar.

3. The composition according to claim 2, wherein the sugar is selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, or combinations thereof.

4. The composition according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the dry glucose syrup is present in an amount of 10% to 30% by weight.

5. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the dry glucose syrup is present in an amount of 15% to 50% by weight.

6. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fat has a saturated fat level of less than 60%.

7. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fat comprises 8% to 15% by weight of liquid oil and 20% to 62% by weight of intermediate palm oil fraction, the weight being based on the total weight of the composition.

8. The composition according to claim 7, wherein the liquid oil is sunflower oil, olive oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, or a combination thereof.

9. The composition according to claim 8, wherein the liquid oil is sunflower oil.

10. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composition comprises 0.1% to 2% by weight of an emulsifier selected from sunflower lecithin, soybean lecithin polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR; E476), ammonium phospholipid (YN; E442) or combinations thereof.

11. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising 5% to 25% by weight of cocoa solids.

12. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising 1% to 20% by weight of skim milk solids.

13. A method for preparing a coating composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises the following steps: - The dry glucose syrup is mixed with the liquid oil. - Add the remaining ingredients to the blend, then - Grind the blend to obtain the composition.

14. A method for preparing a coated frozen confectionery, the method comprising providing a coating composition according to any one of the preceding claims and coating the frozen composition.

15. A frozen confectionery coated with the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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