A frozen confectionery premix and a frozen confectionery obtainable therefrom

Abstract

A frozen dessert premix that can be frozen and optionally aerated to produce frozen desserts, said premix comprising water, fat, acidic fruit concentrate or puree, sugar, stabilizer and emulsifier, having a pH of 3.5 to 5.0 and containing less than 0.2 wt% protein; and frozen desserts that can be obtained by freezing and optionally aerating said premix.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a frozen dessert premix containing an acidic fruit concentrate and frozen desserts obtained therefrom. Background Technology

[0002] Frozen desserts with some or all of their dairy components replaced by plant-based ingredients are now available on the market. For example, legume proteins (such as soy protein or pea protein) are increasingly used in frozen desserts. The molecular structures of plant proteins are quite different from those of dairy proteins, and formulating plant-based frozen desserts may present several technical challenges. One such challenge involves texture and mouthfeel, as milk proteins stabilize partial aggregation of the fat phase and maintain smaller air bubbles in frozen desserts.

[0003] Along with proteins, fats are also responsible for the unique microstructure (and thus the texture) associated with ice cream. Fats help stabilize air bubbles, create a smooth texture, provide ideal melting properties (by slowing down the rate of melting), and are a good carrier for certain flavor compounds. Producing frozen desserts with less than 4% fat content is challenging and often involves using additional ingredients specifically selected for their fat substitution properties and / or using specific types and amounts of emulsifiers.

[0004] US 2018 / 184684 A1 discloses a frozen dessert with low protein content and minimal animal-derived ingredients, comprising triglyceride oil, vegetable protein, less than 1.5 wt% protein, 10 wt% to 40 wt% sugar, 0 wt% to 1 wt% emulsifier and 0 wt% to 1 wt% stabilizer, and having a pH of at least 5.

[0005] US 2017 / 042182 A1 discloses a smoothie premix containing strawberry puree.

[0006] Acidic ice cream formulations are also popular, for example, when they are based on acidic flavorings such as fruit flavorings like strawberry, raspberry, lime, pineapple, lemon, apple, or orange. However, acidity presents additional technical challenges, particularly in forming a premix with acceptable microstructure properties after emulsification.

[0007] Traditionally, dairy-based formulations have had few difficulties handling acidic ingredients. However, non-dairy formulations have been found to be more sensitive to acidic ingredients, especially when low-fat and / or low-protein formulations are required. Acidic premixes have been found to affect the aeration of the resulting ice cream, which is thought to be due to protein denaturation by acid.

[0008] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide recipes and / or methods for frozen desserts containing acidic fruit concentrates or purees, which can produce low-dairy or non-dairy recipes, especially low-fat and / or low-protein recipes. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a frozen confectionery premix that can be frozen and optionally aerated to produce frozen confectionery, wherein the premix comprises water, fat, acidic fruit concentrate or puree, sugar, stabilizer and emulsifier, has a pH of 3.5 to 5.0 and contains less than 0.2 wt% protein.

[0010] The inventors have discovered that by removing proteins so that there are no or almost no protein residues in the premix formulation, acidic frozen desserts with stable microstructure and good mouthfeel properties can be obtained. It is believed that protein removal causes the acidic properties of the premix forming the frozen dessert to no longer cause problematic structural issues, and the lack of protein can be compensated for by using emulsifiers or similar structuring agents.

[0011] The premix contains 0 wt% to 0.2 wt% of protein (i.e., it may contain no protein at all), however, preferably less than 0.1 wt% of protein, and more preferably, no protein is present in the premix at all, and therefore it contains zero protein.

[0012] As used herein, the term "plant-based" means that the frozen dessert premix (and the resulting frozen dessert) is formulated primarily of plant-derived ingredients. Nevertheless, it should be understood that plant-based frozen dessert premixes (and the resulting plant-based frozen desserts) may be fortified with vitamins and / or minerals, or flavored with ingredients that are not strictly plant-derived (such as honey). Preferably, at least 98% of the ingredients, by dry weight, are derived from plants; more preferably, at least 99%, at least 99.5%, at least 99.9%; and most preferably, 100% of the ingredients, by dry weight, are derived from plants. In particular, preferably, the frozen dessert premix (and the resulting frozen dessert) is substantially free of animal-derived ingredients and therefore contains less than 0.1 wt%, preferably less than 0.05 wt%, more preferably less than 0.01 wt% of animal-derived ingredients.

[0013] Preferably, the premix contains 0.1 wt% to 4 wt% of fat. Preferably, the frozen dessert premix contains no more than 3 wt%, and more preferably no more than 2.5 wt% or even no more than 2 wt% of fat. However, a smaller amount of fat is desirable, otherwise formulation using fat-soluble flavorings would be difficult. Therefore, the frozen dessert premix contains at least 0.1 wt%, and preferably at least 0.5 wt% or even at least 1 wt%, and possibly at least 2 wt% of fat. The fat is preferably a vegetable fat (such as coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, or mixtures thereof). Particularly preferably, the fat is palm oil, coconut oil, or mixtures thereof.

[0014] Frozen dessert premixes contain 15 wt% to 45 wt% sugar. Sugar is used in almost all types of frozen desserts and has two main functions: delivering sweetness and controlling the amount of ice. As used herein, the term "sugar" includes monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides (composed of 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, which contain >10 monosaccharides. Some ingredients commonly found in frozen desserts can affect the amount of sugar. One example is corn syrup (sometimes also called glucose syrup)—a mixture of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides.

[0015] High concentrations of sugar can impart unwanted sweetness and / or calories to frozen desserts. Therefore, frozen dessert premixes contain no more than 45 wt%, preferably no more than 40 wt%, no more than 30 wt%, or no more than 25 wt% of sugar. Conversely, if the frozen dessert is a scoopable product, low sugar concentrations may be unsuitable, as they tend to result in frozen desserts with high ice content. Therefore, frozen dessert premixes contain at least 15 wt%, preferably at least 18 wt%, or at least 20 wt% of sugar.

[0016] The frozen confectionery premix contains 0.01 wt% to 1 wt%, preferably 0.1 wt% to 1 wt%, 0.2 wt% to 0.8 wt%, or 0.2 wt% to 0.6 wt% of a stabilizer. The stabilizer is preferably selected from the group consisting of locust bean gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, tara gum, pectin, and mixtures thereof (e.g., a mixture of locust bean gum and guar gum).

[0017] Preferably, the premix contains 1 wt% to 10 wt% of an acidic fruit concentrate or puree. The acidic fruit concentrate or puree may include strawberry, raspberry, lime, pineapple, lemon, apple, kiwi, or orange concentrate or puree. The acidic fruit concentrate or puree is typically derived from a natural fruit source and is concentrated by removing naturally occurring water. Such fruit concentrates or purees may have a pH of, for example, 2 to 5.

[0018] If present, the protein is preferably a plant protein, such as legume protein, cereal protein, or a mixture thereof. The plant protein is preferably selected from: bean protein, carob protein, lentil protein, lupin protein, pea protein, soy protein, oat protein, wheat protein, rye protein, barley protein, rice protein, buckwheat protein, millet protein, and mixtures thereof. Particularly preferred is that the plant protein includes legume protein. The plant protein may also include cereal protein and legume protein. When the plant protein is a legume protein, it is preferably selected from: bean protein, carob protein, lentil protein, lupin protein, pea protein, soy protein, and mixtures thereof. For example, legume protein may include pea protein, soy protein, broad bean protein, carob protein, or mixtures thereof. Particularly preferred is pea protein. When the plant protein is a cereal protein, it is preferably selected from oat protein, wheat protein, rye protein, barley protein, rice protein, buckwheat protein, millet protein, and mixtures thereof.

[0019] Frozen confectionery premixes contain emulsifiers or mixtures of emulsifiers (such as mono- and diglycerides), and preferably at levels of 0.1 wt% to 4 wt%, more preferably 0.5 wt% to 3 wt%, and more preferably 0.5 wt% to 2 wt%. Emulsifiers can be further adapted for use in lower-protein or protein-free formulations to compensate for the loss of structure-forming properties provided by proteins.

[0020] Frozen dessert premixes may optionally contain additional ingredients such as colorings and / or flavorings.

[0021] Premixes can be manufactured in known ways, such as by preparing an aqueous solution from water and adding the remaining ingredients sequentially while heating and stirring.

[0022] The premix can then be homogenized to reduce the size of the fat droplets. The fat will typically exist as very small dispersed droplets. The fat droplets preferably have a D[3,2] particle size of less than 1 μm, more preferably less than 0.85 μm, less than 0.8 μm, less than 0.75 μm, or even less than 0.7 μm. The D[3,2] particle size is preferably at least 0.4 μm, or even at least 0.5 μm. The fat droplet size distribution can be measured using a Malvern Mastersizer 3000 equipped with a wet dispersion unit. The premix sample is diluted 10-fold in a solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and urea (6.6 M urea, 0.1% SDS, pH 7) and subjected to full-power sonication for 1 minute within the dispersion unit before starting particle size measurements. This treatment ensures that any weakly bound or flocculated fat droplets are separated into individual fat droplets for more accurate characterization of the fat droplet size.

[0023] In an optional step of this method, the frozen confectionery premix is ​​pasteurized. A typical pasteurization protocol is a temperature >80°C and a holding time of about 30 seconds. After pasteurization, the premix is ​​preferably cooled and may be aged (e.g., in an aging tank at 0°C to 4°C for 2 to 24 hours or even up to 72 hours) before being frozen.

[0024] Once prepared, it can be used in methods for forming frozen desserts or stored for later production.

[0025] Therefore, in a second aspect, the present invention relates to a frozen dessert that can be obtained by freezing and optionally aerating a frozen dessert premix as described herein.

[0026] Frozen desserts can be produced by any suitable method known in the art, such as using a scraper heat exchanger.

[0027] This frozen dessert will contain fat, acidic fruit concentrate, sugar, stabilizers, emulsifiers, a pH in the range of 3.5 to 5.0, and less than 0.2 wt% protein.

[0028] Frozen desserts are preferably aerated. As used herein, the term "aerated" means that the dessert has an overrun of at least 30%. Preferably, the frozen dessert has an overrun of 60% to 200%, more preferably 80% to 150%. The overrun (in "%)" is defined by the following formula:

[0029]

[0030] The expansion rate was measured at ambient temperature (20°C) and atmospheric pressure.

[0031] Example

[0032] Frozen confectionery premixes were prepared according to the following formulations, wherein Examples A and B are comparative examples, and Example 1 is based on the present invention:

[0033] Table 1

[0034]

[0035] The formulation is prepared by adding the ingredients to water at a temperature of approximately 70°C while gently stirring to form a homogeneous premix.

[0036] The premix was homogenized and pasteurized. The pH value of the resulting premix was measured and is shown in the table.

[0037] Ice cream is prepared from premixed ingredients using a standard simultaneous freezing and aeration process to achieve an overrun of approximately 110%.

[0038] Ice cream produced from premix A is of poor quality. Ice cream produced from recipe B, which contains almost half the amount of pineapple concentrate, is considered firm but has a coarse texture (low creaminess) and is not considered to have a well-flavored pineapple taste.

[0039] However, the ice cream made from Example 1 was also considered firm, stable and smooth, but slightly thinner and less smooth, with a lower pineapple flavor intensity, though still within acceptable limits.

Claims

1. A frozen dessert premix that can be frozen and optionally aerated to produce frozen desserts, wherein the premix comprises water, fat, acidic fruit concentrate or puree, sugar, stabilizer and emulsifier, has a pH of 3.5 to 5.0 and contains less than 0.2 wt% protein.

2. The frozen confectionery premix of claim 1, wherein the premix contains zero protein.

3. The frozen confectionery premix according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least 98% of the ingredients, on a dry weight basis, are derived from plants.

4. The frozen confectionery premix according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising 0.1 wt% to 4 wt% of fat.

5. The frozen dessert premix according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fat comprises fat derived from coconut.

6. The frozen confectionery premix according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising 0.01 wt% to 1 wt% of a stabilizer.

7. The frozen dessert premix according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising 1 wt% to 10 wt% of an amount of acidic fruit concentrate or fruit puree.

8. The frozen confectionery premix according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising 0.1 wt% to 4 wt% of an emulsifier.

9. A frozen dessert, which can be obtained by freezing and optionally aerating a frozen dessert premix according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. The frozen dessert according to claim 9, having an expansion rate of 60% to 200%, preferably 80% to 150%.

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