Stable, food-additive-free dairy cream having good foaming properties

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fluid, sweet, food-additive-free dairy cream with a fat content of 25% or greater, which is both stable over time and has good foaming properties, and to a method for manufacturing same.

Description

[0001] DAIRY CREAM WITHOUT FOOD ADDITIVES, STABLE AND WITH GOOD WHIPPING PROPERTIES

[0002] The present invention relates to a dairy cream with a fat content of between 25% and 35% by weight / volume, fluid, mild, without food additives, which is both stable over time and has good overrun properties and to its manufacturing process. Within the world of mild (unfermented) fluid cream, there are today various products with different properties, in particular with regard to stability and overrun. The stability of a fluid cream is characterized by the absence of creaming, that is to say the absence of phase separation which leads to the appearance of a fatty phase above an aqueous phase. As for overrun, it is defined by the capacity of the cream to incorporate air by mechanical stirring so as to form a Chantilly-type foam with satisfactory organoleptic qualities and stable over time.

[0003] The main categories of fluid creams are:

[0004] - Fresh creams without food additives which rise correctly but are not stable over time (shelf life of barely 30 days at 4°C) because the fat drops are large and rise over time, forming a fatty phase above an aqueous phase (creaming), which results in a heterogeneous product incompatible with consumer requirements.

[0005] - Creams that are stable for approximately 4 months at a temperature of 4 to 20°C and that do not expand or expand only slightly, except by implementing a combination of the following two technical levers:

[0006] - reduction of the size of fat globules via homogenization at a pressure chosen to produce this effect (the size of the drops is directly linked to the level of pressure used); and

[0007] - the use of stabilizing / texturizing food additives, particularly carrageenans (E407). These food additives are used at a low concentration, but it is commonly accepted that they establish a weak network sufficient to stabilize this heterogeneous environment during storage and thus prevent the rise of fat globules. Such a product meets the functional specifications of stability over time (greater than 4 months at room temperature) and foamability, but requires the use of a non-dairy texturizing food additive, the presence of which is not appreciated by consumers. As an illustration, products have been identified on the market for creams without food additives, but none have all the desired functionalities:

[0008] - with 30% fat, Alsace Lait® fluid crème fraîche and Fleurette crème foam without food additives but have a maximum shelf life of 30 days and are unstable (fat rise, RMG) despite this short shelf life;

[0009] - with 38% fat, the Panna Tenutapiu® cream in Italy also produces without food additives but is also not very stable with a rapid rise in fat. This cream also produces a very heavy buttery Chantilly cream, which does not meet consumer expectations and the intended performance target.

[0010] It is indeed known that a cream with a high fat content (above 35%) is easy to whip and allows to obtain a firm foam (see for example JP2009254353 and Marjorie P. Penfield and Ada Marie Campbell in Experimental Food Science, Chapter 9 Milk and Milk Products, 1990). Increasing the fat content reduces the distance between the fat drops, which can thus stabilize the air bubbles more effectively during whipping. But this generates dense and heavy foams, with a buttery appearance and very far from the airy and light character sought for Chantilly-type foams.

[0011] Furthermore, and to meet the demand for creams without food additives, the applicant has developed and marketed a cream without food additives; it is stable for 4 months at 20°C, however it does not foam: the foaming time is too long and the quality of the foam cannot be considered as Chantilly because the foam is soft and resembles milk foam without any consistency.

[0012] The applicant thus set itself the objective of developing a cream composed solely of dairy ingredients, fluid, soft and without food additives, which is stable over time and which has the capacity to quickly form a firm and stable foam.

[0013] For information purposes, fluid cream is understood to mean a cream with a liquid appearance, with a continuous flow, the viscosity of which is between 10 and 2000 cP, in particular less than or equal to 1000 cP, preferably between 20 and 1000 cP, even more preferably between 20 and 500 cP at 4°C (measured with a Brookfield DV2+ mobile RV type device at 4°C, 20 rpm).

[0014] A sweet cream is a cream that is not fermented and not directly acidified (addition of lactic acid or any other acid).

[0015] Surprisingly, he achieved this result by combining two creams, each having distinct particular characteristics. Thus, the present invention relates to a dairy cream with a fat content of between 25% and 35% by weight / volume, fluid, soft and without non-dairy food additives, stable and which expands, which comprises or consists of:

[0016] - a cream A comprising, or consisting of, between 25 and 35% by weight / volume, preferably between 29 and 33% by weight / volume or between 30 and 31% by weight / volume, of fat with a fat globule size of an average diameter of between 2.4 and 3.5 microns, preferably of the order of 2.6 microns; and

[0017] - a cream B comprising, or consisting of, between 25 and 35% by weight / volume, preferably between 29 and 33% by weight / volume or between 30 and 31% by weight / volume, of fat with a fat globule size of an average diameter of between 0.6 and 2 microns, and preferably less than 1 micron and up to 3% by weight, preferably from 0.75 to 1.25% by weight, more preferably from 0.8 to 1.2% by weight and most preferably approximately 1% by weight of milk proteins chosen from whey proteins and / or caseinates; in a weight proportion of between 1 / 3 cream A and 2 / 3 cream B and 2 / 3 cream A and 1 / 3 cream B; preferably, the weight proportion is approximately % cream A and % cream B.

[0018] Cream A is a cream that foams well but is not stable over time: over time, the fat globules rise (creaming phenomenon) and the cream separates (fat phase on top and aqueous phase below), which is not acceptable for consumers.

[0019] Cream A is made exclusively from dairy ingredients.

[0020] Preparation process for cream A:

[0021] The preparation process of this cream A is characterized by low homogenization pressure, it includes more precisely the following steps:

[0022] - standardization of the fat content of a Fleurette type cream comprising between approximately 25 and 35% by weight / volume of fat (MF), with skimmed milk so as to obtain a fat content preferably between 29 and 33% by weight / volume or between 30 and 31% by weight / volume;

[0023] - sterilization of this standardized cream; preferably, in steam injection mode, for example, by treatment at a temperature between 140 and 150°C for 3 to 30 seconds;

[0024] - homogenization in descending phase at a pressure between 5 and 25 bars on a head which makes it possible to obtain a size of fat globules with an average diameter between 2.4 and 3.5 microns, preferably of the order of 2.6 microns; - cooling to a temperature between 2 and 8°C.

[0025] Cream B is stable over time but does not expand.

[0026] It is characterized by a reduced fat globule size, with an average diameter of less than 2 microns, or even 1 micron, and includes added milk proteins chosen from whey proteins and caseinates, alone or mixed in varying proportions, for example, in a whey protein:caseinate ratio of 25:75 to 75:25.

[0027] For illustration, whey protein may be a whey protein concentrate or isolate and caseinates may be a caseinate concentrate.

[0028] Cream B is made exclusively from dairy ingredients.

[0029] Such a B cream, without food additives and in particular, without carrageenan, has a stability of 4 months at room temperature (i.e. without creaming or significant rise in fat at 20°C and without rise in fat at 4°C).

[0030] Manufacturing process of cream B:

[0031] - mixture of skimmed milk with whey proteins and / or caseinates, for example, sodium, calcium or soda-calcium caseinates, preferably sodium caseinates and preferably in powder form;

[0032] - adding this skimmed milk to a fluid cream in a quantity sufficient to standardize this cream to a fat content of 25 to 35% by weight / volume, preferably between 29 and 33% by weight / volume or between 30 to 31% by weight / volume;

[0033] - sterilization of this standardized cream by any means known to those skilled in the art, for example, at a temperature of 140 to 150°C for 3 to 30 seconds;

[0034] - homogenization between 60 and 150 bars, on a head; which allows the size of the fat globules to be reduced to reach a diameter of between 0.6 and 2 microns;

[0035] - cooling to a temperature between 2 and 8°C.

[0036] The stability of a cream over time is characterized by the quantity of solid fat that rises to the surface: as soon as in a 180 ml sterile sampling tube (SST), over a total height of 9 cm of product, a visible thickness (height) of more than 10 mm of solid phase appears after 2 months, preferably 3 months of storage at 4°C, the cream is considered unstable. When the rising fat (also called RMG) has a firm and hard texture (like butter), the product is also not considered acceptable regardless of the thickness of this RMG and even if it represents a height of less than 10 mm. The ability to whip is evaluated by mechanically beating the cream in a mixer (for example, Kitchen Aid or household mixer); the whipping properties are considered acceptable:

[0037] - when the whipping time (time required to obtain an aerated foam) with a household mixer is between 2 and 4 minutes, preferably 3 minutes 30 seconds or less, or even less than 3 minutes, and

[0038] - when the volume of the cream is multiplied by more than 2, preferably from 2.3 to 2.8 or 2.5 to 2.8, this coefficient of increase in the volume of the cream is the whipping rate.

[0039] The whipping of the cream of the invention is obtained without adding sugar which usually helps the foam to hold its shape.

[0040] The particle size distribution of fat globules, which allows the average diameter of fat globules in a cream to be determined, is measured by a laser granulometer (standard laboratory equipment).

[0041] For example, with a Mastersizer 3000 laser granulometer (Malvern), the cream is placed directly into the water in the apparatus tank, in sufficient quantity to have an obscuration of the apparatus between 5 and 11%. The rotation speed in the apparatus tank is set at 2000 rpm. The analysis is carried out with a measurement in spherical sample mode. The refractive index of the continuous phase is 1.33. The refractive index of the dispersed phase is 1.46 and the absorption index is 0.001. Three consecutive measurements are carried out and the average of the 3 analyses is used to express the particle size distribution results in % volume.

[0042] The particle size distributions, which represent the variation in volume density (expressed in % by volume) as a function of the size of the globules, of the creams according to the invention, as presented in Figure 1, show a first peak between 0.01 and approximately 0.3 microns which corresponds to the protein particles. The particle size distribution of the size of the fat globules is represented by the majority peak which is between 0.2 and 10 microns and the average diameter of the fat globules corresponds to the size of the globules at the highest point of the peak (also referred to as the value at the center of the peak).

[0043] By food additive, from which the cream according to the invention is exempt, is meant a substance not usually consumed as food in itself and not used as a characteristic ingredient in food and which is added to food for a technological purpose: improving its preservation, texturizing, thickening, reducing oxidation phenomena, coloring foodstuffs, enhancing their taste, etc., it may be colorings (including whitening agents), preservatives, antioxidants, acidifiers / acidity correctors and texturizing agents (stabilizer, emulsifier, thickener, gelling agent). The use of food additives is governed in Europe by Regulation (EC) No. 1333 / 2008 and these substances are identified by a code in the format "E" followed by a number.

[0044] The cream according to the invention is obtained by gentle mixing, i.e. non-shearing, under aseptic conditions of creams A and B.

[0045] The cream according to the invention comprises between 25 and 35% by weight / volume, preferably between 29 and 33% or between 30 and 31% by weight / volume, of fat and has a wider fat globule size distribution than those of the two initial creams A and B; in particular,

[0046] - the average diameter of the fat globules, corresponding to the size observed at the highest point of the majority peak of the particle size distribution curve, is between 1 and 3 microns; and

[0047] - the particle size distribution of the fat globule size is such that the majority peak has at mid-height a ratio between the largest fat globule size (D(h / 2)max) and the smallest fat globule size (D(h / 2)min) (also referred to as the “max / min ratio”) greater than or equal to 4, in particular between 4 and 9; this distribution is also characterized by a peak width at mid-height (D(h / 2)max - D(h / 2)min) greater than or equal to 3 pm.

[0048] The enrichment in milk proteins promotes the stability of the cream of the invention by stabilizing the interface of the fat globules with the aqueous phase which surrounds them.

[0049] The cream of the invention has a serum protein: casein ratio that can be between 20:80 and 60:40, in this ratio, the caseins include those initially present in the milk and the caseinates added in cream B. For information, creams made from milk naturally have a serum protein: casein ratio of 20:80.

[0050] Caseins (including caseinates), as well as serum proteins, can be quantified on creams by measuring the nitrogen fractions (total nitrogen, soluble nitrogen and non-protein nitrogen), before and after heat treatment. These methods are commonly used in public and private analysis laboratories (standards: ISO 8968-5; ISO 8968-4; ISO 17997-1:2004).

[0051] Surprisingly, by mixing the two creams A and B in close proportions, the resulting cream does not have properties intermediate to those of these two creams A and B but on the contrary combines the advantages of the two creams: instead of obtaining a “moderately stable” cream which foams “moderately” as one would have expected if the properties were just averaged in proportion to the incorporation rate, one obtains a cream whose stability and foaming performance are satisfactory.

[0052] More particularly, the cream according to the invention has the following characteristics: - it is free from food additives, that is to say it only contains dairy ingredients;

[0053] - it is aseptic (UHT);

[0054] - it is stable over time, i.e. it has a fat rise of less than 10 mm for a product height of 9 cm in a sterile sampling tube (SST), and has a soft / creamy appearance, i.e. not solid like butter, after 3 months at 4°C;

[0055] - it has good “culinarity”, that is to say, a behavior when cooked and / or mixed with acidic or alcoholic foods such that its appearance is not significantly altered;

[0056] - it has good performance in mechanical threshing; this can be demonstrated by several factual indicators:

[0057] - the foaming time required to form the foam is less than or equal to 3 minutes and 30 seconds, for example less than or equal to 3 minutes;

[0058] - the expansion rate of the foam once formed is at least equal to 2, preferably as close as possible to 3;

[0059] - the firmness of the foam is sufficient to limit sagging within 4 hours of manufacture;

[0060] Firmness is characterized by measuring the texture; it is evaluated by placing the foam obtained after expansion in a round container with a diameter of 7 cm and a height of 4 cm. The foam is analyzed by a texturometer (Possible TAXT plus analyzer or Brookfield Texture analyzer - with a conical mobile - analysis parameters: speed 2 mm / s and measurement at 20 mm. Measurement carried out in grams).

[0061] This texture measurement must be accompanied by a score according to an internal scoring system with the following scale:

[0062] 0: the cream does not whip;

[0063] 1: the whipping creates a foam but it does not correspond to whipped cream. The cream has no consistency and resembles milk foam;

[0064] 2: Whipping creates a foam corresponding to the standard of whipped cream. If the whipped cream is a little softer than the standard, a "-" sign is added. If the whipped cream is a little firmer than the standard, a "+" sign is added;

[0065] 3: the whipping creates a whipped cream that is too dense, with a buttery appearance.

[0066] Satisfactory firmness preferably has a texture value between 50 and 90 and should have a rating of 2 (including 2- and 2+).

[0067] - the quality of the foam obtained can be further characterized by descriptors of its appearance. Figure 1 represents the particle size distributions in % by volume of creams 1 to 5 of example 2 (the first peak between 0.01 and approximately 0.3 microns corresponds to the protein particles). Figure 2 represents the particle size distribution in % by volume of cream C compared with that of cream B.

[0068] Example 1: Effect of proteins in cream B on the properties of creams composed of a mixture of cream A and cream B

[0069] Table 1 below details different protein combinations tested to produce small globule B cream.

[0070] Table 1

[0071] Whey proteins are said to be "fatty" (source 2) when they contain a fat fraction of between 10 and 30% and non-fatty (source 1) when this fat fraction is less than 10%. The fat provided by the protein ingredients is included in the total fat content of the cream.

[0072] The different B creams comprising each of these combinations were then mixed with an A cream in the following proportions:

[0073] - 1 / 3 cream A and 2 / 3 cream B;

[0074] - / i cream A and cream B; and

[0075] - 2 / 3 cream A and 1 / 3 cream B; to prepare a cream according to the invention.

[0076] All the creams thus prepared have the required functionalities: stability and ability to quickly form a firm and stable foam; the creams according to the invention prepared with cream B comprising formula 13 are those having the best functionalities. Table 2 - Particle size

[0077] Proliferation:

[0078] Table 3 - Expansion time

[0079] Table 4 - Expansion rate Table 5 - Appearance

[0080] Table 6 - Firmness (texture / grade)

[0081] Table 7 - Stability

[0082] Example 2: preparation and characterization of creams according to the invention Creams A and B are mixed in different proportions:

[0083] Table 8 under a laminar flow hood in order to maintain the sterility of the mixtures; the mixture must be gentle so as not to break any fragile interactions that could take place.

[0084] Gentle mixing means non-shear mixing; for example, on an industrial scale, this can be achieved by non-shear mixing in a stirred tank (with slowly rotating blades) or by the meeting of two pipelines, each with a different type of cream.

[0085] Granulometric characterization

[0086] This mixture of creams A and B leads to creams with a fat drop size distribution intermediate between the two initial creams:

[0087] Table 9

[0088] Blends have a more spread out (wider) fat globule size distribution even though the two fat globule populations are not distinguished separately. Sizes may fluctuate slightly depending on the variability of the dairy raw material, the age of the product, or otherwise, without impacting the claimed properties of the blended creams, which have been validated several times. For example, average diameters can typically vary between 2.4 and 3.5 microns for Cream A and between 0.6 and 2 microns for Cream B (Figure 1).

[0089] The distribution can be objectified by considering the width of the main peak at mid-height, this offers the possibility of having a factual and quick to obtain product characterization criterion: for example, cream 3 which is a 50 / 50 mixture of the two initial creams has a width at mid-height (extended to 50%) between 0.5 (D(h / 2)min) and 4.16 microns (D(h / 2)max), which gives a D(h / 2)max / D(h / 2)min ratio of 8.3 (between min and max) against only 2.8 and 4.4 respectively for the two initial creams A and B. Another possible indicator is the width of the peak at mid-height which corresponds to the value of D(h / 2)max - D(h / 2)min which is 3.7 pm in the present case for cream 3.

[0090] The device used is a laser granulometer (Mastersizer 3000, Malvern). The cream is placed directly into the water in the tank of the device, in sufficient quantity to have an obscuration of the device between 5 and 11%. The rotation speed in the tank of the device is set at 2000 rpm. The analysis is carried out with a measurement in spherical sample mode. Three consecutive measurements are carried out. The particle size distribution results are expressed in % by volume.

[0091] Table 10 The initial creams A and B have half-height ratios of the order of approximately 3 to 4, while the creams of the invention show values ​​between 5 and 9. The half-height widths are less than 3 microns for the initial creams and are greater than 3 microns for the creams of the invention. These two indicators reflect the broadening of the distribution obtained by mixing the two creams.

[0092] Functionality tests

[0093] The following tests were then carried out:

[0094] - RMG: the fat rise is measured with a graduated ruler in a 180 ml sterile sampling tube (SST). The initial cream height is 9 cm. For creams 1, 3 and 4 according to the invention, there is no fat rise at D+8 days, unlike whipping cream 1 (cream A) which shows a fat rise to a height of 3 mm from 8 days.

[0095] After D+30 days, the fat rises are absent or very low (from 0 to 2 mm with a creamy appearance) for the creams according to the invention, whereas whipping cream A (1) already has a fat rise of 10 mm, with a firm fat and a buttery appearance.

[0096] Table 11

[0097] After D+60 days, the fat rises are low (from 2 to 5 mm) for the creams according to the invention, when the whipping cream A (1) has a fat rise of 25 mm with a buttery appearance, showing its insufficient stability.

[0098] Table 12 After D+90 days, the fat rises are low (from 3 to 10 mm) for the creams according to the invention, whereas whipping cream A (1) has a fat rise of 30 mm, with a firm fat and a buttery appearance.

[0099] Table 13 - Visco cP: viscosity measured using a Brookfield DV2+ 20 rpm on a product at 4°C.

[0100] The 3 creams according to the invention have a viscosity of 45, 55 and 75 cPoise, higher than that of the whipping cream of 30 cPoise.

[0101] - Whipping - made on 180-200ml of cream with a household whisk.

[0102] The following are assessed: - the time required to obtain a nice, airy and firm whipped cream-type mousse (if possible), which must be less than 3.5 min, preferably less than 3 min;

[0103] - the whipping rate (coefficient of increase in the volume of the cream)

[0104] - the firmness of the foam with a texture measurement, a score and a possible comment.

[0105] The cream of the invention prepared with 50% cream A and 50% cream B has a whipping time of approximately 2 min 30s and the whipped cream has a nice mousse texture. With a whipping cream 1, the whipping time is less than 2 min but the whipped cream obtained quickly becomes soft.

[0106] The properties of the creams obtained (cream A, B and mixtures in varying proportions as described in Table 8) are summarized in the following Table 14:

[0107] - White wine: cooking test with resistance to acid and alcohol.

[0108] 2 / 3 of cream is incorporated into 1 / 3 of hot boiling white wine, a reduction is carried out and 2 marks are given, the first upon incorporation and the second after reduction (from 0 = very poor to 3 perfect); the result obtained is 2, which is satisfactory.

[0109] Conclusion: Creams 3 and 4 have optimal properties in terms of their storage stability and their ability to foam.

[0110] Counterexample 3: effect of the absence of proteins in cream B on the properties of the mixed creams

[0111] Example 1 shows that the addition of milk proteins to the formula of cream B contributes to its stability as well as to that of the mixed creams, despite the addition of a less stable cream A.

[0112] In Example 3, a 30% fat cream C was obtained using the same manufacturing process as cream B but without the addition of milk protein.

[0113] From Figure 1, cream B shows a homogeneous population with a well-centered peak at about 1 pm while cream C shows a double population with a peak of small globules at 1.24 pm and larger ones at 2.7 pm.

[0114] This spread suggests a tendency for the fat phase in the cream to coalesce, due to the creation of less stable interfaces in the absence of added proteins. In fact, cream C shows insufficient stability: after 3 weeks, a slight rise in fat of 1 mm is observed, while cream B shows no rise in fat.

[0115] Cream C was then used in a mixture with Cream A in the same proportions and methodology as in Examples 1 and 2.

[0116] Table 15

[0117] Cream C and blended creams all have wide distributions, with upper half-height ratios between about 4 and 10 and half-height widths of around 4.

[0118] The resulting blended creams lack stability: the rise in fat content begins in the first weeks of storage and does not meet the desired stability objective of an undetectable rise in fat content after 2 or 3 months at 4°C.

[0119] Counterexample 3 shows that it is not enough to have a wide distribution to obtain a cream with the desired properties: the presence of milk proteins in one of the creams in the mixture is an essential technical characteristic.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Dairy cream with a fat content of between 25 and 35% by weight / volume, fluid, soft, without non-dairy food additives, stable and capable of foaming, comprising: - a cream A comprising between 25 and 35% by weight / volume of fat with a fat globule size of an average diameter between 2.4 and 3.5 microns; and - a cream B comprising between 25 and 35% by weight / volume of fat with a fat globule size of an average diameter of between 0.6 and 2 microns and from 0.75 to 1.25% by weight of milk proteins chosen from whey proteins and / or caseinates; in a weight proportion of between 1 / 3 cream A and 2 / 3 cream B and 2 / 3 cream A and 1 / 3 cream B.

2. Cream according to claim 1, characterized in that the milk proteins added to cream B are composed of whey proteins and caseinates in a ratio of 25:75 to 75:

25.

3. Cream according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it comprises milk proteins in a serum protein: casein ratio of 20:80 to 60:

40.

4. Cream according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has an average diameter of the average fat globules of between 1 and 3 microns.

5. Cream according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has a particle size distribution of fat globules such that the ratio between the largest size of fat globule and the smallest size of fat globule measured from the width at mid-height of the distribution peak is greater than or equal to 4.

6. Cream according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it has a particle size distribution of fat globules such that the peak width at mid-height is greater than or equal to 3 μm.

7. Cream according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: - it is stable over time for at least 2 months at 4°C; and - the foaming time required to form a foam is less than or equal to 3 minutes 30 seconds; optionally, the cream is also characterized by: - the expansion rate of the foam once formed is at least equal to 1, preferably approximately 3; and / or - the foam obtained is firm and stable.

8. Process for preparing a cream according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a step of aseptic mixing of: - a cream A comprising between 25 and 35% fat with a fat globule size of an average diameter of between 2.4 and 3.5 microns; and - a cream B comprising between 25 and 35% fat with a fat globule size of an average diameter of between 0.6 and 2 microns and from 0.75 to 1.25% by weight of milk proteins chosen from whey proteins and / or caseinates; in a weight proportion of between 1 / 3 cream A and 2 / 3 cream B and 2 / 3 cream A and 1 / 3 cream B.

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