METHOD FOR MANUFACTURED A VANILLA PRODUCT

Abstract

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURE A VANILLA PRODUCT A process for manufacturing a vanilla product (8) comprises: (a) subjecting a vanilla pod (9) to a grinding treatment to destroy the tissue structures of the vanilla pod (9) to obtain ground particles (7) of the vanilla pod (9); (b) placing the ground particles (7) of the vanilla pod (9) in a container (3), followed by sealing the container (3); and (c) after step (b), heating the ground particles (7) of the vanilla pod (9) in the container (3) at a temperature in the range of 40°C to 65°C, so as to obtain the vanilla product (8) having aroma molecules. Reference: [Fig. 2]

Description

Title of the invention: METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A VANILLA PRODUCT

[0001] The disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a plant-based product, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a processed vanilla product.

[0002] Vanilla is a common flavoring product that can be obtained by subjecting vanilla beans to a series of processing steps, such as drying and purification. Vanillin, which is an edible and gourmet ingredient of vanilla, is a major compound widely used as a flavoring in foods. When an edible raw material, for example, a cream, is flavored with vanillin, a fragrant aroma is created in a subsequently obtained food made from this edible raw material. The food may be, for example, vanilla ice cream, vanilla cake, and vanilla cookies. Since vanillin can be applied to various food products and emanates a fragrant aroma that is popular with the public, vanillin is widely used in the food industry.

[0003] With reference to [Fig. 1], a conventional method for manufacturing a vanilla product may comprise the following three steps: the first step (PI) (abbreviated as "preliminary step") involves placing vanilla beans (usually Vanilla planifolia beans, Vanilla tahitensis beans or Vanilla pompona beans) in a dry container which is in communication with an external environment; the second step (P2) (abbreviated as "killing and drying step") involves subjecting the vanilla beans to a killing treatment and a drying treatment by heating the vanilla beans in the dry container, so as to allow the vanilla beans to dry and ripen to obtain dried vanilla beans which produce vanillin; and the third stage (P3) (abbreviated as "grinding stage") involves grinding the dried vanilla pods, thus yielding the vanilla product.At this point, the vanilla product is ready for direct consumption. If a user wishes to further use the vanillin contained in the vanilla product, the vanilla product can be subjected to an extraction treatment using an organic solvent, thereby resulting in an extracted flavor having a higher concentration of vanillin. Such an extracted flavor is suitable for making foods such as vanilla ice cream and vanilla cake.

[0004] However, in the actual practice of the second step (i.e., the extermination treatment and the drying treatment) of the conventional process, there occurs usually rot in vanilla beans due to exposure to microorganisms in the external environment, which results in a significant decrease in yield. In addition, even if the vanilla product is successfully produced after the completion of the third step of the conventional process, only about 1 g to 5 g of vanillin can be obtained per 100 g of the vanilla product, as determined by the standard method of the agricultural industry of China (NY / T 483-2002). In view of the market demand for vanillin, the above concentration of vanillin is not considered high, and therefore additional production of the extracted flavor is necessary to meet the market demand, which means that a larger quantity of the vanilla product is required to achieve a desired production capacity.Therefore, the cost of preparing vanillin remains high due to the relatively low yield of vanilla product, due to the rotting of vanilla pods, and the relatively low vanillin content in the vanilla product obtained by the conventional process.

[0005] Therefore, an object of this disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing a vanilla product which can reduce at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0006] According to the disclosure, the method comprises: (a) subjecting a vanilla bean to a grinding treatment to destroy the tissue structures of the vanilla bean to obtain ground particles of the vanilla bean; (b) placing the ground vanilla bean particles in a container, followed by sealing the container; and (c) after step (b), heating the ground particles of the vanilla bean in the container at a temperature in the range of 40°C to 65°C, to obtain the vanilla product having aroma molecules.

[0007] According to certain embodiments, the method has one or more of the following features: - in step (b), the sealing of the container is carried out by vacuum evacuation; - in step (b), the sealing of the container is carried out by introducing a stabilizing gas into the container, so that the gas contained in the container is evacuated; - the stabilizing gas is chosen from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon; - the stabilizing gas is nitrogen or carbon dioxide; - in step (c), the container is further subjected to a kneading treatment during heating; - the container is a functional bag which is made of a soft and kneadable material; - in step (c), the ground particles of the vanilla pod in the container are further subjected to a stirring treatment during heating; - the container is a rigid reaction vessel which has a heating and temperature regulation function, and which is equipped with a stirring element; - before step (a), there is a step (a)' of subjecting the vanilla pod to a sterilization treatment; - the sterilization treatment is carried out by a method selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet irradiation, ozone ventilation, immersion in alcohol, immersion in an aqueous solution of hypochlorous acid, and combinations thereof; - in step (a), the ground particles of the vanilla pod have an average particle size of less than 2 mm; - in step (c), the heating of the ground particles of the vanilla pod in the container is carried out at a temperature in the range of 50°C to 60°C. Detailed description

[0008] Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiment(s) with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the various features may not be drawn to scale.

[0009] [Fig. 1] is a block diagram illustrating a conventional process for manufacturing a vanilla product.

[0010] [Fig.2] is a block flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of a process for manufacturing a vanilla product treated in accordance with the disclosure.

[0011] [Fig.3] is a block flowchart which, in combination with [Fig.2], illustrates the first embodiment of the method for manufacturing a vanilla product processed in accordance with the disclosure.

[0012] [Fig.4] is a block diagram which, in combination with [Fig.2], illustrates a sealing treatment performed only by vacuum evacuation in the first embodiment2.

[0013] [Fig.5] is a block diagram which, in combination with [Fig.2], illustrates a sealing treatment carried out solely by introducing a stabilizing gas in the first embodiment.

[0014] [Fig.6] is a block diagram which, in combination with [Fig.2], illustrates a second embodiment of a method for manufacturing a vanilla product processed in accordance with the disclosure.

[0015] It should be understood that if reference is made herein to any prior art publication, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication is part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Taiwan or in any other country.

[0016] For the purposes of this specification, it will be clearly understood that the word "comprising" means "including, but not limited to", and that the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning.

[0017] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the meaning commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Those skilled in the art will recognize many methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein, which could be used in the present disclosure. The present disclosure is in no way limited to the methods and materials described.

[0018] With reference to [Fig.2] and 3, a first embodiment of a method for manufacturing a vanilla product 8 according to the present disclosure comprises: (a) subjecting a vanilla bean 9 to a grinding treatment to destroy the tissue structures of the vanilla bean 9 to obtain ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 (b) placing the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 into a container 3, followed by sealing the container 3; and (c) after step (b), heating the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 in the container 3 at a temperature in the range of 40°C to 65°C, to obtain the vanilla product 8 having aroma molecules.

[0019] In this embodiment, the method for manufacturing the vanilla product 8 further comprises, before step (a), a step (a)' of subjecting the vanilla pod (9) to a sterilization treatment.

[0020] The first embodiment is suitable for processing vanilla bean 9 (usually Vanilla planifolia pods, Vanilla tahitensis pods, or Vanilla pompond pods), which contains a precursor and an enzyme, so that vanilla product 8 having the flavor molecules (e.g., vanillin) is obtained. Specifically, the precursor may be glucovanillin, and the enzyme may be a glucosidase.

[0021] In order to sterilize the vanilla pod 9, in step (a1)' (hereinafter referred to as "sterilization step (SI)"), the sterilization treatment may be carried out by means of a sterilization apparatus. In some embodiments, the sterilization apparatus sterilization may be selected from the group consisting of an ultraviolet (UV) lamp, an ozone sterilizer, and a beaker for containing an alcohol or an aqueous solution of hypochlorous acid. In an illustrative embodiment, the sterilization apparatus is an ozone sterilizer, so that not only can microorganisms be effectively killed on the surface of the vanilla bean 9, but it also eliminates the additional labor time required to ensure that no liquid, such as an alcohol or an aqueous solution of hypochlorous acid, remains.In some embodiments, the sterilization treatment may be performed by a method selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet irradiation, ozone ventilation, alcohol immersion, immersion in an aqueous solution of hypochlorous acid, and combinations thereof, such that the microorganisms remaining on the surface of the vanilla bean 9 are eliminated.

[0022] In step (a) (hereinafter referred to as "grinding step (S2)"), firstly the vanilla bean 9 is mixed with sterile water in a weight ratio ranging from 3 / 1 to 1 / 1, and then is subjected to the grinding treatment, to obtain the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9. Specifically, the grinding step (S2) involves placing the vanilla bean 9 in a homogenizing member 2, such as a mixer or a homogenizer, after which the homogenizing member 2 is started, so that the vanilla bean 9 is ground into the ground particles 7 which are then dispersed in the homogenizing member 2. Specifically, during the grinding treatment, the tissue structures of the vanilla bean 9 are destroyed, so that the precursor and the enzyme are released from the tissue structures, which which thus gives the ground particles 7 of the vanilla pod 9.The ground particles 7 of the vanilla pod 9 may have an average particle size of less than 2 mm.

[0023] In some embodiments, in step (b) (hereinafter referred to as "sealing step (S3)"), sealing of the container 3 may be performed by subjecting the container 3 to vacuum evacuation. In some embodiments, sealing of the container 3 in the sealing step (S3) may be performed by introducing a stabilizing gas into the container 3, such that the gas contained in the container 3 is evacuated. In this embodiment, the gas that is evacuated from the container 3 is oxygen. In some embodiments, sealing of the container 3 in the sealing step (S3) may be performed by subjecting the container 3 to vacuum evacuation (hereinafter referred to as "vacuum evacuation step (S31)"), followed by introducing a stabilizing gas into the container 3 (hereinafter referred to as "gas introduction step (S32)").In the first embodiment, the sealing of the container is performed by means of a sealing and packaging machine which has both vacuum evacuation and inflation functions, so that the vacuum evacuation step (S31) and the gas introduction step (S32) are accomplished.

[0024] In the first embodiment, the container 3 is a functional bag 31 that is made of a flexible and kneadable material. Examples of the flexible and kneadable material may include, but are not limited to, a transparent material, for example, polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), and an aluminum foil composite material with a laminated structure. The use of a flexible and kneadable material made of polyethylene or polyethylene allows one skilled in the art to directly observe the filling of the functional bag 31 with the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 from the outside. In addition, the aluminum foil composite material not only can exhibit water resistance, gas resistance, and light shielding properties, but also has the advantage of facilitating the packaging of the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 due to the support capacity provided by the laminated structure.

[0025] Referring to [Fig. 4], in combination with [Fig. 2] and 3, the sealing of the container 3 is not limited to the approach as described above (i.e., the combination of both the vacuum evacuation step (S31) and the gas introduction step (S32)). For the purpose of evacuating a gas from the functional bag 31, in some embodiments, the sealing of the container 3 may be performed solely by subjecting the functional bag 31 to the vacuum evacuation step (S31), so that the gas can be evacuated from the functional bag 31, thereby providing the functional bag 31 with a low-oxygen environment.

[0026] Referring to [Fig. 5], in combination with [Fig. 2] and 3, in still some embodiments, the sealing of the container may be performed solely by the gas introduction step (S32). Specifically, by introducing the stabilizing gas into the functional bag 31, the gas is forced to be vented out of the functional bag 31, so that a low oxygen environment is created therein.

[0027] Referring to [Fig.2] and 3, in the gas introduction step (S32), the stabilizing gas has a volume twice the volume of the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9. Examples of the stabilizing gas may include, but are not limited to, nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2), helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radon (Rn).

[0028] In step (c) (hereinafter referred to as "synthesis step (S4)") of the first embodiment, the container 3 containing the ground particles 7 of the vanilla pod 9 is placed in an oven 4 to heat the ground particles 7 to allow a reaction between the precursor and the enzyme to take place, and thus the generation of flavor molecules, thereby giving the vanilla product 8 containing the flavor particles. In other words, the ground particles 7 are converted into the vanilla product 8 containing the flavor molecules. In some embodiments embodiment, the heating of the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 in the container 3 is carried out at a temperature in the range of 50°C to 60°C. In addition, the heating of the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 can last for a period of time in the range of 2 days to 3 weeks. Under suitable environmental conditions, the flavor molecules generated by the reaction are vanillin, which is a component that serves as a vital indicator of the quality of the vanilla product 8 in the subsequent property evaluation.

[0029] In the synthesis step (S4) of the first embodiment, the container 3 is further subjected to a kneading treatment (S41) during heating, for pressing the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 in the container 3, thereby mixing the precursor and the enzyme released from the tissue structures of the vanilla bean 9. Specifically, since the container 3 is the functional bag 31 which is made of the aforementioned soft and kneadable material, it should assist a technician in kneading and pressing the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 in the functional bag 31, thereby achieving an effect of the precursor and the enzyme being uniformly mixed.

[0030] Referring to [Fig. 6], there is provided a second embodiment of the method for manufacturing the vanilla product 8 according to the present disclosure. Referring to [Fig. 6] in combination with [Fig. 2], the procedures of the second embodiment are substantially similar to those of the first embodiment, except that, in the sealing step (S3), a rigid reaction vessel 32, which has a heating and temperature control function and is equipped with a stirring member (not shown) for stirring and thoroughly mixing the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9, is used as a replacement for both the functional bag 31 and the oven 4 of the first embodiment, and a stirring treatment (S42) using the stirring member during heating is adopted as a replacement for the kneading treatment (S41) of the first embodiment.Specifically, the rigid reaction vessel 32 has the function of introducing a desired stabilizing gas therein, and is capable of performing sealing of the container 3 as well as heating of the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9, so as to provide the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 with a sealed and heated environment. In some embodiments, the rigid reaction vessel 32 may be a large-volume vessel that is made of a metal material or a glass material. In other embodiments, the stirring process (S42) is performed by vortex stirring of the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 using a stirring element that may be a mixing blade or a stirring bar.

[0031] Specifically, in the sealing step (S3) of the second embodiment, the ground particles 7 of the vanilla pod 9, obtained in the step of grinding (S2), are fully poured into the rigid reaction vessel 32, after which the rigid reaction vessel 32 is sealed. Then, the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 in the reaction vessel 32 are heated (in the synthesis step (S4)), and also, after heating, are further subjected to the stirring treatment (S42) to stir the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9. Since the sealing step (S3) and the synthesis step (S4) can be carried out and completed in the rigid reaction vessel 32, and since the rigid reaction rod 32 can accommodate a large amount of the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 (compared to the functional bag 31 in the first embodiment), the second embodiment is advantageous for the purpose of mass production of the vanilla product 8.

[0032] The disclosure will be further described by means of the following examples. It should be understood, however, that the following examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure in practice.

[0033] <Exemple 1>

[0034] The method of Example 1 comprises subjecting vanilla beans 9 to the following steps (S1) to (S4).

[0035] First, in the sterilization step (SI), 1 kg of vanilla pods were subjected to a sterilization treatment using an ozone sterilizer, thereby yielding 9 vanilla pods having undergone a sterilization treatment.

[0036] Next, in the grinding step (S2), the vanilla beans 9 having undergone sterilization treatment and sterilized water were placed in a mixer at a weight ratio of 2:1, and then subjected to grinding treatment by starting the mixer, so that the vanilla beans 9 were ground into ground particles 7 of the vanilla beans 9 having an average particle size of less than 2 mm.

[0037] After that, in the sealing step (S3), the ground particles 7 were distributed into three functional bags 31. Each of the functional bags 31 was then sealed by vacuum evacuation by means of a sealing and packaging machine, so that the gas in the functional bag 31 was evacuated therefrom, thereby giving three vacuum bags each having ground particles 7 therein. Subsequently, nitrogen gas having a volume twice that of the ground particles 7 was introduced into one of the three vacuum bags, so that a nitrogen-filled bag having the ground particles 7 therein was obtained. In addition, carbon dioxide having a volume twice that of the ground particles 7 was introduced into another of the three vacuum bags, so that a carbon dioxide-filled bag having the ground particles 7 therein was obtained. The remaining vacuum bag did not receive any additional gas introduction.

[0038] Finally, in the synthesis step (S4), each of the vacuum bag, the nitrogen-filled bag, and the carbon dioxide-filled bag was heated by placing in an oven 4 with a temperature controlled at 50°C for 3 weeks and, during the heating, was further subjected to a kneading treatment (S41) in which each of the bags was removed from the oven 4 twice a day and kneaded for 1 minute each time, so that the ground particles 7 therein were kneaded, thereby converting the ground particles 7 into a vanilla product 8. The three vanilla products 8 thus obtained had a moisture content in the range of 87.4% to 88.3%.

[0039] <Exemple comparatif 1>

[0040] The method of Comparative Example 1 comprises subjecting vanilla beans to the following steps (1) to (3).

[0041] First, in step (1), 1 kg of vanilla pods was placed in an open container. Then, in step (2), the vanilla pods in the open container were subjected to a heating treatment, and thus were dried and matured, so that vanillin was generated therein, thereby yielding vanilla pods matured with vanillin. After that, in step (3), the dried vanilla pods with vanillin were subjected to a grinding treatment, thereby yielding vanilla products.

[0042] <E valuation des propriétés>

[0043] Determination of vanillin content

[0044] A respective one of the vanilla products 8 obtained in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 was used as a test sample, and was subjected to vanillin content determination in accordance with the procedures described in ISO 5565-2:1999 (last revised and confirmed in 2016). Briefly, an appropriate amount of the test sample was spread on a cylindrical filter paper, and then the cylindrical filter paper with the test sample spread thereon was placed in a Soxhlet extractor for vanillin extraction, followed by vanillin content determination by high-performance liquid chromatography. The unit of vanillin content was represented by the number of grams of vanillin per 100 g of the dry weight of the test sample.

[0045] The results are shown in Table 1 below. [Tables 1] Example 1 Comparative example 1 Sample Sample Sample nnn test prove test prove test pro nant nant ant from bag sou from bag rem from bag rem s Fold Fold vacuum nitrogen carbon dioxide Vanillin content (g / 100 g dry weight of test sample) 20.9 20.1 21.3 1 to 5

[0046] Determination of moisture content

[0047] A respective one of the vanilla products 8 obtained in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 was used as a test sample, and was subjected to moisture content determination using an electric moisture measuring device.

[0048] By carrying out the grinding treatment in the grinding step (S2) of Example 1, the tissue structures of the vanilla pods 8 having undergone the sterilization treatment were destroyed under the action of the blades in the mixer so that glucovanillin and a glucosidase in the tissue structures were released therefrom, which induced contact of the glucovanillin and the glucosidase thereby facilitating a reaction between them to generate vanillin.

[0049] By implementing the sealing of the container 3 in the sealing step (S3) of Example 1, the generated vanillin could be confined in each of the vacuum bag, the nitrogen-filled bag, and the carbon dioxide-filled bag, so that a low yield of vanillin due to gasification and leakage thereof could be avoided. In addition, due to the implementation of sealing the container 3, it was possible to prevent the moisture from being discharged from the ground particles 7 to the external environment, thereby enabling the ground particles 7 to have a good moisture content, and thus maintaining the fluidity of the ground particles 7 due to a good moisture content thereof, and consequently increasing the possibility of contact between glucovanillin and glucosidase and also facilitating the reaction therebetween.

[0050] By introducing nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide in the sealing step (S3) of Example 1, the nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide gas would help the crushed particles 7 to be completely pressed when the nitrogen-filled bag or the carbon dioxide-filled bag was subjected to the kneading treatment (S41) during heating in the synthesis step (S4) of Example 1, thereby increasing the possibility contact between glucovanillin and glucosidase and therefore facilitating the reaction between them.

[0051] By introducing nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide in the sealing step (S3) of Example 1, the oxygen gas remaining in two of the vacuum bags (i.e., two of the vacuum bags into which nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide gas would subsequently be introduced) could be evacuated therefrom, so that the nitrogen-filled bag or the carbon dioxide-filled bag obtained after this had a hypoxic environment, thereby preventing deterioration of the ground particles 7 due to microorganisms that usually depend on oxygen for their survival, and thus increasing the yield of vanilla product 8. Moreover, in Example 1, not only was no mold observed in vanilla product 8, but also vanilla product 8 gave a rich aroma.

[0052] Therefore, by implementing both the grinding treatment in the grinding step (S2) and the kneading treatment (S41) in the synthesis step (S4), the glucovanillin and the glucosidase can completely react with each other. In addition, by implementing the sealing of the container 3 in the sealing step (S3), the generated vanillin has been well preserved. With reference to Table 1, the vanillin contents determined in vanilla product 8 of Example 1, which range from 20.1 g to 21.3 g per 100 g of the test sample, are significantly higher than the vanillin contents determined in the vanilla products of Comparative Example 1, which range from 1 to 5 g per 100 g of the test sample, indicating that, compared with Comparative Example 1, the vanillin contents of Example 1 were greatly increased.In addition, no deterioration occurred in the vanilla products 8 of Example 1, and the aroma provided by the vanilla products 8 was superior to that provided by the vanilla products of Comparative Example 1, suggesting that the problems of poor yield and relatively weak aroma of the vanilla products of Comparative Example 1, which were prepared by a conventional method, were greatly improved.

[0053] <Exemple 2>

[0054] The procedures for manufacturing the vanilla 8 products of Example 2 were generally similar to those of Example 1, except that, in the sealing step (S3), four functional bags were used (i.e., four vanilla 8 products were finally obtained), among which nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and oxygen gas (for comparison) were introduced into three of the four functional bags after the vacuum evacuation step (S31), and, in the synthesis step (S4), heating was carried out for 2 weeks. In addition, the remaining vacuum bag did not receive any gas introduction.

[0055] The results are shown in Table 2 below. [Tables 2] Example 2 Test sample from vacuum bag Test sample from filled bag Nitrogen content Test sample from filled bag Carbon dioxide content Test sample from filled bag Oxygen content Vanillin content (g / 100 g dry weight of test sample) 20.1 19.4 19.0 16.3

[0056] With reference to Table 2, the vanillin contents determined in the vanilla products 8 obtained from the vacuum bag, the nitrogen-filled bag, and the carbon dioxide-filled bag are higher than those determined in the vanilla product 8 obtained from the oxygen-filled bag. These results demonstrate that the occurrence of deterioration of the ground particles 7 due to contact with microorganisms could be avoided, and a failure of the reaction between glucovanillin and glucosidase due to contact thereof with oxygen and partial oxidation occurring as a result could also be avoided.

[0057] Furthermore, due to exposure to an oxygen-filled environment, the vanillin content determined in the vanilla product 8 obtained from the oxygen-filled bag was only 16.3 g per 100 g of the test sample. In contrast, the vanillin content determined in the vanilla product 8 of the respective one of the vacuum bag, the nitrogen-filled bag, and the carbon dioxide-filled bag, each having a hypoxic environment, increased to be in the range of 19.0 to 20.1 g per 100 g of the test sample, indicating that, by the exclusion of oxygen, the vanillin contents obtained after the synthesis step (S4) were significantly increased.

[0058] <Exemple 3>

[0059] The procedures for manufacturing the vanilla products 8 of Example 3 were generally similar to those of Example 1, except that, in the synthesis step (S4), heating was carried out for 2 days.

[0060] The results are presented in Table 3 below. [Tables 3] Example 3 Test sample from vacuum bag Test sample from nitrogen-filled bag Test sample from carbon dioxide-filled bag Vanillin content (g / 100 g dry weight of test sample) 14.0 15.1 13.4

[0061] With reference to Table 3, in combination with Table 1, when the heating time period was extended to 3 weeks (i.e., as in Example 1), the vanillin contents increased to be in the range of 20.1 to 21.3 g per 100 g of the test sample, indicating that the vanillin contents in the vanillin products 8 were effectively raised.

[0062] In summary, in the method for manufacturing the vanilla product 8 according to the disclosure, by implementing the grinding treatment in the grinding step (S2), the precursor and the enzyme can be released from the tissue structures, and by implementing sealing of the container 3 in the sealing step (S3), the ground particles 7 of the vanilla bean 9 can be protected from contact with microorganisms from outside the container 3, so that deterioration of the ground particles 7 can be avoided and a desired moisture content thereof can be maintained.In addition, during the kneading treatment (S41) or the stirring treatment (S42) after heating in the synthesis step (S4), good fluidity of the ground particles 7 can be achieved due to the desired moisture content, which, in turn, facilitates the kneading treatment (S41) or the stirring treatment (S42), so as to enable the precursor and the enzyme to be well mixed and thus to react completely with each other. Furthermore, since the container 3 ensures a sealed environment, the flavor molecules (e.g., vanillin), due to their gasification, can be protected from leaking to the external environment, thereby resulting in the vanilla product 8 having a high vanillin content.

[0063] In the above description, for the purpose of explanation, numerous specific details have been presented in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment(s). It will, however, be apparent to those skilled in the art that one or more embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that a reference throughout this specification to "a given embodiment", to "an embodiment", to an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number, and so on immediately, means that a particular functionality, structure or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should further be appreciated that, in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure or description thereof for the purpose of simplifying the disclosure and assisting in the understanding of various inventive aspects; this does not mean that each of these features must be practiced in the presence of all other features. In other words, in any disclosed embodiment, when the practice of one or more specific details or features does not affect the practice of one or more other specific details or features, said one or more features may be distinguished and practiced alone without said one or more other specific details or features.It should further be noted that one or more specific details or features of one embodiment may be practiced in conjunction with one or more specific details or features of another embodiment, if any, in practicing the disclosure.

Claims

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a vanilla product (8), characterized by: a. subjecting a vanilla bean (9) to a grinding treatment to destroy the tissue structures of the vanilla bean (9) to obtain ground particles (7) of the vanilla bean (9); b. placing the ground particles (7) of the vanilla bean (9) in a container (3), followed by sealing the container (3); and c. after step (b), heating the ground particles (7) of the vanilla bean (9) in the container (3) to a temperature in the range of 40°C to 65°C, to obtain the vanilla product (8) having aroma molecules.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in step (b), the sealing of the container (3) is carried out by vacuum evacuation.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in step (b), the sealing of the container (3) is carried out by introducing a stabilizing gas into the container (3), so that the gas contained in the container (3) is evacuated.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the stabilizing gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon.

5. A method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the stabilizing gas is nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in step (c), the container (3) is further subjected to a kneading treatment (S41) during heating.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the container (3) is a functional bag (31) which is made of a flexible and kneadable material.

8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in step (c), the ground particles (7) of the vanilla pod (9) in the container (3) are further subjected to a stirring treatment (S42) during heating.

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the container (3) is a rigid reaction tank (32) which has a function of heating and temperature regulation, and which is equipped with a stirring element.

10. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further characterized, before step (a), by a step (a)' of subjecting the vanilla pod (9) to a sterilization treatment.

11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the sterilization treatment is carried out by a method selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet irradiation, ozone ventilation, alcohol immersion, immersion in an aqueous solution of hypochlorous acid, and combinations thereof.

12. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, in step (a), the ground particles (7) of the vanilla pod (9) have an average particle size of less than 2 mm.

13. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, in step (c), the heating of the ground particles (7) of the vanilla pod (9) in the container (3) is carried out at a temperature in the range from 50°C to 60°C.

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