Containers for preparing liquid foods

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container for preparing a liquid food product, the container having a capsule-shaped base with a cavity open on one side, the cavity being filled with a liquid food powder. The container further comprises a cover closing the open side of the cavity. The base is produced from a compostable material. The compostable material comprises 10-90% by weight of at least one protein binder, 2-75% by weight of at least one cellulosic material, 0.1-80% by weight of water, 0.3-15% by weight of at least one salt, and 0-40% by weight of additives.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container for preparing liquid foods, in particular a coffee capsule, having a capsule-shaped base made of compostable material. [Background technology]

[0002] Containers for preparing liquid foods, in particular coffee or tea capsules, are known in the prior art. Such containers contain powders or extracts for preparing the liquid foods. The containers are placed in a corresponding machine, which introduces in particular hot water under pressure into the container in order to extract or prepare the liquid foods from the powders or extracts. To introduce the hot water into the container, the container must be pierced or penetrated by a device on the machine. The same applies to the ejection of the prepared liquid foods from the container, so that an area of ​​the container can also be designed in such a way that it bursts under the pressure of the introduced hot water, forming an opening or a through hole.

[0003] The majority of containers available on the market today, especially coffee capsules, are made of aluminum or petroleum-based plastics. As a result, these containers are not reusable or can only be reused with considerable effort. Furthermore, the disposal of such containers has a significant environmental impact on nature or water bodies, especially if the containers end up in landfills or are disposed of improperly.

[0004] There is therefore great interest in containers for preparing liquid foods which can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. Summary of the Invention

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a container for preparing liquid foods, in particular beverages, which is produced from natural raw materials and which is biodegradable, preferably also reusable.

[0006] The solution to the problem is defined by the features of claim 1. According to the invention, a container for preparing a liquid food product comprises a capsule-shaped body with a cavity open on one side. The cavity is filled with a liquid food powder. The container further comprises a lid closing the open side of the cavity. The substrate is made of a compostable material. This material comprises 10-90% by weight of at least one protein binder, 2-75% by weight of at least one cellulose material, 0.1-80% by weight of water, 0.3-15% by weight of at least one salt and 0-40% by weight of additives.

[0007] The material is compostable due to its composition, so that it decomposes completely even in a home compost. The material can be completely dissolved in the environment or in water, which means that there is little or no impact on the environment even if the used container is disposed of improperly. Surprisingly, the material has been shown to withstand the brewing conditions, for example in a capsule coffee machine, without any problems, despite its degradability and dissolving in water. Furthermore, the material is largely recyclable depending on its composition. It has also been found that the material has very good barrier properties, i.e. low oxygen transmission rate and low water vapor transmission rate, which means that the container provides good protection from oxidation and moisture to the food powder contained therein.

[0008] The liquid food product is preferably a coffee drink such as espresso, tea, cocoa, chocolate drink, milk drink, infant formula, bouillon or soup. Correspondingly, the powder or extract of the liquid food product is preferably coffee powder, tea leaf powder or tea leaf extract, cocoa powder, chocolate powder, milk powder, infant formula, bouillon powder or soup powder.

[0009] The capsule-shaped body is preferably in the form of a truncated cone, in particular in the form of two truncated cones arranged one above the other, but alternatively the capsule-shaped body may be in the form of a cylinder, a hemisphere, a partial ellipse, or any other suitable shape.

[0010] Preferably, the cover is welded or bonded to the base. Also preferably, the cover is attached to the base by a mold or friction fit. Preferably, a seal, particularly a squeeze seal, is located on the cover or base.

[0011] In the following applications, reusable material is understood to mean a material which can be reprocessed and whose main components, in this case specifically cellulose materials, can be used as starting materials in the production of paper, paperboard, cardboard or new materials for the novel container according to the invention.

[0012] The substances contained in this material are completely biodegradable and can therefore be disposed of easily and in an environmentally friendly manner, in particular via wastewater or compost. The materials used allow the complete decomposition of the containers in both home and industrial composting according to the standard DIN / EN13432:2000. Furthermore, this material, or the containers made from it, are harmlessly decomposable in nature and in water according to the specifications of ISO16221:2001.

[0013] The material exhibits thermoplastic properties during processing, particularly when exposed to heat, and can therefore be processed into containers using methods known from polymer processing, for example by injection molding, extrusion, pressing, casting, rotational molding, or vacuum forming. The material can also be processed into containers by sintering or by using a 3D printer.

[0014] The cellulose material is preferably in the form of fibers or powder. When present as a powder, the cellulose material has an average particle size of 100 to 2000 μm, preferably 150 to 1000 μm, more preferably 250 to 500 μm.

[0015] The cellulose material is preferably present in the material in an amount of 2-90% by weight, more preferably 5-80% by weight, particularly preferably 15-60% by weight, especially preferably 25-50% by weight.

[0016] In the following applications, a protein binder is understood to be a protein or protein mixture that has adhesive properties and can be hardened. The protein binder can soften when heat is applied, so that the material can be reshaped. Thus, the thermoplastic behavior of the material according to the invention can be achieved by using at least one protein binder.

[0017] The at least one protein binder is preferably present in the material in a concentration of 10-90% by weight, more preferably 20-80% by weight, particularly preferably 30-70% by weight.

[0018] The material contains 0.1 to 80% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 60% by weight, and particularly preferably 1 to 10% by weight of water.

[0019] The material further comprises 0.3-15% by weight, preferably 1-10% by weight, more preferably 2-6% by weight of at least one salt.

[0020] Depending on the application, the material may have at least one additive. The at least one additive can be used to impart additional physical, optical, tactile or chemical properties to the material or to specifically change such properties. For example, the material can be colored with dyes or pigments. The at least one additive is preferably biodegradable and / or reusable.

[0021] The material preferably includes up to 25% by weight of shellac as an additive, the addition of which can increase the flowability of the material and its cohesiveness during processing.

[0022] The material may further comprise at least one alcohol as an additive in an amount of 1-20% by weight, specifically 5-15% by weight.

[0023] The at least one alcohol preferably has from 1 to 50 carbon atoms. The alcohol is preferably an alcohol having from 2 to 30 carbon atoms, in particular from 2 to 15 carbon atoms.

[0024] The at least one alcohol may be linear or branched. The at least one alcohol may be a monohydric alcohol, but is preferably a polyhydric alcohol, specifically having 2 to 15 hydroxy groups, preferably 2 to 10 hydroxy groups, specifically 2 to 6 hydroxy groups.

[0025] Preferably, the at least one alcohol is selected from the group consisting of polyglycerol-3 (CAS 25618-55-7), glycerol ethoxylate (CAS 316954-55-0), pentaerythriol ethoxylate (CAS 30599-15-6), polyethylene glycol E400 (CAS 25322-68-3), glycerol (CAS 56-81-5), 1,2-propanediol (CAS 57-55-6), dipentaerythritol (CAS 126-58-9), pentaerythritol (CAS 115-77-5), sorbitol (CAS 50-70-4), xylitol (CAS 87-99-0), mannitol (CAS 69-65-8), sucrose (CAS 57-50-1), trehalose (CAS 6138-23-4), ethylene glycol (CAS 107-21-1), diethylene glycol (CAS 111-46-6), triethylene glycol (CAS 112-27-6), or mixtures thereof.

[0026] Preferably, the compostable material according to the invention comprises as additive starch, at least one monosaccharide, at least one oligosaccharide or at least one polysaccharide, or a mixture thereof.

[0027] Preferably, the additive is selected from wheat starch, potato starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, dextrin, agar, alginate, pectin, chitin, cyclodextrin, or mixtures thereof. More preferably, the additive may include sugars from algae, fruit, vegetable, and / or cereal extracts.

[0028] Furthermore, preferably glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, trehalose, maltose, lactose, maltodextrin, dextrose, isomalt, erythritol, mannitol, xylitol, sugar syrup, invert sugar syrup, or mixtures thereof can be used as additives, such as sugar compounds that act as additional binders in the material, thereby increasing the strength of the compostable material or reducing the amount of at least one protein binder while maintaining the same material strength.

[0029] At least one ester may also be present in the material as an additive. The at least one ester is preferably a carboxylic acid ester, preferably having 2 to 22 carbon atoms, specifically 6 to 12 carbon atoms. The at least one ester may be a monoester, but is preferably a polyester. Specifically, the at least one ester is preferably an alkyl citrate or glycerol acetate, preferably triethyl citrate (CAS 77-93-0) or glycerol triacetate (CAS 102-76-1).

[0030] The material preferably contains a preservative as an additive. Preservatives preferably used are ascorbic acid or citric acid or their salts, sorbates, plant extracts or mixtures thereof.

[0031] Preferably, the material contains at least one animal or vegetable fat as an additive. The addition of fat can improve the granulation of the material during processing. The at least one fat used can be linseed oil, castor oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, fat flour, medium chain triglycerides, or mixtures thereof.

[0032] The material also preferably contains at least one natural wax as an additive, in particular carnauba wax, candelilla wax, sugarcane wax, beeswax, or stearin, or a mixture thereof.

[0033] The at least one additive may preferably be a flavouring or flavour extract, in particular vanillin.

[0034] Preferably, at least one coloring agent or at least one color pigment, in particular charcoal, iron oxide, calcium carbonate, preferably vegetable coloring agents from vegetables or fruits, for example beets or carrots, are used as additives.

[0035] The container according to the invention is preferably inserted into a machine intended for this purpose, in particular a coffee capsule machine, whereby the liquid food, in particular coffee, is prepared or extracted inside the capsule by adding hot water under pressure and then dispensed into cups or the like. To introduce the hot water, the base of the container is preferably pierced by a corresponding device of the machine. In dispensing, the lid of the container can be controllably pierced or ruptured by pressure, for example by interaction with a so-called pyramid plate of the machine. Furthermore, the base and / or the lid may already have a corresponding through hole.

[0036] Preferably, the lid comprises the same material as the base, which means that all components of the container are compostable, further simplifying the production of the container since only one material is required to produce all components of the container.

[0037] Alternatively, the lid can be made of different materials, preferably other materials that are also compostable, in particular the lid can be made of paper, non-woven fabric or biodegradable plastics such as polylactide.

[0038] Furthermore, the lid can also consist of a mixture of the base compostable material and at least one other material or have a layered structure, whereby at least one layer consists of the base compostable material.

[0039] Preferably the lid is attached to the base by a squeeze seal, which simplifies manufacture of the container and ensures a good seal between the base and the lid.

[0040] The squeeze seal is preferably made of the same material as the base, which means that all components of the container are compostable and preferably reusable. If the lid is also made of the same material, production of the container can be simplified as only one material is needed to produce all components of the container.

[0041] Preferably, the base and / or the lid have at least one sealing ring and / or sealing lip, which can achieve a sealing effect between the container and the wall of the receiving space of the machine for preparing liquid food. The at least one sealing ring and / or the at least one sealing lip are preferably made of the same material as the base.

[0042] The at least one sealing ring or the at least one sealing lip preferably protrudes from the base or cover. The at least one sealing ring or the at least one sealing lip preferably is integrally formed with the base or cover.

[0043] Preferably, the lid has multiple through holes, which allows the extracted or prepared liquid food to be removed from the container without the need to further penetrate or otherwise open the lid. The through holes are preferably sealed with a removable protective film to prevent the extract or powder in the cavity from getting wet or oxidized before the liquid food is prepared or extracted.

[0044] The lid preferably has multiple areas of reduced thickness so that when a predetermined pressure is applied within the cavity, these areas will burst to form the pores, resulting in a tightly sealed cavity before the liquid food is prepared or extracted, and the pores can be formed in a controlled and easy manner by introducing pressurized water into the cavity.

[0045] Preferably, the base has a plurality of through holes on one side opposite to the essentially open side, which allows water to enter the cavity for preparing or extracting the liquid food without first having to open or pierce the base. The through holes are preferably sealed with a removable protective film to prevent the extract or powder in the cavity from getting wet or oxidizing before the liquid food is prepared or extracted.

[0046] Preferably, the open side of the cavity is closed with a filter arranged under the lid. This means that the filter is located on the side of the lid facing the cavity. The filter is preferably made of paper or fleece. The function of the filter is to prevent the powder or extract from leaking out of the container together with the prepared or extracted liquid food.

[0047] The filter may also be rigidly attached to the lid, but alternatively the filter may be fitted to the side of the lid facing away from the cavity.

[0048] The filter is preferably made of the same material as the base, meaning that all components of the container are compostable and preferably reusable. If the lid, or any crush seals, are also made of the same material, manufacturing of the container can be simplified since only one material is needed to manufacture all components of the container.

[0049] Preferably, the at least one cellulosic material is selected from fibers or powders of cellulose, hemicellulose, hydroxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, lignin, wood, hemp, corn, bamboo, coconut shells, nut shells, coffee bean husks, coffee grounds, cocoa shells, cork, paper, paperboard, or mixtures thereof.

[0050] Preferably, the at least one protein binder comprises an animal protein binder, in particular gelatin, collagen, adhesive glue, casein, keratin, albumin, or milk protein. The adhesive glue is preferably bone glue, hide glue, rabbit glue, fish glue, or a mixture thereof.

[0051] The at least one protein binder is preferably a vegetable protein binder, in particular a protein binder from cereals, soybeans, almonds, hemp, peas, lupins, pumpkins, cassava, sunflowers, or mixtures thereof. The cereals are preferably wheat, rye, barley, oats, rice, corn, millet, or mixtures thereof. The protein binder is preferably gluten.

[0052] Preferably, the base and optionally lid materials comprise at least one animal protein binder and at least one vegetable protein binder.

[0053] The at least one salt is preferably selected from sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium stearate, magnesium silicate, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, calcium phosphate, or mixtures thereof.

[0054] Further advantageous embodiments and combinations of the features of the invention emerge from the following detailed description and the entire claims.

[0055] 1 shows drawings used to illustrate embodiments; [Brief description of the drawings]

[0056] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of a container according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of a second embodiment of a container according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a container with a sealing lip. [Figure 4a] FIG. 13 illustrates the placement of a sealing lip on a collar of a base. [Figure 4b] FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative arrangement of a sealing lip on a collar of a base. [Figure 4c] FIG. 13 illustrates another alternative arrangement of the sealing lip on the collar of the base. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a view of one embodiment of a container according to the invention from the open side. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view of the embodiment of the container shown in FIG. 5 with the lid fitted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0057] In the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference symbols.

[0058] Figure 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment of a container 1 according to the invention. The container 1 has a capsule-like base body 2. In the embodiment shown, the capsule-shaped base body 2 takes the form of two stacked truncated cones 3 and 4. The first truncated cone 3 has an open side 11 closed by a lid 9 (see Figure 4) around which a circumferential collar 5 extends. The base body 2 has a second truncated cone 4 on the side of the first truncated cone 3 opposite the open side 11. Inside the capsule-shaped base body 2 there is a cavity 6 (see Figure 3) which is filled with a liquid food powder or extract.

[0059] Figure 2 shows a side view of a second embodiment of a container 1 according to the invention. In contrast to the first embodiment of Figure 1, the embodiment according to Figure 2 has a capsule-shaped base body 2 in the form of a hemisphere.

[0060] Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the container 1 with a sealing lip 12 arranged on a collar 5. The sealing lip 5 protrudes from the collar 5 and allows sealing between the container 1 and the wall of a receiving chamber of a machine for preparing liquid beverages, in particular a coffee capsule machine.

[0061] Figures 4a to 4c show various arrangements of the sealing lips 12, 12.1, 12.2 on the collar 5 of the base body 2. In the embodiment according to figure 4a, the sealing lip 12 is arranged approximately in the middle of the collar 5, whereas in the embodiment according to figure 4b, the sealing lip 12 is arranged on the edge of the collar 5. In the embodiment according to figure 4c, two sealing lips 12.1 and 12.2 are arranged on the collar 5.

[0062] Figure 5 shows an embodiment of a container 1 according to the invention from the open side 11. The cavity 6 is filled with liquid food powder 7. In the area of ​​the open side 11, the cavity 6 has a squeeze seal 8, by means of which a lid 9 can be fixed.

[0063] Figure 6 shows an embodiment of the container 1 according to figure 5 with the lid 9 in place. The lid 9 has a number of through holes 10. A liquid beverage prepared or extracted by the container 1 can leak out of the container 1 through the through holes 10 without the need to pierce or penetrate the container before preparation or extraction. A sealing lip 12 is also arranged on the collar 5.

[0064] Example 1 In a first example, 750 g of chia flour (typical nutritional composition: 31% protein, 58% fiber, 9.5% fat, <1% carbohydrate, <1% salt) was mixed in a kettle with 63 g of coffee fiber (length 0.1 mm-0.5 mm), as well as 6 g citric acid and 7 g calcium oxide. 450 g of hot water was added to the pre-dry mixed ingredients and the solution was mixed in a planetary mixer (rotor 10 L).

[0065] The material was extruded into strands under a hydraulic press at a pressure of about 120 bar by a pressing device consisting of a piston and a ram with a nozzle of 2 mm diameter. After hardening, the strands were cut into pieces of 2 mm length and the resulting granules were then injection molded into containers. [Table 1]

[0066] Example 2 In a second example, 371 g of almond protein flour (typical nutritional composition: 51% protein by weight, 17% fiber by weight, 12% fat by weight, 7% carbohydrate by weight, less than 1% salt by weight) was mixed in a kettle with 199 g of cornmeal (less than 0.7 mm in length), 100 g of tragacanth, 94 g of shellac, and 4 g of magnesium sulfate.

[0067] 7 g of citric acid was dissolved in 400 g of warm water. This solution was added to the previously dry mixed ingredients and mixed in a planetary mixer (rotor 10 L).

[0068] The material was extruded into strands under a hydraulic press at a pressure of about 120 bar by a pressing device equipped with a piston and plunger with a nozzle of 2 mm diameter. After hardening, the strands were cut into pieces of 2 mm length, and the resulting granules were then injection molded into containers. [Table 2]

[0069] Example 3 In a third example, the binder component was produced by mixing 350 g of warm water with 160 g of rabbit glue and heating to 70° C. in a water bath for 20 minutes.

[0070] 40 g of albumin was dry mixed in a kettle with 86 g of corn flour, 258 g of edible bran fiber, 56 g of shellac, and 16 g of magnesium sulfate.

[0071] Potassium benzoate was dissolved in 70 g of water. This solution was added to the binder component along with 32 g of glycerin. Finally, 16 g of nut oil was added and mixed in a planetary mixer (rotor 10 L).

[0072] The material was extruded into strands under a hydraulic press at a pressure of about 120 bar by a pressing device equipped with a piston and plunger with a nozzle of 2 mm diameter. After hardening, the strands were cut into pieces of 2 mm length, and the resulting granules were then injection molded into containers. [Table 3]

[0073] Example 4 In Example 4, 4 g of citric acid was dissolved in warm water (65° C.). The solution was mixed with 144 g of fish glue and heated to 90° C. in a water bath for 20 minutes to produce the binder component.

[0074] 36 g rice starch was dry mixed in a kettle with 84 g hemp protein flour (typical nutritional composition: 50% protein by weight, 23% fiber by weight, 11% fat by weight, 9.5% carbohydrate by weight, less than 1% salt by weight), 32 g magnesium sulfate, 312 g corn meal, and 8 g sugar cane wax.

[0075] The dry mixed ingredients were then added to the binder component, followed by the addition of 8 g of safflower oil and 24 g of glycerin. The solution was then thoroughly mixed using a planetary mixer (rotor 10 L).

[0076] The material was extruded into strands under a hydraulic press at a pressure of about 120 bar by a pressing device equipped with a piston and plunger with a nozzle of 2 mm diameter. After hardening, the strands were cut into pieces of 2 mm length, and the resulting granules were then injection molded into containers. [Table 4]

Claims

1. A container for preparing liquid food, comprising a capsule-shaped base having a cavity with an open side and filled with powder or extract of the food, and a lid for closing the open side of the cavity, the base being made of a compostable material, the material being: a) 10-90% by weight of at least one protein binding agent; b) 2 to 75% by weight of at least one cellulosic material; c) 0.1 to 80% by weight of water; d) 0.3 to 15% by weight of at least one salt; e) 0 to 40% by weight of additives A container comprising:

2. 10. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid comprises the same material as the base.

3. 10. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid is secured to the base by a squeeze seal.

4. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the base and / or the lid part are preferably made of the same material as the base and have at least one sealing ring and / or sealing lip capable of achieving a sealing effect between the container and a wall of a storage space of a machine for preparing the liquid food.

5. 10. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid has at least one aperture therethrough.

6. 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid has at least one region of reduced thickness such that when a predetermined pressure is applied within the cavity, the at least one region ruptures to form at least one piercing hole.

7. 10. The container of claim 1, wherein said base has a plurality of through holes on a side substantially opposite said open side.

8. 2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the open side of the cavity is closed by a filter arranged under the lid.

9. 9. The container of claim 8, wherein the filter is made of the same material as the substrate.

10. 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the at least one cellulosic material is selected from fibers or powders of cellulose, hemicellulose, hydroxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, lignin, wood, hemp, corn, bamboo, coconut shells, nut shells, coffee bean shells, coffee grounds, cocoa shells, cork, paper, paperboard, or mixtures thereof.

11. 2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one protein binder comprises an animal protein binder, in particular adhesive glue, gelatin, collagen, keratin, casein, albumin, or milk protein.

12. 2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one protein binder comprises a vegetable protein binder, in particular a vegetable protein binder from cereals, soy, almond, hemp, pea, lupin, pumpkin, cassava, sunflower, or a mixture thereof.

13. 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the at least one salt is selected from sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium stearate, magnesium silicate, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, calcium phosphate, or mixtures thereof.

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