METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AN AERATED FOOD COMPOSITION.

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for producing an aerated food composition comprising inclusions, a novel aerated food composition, and a novel apparatus for preparing said food composition.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AN AERATED FOOD COMPOSITION The present matter relates to an apparatus for depositing a liquid, semi-liquid or semi-solid food composition which also includes inclusions and products made by this method. BACKGROUND The deposition of liquid, semi-liquid, or semi-solid food compositions is known to occur in confectionery manufacturing processes. Such products can be deposited, for example, into a mold cavity to produce a finished confectionery product. An example of such a process is the deposition of liquid chocolate into a mold cavity for the production of a chocolate bar. To produce certain types of food composition, it is sometimes preferred to deposit food compositions (or components thereof) under high pressure, for example, depositing at high speeds (e.g., on a fast-moving production line) and / or when producing aerated products, e.g., where gas is added to the food composition under pressure. It is preferable to add a gas to the liquid chocolate before pouring. This process is typically known as aeration, and can be used to provide different effects depending on the pressures and gases used. For example, adding gas to liquid chocolate before deposition can result in a chocolate product with visible bubbles in the final chocolate product; a process typically known as “macro-aeration.” 2δ As an additional example, adding gas to liquid chocolate before deposition can result in a chocolate product where the bubbles that form are too small to be seen with the naked eye in the final chocolate product; a process typically known as "micro-aeration". Blending solid inclusions such as pieces of raisins or nuts into aerated food compositions presents a challenge. As the inclusions are blended into the composition, they tend to weaken the foam, or, if present before aeration, they reduce the effectiveness of foam generation. Food compositions such as confectionery compositions (e.g., chocolate) are typically handled and deposited through channels and orifices that are comparable in size to, or smaller than, the common inclusions. This is particularly necessary when the process involves maintaining the product under pressure until the point of deposition. Therefore, adding inclusions to these compositions can restrict or block the flow of the product.Consequently, it is preferable to find a solution to the problem of depositing food compositions that also have inclusions in them, for example, depositing aerated chocolate with inclusions. Patent No. WO 2010-102716 describes an example of an apparatus for depositing a liquid, semi-liquid, or semi-solid food composition. The apparatus comprises: a chamber of fixed volume for receiving the food composition under positive pressure, the chamber being defined by chamber walls, one of the chamber walls being provided with an outlet orifice for depositing the food composition, the outlet orifice being provided with a first sealing surface; and a valve spindle arranged for reciprocating motion within the chamber, the longitudinal direction of the valve spindle extending substantially perpendicular to the chamber wall in which the outlet orifice is provided, a first end of the spindle The valve is provided with a second sealing surface; wherein the second sealing surface of the valve spindle is arranged to abut the first sealing surface of the outlet orifice to thereby close the outlet orifice. Patent No. EP2016837 describes an apparatus with at least one discharge passage extending to at least an elongated discharge outlet for depositing a confectionery mass, wherein at least one discharge passage diverges in a direction toward the discharge outlet. Paragraph (0014) describes that generally, in a plan view, the discharge passage can be described as having the shape of a fishtail and that, described three-dimensionally, the passage is a hollow truncated pyramid, with the discharge outlet constituting the base, and the inlet end of the discharge passage constituting the top of the pyramid. Paragraph (0010) of patent No.EP2016837 describes that the length of the discharge outlet extends substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the molds or any other molding means move relative to the discharge outlet; therefore, the confectionery mass can be deposited into the molds in the form of relatively wide strips. Paragraph

[0011] in patent no. EP2016837 describes that depositing a relatively wide strip of aerated confectionery mass into a mold can reduce the need to agitate or vibrate the mold. Patent no. EP2016836 describes the deposition of aerated chocolate combined with inclusions, where multiple layers of micro-aerated chocolate are formed in a mold with the option of sprinkling inclusions between each layer after they have been deposited.EP2016836 shows that it is not possible, and in fact it is not preferred, to mix inclusions directly into the aerated mass as it is deposited into the mold, but rather the aerated chocolate must be formed separately. 25 Patent No. WO2015165926 relates to the use of a principle of. airlock type, with an intermediate zone that may or may not be crimped depending on the valve position at the inlet and outlet of this section. In terms of incorporating inclusions into food substances there are several challenges, both at the process and product level, which increase when the food substance is kept at high pressure, for example, confectionery products such as aerated chocolate. An aerated product such as aerated chocolate is inherently unstable; any form of mechanical stress causes foam destabilization and coalescence. Aeration leads to an increase in viscosity and, therefore, poor flow in the mold. The addition of inclusions further increases viscosity. Any method developed needs to minimize this effect as much as possible. Chocolate aeration is performed in a pressurized system, and incorporating inclusions while maintaining pressure presents a complex engineering challenge. Typical nozzle diameters for depositing systems are less than 15 ± 4 mm. This limits the size of inclusions that can be deposited (assuming they can be dosed into a pressurized system first). Increasing the nozzle diameter is not an option, as the system pressure drop would be too great. There is also a risk of inclusions clogging the nozzle. Existing solutions have focused on over-aerating the chocolate (to compensate for any gas loss) and mixing the inclusions into the pre-aerated chocolate after pressure release. However, this results in either visible aeration (in the case of micro-aeration) or bubble destruction and significant loss of aeration (in the case of macro-aeration). Consequently, it is preferable to find a solution to the problem of depositing aerated chocolate with inclusions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A process is provided for preparing an aerated feed composition having inclusions dispersed therein; the process comprises the following steps: a) providing an apparatus for dosing edible inclusions, the apparatus comprises a positive displacement pump and the apparatus is capable of operating under pressure; b) introduce inclusions into the positive displacement pump; c) introduce the fluid aerated feed composition into the post-inclusion positive displacement pump; and d) Mix the inclusions with the fluid aerated feed composition in the positive displacement pump to form an aerated feed composition that has inclusions dispersed in it. A process is provided for preparing an aerated food composition which has inclusions dispersed therein, wherein the process is for preparing a molded, preferably micro-aerated, aerated chocolate composition having inclusions dispersed therein, the process comprising the steps of a) providing an apparatus for dosing edible inclusions, the apparatus comprising a positive displacement pump and the apparatus being capable of operating under pressure^ b) introduce inclusions into the positive displacement pump; o) introduce an aerated fluid chocolate composition into the post-inclusion positive displacement pump; d) mixing the inclusions with the aerated fluid chocolate composition in the positive displacement pump to form an aerated chocolate composition having inclusions dispersed in it; e) deposit the aerated fluid chocolate composition into molds; f) solidify the molded composition from the deposition stage e): and S g) demolding a solid molded product from the solidification stage f) to obtain a molded micro-chocolate composition that has inclusions dispersed in it. The present inventions provide a food composition obtained by a process of the present invention, the food composition having 10 inclusions dispersed therein, preferably comprising micro-aerated gas bubbles therein having an average size of less than 100 microns, preferably having inclusions dispersed substantially homogeneously therein, preferably being a confectionery product or, preferably, being a molded product. The present invention allows for the provision of aerated products with inclusions where the incorporation of the inclusions does not destabilize the aeration of the product. Additionally, very preferably when the aeration is micro-aeration, the process of the present invention allows for the provision of a product that includes inclusions without the incorporation of an undue amount of unwanted air bubbles, i.e., substantially no incorporation. The advantages of the product of this process are: The inclusions blend well into the food composition mass, meaning that the risk of visible uncoated inclusions (on the back of chocolate bars, for example) is avoided. - The inclusions will be better distributed within the feed composition, eliminating the need for a part of the feed composition to be deposited first before the inclusions are deposited and again after the inclusion deposit is finished, meaning that the first and last parts have a lower % of inclusions. The present invention also provides an apparatus for preparing the claimed products and carrying out the claimed processes. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The modalities are described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures, which are described below. Figure 1 shows the micro-aerated Crunch® bar produced (far right) compared to current products. Figure 2; 1Q.2 % of micro-aerated Larin® (top) compared to the current product (bottom). Figure 3: 10.2% of micro-aerated Larin®, bar appearance on the top and back. Figure 4: Shows the back of the micro-aerated Crunch® bar without inclusions. The black spots visible on the bar without inclusions are clearly unacceptable from a quality perspective. Although the present description describes particular modalities. It will be appreciated that the subject matter claimed is not limited to the specific modalities described, and that there are possible alternative configurations within the scope of the attached references. The present invention provides a process for preparing an aerated food composition having inclusions dispersed therein, the process comprising the steps of: to provide an apparatus for dosing edible inclusions, the apparatus comprises a positive displacement pump and the apparatus is capable of operating under pressure; b) introduce inclusions into the positive displacement pump; o) Introduce the fluid aerated feed composition into the positive displacement pump after three inclusions; and d) Mix the inclusions with the fluid aerated feed composition in the positive displacement pump to form an aerated feed composition having inclusions dispersed therein. As used in this description, the term 'inclusion' denotes an edible body and / or particle of distinct composition that is incorporated (or capable of being incorporated) wholly or partially into a food composition. Inclusions are frequently used to provide contrasting texture, firmness, or visual appearance. and / or flavor to the material in which they are incorporated, thus providing a unique sensory and edible experience for the consumer. Typically, more than one inclusion will be incorporated into a single part of the food composition comprising inclusions. It may be preferable in many products that the inclusions be dispersed as uniformly as possible within the product (or within a subset of the product, such as in a layer or filling) so that each bite of the product provides a consistent edible experience. The food composition is preferably a confectionery product, preferably a fat-based confectionery product, and preferably ambient confectionery (i.e., not frozen confectionery, e.g., ice cream). The food composition is preferably chocolate or a compound, as defined below. The invention is preferably applicable to micro-aerated products given the challenges of maintaining aeration on a non-visible scale. However, alternatively, the invention may relate to macro-aeration. In a preferred embodiment, the positive displacement pump is a rotary pump, a reciprocating pump, or a linear pump. The nature of the positive displacement pump is preferably determined by its ability to maintain system pressure in contrast to other mixing devices. In one embodiment, the rotary pump is preferably a rotary vane pump, preferably a flexible vane or sliding vane pump. A rotary vane pump preferably comprises a rotor enclosed in a housing and at least one vane, wherein, when the rotor rotates, the vanes trap the fluid, drawing it through the pump. In one embodiment, the reciprocating pump is either a piston pump or a plunger pump, In a preferred embodiment, the vane pump comprises at least two vanes, at least three vanes, at least four vanes, or at least five vanes. In a preferred embodiment, the vane pump comprises fewer than or equal to 20 vanes, fewer than or equal to 15 vanes, or fewer than or equal to 10 vanes. In a preferred embodiment, the vane pump comprises between 1 and 10 vanes. In a preferred embodiment, the use of more vanes provides an improvement in pressure maintenance. In a preferred embodiment, the use of 3 or more vanes provides an optimum for maintaining pressure in the pump. In one embodiment of the pump, the volume between the vanes varies from a pressurized to a non-pressurized state as it rotates. The vanes are used to provide a constant seal between the pump wall and the vane tip. This is entirely different from pumps that use a valve arrangement (either open or closed), for example, those of patent no. WO2015165926. In a preferred embodiment, the reciprocating pump comprises at least two pistons, at least three pistons, at least four pistons, or at least five pistons. In a preferred embodiment, the pump comprises fewer than or equal to 20 pistons, fewer than or equal to 15 pistons, or fewer than or equal to 10 pistons. In a preferred embodiment, the pump comprises between one and ten pistons. In a preferred embodiment, the use of more pistons provides an improvement in pressure maintenance. In a preferred embodiment, the use of three or more pistons provides optimal pressure maintenance in the pump. In a preferred embodiment, the alternative pump described above comprises piston-type plungers that rotate as the inclusions are deposited to maintain pressure. A potential pump is available from Gram Equipment A / S in IF ingredient feeders. In one embodiment of the present invention, the gaps between the pawls, for example, and the piston / bucket chambers are called cavities. In a preferred embodiment, the cavities are evenly distributed around the mouse. The size of the cavities can be determined based on the size of the inclusions. In one mode, the pump speed, i.e., the rate at which inclusions are incorporated, allows for control of the homogeneity of the inclusions when they are mixed with the aerated feed composition. However, this depends on the pump's productivity capacity. In a preferred embodiment, the pump operates at a speed between 0.0167 Hz and 3.33 Hz, preferably between 0.0833 Hz and 1.67 Hz. In a preferred embodiment, these speeds are related to the rotational speed of the rotor and / or cavities. In a preferred alternative embodiment, the pump operates at a speed between 1 Hz and 100 Hz, preferably between 10 Hz and 75 Hz and, more preferably, between 20 Hz and 60 Hz or between 25 Hz and 50 Hz, In an alternative mode, the pump operates at a speed of between 5 rpm and TOO rpm, preferably between 10 rpm and 75 rpm or between 20 rpm and 65 rpm. In one embodiment, the inclusions are introduced between the vanes of the pump, where the vanes retract when the inclusions reach the defined aerated feed composition, or where the inclusions are introduced into a chamber of a piston or plunger pump and the piston or pump deposits the inclusions into the aerated feed composition. The pumps used in the present invention have been previously used in the field of ice cream inclusion depotting. However, due to the differences in aeration between fat-based food substances, preferably chocolate and / or similar compositions, and ice cream (ice crystal foam compared to aeration in a fat-based matrix) and dispersed sugar in ice cream compared to chocolate, which is a suspension of sugar and other particles, as well as the differences in temperatures, fluid flow, pressures, etc., the use of such pumps has not been previously envisaged for inclusion depotting in aerated chocolate products and would not be considered a clear modification of prior art processes. Furthermore, it is also observed that frozen ice cream is a relatively stable foam and is certainly a much more stable product than aerated chocolate. It is possible to manually mix inclusions into ice cream without substantially destroying the aeration quality. This is not possible with aerated chocolate. Consequently, the two materials are not comparable, and it will be understood that the production processes would not be interchangeable between the two products. It should also be noted that the problems encountered when adding inclusions to food products other than ice cream, preferably molded food products, are different. For example, the visual appearance of ice cream is less important than in a molded food product, where the 15 inclusions should preferably be encapsulated within the molded food product. This is even more important when the food product is aerated, as the visual impact of inclusions in the aeration of ice cream is significant. In a preferred embodiment, the inclusions are introduced into the pump through an inlet port at the top of the pump. There is no particular limitation on how the inclusions are introduced into the pump. However, specific introduction methods can be chosen depending on the inclusion being added. For example, a twin-screw feeder can be used for powders. In a preferred mode, the incision supply operates at a speed between 1 Hz and 150 Hz, preferably between 10 Hz and 125 Hz and, with greater Preferably, between 20 Hz and 100 Hz or between 40 Hz and 90 Hz. In an alternative mode, the pump operates at a speed between 5 rpm and 100 rpm, preferably between 10 rpm and 80 rpm or between 20 rpm and 65 rpm. In a preferred mode, the pressure at the inlet port is ambient pressure. e.g. atmospheric pressure, 1.0 bar. In one embodiment, an additional vacuum pump can be used at the inlet to maintain the pressure required for the aerated feed composition. Such a pump is particularly beneficial when using larger inclusions or highly porous inclusions (e.g., rice crisps), i.e., the use of a vacuum pump reduces the amount of incorporated atmospheric air. In a preferred embodiment, the feed stream of the aerated feed composition is under pressure between 1.10 and 20 bar, preferably between 1.25 and 20 bar, preferably between 1.5 and 15.0 bar, or preferably between 1.2 and 10 bar.0 bar (for example, between 1.1 and 5.0 bar or between 1.5 and 3.5 bar). Consequently, the positive displacement pump has a pressure gradient across the pump, where preferably the number of vanes or plunger / piston and / or pump speed allows the pressure to be maintained despite the incorporation of inductions. The above is important since it allows the maintenance of the degree of aeration of the feed composition. In one embodiment of the invention, an additional mixer, preferably an in-line mixer, i.e., placed at the outlet of the positive displacement pump, is used to provide an additional homogenization stage. In a preferred embodiment, the mixer, preferably an in-line mixer, operates at a speed of between 1 and 100 RPM. The mixer can be a... dynamic mixer. In a specified form, the degree of aeration is greater than 1% of the gas by volume of the feed composition, preferably greater than 3% of the gas by volume, preferably greater than 5% by volume, and preferably greater than 6% by volume. In a preferred embodiment, the degree of aeration is less than 30% by volume of the feed composition, afferent, less than 25% by volume, preferably less than 20% by volume, and preferably less than 15% by volume. In a preferred embodiment, the degree of aeration is greater than 1% by volume and less than 30% by volume. In preferred modes, aeration can be measured as follows: 1. Porosity is measured using a sampling point after aeration but before the inclusion feeder (after prior validation that the porosity of the depositor corresponds to that of the sampling point). The weight of a defined volume of un-aerated chocolate is compared with the weight of the same volume after aeration; the % difference corresponds to the porosity level. 2. X-ray tomography of solid bars, to determine porosity and bubble size distribution. 3. A density balance can also be used, In one configuration, the gas used for aeration is any suitable gas, that is, an inert gas. Typically, the gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and argon. The gas can be air. Preferably, the gas is nitrogen. Without theoretical limitations of any kind, the applicant believes that the method of introducing inclusions of the present invention can reduce the tendency to destabilize aeration during deposition and / or mixing by minimizing any pressure loss or the introduction of atmospheric air into the product. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the aerated feed composition comprising inclusions has an aeration degree between 99.5% and 65% of the aeration degree of the aerated fluid before dosing of inclusions, preferably between 75% and 93% or between 80% and 95% or between 85% and 95%. In a preferred embodiment, fluid chocolate and solid inclusions 10 can be deposited in a mold as the substrate to form an aerated molded chocolate, which also comprises inclusions, in a manner that maintains aeration. Cooling of the deposited food composition can be achieved using known methods, Aeration Edible aerating fluids (such as aerated chocolate) are advantageous. One reason for this is the impetus they provide for the development of more palatable confectionery products, combined with an improved consumer perception. The methods of the present invention allow for the production of aerated compositions that also contain inclusions. Aeration provides the same impression of size but with less chocolate. By reducing the amount of chocolate, it's possible to increase the level of inclusions (typically the healthiest component of the product, lower in sugar). Consumer perception improves in that a greater number of inclusions are visible on the top surface of the bar. The distance between the inclusion and the chocolate is greater, which again positively affects the perception of more infusions. One cost benefit is that less chocolate (and potentially infusions) is required to supply a product of the same volume as the 5 products made using methods of the previous technique. Unless otherwise stated herein, in the embodiments and examples of the invention described herein used to deposit aerated material such as chocolate mass, aeration is achieved using a gas injector as described in more detail in patent no. WO200S / 063Q36. It will be appreciated that this equipment is by way of example only and not limiting, and other suitable means of aeration known to those skilled in the art may also be used. Preferably, the gas bubbles are produced in the aerated compositions of the invention by the use of an aeration means comprising a machine selected from one or more of the following and / or components thereof: (i) a rotor-stator mixer; (ii) a gas injector where gas is injected into a fluid (optionally, high pressure) at an injection site at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and less than the fluid pressure; and (iii) a jet depositor for depositing fluid onto a substrate under positive pressure; and / or (iv) a modular mixing head with a plurality of different rotor stator assemblies. Each of these aeration machines (i) to (iv) is described in more detail in the present description. The rotor and stator mixer may comprise at least one rotor stator mixer head, such as rotor stators commercially available from Haas under the trade name Mondomix®. The gas injector can be injected into a fluid where, preferably, the 5 Noise has an operating pressure of 1.25 to 30 bar, preferably 2 to 30 bar. The fluid can be conveyed by at least two pumps to pass through an injection site located between them. Advantageously, by injecting gas between two pumps, the pressure at the injection site can be lower than, and / or protected from, the pressure in the rest of the apparatus. The inert gas can be dispersed in the fluid by injection at the injection site at a gas pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. For maximum utility, the gas pressure at the injection site may be less than or equal to 9 bar and / or the system pressure may be at least 9 bar downstream of the injection site. For maximum utility, suitable gas injectors may include those gas injectors as defined herein and / or described in patent no. WO2005 / 063036, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. As used herein, the term 'jet depositor' refers to an apparatus for depositing a fluid food composition (e.g., a liquid, semi-liquid, or semi-solid food) under positive pressure (i.e., pressure above ambient pressure). A preferred jet depositor comprises an alternative valve spindle for depositing the food and / or is as described in patent application no. WO2010 / 102716, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Usefully, in the process of the invention, the composition is pumped by at least two pumps to pass an injection site located between said pumps, where the inert gas is dispersed into the composition by injection at the injection site at a high gas pressure, most usefully, the gas pressure is greater than or equal to 9 bar. More preferably, the aeration means used in the present description comprises an apparatus where the gas is injected into the composition by at least one pump, preferably at least two pumps, usefully, at a pressure of 2 to 30 bar, more usefully, from 4 to 16 bar, or more usefully, from 6 to 12 bar, with maximum utility, from 8 to 11 bar, for example, 9 bar or 10 bar. To prepare the micro-aerated chocolate material used in the present invention, gas injectors such as those described in patent no. WO2O05 / 063036 offer several advantages. First, the gas injection is effectively isolated from any pressure fluctuations occurring in the rest of the system. This provides a more stable gas flow to the product. Second, these injectors can optionally operate at higher pressures compared to conventional rotor and stator systems (9 bar is a typical operating pressure for an injector of patent no.WO2005 / 063036 (compared to the typical operating pressure of 6 bar of a mixer using a rotor and stator mixing head such as a Mondomix® mixer). When a gas injector is connected to a chano depositor, this is additionally beneficial, as higher flow rates can be supplied with the consequent faster line speeds. Thirdly, the entire system is fully pressurized up to the deposition point. This results in the significant advantages described herein, such as the optimization of the final aeration quality and the reduction of the possibility of bubble co-occurrence. In a preferred embodiment, the gas is dispersed in a food composition, preferably a melted chocolate product, at a volume flow rate greater than 0.25 L / min, preferably greater than 0.4 L / min, preferably greater than 0.6 L / min, and more preferably greater than 0.7 L / min. In a preferred embodiment 5, the volume flow rate is less than 1.5 L / min, preferably less than 1.25 L / min or less than 1.0 L / min. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, the volume flow rate is between 0.25 L / min and 1.5 L / min. In a preferred embodiment, the gas is dispersed in a liquid food composition, preferably a melted chocolate product. The gas is dispersed in the composition when the composition is at a temperature of 26 to 33°C, more usefully 28 to 32°C, and most preferably 29 to 31°C. It will be noted that to achieve a desired gas temperature and flow rate, it may be necessary to adjust other parameters of the specific equipment used (such as mixer speed, system pressure, and / or jacket temperature). The method for doing so for a particular system (to achieve any given gas temperature and flow rate target) will be within the skill of a person skilled in the art, considering the disclosures in this specification. In one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid output can be controlled as appropriate, for example, between 25 and 500 kg / h, or between 1000 kg / h and 4500 kg / h. The gas flow rate and other process parameters can be controlled as appropriate to produce the desired product. Inclusions The aerated compositions of the invention comprising one or more inclusions may preferably comprise a fat-based composition of aerated confectionery, for example, a fat-based confectionery composition as filler and / or a chocolate material. The aerated compositions of the invention comprise inclusions between 1.0% by weight and based on the total weight of the food composition, 45.0% by weight based on the total weight of the food composition, between 1.0% by weight and 40.0% by weight, between 1.0% by weight and 35.0% by weight, between 1.0% by weight and 30.0% by weight, preferably between 2.0% by weight and 25.0% by weight, between 3.0% by weight and 20.0% by weight, between 5.0% by weight and 16% by weight, or between 8.0% by weight and 16.0% by weight. The preferred inclusions have an average size of 1 to 50 mm, 2 to 40 mm, 3 to 25 mm, 5 to 10 mm, or 2 to 6 mm. In a further embodiment of the invention, the aerated food composition comprises inclusions with an average diameter greater than 2 mm, for example, inclusions that are retained by a sieve with an opening of 2 mm. The inclusions may have a diameter ranging from 2 mm to 22.6 mm, for example, inclusions that pass through a sieve with an opening of 22.6 mm, but are retained by a sieve with an opening of 2 mm. The inclusions may have a diameter ranging from 2.83 mm to 2.83 mm, for example, inclusions that pass through a sieve with an opening of 11.2 mm, but are retained by a sieve with an opening of 2.33 mm. Alternatively, the inclusions are in the form of a powder, preferably 20, the powder can be selected from cocoa powder, fruit powder and / or dairy powder. In one embodiment, the powder has a particle size, d50 (preferably a diameter where 50% of the mass of the particles in the sample have a diameter smaller than that value), preferably in the range of 10 to 200 microns, preferably 20 to 80 microns or 20 to 150 microns. For example, 10 to 100 microns, 25 to 100 microns, 35 to 80 microns, or 10 to 40 microns. Preferably, laser diffraction is used to measure the particle size d50 using a Malvern Mastersizer 2000, the Scirocco 2000 dry bonding method, and Fraunhofer scattering theory. Conveniently, in one embodiment, the inclusions are distributed substantially homogeneously (uniformly and evenly) initially within the fluid composition in the process of the invention. Usefully, in another embodiment, the inclusions are distributed in a predetermined pattern (which may not be homogeneous) within the fluid composition in the process of the invention, where the pattern is, for example, aesthetically pleasing to the end consumer. However, the preferred method of the present invention relates to an even and uniform distribution throughout a product. Conveniently, the inclusions comprise any of the following non-limiting list (most conveniently selected from the group consisting of): Fruits or pieces of fruit which may include: hard fruits (e.g., nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts, pecans and / or the like); soft fruits (e.g., raisins, cranberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, apples, pears, oranges, apricots and / or the like); and / or pieces of freeze-dried fruit, candied fruit and / or fruit macerated in alcohol; soft fruits preferred over dried fruits; crunchy inclusions (e.g., caramel, coffee, cookies, wafers, etc.); herbs (e.g., chives, dill, cilantro, parsley); cereals (e.g., puffed rice, puffed wheat, extruded cereal pieces), chocolate or chocolate material {e.g., chocolate vermicelli, chocolate shapes); sugar confectionery (for example, nougat pieces, tefe, sweets, candies, pastry candy, marshmallow jelly pieces, sugar-coated tefe centers such as those commercially available from Nestlé under the registered trademark mini SMARTIES®) and / or any suitable mixture and / or combination of these. It will be noted that an inclusion may fall into more than one of the categories listed above. In one embodiment of the invention, the selected inclusions are a mixture of a plurality of different inclusions, where each inclusion has a similar size (usefully within 20%, more usefully within ±10%, and most usefully within ±5% of the average size of the mixture) so that the size range of the inclusion mixture is narrowed, and more preferably, the size of each inclusion is substantially the same. This allows the nozzle geometry and size to more closely match the size distribution of the inclusions used. If different inclusions are used, particularly inclusions with different sizes and / or densities, the inclusions can be introduced separately into the same positive displacement pump or more than one displacement pump (e.g., a different pump is used to mix each different inclusion and the chocolate introductions are deposited separately into the same mold). In another embodiment of the invention, the selected inclusions are the same and not a mixture of different inclusions, so that the size of the inclusions is substantially the same. Pious Generally, the terms 'product' and 'composition' (such as 'confectionery composition' and 'confectionery product') can be used interchangeably in this description unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The difference between them is, generally, that a product is in a final or near-final form, ready or acceptable for marketing and consumption by an end consumer, and is typically sold under a brand name. Therefore, a product may have a plurality of different domains and textures, of which a composition may comprise only a part. A composition (which may also be a product) may also be a component and / or ingredient used to prepare a product. The present invention also relates to a confectionery product, for example, a chocolate product such as a chocolate tablet and / or chocolate bar, aerated and having inclusions dispersed therein (optionally visible) provided by a method described herein. The present invention also relates to a confectionery product, for example, a chocolate product such as a chocolate tablet and / or chocolate bar, filled with an aerated filling of the invention and having inclusions dispersed therein (optionally visible) provided by a method described herein. If the filling is enclosed within an opaque outer shell, the inclusions will not be visible when the product is eaten. Preferably, the confectionery product comprises 1 to 50%, more preferably 1 to 30% and even more preferably 2 to 20%, for example, 8 to 16%, by weight of inclusions with respect to the weight of the filling (which is 100% by weight). In one embodiment of the invention, the confectionery products comprise an aerated chocolate material such as compound or chocolate. Another embodiment of the invention comprises a filled confectionery product comprising from 20 to 70% by weight of an aerated composition of the invention (preferably an aerated filling). Optionally, the remainder of the product is a coating of chocolate material such as the compound or chocolate that substantially encloses (e.g., completely covers) the product. Even more preferably in the filled pralines of the inventions, the aerated filling comprises from 1 to 70% by weight (relative to the weight of the filling) of inclusions homogeneously dispersed therein. In another embodiment of the invention, it comprises a filled confectionery product, such as a praline, comprising from 20 to 40%, more preferably from 25 to 35%, most preferably approximately 30% by weight of the product of an aerated filling of the invention, optionally with 1 to 70% by weight of inclusions dispersed homogeneously therein. In a further embodiment of the invention, it comprises a filled confectionery product such as a filled chocolate bar or tablet comprising from 15 to 70%, more preferably from 55 to 65%, most preferably approximately 60% by weight of the aerated filling product of the invention optionally with inclusions dispersed homogeneously therein. Usefully, the chocolate material is chocolate or compound, with greater utility, chocolate, with maximum utility, bitter and / or dark chocolate, for example, 20 milk chocolate, such as a molded tablet of milk chocolate with inclusions (optionally with fillings in it). Usefully, the confectionery product of the invention comprises a chocolate material such as chocolate or compound, most usefully chocolate, most usefully dark chocolate and / or milk chocolate, for example, 25% milk chocolate, such as a molded milk chocolate tablet (optionally, with s 10 15 inclusions and / or fillings therein). Furthermore, it shall be understood that the terms “top” and “bottom” referring to a product may be interchangeable and depend on, for example, how the product is formed and its orientation under gravity. Thus, for example, the top of a product in use or when packed may be the bottom of the product when formed in a mold during production. The term 'substantially horizontal' refers to a plane through an axis of the product that, during storage, transport, and display of the product in stores, is likely to remain substantially horizontal, e.g., when the product is stored flat on a largely (preferably and exactly) horizontal surface. A substantially horizontal surface is typically parallel to the main plane of the product, for example, the flat underside of a large area of ​​a filled chocolate bar.As used herein, 'substantially vertical' refers to lines or planes that are substantially perpendicular (preferably perpendicular) to a substantially horizontal line or plane (preferably and exactly horizontal) as defined herein. The substantially preferred vertical orientation is vertical, especially aligned with the direction of gravity in the typical position of the product in storage, transport, and / or display. Nature of the bubbles 20 25 Chocolate containing gas bubbles (commonly nitrogen or carbon dioxide) has been known to be prepared. However, in such products, the bubbles are typically visible to the consumer (such as in products marketed by the applicant under the Aero® trademark).Such visible bubbles with an average diameter of 100 microns or more are commonly known as macrcáireation. Chocolate with bubbles of a size small enough to. When bubbles are not visible to the naked eye, typically with an average bubble diameter of less than 100 microns, it is known as microaeration. There are technical challenges with microaeration of chocolate. For example, the gas must be injected into the chocolate mass using a more precise method with specialized equipment; otherwise, there is a risk that the bubbles may coalesce to form larger bubbles. Furthermore, care must be taken with the deposition process. Microaerated chocolate mass is very sensitive to any form of mechanical stress, which causes coalescence. Therefore, a pre-assembled deposition, directly into the mold, is required to ensure optimal aeration quality. However, given the stability and homogeneity provided by the mixing method of the present invention, it is possible to use a non-pressurized tank without any loss of aeration stability or degree of aeration. This is highly surprising and advantageous when the chocolate or composite product contains inclusions, since loss of aeration is a key problem when inclusions are incorporated. Conveniently, the plastic viscosity (PV) of the pressed chocolate material of the invention is measured herein according to ICA Method 46 (2000) under standard conditions unless otherwise stated and, more preferably, is from 0.1 to 10 Pa.s. In one embodiment, this can be measured using a Haake VT550. The micro-aerated chocolate material of the invention described herein (and / or manufactured according to any process of the invention as described herein) has a total bubble surface area (TSA) of 0.5 to 2.2; preferably, 0.5 to 1.5; Preferably, from 0.55 to 1.10, more preferably from 0.6 to 1.0; most preferably from 0.65 to 0.90, for example, from 0.7 to 0.8 m² per 100 g of the aerated chocolate material. The term surface area or total surface area (TSA) mentioned in the present description can be calculated from equation (1) of the present description and / or measured by any suitable apparatus or method known to those skilled in the art. In one embodiment of the invention, the TSA is a specific surface area (SSA) and can be measured as described in the article 'Determination of Surface Area. Adsorption Measurements by Continuous Flow Method' by M. Nelsen, F.J. Eggertsen, Annals. Chem„ 1958, 30 (8), pp. 1387-1390. For example, by using nitrogen gas and SSA calculated from the SET isotherm. (Equation 1) ~ “EE (|) where TSA is the total bubble surface area. P is the porosity of the aerated chocolate material, is the mass of the aerated composition (g), is the density of the aerated composition (g / cm®) and r is the radius of a medium-sized bubble (cm) and the values ​​for, P are from TI to 19%. The value of dyr could be in meters and the value of P as a ratio, in 20 line can the units for previous TSA. In the invention, dO is the density of the aerated composition (g / cm3), which is less than the density of a non-aerated composition. In one embodiment, dO is less than 1.33 g / cm3, less than 1.30 g / cm3, less than 1.25 g / cm3, less than 1.20 g / cm3, less than 1.18 g / cm3, less than 1.15 g / cm3, and less than 1.10 g / cm3. In one embodiment, d^ is greater than 1.00 g / cm3, greater than 1.03 g / cm3, greater than 1.05 g / cm3, greater than 1.07 g / cm3, greater than 1.10 g / cm3, greater than 1.12 g / cm3, and greater than 1.15 g / cm3. In a preferred embodiment, «U is greater than 1.00 g / cm3 and less than 1.33 g / cm3. In one modality, the radius r is less than 50 microns, less than 45 microns, less than 40 microns, or less than 35 microns. In another modality, the radius r is greater than 5 microns, greater than 10 microns, greater than 20 microns, and greater than 25 microns. For example, the radius r is less than 50 microns and greater than 5 microns. Bubble size can be measured from images obtained using suitable instruments and methods known to experts in the technique. Preferred methods include X-ray tomography and confocused laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), with X-ray tomography being the most preferred. Deposit The problem of adding inclusions is not specific to a particular type of apparatus for depositing and aerating chocolate, but is encountered with different machines for depositing other food compositions, whether aerated or not. Examples of apparatus for depositing a liquid, semi-liquid, or semi-solid food composition that can be used in a process of the invention are described below. An example of a suitable depositing apparatus is described in patent no. WQ 2010 / 102716, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The illustrative apparatus comprises a chamber of fixed volume for receiving the food composition under positive pressure. The chamber is defined by chamber walls, one of which is provided with an outlet orifice for depositing the food composition. The outlet orifice is provided with a first sealing surface. The apparatus also comprises a valve spindle arranged to 2δ reciprocating motion within the chamber, the length direction of the valve spindle extends substantially perpendicular to the chamber wall in which the outlet orifice is provided, a first end of the valve spindle is provided with a second sealing surface. The second sealing surface of the valve spindle is arranged to abut the first sealing surface of the outlet orifice to thereby close the outlet orifice. This apparatus may be used in a process and / or comprise part of an apparatus of the present invention and / or be operated in line with an apparatus of the present invention to provide the fluid composition to the outer orifice of a nozzle of the present invention as described herein. The illustrative apparatus for depositing a liquid, semi-liquid, or semi-solid food composition comprises a chamber of fixed volume for receiving the food composition under a positive pressure in the range of 4 to 12 bar, for example, 4 to 6 bar. Optionally, the food composition has already been aerated (e.g., by gas injection or mixing) before being conveyed to the chamber. Optionally, the chamber may further comprise an aeration means (e.g., a means for injecting gas into the liquid, optionally under high pressure) to aerate or additionally aerate the liquid contents. This apparatus is also referred to in the present description as a depositor and in a depositor of the present invention (which may optionally also be an aerator) comprises at least one nozzle of and / or capable of being used in a process of the present invention together with one or more of the other features of the apparatus described below. In the illustrative depositor, the chamber is provided with an inlet and an outlet to supply the feed composition to the chamber from a pump, and the appropriate pumps and supply lines will be obvious to those skilled in the art: The pump is configured to supply the feed composition to the chamber at a rate of, for example, approximately 125% of the intended deposit rate. The chamber's side walls can be provided as a single unit, formed from, for example, a stainless steel casting. The bottom and top walls of the chamber, which are substantially flat, can be formed from, for example, stainless steel plates bolted to and sealed against the side walls. The bottom wall of the chamber can be provided with a plurality of openings arranged in a two-dimensional pattern to produce a desired deposition pattern; for example, a two-dimensional arrangement of openings can be provided in a regular arrangement of rows and columns of, for example, 64 openings. However, other arrangements are possible. A nozzle is fitted into each opening, defining an outlet through which the food composition is deposited.An inner surface of the nozzle may be provided with a conical surface, which surface serves as a first sealing surface. The apparatus may also comprise a plurality of valve spindles associated with respective outlet ports and a plurality of linear pneumatic actuators associated with the respective valve spindles. Each valve stem may be in the form of an elongated circular rod, or needle. A first (lower) end of the stem may be provided with a tapered surface that serves as a second sealing surface and is adapted to make sealing contact with the first sealing surface of a respective nozzle, as described above. The valve stem may have a length slightly less than the internal height of the chamber (measured across the surfaces). (internal to the lower and upper chamber plates). A second (upper) end of the valve spindle can be attached to a respective actuator that is attached to the upper chamber plate. The actuator can be coupled to the upper chamber plate so that it is accessible for repair or replacement without significant disassembly of the apparatus. The actuators and valve spindles can be arranged with their axes perpendicular to the lower and upper plates, so that the actuators can be operated to longitudinally displace the valve spindles relative to the chamber walls with a reciprocating motion. The valve spindles can be arranged such that, with the valve spindles in their upper position, the outlet orifices are open for the food composition to be deposited.With the valve spindles in their lowered position, the sealing surfaces of the nozzle components and the valve spindles can be in sealing contact to close the outlet ports and prevent the flow of the feed composition. The actuators can be operated independently so that the flow of the feed composition can be varied between different outlet ports, with a selectable number of outlet ports open at any given time. Each actuator can be connected to a pneumatic circuit (not shown) to provide linear motion and a controller (not shown) to control the pneumatic circuits. Suitable pneumatic circuits are known to those skilled in the art. Suitable controllers include logic controllers and appropriately programmed computers.In the use of the device, the controller can be arranged to control the actuators to independently open and close the respective outlet orifices 25 to start and stop the deposition of the food composition. The flow rate of the. Composition through the outlet holes can be controlled by opening and closing the outlet holes in a cycle that has a frequency of at least 2 Hz, and by varying the proportion of the time the outlet hole is open (i.e., by varying the spade-mark ratio). The flow rate of the feed composition through the outlet orifices may also depend, at least in part, on the pressure of the feed composition in the chamber. Therefore, the controller may be equipped with the output of a pressure sensor (not shown) that measures the pressure in the chamber. The controller can then control the actuators based on the detected pressure. Instead of pneumatic actuators, the actuators can alternatively be other types of actuators, such as electric moving-coil actuators. Electric moving-coil actuators can be capable of precise position control so that the flow rate of the feed composition through the outlet ports can be varied by adjusting the linear position of the spindles. 1S valve. The apparatus may be provided with a spreader plate attached to the bottom plate. The spreader plate may connect the outlet ports to a plurality of spreader plate outlets. The spreader plate outlets may be provided with a pressure-operated valve. The pressure-operated valve is arranged to close when a pressure falls below a predetermined pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The apparatus can be arranged on an intermittent-moving (indexed) food composition molding line. When the line is stationary, the apparatus can move over a mold cavity at high speed to fill the 25-mold cavity with the food composition. Commercially available piston or rotary valve depositors can be used, for example, those supplied by Buhler-to or Knobel. Of course, the reservoir nozzle must be of sufficient size to allow the inclusions defined above to pass through it. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment, the depositor is capable of being placed under pressure to maintain aeration in the product. The pressure rating was previously defined for the vane pump. Commercially available pressurized depositors are available from Wymbs Engineering (MK2) and Haas Depositing Systems. However, an advantage of the method of the present invention is that even when the depositor is not pressurized and low-density inclusions (e.g., rice crisps) are used, the use of the positive displacement pump and, optionally, the additional mixer ensures that the inclusions do not rise to the top of the product in the mold (e.g., on the back of a chocolate bar—see examples). The present invention offers simplified and improved distribution across a wider range of inclusions than density and viscosity equalizing solutions; that is, the present invention offers improvements in migration reduction, even for low-density infusions. Additionally, a further advantage is that the present invention does not have separation problems in the depositor's hopper. This means that it is not necessary to use an agitator (as for non-aerated products) which would destabilize the aeration. Therefore, the equalization of density or the increase in viscosity (most likely to be the case with low-density infusions, e.g., rice crisps) allows the use of a non-pressurized depositor because there is no need for constant agitation. While specific dual-channel nozzle deposition methods can maintain aeration quality, the present invention provides a more uniform distribution of inclusions and more precise dosing. It is also a more industrially robust process. The examples illustrate these advantages. S General characteristics As used in this description, the term “food grade,” when referring to a material herein, denotes that the material is permitted to come into contact with foodstuffs suitable for human consumption as defined by the relevant local legislation (also referred to in this description as “suitable for food contact”). At the date of filing this application in the European Union, the relevant rules for materials suitable for food contact include EU Regulation 1935 / 2004, entitled “Framework Regulation on materials and articles proposed to contain food,” and EU Regulation 2023 / 2006, entitled “Good Manufacturing Practices.” The following EU regulations are also relevant: 10 / 2011 on plastic materials in contact with food (as amended by 2015 / 174, 202 / 2014, 1183 / 2012, 1133 / 2012, 1282 / 2011, 321 / 2011, 284 / 2011); 450 / 2009 on active and intelligent materials in contact with food; 282 / 2008 on recycled plastic materials that come into contact with food; 42 / 2007 / 42 on regenerated cellulose film in contact with food; 1895 / 2005 on restrictions on food contact with certain epoxy materials; and EU Directive 500 / 1984 on national laws on ceramic articles in contact with food; and 11 / 1993, on the release of N> nitrosamines and Nmitrose substances.Therefore, as used in the present description, “food grade material” denotes that such material complies with the EU regulations and guidelines mentioned above regarding suitability for contact with food and preferably such food grade materials will also be those materials that continue to comply with any updated standards and material lists issued in accordance with these and / or related EU regulations or directives. Although particular modalities are described herein, it will be appreciated that the subject matter claimed is not limited to the specific modalities described, and that alternative configurations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. In one embodiment, the compositions of the invention may usefully be chocolate products (as defined herein), most usefully being chocolate or a chocolate compound.Regardless of any other legal definition that may be used, the compositions of the invention comprising a cocoa solids content of 25% to 35% by weight together with a milk ingredient (such as milk powder) may be informally referred to in the present description as “milk chocolate” (the term also encompassing other analogous chocolate products, with similar amounts of cocoa solids or replacements for these). Regardless of any other legal definition that may be used, the compositions of the invention comprising a cocoa solids content of more than 35% by weight up to 100% (i.e., pure cocoa solids) may be informally referred to in the present description as “dark chocolate” (the term also encompassing other analogous chocolate products, with similar amounts of cocoa solids or replacements for these). The term “chocolate”, as used in this description, means any product (and / or component thereof if it is a product) that meets a legal definition of chocolate in any jurisdiction and also includes the product (and / or component thereof) in which all or part of the cocoa butter (CB) is replaced by cocoa butter equivalents (CBE) and / or cocoa butter replacements (CBR), The term “chocolate compound” as used in this description (unless the context clearly indicates otherwise) refers to chocolate-type analogues characterized by the presence of cocoa solids (including cocoa liquor / mass, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder) in any quantity, although in some jurisdictions the compound may be legally defined by the presence of a minimum quantity of cocoa solids. The term “chocolate product,” as used herein, means chocolate, compounds, and other related materials comprising cocoa butter (CB), cocoa butter equivalents (C8E), cocoa butter replacements (CBR), and / or cocoa butter substitutes (CBS). Therefore, chocolate product includes products based on chocolate and / or chocolate analogues and, for example, may be based on dark, milk, or white chocolate. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, it shall also be appreciated that in the present invention, any chocolate product 20 may be used to replace any other chocolate product, and the term "chocolate" or "compound" shall not be deemed to limit the scope of the invention to a specific type of chocolate product. The preferred chocolate product comprises chocolate and / or compound; more preferably, the chocolate product comprises chocolate; most preferably, the chocolate product comprises chocolate as legally defined in a significant jurisdiction (such as Brazil, the EU, and / or the US). UUJ. The chocolate product of the invention can be used to mold a tablet and / or bar, to coat confectionery items, and / or to prepare more complex confectionery products. Optionally, prior to its use in the preparation of a chocolate confectionery product, inclusions may be added to the chocolate product according to the desired recipe. As will be evident to a person skilled in the art, in some cases, the product of the invention will have the same recipe and ingredients as the corresponding composition and / or mass, whereas in other cases, particularly when inclusions are added or for more complex products, the final recipe of the product may differ from that of the composition and / or mass used to prepare it. In chocolate confectionery, cocoa butter (CB) may be replaced by fats from other sources. Such products may generally comprise one or more fats selected from the group consisting of: lauric fat(s) (e.g., cocoa butter substitute (CBS) obtained from the kernel of the palm fruit); non-lauric vegetable fat(s) (e.g., those based on palm or other specialty fats); cocoa butter replacement(s) (CBR); cocoa butter equivalent(s) (QBE); and / or any suitable mixture thereof. Some CBEs, CBRs, and especially CBS may contain primarily saturated fats and very low levels of unsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (with health benefits). Therefore, in one embodiment of the chocolate confectionery of the invention, such types of fat are less preferred than CB. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise indicated, the description of alternative values ​​for the upper and lower limits of the allowable range of a related parameter, as an indication that one of said values ​​is preferred over the other, shall be deemed to be an implicit statement of that each intermediate value of said parameter, which is between the most preferred and the least preferred of said alternatives, is preferred over said least preferred value and, furthermore, that each least preferred value and said intermediate value are preferred. For all upper and / or lower limits of any given parameter in 5 10 15 the present description, the limit value is included in the value for each parameter unless otherwise indicated, i.e., “less than” means “less than and includes” and “greater than” means “greater than and includes” but “less than and does not include” means that the limit value is not included.It shall be further understood that all combinations of preferred and / or intermediate minimum and maximum limit values ​​of the parameters described in the present invention in various embodiments of the invention may also be used to define alternative ranges for each parameter for various other embodiments and / or preferences of the invention*, regardless of whether the combination of such values ​​has been specifically described in the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, % in the present description refers to % by weight. It shall be understood that the sum total of any quantity expressed in the present invention as a percentage may not (except for rounding errors) exceed WO %.For example, the sum of all the components comprising the composition of the invention (or its parts) may, when expressed as a percentage by weight (or otherwise) of the composition (or its parts), total 100% except for rounding errors. However, when a list of components is not exhaustive, the sum of the percentages for each of such components may be less than 100% to allow for a specified percentage for additional quantities of any additional component that may not be explicitly described herein. description. The term 'wstandaimBníe' (or 'essentially') as used in this description may refer to a quantity or entity to denote a large amount or proportion thereof. Where relevant in the context in which it is used, the term 'substantially' may be understood to mean quantitatively (in relation to any quantity or entity referred to in the context of the description) comprising a proportion of at least 8%, preferably at least 85%.with higher preference, at least 90%; with highest preference, at least 95%; especially at least 98%; for example, approximately 100% of the whole relevant. By analogy, the term “substantially free” or “free” may similarly denote that the amount or entity to which it refers comprises more than 20%, preferably not more than 15%, with higher preference not more than 10%, with highest preference not more than 5%, especially not more than 2%; for example, approximately 0% of the whole relevant. The term “comprising” as used in the present invention shall be understood to mean that the following list is not exhaustive and may or may not include any other suitable additional item, e.g., one or more additional features, components, ingredients, and / or substitutes as appropriate. Thus, the words “comprising,” “comprising,” and the like should be interpreted in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” It should be noted that the modes and features described in the context of one aspect of the present invention also apply to the other aspects of the present invention. The invention will now be described in further detail in the following non-limiting examples. The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not in any way considered to limit the scope of the present invention. Flats Example 1 The aeration of liquid milk chocolate was carried out using an aerator and the chocolate had the following parameters: 10 PV {Pa.s) ¥V (Pá) | P30(pm) min. h.................. | 5'5 max 7.5 ......+.................. max. 9.0 Minimum ¡28 Maximum 36 Aeration was carried out using a tiller as described in patent no. WO2005 / 063036 using nitrogen and with the objective of a 15% aeration level (by volume). The adjustments were: Mass temperature: 30 degrees C Backpressure setting: 3 bar Pump speed no. 1: 6 rpm Pump speed no. 2: 12 rpm Beater speed: 250 rpm Gas flow rate (N2): 0.8 l / min A Tetra Pak ice cream inclusion feeder was additionally jacketed to allow for better temperature control. The jacketing was carried out using water at a controlled temperature (pipe jacket temperature, typically 28°C). -33 °C) The feeder had 6 paddles and was operated at a pressure of 3 bar. Tetra Pak configuration: Worm gear speed: 2 (50 Hz, at approximately 10 rpm) Vane pump speed: setting 0 (minimum operating speed, approximately 15 rpm) Dynamic mixer speed after Tetra-Pak: 2 (measured at 21 rpm, approximately 5 Hz) The following inclusions were deposited in the chocolate: almonds 16% and rice crisps 8%. Chocolate productivity increased to an absolute maximum of 50 kg / h. Visual inspection of the product showed that the inclusions were well mixed into the chocolate mass, with no visible uncoated inclusions on the back 15 of the bars and the inclusions were well distributed throughout the chocolate. Example 2 The aeration of a liquid milk chocolate (was carried out by using an aerator as described in patent no. WO2O05 / O63O36 by using nitrogen and aiming for an aeration level of 10% (by volume). Tempering Settings (Aasted AMC Supershear): Pump speed - 110% Preheating - 45 degrees C Stage 1 - 18 degrees C Stage 2 - 27.6 degrees C Stage 3 - 28.9 degrees C Aeration settings; Product temperature before mixing: 29.9 degrees C Backpressure setting: 8 bar S Pump speed no. 1: 6 rpm Pump speed no. 2: 12 rpm Beater speed - 250 rpm Gas flow rate (N2): 074 l / min Product temperature after whisking - 29.8 degrees C Tetra-Pak configuration: Worm gear speed: 4 (70 Hz) Pump speed: 0 (slowest possible value for a speed of approximately 15 rpm) Dynamic mixer after the vane pump: 2 (measured at 21 rpm, approximately 15 5 Hz) The resulting product had no more visible bubbles than an equivalent non-aerated product. Consequently, the method of the present invention provides a product where aeration is carried out with inclusions but without any impact on the product's visual appeal. Chocolate productivity increased to an absolute maximum of kg / h. Example 3 A test was conducted using the Crunch® format at a mold speed of 6-25 molds / minute in 20 cavities per batch. The target weight was 36 g, containing 2.88 g of rice crisps and 35.12 g of chocolate. The rice crisps were sieved to ensure a size no larger than 6 mm. The almonds were also dosed but not sieved. Recipes 2 and 4, described below, were used to make a chocolate product in the Crunch® format. Recipe 3 was used to make a chocolate product in the Larin® format. Images of these products are shown in the figures. The previous equipment configuration was replicated with the exception that a 8uhler*Bindler depositioner was connected to increase the deposition rate in molds. The chocolate yield increased to an absolute maximum of 250 kg / b. The following milk chocolate recipes were tested under the following conditions. Recipe 2 Recipe 3 Recipe 4 YV(Pa) PV (Pa,s) Particle size 090 (pm) (measured using a micrometer) 8.312 7.215 33 5.8 5.9 20 8.31 4.09 18 Addition of PGPR (%) Addition of tecitin (%) Fat theta i (%) 0.2 0.4 28 0.2 0.4 30 NZI 0 5 29 Dynamic mixer speed (RPM) ·<« *e *e «j: *s¡ xeS x2í nf£ <w -¿5? ά £1 £L £L O. EL a: a: m m m m K Sí St ;«S...........¢4.......0».._ Φ £ 'ÍS Ό ® S Ό X 0 2 ü „ xi S ® ® o w -r > OX! Cli· oooooo is \r 't -ee Φ ^· QSC Φ i DcsiOcation auger of inclusions o & E op <X «3 «i» «3 «3 03 Ό C ο ÍS 3 <3 U·: ι e o ϋ Velocidad (Hz) O C* fSs Γ-. OJ C>?> co ίφ í> Tetra Pressure (bar) , W .Oí ♦ < is r-~ o> c> rM ¡o Φ Fine oe gas (l / min) ¢9 <0 O» <N X- <M Velocidad del batidor (RPM) o «>is? Aeration parameters i.. : of the pump OI ιό in the pump u> <3? <- xw <n «s Velocidad ¡(RPM) <n <n o o o es <0 X- <£>φ co Test Details | jopejísodap l®PS 1 OOO <3 MSX? χι *^l xs ~ ~s S £ S ss íB w ís w «i cu ó. SSE? É oo α ά aa z á Prescription inclusion «< «< «Λ <λ ΰϊ φ g 2 φ. c *2 ”52 ® § .$ .« ,® σ £ j 21 a* υ < 0 u ο s 43 8 δ •φ sc οι ce ^'ί ί£The pressurized tests were carried out using a pressure plate bolted to the top of the depositor (where the hopper would normally sit). It was sealed with a thick rubber gasket (required to create an effective seal due to the irregularities of the depositor's top). The inclusions containing the aerated chocolate were introduced uniformly through the depositor block using a distributor 5. The non-pressurized tests were carried out simply by filling the depot from the outlet of the flexible hose used to supply the distributor in the pressurized test. The dynamic mixer after the pump was set to 21 W RPM during testing, which resulted in satisfactory mixing without any apparent destruction of inclusions. Standard cooling parameters were used (10eC). No problems were found in terms of cooling and demolding. The porosity of the finished bars was validated by measuring the density of 15 molded bars that do not contain inclusions, collected at the beginning or end of the particular cycle of interest. Pressurized Non-pressurized Dough Crispy Almond Crispy 20 Product Product Product Initial fine! Initial final initial final Recipe 2 11.23% 10.85% 10.40% 8% N / A Recipe 3 12.90% 10.00% 11.80% 10.20% 13.08% N / A Recipe 4 N / A N / A N / A 12.20% 11.70% The tests were successful in producing a finished product with an acceptable appearance. No problems were observed on the upper molded surface of the bars. In terms of any visual defects that were noted, these were insignificant enough to be well disguised by the presence of the inclusions. Figure 1 shows Aerated Recipe 2 and Commercial Reference Recipes 2 and 4. Figure 2 shows Aerated Recipe 3 (10 2%) and Commercial Reference Recipe 3. Regarding Figure 3, it can be observed that the commercial product exhibits air holes despite the absence of designated aeration due to the presence of inclusions. Consequently, this demonstrates that the present invention provides aeration with inclusions in such a way that the degree of aeration and product appearance are unaffected. Example 4 Using the equipment configuration as described above, an experiment without inclusions was carried out to evaluate whether the vane pump speed affected the quality / level of atmospheric air incorporation aeration, starting at a vane pump speed of 2 Hz and increasing the speed to Hz and then to 40 Hz. No negative impact was observed in terms of aeration quality due to the pump speed inside the bar. However, it was observed that the presence of inclusions improved the visible appearance of the product from a quality standpoint. Products without inclusions showed black spots on the back of the bar (i.e., the side not in contact with the mold and facing upwards). See Figure 4. Therefore, the method of the present invention allows for aeration retention by virtue of the method used and the presence of inclusions. This is unexpected based on previously known methods because the presence of inclusions typically introduces atmospheric air into a product, which affects the aeration quality.

Claims

1. A process for preparing an aerated food composition having inclusions dispersed therein, the process comprising the steps of: a) providing an apparatus for dosing edible inclusions, the apparatus comprising a positive displacement pump and being capable of operating under pressure; b) introducing inclusions into the positive displacement pump; c) introducing the fluid aerated food composition into the positive displacement pump after the inclusions; and d) mixing the inclusions with the fluid aerated food composition in the positive displacement pump to form an aerated food composition having inclusions dispersed therein.

2. The process of claim 1, characterized in that the fluid aerated food composition is under pressure of between 1.10 and 30 bar.

3. The process of claim 1 or claim 2,characterized in that the positive displacement pump comprises between 3 and 10 vanes.

4. The process as claimed in any preceding claim, 20 characterized in that the inclusions are introduced constantly or intermittently into the positive displacement pump, preferably at a rate of between 1.0% by weight and 45.0% by weight based on the total weight of the inclusions and the aerated feed composition, 5. The process as claimed in any preceding claim, 25 characterized in that the inclusions are introduced between the vanes of the pump,wherein the vanes retract when the inclusions reach the fluid aerated feed composition, or wherein the inclusions are introduced into a chamber of a piston or plunger pump and the piston or pump deposits the inclusions into the aerated feed composition.

6. The process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterized in that the aeration of the feed composition comprises injecting gas into the fluid to form bubbles having an average size less than 100 microns (micro-aeration) or to form bubbles having an average size greater than 100 microns (macro-aeration).

7. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fluid is aerated to the point of having at least 5% gas by volume (in the total volume of the fluid).

8. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fluid is a liquid, semi-liquid, or semi-solid feed composition.preferably a confectionery composition, preferably a fat-based confectionery composition, preferably where the fat-based confectionery composition is a chocolate composition, preferably where the chocolate composition is a compound or chocolate.

9. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterized in that the fluid is aerated to between 10% and 20% gas by volume and the aerated food composition comprising inclusions has a degree of aeration of between 65% and 99.5% of the degree of aeration of the fluid, optionally between 75% and 98%.

10. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterized in that an in-line mixer is placed at the outlet of the positive displacement pump and an additional homogenization step is carried out.

11. A process as claimed in claim 10,characterized in that the in-line mixer operates at a speed of between 1 and 100 RPM, 12. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the process is for preparing a molded micro-aerated chocolate composition 5 having inclusions dispersed therein, the process comprising the steps of a) providing an apparatus for dosing edible inclusions,The apparatus comprises a positive displacement pump and is capable of operating under pressure; b) introducing inclusions into the positive displacement pump; c) introducing an aerated fluid chocolate composition into the positive displacement pump after the inclusions; d) mixing the inclusions with the aerated fluid chocolate composition in the positive displacement pump to form an aerated chocolate composition having inclusions dispersed therein; e) depositing the aerated fluid chocolate composition into molds; f) solidifying the molded composition from the depositing step e); and g) demolding a solid molded product from the solidification step f) to obtain a molded micro-aerated chocolate composition having inclusions dispersed therein.

13. A process as claimed in any preceding claim,characterized in that the inclusions are selected from the group comprising: fruits or pieces of fruit which may include hard fruits, soft fruits, powdered fruits and / or, 2S pieces of freeze-dried fruit, candied fruit and / or fruit macerated in alcohol, crunchy inclusions; herbs, cereals, chocolate or chocolate composition, sugar confectionery and / or combinations thereof.

14. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterized in that the inclusions are present between 1.0% by weight and 45.0% by weight of the aerated edible food, preferably between 5.0% by weight and 20% by weight.

15. A food composition obtained by a process as claimed in any of claim 14, the food composition having inclusions dispersed therein, preferably comprising micro-aerated gas bubbles therein having an average size less than 10 microns, preferably having substantially homogeneously dispersed inclusions therein, preferably being a confectionery product or, preferably, being a molded product. 16.A food composition and / or food product as claimed in claim 15, comprising chocolate and / or a micro-aerated compound having inclusions dispersed therein.

17. An apparatus for preparing an aerated food composition having inclusions dispersed therein, comprising an apparatus for dosing edible inclusions, the apparatus comprising a positive displacement pump, and the apparatus being capable of operating under pressure in combination with an apparatus for aerating a food composition.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, being capable of operating the process of any one of claims 1 to 14.