Bouillon tablet

Abstract

A bouillon tablet comprising salt, sweetener, oil and / or fat and flavors, characterized in that the bouillon tablet comprises an edible coating comprises a coating material selected from the group consisting of gelatine, gellan gum, waxes, pullulan, whey protein isolate, cellulose, alginates, corn zein, gluten, soy protein, caseinate, chitosan, pectin, carrageenan, xanthan gum, acacia (arabic) gum, agar, guar gum, modified starch, locust bean gum, konjac gum, and tara gum, or combinations thereof. The tablet may be a biconvex tablet having an upper convex surface (401, 501) and a lower convex surface (405, 505) connected by a cylindrical band (403, 503). The edible coating may comprise one or more herbs or spices.

Description

[0001] BOUILLON TABLET

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The present invention relates to bouillon tablets. In particular, the present invention relates to a bouillon tablet comprising salt, oil and / or fat, and flavors, characterized in that the bouillon tablet comprises an edible coating comprises a coating material.

[0004] Background of the invention

[0005] Packaging of manufactured food products is a vital part of the food industry today as it ensures food safety, preserves food quality and plays an important role in production processes, in brand communication and in digitalization. Indeed, several studies show that for a large part of consumers the packaging of a product is one key aspect that drives the purchase decision.

[0006] One of the main problems associated with packaging in general is the generation of packaging waste. According to Eurostat in 2017, 172.6 kg of packaging waste was generated per inhabitant in the EU.

[0007] One step towards achieving this is to provide sustainable food packaging. Such sustainability can be achieved by recyclable and / or biodegradable food packaging. Recently, edible coatings materials have been developed. For example, such edible coatings are reviewed in Annu. Rev. Food Sci. Technol. 2010. 1:415-48.

[0008] One issue with edible coatings available in the art today is that they are usually used for products with short shelf lives. It would be desirable to have available products packaged in edible coatings that can be used for products with long shelf lives.

[0009] Packaging of bouillon tablets is in particular challenging as - due to their concentration - they are often hygroscopic, if they contain a fat content, they require a lipid barrier, they need a strong aroma barrier and require a strong oxygen barrier to prevent the concentrated aroma compounds decaying during storage.

[0010] Another issue is that there are consumer expectations regarding the shape and friability of bouillon tablets. The shape and friability of the bouillon tablet impose technical and practical constraints on how the bouillon tablets can be prepared. In particular, providing a bouillon tablet with an even coating presents a technical and practical challenge.It would therefore be desirable to have available a bouillon tablet that has a coating which is edible, provides moisture, water and / or fat barrier properties, and which meets or enhances the consumer's experience of the product.

[0011] Any reference to prior art documents in this specification is not to be considered an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.

[0012] Summary of the invention

[0013] The inventors were surprised to see that the objective of the present invention could be achieved by the subject matter of the independent claim. The dependent claims further develop the idea of the present invention.

[0014] Accordingly, the present invention provides a bouillon tablet comprising salt, oil and / or fat, and flavors, characterized in that the bouillon tablet comprises an edible coating comprises a coating material selected from the group consisting of gelatine, gellan gum, waxes, pullulan, whey protein isolate, cellulose, alginates, corn zein, gluten, soy protein, caseinate, chitosan, pectin, carrageenan, xanthan gum, acacia (arabic) gum, agar, guar gum, modified starch, locust bean gum, konjac gum, and tara gum, or combinations thereof.

[0015] As used in this specification, the words "comprises", "comprising", and similar words, are not to be interpreted in an exclusive or exhaustive sense. In other words, they are intended to mean "including, but not limited to".

[0016] Unless otherwise stated, all quantities are quoted on a percent weight by total weight basis.

[0017] The present inventors have shown that an edible coating is capable of providing a bouillon tablet that has acceptable properties in terms of hardness, reconstitution time, and barrier properties. Moreover, the edible coating may be used to affix a layer of herbs and / or spices. Furthermore, the use of round (spherical or spheroidal) biconvex bouillon tablets facilitates the coating process to provide a more consistent, even coating without the need to introduce a reorientation (flipping or turning) step.

[0018] Brief description of the drawingsFigure 1 shows the cube orientation during hardness measurement related to the punch direction during tableting for Examples 1 to 4.

[0019] Figure 2 shows the weight evolution (moisture uptake) of bouillon in SPS11.

[0020] Figure 3A shows a comparison of measurement data from SPS11 (solid line) and the predicted values of water content (viz. moisture uptake rate) as a function of time.

[0021] Figure 3B shows the estimated water activity of samples based on the predicted water content values.

[0022] Figure 4 shows the predicted water activity values of bouillon cubes prepared according to Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

[0023] Figure 5 is a side (upper) and plan (lower) view of the deep convex shape bouillon tablet prepared in Examples 6 and 7.

[0024] Figure 6 is a side (upper) and plan (lower) view of the ball shape bouillon tablet prepared in Examples 6 and 7.

[0025] Detailed description of the invention

[0026] The present invention relates to a bouillon tablet comprising salt, oil and / or fat, and flavors, characterized in that the bouillon tablet comprises an edible coating comprises a coating material selected from the group consisting of gelatine, gellan gum, waxes, pullulan, whey protein isolate, cellulose, alginates, corn zein, gluten, soy protein, caseinate, chitosan, pectin, carrageenan, xanthan gum, acacia (arabic) gum, agar, guar gum, modified starch, locust bean gum, konjac gum, and tara gum, or combinations thereof.

[0027] A conventional way of manufacturing bouillon tablets or cubes comprises mixing powdered bouillon components with fat and no or only little amounts of oil, and pressing the mix into a tablet or cube form. The presence of fat, and in particular of oil that is liquid at ambient temperature is challenging for any food packaging as the lipids may penetrate the packaging. In addition, the concentrated nature of the bouillon tablet is hygroscopic posing a further challenge to the barrier properties of the packaging.

[0028] When an edible coating comprising a coating material selected from the group according to the invention is used, barrier properties such as a grease barrier, an aroma barrier, an oxygen barrier and / or a water barrier may be obtained. Oxygen barrier properties are usually measured as oxygen transmission rate (OTR). Water barriers are usually measured as water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). Aroma barriers are important for bouillon tablets, because they helpto ensure that the bouillon tablet does not lose flavor during storage, which is often for longer times at ambient temperatures. It also ensures that the bouillon does not take up other flavors from the surroundings. Water barriers are important because bouillon tablets are typically hygroscopic. Without a sufficient water barrier, the bouillon tablet might take up water from the surroundings altering texture and possibly available storage time. Oxygen barriers help to prevent that the bouillon tablet is exposed to oxygen, leading to oxidation, possibly altering taste and appearance of the bouillon tablet. Hence the barrier properties provided by the edible coating may be selected from the group consisting of an oil and grease barrier, moisture barrier or an oxygen transmission barrier. The oil and grease barrier may have a maximum score of 1 when tested according to Lange et al. (Packag. Technol. Sci. 2002; 15: 65-74) and / or a WVTR of at least 4.5 g / m2 / day and / or an OTR of at least 25 cc / m2 / day / atm (23° C., 50%RH).

[0029] In some embodiments of the invention, the edible coating has a WVTR of 1.1 to 1.5 g / tablet / day or less at 23 °C and 70% relative humidity. Preferably, the edible has a WVTR of 1.2 to 1.4 g / tablet / day or less at 23 °C and 70% relative humidity.

[0030] In some embodiments of the invention, the edible coating has a thickness comprises between 0.2 and 0.5mm.

[0031] A grease barrier is important for a bouillon tablet that comprises oil and / or fat. In particular if the oil or fat is liquid at room temperature it has the tendency to penetrate the packaging, making the product less appealing.

[0032] In preferred embodiments, the coating material is selected from the group consisting of gelatine, gellan gum, pullulan, cellulose, sodium alginate, chitosan, pectin, carrageenan, xanthan gum, acacia (arabic) gum, agar, guar gum, modified starch, locust bean gum, konjac gum, and tara gum, or combinations thereof. In particularly preferred embodiments, the coating material selected from the group consisting of gelatine, xanthan gum, acacia (arabic) gum, agar, guar gum, modified starch, locust bean gum, konjac gum, and tara gum, or combinations thereof. In particularly preferred embodiments, the coating material is acacia gum.

[0033] In embodiments of the invention, the coating material may be present in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 3% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet. For example, the coating material may be present in an amount of from about 0.1 to 2 wt%, preferablybetween 0.1 to 1.5 wt%, preferably between 0.1 to 1 wt%, preferably between 0.2 to 2 wt%, preferably 0.2 to 1.75 wt%, preferably between 0.2 to 1.5 wt%, preferably between 0.2 to 1 wt%.

[0034] Advantageously, the edible coating described in the framework of the present invention may be sugar free. This has the advantage that the edible coating is healthier to consume and does not impart an unwanted sweet taste to the bouillon product.

[0035] In preferred embodiments, the edible coating is water soluble. This has the advantage that the bouillon tablet can be added to food preparations in its edible coating. The prototypes prepared by the present inventors have edible coatings that are dissolvable in water, for example in hot water.

[0036] The bouillon tablet may be coated in the edible coating by any process known in the art. For example, the bouillon tablet may be coated in the edible coating by a process comprising the steps of preparing a solution containing the constituents of the edible coating, applying the solution onto the bouillon tablet and drying the edible coating.

[0037] For example, in a first step a mixture may be prepared comprising the constituents of the edible coating and a solvent. The solvent may be water based. It may comprise water, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, glycerol or combinations thereof, preferably water, ethanol or a combination thereof. For an optimal edible coating to result it is important that the constituents of the edible coating are mixed as homogenously as possible. For example, the mixture may be homogenized to ensure optimal mixing.

[0038] The mixture may then be applied to the bouillon tablet by dipping the bouillon tablet into the mixture and / or by spraying the mixture onto the bouillon tablet. Alternatively, the mixture may be poured over the bouillon tablet.

[0039] After the application, the mixture is dried. Drying may be supported by ventilation, a vacuum, hygroscopic compounds and / or by heating, for example.

[0040] As the barrier properties are provided by the edible coating, the bouillon tablet may be packaged in a material having a simple structure allowing easy recycling and / or biodegradation. For example, the bouillon tablet may be packaged in (aluminium) foil, paper, cardboard, or plastics. It may be desired if the packaging is a monolayer packaging and / or a monomaterial packaging.For example, the packaging may comprise oriented polypropylene (OPP), oriented polyethylene (OPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), paper, molded pulp or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, a paper based and / or a paper secondary packaging may be preferred as such paper-based packaging is easily recyclable with the paper stream. Paper recycling is widely available. Hence, in one embodiment of the present invention the secondary packaging is made from paper.

[0041] The bouillon tablet may be a hard bouillon tablet, a soft bouillon tablet of a gel-like bouillon tablet, for example.

[0042] The edible coating may comprises one or more herbs or spices. In particular, the coating material may adhere the herbs or spices to the surface of the bouillon tablet. The bouillon tablet may thereby comprise an edible coating and a layer of herbs or spices. The herbs and spices may be any selected from the group consisting of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, dill, chives, mint, sage, cilantro (coriander), tarragon, marjoram, bay leaves, black pepper, white pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, chilli flakes, chilli powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, ground coriander, turmeric, ground cumin, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, dill seeds, star anise, and combinations thereof.

[0043] Bouillon tablets may have any shape or form. Today, many bouillon tablets have a shape that resembles cuboids or cubes. Hence, the bouillon tablet may be a bouillon cube, for example. In a preferred embodiment, the bouillon tablet is round or substantially round in shape. When the bouillon tablet is substantially round, spherical or spheroidal as in a biconvex tablet, it is easy to apply the edible coating to the bouillon tablet using panning or spraying equipment. In a particular preferred embodiment, the bouillon tablet 4, 5 is a biconvex tablet having an upper convex surface 401, 501 and a lower convex surface 405, 505 connected by a cylindrical band 403, 503, for instance a shallow convex tablet, a normal convex tablet, a deep convex tablet 5, or a ball tablet 5.

[0044] Due to the manner of pressing, the upper convex portion and the lower convex portion are typically shorter in length than the diameter of the cylindrical band, resulting in a circumferential lip, halo, or vertex 507 formed where the cylindrical band is not overlain by the upper convex portion and the lower convex portion. In preferred embodiments, the process comprises abrading or polishing a part of a vertex of the cylindrical band. By abrading or polishing a part or all of the vertex around the upper and lower edges of the cylindrical band, the roundness andsmoothness of the tablet is enhanced. The inventors found that the abrading or polishing may be achieved by agitating the tablets in a container (panning). For instance, the agitation (panning) may be done as part of a dedicated abrasion step, or it may be done as part of a drying or coating step. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the cylindrical band has a chamfered edge adjoining the upper convex surface and / or the lower convex surface.

[0045] As described herein, a bouillon tablet is a stock concentrate comprising salt, oil and / or fat, and flavors. In some embodiments, the bouillon tablet comprises salt in an amount of from about 30% to about 70% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet, for instance from about 30% to about 60%, from about 35% to about 55%, or from about 40% to about 50%. The salt may be table salt. The salt may be low-sodium table salt comprising sodium chloride and potassium chloride. The salt may be iodized.

[0046] In some embodiments, the bouillon tablet comprises a sweetener in an amount of from about 1% to about 20% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet, for instance from about 5% to about 15%, or from about 8% to about 12%. The sweetener may be any selected from the group consisting of granulated sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, molasses, corn syrup, golden syrup, date syrup, coconut sugar, palm sugar, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, malt syrup, barley malt extract, carob syrup, beet sugar, fruit or vegetable concentrates, fructose, glucose, invert sugar, maltodextrin, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments, the sweetener is maltodextrin.

[0047] In some embodiment, the bouillon tablet comprises oil and / or fat in an amount of from about 1% to about 40% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet, for instance from 1% to about 30%, from about 2% to about 20%, about 3% to about 10%, in particular from about 5% to about 8%. In some embodiments, the oil and / or fat is any selected from the group consisting of animal (chicken, beef, pork or lamb) fat, butter, or hydrogenated or nonhydrogenated plant oil or fat (olive, coconut, sunflower, canola (rapeseed), sesame, palm), and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments, the oil and / or fat is sunflower oil, canola (rapeseed) oil or palm oil.

[0048] In some embodiments, the bouillon tablet comprises flavors in an amount of from about 5% to about 30% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet, for instance from about 10% to about 25%, from about 15% to about 20%, or from about 13% to about 18%. Flavors may be any selected from natural flavors, such as fruit or vegetable extracts, essential oils, herbs orspices, and flavouring substances such as aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, esters, carboxylic acids and salts thereof, amino acids and salts thereof.

[0049] In some embodiments, the bouillon tablet comprises fiber in an amount of from about 5% to about 30% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet. The fiber may be any selected from the group consisting of soluble fibers, insoluble fibers, and combinations thereof. For instance, the fiber may be any selected from the group consisting of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin, beta-glucan, inulin, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, resistant starch (digestion resistant maltodextrin), chitin, chitosan, psyllium husk, agar-agar, konjac, guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, arabinan, rhamnogalacturonan, mannan, and combinations thereof.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will understand that they can freely combine all features of the present invention disclosed herein. In particular, features described for the product of the present invention may be combined with the use of the present invention and vice versa. Further, features described for different embodiments of the present invention may be combined.

[0051] Although the invention has been described by way of example, it should be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[0052] Furthermore, where known equivalents exist to specific features, such equivalents are incorporated as if specifically referred in this specification. Further advantages and features of the present invention are apparent from the figures and non-limiting examples.

[0053] Examples

[0054] Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2

[0055] An aqueous hydrocolloid solution of the coating material is prepared. MAGGI® vegetable bouillon cubes (10g) are used for this evaluation. Panning equipment is used for the coating process. 1 kg of the MAGGI® vegetable bouillon cubesare added to 30 mL of the aqueous hydrocolloid solution of the coating material either by submersion. The MAGGI® vegetable bouillon cubes are dried by evaporating the water with hot air. The coating and drying is repeated two times. The coated MAGGI® vegetable bouillon cubes were tested for hardness, reconstitution time, and moisture uptake. The water content and water activity were estimatedfrom the moisture uptake measurement. Various coating materials were used for each examples. Uncoated MAGGI® vegetable bouillon cubes (wrapped and unwrapped) were tested for comparison.

[0056] Table 1

[0057]

[0058] The coated bouillon cubes were higher in hardness than typical uncoated MAGGI® vegetable bouillon cubes. The coating process involving the repeated wetting and drying of the bouillon cubes is believed to promote sintering, therefore increasing hardness. Increased hardness positively improves the resistance of the tables to breakage.

[0059] The coated bouillon cubes were comparable in reconstitution time to typical uncoated MAGGI® vegetable bouillon cubes.Coating by submersion resulted in superior moisture barrier properties as compared with the unwrapped control cube. Coating by submersion with acacia gum shows slightly superior barrier properties than coating by submersion with Lactip.

[0060] Hardness

[0061] Hardness measurement of bouillon cubes is carried out with Texture AnalyserTA-HD Plus (Stable Micro System, UK) equipped with 50 kg measuring cell and compression plate with 50 mm diameter. Texture Analyser test mode was set to "Compression" with pre-test speed of 1 mm / s, test speed of 0.5 mm / s, post-test speed of 10 mm / s, target mode of "Distance", distance of 3 mm, halt time was set to "No", way back of 10 mm, trigger type to "Auto(Force), and trigger force of 50 gram. The bouillon cubes were placed centrally with the sides experiencing tableting pressure not facing the measurement directions. Figure 1 shows the cube orientation during hardness measurement. Measurement was carried out in 6 replications.

[0062] Reconstitution time

[0063] Reconstitution / dissolution time is determined with a measurement setup as described below.

[0064] 200 mL of boiling water and a bouillon cube are placed in a suitable glass beaker equipped with magnetic stirrer. The beaker is heated with a heating plate set to 200 °C and stirring speed set to 200 rpm. The reconstitution process was recorded with a Nikon Coolpix camera. Reconstitution time was manually assessed based on the recorded video.

[0065] Moisture barrier properties

[0066] Water activity of the cube samples was determined using a HC2-AW-USB-SW sensor equipped with a WP40-TH sample holder and AW-KHS clamp (Rotronic, Switzerland). Measurement was carried out at 25 °C in duplicate. Afterwards, five bouillon cubes were placed in an aluminum pan in SPS11 (ProUmid GmbH, Germany); for the cube the measurement is carried out in a 23 carousel. Cubes were then equilibrated at relative humidity (RH) close to the initial awvalues determined previously, i.e., RH of 50% for 72 h. Subsequently, RH was changed to 65% and maintained for 240 h. Sample weight was monitored throughout measurement with measurement cycle was set to 1 h. An indicative plot is shown in Figure 2.

[0067] Barrier properties were determined based on the initial slope in the moisture uptake rate. The initial slope gives the most optimal estimate of barrier properties as the sample water activity can be precisely determined (due to equilibration), thus the driving force of moisture transfer (ambient relative humidity and water activity of the sample) can be precisely determined. Theinitial slope gives an estimate of moisture uptake rate in mg / pack / h. Then, the barrier properties (moisture transmission rate) are determined as follows:

[0068]

[0069] MTR is the barrier property (moisture transmission rate) in mg / cube / day, mo is the initial slope of the net weight (mg) plotted against time, RHcni. \s the ambient relative humidity (here is 65%), and aWto the initial water activity of the sample (here is 0.50 i.e., 50%).

[0070] To validate the approach of basing the estimated barrier properties on the initial moisture uptake throughout the span of the measurement, the measurement data on moisture uptake is compared to the predicted value based on the estimated barrier properties (Figure 3A). Good agreement is observed between the predicted value (based on the estimated barrier property presented in Table 1) and the measurement data. The predicted values start to deviate from the measurement data at moisture value of approximately 3.2% (dry basis) and above. This moisture value reflects a water activity of approximately 0.63, which suggests a monotonical increase of moisture uptake caused by mutual deliquescence of crystalline ingredients in the bouillon product. When deliquescence occurs, water content continues to rise and water activity (aw) remains constant. This affects the physico-chemical characteristics and may result in loss of structure, color change, and leakage (also known as 'oiling out'). With the confidence that the model prediction adequately describes the measurement data, it is possible to simulate real-world conditions when the bouillon cubes are exposed to climatic values.

[0071] Example 5

[0072] The process of Example 3 is repeated except, after the second drying and before the third drying, herbs and spices are added to the panning equipment. The coating material (acacia gum) is an excellent binder and provides good adherence of the herbs and spices to the cube.

[0073] Example 6

[0074] Powdered bouillon components (490 g iodized salt, 100 g sugar, 60 g vegetable fat, 200 maltodextrin and 150 g flavors) are loaded into a tablet press (S250 available from Romaco Pharmatechnik GmbH, Germany) and pressed into 4 g tablets. The die and punches of the tablet press are selected to provide a bouillon tablet having a deep convex shape as shown in Figure 5 or a ball shape as shown in Figure 6. After ejection, the bouillon tablets are transferred to panning equipment and 30 mL aqueous solution of 20% acacia gum is added under rotation andhot air until dried. The coating and drying is repeated two times. The coating and drying process results in erosion of the vertices of the deep convex shape or ball shape tablets to provide coated biconvex bouillon tablets that are substantially spherical or spheroidal.

[0075] Example 7

[0076] The process of Example 6 is repeated except, after the second drying and before the third drying, 50 g of mixed herbs and spices are also to the panning equipment and the 1000 g of bouillon tablets are agitated to disperse the mixed herbs and spices over the surfaces of the bouillon tablets. The tablets are dried in hot air. The coating and drying process results in erosion of the vertices of the deep convex shape or ball shape tablets to provide coated spheroidal or spherical bouillon tablets with a layer or coating of mixed herbs and spices. The coating material (acacia gum) is an excellent binder and provides good adherence of the herbs and spices to the biconvex bouillon tablets that are substantially spherical or spheroidal.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A bouillon tablet comprising salt, oil and / or fat, and flavors, characterized in that the bouillon tablet comprises an edible coating comprises a coating material selected from the group consisting of gelatine, gellan gum, waxes, pullulan, whey protein isolate, cellulose, alginates, corn zein, gluten, soy protein, caseinate, chitosan, pectin, carrageenan, xanthan gum, acacia (arabic) gum, agar, guar gum, modified starch, locust bean gum, konjac gum, and tara gum, or combinations thereof.

2. The bouillon tablet according to claim 1, wherein the coating material is selected from the group consisting of gelatine, gellan gum, pullulan, cellulose, sodium alginate, chitosan, pectin, carrageenan, xanthan gum, acacia (arabic) gum, agar, guar gum, modified starch, locust bean gum, konjac gum, and tara gum, or combinations thereof.

3. The bouillon tablet according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the coating material selected from the group consisting of gelatine, xanthan gum, acacia (arabic) gum, agar, guar gum, modified starch, locust bean gum, konjac gum, and tara gum, or combinations thereof.

4. The bouillon tablet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the coating material is acacia gum.

5. The bouillon tablet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the edible coating comprises one or more herbs or spices.

6. The bouillon tablet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bouillon tablet is a cube or cuboid.

7. The bouillon tablet according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the bouillon tablet (4, 5) is a biconvex tablet having an upper convex surface (401, 501) and a lower convex surface (405, 505) connected by a cylindrical band (403, 503).

8. The bouillon tablet according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the bouillon tablet is in the shape a deep convex tablet or ball tablet.

9. The bouillon tablet according to any preceding claims, wherein the edible coating has a thickness comprises between 0.2 and 0.5mm.

10. The bouillon tablet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the coating material is present in an amount of from 0.1% to 3% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet.

11. The bouillon tablet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bouillon tablet comprises salt in an amount of from 30% to 70% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet.

12. The bouillon tablet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bouillon tablet comprises a sweetener in an amount of from 1% to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet.

13. The bouillon tablet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bouillon tablet comprises oil and / or fat in an amount of from 1% to 40% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet.

14. The bouillon tablet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bouillon tablet comprises flavors in an amount of from 5% to 25% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet.

15. The bouillon tablet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bouillon tablet comprises fiber in an amount of from 5% to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the bouillon tablet.

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