Fruit Alcohol Snack Composition Ice Crystal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ready-to-consume alcohol snack products often fail to achieve a desirable fruity taste and pasty, flowable consistency when cooled below 0°C, leading to unpleasant sharp-edged ice crystals and requiring additional mixing or refrigeration before consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a fruit-containing alcohol snack composition made with ethyl alcohol, fruit powder, dextrose, sucrose, sweetener, acidulant, thickener, and preservative, packaged in a flexible container, which maintains a flowable consistency and pleasant taste when cooled to -6°C to -32°C without forming sharp-edged ice crystals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the product is cooled below 0°C to achieve a frozen snack consistency, then the product obtains a frozen texture, but sharp-edged ice crystals form making the product unpleasant to consume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the system by introducing ice-binding proteins that alter the freezing behavior of water. These proteins modify the nucleation and growth parameters of ice crystals, preventing sharp-edged crystal formation even at temperatures below 0°C, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving frozen texture and avoiding harmful ice crystals
Solution Approach 2:
The ice-binding protein acts as an intermediary substance between water and ice crystals. It interferes with the ice crystal formation process by binding to ice nuclei and preventing their growth into sharp-edged crystals, thereby mediating the freezing process to produce a pleasant frozen texture without harmful crystalline structures
2Ease of operation
If concentrates are mixed with water and alcohol and blended with ice to achieve ready-to-serve beverage, then the beverage is ready to consume, but additional preparation steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-mixing all beverage components (concentrate, water, and alcohol) into a single homogeneous composition before freezing. This pre-prepared frozen snack eliminates the need for consumers to perform subsequent mixing and preparation steps, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and preparation time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple components (beverage concentrate, water, alcohol, and ice) into a single integrated frozen snack product. This combination allows the consumer to obtain a ready-to-consume beverage by simply thawing or partially melting the frozen unit, eliminating the need for separate preparation steps and resolving the contradiction between convenience and preparation time
3Shape
If the product is frozen solid in a plastic bottle, then the product maintains its shape, but it becomes difficult to remove from the container
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible plastic bottle that can deform and expand during the freezing process. This flexibility allows the container to accommodate the volume expansion of freezing liquid while maintaining a seal, and enables easy removal of the frozen product by simply squeezing or flexing the bottle, resolving the contradiction between shape stability and ease of removal
4Temperature
If polyhydric alcohol is used as a freezing point lowering agent, then the product can be stored at lower temperatures, but the product requires additional mixing before consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-mixing all components including the polyhydric alcohol into a homogeneous frozen composition during manufacturing. This ensures that when the consumer thaws or partially melts the frozen snack, the components are already uniformly distributed, eliminating the need for additional mixing before consumption while maintaining the freezing point lowering effect for stable storage
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition provides a convenient, ready-to-consume product that can be stored at room temperature and cooled by the user, offering a pleasant taste and soft consistency without the need for additional mixing or refrigeration before consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the combination of sweetener, sugar and dextrose, particularly in combination with the soft consistency noticeable in the mouth
Implementation Method 2
achieve a desirable fruity taste and pasty, flowable consistency when cooled below 0°C
Implementation Method 3
3 to 9% w/w dextrose and 2 to 7% w/w sucrose, sweetener, acidifier, flavouring, thickener
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a packaged, consumer-ready mixed, alcohol snack product containing fruit, comprising the following steps: (a) producing an alcohol snack composition containing fruit by mixing: ethanol and/or at least one spirit with at least 37.5 vol.% ethanol, in a total amount corresponding to a portion of the alcohol snack composition of 5 to 20 wt.% ethanol; 4 to 25 wt.% fruit powder, wherein the fruit powder optionally contains at least one carrier substance and/or at least one acidity regulator; and 3 to 9 wt.-% dextrose and 2 to 7 wt.% sucrose; sweetener; acidifier; flavouring; thickening agent; preservative; the remainder being mainly water, and (b) filling a flexible container (10) with the alcohol snack composition and sealing the container. The invention also relates to an alcohol snack product of this type.