Palm Oil Fat System for Refrigeration-Free Confectionery Fillings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional confectionery products with chocolate shells and fillings either require refrigeration to maintain a soft filling or become hard and unpalatable when chilled, lacking the desired contrast between the shell and filling.
Innovation Solution
A confectionery composition with a fat system that remains solid at ambient temperatures and soft at low temperatures, achieved by blending specific fractions of palm oil to maintain a solid fat content of 35 to 65% at 0°C and 1 to 8% at 30°C, ensuring the filling remains palatable and stable without refrigeration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional chocolates use a softer filling (such as a truffle), then the chocolate does not require refrigeration, but the filling becomes hard and difficult to bite into when chilled or frozen, and there is no contrast between the shell and filling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the filling by using a specific fat system with controlled solid fat content that transitions from soft at low temperatures to solid at ambient temperatures. The filling contains fats with a specific melt profile (SFC of 35-65% at 0°C and 1-8% at 30°C) to achieve the desired texture transition without refrigeration requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite fat system combining multiple fat components including cocoa butter and vegetable fats with specific fatty acid profiles. This composite structure allows the filling to exhibit both softness at low temperatures and stability at ambient temperatures, resolving the contradiction between refrigeration requirements and palatability when chilled
2Ease of operation
If iced confectionery (such as chocolate enrobed ice-cream) is used to provide a satisfying contrast between the crisp chocolate shell and the cool, soft filling, then the eating experience is enhanced, but the product must be kept frozen until consumption, requiring energy and increasing cost and environmental impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the thermal parameters of the filling by controlling the solid fat content and melt profile to eliminate the need for frozen storage. The filling maintains a soft texture at refrigeration temperatures (SFC of 35-65% at 0°C) while remaining stable at ambient temperatures (SFC of 1-8% at 30°C), providing the desired eating experience without continuous refrigeration or freezing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the expensive and energy-intensive frozen storage system with a simpler, ambient-stable formulation. The modified fat system allows the product to be stored and transported without refrigeration, eliminating ongoing energy costs while maintaining product quality and sensory characteristics
3Ease of operation
If the filling is made soft at low temperature, then the filling is palatable when chilled, but the filling melts at ambient temperatures and requires refrigeration/freezing for storage or transport
Solution Approach 1:
The patent precisely controls the physical parameters of the fat system by adjusting the solid fat content profile across different temperatures. The filling is formulated to have SFC of 35-65% at 0°C for softness and palatability, while maintaining SFC of 1-8% at 30°C to prevent melting and maintain structural integrity during ambient storage and transport
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 soft filling at low temperatures while remaining solid at ambient temperatures, offering a better taste experience and storage convenience compared to conventional chocolates, with a filling that is significantly softer than traditional truffle fillings and maintains structural integrity at room temperature.
Implementation Method 1
The fat system remains solid from low to ambient temperature. The fat system is soft at low temperature so that it is palatable. However, it does not melt at ambient temperatures
Data Source
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AI summary
A confectionery composition comprising an edible shell having a filling therein. The filling comprises a fat system and has a solid fat content (SFC) of 35 to 65% at 0°C and 1 to 8% at 30°C.In particular embodiments the fat system is prepared from palm oil midfraction. The filling is soft at low temperature so that it is palatable. However, it does not melt at ambient temperatures and therefore does not require refrigeration/freezing for storage or transport.