Soft Dried Marshmallow with Plasticized Glass Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dried marshmallows become hard and stale due to moisture loss, lacking novelty in texture and appearance when added to Ready-To-Eat cereals, necessitating the development of soft and pliable aerated confectionery products with a glass transition temperature below room temperature.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating humectants and plasticizing ingredients to lower the glass transition temperature of dried aerated confections, comprising 50-95% saccharides, 0.05-15% foaming agents, 0.5-20% structuring agents, and 5-25% softening agents, followed by aeration, extrusion, and controlled drying to achieve a water activity of 0.1-0.4 and density of 0.1-0.35 g/cc.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional drying methods are used to reduce moisture content, then water activity is reduced to 0.1-0.4, but the marshmallow becomes hard and frangible
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the glass transition temperature parameter of the marshmallow matrix by adding plasticizing ingredients (glycerin, sorbitol, propylene glycol) and humectants. This parameter change allows the marshmallow to maintain a rubbery state at storage temperatures even with low moisture content (water activity 0.1-0.4), preventing hardening while maintaining moisture stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite material system combining traditional marshmallow ingredients (saccharides, gelatin) with plasticizing agents and humectants. This composite formulation achieves a synergistic effect where the plasticizers lower the glass transition temperature while humectants maintain moisture balance, resulting in a dried yet soft texture that conventional single-component systems cannot achieve.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If drying is performed to prevent moisture migration to cereal, then shelf stability is improved, but novelty texture appeal is lost
Solution Approach 1:
By modifying the glass transition temperature through plasticizer addition, the invention enables the marshmallow to maintain a soft, pliable state at low moisture content. This parameter change creates a new texture category ('dried yet soft') that provides novelty appeal while maintaining the shelf stability required for cereal addition, thus expanding texture versatility without sacrificing stability.
3Strength
If glass transition temperature is lowered below room temperature, then softness is maintained in dried state, but formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention systematically adjusts the glass transition temperature parameter by incorporating specific plasticizing ingredients at controlled levels (5-25% of total formulation). This deliberate parameter modification lowers Tg below room temperature, ensuring the dried marshmallow remains soft and pliable. The complexity increase is offset by the use of common food-grade ingredients and straightforward formulation ratios.
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
Results in dried yet soft marshmallow compositions that remain pliable and suitable for addition to cereals, maintaining texture appeal and novelty, with a glass transition temperature below room temperature, ensuring softness even when chilled by refrigerated milk.
Implementation Method 1
the inclusion of humectant and plasticizing ingredients to provide the desired lowering of the glass transition temperature and binding of additional water in dried aerated confection products
Implementation Method 2
preparing aerated confections having a glass transition temperature below room temperature and preferably below that of cold milk (i.e., at or below 40° F.; or 5° C.) whereby the confection remains soft and pliable even though dried to low water activity values
Implementation Method 3
drying the pieces to a water activity value ranging from about 0.1-0.4 to provide dried soft aerated confection pieces
Data Source
AI summary
Dried soft aerated confections and methods of their preparation are provided having a water activity of about 0.1 to 0.4 and a glass transition temperature of less than 20° C. The confections comprise sugars, a foaming and a structuring ingredient, preferably each gelatin, and about 5 to 15% softening agent. Preferred softening agents include glycerin, polyglycerols and mixtures thereof. The confections are aerated to densities of about 0.1 to 0.5 g/cc. The soft dried aerated confections are particularly suited for addition to children's Ready-To-Eat cereals in the form of pieces weighing about 0.1 to 2 g each. The dried confection pieces maintain their soft texture over time without causing moisture migration to the cereal.