Shelf-stable confectionery products

Abstract

The present invention relates to confectionery products which are shelf-stable and are suitable for quiescent freezing to form frozen confectionery products. In particular, the invention is concerned with unfrozen packaged confections comprising a coagulated protein system which contributes to the stability of the confections in particular when stored at room or chilled temperatures. A method of producing such confectionery products and the products obtainable from the method are also part of the present invention. The use of the products for providing frozen desserts also forms part of the invention.

Claims

1. An unfrozen packaged confectionery product for preparation of a statically frozen ice cream or statically frozen mellorine, the product is produced by subjecting a composition having a pH between 5.8 and 6.3, comprising 2 to 4 wt. % proteins comprising dairy proteins, comprising 5-30% of sweetening agent by weight, comprising citric acid, and comprising 5 to 12% fat by weight of the composition to a heat treatment at 120 to 145 C. for a time period of 5 seconds to 30 seconds, the composition is not homogenized after the heat treatment, the product comprising an aggregated protein system comprising complexes of casein and whey protein aggregated with the fat.

2. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 1, wherein the aggregated protein system is present in an amount of 0.5 to 4% by weight.

3. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 1, which is not fermented.

4. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 1, wherein the composition having the pH between 5.8 and 6.3 and subjected to the heat treatment comprises whey solids, milk solids non-fat, and a stabiliser system including a stabilizer and an emulsifier, the whey solids are selected from the group consisting of acid whey, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, sweet whey, demineralised sweet whey, demineralised whey, and mixtures thereof, the sweetening agent is selected from the group consisting of dextrose, sucrose, fructose, corn syrups, maltodextrins, and mixtures thereof, the stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatine, gum acacia, guar gum, locust bean gum, gum tragacanth, carrageenan, carboxymethylcellulose, sodium alginate, propylene glycol alginate, and mixtures thereof, the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of sugar esters, beeswax, carnauba wax, candedilla wax, plant waxes, fruit waxes, animal waxes, polyglycerol monostearate, polyglycerol polyricinoleate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters, monoglycerides, diglycerides, lecithin and mixtures thereof, and the stabilizer system is present in an amount up to 6% by weight.

5. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 1, which is shelf-stable.

6. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 1, which is aerated to an overrun of at least 20%.

7. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product of claim 1, wherein the mix is homogenized before the heat treatment.

8. The unfrozen packaged unfrozen confectionery product of claim 1, further comprising a natural emulsifier provided by the composition subjected to the heat treatment, and the natural emulsifier is 0.1 to 0.35 wt. % of the product.

9. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product of claim 1, wherein the product is produced by cooling the composition after the heat treatment, then filling the composition into a packaging, and then storing the composition at a temperature of 0 C. to 30 C.

10. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product of claim 9, wherein the cooling of the composition gives the composition a temperature of 2 to 8 C.

11. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product of claim 1, wherein the product is produced by filling the composition into a packaging before the heat treatment such that the heat treatment is performed on the packaged composition, then cooling the packaged composition after the heat treatment, and then storing the packaged composition at a temperature of 0 C. to 30 C.

12. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product of claim 11 wherein, before the storing of the packaged composition at the temperature of 0 C. to 30 C., the packaged composition has a temperature of 4 to 20 C. from the cooling.

13. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 1, which has an overrun of 100-120%.

14. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 1, wherein the aggregated protein system contains at least 60% of the dairy proteins in the product.

15. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 1, having a non-sedimentable protein content no greater than 50% of the total protein content.

16. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 10, consisting of (i) the dairy proteins, (ii) the sweetening agent, (iii) the fat, (iv) water, (v) citric acid, (vi) an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of sugar esters, emulsifying waxes, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, polysorbates, monoglycerides, diglycerides, lecithin, and mixtures thereof and (vii) a stabilizer selected from the group consisting of agar, gelatine, gum acacia, guar gum, locust bean gum, gum tragacanth, carrageenan, carboxymethylcellulose, sodium alginate, propylene glycol alginate, and mixtures thereof.

17. The unfrozen packaged confectionery product according to claim 12, consisting of (i) the dairy proteins, (ii) the sweetening agent, (iii) the fat, (iv) water, (v) citric acid and (vi) a natural emulsifier.

Description

FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows the results of a drip test-melting performed on a product according to the invention compared with a control as defined in Example 1

EXAMPLES

(2) The present invention is illustrated further herein by the following non-limiting examples.

Example 1

(3) Ready-to-Freeze Aerated Dessert, Heat Treated Before Packaging

(4) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Ingredient Wt % offinal product Fat 10 Sugar 12.5 Glucose syrup 40 DE 4.5 MSNF 7.5 Whey Solids 2.5 Guar 0.15 CMC 0.05 Carrageenan 0.02 PGMS 0.3 Unsaturated 0.05 monoglycerides Water 62.4 Total Solids 35 Total proteins 2.5

(5) Conventional mix-making procedures were followed.

(6) In a first variable, referred to as Control 1, the pH of the mix was 6.8 at 25 C. before heat treatment. No other acidulants were added to the mix. In a second variable test 1, citric acid was used to lower the pH to 6.2 before sterilization.

(7) Both variables were then processed the same way: homogenisation (160 bar) Heat treatment 95 C. to 135 C. for 10 to 90 seconds Cooling to 4 C. Aging for 24 hours at 4 C. Foaming (MiniMondomix) to provide 100% overrun

(8) Then the sterile mixes were aseptically packed in tubs of 200 ml and stored at 20 C.

(9) After 7 hours, the product according to the invention did not present drainage in contrast with the control foam.

Example 2

(10) Frozen Confections Prepared by Quiescent Freezing

(11) The control and test foams of example 1 were quiescently frozen at 18 C.

(12) The melting behaviour of both frozen foams was analysed following drip test methodology. This methodology consists in installing the frozen confection into a grid at constant temperature of 20 C. and humidity. The weight of the material that drips between the grids is recorded every minute during 120 minutes. The losses of material when the frozen confection melts are expressed as percentage with respect to the initial weight.

(13) The results are reported in FIG. 1 and show that the frozen foam according to the invention has more resistance to melting once quiescently frozen than the control.

Example 3

(14) Frozen Dairy Dessert Containing 11% Fat, Sterilized into the Packaging

(15) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 1 Ingredient Wt % of final product Fat 11 Sugar 19-20 MSNF 10.9 Natural 0.1-0.35 emulsifier

(16) In this variable, referred to as Control 2, conventional mix-making procedures were followed to yield to a 11.0% fat and 10.9% MSNF mix. The measured pH of the mix was 6.6 before sterilization. No other acidulants were added to the mix. The mix was packed and then heat treated by a retort method process at 121 C. for 40 to 60 min. In a second variable a similar mix with 11.0% by weight fat and 10.9% MSNF was tested following a controlled reduction in pH. A citric acid solution was used to lower the pH value to 6.2 before heat treatment the mix was then process, at 121 C. for 40 to 60 min. The two variables were stored at 20 C. during several months; afterwards they were frozen on a static freezer during 6 hours at 20 C.

(17) The product made with controlled reduction in pH was significantly smoother, creamer and more stable compared to Control 2

Example 4

(18) Particle Size Measurement of Coagulated Protein System

(19) 2.5 g frozen confectionery mix is allowed to melt into 10 times its weight in water (e.g. 2.5 g+25 mL). The mix is pre-dispersed in 25 mL deionized water. No deflocculating solution is used.

(20) The measurement is done at ambient temperature (approximately 23-25 C.) on Malvern Micro particle size analyzer, using presentation NFD.

(21) The sample is added until obscuration reaches 20+/3% (usually 17-20%), followed by 30 seconds circulation before taking the measurement. Pump speed is set at 1600 rpm, which is near the minimum for the Malvern Micro to circulate the sample, and not so much as to pull in air from the vortex.

(22) The normalized q3 values are obtained as the percent volume in each channel divided by the logarithm of channel width, according to ISO 9276:
Q3=0.01*(% in channel)/log([upper diameter limit of channel][lower diameter limit of channel]).