CONVENTIONAL OR REDUCED-CALORIE FILLED OR UNFILLED VITAMIN-ENRICHED CHOCOLATE AND PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF

Abstract

The invention pertains to a conventional or reduced-calorie, filled or unfilled, vitamin-enriched type of chocolate characterised in that 100 g of product contains at least 5-1500 mg of added calcium ascorbate and/or magnesium ascorbate and/or ascorbic acid or, in some cases, other supplementary ingredients. The other supplementary ingredients are additional vitamins, such as E and/or K, as well as mineral materials, preferably magnesium and/or zinc, along with fruit concentrates. The invention also pertains to the process by which the vitamin-enriched chocolate is produced.

Claims

1. A conventional or reduced-calorie, vitamin-enriched type of chocolate, characterised in that each 100 g of chocolate mass contains at least 5-1500 mg of added calcium ascorbate and/or magnesium ascorbate and/or ascorbic acid, or in some cases, other supplementary ingredients.

2. The vitamin-enriched type of chocolate according to claim 1, characterised in that the sugar-content of the chocolate is set using natural and/or reduced-calorie sweeteners such as fructose, xylose, stevia, inulin, maltitol, erythritol, etc.

3. The vitamin-enriched type of chocolate according to either of claims 1 characterised in that the other supplementary ingredients are additional vitamins and/or minerals and/or fruit concentrate.

4. The vitamin-enriched type of chocolate according to claim 3 characterised in that the additional vitamins are vitamins E and/or K.

5. The vitamin-enriched type of chocolate according to claim 3 characterised in that the minerals are calcium and/or magnesium and/or zinc.

6. A process for the production of the vitamin-enriched type of chocolate according to claim 1 characterised in that, after a mass of chocolate of the appropriate flavour combination is prepared, an added vitamin C and/or mineral material and/or a mixture containing supplementary ingredients is prepared and ground to the appropriate grain size and the mass and the vitamin mix are combined until homogenous, such that overheating and changes in consistency are avoided, using a process of gradual cooling that takes place within a strictly maintained range of temperatures.

Description

EXAMPLE 1

[0010]

TABLE-US-00001 Conventional milk Reduced-calorie chocolate with milk chocolate with added vitamins added vitamins g/100 g g/100 g ingredient/100 g A B A B fat 35 36.3 35 36.3 carbohydrates 53.5 49.7 35 30 protein 8.7 7.4 8.7 7.4 salt 0.313 0.17 0.313 0.17 calcium ascorbate 0.15 0.3 0.12 0.25 ascorbic acid 0.008 0.01 0.008 0.01 stevia extract 10 xylitol 15 fruit concentrate minimum content of: % % dry cocoa 30 32 30 32 dry milk 33 32 33 32 calories kcal 566 562 386 384
Similarly, the second example offers a recipe for dark chocolate.

EXAMPLE 2

[0011]

TABLE-US-00002 conventional dark reduced-calorie chocolate with dark chocolate with added vitamins added vitamins g/100 g g/100 g ingredient/100 g A B A B fat 33 35 33 35 carbohydrates 52 48 32 35 protein salt 0.2 0.22 0.2 0.22 calcum ascorbate 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.5 ascorbic acid 0.008 0.01 0.008 0.01 stevia extract 14 xylitol 17 fruit concentrate minimum content of: dry cocoa 40 60 40 60 dry milk calories kcal 575 588 372 378
The third example offers a recipe for white chocolate.

EXAMPLE 3

[0012]

TABLE-US-00003 conventional white reduced-calorie chocolate with white chocolate with added vitamins added vitamins g/100 g g/100 g ingredient/100 g A B A B fat 35 37 33 33 carbohydrates 51.5 53 31 30 protein 8.8 9.2 8.9 9.1 salt 0.18 0.2 0.19 0.2 calcium ascorbate 0.2 0.4 0.18 0.35 ascorbic acid 0.008 0.01 0.008 0.01 stevia extract 15 xylitol 17 fruit concentrate minimum content of: dry cocoa dry milk 30 35 33 32 calories kcal 579 582 391 378
The fourth example offers a recipe for filled dark chocolate

EXAMPLE 4

[0013]

TABLE-US-00004 reduced-calorie filled dark chocolate filled dark chocolate with added vitamins with added vitamins g/100 g g/100 g ingredient/100 g A B A B fat 33 33 33 33 carbohydrates 49 49 31 31 protein salt 0.2 0.22 0.2 0.22 calcium ascorbate 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 ascorbic acid 1.2 1.5 1.2 1.5 stevia extract 11 xylitol 14 fruit concentrate 16 16 20 20 minimum content of: dry cocoa 40 60 45 45 dry milk calories kcal 595 620 411 414
The fifth example offers a recipe for filled milk chocolate

EXAMPLE 5

[0014]

TABLE-US-00005 reduced-calorie filled white chocolate filled white chocolate with added vitamins with added vitamins g/100 g g/100 g ingredient/100 g A B A B fat 31 31 31 31 carbohydrates 50 50 31 31 protein salt 0.2 0.22 0.21 0.21 calcium ascorbate 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 ascorbic acid 1.2 1.5 1.2 1.5 stevia extract 15 xylitol 16 fruit concentrate 17 17 21 20 minimum content of: dry cocoa dry milk 33 35 33 35 calories kcal 603 611 402 403

[0015] Example 1 clearly shows that the components of the known base material are carbohydrates, fat, protein, and salt, to which 0.15 to 0.3 g of calcium ascorbate and 0.008 to 0.01 g of ascorbic acid, or in the case of the reduced-calorie version, 10 g of stevia extract and 15 g of xylitol, have been added as supplements.

A similar process is used for the other types of chocolate, such that for filled types, 17-21 g of fruit concentrate is also added to the filling as an additional supplementary ingredient.

[0016] For devising the best recipe, our first task was to find those vitamins and essential components that can be mixed with chocolate types of different flavours and compositions. Fundamentally necessary components: ascorbic acid, calcium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate. Quantities: 5mg-1500 mg/100 g of product, either altogether, or individually. Also usable as supplementary components are fructose, xylose, erythritol, maltitol, inulin, stevia extract, vitamins E and K, calcium, magnesium, zinc or even, in some cases, fruit concentrate.

[0017] Some of the ingredients in the recipes, such as the non-sugar sweeteners xylose and stevia, can be found in what are termed special chocolates. The use of calcium, magnesium, and zinc in the present recipes is wholly absent from the market.

[0018] The recipes in the present patent have been included as examples, though the technology itself features novelties to which here we make mere reference: [0019] Preparation of the appropriate flavour combination of chocolate; [0020] Preparation of a mix of vitamin and/or vitamin-mineral material, ground to the appropriate grain size, while avoiding overheating and any change in consistency (according to technology); [0021] Combination of the chocolate mass and the vitamin mix until homogenous (according to the latest technology); [0022] Preparation of individual portions, cooling according to parameters set via experimentation (according to the latest technology); [0023] The chocolate, whose manufacture requires the application of heat within a strictly maintained range of temperatures, is made using a novel process called gradual cooling (applied when mixing its components) due to the stability/instability of the vitamin C.

[0024] At present, the preparation, grinding, and mixing of the vitamins and minerals is done using simple means, by hand. For large-scale manufacture, such means may be replaced with the appropriate mixing equipment.

[0025] The base product is chocolate, the steps of whose manufacture are known, and in which matter we have no wish to innovate. At the same time, the added materials that form the essential part of our invention change the taste, consistency, lustre, etc. of the chocolate, the solutions to which problems required experimentation, the specification of material norms, the development of an appropriate means of mixing ingredients, in the proper order, etc., that is, the development of a recipe and specification of the steps involved in product manufacture, which we believe our invention alone possesses.

[0026] Thus, our invention as met the objectives set as per the foregoing, its benefits being as follows: [0027] Given that the invention is a grocery product, its benefits are primarily of a nutritional biological nature. For a long time, chocolate stood as a symbol of sweet temptation; today, however, an increasing number of beneficial biological effects are attributed to it. It is to these effects that we have added via supplements of proven effectiveness and biological usefulness, potentially giving rise to a new product segment and a fashionable product associated with a healthy lifestyle.

Economic Benefit

[0028] The new line of products falls into two different categories of merchandise, representing total revenues in Hungary of approximately 85 billion HUF/yr., and in the global market of approximately 100 billion Euro/yr. The global trend is toward increased trade in chocolate and nutritional supplements (e.g. it was reported not long ago that U.K. scientists had developed a type of chocolate that retarded the aging of the skin!), thus, once brought to market, the popularity of this invention could grow rapidly for reasons that include that it gives the consumer two products in one for a more economical price. This observation suggests that further product development (active research and development) would be worthwhile to increase turnover at every link along the chain of commerce, to create jobs at manufacturers, and to provide the consumer with a more valuable product for his/her money.

Broad Range of Application

[0029] The invention is useful primarily in countries where day-to-day existence is not the major issue, where chocolate is an affordable treat that people use to bring a little joy to their day or give as a small gift to others. Most consumers like practical things, so if something is both delicious, and useful, it will be more likely to be purchased by people who worry about their weight than if it were just something they desired to eat. The product would be a boon to children (perhaps even more so to parents), as they would no longer have to take nutritional tablets (which are hard for many children to swallow and some children even refuse to take), problems which are partly resolved by our invention. The product would also be an aid to sports persons, students studying for exams, hikers, and all others who are exposed to relatively great mental or physical stress. Conscious shoppers will look for it specifically and will pass the news on to others.