NEW COLOR FOR EDIBLE COATINGS

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an edible coating comprising milled rhodoxanthin having an average particle size D(v,0.5) in the range of from 400 to 650 nm, more preferably in the range of from 500 nm to 600 nm, measured by Laser Diffraction; Malvern Mastersizer 3000, MIE volume distribution. This milled rhodoxanthin is preferably added to the edible coating during its manufacture in the form of a dispersion. The edible coating is preferably used for coating confectionary such as chocolate lentils. The present invention is also directed to precursors of such edible coatings such as sugar syrup and sugar-free alternatives, both comprising such a milled rhodoxanthin.

Claims

1.-21. (canceled)

22. A form comprising milled rhodoxanthin, wherein the milled rhodoxanthin in the form has an average particle size in the range of from 400 to 650 nm, measured by Laser Diffraction; Malvern Mastersizer 3000, MIE volume distribution.

23. The form according to claim 22 being a dispersion.

24. The form according to claim 22, wherein the rhodoxanthin is encapsulated in a matrix of modified food starch.

25. The form according to claim 24, further comprising either glycerine or a saccharide.

26. A process for the manufacture of a dispersion according to claim 23 comprising the following steps: a) Providing a dispersion comprising crystalline rhodoxanthin, modified food starch, water and glycerine or a saccharide; b) Milling the dispersion as obtained in step a) until the milled rhodoxanthin in the dispersion has an average particle size D(v,0.5) in the range of from 400 to 650 nm, measured by Laser Diffraction; Malvern Mastersizer 3000, MIE volume distribution.

27. A method for coloring edible coatings, sugar syrups or sugar-free syrups, wherein a milled rhodoxanthin form according to claim 22 is used to impart the color to the edible coatings, sugar syrups or sugar-free syrups.

28. An edible coating comprising a form according to claim 22.

29. The edible coating according to according to claim 28, wherein the amount of rhodoxanthin is in the range of from 2 ppm to 100 ppm, based on the total weight of the edible coating.

30. The edible coating according to claim 28, wherein said edible coating has a red value a* in the range of from 15 to 25 at the CIELAB Color scale.

31. The edible coating according to claim 28, wherein said edible coating has a color shade h in the range of from 2 to 10 at the CIELAB Color scale.

32. The edible coating according to claim 28, wherein said edible coating has a color value b* in the range of from 1 to 5 at the CIELAB Color scale.

33. A sugar syrup comprising a sugar and a form according to claim 22.

34. The sugar syrup according to claim 33, wherein the sugar is selected from the group consisting of saccharose, glucose, fructose, maltose and mixtures thereof.

35. A sugar-free syrup comprising a polyol and a form according to claim 22.

36. The sugar-free syrup according to claim 35, wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of maltitol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, isomalt, palatinose and mixtures thereof.

37. A panned confection comprising: a) an edible product center, and b) an edible coating according to claim 28.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Manufacture of a Milled Rhodoxanthin Dispersion According to the Present Invention

[0105] 109.1 g of modified food starch (Capsul HS) and 202.6 g of glycerine were dissolved at 60 C. in 202.6 g of water. To this solution 30 g of crystalline rhodoxanthin and 1.1 g of dl-apha-tocopherol were added.

[0106] The resulting coarse aqueous rhodoxanthin dispersion has then been milled by passing it continuously through the milling chamber of the Dispermate SL 603 agitated ball mill until the desired particle size (approx. 600 nm (average value)) has been achieved (so called wet milling process). The physical properties of the resulting rhodoxanthin dispersion are listed in the following:

[0107] Content of milled rhodoxanthin in the dispersion determined by HPLC=5.4%

[0108] Content of milled rhodoxanthin in the dispersion determined by UV=5.1%

E1/1.sub.corr. in H.sub.2O(.sub.max)=400(498 nm)

[0109] The color intensity E1/1 is the absorbance of a 1% solution and a thickness of 1 cm and is calculated as follows: E1/1=(Amax-A650)*dilution factor/(weight of sample*content of product form in %).

[0110] (Amax-A650) means the value you get when you substract the Adsorption value measured at 650 nm (A650) wavelength from the value (Amax) that was measured at the maximum Adsorption in the UV-Spectrophotometer. * means multiplied with.

[0111] dilution factor=the factor by which the solution has been diluted.

[0112] weight of sample=the amount/weight of the formulation that was used in [g]

[0113] content of product form in %=the amount of milled rhodoxanthin in the dispersion in % which is 5.1 in the present case.

Color Values:

[0114] Measured as 5 ppm dispersion in H.sub.2O (1 cm, TTRAN): L*/a*/b*=76/13/1.3; L*/C*/h=76/13/354.

[0115] Measured as 10 ppm dispersion in H.sub.2O (1 cm, TTRAN): L*/a*/b*=59/21/2.1; L*/C*/h=59/21/354.

Example 2: Coating of Chocolate Lentil Cores with Rhodoxanthin

[0116] The rhodoxanthin dispersion prepared according to example 1 is used as such.

Example 2-1

[0117] The sugar syrup is produced by adding 600 g of sugar, 400 g of water (demineralized) and 10 g of glucose syrup together and heating the mixture up to 105 C. which results in a sugar syrup of 72 Brix.

TABLE-US-00001 Ingredients of the sugar syrup Amount (g) Raw cane sugar 600 Water (demineralized) 400 Glucose Syrup 10

[0118] 1 g of the rhodoxanthin dispersion according to example 1 are mixed with 500 g of the sugar solution (65-75 Brix, preferred 70-75 Brix) resulting in a colored syrup.

[0119] Chocolate lentils are pre-coated with a pure sugar solution thus providing chocolate lentils with a white center. After this pre-coating a white pigment like titanium dioxide may be added to the sugar syrup and the chocolate lentils may be coated with 10-20 layers of this white sugar syrup before they are coated with the colored layers.

[0120] A small amount of colored sugar syrup is added to the chocolate lentils and evenly distributed in a panning drum at a moderate speed. Afterwards the thus colored lentils are dried with cold air (15-25 C., relative humidity in the range 30-50%) at moderate speed resulting in one layer. These steps are repeated (usually 20-50 times) until the desired color intensity is achieved. The color values of these colored chocolate lentils are then measured.

TABLE-US-00002 Initial sample c/mg/kg L* a* b* C* h 2-1 14.2 60.51 19.51 1.40 19.56 4.11

Example 2-2

[0121] The sugar syrup is produced by adding 600 g of sugar, 400 g of water (demineralized) and 10 g of glucose syrup together and heating the mixture up to 105 C. which results in a sugar syrup of 72 Brix.

TABLE-US-00003 Ingredients of the sugar syrup Amount (g) Raw cane sugar 600 Water (demineralized) 400 Glucose Syrup 10

[0122] 2 g of the rhodoxanthin dispersion according to example 1 are mixed with 500 g of the sugar solution (65-75 Brix, preferred 70-75 Brix) resulting in a colored syrup.

[0123] Chocolate lentils are pre-coated with a pure sugar solution thus providing chocolate lentils with a white center. After this pre-coating a white pigment like titanium dioxide may be added to the sugar syrup and the chocolate lentils may be coated with 10-20 layers of this white sugar syrup before they are coated with the colored layers.

[0124] A small amount of colored sugar syrup is added to the chocolate lentils and evenly distributed in a panning drum at a moderate speed. Afterwards the thus colored lentils are dried with cold air (15-25 C., relative humidity in the range 30-50%) at moderate speed resulting in one layer. These steps are repeated (usually 20-50 times) until the desired color intensity is achieved. The color values of these colored chocolate lentils are then measured.

TABLE-US-00004 Initial sample c/mg/kg L* a* b* C* h 2-2 27 51.85 21.65 2.17 21.76 5.72

Example 2-3

[0125] The sugar syrup is produced by adding 600 g of sugar, 400 g of water (demineralized) and 10 g of glucose syrup together and heating the mixture up to 105 C. which results in a sugar syrup of 72 Brix.

TABLE-US-00005 Ingredients of the sugar syrup Amount (g) Raw cane sugar 600 Water (demineralized) 400 Glucose Syrup 10

[0126] 3 g of the rhodoxanthin dispersion according to example 1 are mixed with 500 g of the sugar solution (65-75 Brix, preferred 70-75 Brix) resulting in a colored syrup.

[0127] Chocolate lentils are pre-coated with a pure sugar solution thus providing chocolate lentils with a white center. After this pre-coating a white pigment like titanium dioxide may be added to the sugar syrup and the chocolate lentils may be coated with 10-20 layers of this white sugar syrup before they are coated with the colored layers.

[0128] A small amount of colored sugar syrup is added to the chocolate lentils and evenly distributed in a panning drum at a moderate speed. Afterwards the thus colored lentils are dried with cold air (15-25 C., relative humidity in the range 30-50%) at moderate speed resulting in one layer. These steps are repeated (usually 20-50 times) until the desired color intensity is achieved. The color values of these colored chocolate lentils are then measured.

TABLE-US-00006 Initial sample c/mg/kg L* a* b* C* h 2-3 38.3 47.27 21.85 2.45 21.99 6.38

Example 3: Measurement of the Color Stability of the Chocolate Lentils According to Examples 2-1, 2-2 and 2-3

[0129] The color stability of the colored chocolate lentils are determined over 3 weeks in an accelerated light stability test. The light source in this test is a white light with 800 lux which is applied for 12 hours per day during 3 weeks. The DE* value is calculated as follows:

DE*={square root over ((L).sup.2+(a).sup.2+(b).sup.2)}

[0130] The DE* for all 3 trials is less than 3 which is not visible for human eyes.

TABLE-US-00007 3 weeks L*a*b* values of sample L* a* b* C* h E* 2-1 60.90 18.67 2.22 18.80 6.78 2.03 2-2 53.15 20.95 3.00 21.17 8.14 1.85 2-3 49.10 20.98 2.99 21.19 8.09 2.09