Isomaltulose-containing hard caramels and process for preparing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to isomaltulose-containing hard caramels comprising a core and a closed microcrystalline surface layer having a thickness of at most 1 mm, and to processes for preparing isomaltulose-containing hard caramels.

Claims

1. A hard caramel containing isomaltulose in an amount of 50 to 100 wt. %, based on total dry substance of the hard caramel, the hard caramel having a core and a closed microcrystalline surface layer with a thickness of at most 1 mm wherein the hard caramel is prepared by a process, the process comprising the steps of: a) providing an aqueous medium containing isomaltulose in an amount of 50 to 100 wt. % based on total dry substance, b) applying a reduced pressure of at most 0.4 bar with mixing at a temperature of at most 130 C., c) cooling the aqueous medium to a temperature of 70 to 90 C. at atmospheric pressure to obtain a plastic mass, and d) moulding the plastic mass obtained in step c) and obtaining an isomaltulose-containing hard caramel.

2. The hard caramel according to claim 1, wherein the isomaltulose in the core of the hard caramel is not completely crystallised.

3. The hard caramel according to claim 1, wherein the hard caramel has sucrose, glucose or sucrose and glucose in an amount of at most 40 wt. %, based on total dry substance of the hard caramel.

4. The hard caramel according to claim 1, wherein the hard caramel has a transparent core.

5. The hard caramel according to claim 1, wherein the hard caramel has no browning.

6. The hard caramel according to claim 1, wherein the hard caramel has a high storage stability, in particular a high shape stability.

7. A process for preparing an isomaltulose-containing hard caramel, comprising the steps of: a) providing an aqueous medium containing isomaltulose in an amount of 50 to 100 wt. %, based on total dry substance, b) applying a reduced pressure of at most 0.4 bar with mixing at a temperature of at most 130 C., c) cooling the aqueous medium to a temperature of 70 to 90 C. at atmospheric pressure to obtain a plastic mass, and d) moulding the plastic mass obtained in step c) and obtaining an isomaltulose-containing hard caramel, wherein the hard caramel has a core and a closed microcrystalline surface layer with a thickness of 0.01 mm to 1 mm.

8. A hard caramel prepared by the process according to claim 7.

9. The process according to claim 7, wherein the aqueous medium provided in step a) is heated to a temperature of 80 to 125 C., before step b) in a process step a1).

10. The process according to claim 8, wherein the temperature in step b) is 110 to 130 C.

11. The process according to claim 8, wherein the mixing in step b) is continuous.

12. The process according to claim 8, wherein the plastic mass obtained in step c) has a water content of 1 to 4%.

13. The process according to claim 7, wherein the aqueous medium in step a) has sucrose in an amount of at most 40 wt. %, based on total dry substance.

14. The process according to claim 7, wherein the temperature in step b) is at most 125 C.

15. The process according to claim 7, wherein the aqueous medium provided in step a) is heated to a temperature of 85 to 100 C. before step b) in a process step a1).

16. The process according to claim 7, wherein the temperature in step b) is 120 to 125 C.

17. The process according to claim 7, wherein the plastic mass obtained in step c) has a water content of 1.5 to 2.5%.

18. The process according to claim 7, wherein the plastic mass obtained in step c) has a water content of 1.8 to 2.5%.

Description

EXAMPLE 1

(1) 2 kg of isomaltulose and 0.8 kg of demineralised water were weighed out in a batch digester (corresponds to 71 wt. % dry substance content) (process step a)). This aqueous medium containing isomaltulose was heated to 125 C. at atmospheric pressure (process step a1)). Subsequently, a pressure of 0.2 bar was applied to the aqueous solution containing isomaltulose thus obtained, whereby the solution was cooled to 100 C. by applying this pressure. This solution was heated to 105 C. under continuous mixing at a pressure of 0.2 bar (process step b)).

(2) After boiling down, the applied vacuum was removed, i.e. atmospheric pressure was set, the batch cooker was emptied and the cooked plastic mass was cooled to 70 to 80 C. on a steel table (process step c)).

(3) The resulting mass was stamped into hard caramels by means of rollers (process step d)).

EXAMPLE 2

(4) The hard caramels indicated in Table 1 below were prepared according to the process indicated in Example 1 with the temperature, pressure and duration of process step b) indicated in Table 2 below. In the case of a mixture of isomaltulose and a syrup, when the ratio between the two is given, it refers to the dry substance, i.e. the dry substance content after mixing the isomaltulose, syrup and water, if any, into an aqueous medium.

(5) Trials 1, 2, 3 and 18 are reference examples not according to the invention, in which compositions not according to the invention, as in trials 1 to 3, or process parameters not according to the invention, as in trial 18 (increased temperature, no reduced pressure), were used.

(6) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Recipes glucose isomal- trial designation syrup tulose sucrose added water 1 Reference 2367 2367 500 glucose/sucrose 2 30% isomaltulose 2496 1200 800 400 20% sucr. 50% syrup (EHM) 3 30% isomaltulose 1600 1200 1600 800 35% sucr. 35% syrup (EHM) 4 100% isomaltulose 5000 2000 5 100% isomaltulose 5000 2000 6 90% isomaltulose 500 4500 1800 10% glucose syrup 7 80% isomaltulose 1000 4000 1600 20% glucose syrup 8 70% isomaltulose 1500 3500 1400 30% glucose syrup 9 60% isomaltulose 2000 3000 1200 40% glucose syrup 10 100% isomaltulose 5000 2000 11 isomaltu.:sucr:DE40 - 1000 3000 1000 1400 60:20:20 12 isomaltu. sucr:DE40 - 1000 2500 1500 1400 50:30:20 13 100% isomaltulose 2000 800 14 90% isomaltulose 1800 200 800 10% sucr. 15 80% isomaltulose 1600 400 800 20% sucr. 16 70% isomaltulose 1400 600 800 30% sucr. 17 100% isomaltulose 2000 800 125 C. 18 100% isomaltulose 5000 2000 145 C.
Legend:

(7) Isomaltu. stands for isomaltulose, sucr. stands for sucrose, DE40 denotes a glucose syrup with dextrose equivalent 40, EHM is an extra-high maltose syrup, trials 1 to 3 and 18 are reference trials not according to the invention, Quantities of components in g.

(8) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Process parameters and results I (immediately after production) micro- crystalline max. T pressure duration water surface layer isomaltulose trial designation [ C.] [bar] [min] content [m] recovery comment 1 reference 140 0.2 25 1.9% normal consistency, sucrose/glucose slightly yellowish 2 30% isomaltulose 119 0.3 17 2.7% 100% many air bubbles, 20% sucr. but good colour and 50% syrup (EHM) viscosity. 3 30% isomaltulose 120 0.2 15 2.2% 100% yellowish, viscous 35% sucr. mass, nevertheless 35% syrup (EHM) well stampable with good surface 4 100% isomaltulose 120 0.25 16 2.8% 100% thin, easy to stamp, few bubbles 5 100% isomaltulose 120 0.2 18 2.0% 100% well stampable, crystal clear, similar to trial 4 6 90% isomaltulose 120 0.19 19 2.2% 164 98% good flowability, 10% glucose syrup quite a few bubbles, good stampability 7 80% isomaltulose 123 0.2 20 1.8% 97% good stampability, 20% glucose syrup normal viscosity, few bubbles. 8 70% isomaltulose 121 0.18 19 1.9% 95% good stampability, 30% glucose syrup normal viscosity, few bubbles. 9 60% isomaltulose 120 0.38 17 2.0% 212 96% foaming, larger 40% glucose syrup bubbles, very viscous, stampable 10 100% isomaltulose 120 0.2 14 2.0% 130 100% crystal clear, normal viscosity, good stamping properties 11 isomaltu.:sucr: 121 0.18 17 2.0% 100% yellowish, well DE40-60:20:20 stampable 12 isomaltu. sucr: 120 0.18 19 2.2% 100% strong yellowish, DE40-50:30:20 well stampable 13 100% isomaltulose 119 0.19 14 2.6% 155 100% very thin, stampable 14 90% isomaltulose 120 0.19 14 3.0% 100% slightly yellowish, 10% sucr. well stampable 15 80% isomaltulose 120 0.2 18 2.9% 100% yellowish, thin 20% sucr. liquid, stampable 16 70% isomaltulose 120 0.2 16 3.1% 100% yellowish, well 30% sucr. stampable 17 100% isomaltulose 125 0.2 18 1.9% 89% slightly yellowish, 125 C. well stampable 18 100% isomaltulose 145 1 14 2.3 92.5% strongly yellowish, 145 C. well stampable

(9) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Results II stability after 3 days at 30 C./70% rH % trial designation weight gain assessment 1 reference 5.92 shiny to dull, advanced sucrose/glucose deliquescence 2 30% isomaltulose 6.03 dull, advanced 20% sucr. deliquescence 50% syrup (EHM) 3 30% isomaltulose 6.39 dull, incipient 35% sucr. deliquescence 35% syrup (EHM) 4 100% isomaltulose 0.15 dry, advanced recrystalli- sation 5 100% isomaltulose - 0.14 dry, advanced recrystalli- sation 6 90% isomaltulose 0.91 dull, dry, incipient 10% glucose syrup recrystallisation 7 80% isomaltulose 1.61 glossy to dull, sticky, 20% glucose syrup incipient recrystallisation 8 70% isomaltulose 2.38 shiny, sticky, incipient 30% glucose syrup recrystallisation 9 60% isomaltulose 3.21 shiny, sticky, incipient 40% glucose syrup recrystallisation 10 100% isomaltulose 0.37 dull, dry, incipient recrystallisation 11 isomaltu.:sucr:DE40 - 3.51 shiny, sticky, incipient 60:20:20 recrystallisation 12 isomaltu. sucr:DE40 - 3.36 shiny to dull, sticky, 50:30:20 incipient recrystallisation 13 100% isomaltulose 0.28 dull, dry, incipient recrystallisation 14 90% isomaltulose 0.50 dull, dry, incipient 10% sucr. recrystallisation 15 80% isomaltulose 0.67 dull, dry, incipient 20% sucr. recrystallisation 16 70% isomaltulose 0.80 dull, dry, incipient 30% sucr. recrystallisation 17 100% isomaltulose 0.88 shiny to dull, sticky, 125 C. incipient recrystallisation

(10) For the hard caramel after trials 6, 9, 10 and 13, the thickness of the microcrystalline surface layer was determined. Furthermore, the recovery of isomaltulose of trials 2 to 17 was determined by HPLC, showing that at an increased temperature (trial 17) during the process as well as at an increased proportion of glucose syrup in the hard caramel (trials 6 to 9) the recovery is lower.

(11) In a subsequent stability test (Table 3) with the different hard caramels produced according to Table 1, it was found that the hard caramels of the reference trials 1 to 3 showed a clear increase in weight after the trial had been carried out, whereas the hard caramels of the trials 4 to 17 according to the invention showed a smaller increase in weight and did not deliquesce. Particularly advantageously, the hard caramels of trials 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 13 to 16 according to the invention remained dry, being characterised by a lack of glucose content or an isomaltulose: glucose syrup ratio of 90:10.

(12) It is also shown that a hard caramel prepared at a higher temperature, namely 145 C., at atmospheric pressure, exhibits a strong undesirable dark colouring (browning) compared to a hard caramel of the same composition but different production method according to the invention (compare, for example, trial 10).

(13) For the hard caramel according to trial 10, a layer thickness of 146 m and a water content of 2.3% could be determined after 25 months of storage at 25 C. and 45% rH. The colour in solution was 13.5 IU. These hard caramels according to the invention are characterised by a very high storage and colour stability.