FAT-BASED CONFECTION COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING CALCIUM CARBONATE

Abstract

A fat-based confection composition comprising from 1 wt % to 40 wt % calcium carbonate, from 35 wt % to 65 wt % fat, from 5 wt % to 45 wt % sugar, from 2 wt % to 15 wt % cocoa powder, and from 0.05 wt % to 1.0 wt % emulsifier, and wherein the calcium carbonate has a median particle diameter size (D.sub.50) of from 1.2 microns to 8 microns.

Claims

1. A fat-based confection composition comprising from 1 wt % to 40 wt % calcium carbonate, from 35 wt % to 65 wt % fat, from 5 wt % to 45 wt % sugar, from 2 wt % to 15 wt % cocoa powder, and from 0.05 wt % to 1.0 wt % emulsifier, and wherein the calcium carbonate has a median particle diameter size (D.sub.50) of from 1.2 microns to 8 microns and does not comprise surface reacted calcium carbonate having a specific surface area of from 15 m.sup.2/g to 200 m.sup.2/g.

2. A fat-based confection composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the calcium carbonate has a mean diameter particle size of from 1.3 microns to 6 microns.

3. A fat-based confection composition as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 10 wt % to 30 wt % calcium carbonate.

4. A fat-based confection composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition comprises from 20 wt % to 30 wt % saturated fatty acids.

5. A fat-based confection composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fat is selected from the group consisting of palm oil, palm oil fractions, cocoa butter, coconut oil, high oleic liquid oils, sunflower oil, olive oil, and mixtures thereof.

6. A fat-based confection composition as claimed in 1, wherein the sugar is selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and mixtures thereof.

7. A fat-based confection composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of lecithin, ammonium phosphate, PGPR, and mixtures thereof.

8. A fat-based confection composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Casson viscosity of the composition is from 0.05 Pa.Math.s to 0.50 Pa.Math.s measured at 40 C.

9. A fat-based confection composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Casson yield of the composition is from 0.05 Pa to 5.0 Pa measured at 40 C.

10. A fat-based confection composition as claimed claim 1, wherein the volume of the fat-based confection composition is from 0.55 ml to 0.98 ml per gram.

11. Use of a fat-based confection composition as claimed in claim 1 for coating a frozen confection or bakery item.

12. Use as claimed in claim 11, wherein the fat-based confection composition is applied by dipping or spraying.

13. A confection product comprising a fat-based confection composition as claimed in claim 1.

14. A confection product as claimed in claim 13, wherein the confection product comprises a frozen confection and the fat-based confection composition.

15. A frozen confection product as claimed in claim 13, wherein the confection product comprises a bakery item and the fat-based confection composition.

Description

FIGURES

[0064] FIG. 1: Coated frozen confection product comprising frozen confection coating composition corresponding to Example 1.

[0065] FIG. 2: Coated frozen confection product comprising frozen confection coating composition corresponding to the Comparative Example.

EXAMPLES

General Method 1:

Preparation of Fat-Based Confection Composition

[0066] Sugar (sucrose) and calcium carbonate were added to a pre-heated mill grinding chamber [ball mill, 50 C.] and mixed and kneaded. The remaining non-fat solids were added, and the mixture was kneaded and refined until the D.sub.v90 of the particles of the mixture was less than 30 microns, measured using a Draper external digital micrometer. Fat and optional emulsifier were heated to 45 C. and added to the refined non-fat solids mixture to form a dispersion. The resultant fat-based confection composition was removed from the mill, cooled to 25 C. and stored.

General Method 2:

Preparation of Coated Frozen Confection Product/Method for Measuring Thickness

[0067] Fat-based confection composition was prepared according to General Method 1 and heated to 40 C. A frozen confection stick product was prepared, exemplary frozen confections are described in The Science of Ice Cream: C. Clarke; RSC 2012. The frozen confection was held by the stick and dipped into the fat-based confection composition. The fat-based frozen confection composition was allowed to solidify and form a coated frozen confection product. The coated frozen confection product was sliced longitudinally and the fat-based confection composition coating thickness was measured using a Zeiss Smartzoom 5 digital microscope equipped with Smartzoom5.ink software v1.4. The thickness of the fat-based confection composition at several locations around the perimeter of the sample, an average thickness of the fat-based confection composition was calculated.

General Method 3:

Experimental Method for Measuring the Rheology of the Frozen Confection Coating Composition

[0068] Chocolate and oil rheology measurements were made on a Physica MCR501 at 40 C. using a 17 mm profiled cup and bob (cc17-0-25/p6 and c-cc17/T200/SS/P).

[0069] The method was a step method: [0070] Step 1 is a pre-shear to condition the material at a shear rate of 5 1/s [0071] Step 2 is shear rate ramp from 2 to 50 1/s over 3 mins [0072] Step 3 constant shear rate at 50 1/s for 1 min [0073] Step 4 is shear rate ramp from 50 to 2 1/s over 3 mins

[0074] Only step 4 is analysed to extract the Casson parameters. Data analysed is from 50 1/s to 5 1/s. Square root of stress is plotted on the y-axis and square root of shear rate is plotted on the x-axis. The square of the slope gives the Casson viscosity and the square of the intercept gives the Casson yield.

Examples 1 to 3

[0075] Frozen confection coating compositions having the composition according to Table 1 were prepared according to General Method 1.

[0076] Casson viscosity and Casson yield were measured according to General Method 3.

[0077] Coated frozen confection products were prepared and coating thickness was measured according to General Method 2.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Frozen confection coating compositions comprising calcium carbonate Example Comparative 1 2 3 Ingredient (wt %) Non-fat solids (excl. CaCO.sub.3) 47.7 28.2 32.1 39.8 CaCO.sub.3 [D.sub.v50 = 1.5 micron] 18.5 CaCO.sub.3 [D.sub.v50 = 5 micron] 20 11.8 Emulsifier 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 Fat 52 53 48 50 SAFA 26 26.5 23 25 Properties: Kcal (per 100 g) (ca.) 656 585 555 604 Calorie reduction 0% 10.8% 15.4% 7.9% Casson Viscosity (Pa .Math. s) 0.19 0.10 0.12 0.15 Casson Yield (Pa) 0.11 0.72 0.21 0.18 Reduction in pick-up weight 0% 6.9% 17.2% 5.7% Variation in coating thickness 40% 11.4% 24.5% Not measured Reduction in volume 0% 6.6% 9.2% 4.0% Brittleness yes yes yes yes

[0078] Table 1 illustrates that fat-based confection compositions comprising from 1 wt % to 40 wt % calcium carbonate, from 35 wt % to 65 wt % fat, from 20 wt % to 45 wt % sugar and from 2 wt % to 15 wt % cocoa powder, from 0.05 wt % to 1.0 wt % emulsifier and wherein the calcium carbonate has a median particle size diameter (D.sub.50) of from 1.2 microns to 8 microns have a significantly reduced Casson viscosity and significantly increased Casson yield.

[0079] For instance, example 1, a fat-based confection composition comprising 18.5 wt % calcium carbonate having a median particle diameter size (D.sub.v50) of 1.5 microns, has a reduced Casson viscosity of 0.10 Pa.Math.S compared to 0.19 Pa.Math.S of the comparative example, and a significantly increased Casson yield of 0.72 Pa in comparison to 0.11 Pa of the comparative example.

[0080] Significantly reducing the Casson viscosity and significantly increasing the Casson yield of a fat-based confection composition results in reduction of the pick-up weight of the fat-based confection composition, and consequently a reduction in the total amount of composition present per coated frozen confection product. Comparison of the comparative example and examples 2 and 3 demonstrate that an increase in calcium carbonate content of a fat-based confection composition of from 0 wt % (comparative example) to 11.8 wt % (example 3) or 20 wt % (example 2), results in a decrease in pick-up weight of the fat-based confection composition per product, e.g. 5.7% (example 3) and 17.2% (example 2), respectively.

[0081] Coated frozen confection products that comprise less fat-based confection composition have a lower calorie content contributed to by the confection composition because there is less frozen confection composition present per coated frozen confection product. The calorie content of the compositions of examples 1 to 3 is reduced by from 10.8%, 15.4% and 7.9%, respectively, in comparison to the comparative example that does not comprise calcium carbonate.

[0082] An additional advantage of a fat-based confection composition comprising calcium carbonate having a volume median particle size diameter (D.sub.v50) of from 1.2 microns to 8 microns is that, even though there is less fat-based confection composition present per product, the uniformity of the coating is significantly improved compared to the fat-based confection compositions without calcium carbonate, i.e. the comparative example. This is demonstrated by the 40% variation in thickness of a coating composition that does not comprise calcium carbonate compared to an 11% variation in thickness of a fat-based confection composition comprising 18.5 wt % calcium carbonate having a median particle diameter size (D.sub.v50) of 1.5 microns (example 1). Furthermore, as demonstrated by FIGS. 1 and 2, the definition of the contours of the coated frozen confection product significantly increased. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate that, although the volume of the fat-based confection composition is reduced, the coating is more uniform and enables an improved definition of the contours of the coated frozen confection product's shape. It is believed that the opacity of the fat-based confection composition is increased by the addition of calcium carbonate.

Examples 4 to 13

[0083] Examples 4 to 13 were prepared following General Method 1 The compositions comprise calcium carbonate as provided in Table 2. All examples comprise calcium carbonate with a volume median particle diameter size (DV.sub.50) of 1.5 microns.

[0084] Rheology of the compositions of Examples 4 to 13 was measured according to General Method 3.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Frozen confection coating compositions comprising varying amounts of calcium carbonate and corresponding rheological values. CaCO.sub.3 Casson Viscosity Casson Yield Example (wt %) (Pa .Math. s) (Pa) 4 5 0.13 0.56 5 7.5 0.12 0.66 6 10 0.12 0.73 7 12.5 0.12 0.81 8 15 0.11 0.85 9 17.5 0.11 0.87 10 20 0.11 0.89 11 25 0.10 0.95 12 30 0.10 1.02 13 40 0.09 1.24

[0085] Table 2 demonstrates that the addition of calcium carbonate having a median particle diameter size (D.sub.50) of 1.5 microns to a fat-based confection composition reduces the Casson viscosity of the fat-based confection composition and increases the Casson yield of the fat-based confection composition. Table 2 demonstrates that increasing the amount of calcium carbonate present in a fat-based confection composition correspondingly decreases the Casson viscosity and increases the Casson yield.