A COMPOSITION FOR FORMING A BEVERAGE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition for forming a beverage, the composition comprising a mixture of powder ingredients, the ingredients comprising: i) soluble coffee; ii) a non-protein creamer; and iii) a plant-based powder selected from one or more of oat powder, coconut powder, soy powder and almond powder; wherein a ratio by weight of the non-protein creamer powder to plant-based powder is at least 1:3.

Claims

1. A composition for forming a beverage, the composition comprising a mixture of powder ingredients, the ingredients comprising: i) soluble coffee; ii) a non-protein creamer; and iii) a plant-based powder selected from one or more of oat powder, coconut powder, soy powder and almond powder; wherein a ratio by weight of the non-protein creamer powder to plant-based powder is at least 1:3.

2. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the plant-based powder is an oat powder, preferably an oat flour.

3. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the ratio by weight of the non-protein creamer powder to plant-based powder is at least 3:1, preferably from 3:1 to 8:1 and most preferably from 3:1 to 4:1.

4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the ingredients further comprise sugar.

5. The composition according to claim 4, wherein the ingredients comprise by total weight of the ingredients: from 10 to 15 wt% of the soluble coffee; and/or from 10 to 45 wt% of the non-protein creamer; and/or from 40 to 60 wt% of the sugar; and/or from 1 to 40 wt% of the plant-based powder, preferably 5-12 wt%.

6. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the ingredients further comprise a foam-boosting ingredient comprising at least 1 ml/g of trapped gas.

7. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the foam-boosting ingredient is present in an amount of from 1 to 20 wt% by total weight of the ingredients.

8. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the soluble coffee is a spray-dried or freeze-dried coffee powder and, optionally, contains roast and ground coffee particles.

9. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the non-protein creamer comprises a vegetable oil and one or more ingredients selected from thickeners, acidity regulators, buffering agents, emulsifiers and stabilisers.

10. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the plant-based powder is at least partially hydrolysed and optionally fully hydrolysed.

11. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the plant-based powder comprises a mixture of hydrolysed plant-based flour and native plant-based flour.

12. The composition according to claim 11, wherein the plant-based powder is oat flour and wherein a ratio of pre-hydrolysed oat flour to native oat flour is from 5:1 to 3:1.

13. The composition according to claim 1, wherein plant-based powder is essentially the sole protein source.

14. A method of forming the composition according to claim 1, the method comprising dry-mixing together the powder ingredients.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises granulating or agglomerating the mixture of powder ingredients.

16. An agglomerated or granulated beverage composition obtainable by the method of claim 15.

17. A method of forming a beverage, the method comprising mixing the composition according to claim 1 with a beverage medium.

18. A method of forming a beverage, the method comprising mixing the composition according to claim 16 with a beverage medium.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0053] Studies were carried out to examine the dispersibility of different oat powders in hot water and the stability of the oat powder solutions. Under certain circumstances partial gelatinization of starch resulted in lumps (poor dispersibility) and therefore sedimentation occurred (instability).

[0054] The following compositions were tested:

TABLE-US-00001 Recipe Observations Non-protein creamer 30% Minimal lumps and Coffee 13% stable beverage Sugar 52% Oat flour 5% Non-protein creamer 25% Small lumps and Coffee 13% minor sediment Sugar 52% Oat flour 10% Non-protein creamer 20% Some lumps and Coffee 13% sediment Sugar 52% Oat flour 15% Non-protein creamer 15% Larger lumps and Coffee 13% powdery sediment Sugar 52% Oat flour 20% Non-protein creamer 10% Larger lumps and Coffee 13% powdery sediment Sugar 52% Oat flour 25%

[0055] In separate tests the stabilisers provided in the NPC were tested as discrete additives. Surprisingly, the stability benefits of the NPC were not observed for such additions. Moreover, oat flour in isolation from the NPC did not deliver an appealing product from an appearance and texture point of view due to the technical challenges mentioned above, as well as mouthfeel can be too viscous and slimy. Moreover from a taste perspective, it is perceived as having overpowering oat/cereally notes. All these have been improved as part of the development.

[0056] The invention will now be described further in relation to the following non-limiting examples.

[0057] An exemplary composition was provided having the following composition:

TABLE-US-00002 Ingredient % of dry composition Sugar ~20 Instant Coffee 10-15 Booster ~15 Non-protein creamer ~40 Hydrolysed oat flour 10-15 Xanthan gum <1 Flavours ~1 Salt <1 Total 100

[0058] This was found to provide a desirable cappuccino beverage with a good foam, resembling the quality of a conventional cappuccino product.

[0059] An exemplary non-protein creamer is provided below:

TABLE-US-00003 Ingredient % of dry composition Glucose syrup 60-65 Hydrogenated palm kernel oil ~30 E1450 ~2 Sugar ~2 Stabiliser additives E330i, The balance E452i, E466, E551

[0060] Unless otherwise stated, all percentages herein are by weight.

[0061] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention or of the appended claims.