PINE NUTS PRODUCTS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage stable chocolate product comprising, a) chocolate with no added sucrose and b) pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts, wherein the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts have a size of at least 1 mm, wherein the chocolate product comprises 4 to 80 wt % pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts.

Claims

1. A storage stable chocolate product comprising, a) chocolate with no added sucrose and b) pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts, wherein the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts have a size of at least 1 mm, wherein the chocolate product comprises 4 to 80 wt % pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts.

2. The chocolate product of claim 1, wherein the chocolate product comprises 5 to 80 wt %, preferably 5 to 70 wt %, more preferably 5 to 60 wt %, more preferably 5 to 50 wt %, pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts.

3. A storage stable pine nut product comprising pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts and an edible coating composition comprising no added sucrose, wherein the pine nuts are at least partially coated with the edible coating composition, and wherein the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts have a size of at least 1 mm.

4. The pine nut product of claim 3, wherein the edible coating composition is selected from the group consisting of chocolate, wax, cellulose, modified starch, polysaccharide, and gelatin.

5. The pine nut product of claim 4, wherein the wax is selected from the group consisting of Carnauba wax, Beeswax, Candelilla wax, and combinations thereof.

6. The pine nut product of claim 4, wherein the cellulose is selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, ethyl methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and combinations thereof.

7. The pine nut product of claim 4, wherein the modified starch is selected from the group consisting of monostarch phosphate, distarch phosphate, phosphorylated distarch phosphate, acetylated distarch phosphate, acetylated starch, acetylated distarch adipate, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, and combinations thereof.

8. The pine nut product of claim 4, wherein the polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of pullulan, xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, tamarind gum, pectin, carrageenan, tragacanth gum, gum Arabic, alginate, and combinations thereof.

9. The chocolate product or the pine nut product of claim 1, wherein the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts have a medium size of at least 1.5 mm, preferably of at least 2 mm, more preferably of at least 2.5 mm, even more preferably of at least 3 mm.

10. The chocolate product or the pine nut product of claim 1, wherein comminuted pine nuts are crushed pine nuts, grinded pine nuts, cut pine nuts or combinations thereof.

11. The chocolate product or the pine nut product of claim 1, wherein the chocolate or the edible coating composition comprises at least one sugar substitute, preferably 5 to 60 wt %, more preferably 10 to 50 wt %, of the at least one sugar substitute.

12. The chocolate product or the pine nut product of claim 11, wherein the sugar substitute is a sugar alcohol.

13. The chocolate product or the pine nut product of claim 12, wherein the sugar alcohol is selected from the group consisting of maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, arabitol, erythritol and combinations thereof.

14. The chocolate product or the pine nut product of claim 1, wherein the chocolate comprises Oto 90 wt %, preferably Oto 80 wt %, more preferably Oto 70 wt %, more preferably Oto 60 wt %, more preferably Oto 50%, cocoa powder.

15. The chocolate product or the pine nut product of claim 1, wherein the product comprises at least one further ingredient, preferably selected from the group consisting of nuts, preferably cashew nuts, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts or walnuts, peanuts, almonds, coconut pieces and combinations thereof.

16. The chocolate product or the pine nut product of claim 1, wherein the chocolate product is a praline, a bar, a chocolate drop or a chocolate figure or the pine nut product is comprised in a praline, in a bar, in a chocolate drop or in a chocolate figure.

17. A chocolate praline comprising a) at least one first compartment and at least one second compartment separated by a chocolate as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one first compartment comprises pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts wherein the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts have a size of at least 1 mm, or b) at least one first compartment comprising pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts wherein the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts have a size of at least 1 mm, wherein the pine nuts are coated with the chocolate with no added sucrose.

18. The chocolate praline of claim 17, wherein the at least one second compartment of the praline comprises a composition comprising at least one sugar containing preparation or the chocolate with no added sucrose.

19. The chocolate praline of claim 18, wherein the at least one sugar containing preparation comprises nougat, brittle and/or fruits, preferably jam or fruit puree.

20. A method for manufacturing a chocolate product comprising the step of contacting a heated chocolate as defined in claim 1 with pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts wherein the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts have a size of at least 1 mm, and wherein the chocolate product comprises 4 to 80 wt % pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of: a) providing a hollow chocolate body comprising chocolate with no added sucrose, said body comprising a base and at least one side wall, b) partially filling pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts wherein the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts have a size of at least 1 mm into said hollow body, c) introducing heated chocolate into the body of step b) to cover the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts, d) cooling the chocolate of step c) to form a first compartment, e) adding on the top of said first compartment at least one sugar containing preparation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one sugar containing preparation comprises nougat, brittle and/or fruits, preferably jam or fruit puree.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The term storage stable, as used herein, means that the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts comprised in the chocolate product or the pine nut product retain color, flavor and volume over a time period of more than 4 weeks, preferably more than 3 months, more preferably more than 6 months, more preferably more than 9 months, more preferably more than 12 months, at a storage temperature between 18 C. and 22 C. at a maximum humidity of 70% in an area free of odors and infestation.

[0024] The chocolate and/or chocolate product of the present invention with no added sucrose, as used herein, means that the chocolate is substantially free of sucrose. Also, the edible coating composition and/or the pine nut product of the present invention comprising no added sucrose, as used herein, means that the coating composition is substantially free of sucrose. Substantially free of sucrose and with no added sucrose, as used herein, means that no sucrose or no substantial amounts of sucrose are added during the manufacturing of the chocolate mass or the coating composition. Preferably, also no substantial amounts of glucose and/or fructose are added during the manufacturing of the chocolate mass or the edible coating composition. The term with no added sucrose can also be referred to as without added sucrose, no added sucrose, sucrose-free, without sucrose and/or with no sucrose. The term with no added sucrose refers in particular to substantially free of sucrose, meaning that the total mass fraction of the sucrose in the chocolate or the edible coating composition is less than 2 wt %, preferably less than 1.5 wt %, preferably less than 1 wt %, more preferably less than 0.5 wt %. The total mass fraction of sucrose in these terms is calculated as the mass ratio of the sucrose amount and the total mass of the chocolate or the edible coating composition. The sucrose content of the chocolate and the chocolate product or the edible coating composition and the pine nut product which is contacted or at least partially coated with pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts is one of the key factors in the storage stability of the chocolate products of the present invention. As mentioned above, it turned surprisingly out that the substantial abstinence of added sucrose in the chocolate or the edible coating composition results in a storage stable product. Preferably, the edible coating composition of the present invention can be chocolate. The presence of sucrose naturally occurring in cocoa beans and thus in the chocolate or edible coating composition produced therefrom does not affect or influence the storage stability of the inventive chocolate product or the pine nut product. Hence, the chocolate or the edible coating composition used to produce the chocolate product, or the pine nut product of the present invention comprises just naturally occurring sucrose and no sucrose added during its production process.

[0025] The term at least partially coated, as used herein, means that at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, preferably at least 40%, preferably at least 50%, preferably at least 60%, preferably at least 70%, preferably at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, in particular 100%, of the surface area of the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts of the pine nut product is in contact with the edible coating composition. The edible coating composition can preserve early spoilage of pine nuts. The edible coating composition of the present invention can comprise just naturally occurring sucrose, glucose and/or fructose and no sucrose and/or glucose and/or fructose added during its production process. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the edible coating composition is selected from the group consisting of chocolate, wax, cellulose, modified starch, polysaccharide, and gelatin.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the wax is selected from the group consisting of Carnauba wax, Beeswax, Candelilla wax, and combinations thereof.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the cellulose is selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and combinations thereof.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the modified starch is selected from the group consisting of monostarch phosphate, distarch phosphate, phosphorylated distarch phosphate, acetylated distarch phosphate, acetylated starch, acetylated distarch adipate, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, and combinations thereof.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of pullulan, xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, tamarind gum, pectin, carrageenan, tragacanth gum, gum Arabic, alginate and combinations thereof.

[0030] The pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts of the chocolate product or the pine nut product of the present invention may have a size of at least 1 mm. This means that at least about 90%, preferably at least about 958, more preferably at least about 98%, more preferably at least about 99%, more preferably 100%, of the pine nuts or pine nut fragments (comminuted pine nuts) have a size of at least 1 mm. Pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts having this minimum size are obtained by using, for instance, a sieve having a mesh size of 1 mm.

[0031] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts may have a size of at least 1.5 mm, preferably of at least 2 mm, more preferably of at least 2.5 mm, even more preferably of at least 3 mm.

[0032] In order to maintain pine nut product quality, the composition of the present invention comprise pine nuts or comminuted pine with a medium size of at least 1 mm. It turned out that the decay of pine nuts and its fragments started at a minimum mean size of 1 mm in a sucrose-containing chocolate product or the pine nut product. Therefore, the size of the comprising pine nuts is a significant factor for extended shelf life.

[0033] The chocolate product or the pine nut product of the present invention may comprise pine nuts from different sources. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, pine nuts are obtained from one or more pines selected from the group consisting of Pinus pinea, Pinus koraiensis, Pinus sibirica, Pinus yunnanensis, Pinus wallichiana, Pinus gerardiana and Pinus pumila, Pinus edulis, Pinus armandii, Pinus monophylla, Pinus cembroides, Pinus quadrifolia, Pinus nelsonii, Pinus pinceana, Pinus torreyana, Pinus sabiniana, Pinus coulteri, Pinus lambertiana, Pinus wallichiana, Pinus griffithii, Pinus bungeana, Pinus tabulaeformis, and Pinus cembra.

[0034] The maximum pine nut size in the chocolate product or the pine nut product may depend on the comminution method and/or on the natural size of the pine nuts from different sources. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts have a maximum size of not more than 20 mm, preferably not more than 15 mm, even more preferably not more than 10 mm.

[0035] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chocolate product or the pine nut product comprises 4 to 80 wt %, preferably 5 to 80 wt %, preferably 5 to 70 wt %, more preferably 5 to 60 wt %, more preferably 5 to 50 wt, pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts. It turned out that the taste of pine nuts in chocolate products is very soft, so that it is advantageous to use a total weight ratio of pine nuts or fragments thereof of at least 4 wt %, preferably at least 5 wt % to achieve a satisfactory pine nut flavor. Otherwise, the sensory characteristics of the pine nuts are masked by the taste of other ingredients and are not well perceived by the consumer.

[0036] The chocolate product or the pine nut product of the present invention may contain entire pine nuts or comminuted pine nuts. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, comminuted pine nuts can be crushed, ground, and/or cut. Also, combinations of pine nut fragments processed by more than one of these methods can be used.

[0037] To obtain a sweet tasting chocolate product or pine nut product, sugar substitutes such as sugar alcohols can be added to the chocolate product or the pine nut product. It turned surprisingly out that the presence of sugar substitutes in the chocolate or the edible coating composition and consequently in the chocolate product or the pine nut product has no negative impact on color, shape, and texture of the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts. Thus, the chocolate or the edible coating composition used herein comprises preferably at least one sugar substitute, preferably 5 to 60 wt %, more preferably 10 to 50 wt %, of said at least one sugar substitute.

[0038] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sugar substitute is a sugar alcohol.

[0039] Sugar alcohols or polyols differ from sugars in that the aldehyde or ketone function of the sugar molecule is reduced to an alcohol. The use of sugar alcohols is particularly preferred since they do not have any negative influence on pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts over time and give a sweet taste to the inventive chocolate product or pine nut product. Since sugar alcohols do not influence the quality of pine nuts during the storage, sensory properties are well retained, improving the product's shelf-life. According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sugar alcohol is selected from the group consisting of maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, arabitol, erythritol, galactitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, isomalt, lactitol, polyglycerol and combinations thereof, whereby the use of maltitol is particularly preferred.

[0040] Sugar alcohols like sorbitol, mannitol, and maltitol are commonly used sugar alcohols in food industry and are typically produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch. Sugar alcohols retain sweetness through heating, and their bulking properties are similar to those of sucrose. All sugar alcohols are absorbed slowly and incompletely from the intestine by passive diffusion. Therefore, these sweeteners provide low energy and offer potential health benefits such as reduced glycemic response and reduced dental caries risk.

[0041] The chocolate comprised in the chocolate product, or the pine nuts product of the present invention may comprise cocoa butter as basic ingredient being typically present in chocolates known in the art.

[0042] According to a preferred embodiment, the chocolate comprises 4 to 50 wt %, preferably 4 to 40 wt %, cocoa butter.

[0043] The chocolate comprised in the chocolate product or the pine nut product can also comprise cocoa powder. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, chocolate comprises 0 to 90 wt %, preferably 0 to 80 wt %, more preferably 0 to 70 wt %, more preferably 0 to 60 wt %, more preferably 0 to 50%, cocoa powder.

[0044] Chocolate, in particular white chocolate, may comprise as further component milk powder. According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chocolate comprises 0 to 15 wt %, preferably 0 to 10 wt %, milk powder.

[0045] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chocolate product or the pine nut product may comprise at least one further ingredient, preferably selected from the group consisting of nuts, preferably cashew nuts, hazel nuts, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, or walnuts, peanuts, almonds, coconut pieces and combinations thereof. These ingredients can be typically added to the chocolate product or to the pine nut product in a fragmented form.

[0046] The chocolate product or the pine nut product of the present invention may have any form. According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chocolate product or the pine nut product can be a praline, a bar, a chocolate drop, or a chocolate figure. Chocolate figures typically can have the shape of Santa Clause or an Easter bunny.

[0047] If the chocolate product or the pine nut product of the present invention has the form of a praline, the chocolate comprising pine nuts and fragments thereof may be combined with other components typically used in pralines. In order to not contact ingredients comprising sugars, in particular nonreducing sugars sucrose, with the pine nuts and the fragments thereof, it is advantageous to provide compartments in the pralines of the present invention. According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the praline comprises at least one first compartment and at least one second compartment separated by the chocolate as defined above, wherein at least one first compartment comprises pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts as defined above.

[0048] Alternatively, the pine nuts and fragments thereof can be coated with chocolate with no added sucrose, forming a protective layer around each pine nut and/or pine nut piece. This coating allows to separate the nuts from other parts of the chocolate product and thus, enabling the addition of sugar-containing preparations to the coated pine nuts without having the effect of early spoilage. The coated pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts forming the at least one first compartment can be added and/or mixed with sugar containing preparations or with the chocolate with no added sucrose as defined herein.

[0049] Sugar containing preparation, as used herein, refers to known sugar containing products comprising at least one saccharide such as jam, fruits, fruit extracts, nougat, brittles, chocolate, caramel, or marzipan. The saccharide is selected from the group consisting of glucose, fructose, lactose, galactose, maltose, dextrose, dextrin, xylose, sucrose, ribose, mannose and combinations thereof.

[0050] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one second compartment of the chocolate praline comprises a composition comprising at least one sugar-containing preparation or the chocolate with no added sucrose as defined herein.

[0051] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one sugar containing preparation comprises nougat, brittle and/or fruits, preferably jam or fruit puree.

[0052] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a chocolate product comprising the step of contacting a heated chocolate with pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts as defined above. Heated chocolate, as used herein means, that the chocolate as defined above is tempered to a temperature allowing its processing to the desired form. The preferred temperature of heated chocolate is in a range between 3 and 60 C., preferably between 35 and 60 C., more preferably between 4 and 60 C.

[0053] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: [0054] a) providing a hollow chocolate body comprising chocolate being substantially free of sucrose as defined above, said body comprising a base and at least one side wall, [0055] b) partially filling pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts as defined above into said hollow body, [0056] c) introducing heated chocolate into the body of step b) to cover the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts, [0057] d) cooling the chocolate of step c) to form a first compartment, [0058] e) adding on the top of said first compartment at least one sugar containing preparation.
The at least one sugar containing preparation may comprise any type of sugar which is typically used in sweet and/or chocolate products.

[0059] According to another preferred embodiment, the at least one sugar containing preparation comprises nougat, brittle and/or fruits, preferably jam or fruit puree.

[0060] According to another preferred embodiment, the sugar substitute is provided in a solution or in a solid form.

[0061] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing the pine nut product as defined above. The term liquid or viscous form, as used herein, relates to a liquid, semi-liquid, gel-like, creamy or pastry composition. The edible coating composition as define above can be naturally present in a solid, liquid or viscous form. To provide the edible coating composition in a liquid or viscous form, naturally solid edible coating compositions can be further processed to become liquid or viscous. It is advantageous that the edible coating composition is provided in a liquid or viscous form to contact the pine nuts with the composition sufficiently. The edible coating composition can be applied in liquid or viscous form to ensure proper attachment of the composition on the outer surface of the pine nuts and/or its fragments. The liquid or viscous edible coating composition can be processed by heating, stirring, kneading and/or dissolving the solid composition. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention the edible coating composition in liquid or viscous form is prepared by heating, stirring, kneading and/or dissolving the edible coating composition as defined herein before step a). For instance, edible coating composition can be dissolved in a solvent as e.g., water or ethanol to become liquid or viscous. In addition, at least one aqueous solution can be added to the edible coating composition before contacting the pine nuts. For instance, water can be added to the composition during stirring to improve the viscous properties of the composition.

[0062] Alternatively, the edible coating composition can be naturally liquid or viscous. The naturally liquid or viscous composition can be further processed, as described above, until the required viscosity is reached.

[0063] The pine nuts and/or the comminuted pine nuts can be contacted with the liquid or viscous edible coating composition by dipping, spraying or panning. Preferably the pine nuts and/or the comminuted pine nuts can be contacted by at least partially coating the pine nuts with the liquid or viscous edible coating composition. In particular, dipping includes the immersion of the pine nuts or parts thereof in the liquid or viscous coating and the generation of a layer on the pine nuts. In spraying, the liquid or viscous edible coating composition can be sprayed in the form of small droplets on the surface of the pine nuts forming a coating. There are different types of spraying methods, such as air spray atomization, pressure atomization, etc. Panning can be another suitable and efficient method for coating of pine nuts, where in a large pan of pine nuts are coated with the liquid or viscous edible coating composition while spinning. Using this method, large quantities of pine nuts can be coated easily. After contacting the liquid or viscous coating composition with the pine nuts and/or comminuted pine nuts, the coating composition can solidify to obtain the storage stable pine nut product of the present invention.

[0064] According to another embodiment of the present invention, solidifying is achieved by cooling and/or drying the composition of step c). The edible coating composition can solidify by methods known in the art, as e.g., spray chilling or spray drying. Spray-chilling is based on the application of cold air on the coating to enable solidification of the liquid or viscous coating composition. However, the choice of method used for solidification depends on the properties of the edible coating composition.

[0065] The present invention is further illustrated by the following examples, however, without being restricted thereto.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Influence of Sugar Concentration, Pine Nut Size, and Storage Time on Pine Nut Surface Area

[0066] Four chocolate preparations comprising chocolate (20 wt % cocoa butter and 80 wt % cocoa powder) with four different sucrose concentrations (0, 2, 10, and 40 wt % sucrose on the total composition was added to the chocolate) were prepared. The chocolate preparations were melted at 50 C. and the melted chocolate was used to coat pine nuts (Pinus pinea) having a size of approximately 6 to 7 mm and cut pine nuts having a size of 0.5 mm and less (using sieve with mesh 0.5 mm), 1 mm (sieves with mesh 0.9 mm and 1.1 mm), 2 mm (sieves with mesh 1.9 mm and 2.1 mm) and 4 mm (sieve with mesh 4 mm). For practical reasons, the coated samples with cut pine nuts comprised up to 10 pine nut fragments. In Table 1 the different samples are summarized.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Overview of used pine nut sizes and sucrose concentrations. Sucrose Pine nuts concentration Condition size (mm) (wt %) A 0.5 0 B 1 C 2 D 4 E 0.5 2 F 1 G 2 H 4 I 0.5 10 J 1 K 2 L 4 M 0.5 40 N 1 O 2 P 4

[0067] The surface area of all chocolate coated pine nuts was measured immediately after coating. Thereafter, the coated pine nuts were inserted into test tubes, sealed, and stored at a temperature 20-23 C. in an area free of odors and infestation for 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and three months. In order to quantify the influence of the sucrose content and storage time on pine nut quality, the surface area of the coated pine nuts was evaluated and their change (%) in surface area was monitored, whereby the surface area was determined as follows:

[0068] To determine the surface area of the coated pine nuts, three linear dimensions of nut as length (L), width (W), thickness (T) are measured with a caliper and surface area (S) is calculated by using the Equation (1) given in Miloevi T. et al (Acta Sci. Pol. Hortorum Cultus. 2017; 16(5): 49-61)):

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}S=D_g^2& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

where, the geometric mean diameter (D.sub.g) is defined in Equation (2):

[00002]$\begin{array}{cc}{D}_g=\sqrt[3]{\mathrm{LWT}}& \left(2\right)\end{array}$

[0069] The results (see Table 2) show that the surface areas of coated pine nut fragments having a size of 0.5 mm and 1 mm did not significantly change after four weeks of storage (see conditions A and B as well as E and F) at sucrose concentrations of 0 and 2 wt %. However, the surface areas of pine nuts and pine nut fragments having a size of 2 and 4 mm are influenced by the presence of sucrose in the chocolate coating. Higher sucrose concentrations (10 wt % and 40 wt %) resulted in a significant increase of the surface area of pine nuts and pine nut fragments having a size of 2 and 4 mm indicating a swelling effect of pine nuts due to the presence of defined amounts of sucrose. Pine nuts samples having the size of 0.5 mm exhibited no significant change in surface area in all storage conditions (see conditions A, E, I, and M). These results show that pine nut fragments having a size of less than 1 mm are not substantially influenced by the presence of sucrose in the chocolate coating. In addition, the surface area increased with extended storage time, showing the limited storage stability of pine nuts having a size of at least 1 mm in sucrose-containing matrices.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Results of the surface area analysis of pine nuts stored under different conditions for 2 weeks, 4 weeks and three months (n = 10 standard deviation; SD). Change of surface area (% SD) Condition 2 weeks 4 weeks 3 months A 7.9 3.2 8.6 4.5 10.2 6.0 B 6.2 4.9 9.1 3.9 9.8 2.9 C 8.1 3.5 8.9 4.6 10.9 4.3 D 7.9 3.9 8.2 4.8 10.2 2.7 E 8.2 4.0 9.8 3.6 10.7 3.9 F 6.4 5.5 8.4 4.7 14.9 3.0 G 9.8 3.1 10.9 3.6 15.7 2.3 H 6.1 3.9 8.4 4.7 16.4 5.8 I 9.1 3.9 9.9 2.8 10.7 4.1 J 8.8 3.6 18.2 3.2 28.4 2.4 K 9.6 3.9 26.1 3.0 32.1 2.8 L 10.1 5.6 27.4 3.3 33.4 2.3 M 7.1 4.4 10.2 4.7 10.5 5.2 N 8.2 5.0 22.9 4.7 31 4.9 O 10.4 4.6 28.7 4.7 36 5.1 P 8.8 5.9 29.1 2.9 33 4.0

Example 2: Influence of Sugar Content and Storage Time on Pine Nut Bitterness

[0070] Aqueous solutions of four sucrose concentrations (0, 2, 10, and 40 wt %) were prepared in 1 liter each. 200 g Pine nuts (Pinus pinea) were added to each concentration and stored at temperature 20-23 C. in an area free of odors and infestation for 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and three months. Pine nuts samples (50 g) of each sugar concentration were collected for analysis at respective time points.

[0071] Before testing, pine nuts were carefully rinsed with water for 60 seconds to remove the sugar from the pine nuts. The bitterness of the pine nuts was tested using a simple descriptive test according to DIN 10964. This standard specifies a procedure for the verbal description of characteristics of one or more test specimens. The procedure is applicable for determining factors influencing production and for the characterization of product standards.

[0072] Each test person was provided with a test form containing descriptive terms for bitterness. The pine nuts were blindly and randomly presented to 10 subjects (non-smokers) between 25 and 55 years of age blindly and randomly presented for tasting. The bitterness of the pine nuts had to be rated on a scale of 0 to 5, where 0 represented not bitter and 5 very bitter. In order to quantify the influence of sugar content and storage time on pine nut quality, the bitterness of pine nuts was evaluated sensory after being stored under the conditions I to XII, as shown in Table 3.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Summary of storage conditions for the evaluation of the of pine nut bitterness. Sucrose Storage concentration Condition time (wt %) I 2 weeks 0 II 4 weeks III 3 months IV 2 weeks 2 V 4 weeks VI 3 months VII 2 weeks 10 VIII 4 weeks IX 3 months X 2 weeks 40 XI 4 weeks XII 3 months

[0073] In this experiment, participants each tasted 12 different samples with a minimum of 60 s (controlled by timed delays enforced via software) between sample sets, and participants were instructed to rinse with water between each sample. Additionally, all participants were informed of the large number of samples to be tasted and instructed to only taste 1 spoonful (approximately 4 g) of each.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Sensory evaluation (0-5) of the bitterness of the conditions (I to XII) from the individual test persons (P1 to P10), mean values. Mean Condition bitterness I 0 II 0 III 0 IV 0.2 V 0.5 VI 0.7 VII 2.1 VIII 3.2 IX 4.5 X 3.1 XI 4.8 XII 4.9

[0074] As shown in Table 4, the bitterness of pine nuts after storage in 0 wt % and 8 wt % sugar solutions for 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and three months (Conditions I-III) was rated by all 10 subjects with 0, i.e., the lowest level of bitterness (scale 0 to 5). Conditions VII-XII, which all were characterized by sugar concentrations of 10 wt % and 40 wt %, were perceived as more bitter than compositions IV to VI.

Example 3: Influence of Pine Nut Size and Sugar Concentration on Surface Color

[0075] Aqueous solutions of four sucrose concentrations (0, 2, 20, and 40 wt %) were prepared in an amount of 1 liter each. Cleaned and washed pine nuts were cut into pieces by using a knife to achieve medium pine nut sizes of 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, and 4 mm. Samples (50 g) of each pine nut size were added to respective sugar concentrations and stored securely for four weeks at a temperature 20-23 C., and at max. 70% humidity in an area free of odors and infestation.

[0076] To measure the decoloration, pine nuts were collected, rinsed with water for 60 seconds, dried at room temperature for one hour, and the lightness value L* was measured as an indicator of the surface color using a Minolta Chroma Meter (CR-200 reflectance colorimeter, Minolta, Japan). The instrument is a tristimulus colorimeter that measures color indices specified by the Commission International de l'Esclairage (CIE). The lightness value L* ranges from 0 to 100, whereas black is defined at 0 and white at 100.

[0077] The lightness value of each sample was measured directly before adding the pine nuts to the aqueous solution as control values. From a sample of 10 pine nuts of each condition, the parameter of lightness values (sample and control,), were determined. The samples are summarized in Table 1. The change in color was calculated as difference (%) between the lightness values of the samples stored at respective conditions and the lightness values of the control.

[0078] The results indicated that pine nuts tend to get darker as the sugar content and the medium pine nut size increase. Smaller pine nut pieces with a size of 0.5 mm showed only slight differences in surface color with increasing concentrations compared to control. In addition, pine nuts stored in 2 wt % sucrose solution showed very low decoloration among all sizes, wherein a size-dependent correlation at higher sucrose concentrations (10 wt % and 40 wt %) was observed (see Table 5).

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Color difference of Luminosity (L*) of pine nuts stored under different conditions. Color difference (% relative to Condition control) A 0.1 B 0.2 C 0.1 D 0.2 E 0.4 F 0.7 G 0.6 H 0.9 I 1.8 J 2.9 K 3.4 L 4.0 M 1.7 N 4.2 O 4.8 P 5.2

Example 4: Influence of Pine Nut Weight Ratio on Pine Nut Flavor

[0079] Four chocolate preparations comprising chocolate (20 wt % cocoa butter, 80 wt % cocoa powder, and 30 wt % maltitol) with different pine nut (Pinus pinea) weight ratios (1, 4, 5, and 10 wt % pine nuts on the total composition was added to the chocolate) were prepared. The pine nuts had a size of approximately 1 to 3 mm. The chocolate preparations were cut into fragments having a weight of 30 g each. In Table 6 the different chocolate preparations are summarized.

TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Summary of storage conditions for the evaluation of the of pine nut flavor. Pine nut weight Condition ratio (wt %) i 1 ii 4 iii 5 iv 10

[0080] The taste threshold concentration of the pine nuts in the respective chocolate preparations was tested using a duo-trio test according to DIN EN ISO 10399:2010-06. The duo-trio test is used to detect product differences that may result from ingredient variations. The test persons were asked to indicate the chocolate fragments that is identical to a given reference sample. The reference sample were pure pine nuts (Pinus pinea) without any other ingredients.

[0081] Each test person was provided with a test form and had to select one sample which tastes the same as the reference. Before the test persons were provided with the test samples, the persons were asked to eat one spoon (30 g) of the reference sample to memorize the flavor of the reference. The chocolate fragments comprising different pine nut weight ratios were blindly and randomly presented to 10 test persons (non-smokers) between 25 and 55 years of age blindly and randomly presented for tasting. The test persons were required to eat the entire 30 g of each sample at once. No re-tasting was allowed. All 4 samples were served in white disposable plastic plates at the same time to the test persons but order of serving changed from one subject to another. Water was provided for test persons to rinse their mouth with in-between tasting of samples.

[0082] The results in Table 7 show that a significant pine nut flavor was perceived by the test persons starting at a pine nut weight ratio of 4 wt % (8 out of 10; see condition ii) in contrast to 1 wt % (2 out of 10; see condition i). The results indicate that a pine nut concentration of at least 4 wt % is needed to achieve a satisfactory pine nut flavor.

TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Sensory evaluation (number of correct responses) of pine nuts flavor of the conditions (i to iv) in relation to the reference sample. Number of correct responses Condition (X out of 10) i 2 ii 8 iii 9 iv 10