AU2009214832B2 - Improved solid honey composition and process of manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract This invention relates to new and improved forms of solid honey compositions, and processes for manufacturing same, which can be packaged in a form suited to consumer needs, such as individually wrapped slices/portions or shapes for application to sandwiches or rolls, as biscuits, snack packs, rollups, energy sticks, lollies, as a sweetener in hot and cold drinks, or as an ingredient in cooking and baking applications.

Description

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 1 IMPROVED SOLID HONEY COMPOSITION AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to new and improved forms of solid honey 5 compositions, and processes for manufacturing same, which can be packaged in a form suited to consumer needs, such as individually wrapped slices/portions or shapes for application to sandwiches or rolls, as biscuits, snack packs, rollups, energy sticks, lollies, as a sweetener in hot and cold drinks, or as an ingredient in cooking and baking applications. 10 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to be understood in light of what has previously been done in the field. However, the following discussion is not an acknowledgement or an admission that any of the material referred to was published, used or part of the common knowledge of the skilled person as at the 15 priority date of the application. It is known that any food compositions containing significant amounts of honey are generally runny, sticky and messy to spread on, for example, sandwiches, muffins and crumpets. Moreover, food compositions such as peanut butter, chocolate spreads, jams/jellies, mustards, sauces and mayonnaise can 20 also be generally difficult to apply to spread. Such compositions usually soak into the bread product causing the product to lose its texture and become soggy even after two to three hours. Previous attempts at producing solid honey compositions have entailed too many complex manufacturing steps and/or the composition is too difficult to 25 stabilise for a period of time to enable it to be delivered for sale in an acceptable state. According to Japanese patent application no. 59-217596 (Hyogo Kounou KK and Fukunami Mutsuo) liquid honey is formed into a more solid composition by the addition of a gelling agent such as carrageenin or pectin, whereby the 30 gelling agent is dissolved in hot water and mixed with pure honey heated at > 600C. The mixture is then heated at 700C to 100 C for 10 minutes and allowed to cool.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 2 A disadvantage of this method is that, when honey is heated above about 450C, enzymes are destroyed and Hydroxymethylfurfural (commonly referred to as HMF) is produced rapidly, both of which cause deterioration of the flavour and colour of the honey. Moreover, solidified honey compositions such as this are 5 sticky and not easy to handle. According to US patent no. 4,973,491, a sliceable crystallised honey composition can be produced which contains 75% to 90% w/w honey and 10% to 25% finely ground oil - rich nut products, preferably in the form of nut flour or nut meal. Such composition is formed using a modification of the Dyce method (US 10 1,987,893; 1931), whereby honey with a particular glucose fraction and moisture level is pasteurised at 800C for 7.5 minutes and cooled to 350C. Thereafter, nut products are added to the warm honey and the moisture level of the honey and nut products mixture is adjusted to about 18% w/w of the mixture. The honey and nut products are then mixed until the particles are evenly distributed and the 15 mixture is cooled to about 24 0 C. Seed honey is then blended with the honey and nut product mixture while retaining the moisture content at about 18%, poured into moulds, and the resulting composition held at 120C to 130C for 12 to 14 days to set the honey composition. The honey composition can be spread. This known process requires several steps, including heating the honey, monitoring 20 the moisture level, and a seeding step to promote crystallization and setting of the honey composition into a block. Solidified honey compositions that are cut with a hot wire become sticky and are not easy to handle, and tend to be packaged in a jar. More importantly, when honey is heated above about 450C enzymes are destroyed and Hydroxymethylfurfural (commonly referred to as HMF) is produced 25 rapidly, both of which contribute to deterioration in the flavour and colour of the honey. US patent no. 6,759,069 describes a combination food condiment slice comprising a plurality of distinct condiment sections, for use with sandwiches and the like. Each of the one or more selected condiments are individually formed 30 into separate sections which are combined with another section to form the food condiment slice. The sections may be face-fused, side-fused, face-fused-side fused, woven or chopped to form a mixed condiment slice.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 3 Formation of the fused combination condiment slices can be achieved by several methods, each involving the production of separate condiment sheets which are fused together either by heating, an edible bonding layer, or cut into strips and woven together. Each of these processes is complex and time 5 consuming and requires the manufacture of individual component portions. It is thus an object of the invention to provide a new and simple process to produce solid honey compositions which are improved over the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a process for 10 the production of a solid honey composition, comprising: a) adding food oil, one or more foodstuffs as additional flavouring or texture and/or a setting agent, to whipped and aerated honey to provide an intermediate composition; b) mixing said intermediate composition to form a homogeneous 15 composition, and; c) setting the homogeneous composition. The present invention provides a simple energy-efficient process which can produce new compositions of honey that can be rolled, moulded, extruded or shaped into consumer products which have a firm, non-sticky, non-adhesive 20 quality. Moreover, the inventive process can be used to homogeneously combine honey with other food compositions such as peanut butter, chocolate spread, fruit jam/jelly, etc., to manufacture new compositions that can be rolled, moulded, extruded or shaped into consumer products which have a firm, non-sticky, non adhesive quality. 25 In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a process according to the above, wherein said whipped and aerated honey is produced in a first preliminary step. Preferably, in said first preliminary step, the honey is whipped and aerated sufficiently to produce a composition having uniformly distributed air bubbles and 30 a creamy texture. Said whipping and aerating of the honey is preferably performed at room temperature.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 4 Preferably said whipping and aerating of the honey is performed by a system of rotors or paddles and, optionally, one or more aeration pumps. According to the invention, both step a) and/or step b) are preferably performed at room temperature. 5 Preferably, step c) is performed at or below room temperature, more preferably at about 60C. When a setting agent is used, setting of the composition may preferably occur by pouring said homogeneous composition of step b) into setting moulds or sheets, and cooling said composition at about 60C for about 48 hours depending 10 on the content of the composition. In the process when a setting agent is not used, setting of the composition may preferably occur by pouring said homogeneous composition of step b) into setting moulds or sheets, and cooling said composition at about 60C for 10 or more days or, alternatively, at about 60C for 48 hours and then storing the 15 composition at 12-160C for 5 or more days, depending on the particular mix or blend of the composition and the refrigeration requirements. If the solid honey composition comprises honey and relatively runny foodstuffs such as fruit jam/jelly, mustard or a sauce, a setting agent is used and the setting time may be extended for a number of days. In one preferred 20 embodiment of the invention setting may be performed at 60C for a period in the order of 10 or more days, more preferably 10 to 20 days. Alternatively, in the process when food oil is provided in the form of a foodstuff containing sufficient constituent oil, and a setting agent is not required, setting of the composition preferably occurs by chilling said homogeneous 25 composition of step b) to about 60C, rolling and moulding said composition as desired and then storing at about 60C for 10 or more days depending on the particular mix or blend of the composition. In the compositions of the invention, honey is preferably present in the amount of 30-80% w/w of the final solid honey composition. More preferably the 30 honey content is between 30-70% w/w. Preferably, the honey used according to the invention is one which candies or sets.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 5 The food oil may be provided in the form of an oil product, such as grape seed oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, olive oil or a vegetable oil. Depending on the amount required to act as a releasing agent for individually wrapped product, and to make the composition more rollable and malleable, 5 preferably about 4-20% w/w food oil, more preferably about 4-12%, is used in the process of the invention. In an alternative embodiment of the invention the food oil is provided in the form of a foodstuff having an acceptable level of constituent oil to act as a releasing agent. Preferably, the food oil is provided by one or more of the 10 optional foodstuffs of step a) and an oil product is not required. Peanut butter, hazelnut chocolate spread, and nut-free chocolate spread are examples of foodstuffs having constituent oil. In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the food oil may be provided by a combination of oil product and a foodstuff having constituent oil. 15 According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a solid honey composition comprising an homogeneous mixture of: a) 30% to 80% w/w honey; b) 4% to 20% w/w food oil, provided by an oil product and/or a foodstuff having constituent oil, and; 20 c) a setting agent if necessary. One or more foodstuffs may be further included to provide additional flavouring and/or texture to the honey composition. In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the honey content is from 30 to 70% w/w and the food oil content is from 4 to 12 % w/w. 25 According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a solid honey composition comprising a homogeneous mixture of: a) 50% to 70% w/w honey; b) 10% to 20% w/w food oil product, and; c) a setting agent. 30 One or more foodstuffs may be further included to provide additional flavouring and/or texture to the honey composition. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the honey is a type which candies or sets.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 6 In another preferred embodiment of the invention the food oil is provided in the form of an oil product and/or a foodstuff having a suitable level of constituent oil. If the food oil is provided in the form of an oil product, preferably it is selected from the group comprising grape seed oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower oil, canola 5 oil, olive oil, or a vegetable oil. More preferably the oil product is grape seed oil due to its benign taste profile. If the food oil is provided by way of a foodstuff having constituent oil, preferably the foodstuff is selected from the group consisting of peanut butter, hazelnut chocolate spread, or nut-free chocolate spread. 10 According to the invention the setting agent may be selected from the group comprising gelatine, pectin, agar agar, carrageenan, vegetable gum, and starch. More preferably the setting agent is gelatine. Preferably the amount of setting agent used is in the range of 1-15% w/w, more preferably 1-10% w/w. According to the invention the one or more foodstuffs may be selected 15 from the group consisting of peanut butter, fruit jam/jelly, chocolate, lemon butter, fruit, nuts, fruit and nut chocolate, hazelnut chocolate spread, nut free chocolate spread, low fat chocolate, food flavouring such as raspberry flavouring, mustards, sauces and mayonnaise, or the like. Foodstuffs such as fruit flavouring may assist setting of the honey composition, particularly when the honey content is more 20 than about 60% w/w and foodstuffs such as peanut butter, chocolate or the like are not desired. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a solid honey composition produced by a process comprising: a) adding food oil, one or more foodstuffs as additional flavouring or 25 texture and/or a setting agent, to whipped and aerated honey to provide an intermediate composition; b) mixing said intermediate composition to form a homogeneous composition, and; c) setting the homogeneous composition. 30 According to another alternative embodiment of the invention, there is provided a solid honey composition produced by a process comprising: a) whipping and aerating honey; WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 7 b) adding food oil, one or more foodstuffs as additional flavouring or texture and/or a setting agent, to the whipped and aerated honey to provide an intermediate composition; c) mixing said intermediate composition to form a homogeneous 5 composition, and; d) setting the homogeneous composition. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1: Process to produce a solid honey composition comprising honey and one or more other foodstuffs containing inherent oil (such as peanut butter, or 10 chocolate spread, nut free spread etc.), without setting agent. Figure 2: Process to produce a solid honey composition comprising honey, food oil, and one or more other foodstuffs (such as fruit jam/jelly, lemon butter, mustard, mayonnaise), and a setting agent. Figure 3: Process to produce a solid honey composition comprising 15 honey, food oil product, and a setting agent. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a relatively simple process of manufacturing solid honey compositions which are easy and convenient to handle for the consumer and which are physically stable. 20 One form of solid honey composition according to the invention can be packaged into individual slices between plastic sheets, similar in form to the well known cheese slices, another form can be manufactured into confectionary similar in consistency to jelly lollies such as Allen's jelly lollies (NESTLE Australia; www.nestle.com.au), and a further form may be used as a filling by being 25 encased in, for example, a chocolate coating. The honey composition of the present invention may include other foodstuffs as ingredients such as fruit jam/jelly, fruit and nut chocolate, chocolate, low fat chocolate, lemon butter, fruit, peanut butter, nuts, hazelnut chocolate spread, nut-free chocolate spread, food flavouring such as raspberry flavouring, mustards, sauces and mayonnaise, or 30 combinations thereof uniformly mixed throughout to form a honey composition mix or blend.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 8 Process for producing solid honey compositions For the purposes of the present invention it is not important whether the whipped and aerated honey has been previously produced, or is a commercially sourced product, and added to the composition as an ingredient in step a), or 5 whether it is generated within the inventive process by a step prior to step a) and then used. It is important that the whipping and aerating of the honey has been vigorous enough to result in a uniform distribution of tiny air (or other suitable inert gas) bubbles throughout the honey, resulting in the honey having a creamy or 10 custard-like texture. Solid honey compositions made using the whipped and aerated honey have superior organoleptic qualities and a drier, less "oily", feel than compositions made with natural honey that has not been whipped and aerated. Moreover, compositions made using the whipped and aerated honey tend to set more easily thereby reducing the need for a setting agent. Further, if 15 the honey has not been aerated certain combinations of ingredients become very difficult to set even if a setting agent is used. Without being bound by theory, it appears that at least part of the reason why the solid honey composition can be formed into individual slices or portions/shapes, that are non-sticky and release from plastic wrapping, is 20 because when the food oil is mixed through the whipped/aerated honey it partitions evenly, becoming associated with the minute air bubbles in the honey. The oil therefore does not separate from the solid honey composition and remains sufficiently dispersed to allow the composition to have a relatively non sticky, non-adhesive, rollable, malleable character. The uniformly distributed air 25 bubbles contribute to a less dense product and may also influence setting. The whipping and aerating step could be performed in an open or closed vessel, depending on the needs and scale of production, by a system of rotors or paddles and, optionally, one or more aeration pumps. Whipped, aerated honey could be produced in batches or continuously on an industrial scale in a closed 30 vessel as known in the art. An apparatus which may be suitable for the continuous commercial production of whipped/aerated honey has been described in US Patent No. 4,004,040, incorporated herein by reference. According to US Patent No. 4,004,040, un-pasteurised natural honey, in liquefied form, is WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 9 introduced into a closed chamber and the honey is agitated and sheared for sufficient time to incorporate and uniformly distribute bubbles of gas throughout the honey. Whereas US Patent No. 4,004,040 describes introducing gas under pressure into the vessel during whipping, the process of the present invention 5 may not necessarily require aeration by gas pressure. During the whipping and aerating step, the crystals in the honey are broken down or sheared to give the honey the appearance and texture of a creamy custard-like substance. If the honey crystals are not broken down they can impart a gritty mouth feel particularly when mixed with a smooth foodstuff, 10 such as chocolate spread. As more air is incorporated into the honey the lighter or fluffier the whipped honey becomes. The organoleptic and other qualities of products made according to the invention will vary to some extent on the level of aeration of the whipped honey and the nature of the particular ingredients. For example, the qualities of a honey and peanut butter composition may benefit 15 more with higher air content in the whipped honey than would the qualities of a honey and fruit jam/jelly composition. The process of whipping and aerating the honey may be performed at room temperature. Use of room temperature has advantages in that it simplifies the process. Avoidance of the use of moderate to high temperatures reduces the 20 likelihood that the honey will deteriorate in quality during processing such as by the destruction of enzymes and the production of HMF. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, whipping and aerating the honey is performed at room temperature. It is preferred in the process of the invention to use a blend of honey that 25 candies or sets. An example of such a blend is known in the art as creamed honey. The more a honey is susceptible to crystallization the better it is suited to the present invention. It may be necessary to remove any unwanted particles, such as bees' wax, from the honey prior to whipping and aerating it. This can be achieved by heating the honey, preferably to not greater than 450C, and by 30 known floatation and filtering methods. These honey blends can then be selected for particular flavour specifications, crystallisation properties, and aromas. Natural honey is clear or opaque and ranges from straw coloured to golden brown. As the whipping and aerating step proceeds, the colour and appearance WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 10 starts to change until completion when the honey is cream to white in colour and takes on a creamy or custard-like texture. In another preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a process to produce a solid honey composition according to the invention, wherein 5 honey in the amount of 30-80% w/w of the final solid honey composition is used. More preferably the honey content is between 30-70% w/w. Preferably a honey slice without other solid foodstuffs will comprise 50-70% w/w honey, food oil product and a setting agent. The amount of honey that is suitable for use according to the process of 10 the invention will depend on the nature of the solid honey composition and the taste profile desired. If additional foodstuffs are used as ingredients, the amount of honey required may be as low as 30%. Such an example may be when equal portions of honey, peanut butter, and Nutella@ (a commercially available hazelnut/chocolate spread; Ferrero Australia Pty Ltd) are combined in the 15 inventive process to manufacture an individually wrapped solid honey blend slice. The amount of honey used according to the invention may be as high as 80%, for example if a honey slice comprises honey, food oil product, and a setting agent. Alternatively, honey, food oil and relatively higher levels of setting agent may be combined in the inventive process to produce confectionary in the form of 'jelly 20 lollies', commonly packaged on a commercial scale for consumers in novelty shapes such as animals (dinosaurs, snakes), fruit, and 'jelly babies'. As an alternative to whipping and aerating the honey and immediately proceeding through the process to produce a solid honey composition, the whipped and aerated honey produced in a preliminary step may be chilled to 60C 25 for 48 hours and then stored at 120C to 160C until required, afterwards adding further ingredients to it to form an intermediate composition. In step a) of the process, the other ingredients, including the food oil, optionally one or more foodstuffs as additional flavouring or texture, and a setting agent if necessary, are then added to comprise an intermediate composition. 30 The food oil may be provided in the form of an oil product and/or a foodstuff having an acceptable level of constituent oil to act as a releasing agent. The oil may also render the honey composition more rollable and malleable and thereby easier to shape into the desired product form.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 11 The food oil may be provided in the form of an oil product, such as grape seed oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, olive oil, or a vegetable oil. It would be understood by a person skilled in the art that, for the purposes of the invention, other oil products or equivalent fats, such as butter fat, may equally 5 perform the role of the oil product in the examples hereinbefore described and are within the intended scope of the invention. For example, butterfat could be used as an oil substitute for the manufacture of a mustard and honey slice according to the invention. The particular oil used may depend on its taste profile, as some oils have a stronger flavour than others and may influence the taste of the final 10 product. Grape seed oil has a very benign or mild flavour and is therefore a preferred choice for the present invention. Depending on the amount required to act as a releasing agent for individually wrapped product preferably about 4-20% w/w food oil, more preferably about 4-12% w/w, is used in the process of the invention. 15 In an alternative embodiment of the invention the food oil is provided in the form of a foodstuff having an acceptable level of constituent oil to act as a releasing agent and impart a more malleable character to the product. The oil allows easy removal of wrapping from the product, such as when the product is packaged as individual slices but does not give the product an oily feel. 20 Preferably, the food oil is provided by one or more of the optional foodstuffs of step a) and an oil product is not required. Peanut butter, hazelnut chocolate spread, and nut-free chocolate spread are examples of foodstuffs having an acceptable level of constituent oil to provide about 4-12% w/w food oil in the honey composition. 25 Preferably the food oil in the honey composition is nut-free, as an advantage of using nut-free food oil is that persons with an allergy to nut products are able to consume the solid honey composition without fear of an adverse reaction. Another advantage would be to use oil containing omega 3 fatty acids for the inherent health benefits. 30 It would be understood that fats, such as butter fat, may substitute for oil providing they impart the same qualities to the composition as hereinbefore described.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 12 In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the food oil may be provided by a combination of oil product and a foodstuff having constituent oil. One or more foodstuffs may be included in the process of the invention as additional flavouring and/or texture elements either as single ingredients or in any 5 combination. Preferably the one or more foodstuffs are selected from the group consisting of peanut butter, jam, chocolate, lemon butter, fruit/jam, fruit and nut chocolate, hazelnut chocolate spread, nut-free chocolate spread, low fat chocolate, food flavouring such as raspberry flavouring, mustards, sauces and mayonnaise, or the like. Foodstuffs such as fruit flavouring may assist setting of 10 the honey composition even when a setting agent is used, particularly when the honey content is more than about 60% w/w and solid foodstuffs such as peanut butter, chocolate or the like are not desired. The addition of foodstuffs to the whipped/aerated honey allows for the production of solid honey compositions which can be formed into a number of 15 different products, including individually wrapped slices for sandwiches, health bars, and confectionary, depending on the taste profile of the foodstuff and desired form for the consumer. In some combinations of honey and foodstuff according to the invention, the taste of the honey is not noticeable due to the dominance of the flavour of the foodstuff. 20 Depending on how the solid honey composition is made, and its final physical form, a setting agent such as gelatine, pectin, agar agar, carrageenan, starch, or vegetable gum may be used to promote the formation of the solid honey composition. For example, a honey and fruit jam/jelly composition may require a setting agent such as gelatine to allow formation of a solid composition 25 which can be packaged according to consumer need such as individually wrapped slices, portions, shapes and other products including jelly lollies. The amount of gelatine used will generally be in the range of 1% - 15% w/w depending on the particular application. A solid honey composition comprising honey and a foodstuff having a flavouring role and packaged in a jar or the like, 30 may require setting with a setting agent at between 1% - 6% w/w. When other foodstuffs are blended into the honey composition, less setting agent may be necessary to form a solid composition. If high levels of a setting agent are used, such as about 8% - 15% w/w, the solid honey composition will form a rubbery WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 13 consistency suitable for energy bars, and can be formed into various jelly lolly shapes such as animals, fruits and the like. Alternatively, certain forms of the solid honey composition may be produced without a gelling/setting agent by modifying the temperatures at which 5 and duration of certain steps of the manufacturing process. For example, a combination of honey and a foodstuff such as nut-free chocolate spread will generally not require a setting agent and will more readily form a solid product upon exposure to cooler temperatures. In step b) of the process of the invention the intermediate composition is 10 then blended together until all ingredients are uniformly distributed to form a homogeneous composition. If foodstuffs such as peanut butter or chocolate spread are added as ingredients to the whipped aerated honey, they tend to bind to the honey and thicken the resulting homogeneous composition to be porridge-/paste-like. If a 15 more liquid foodstuff like fruit jam/jelly is added as an ingredient, the homogeneous composition will tend to be more fluid and less paste-like and, in this case, a setting agent may be required to assist setting of the composition. Step b) may take place at room temperature but can be performed at lower temperatures. 20 Step c) of the process of the present invention relates to setting of the solid honey composition. The requirements for setting the composition will depend on the nature of the composition, such as whether a setting agent and/or a particulate, more solid, foodstuff are used. In addition, honey which crystallizes more readily will shorten the setting time compared to a honey which crystallizes 25 more slowly. The temperature used for setting the composition will generally be about 60C for 48 hours and then at 12-160C for 5 or more days, although other temperatures could be used dependent on need which would affect the time required for setting. Setting time will generally be slower at higher temperatures. For example setting at a temperature of 120C will take longer than at 60C. 30 Generally, setting will occur within about 20 days. The length of time at which the composition is kept at 60C will depend to some extent on the composition ingredients. In the absence of a setting agent the setting time may be in the order of 48 hours, or may be extended beyond 48 WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 14 hours to more than 10 days, depending on the nature of the foodstuff added as an ingredient and whether it can contribute to setting of the composition. Foodstuffs which may obviate the need for a setting agent include, for example, peanut butter, hazelnut chocolate spread, and nut free chocolate 5 spread. Alternatively, in the process when food oil is provided in the form of a foodstuff containing sufficient inherent oil, and a setting agent is not required, setting of the composition may occur by chilling said homogeneous composition of step b) to about 60C, rolling and moulding said composition as desired and 10 then storing at about 60C for 10 or more days depending on the particular mix or blend of the composition. Setting may also be achieved at about 60C for 48 hours and then storing at 12-160C for 5 or more days. In an alternative embodiment, the honey composition is whipped and aerated vigorously to a creamy consistency, the other ingredients including the 15 food oil are then added, and the composition is then mixed until all ingredients form a uniformly consistent, homogeneous, mix. This process may take place at room temperature. The various mixes/blends may then be chilled to a temperature of approximately 60C and then rolled/moulded to a desired thickness, shape and size, individually wrapped, and then placed in a cool room at about 20 60C for about 10 or more days (or at about 60C for 48 hours and then at 12-160C for 5 or more days), depending on the mix, to allow the honey composition to set. In another preferred process of the invention, the honey composition is whipped and aerated vigorously to a creamy consistency, the other ingredients including the food oil are then added, and the composition is then mixed until all 25 ingredients form a uniform/homogeneous mix. This process may take place at room temperature. The various mixes/blends may then be poured at room temperature into suitable moulds or shaped so as to form individual wraps, slices/shapes or portions, or packaged according to consumer need such as in a jar as a spread. 30 If a setting agent is used, such as gelatine, the time required for setting may be about 48 hours, Gelatine or another suitable setting agent is added to the whipped/aerated honey in step a) after being solubilised. Solubilisation of the setting agent may be WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 15 achieved by dissolution in boiling water. Once the intermediate composition of step a) has been mixed in step b) to a uniform consistency it is then poured at room temperature into suitable moulds or shaped so as to form individual wraps, slices, shapes or portions. Compositions may then be placed in a cool room at 5 about 60C for about 48 hours, depending on the mix, to allow the honey product to set. If the solid honey composition comprises honey and relatively runny foodstuffs such as fruit jam/jelly, mustard or a sauce, a setting agent is used and the setting time may be extended for a number of days. In one preferred 10 embodiment of the invention setting may be performed at 60C for a period in the order of 10 or more days, more preferably 10 to 20 days. If an additional foodstuff is included, such as peanut butter, which is naturally thicker and assists setting, a honey, jam, peanut butter combination will require less time (perhaps less than 10 days) to set than a honey/jam combination. 15 Some compositions require refrigeration until use or after opening, whereas others may be stored at room temperature. For example, a honey and peanut butter blend can be stored at room temperature, whereas a honey and lemon butter blend must be refrigerated due to the perishability of the lemon butter. 20 If a solid honey composition is to be formed into an individually wrapped slice the homogeneous composition from step b) is packaged by pouring it onto a flat surface (or into a shallow tray), onto which has been placed a sheet of releasable plastic wrapping, then placing a second sheet of wrapping onto the upper surface of the composition and flattening the composition to the desired 25 thickness with a roller. The composition is then cooled to set at 60C. A solid honey slice made according to the invention may be wrapped using a commercial scale machine known as a'flow wrapper'. Solid honey compositions The present invention includes solid honey compositions made according 30 to the hereinbefore described inventive process, and is not to be limited by the particular examples shown. The honey content may range between 30% to 80% w/w depending on the taste profile required, although a range between 30% to 70% w/w will be suitable WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 16 for most products according to the invention. The blend or type of honey is preferably one which candies or sets. The greater the propensity for a honey to crystallize, the more rapidly it will set when used in the process of the invention. The honey may also be selected for a taste profile to suit the required flavour 5 specifications of the solid honey composition. The food oil may range between about 4% to 20% w/w in most mixes, depending on the level required to act as a releasing agent (and also make the composition rollable and malleable) when the composition is packed as individually wrapped slices/portions and shapes. In the latter case, the food oil 10 may be added to the honey composition or be provided by one or more natural oil-containing foodstuffs included in the honey composition. The level of natural oil in the added foodstuff may be such that no further oil is required. Peanut butter, nut free chocolate spread, and hazelnut chocolate spread are examples of foodstuffs which generally have high enough oil content to provide about 4% to 15 12% w/w food oil in the honey composition. If further oil is required to be added to the honey composition, any suitable food grade oil may be used. Fats, such as butter fat, may substitute for oil providing they impart the same qualities to the composition as hereinbefore described. 20 According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a solid honey composition comprising an homogeneous mixture of: a) 30% to 80% w/w honey; b) 4% to 20% w/w food oil, provided by an oil product and/or a foodstuff having constituent oil, and; 25 c) a setting agent if necessary. One or more foodstuffs may be further included to provide additional flavouring and/or texture to the honey composition. In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the honey content is from 30 to 70% w/w and the food oil content is from 4 to 12 % w/w. 30 According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a solid honey composition comprising a homogeneous mixture of: a) 50% to 70% w/w honey; b) 10% to 20% w/w food oil product, and; WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 17 c) a setting agent. One or more foodstuffs may be further included to provide additional flavouring and/or texture to the honey composition. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a 5 solid honey composition produced by a process comprising: a) adding food oil, one or more foodstuffs as additional flavouring or texture and/or a setting agent, to whipped and aerated honey to provide an intermediate composition; b) mixing said intermediate composition to form a homogeneous 10 composition, and; c) setting the homogeneous composition. According to another alternative embodiment of the invention, there is provided a solid honey composition produced by a process comprising: a) whipping and aerating honey; 15 b) adding food oil, one or more foodstuffs as additional flavouring or texture and/or a setting agent, to the whipped and aerated honey to provide an intermediate composition; c) mixing said intermediate composition to form a homogeneous composition, and; 20 d) setting the homogeneous composition. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the additional foodstuffs added for flavour and/or texture may include any suitable food ingredients such as commercially available peanut butter, fruit, fruit jam/jelly, fruit and nut chocolate, hazelnut chocolate spread, lemon butter, peanut butter with fruit/jam 25 combination, low fat chocolate, mustards, sauces, mayonnaise or other suitable foodstuffs, either as single ingredients or in any combination with each other. In another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a solid honey composition comprising a homogeneous mixture of: a) 30% to 80% w/w honey; 30 b) 4% to 20% w/w food oil, provided by an oil product and/or a foodstuff with inherent oil, and optionally; c) one or more foodstuffs as additional flavouring and/or texture, and; d) a setting agent if necessary, WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 18 packaged according to consumer need such as individually wrapped slices/portions or shapes for application to sandwiches or rolls, as biscuits, snack packs, rollups, energy sticks, lollies, as a sweetener in hot and cold drinks, or as an ingredient in cooking and baking applications. 5 In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a solid honey composition comprising a homogeneous mixture of: a) 50% to 70% w/w honey; b) 4% to 12% w/w food oil, provided by an oil product and/or a foodstuff with inherent oil and, optionally; 10 c) one or more foodstuffs as additional flavouring and/or texture, and; d) a setting agent packaged according to consumer need such as individually wrapped slices/portions or shapes for application to sandwiches or rolls, as biscuits, snack packs, rollups, energy sticks, lollies, as a sweetener in hot and cold drinks, or as 15 an ingredient in cooking and baking applications. EXAMPLES Example 1: Process to produce a solid honey and peanut butter slice without setting agent. 70 grams of a honey blend with crystallization properties is whipped and 20 aerated at room temperature with an electric mixer for approximately 4 minutes until the composition has a creamy consistency and air bubbles are distributed uniformly throughout. Seventy grams of peanut butter, at room temperature, is then added and this so-called intermediate composition is mixed (at room temperature) into a homogeneous porridge/paste-like mix for approximately 5 25 minutes. The honey and peanut butter blend is then packaged by pouring onto a flat surface, onto which has been placed a sheet of releasable plastic wrapping, then placing a second sheet of wrapping onto the upper surface of the composition and flattening the composition to the desired thickness with a roller. The 30 composition is then cooled to set at 60C for 15 days and then stored as individually wrapped slices.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 19 Ingredients: honey (50% w/w); peanut butter (50% w/w). Peanut butter contains about 15% w/w constituent food oil, therefore the food oil content in the composition is 8% w/w. A flow chart of the process is shown in Figure 1. Alternatively, the whipped and aerated honey can be chilled to 60C for 48 5 hours and then stored at 140C for 15 days prior to when the mixing of the intermediate composition takes place. The above-described composition is easily packaged into convenient individually wrapped slices for application to sandwiches or bread rolls, but can be used in other applications. 10 Example 2: Process to produce a solid honey and fruit jam/jelly slice with a setting agent. Seventy grams of a honey blend with crystallization properties is whipped and aerated at room temperature with an electric mixer for approximately 4 minutes until the composition has a creamy consistency and air bubbles are 15 distributed uniformly throughout. Four grams of gelatine is solubilised in 70 grams of fruit jam/jelly (jam/jelly can be made consisting of 100 g fruit cooked without sugar or water to desired consistency; or a commercially available jam, such as a reduced sugar Weight Watchers brand, could be used) at boiling point, cooled to around room temperature, and added with grape seed oil (6 ml) to the whipped 20 honey. This so-called intermediate composition is cooled to room temperature and then mixed (at room temperature) into a homogeneous thick fluid-like mix for approximately 5 minutes. The honey and jam/jelly mix/blend is then packaged by pouring it into a shallow tray, into which has been placed a sheet of releasable plastic wrapping, 25 then placing a second sheet of wrapping onto the upper surface of the composition and flattening the composition to the desired thickness by gently rolling the homogeneous mix. The composition is set by cooling it at 60C for 15 days and then storing the composition until use. Ingredients: honey (47% w/w); jam (47% w/w); grape seed oil (4% w/w); 30 gelatine (3% w/w). Percentages are rounded to whole numbers. A flow chart of the process is shown in Figure 2. Depending on the particular foodstuff selected, preservatives may need to be added to the composition for long-term storage.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 20 Example 3: Process to produce a creamed honey slice. Seventy grams of a honey blend with crystallization properties is whipped and aerated at room temperature with an electric mixer for approximately 4 minutes until the composition has a creamy consistency and air bubbles 5 distributed uniformly throughout at room temperature. Grape seed oil (15 ml) and gelatine 5 grams dissolved in 20 ml water) are added to the whipped honey and the so-called intermediate composition is mixed thoroughly for 3 minutes at room temperature until paste-like. The composition is then shaped into sheets, packaged into individually 10 wrapped slices and cooled at 60 C for 10 days and then stored until use. In a variation of the setting method, the packaged slices were cooled at 60C for 48 hours and then stored at 140 Cfor 10 days. Ingredients: honey (62% w/w); grape seed oil (13% w/w); gelatine (4% w/w), water. Percentages are rounded to whole numbers. A flow chart of the 15 process is shown in Figure 3. Example 4: Process to Produce Creamed Honey Peanut Butter or Chocolate Spread Snakes/Shapes. Seventy grams of a honey blend with crystallization properties is whipped and aerated at room temperature with an electric mixer for approximately 4 20 minutes until the composition has a creamy consistency and air bubbles distributed uniformly throughout at room temperature. Seventy grams of peanut butter and gelatine (8 grams dissolved in 20 ml water) are added to the whipped honey and the so-called intermediate composition is mixed thoroughly for 3 minutes at room temperature until paste-like. 25 The composition is then shaped by pouring it into setting moulds and cooled at 60 C for 48 hours. The product has the 'rubbery', gummy texture of commercial confectionary known as jelly lollies. Ingredients: honey (42% w/w); peanut butter (42% w/w); gelatine (5% w/w), water. Peanut butter contains about 15% w/w inherent food oil, therefore 30 the food oil content in the composition is 6% w/w. Percentages are rounded to whole numbers. Chocolate spread could equally be used in place of the peanut butter in this example.

WO 2009/100497 PCT/AU2009/000169 21 Example 5: Process to Produce Raspberry-Flavoured Creamed Honey Jelly Snakes/Shapes Seventy grams of a honey blend with crystallization properties is whipped and aerated at room temperature with an electric mixer for approximately 4 5 minutes until the composition has a creamy consistency and air bubbles distributed uniformly throughout at room temperature. Grape seed oil (15 ml), raspberry flavouring concentrate ('Essential' brand; France) (1.2 ml), and gelatine (10 grams dissolved in 20 ml water) are added to the whipped honey and the so called intermediate composition is mixed thoroughly for 3 minutes at room 10 temperature until paste-like. The composition is then shaped by pouring it into setting moulds and cooled at 60C for48 hours. The product has the 'rubbery' texture of commercial confectionary known as jelly lollies. Ingredients: honey (60% w/w); flavouring (1% w/w); food oil (13% w/w); 15 gelatine (9% w/w), water. Percentages are rounded to whole numbers. Example 6: Process to Produce a Creamed Honey Jam/Jelly and Peanut Butter Slice. Seventy grams of a honey blend with crystallization properties is whipped and aerated at room temperature with an electric mixer for approximately 4 20 minutes until the composition has a creamy consistency and air bubbles distributed uniformly throughout at room temperature. Gelatine (2 grams dissolved in 5 ml water) is mixed into 70 grams raspberry fruit jam/jelly ('Weight Watchers' brand diet jam), which has been brought to boil, and stirred until dissolved. The jam (containing setting agent) and peanut butter (70 grams) are 25 added to the whipped honey and the so-called intermediate composition is mixed thoroughly for 3 minutes at room temperature until paste-like. The composition is then shaped into sheets, packaged into individually wrapped slices and cooled at 60C br 48 hours and stored at 140C for 8 days. Ingredients: honey (32% w/w); jam (32% w/w); peanut butter (32% w/w); 30 gelatine (1% w/w), water. Peanut butter contains about 15% w/w inherent food oil, therefore the food oil content in the composition is 5% w/w. Percentages are rounded to whole numbers.

22 The above-described examples may be scaled up for commercial application with known food production equipment. It will be appreciated that the present invention described herein is not to be limited to specific examples or features disclosed. 5 For example, persons skilled in the art would appreciate that other food substances with characteristics similar to honey, such as glucose, golden syrup, molasses or maple syrup, are suitable substitutes for honey in the present invention. The present invention provides new forms of solid honey compositions manufactured according to a simple yet inventive process, which are stable to the 10 point of sale, are convenient and easy for consumers to handle. Comprises/comprising and grammatical variations thereof when used in this specification are to be taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. 15

Claims (23)

1. A process for the production of a solid honey composition, comprising: a. adding food oil, one or more foodstuffs and/or a setting agent, to whipped and aerated honey to provide an intermediate composition; b. mixing said intermediate composition to form a homogeneous composition, and; c. setting said homogeneous composition.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said whipped and aerated honey is produced in a preliminary step.

3. A process according to claim 2, wherein honey is whipped and aerated sufficiently to produce a composition having uniformly distributed air bubbles and a creamy texture.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein said whipping and aerating occurs at room temperature.

5. A process according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said whipping and aerating is performed by a system of rotors or paddles and, optionally, one or more aeration pumps.

6. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein step a) and/or step b) is/are performed at room temperature.

7. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said setting is performed at or below room temperature. 24

8. A process according to claim 7 wherein said setting is performed at about 60C.

9. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said setting is achieved by the addition of a setting agent.

10. A process according any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said homogeneous composition is set by cooling said composition at about 60C for 48 hours.

11. A process according to claim 10, wherein said homogeneous composition is set by cooling said composition at about 60C for 48 hours and then at 12 to 160C for 5 or more days.

12. The process of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the honey content of said composition is between 30% to 80% w/w.

13. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said food oil is included in the form of an oil product, a foodstuff having constituent oil, or a combination of oil product and a foodstuff having constituent oil.

14. A process according to claim 13, wherein said food oil is provided in the form of an oil product selected from the group comprising grape seed oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil.

15. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said foodstuff contains constituent oil, and setting of the composition occurs by chilling said homogeneous composition of step b) to about 60C, rolling and moulding said composition as desired and then storing at about 60C for 10 or more days.

16. The process of claim 13, wherein the foodstuff is peanut butter, a nut containing chocolate spread such as hazelnut chocolate spread, or nut free chocolate spread.

17. A process according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein about 4-20% w/w food oil, more preferably about 4-12% w/w food oil, is used. 25

18. A solid honey composition comprising an homogeneous mixture of: a) 30% to 80% w/w honey; b) 4% to 20% w/w food oil, provided by an oil product and/or a foodstuff having constituent oil, and; c) a setting agent if necessary.

19. A solid honey composition according to claim 18, wherein the honey content is from 30 to 70% w/w and the food oil content is from 4 to 12% w/w.

20. A solid honey composition according to claim 18, comprising a homogeneous mixture of: a) 50% to 70% w/w honey; b) 10% to 20% w/w food oil product, and; c) a setting agent.

21. A solid honey composition according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein one or more foodstuffs are further included to provide additional flavouring and/or texture to the honey composition.

22. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 17 or a composition according to any one of claim 18 to 21, where in the setting agent is present in an amount of 1 to 15% w/w and is selected from the group consisting of gelatine, pectin, agar agar, carrageenan, vegetable gum, and starch.

23. A process according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the examples. CANEOAH INVESTMENTS PTY LTD WATERMARK PATENT & TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS P28121AUPC