AU658718B2

AU658718B2 - Colloidal roasted coffee as aromatizer

Info

Publication number: AU658718B2
Application number: AU33993/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jimbay Peter Loh; Jerome Francis Trumbetas
Original assignee: GEN FOODS Inc; Kraft General Foods Inc
Current assignee: Mondelez International Inc
Priority date: 1992-03-12
Filing date: 1993-03-04
Publication date: 1995-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 2013-03-04
Also published as: FI931069A; FI931069A0; EP0560609A1; AU3399393A; NZ247115A; CA2090169A1; NO930897D0; KR930019118A; NO930897L; JPH0638681A; CN1081829A

Description

11 -1- P/00/01i1 Regulation 3.2 Patents Act9958 1

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: COLLOIDAL ROASTED COFFEE AS

AROMATIZER

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*44 44 44 4 4444 4% 4 ii 44 .4 4 o .4 4*44 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: GH&CO REF: P21 207-BA:VNV:RK CASE 19718 COLLOIDAL ROASTED COFFEE AS AROMATIZER TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a coffee flavor and coffee aroma source of micromilled coffee. The product can be used to provide fresh-ground coffee flavor and aroma to coffee and coffee-flavored food products, such as ice cream, candy, chewing gum, fillings and the like. More particularly, the micromilled coffee flavor and aromatizer can be used to increase the coffee flavor and aroma of a soluble coffee beverage and to enhance the flavor and aroma of roasted and ground coffee. The product is stable, has excellent dispersion qualities, added body, smoothness, and a rounded taste and flavor comparable to fresh brewed coffee.

Additionally, the invention relates to methods of making the stable, micromilled coffee flavor and aromatizer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART It has been recognized by the prior art that finely ground coffee (5 to 20 microns in particle size) can be used to impart the aromatic and flavorful elements of roasted Sc. coffee to a soluble coffee beverage by incorporating or I aimixing 2 to 20%, preferably about 8 to 12% of the finely ground coffee in the soluble coffee. British Patent No.

2,006,503 to Morgan et al. is representative of this art.

The prior art admixtures have the drawback that regardless of how well mixed the products are, they result in j poor flowability and poor ease of spO.imng out. The above patent to Morgan et al. solves these problems by forming an agglomerated coffee. However, the agglomeration still does not solve the problem of the colloidal coffee settling out to 3 form a sediment in the bottom of the coffee cup. While some sediment may be a positive factor for certain applications, it is in most cases a consumer negative.

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-2- 1 U.S. Patent No. 4,594,257 to Leblanc et al. while not directed to aromatization shows the addition of 1% to colloidal coffee particles (5 to 25 microns, preferably 10 to microns) to soluble coffee which has been milled to a particle size of 30 to 75 microns. The colloidal coffee helps in forming an improved agglomerated coffee having a roasted and ground appearance.

U.S. Patent No. 4,594,258 to Vitti et al. shows the addition of about 0.01% to 1.0% of coffee oil (instead of colloidal coffee) to produce a similar improved agglomerate.

Still another negative feature of the finely ground c:K-fee particles of the prior art is their stability. The finely ground coffee particles while having a strong aroma and flavor initially, lose this quality very quickly when exposed to ambient conditions. Thus, unless protected from exposure to air, the flavor and aroma qualities of the small particles are lost.

A further negative of the prior art finely ground coffee is that the flavor and aroma intensity is such that at 20 least preferably about 10%, of the coffee must be used to provide a flavor and aroma improvement. Admixtures utilizing amounts less than 2% provide no perceptible improvement.

It is also recognized that if roasted coffee is dry ground (in air), especially in the case of no cooling, accelerated aroma loss and degradation are apparent. While wet-milling in water has been used, this has resulted in poor flavor, poor stability and poor dispersion qualities.

i Thus, it would be desirable to provide a micromilled coffee which has a stronger flavor and aroma than the prior art finely ground coffees used for this purpose.

It would also be desirable that such micromilled coffee have an increased stability over the prior art products.

wad/SPEC/8405.BPS 1 1 1 -3 Another desirable feature of the micromilled coffee is that it leaves no sediment in the coffee cup when the coffee beverage is consumed.

This invention is founded on the discovery that a stable, but potent coffee flavor and coffee aroma can be produced from dry, roasted and ground coffee beans having a moisture content of less than about 5% which are milled in an edible oil to give a particle size of between about 0.1 to about 20 microns in the ground beans.

According to one aspect of the invention there i,! pro, Lded a process for making a stable coffee flavor and aroma source from roasted coffee beans which comprises: making a slurry of dry roasted and ground beans with an edible oil, said slurry containing 5% to 70% ground roasted coffee and 95% to 30% of edible oil, said roasted and ground coffee having a moisture content less than about and milling the ground roasted coffee in the presence of said oil to a particle size of between 0.1 to 20 microns to thereby form a stable dispersion of said coffee in said oil.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a stable coffee flavor and aroma comprising a oo dispersion of 5% to 70% of dry roasted micromilled coffee 25 in 95% to 30% of an edible oil, said micromilled coffee 0 o* having a moisture content of less than about 5% and a 0°0 particle size of between 0.1 to 20 microns.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for aromatizing 30 soluble coffee powder which comprises: making a slurry of dry roasted and ground beans with coffee oil, said slurry containing from 5% to 70% ground 0 roasted coffee and 95% to 30% coffee oil, said dry roasted and ground coffee having a moisture content less than about 2%; milling said coffee in the presence of said oil to a particle size of between 0.1 to 10 microns to thereby form a stable dispersion of said coffee in said oil; and C 1 2 0 7 S:212078A

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1 3a admixing between 0.02% to 3.0% by weight of said dispersion with soluble coffee powder to obtain an aromatized soluble coffee.

According to a still further aspect of the invention there is provided a process for alomatizing roasted and ground coffee with a stable coffee flavor and aroma from dry roasted and ground coffee beans which comprises: making a slurry of the dry roasted and ground beans with coffee oil, said slurry containing from 5% to 70% of the dry roasted coffee, said dry roasted coffee having a moisture content of less than about 2%; milling the coffee in the presence of said oil to a particle size of between 0.1 to 10 microns to thereby form a stable dispersion of said coffee in said oil; and admixing between 0.002% to 1.5% by weight of said dispersion with roasted and ground coffee to obtain an aromatized roasted and ground coffee.

The whole beans are first roasted and then quenched in a manner which provides a moisture content in the roasted beans of less than about 5% moisture, preferably less than about 4% moisture, and most preferably less than about 2% moisture. The beans are then pre-ground (without addition of moisture) to a coarse particle size preferably a particle size of about 100 to 300 microns.

25 The dry ground beans are then slurried with an edible oil, such as coffee oil or vegetable oil, preferably at a level of about 5% to about 10% for the ground coffee and about 95% to about 90% for the oil. The ground coffe is then micromilled in the presence of the oil to 3educe the 30 particle size of the coffee to below 20 microns. The microparticles of coffee are dispersed uniformly throughout the oily liquid to give a dispersion which has superior properties over other aromatizers.

These properties include improved suspension stability (no sediment in the bottom of the coffee cup), a smooth mouthfeel and added body to the coffee beverage.

The aromatizer has a potent coffee flavor, taste and aroma which is comparable to freshly brewed roasted and 4 4 9S 4 C Ir a; P A l .1 ~S:21207BA I ci 7 3b cround coffee. Moreover, the flavor and aroma is unusually stable (over three months) when exposed to ambient conditions and does o a a,.

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S21207BA -4- 1 not lose its flavor or aroma qualities due to oxidation. Due to the potency of the aromatizer, effective aromatization of various foodstuffs can be achieved by simply incorporating about 0.002% to about 4.5% of the aromatizer based. on the weight of the foodstuff, soluble coffee, or roasted and ground coffee being aromatized. In the case of soluble coffee, about 0.02 to about 3.0% based on the weight of the soluble coffee is suitable. In the case of roasted and ground coffee, about 0.002 to about 1.5% is sufficient. This gives as low as about 0.0014% of roasted coffee aromatizer in the reconstituted instant coffee or brewed coffee beverage (in the cup).

The above process also produces a unique aromatizer which comprises the micromilled particles of roasted coffee at a moisture content of less than about 5% and a particle size of below about 20 microns dispersed in an edible oil.

All percentages recited in this specification and claims are by weight.

20 Whole coffee beans, preferably Colombians or other good quality coffee beans are first subjected to a conventional roasting operation. The roasting operation is then terminated by a quenching operation which either avoids the use of water or subsequently removes any water in the beans which would give a moisture content of above Preferably, the moisture content should be kept under about 2-4% and as close to 0% as possible. The roasted beans are then subjected to a coarse pre-grind. This may be accomplished by a conventional dry grind techniques known in the coffee art or by grinding roasted coffee in oil using a colloid or a tooth mill. This will give a coarse particle size of about 100 to 300 microns.

wad/SPEC/8405.BPS 1 1 According to the pres~ent invention, an edible oll ij. then added to the dry, ground roasted coffee to form a slurry of the oil and roasted ground coffee beans. The oil may be any suitable oil or lipid material capable of forming coating or "encapsulating" the roasted ground coffee during 4+-,he micro-milling step. The amount of oil added will vary scimewhat depending on the nature of the oil. coffee oil is the p~ref erred oil for this i4nvention but any vegetable oil which is stable to oxidative degradation can be used. corn oil, olive oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are suitable.

Typical.ly, about 30% of the selected oil is added to about ~1 70% of ground, dry coffee in forming the oil-coffee slurry.

However, as little as 30%, and as much as about 95%, of the oil can be used in forming a suitable slurry for wetmilling.

The oil slurry which can contain from about 5% to about 70% of the dry roasted and ground coffee can then be ~.wet-milled in appropriate wet milling apparatus such as a Dyno-Mill wet grinder. The Dyno-Mill is manufactured by Willy A. Bachofen AG and can be obtained in the United States through Glen Mills Inc., 203 Brookdale Street, Maywood, New Jersey 07607. The Dyno-Mill grinds the slurry of ground j roasted coffee in oil to an extremely fine particle size.

The finely ground particles are dispersed within the oil to give a homogenous paste. The slurry to be processed is pumped through a horizontal ch1amTbe'r containing ceramic (zirconium oxide) beads. at 1.7 to 2.0 mmn. Of course, glass or steel beads can also be used. An agitation shaft with rotor discs moves the beads at great speed impacting them millions of times against the process solids. The impact forces generated by this action reduce the ground roasted en,. coffee to between about 0.1 and about 20 microns with 75 to wad/SPEC/8405 .BPS -6- 1 80% of the coffee between about 2 and about 10 microns. This creates a uniform dispersion of the small particles in the oily paste. The oily dispersion or paste is discharged continuously while the beads are retained in the Dyno Mill by a "dynamic separator" which forms an adjustable gap that holds the ceramic beads in the machine while allowing the oil dispersion to exit.

The dispersion is characterized by the following particle size distribution for the roasted coffee microparticles which are dispersed in the dispersion.

Microns By Weight <2 _5-25% _80-95% >10<20 5-20% Typically, less than 20% of the particles are between 1.0 and 20 microns, less than 25% are between 0.1 and 2 microns, and at least 75% are between 2 and 10 microns.

20 While the above particle size distribution is effective to give the desired aromatization results of this invention, it is preferred that 100% of the coffee particles be reduced to a size of between about 0.1 and about microns, and preferably between about 0.1 and about microns. An average particle size of between about 2 microns to about 10 microns is very suitable for achieving the results of this invention. The smaller the size of the coffee particles, the more potent the coffee aroma and the coffee flavor.

30 As indicated, the aromatizer of this invention is very potent and while a broad range of from about 0.002% to about 4.5% by weight based on the weight of the foodstuff is operative, it has been found that as little as about 0.002% I f ft ft.., I. f ft f *1 ft t ft t t i i i its tft;ft wad/SPEC/8405.BPS 7 to 1.5% of the aromatizer is sufficient to give the desired flavor and aroma improvement to the foodstuff.

In the case of soluble coffee, the range is about 0.02% to with about 0.08% to 1.8% preferred. In the case of roasted and ground coffee, the range is about 0.002 to or 0.013% to 0.60%, with about 0.1% to 0.6% preferred.

This invention will now be described by reference to several examples which will show preferred embodiments and their advantages over the prior art.

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i I ae a 00 0 s a, S a 0 a a a 0 I O .a a 0 *0a* ft -8- ZXAMPLE 1 Aromatized Soluble Coffee Colunbian coffee beans were roasted and then quenched in air to give a moisture content in the zoasted beans of less than 2% moisture. The dry roasted beans were then pre-ground to give a coarse particle size of about 100 microns.

The dry roasted and ground coffee was mixed with coffee oil to form the following slurries by weight): B C D E F 1 ground coffee 5% 30% 50% 60% 70% coffee oil 95% 70% 50% 40% 30% TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Eacn slurry was thoroughly blended to form a dispersion of the coffee in the coffee oil. The dispersion was then ground in a "Dyno-Mill" KDL wet-mill grinder Savailable from Glen Mills Inc. of 203 Brookdale Street, Maywood, New Jersey 07607. The dispersion of ground roasted coffee was pumped through a horizontal grinding chamber filled to 85% capacity with ceramic (zirconium dioxide) beads. Inside the grinding chamber, a rapid rotating shaft 25 (4500 rpm) fitted with specially designed discs drove the beads to rotate at an even more rapid rate. The high impact force of millions of beads pulverized the coffee into micromilled part-icles which were discharged through a gap or opening in a separator for the beads. The grinding was done at low pressure (0 to 10 psig) and at 50° to 60 0

C.

Temperatures above 70°C result in flavor degradaticn and burnt off-flavor notes. A uniform, smooth micromilled dispersion having an average mean particle size of between 2 wad/SPEC/8405.BPS and 10 microns was prcduced by the Dyno-Mill. Analysis of the coffee particles showed a distribution between 0.1 to microns.

All of the arove slurries Gave effective Sdispersions of ground coffee in oil. However, at the ground coffee level (Ex. the dispersion had an exceedingly high viscosity and the temperatures during grinding was difficult to control. Ex. C, D, and E and 70% ground coffee) gave the optimum dispersions.

The dispersion of micromilled coffee of Example B above was incorporated into a soluble coffee powder at the following levels (by weight): A B C D R F 0.1% 0.3% 0.5% 0.9% 1.5%

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.1I The anove samples were premised at the measured amounts of paste with about 1/3 of the total soluble coffee powder to be aromatized. The admixture was blended in a Hobart mixer at speed 1 to form a free-flowing, yet slightly cohesive powder. The balance of soluble coffee powder was then added and the admixture blended for an additional minute to give a homogenous aromatized soluble coffee.

A hot coffee beverage was made from each of the five samples by dispersing 1 gm of the aromatized coffee powder in 99 gms of hot (90 0 C) water while stirring the beverage.

All of the above samples gave a detectable improvement in the flavor and aroma of the hot coffee beverage. Depending on the individual preference, the aromatizer level between 0.3% to 0.5% was most preferred. At this level, the coffee had added body, more smoothness and wad/SPEC/8405.3PS

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1 1 more of a rounded taste and flavor of freshly brewed coffee.

At the 1.5% and 3.0% level, the flavor and aroma were exceedingly strong. The 0.9% level gave an acceptable flavor and aroma impact. This was also true in the case of 0.1% level; a perceptible flavor and aroma improvement was readily detectable although weaker than the 0.3% to 0.9% level.

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EXAMPLE .2 Negative Result A coarse grind of roasted Columbian coffee beans similar to Ex. 1, (except for having a moisture content of about was slurried in water (instead of oil) in the following by weight: EX. A [B (C D E[ F ground coffee 5% 10% 15% 30% 40% TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Each slurry was thoroughly blended to form a dispersion of the coffee in the water. The watery dispersion was then ground in a "Dyno-Mill" following a procedure similar to that of Ex. 1. All samples, except Sample A, failed due to high vi.scosity. Milling or size reduction efficiency was poor due to development of a rubbery, thick, 20 viscous texture of hydrated roasted coffee. The Sample A product which was successfully micromilled to the Ex. 1 particle size was placed in storage at. 10 0 C. A tobacco-like off f-odor was -noted within two days of storage. This compared very unfavorably with the Ex. I product which could be stored at 10 0 C for over six months without developing any of fnotes or loss of cof fee f lavor and aroma.

Ef forts to mix the aqueous dispersion of Sample A while still stable (within 24 hours of storage_ at 10 0

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failed due to formati on of large lumps in the Hobart mixer.

lumps became as hard as rock candy making any homogeneous mix impossible.

wad/SPEC/8405 .BPS -12comparison of the Sample A aqueous dispersion with the oily dispersion of Ex. 1 showed the oily dispersion to be far superior in potency of aroma and flavor to the aqueous dispersion of Sample A.

.4) 0 0 it t wad/SPEC/8405 .BPS -13- 1 EXAMPLE 3 Aromatized Roasted and Ground Coffee The Sample C of Example 1 oil dispersion of micromilled coffee (50% roasted coffee and 50% coffee oil) was admixed at the 0.1% and 0.14% level in roasted and ground Columbian coffee to test the applicability of the aromatizer to brewed coffee. The coffee was then brewed and compared to a control with no aromatizer added. All tasters indicated that the aromatized brewed coffee was different, had a stronger flavor and aroma intensity characterized by a woody note (similar to brewed Colombian coffee).

ro a rr ~co i o a a~ s ~,o i i ii ii i ii ~r ii r 4 400* wad/SPEC/8405.BPS -14- 1 EXAMPLE 4 Aromatized "Postuma" The Sample C of Example 1 dispersion was incorporated in Postum m (a roasted wheat grain beverage powder) at the 1.1% level based on the total weight of the Postum T powder. A hot PostumT™ beverage was made by dispersing 1 gm of the aromatized Postum M in 99 gm of hot (99 0 C) water while stirring the beverage. All tasters indicated a dramatic improvement in the flavor and taste of the Postum T beverage in the direction of a more coffee-like flavor and aroma. Moreover, the aromatized Postum M dispersed better than the unaromatized Postumm.

As is self evident and as emerges from the foregoing, this invention is in no way limited to the specific examples and embodiments which have been more particularly described; but encompasses, on the contrary all modifications of the appended claims.

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Claims

1. A process for making a stable coffee flavor and aroma source from roasted coffee beans which comprises: making a slurry of dry roasted and ground beans with an edible oil, said slurry containing 5% to 70% ground roasted coffee and 95% to 30% of edible oil, said roasted and ground coffee having a moisture content less than abe. and milling the ground roasted coffee in the presence of said oil to a particle size of between 0.1 to 20 microns to thereby form a stable dispersion of said coffee in said oil.

2. The process of Claim 1 wherein the edible oil is a coffee oil.

3. The process of Claim 1 wherein the edible oil is vegetable oil.

4. The process of any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the dry roasted and ground coffee has a moisture content of less than 2% and the coffee particles are milled to a particle size of between 0.1 to 10 microns.

The process of any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the coffee particles are milled to an average particle size of 2 to 10 microns.

6. The process of any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the coffee particles are milled to a particle size of between 0.1 to 5 microns.

7. The process of Claim 2 wherein the slurry comprises from 50% to 70% ground coffee beans and from to 30% coffee oil.

8. The Drocess of any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein I CI J the dispersion of micromilled coffee in oil is incorporated in a foodstuff to give an enhanced coffee flavor and aroma.

9. The pocess of Claim 8 wherein the dispersion is admixed with soluble coffee powder at a level of 0.02% to based on the total weight of the soluble coffee.

The process of Claim 8 wherein the dispersion is admixed with soluble coffee powder at a level of 0.08% to e i i S, ~kf~ S:2127BA f 11 7 ~'3 Vt I I 16 1.8% by weight of the soluble coffee.

11. The process of Claim 8 wherein the dispersion is admixed with roasted and ground coffee at a level of 0.002% to

12. The process of Claim 8 wherein the dispersion is admixed with roasted and ground coffee at a level of 0.013% to 0.60%.

13. A process for aromatizing soluble coffee powder which comprises: making a slurry of dry roasted and ground beans with )ffee oil, said slurry containing from 5% to 70% ground roasted coffee and 95% to 30% coffee oil, said dry roasted and ground coffee having a moisture content less than about 2%; milling said coffee in the presence of said oil to a particle size of between 0.1 to 10 microns to thereby form a stable dispersion of said coffee in said oil; and admixing between 0.02% to 3.0% by weight of said dispersion with soluble coffee powder to obtain an aromatized soluble coffee.

14. The process of Claim 13 wherein the coffee particles are milled to an average particle size of between 2 to 10 microns.

15. A process for aromatizing roasted and ground coffee with a stable coffee flavor and aroma from dry roasted and ground coffee beans which comprises: making a slurry of the dry roasted and ground beans with coffee oil, said slurry containing from 5% to 70% of the dry roasted coffee, said dry roasted coffee having a moisture content of less than about 2%; milling the coffee in the presence of said oil to a particle size of between 0.1 to 10 microns to thereby form a stable dispersion of said coffee in said oil; and admixing between 0.002% to 1.5% by weight of said dispersion with roasted and ground coffee to obtain an aromatized roasted and ground coffee.

16. The process of Claim 15 wherein the micromilled coffee particles are milled to an average particle size u~s S:212078A i 17 17 of between 2 to 10 microns.

17. A stable coffee flavor and aroma comprising a dispersion of 5% to 70% of dry roasted micromilled coffee in 95% to 30% of an edible oil, said micromilled coffee having a moisture content of less than about 5% and a particle size of between 0.1 to 20 microns.

18. The coffee aromatizer of Claim 17 wherein the moisture content of the micromilled coffee is less than about 2% and the particle size of the micromilled coffee is 0.1 to 10 microns.

19. The coffee aromatizer of Claim 17 wherein the average particle size of the micromilled coffee is between about 2 and 10 microns.

The coffee aromatizer of Claim 17 wherein the particle size of the micromilled coffee is 0.1 to microns.

21. The coffee aromatizer of Claim 17 wherein the edible oil is coffee oil.

22. A foodstuff containing from 0.002 to 4.5% of the coffee aromatizer of Claim 17.

23. A soluble coffee powder containing from 0.02 to 3% of the coffee aromatizer of Claim 17.

24. A roasted and ground coffee containing from 0.1% to 0.6% of the coff; aromatizer of Claim 17.

25 25. A process for making a stable coffee flavor and .aroma source from roasted coffee beans substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the S° Examples. Dated this 8th day of February 1995 0o KRAFT GENERAL FOODS, INC. By their Patent Attorney GRIFFITH HACK CO S:212(07BA i i- I 1r I 1 ABSTRACT Roasted and ground coffee having a moisture content of less than 5% is micromilled in an edible oil, such as coffee oil, to a particle size of under 20 microns to provide an oily dispersion. The dispersion can be used as an aromatizer for foodstuffs at a level of 0.002 to particularly soluble coffee and roasted and ground coffee. The dispersion is stable, has excellent dispersion qualities, added body, smoothness and a rounded taste, aroma, and flavor comparable.to freshly brewed coffee. a a C a4 t C i ta t a t a C I it a a a LL t a a at*4 t I t( wad/SPEC/8405.BPS I i -I