CA1267030A - Method for production of aspartame sweetened milk beverage - Google Patents
Method for production of aspartame sweetened milk beverageInfo
- Publication number
- CA1267030A CA1267030A CA000576083A CA576083A CA1267030A CA 1267030 A CA1267030 A CA 1267030A CA 000576083 A CA000576083 A CA 000576083A CA 576083 A CA576083 A CA 576083A CA 1267030 A CA1267030 A CA 1267030A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- milk
- aspartame
- flavouring
- mixture
- temperature
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
- 239000000605 aspartame Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 58
- 229960003438 aspartame Drugs 0.000 title claims abstract description 58
- 108010011485 Aspartame Proteins 0.000 title claims abstract description 57
- IAOZJIPTCAWIRG-QWRGUYRKSA-N aspartame Chemical compound OC(=O)C[C@H](N)C(=O)N[C@H](C(=O)OC)CC1=CC=CC=C1 IAOZJIPTCAWIRG-QWRGUYRKSA-N 0.000 title claims abstract description 57
- 235000010357 aspartame Nutrition 0.000 title claims abstract description 57
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 title description 17
- 235000020124 milk-based beverage Nutrition 0.000 title 1
- 235000013336 milk Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 65
- 239000008267 milk Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 65
- 210000004080 milk Anatomy 0.000 claims abstract description 65
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 60
- 235000020183 skimmed milk Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- 235000019541 flavored milk drink Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims description 24
- 244000299461 Theobroma cacao Species 0.000 claims description 14
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 150000003839 salts Chemical class 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000007710 freezing Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000008014 freezing Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 235000009470 Theobroma cacao Nutrition 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 235000020357 syrup Nutrition 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000006188 syrup Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- OYPRJOBELJOOCE-UHFFFAOYSA-N Calcium Chemical compound [Ca] OYPRJOBELJOOCE-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910052791 calcium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000011575 calcium Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920001525 carrageenan Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 229940113118 carrageenan Drugs 0.000 claims description 2
- 235000010418 carrageenan Nutrition 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000679 carrageenan Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- UHVMMEOXYDMDKI-JKYCWFKZSA-L zinc;1-(5-cyanopyridin-2-yl)-3-[(1s,2s)-2-(6-fluoro-2-hydroxy-3-propanoylphenyl)cyclopropyl]urea;diacetate Chemical compound [Zn+2].CC([O-])=O.CC([O-])=O.CCC(=O)C1=CC=C(F)C([C@H]2[C@H](C2)NC(=O)NC=2N=CC(=CC=2)C#N)=C1O UHVMMEOXYDMDKI-JKYCWFKZSA-L 0.000 claims description 2
- 235000001465 calcium Nutrition 0.000 claims 1
- 235000002639 sodium chloride Nutrition 0.000 claims 1
- 229920001285 xanthan gum Polymers 0.000 claims 1
- 238000009928 pasteurization Methods 0.000 abstract description 30
- 235000013361 beverage Nutrition 0.000 abstract 1
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 25
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 24
- 235000019219 chocolate Nutrition 0.000 description 11
- 235000013305 food Nutrition 0.000 description 9
- 230000001580 bacterial effect Effects 0.000 description 7
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 description 7
- 239000003765 sweetening agent Substances 0.000 description 7
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 7
- 230000002378 acidificating effect Effects 0.000 description 6
- 150000001408 amides Chemical class 0.000 description 6
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 5
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000012736 aqueous medium Substances 0.000 description 4
- 235000020140 chocolate milk drink Nutrition 0.000 description 4
- YSXLJTGZMRNQSG-UHFFFAOYSA-L disodium;6-amino-5-[[2-[4-[2-[4-[2-[(2-amino-5-sulfonatonaphthalen-1-yl)diazenyl]phenyl]sulfonyloxyphenyl]propan-2-yl]phenoxy]sulfonylphenyl]diazenyl]naphthalene-1-sulfonate Chemical compound [Na+].[Na+].C1=CC=C2C(N=NC3=CC=CC=C3S(=O)(=O)OC3=CC=C(C=C3)C(C)(C=3C=CC(OS(=O)(=O)C=4C(=CC=CC=4)N=NC=4C5=CC=CC(=C5C=CC=4N)S([O-])(=O)=O)=CC=3)C)=C(N)C=CC2=C1S([O-])(=O)=O YSXLJTGZMRNQSG-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 description 4
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000000796 flavoring agent Substances 0.000 description 4
- 235000003599 food sweetener Nutrition 0.000 description 4
- 241000894006 Bacteria Species 0.000 description 3
- 239000007864 aqueous solution Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 3
- 235000019634 flavors Nutrition 0.000 description 3
- 230000036541 health Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000004615 ingredient Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000003756 stirring Methods 0.000 description 3
- 235000021092 sugar substitutes Nutrition 0.000 description 3
- 230000037396 body weight Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 2
- 235000005911 diet Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 230000000378 dietary effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000007062 hydrolysis Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000006460 hydrolysis reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 235000014214 soft drink Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 241000370685 Arge Species 0.000 description 1
- 229920002261 Corn starch Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 241000196324 Embryophyta Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000016623 Fragaria vesca Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 240000009088 Fragaria x ananassa Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000011363 Fragaria x ananassa Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000013019 agitation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229940024606 amino acid Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 150000001413 amino acids Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000015556 catabolic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000470 constituent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000356 contaminant Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000008120 corn starch Substances 0.000 description 1
- HCAJEUSONLESMK-UHFFFAOYSA-N cyclohexylsulfamic acid Chemical class OS(=O)(=O)NC1CCCCC1 HCAJEUSONLESMK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012467 final product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000014666 liquid concentrate Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000002609 medium Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007935 neutral effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 235000013615 non-nutritive sweetener Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 229960005190 phenylalanine Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000020185 raw untreated milk Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011369 resultant mixture Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000019204 saccharin Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- CVHZOJJKTDOEJC-UHFFFAOYSA-N saccharin Chemical compound C1=CC=C2C(=O)NS(=O)(=O)C2=C1 CVHZOJJKTDOEJC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229940081974 saccharin Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 239000000901 saccharin and its Na,K and Ca salt Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910001220 stainless steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010935 stainless steel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000006467 substitution reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002459 sustained effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 235000019786 weight gain Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000008939 whole milk Nutrition 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23C—DAIRY PRODUCTS, e.g. MILK, BUTTER OR CHEESE; MILK OR CHEESE SUBSTITUTES; MAKING OR TREATMENT THEREOF
- A23C9/00—Milk preparations; Milk powder or milk powder preparations
- A23C9/152—Milk preparations; Milk powder or milk powder preparations containing additives
- A23C9/154—Milk preparations; Milk powder or milk powder preparations containing additives containing thickening substances, eggs or cereal preparations; Milk gels
- A23C9/1544—Non-acidified gels, e.g. custards, creams, desserts, puddings, shakes or foams, containing eggs or thickening or gelling agents other than sugar; Milk products containing natural or microbial polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose or cellulose derivatives; Milk products containing nutrient fibres
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23C—DAIRY PRODUCTS, e.g. MILK, BUTTER OR CHEESE; MILK OR CHEESE SUBSTITUTES; MAKING OR TREATMENT THEREOF
- A23C9/00—Milk preparations; Milk powder or milk powder preparations
- A23C9/152—Milk preparations; Milk powder or milk powder preparations containing additives
- A23C9/156—Flavoured milk preparations ; Addition of fruits, vegetables, sugars, sugar alcohols or sweeteners
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Food Science & Technology (AREA)
- Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
- Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
- Dairy Products (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A method for preparing aspartame sweetened flavoured milk beverage. The method, to be used on an industrial scale, includes the steps of adding aspartame and flavouring to skim milk prior to pasteurization and then processing the milk using conventional pasteurization and processing equipment of the continuous flow type.
A method for preparing aspartame sweetened flavoured milk beverage. The method, to be used on an industrial scale, includes the steps of adding aspartame and flavouring to skim milk prior to pasteurization and then processing the milk using conventional pasteurization and processing equipment of the continuous flow type.
Description
~703(~
B~CKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dietary sugar intake is a concern of many people. Diabetics, for instance, must closely monitor and regulate their sugar intake. There is also a general belief that dietary sugar and foods of high caloric content are associated with body weight gain.
People try to maintain a low or steady bodyweight for a variety of reasons, some aesthetic and some related to health. Many people thus avoid the consumption of foods containing large amounts of sugar or having a high caloric content. A result of such avoidance is the loss to those people of other benefits provided by those same foods.
~ arge numbers of foods with low sugar contents are now commercially available. A common approach to the production of such foods involves the substitution of a low-calorie sweetener in place of sugar. This approach permits the consumer to benefit from the advantages of the food constituents while at the same time permitting them to avoid sugar consumption.
In the past saccharin and cyclamates have been used as sugar substitutes. For a variety of reasons these sweeteners have experienced only limited market acceptance.
v More recently, aspartame (N-L- ~ -Aspartyl-L-phenylalanine l-methyl ester~ has been introduced as a sugar substitute. Aspartame has the advantage that it can be hydrolyzed, that is, broken down by water, to form products which occur naturally. Aspartame is a powerful sweetener and thus relatively little is required to obtain the same sweetening effect as sugar. Aspartame has already gained widespread market acceptance. For example, it has virtually supplanted the use of other sugar substitutes in soft drinks.
The use of aspartame in food production is not universally feasible and presents certain practical problems. It is common knowledge that the amide linkage which connects the two amino acids of aspartame is hydrolyzed by water thus breaking down the molecule. Hydrolysis destroys an aspartame molecule and thereby diminishes its sweetening effect. A critical factor in the production and ultimate use of an aspartame-sweetened food product is the quantity of aspartame contained in the product at the time at which it is consumed. That is, there must be a suf~icient quantity of aspartame present at the time of consumption for the product to be sufficiently sweetened.
~i703~3 The rate at which the amide linkage of aspartame is hydrolyzed depends, among other things, upon the acidity of the aqueous medium in which the aspartame is dissolved. The pH scale is a scale by which th~
acidity of aqueous solutions is gauged. For example, a solution with a pH around 7 is considered neutral.
A solution with a pH around 3 is relatively acidic. A
solution with a pH above 7 is relatively alkaline.
The pH scale is a logarithmic scale (to the base 10).
Thus, if the pH values of two solutions differ by 1 then the concentration of water acid differs by a factor of 10. That is, a solution of pH 3 is ten times as acidic as a solution of pH 4 and is one hundred times more acidic than a solution having a pH
value of 5.
Cola soft drinks, for e~ample, generally have pH
levels in the ran~e of 2 to 3, being relatively acidic. The amide linkage of aspartame is generally stable in such an acidic medium. It is known that the rate at which an amide linkage will be hydrolyzed is increased as the acidity of its aqueous medium is decreased (pH raised) but the precise effect of such a change in pH is not generally predictable.
' ' ~L2~3~3 Increasing the temperature of an aqueous medium in which aspartame is dissolved will greatly increase the rate at which the amide linkage is hydrolyzed.
The precise effect o~ a temperature change is not generally predictable.
The rate at which an amide linkage is hydrolyzed is additionally affected by the concentration of dissolved salts in the aqueous medium.
Thus the process conditions of temperature, acidity and salt concentration used in any process to produce a food in which process steps entail the use of aqueous solutions containing aspartame are limited because of the tendency of aspartame to undergo hydrolysis too rapidly under certain conditions.
In North America, milk is gen~rally processed through a heating and cooling procedure known as pasteurization. Pasteurization is carried out to ensure a sufficiently low bacterial level in the milk product to make it fit for human consumption. For example, in the province of Ontario, which has standards similar to other jurisdictions, milk is required to be heated to a temperature of at least 161F and maintained at that temperature for a minimum period of 16 seconds during the pasteurization process.
~2~à~7030 Commercial milk production is now a highly automated process. Typically mil~ is heated, cooled and sealed in salable packages in a series of automated steps. By reducing the possible entry of extraneous matter this automated process, diminishes the risk of contamination of milk between pasteurization and use.
Thus the conditions used in any new process to produce a milk product must comply with government standards. Further, it is preferable that any process be integrable into existing automated methods used to process milk.
The introduction of flavouring during milk production may introduce further constraints on the conditions which may be used during the production.
For example, the addition of chocolate flavouring generally results in the addition to the milk of any bacteria already present in the flavouring.
A typical process used in the milk processing industry today in the production of chocolate milk involves the addition of a chocolate powder mixture which contains sugar. The mixture is added prior to pasteurization of the milk. The heating step of ~2~
pasteurization then proceeds for 25 seconds at 185F
which is 9 seconds longer, and 24F~ higher, than that used for pasteurization of unflavoured milk. The pasteurization after addition helps to ensure that the milk will not be contaminated by bacteria or other foreign matter introduced into the otherwise closed production system. The additional time and higher temperature used in the pasteurizing process ensure sufficient reduction of bacterial levels for the flavoured product to be fit for human consumption.
The conditions used in any new process to produce a flavoured milk product should conform with those further requirements already adopted for the addition of flavouring. In particular, those additional precautions already adopted to counter the introduction of bacterial or other contaminants must be observed. The flavouring should be added prior to pasteurization and the pasteurization conditions must be more extreme.
Thus, any method for the production of flavoured milk sweetened with aspartame must conform to three independent sets of criteria. The parameters of the process must fall within those standards set by milk production, including those of government and 1)3~
industry; those standards and conditions reguired in the addition of flavouring to milk; and the process must be chemically and physically compatible with the criteria governing the use of aspartame. That is, the process must not expose aspartame to conditions leading to its breakdown and significantly impairing its effectiveness as a sweetener.
SUl!~ ARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a method for the production of aspartame sweetened flavoured milk in which the aspartame is present in the milk is carried through a pasteurization process.
The invention further provides a method for the production of aspartame sweetened flavoured milk using conventional milk processing equipment.
According to this invention predetermined concentrations of flavouring and aspartame are adaed to milk to be pasteurized. The resultant mi~ture is heated in conventional pasteurization equipment, further agitated if necessary, and packaged. The method is carried out using a conventional ~2~ )3V
pasteurization process, although heating temperatures and durations may differ from those normally used for plain milk. That is, methods carried out according to this invention permit the possibility of contamination of the milk after pasteurization to be minimized using established and recognized procedures. All ingredients used in the preferred process are added prior to pasteurization and all steps from pasteurization to packaging are automated, the system thus being effec~ively isolated from the e~ternal environment during these steps, all the while using conventional equipment.
The preferred method is directed to producing chocolate flavoured aspartame sweetened milk. The flavouring is added as a solid powder. The use of a solid powder has the advantage that the powder itself - is stable for a period of months prior to use. Final preparation of the powder for use in the process involves little more than measuring an appropriate amount for the desired concentration. The aspartame may be mixed with the chocolate powder at any time prior to use. Alternatively, the aspartame may be added separately to the milk.
3~
g It is possible, within th~ scope of this invention, to add the ~lavouring in the form of a liquid concentrate or syrup. Further, other milk flavourings may be used besides chocolate; strawberry for example.
The preerred method of this invention integrates the addition of chocolate flavouring and aspartame as a powdered mixture to unpasteurized milk and the processing thereof into an existing milk production system. First, whole milk is delivered from a farm to the milk processing plant, butterfat is separated and largely removed using methods known in the art to produce skim milk. "Skim milk" for the purpose of this invention is milk which possesses about 0.3% (by volume) or less butterfat. Prior to the pasteurization process, a predetermined quantity of a powdered flavour mixture containing aspartame is added to the skim milk. The milk is then pasteurized using the method of this invention. Pasteurization is generally carried out using bulk quantities of milk and industrial apparatus dedicated to pasteurization.
Such apparatus provides a constant flow system by which the liquid milk can be quickly heated and cooled and maintained at selected temperatures for predetermined periods of time as desired by an operator, or as controlled by computer.
03~
Further, milk which has been processed through pasteurization can generally be packaged directly into containers such as cartons and bags. This automated system avoids exposing the milk product to contamination subsequent to the pasteurization step.
For consumer health reasons, such a system is particularly advantageous, and the addition of chocolate flavouring mi~ture and aspartame to milk prior to its pasteurization retains this advantageous use of conventional milk processing equipment.
Xndustrial milk processing equipment may be fitted with stirring means to agitate the milk product once it is pasteurized but before it is packaged.
That is, if agitation of the milk product for mixing purposes is required before packaging, this also can be achieved within the closed system. Such stirring equipment is already available and in common use.
In e~periments that were carried out, it was found that a quantity of aspartame, the amount of sweetener equivalent to the quantity of sugar used in the conventional process could not be directly substituted for sugar in the conventional chocolate milk production method. The aspartame, being temperature sensitive was broken down and the 03~3 resultant product not satisfactorily sweetened.
Example 1 lists the results of experirnents performed which determined that process conditions in which a satisfactorily low starting level of aspartame and satisfactorily low product levels of bacteria could be obtained in a product of sufficient sweetness.
This invention provides a method in which aspartame, in an aqueous environment is heated to over 161F for a sustained period of time to produce an aspartame sweetened product.
It has been found that the temperature to which the milk and powder mixture is lowered after heating, during the pasteurization process, is not especially critical. Milk products are generally stored at about 35 - 38F and thus this is the temperature used in the preferred method. The temperature should generally be below 50F. The lowest temperature which probably could be used would be just slightly above the temperature at which the milk mixture would freeze, since freezing is undesirable. There is no particular reason to determine this lower temperature - limit precisely, since it would be below 32F, and a temperature in the range of 35 - 38F provides optimum results.
It is common knowledge that water freezes at about 32E'; that the presence of salts dissolved in water depress its freezing point; that milk contains dissolved salts; and that milk comprises mostly water and enjoys a lower freezing point than water.
This invention provides a method in which skim milk, which has a pH of about 6.5 and is thus about 10,000 times less acidic (10,000 times more alkaline) than an aqueous solution of pH 2.5, is sweetened with aspartame.
The preferred embodiment of this invention provides a method ~f introducing chocolate powder mix sweetened with aspartame into skim milk to provide a chocolate flavoured and sweetened milk product.
This invention also provides a method for producing a chocolate flavoured skim milk drink which has about 55~ of the caloric content of conventionally produced chocolate flavoured 2% milk sweetened with sugar. Calculations indicate that the preferred method provides a product having only about 71% of the caloric content of chocolate flavoured milk made from skim milk and sweetened with sugar.
~7~
In the preferred embodiment the ~hocolate mixture comprises a blend of cocoa, corn starch, salt, calcium carrageenan, natural and artificial flavours and colour, with aspartame mixed therein. The chocolate mixture and aspartame are blended in a ratio of about 29 to 1 (by weight) prior to use. Milk and the aspartame-chocolate powder mi~: are combined to yield a final ratio of about 93 to 1 ~by weight) of milk to the initial, unsweetened chocolate mixture. An amount of the aspartame added during the process is broken down during the process such that the amount of aspartame present in the final product is less than that which was added prior to pasteurization.
In the prefexred method, as used on a commercial scale, a powdered chocolate-aspartame mixture is added to skim milk prior to pasteurization. Using - conventional pasteurization and stirring equipment, the milk containing the chocolate mixture is heated to 170F and maintained at that temperature ~or 25 seconds. The milk is then cooled to between 35F and 38F, and agitated for 20 minutes or more until the added flavouring ingredients are suspended in the milk and remain substantially unseparated over the life of 1~7~3~3 the product. Example 2, below describes the production of aspartame-sweetened chocolate flavoured milk produced according to a preferred embodiment of this invention.
It has been found that flavoured aspartame sweetened products stored around 38F are suitable for consumption for up to two weeks after being produced according to the preferred method.
The invention thus comprises adding predetermined quantities of flavouring and aspartame to a predetermined quantity of milk. The resultant liquid is heated to an upper temperature of at least 161F
and maintained at that temperature for a period from about 16 seconds to about 30 seconds. The mixture is then cooled to a temperature below about 50~F, but above the freezin~ temperature of the mi~ture. The heating and cooling steps are carried out in a constant flow system. Aspartame sweetened flavoured milk is thus produced.
7~3~
E~ample 1 A series of trials using methods similar to that of E~ample 2 (below) was followed in which the high tPmperature used during the pasteurization process was different in each trial. Each trial was stopped after the packaging step and samples were taken. The following results were obtained:
TRIAL NO. HIGH TEMPERATURE BACTERIAL COUNT
DURING PASTEURIZATION (per ml~
101) 185 F 2
B~CKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dietary sugar intake is a concern of many people. Diabetics, for instance, must closely monitor and regulate their sugar intake. There is also a general belief that dietary sugar and foods of high caloric content are associated with body weight gain.
People try to maintain a low or steady bodyweight for a variety of reasons, some aesthetic and some related to health. Many people thus avoid the consumption of foods containing large amounts of sugar or having a high caloric content. A result of such avoidance is the loss to those people of other benefits provided by those same foods.
~ arge numbers of foods with low sugar contents are now commercially available. A common approach to the production of such foods involves the substitution of a low-calorie sweetener in place of sugar. This approach permits the consumer to benefit from the advantages of the food constituents while at the same time permitting them to avoid sugar consumption.
In the past saccharin and cyclamates have been used as sugar substitutes. For a variety of reasons these sweeteners have experienced only limited market acceptance.
v More recently, aspartame (N-L- ~ -Aspartyl-L-phenylalanine l-methyl ester~ has been introduced as a sugar substitute. Aspartame has the advantage that it can be hydrolyzed, that is, broken down by water, to form products which occur naturally. Aspartame is a powerful sweetener and thus relatively little is required to obtain the same sweetening effect as sugar. Aspartame has already gained widespread market acceptance. For example, it has virtually supplanted the use of other sugar substitutes in soft drinks.
The use of aspartame in food production is not universally feasible and presents certain practical problems. It is common knowledge that the amide linkage which connects the two amino acids of aspartame is hydrolyzed by water thus breaking down the molecule. Hydrolysis destroys an aspartame molecule and thereby diminishes its sweetening effect. A critical factor in the production and ultimate use of an aspartame-sweetened food product is the quantity of aspartame contained in the product at the time at which it is consumed. That is, there must be a suf~icient quantity of aspartame present at the time of consumption for the product to be sufficiently sweetened.
~i703~3 The rate at which the amide linkage of aspartame is hydrolyzed depends, among other things, upon the acidity of the aqueous medium in which the aspartame is dissolved. The pH scale is a scale by which th~
acidity of aqueous solutions is gauged. For example, a solution with a pH around 7 is considered neutral.
A solution with a pH around 3 is relatively acidic. A
solution with a pH above 7 is relatively alkaline.
The pH scale is a logarithmic scale (to the base 10).
Thus, if the pH values of two solutions differ by 1 then the concentration of water acid differs by a factor of 10. That is, a solution of pH 3 is ten times as acidic as a solution of pH 4 and is one hundred times more acidic than a solution having a pH
value of 5.
Cola soft drinks, for e~ample, generally have pH
levels in the ran~e of 2 to 3, being relatively acidic. The amide linkage of aspartame is generally stable in such an acidic medium. It is known that the rate at which an amide linkage will be hydrolyzed is increased as the acidity of its aqueous medium is decreased (pH raised) but the precise effect of such a change in pH is not generally predictable.
' ' ~L2~3~3 Increasing the temperature of an aqueous medium in which aspartame is dissolved will greatly increase the rate at which the amide linkage is hydrolyzed.
The precise effect o~ a temperature change is not generally predictable.
The rate at which an amide linkage is hydrolyzed is additionally affected by the concentration of dissolved salts in the aqueous medium.
Thus the process conditions of temperature, acidity and salt concentration used in any process to produce a food in which process steps entail the use of aqueous solutions containing aspartame are limited because of the tendency of aspartame to undergo hydrolysis too rapidly under certain conditions.
In North America, milk is gen~rally processed through a heating and cooling procedure known as pasteurization. Pasteurization is carried out to ensure a sufficiently low bacterial level in the milk product to make it fit for human consumption. For example, in the province of Ontario, which has standards similar to other jurisdictions, milk is required to be heated to a temperature of at least 161F and maintained at that temperature for a minimum period of 16 seconds during the pasteurization process.
~2~à~7030 Commercial milk production is now a highly automated process. Typically mil~ is heated, cooled and sealed in salable packages in a series of automated steps. By reducing the possible entry of extraneous matter this automated process, diminishes the risk of contamination of milk between pasteurization and use.
Thus the conditions used in any new process to produce a milk product must comply with government standards. Further, it is preferable that any process be integrable into existing automated methods used to process milk.
The introduction of flavouring during milk production may introduce further constraints on the conditions which may be used during the production.
For example, the addition of chocolate flavouring generally results in the addition to the milk of any bacteria already present in the flavouring.
A typical process used in the milk processing industry today in the production of chocolate milk involves the addition of a chocolate powder mixture which contains sugar. The mixture is added prior to pasteurization of the milk. The heating step of ~2~
pasteurization then proceeds for 25 seconds at 185F
which is 9 seconds longer, and 24F~ higher, than that used for pasteurization of unflavoured milk. The pasteurization after addition helps to ensure that the milk will not be contaminated by bacteria or other foreign matter introduced into the otherwise closed production system. The additional time and higher temperature used in the pasteurizing process ensure sufficient reduction of bacterial levels for the flavoured product to be fit for human consumption.
The conditions used in any new process to produce a flavoured milk product should conform with those further requirements already adopted for the addition of flavouring. In particular, those additional precautions already adopted to counter the introduction of bacterial or other contaminants must be observed. The flavouring should be added prior to pasteurization and the pasteurization conditions must be more extreme.
Thus, any method for the production of flavoured milk sweetened with aspartame must conform to three independent sets of criteria. The parameters of the process must fall within those standards set by milk production, including those of government and 1)3~
industry; those standards and conditions reguired in the addition of flavouring to milk; and the process must be chemically and physically compatible with the criteria governing the use of aspartame. That is, the process must not expose aspartame to conditions leading to its breakdown and significantly impairing its effectiveness as a sweetener.
SUl!~ ARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a method for the production of aspartame sweetened flavoured milk in which the aspartame is present in the milk is carried through a pasteurization process.
The invention further provides a method for the production of aspartame sweetened flavoured milk using conventional milk processing equipment.
According to this invention predetermined concentrations of flavouring and aspartame are adaed to milk to be pasteurized. The resultant mi~ture is heated in conventional pasteurization equipment, further agitated if necessary, and packaged. The method is carried out using a conventional ~2~ )3V
pasteurization process, although heating temperatures and durations may differ from those normally used for plain milk. That is, methods carried out according to this invention permit the possibility of contamination of the milk after pasteurization to be minimized using established and recognized procedures. All ingredients used in the preferred process are added prior to pasteurization and all steps from pasteurization to packaging are automated, the system thus being effec~ively isolated from the e~ternal environment during these steps, all the while using conventional equipment.
The preferred method is directed to producing chocolate flavoured aspartame sweetened milk. The flavouring is added as a solid powder. The use of a solid powder has the advantage that the powder itself - is stable for a period of months prior to use. Final preparation of the powder for use in the process involves little more than measuring an appropriate amount for the desired concentration. The aspartame may be mixed with the chocolate powder at any time prior to use. Alternatively, the aspartame may be added separately to the milk.
3~
g It is possible, within th~ scope of this invention, to add the ~lavouring in the form of a liquid concentrate or syrup. Further, other milk flavourings may be used besides chocolate; strawberry for example.
The preerred method of this invention integrates the addition of chocolate flavouring and aspartame as a powdered mixture to unpasteurized milk and the processing thereof into an existing milk production system. First, whole milk is delivered from a farm to the milk processing plant, butterfat is separated and largely removed using methods known in the art to produce skim milk. "Skim milk" for the purpose of this invention is milk which possesses about 0.3% (by volume) or less butterfat. Prior to the pasteurization process, a predetermined quantity of a powdered flavour mixture containing aspartame is added to the skim milk. The milk is then pasteurized using the method of this invention. Pasteurization is generally carried out using bulk quantities of milk and industrial apparatus dedicated to pasteurization.
Such apparatus provides a constant flow system by which the liquid milk can be quickly heated and cooled and maintained at selected temperatures for predetermined periods of time as desired by an operator, or as controlled by computer.
03~
Further, milk which has been processed through pasteurization can generally be packaged directly into containers such as cartons and bags. This automated system avoids exposing the milk product to contamination subsequent to the pasteurization step.
For consumer health reasons, such a system is particularly advantageous, and the addition of chocolate flavouring mi~ture and aspartame to milk prior to its pasteurization retains this advantageous use of conventional milk processing equipment.
Xndustrial milk processing equipment may be fitted with stirring means to agitate the milk product once it is pasteurized but before it is packaged.
That is, if agitation of the milk product for mixing purposes is required before packaging, this also can be achieved within the closed system. Such stirring equipment is already available and in common use.
In e~periments that were carried out, it was found that a quantity of aspartame, the amount of sweetener equivalent to the quantity of sugar used in the conventional process could not be directly substituted for sugar in the conventional chocolate milk production method. The aspartame, being temperature sensitive was broken down and the 03~3 resultant product not satisfactorily sweetened.
Example 1 lists the results of experirnents performed which determined that process conditions in which a satisfactorily low starting level of aspartame and satisfactorily low product levels of bacteria could be obtained in a product of sufficient sweetness.
This invention provides a method in which aspartame, in an aqueous environment is heated to over 161F for a sustained period of time to produce an aspartame sweetened product.
It has been found that the temperature to which the milk and powder mixture is lowered after heating, during the pasteurization process, is not especially critical. Milk products are generally stored at about 35 - 38F and thus this is the temperature used in the preferred method. The temperature should generally be below 50F. The lowest temperature which probably could be used would be just slightly above the temperature at which the milk mixture would freeze, since freezing is undesirable. There is no particular reason to determine this lower temperature - limit precisely, since it would be below 32F, and a temperature in the range of 35 - 38F provides optimum results.
It is common knowledge that water freezes at about 32E'; that the presence of salts dissolved in water depress its freezing point; that milk contains dissolved salts; and that milk comprises mostly water and enjoys a lower freezing point than water.
This invention provides a method in which skim milk, which has a pH of about 6.5 and is thus about 10,000 times less acidic (10,000 times more alkaline) than an aqueous solution of pH 2.5, is sweetened with aspartame.
The preferred embodiment of this invention provides a method ~f introducing chocolate powder mix sweetened with aspartame into skim milk to provide a chocolate flavoured and sweetened milk product.
This invention also provides a method for producing a chocolate flavoured skim milk drink which has about 55~ of the caloric content of conventionally produced chocolate flavoured 2% milk sweetened with sugar. Calculations indicate that the preferred method provides a product having only about 71% of the caloric content of chocolate flavoured milk made from skim milk and sweetened with sugar.
~7~
In the preferred embodiment the ~hocolate mixture comprises a blend of cocoa, corn starch, salt, calcium carrageenan, natural and artificial flavours and colour, with aspartame mixed therein. The chocolate mixture and aspartame are blended in a ratio of about 29 to 1 (by weight) prior to use. Milk and the aspartame-chocolate powder mi~: are combined to yield a final ratio of about 93 to 1 ~by weight) of milk to the initial, unsweetened chocolate mixture. An amount of the aspartame added during the process is broken down during the process such that the amount of aspartame present in the final product is less than that which was added prior to pasteurization.
In the prefexred method, as used on a commercial scale, a powdered chocolate-aspartame mixture is added to skim milk prior to pasteurization. Using - conventional pasteurization and stirring equipment, the milk containing the chocolate mixture is heated to 170F and maintained at that temperature ~or 25 seconds. The milk is then cooled to between 35F and 38F, and agitated for 20 minutes or more until the added flavouring ingredients are suspended in the milk and remain substantially unseparated over the life of 1~7~3~3 the product. Example 2, below describes the production of aspartame-sweetened chocolate flavoured milk produced according to a preferred embodiment of this invention.
It has been found that flavoured aspartame sweetened products stored around 38F are suitable for consumption for up to two weeks after being produced according to the preferred method.
The invention thus comprises adding predetermined quantities of flavouring and aspartame to a predetermined quantity of milk. The resultant liquid is heated to an upper temperature of at least 161F
and maintained at that temperature for a period from about 16 seconds to about 30 seconds. The mixture is then cooled to a temperature below about 50~F, but above the freezin~ temperature of the mi~ture. The heating and cooling steps are carried out in a constant flow system. Aspartame sweetened flavoured milk is thus produced.
7~3~
E~ample 1 A series of trials using methods similar to that of E~ample 2 (below) was followed in which the high tPmperature used during the pasteurization process was different in each trial. Each trial was stopped after the packaging step and samples were taken. The following results were obtained:
TRIAL NO. HIGH TEMPERATURE BACTERIAL COUNT
DURING PASTEURIZATION (per ml~
101) 185 F 2
2) 180 F 4
3) 170 F 6 A bacterial count of less than 10 per ml was considered satisfactory for the purposes of the method of the present invention. That is, a bacterial level of 10 per ml in a properly refrigerated and stored product generally assures that the product will remPin fit for human consumption for a satisfactory shelf life of the product of about two weeks. The above-mentioned bacterial count levels are within the guidelines established by the Canadian Department of Health and Welfare.
3L2~3~) Example 2 About 17.4 grams (gm) of chocolate powder mix containing about 0.386 gm (386 milligrams (mg)) of aspartame was added to about ]00 litres (1) of freshly skimmed milk at about 35. Thus, taking the ingredients oE milk, flavouring and aspartame separately, the ratio of milk to flavouring is about 5.88/1 where the quantity of rnilk is measured in litres, and the quantity of flavouring, not containing aspartame is measured in grams. The ratio of milk to aspartame is about 259/1 where the quantity of milk is measured in litres, and the quantity of aspartame is measured in milligrams. The resultant mixture was rapidly heated in a constant flow system to 170F and maintained at that temperature for about 25 seconds.
The milk mixture was then rapidly cooled to about 35F
and transferred to a stainless steel mi~ing tank equipped with an agitator and temperature controller.
The milk mixture was agitated for about 20 minutes while being maintained at the temperature of about 35F. A mixture of a substantially single phase was obtained. The resultant product was packaged into ~.
.
.
0~3 cartons and shipped in refrigerated containers to be sold at retail outlets. A product so prepared and properly refrigerated at a temperature around 38F has been found to satisfactorily retain its sweetened flavour and condition for abou.t two weeks.
It will of course be unde!rstood that the present invention has been described a~bove purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
3L2~3~) Example 2 About 17.4 grams (gm) of chocolate powder mix containing about 0.386 gm (386 milligrams (mg)) of aspartame was added to about ]00 litres (1) of freshly skimmed milk at about 35. Thus, taking the ingredients oE milk, flavouring and aspartame separately, the ratio of milk to flavouring is about 5.88/1 where the quantity of rnilk is measured in litres, and the quantity of flavouring, not containing aspartame is measured in grams. The ratio of milk to aspartame is about 259/1 where the quantity of milk is measured in litres, and the quantity of aspartame is measured in milligrams. The resultant mixture was rapidly heated in a constant flow system to 170F and maintained at that temperature for about 25 seconds.
The milk mixture was then rapidly cooled to about 35F
and transferred to a stainless steel mi~ing tank equipped with an agitator and temperature controller.
The milk mixture was agitated for about 20 minutes while being maintained at the temperature of about 35F. A mixture of a substantially single phase was obtained. The resultant product was packaged into ~.
.
.
0~3 cartons and shipped in refrigerated containers to be sold at retail outlets. A product so prepared and properly refrigerated at a temperature around 38F has been found to satisfactorily retain its sweetened flavour and condition for abou.t two weeks.
It will of course be unde!rstood that the present invention has been described a~bove purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims (11)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS
1. A method of producing aspartame sweetened flavoured milk comprising:
- adding a predetermined quantity of flavouring and a predetermined quantity of aspartame to a predetermined quantity of milk;
- heating the resultant liquid mixture to an upper temperature of at least about 161°F and maintaining the temperature for a period of from about 16 seconds to about 30 seconds;
- cooling the mixture to a temperature below about 50°F and above the freezing temperature of the mixture;
- said heating and cooling steps being carried out in a constant flow system;
- whereby aspartame sweetened flavoured milk is produced.
- adding a predetermined quantity of flavouring and a predetermined quantity of aspartame to a predetermined quantity of milk;
- heating the resultant liquid mixture to an upper temperature of at least about 161°F and maintaining the temperature for a period of from about 16 seconds to about 30 seconds;
- cooling the mixture to a temperature below about 50°F and above the freezing temperature of the mixture;
- said heating and cooling steps being carried out in a constant flow system;
- whereby aspartame sweetened flavoured milk is produced.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the upper temperature is from about 167°F to 175°F and the period is from about 23 to about 27 seconds.
3. The method according to claim 2 comprising the additional step of packaging the mixture.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein, after cooling and before packaging the mixture is stirred for a sufficient length of time for the mixture to form a substantially single phase.
5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the flavouring comprises powdered flavouring.
6. The method according to claim 3 wherein the flavouring comprises a syrup.
7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the powdered flavouring comprises cocoa, salt, calcium, carrageenan, and xantham gum; and the aspartame is admixed therewith prior to the addition thereof to the milk.
8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the syrup comprises cocoa.
9. The method according to claim 2 or claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the predetermined quantity of milk is a predetermined quantity of skim milk.
10. The method according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 7 wherein the flavouring is added to the milk in a ratio of milk to flavouring from about 5/1 to about 6/1 wherein the quantity of milk is measured in litres and the quantity of flavouring is measured in grams.
11. The method according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 5 wherein the aspartame is added to the milk in a ratio of milk to aspartame from about 250/1 to 270/1 wherein the quantity of milk is measured in litres and the quantity of aspartame is measured in milligrams.
8171b/1-20
8171b/1-20
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000576083A CA1267030A (en) | 1988-08-30 | 1988-08-30 | Method for production of aspartame sweetened milk beverage |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000576083A CA1267030A (en) | 1988-08-30 | 1988-08-30 | Method for production of aspartame sweetened milk beverage |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1267030A true CA1267030A (en) | 1990-03-27 |
Family
ID=4138643
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000576083A Expired - Fee Related CA1267030A (en) | 1988-08-30 | 1988-08-30 | Method for production of aspartame sweetened milk beverage |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1267030A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1999030578A1 (en) * | 1997-12-17 | 1999-06-24 | The Nutrasweet Company | USE OF N-[N-(3,3-DIMETHYLBUTYL)-L-α-ASPARTYL]-L-PHENYLALANINE 1-METHYL ESTER IN DAIRY AND DAIRY ANALOGUE PRODUCTS |
-
1988
- 1988-08-30 CA CA000576083A patent/CA1267030A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1999030578A1 (en) * | 1997-12-17 | 1999-06-24 | The Nutrasweet Company | USE OF N-[N-(3,3-DIMETHYLBUTYL)-L-α-ASPARTYL]-L-PHENYLALANINE 1-METHYL ESTER IN DAIRY AND DAIRY ANALOGUE PRODUCTS |
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