CH715465A1 - Nut-based drink and methods for preparing and increasing the stability of the drink. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of a nut-based drink and a method for increasing the stability of the nut-based drink. The invention also relates to a method for reducing the extent of the phase separation of a nut-based drink following a treatment by pascalization. The invention also relates to the drink obtained by these methods. According to one embodiment, the invention comprises the elimination of part of the dry matter from the beverage before treating it by pascalisation.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to the field of vegetable drinks, in particular nut-based drinks. The invention relates more particularly to a nut-based drink having particular characteristics, a method for preparing a nut-based drink, and a method for increasing the stability of this drink.

State of the art and problems underlying the invention

Animal milk is a central element in the diet of a large number of human societies. In Western society, for example in Switzerland, it is especially cow's milk that is produced and consumed the most. Milk is used to make food, such as cheeses, yoghurts, ice creams, milkshakes which are consumed directly or used in the manufacture of dishes, for example in the case of cheeses. Milk is also used as an ingredient in many food products, such as milk chocolate, among others.

Cow's milk is also consumed directly as a drink, sometimes mixed with other ingredients (powdered chocolate, sugar, flavorings), added to drinks (eg coffee, tea, cappuccino), or to breakfast cereals, for example at a Müesli, to name a few examples of the use of milk.

The nutritional quality of milk, which is particularly rich in protein, is undisputed. However, many people today give up partially or entirely the consumption of milk. On the one hand, people whose bodies do not produce or do not have enough lactase enzymes cannot digest lactose, the sugar naturally present in milk. People suffering from such lactose intolerance are obliged to replace cow's milk, for example with other drinks. On the other hand, people suffering from a disorder of the metabolism of phenylalanine (phenylketonuria) are forced to follow a diet low in phenylalanine. Like casein, the main protein in milk, contains phenylalanine, these people can only consume little milk. Finally, people who must follow a low cholesterol diet can also give up at least whole milk, because the lipid fraction of milk (the cream) is rich in cholesterol. Creamed milk also contains saturated fatty acids, the consumption of which increases the presence of triglycerides in the blood and in particular the concentration of low density lipoproteins (LDL), also known as "bad cholesterol". The cholesterol associated with LDL after oxidation in the blood is probably a marker of atherosclerosis, and this disease is a consequence of too high a concentration of this type of cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia). As another element, it can be mentioned that the digestion of dairy products, rich in proteins, by the human body takes a long time. These products are not always very digestible, and can cause indigestion and feelings of constipation.

A growing number of people give up cow's milk not for health reasons, but for reasons of conscience. Vegans, for example, give up the consumption of all animal products, including milk. These people can deplore the living conditions of domestic animals dedicated to the production of food such as meat or milk. The breeding of these animals is often integrated into industrial food production and is therefore subject to profitability considerations. It seems undeniable that under the pressure of market laws, the quality of life of animals is not always the first concern of producers.

In commerce, there are a multitude of vegetable drinks which can serve as a substitute for cow's milk, or which can be consumed in their own right, for example for their taste or nutritional qualities. Each of these vegetable drinks has advantages and disadvantages. As tastes vary, people may prefer either of these drinks. For example, soy milk can be compared to cow's milk in terms of its protein content. On the other hand, this vegetable milk often has a typical soy taste. To make soy milk acceptable to a large number of consumers, granulated sugar may be added, which may be undesirable, for example for people suffering from diabetes. Another vegetable milk that is consumed in large quantities is oat milk, whose mild flavor and beta-glucan content are generally appreciated. The downside is that this milk contains gluten, which is undesirable for people with celiac disease, for example.

A relatively little known drink in most countries is tiger nuts, an edible tiger drink. This vegetable milk is produced mainly in Spain on the basis of tubers of edible varieties of the plant Cyperus esculentus. These tubers are known as walnuts, "tiger nuts" in English and also "Erdmandeln" in German.

In Spain, nut milk is called "Horchata de chufa", and it is offered in specialized restaurants, the Horchaterias. Traditionally, sugar is added to nut milk, as the latter is often consumed as a candy or dessert. The added sugar also increases the stability of the drink, when the latter is prepared and marketed fresh. There are also forms of long storage of the drink. In this case, the drink is generally exposed to a high temperature heat treatment (UHT), to make it sterile and stable for several months at room temperature.

Fresh tiger milk has a large number of virtues. It naturally contains sugars and it is not necessary to add crystalline sugar to make it appreciable. Its appreciated taste is reminiscent of coconut and almond. It naturally contains lipids and the profile of fatty acids contained in the lipid part resembles that of olive oil, in particular with regard to the fraction of oleic and linoleic acids. Even though nutmeg is not as rich in protein as soy milk, it contains all of the essential amino acids except histidine. Finally, a good number of health benefits are associated with nutmeg, and one can easily find more information on the Internet.

As nut milk contains naturally sugars, it is an ideal substrate for the growth of bacteria. Nut nuts are tubers grown in the ground. Consequently, they naturally contain vegetative bacteria as well as spores on their surface. The reduction of the microbial load, the elimination of spores or the prevention of their activation are key factors for the stabilization of any food, this being particularly true in the case of nutmeg.

It should be noted that the stabilization of tiger milk by heat treatment constitutes a technical problem in itself due to the presence of starches in the milk. During the heat treatment, the starches tend to gelatinize and thus to completely modify the organoleptic properties of the drink, in particular to increase the viscosity of the drink. This problem can be solved, for example, by the addition of certain stabilizing agents or by an enzymatic treatment aimed at hydrolyzing the starch molecules. All of these solutions have their drawbacks. For example, some stabilizers are not accepted by all consumers. Hydrolysis of starch requires an additional procedural step, which can undesirably change the nature of the drink. Finally, heat treatment is known to have a negative impact on certain nutrients or active components, such as vitamins which are sensitive to heat. Heat treatments can cause changes in the texture, color, appearance and nutritional quality of the product.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vegetable drink having a sufficiently long shelf life to allow marketing in portions, for example in bottles. Preferably, the drink retains a large part of the nutrients, including those which are sensitive to heat treatments.

It has been observed that a heat treatment can cause germination of the spores. An objective of the present invention is to increase the shelf life of the vegetable drink without causing the germination of the spores.

An objective of the present invention is also to provide a tiger nut drink that can be stored for more than a week, preferably more than two weeks, preferably if the drink is refrigerated at 0.5-10 ° C, for example at 4 ° C.

The publication of Roselló-Soto et al, from which it is drawn: Thermal and non-thermal preservation techniques of tiger nuts' beverage „horchata de chufa“. Implications for food safety, nutritional and quality properties, Food Research International 105 (2018) 945-951 first summarizes the general properties of tiger nuts and indicates that these tubers contain bacteria potentially dangerous for health, which is the consequence because these tubers grow in the ground. In this review article, the authors discuss non-thermal (or unconventional) preservation methods, such as Pulsed Electric Field Processing (PEF), UV light radiation, homogenization at high pressure (HPH), and High Pressure Processing (HPP), also known as pascalisation.

Roselló-Soto et al refer to Elbrhami's thesis (The University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada 2016) with the title A comparative Study of the Effects ofHigh Hydrostatic Pressure and Ultraviolet Light on Stability, Health Related Constituents and Quality Parameters of Tiger Nut Mille.

Elbrhami (2016) exposed tubes containing 50 ml of nut milk to a HPP treatment (400-600 MPa / 1 1 ° C / 60-180s) and observed a reduction of 5-6 and 6-7 log10CFU of E. coli, Salmonella and L. innocua after applying pressures of 500 MPa or 600 MPa respectively, for 180 s. The author observed a significant change in viscosity during treatment at 600 MPa. Even though the color of the drink and certain physico-chemical characteristics have been affected during certain treatments, the author concludes that HPP is a promising technology for increasing the shelf life of the drink.

One of the problems observed in the high pressure treatment of certain vegetable drinks is the separation into several phases during treatment with HPP, generally two phases. This separation of phases is generally not accepted by consumers, because it removes the natural and fresh appearance of the product.

The inventor of the present invention has in particular observed that the treatment by HPP of a nut-based drink in plastic containers with a volume of approximately 350 ml generates a separation into three visually recognizable phases, significantly affecting the visual appearance of the product. Figure 1 shows an example of this phase separation. Phase separation was not specifically mentioned in the publication of Elbrhami (2016) cited above. The phase separation observed by the present inventor could be linked to the volume treated by HPP. It should be noted that in the case of PPH, the container containing the drink, for example the plastic bottle, is exposed to the treatment. It is possible that the effects of the treatment on the physicochemical properties depend on the size of the container, that is to say on the volume of the container.

Summary of the Invention

Surprisingly, the inventor observed that the separation into several phases of a nut-based drink due to a treatment by pascalization can be reduced when part of the solid particles in the drink is separated from the drink before treatment by pascalization. The appearance of the product can be further improved by homogenizing the drink.

More generally, the same advantageous result can be obtained by any treatment allowing the microparticles in suspension having a defined size to disappear from the drink. These microparticles will also be called medium-sized microparticles. Such treatment may be the removal of these microparticles or even the reduction of their size.

According to one aspect, the invention relates to a method for increasing the stability and / or the shelf life of a beet-based drink, comprising: a) the treatment of the drink so that at least part microparticles in suspension in the drink disappears, b) the filling of the drink obtained in step a) in containers, and, c) the treatment of the filled containers by pascalisation. Preferably, in step a), part of the particles having a size of 15 to 70 μm, preferably 20 to 60 μm, disappears.

According to one aspect, the invention relates to a method for increasing the stability of a nut-based drink, comprising: a) the removal of at least part of the dry matter contained in the drink, b) filling the beverage obtained in step a) in containers, and, c) processing by pascalization of the filled containers.

According to one aspect, the invention relates to one for increasing the shelf life of a nut-based drink, comprising: a) the treatment of the drink so that at least part of the microparticles in suspension in the drink disappears, b) the filling of the drink obtained in step a) in containers, and, c) the treatment of the containers filled with pascalization.

According to one aspect, the invention relates to a method for increasing the shelf life of a nut-based drink, comprising: a) removing at least part of the dry matter contained in the drink, b) filling the beverage obtained in step a) into containers, and, c) processing by pascalization of the filled containers.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for the preparation of a nut-based drink, comprising: i. the grinding of nuts nuts in the presence of water and the recovery of the water in which components of the crushed nuts nuts are dissolved and / or suspended, in order to obtain said nut-based drink, and, ii. the treatment of the drink according to the invention.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for reducing the extent of phase separation of a nut-based drink due to a treatment by pascalisation, the method comprising the treatment of the drink so that at least some of the microparticles suspended in the drink disappear.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that it can be obtained by the method of the invention.

According to yet another aspect, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 15 to 70 μm constitute less than 40% by volume of the solid matter suspended in the drink, preferably less 30%, more preferably less than 20%, more preferably less than 15%.

According to yet another aspect, the invention relates to a nutcracker-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 20 to 60 μm constitute less than 40% by volume of the solid matter suspended in the drink, preferably less 30%, more preferably less than 20% more preferably less than 15%.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the quantity (the number) of the microparticles having a diameter of 15 to 70 μm constitutes less than 50%, preferably less than 40 %, preferably less than 30%, more preferably less than 20%, more preferably less than 10%, more preferably less than 5% of the microparticles in the beverage, in particular microparticles having a diameter of 1 to 70 μm .

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the quantity (the number) of microparticles having a diameter of 25 to 45 μm constitutes less than 50%, preferably less than 40 %, preferably less than 30%, more preferably less than 20%, more preferably less than 10%, more preferably less than 5% of the microparticles in the beverage, in particular microparticles having a diameter of 1 to 45 μm .

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a nut-based drink subjected to pascalisation.

Other aspects of the invention and preferred embodiments are defined in the claims and in the description below.

Description of the drawings

[0035] <tb> <SEP> Figure 1 shows a bottle with a volume of 350 ml containing a souchet-based drink following a treatment by pascalization at 600 MPa for 540 seconds (s). <tb> <SEP> FIG. 2 illustrates a bottle exposed to the same treatment as the bottle shown in FIG. 1, containing a nut-based drink from which part of the suspended dry matter has been removed by decantation. <tb> <SEP> FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating the result of an analysis of the size of the particles present in the nut-based drink after the preparation of the drink. The drink analyzed corresponds to that used for the preparation of the bottle illustrated in FIG. 1. <tb> <SEP> FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating the result of an analysis of the size of the particles present in the nut-based beverage after the treatment using a separator and homogenization. The drink analyzed corresponds to that used for the preparation of the bottle shown in Figure 2. <tb> <SEP> Figure 5 is a graph showing the decrease in log10 of the number of CFUs (colony forming units) of aerobic mesophilic germs (GAM) per grams (g) of a nut-based drink following various diets. pascalization treatments. The graph shows a continuous treatment of 480s, then the following one to three repetitions of a treatment of 180s on the same sample. <tb> <SEP> Figure 6 is a graph showing the number of CFUs / g of a nut-based drink subjected to three different treatments as indicated and stored at 4 ° C for a period of 14 days. The drink treated at 6000 bars for 480 s, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, remains stable (no bacterial growth) during the observation period.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing and processing a nut-based drink as well as the nut-based drink thus obtained.

In common parlance, expressions such as "vegetable milk", "soy milk", "nut milk" are used, while according to the legislation of several countries, the term "milk" is reserved for milk animal origin. It is thus more appropriate to speak, in the context of the present invention of a "nut-based drink".

In the context of the present invention, a "nut-based drink" resembles or is similar to the "horchata de chufa" (hereinafter: "horchata") known in Spain. Hereinafter, the term "drink" refers to "nut-based drink", unless another meaning emerges from the context.

In the present description, the commonly used expressions "walnuts" or "walnuts" are used to designate the tuber of the edible varieties of Cyperus esculentus.

In a preferred embodiment, the drink according to the invention does not contain added sucrose, in particular no added crystalline sucrose. Consequently, a step in which sucrose is added to the drink is preferably absent in the methods according to the invention.

The nut-based drink naturally contains sugars, including sucrose. It is thus slightly sweet. In the case where it is desired to further increase the sweet taste (for example the sucrose content), according to a preferred embodiment, the invention contemplates the addition of sweet plants or their extracts, for example the addition of fruit or fruit extracts, by drink.

Sweet agents which can be added according to a preferred embodiment of the invention can be chosen, for example, from honey, maple syrup, and a stevia extract. The invention does not, however, exclude that sucrose, one or more other artificial sugars and / or sweet agents are added to the drink.

The drink is traditionally prepared by grinding and / or crushing nuts nuts in water, followed by the recovery of milky liquid by sieving. Nut nuts may or may not be soaked in water before crushing. At the industrial level, automatic extractors or mills are generally used to carry out grinding.

In one embodiment, the method for the preparation of a nut-based drink comprises the grinding of nut nuts in the presence of water and the recovery of water in which components of the ground nuts are dissolved and / or suspended, in order to obtain said nut-based drink. As indicated above, a more or less coarse filtering using a sieve can be carried out in order to separate the drink from the remains of nuts, typically the skin of nuts or other parts which will not be dissolved or suspended in water. Industrial extractors generally contain a separation mechanism to separate these remains. In general, the preparation of the drink is also called "extraction" in this description. The extraction of nutsedge drink from nuts is also described in the publication of Roselló-Soto 2018, cited above.

Due to filtering, part of the suspended particles is generally filtered and these particles are therefore absent in the drink. Typically, filters or sieves whose mesh sizes are 80-300 µm are used. For reasons of taste, it is considered preferable to use relatively large mesh dimensions (100-200 μm), in order to allow the particles of smaller size (diameter) to pass into the drink.

According to one embodiment, the method of the invention comprises the treatment of the drink so that at least part of the microparticles in suspension in the drink disappears. To do this, it is possible to remove part of the dry matter contained in the drink or to reduce the size of part of the microparticles having a size of 15 to 70 μm, preferably from 20 to 60 μm.

According to one embodiment, the method of the invention comprises the removal of at least part of the dry matter contained in the drink. Preferably, at least part of the microparticles suspended in the drink is removed.

The expression "dry matter" refers to all of the components in the drink other than water. This term includes both solids or solid matter (suspended particles) and dissolved components. In terms of composition, this expression includes all the nutrients, fibers, and other molecules and substances present in the drink after extraction.

Said dry part can be removed by different methods such as filtration, decantation, sedimentation and / or by centrifugation. For example, gravity settling and / or centrifugal settling can be carried out. Centrifugal decantation can be carried out, for example, using a plate centrifuge or a conveyor screw centrifuge. In one embodiment, step a) comprises filtration and / or separation using a filter, separator, a gravimetric or centrifugal decanter and / or a centrifuge.

Generally, step a) is preferably carried out continuously, preferably using a device making it possible to perform step a) continuously, but batch processing is not excluded and is therefore also covered by the invention.

According to one embodiment, in step a), the size of the microparticles suspended in the drink is reduced. Thus, the invention contemplates the elimination of the microparticles not by removal, but by reduction of the size of the microparticles. In this case, the microparticles can be cut, crushed and / or ground in such a way that the quantity (by weight and by volume) of the "medium sized microparticles" increases while the quantity of the "large" microparticles decreases. In this case, step a), or part of step a), can be carried out, for example, using a colloid mill or a ball mill, or any other equipment, which allows to physically reduce the size of microparticles. In this case, there is not necessarily removal of dry matter, the latter being normally not or relatively little affected by the reduction in particle size.

In the present description, the expression "otherwise eliminated" and the grammatical variations of this expression refer to an elimination other than the removal of the microparticles from the drink. This expression refers in particular to the physical reduction in the size of the particles, for example by crushing, grinding or cutting.

In a preferred embodiment, in step a), part of the dry matter suspended in the drink is removed and / or otherwise eliminated.

In a preferred embodiment, in step a), part of the microparticles contained in the drink is removed and / or otherwise eliminated. These microparticles are generally suspended in the drink and thus form part of the suspended solids of the drink.

In a preferred embodiment, in step a), at least a portion of the microparticles with a diameter of less than 100 μm, preferably less than 70 μm, more preferably less than 60 μm, in addition to preferably less than 50 µm is removed and / or otherwise disposed of.

In a preferred embodiment, in step a), at least a portion of the microparticles with a diameter of less than 70 μm, preferably less than 60 μm, more preferably less than 50 μm, in addition to preferably less than 45 µm is removed and / or crushed.

In one embodiment, "at least a portion of the microparticles" refers to 40% by volume or more of the particles having the indicated diameter. More preferably, 50% by volume or more, 60% by volume or more of the particles having the indicated diameter is removed, more preferably 75% by volume or more, more preferably 85% and more preferably 90% by volume or more.

In one embodiment, in step a), 40% by volume or more of the particles having a size between 10-100 μm are removed and / or otherwise eliminated. More preferably, 50% by volume or more, 60% by volume or more of the particles having the indicated diameter are removed and / or otherwise eliminated, more preferably 75% by volume or more, more preferably 85% and more preferably 90% by volume or more.

As indicated above, the microparticles having a certain size can be eliminated in step a) of the method of the invention by physical reduction, for example by crushing, grinding, etc., so that they are transformed into particles having a smaller size. In this way, the microparticles of the size concerned present in the original drink also disappear from the drink and appear as smaller particles.

In one embodiment, in step a) 40% by volume or more of the particles having a size between 15-70 μm are removed and / or otherwise eliminated. More preferably, 50% by volume or more, 60% by volume or more of the particles having the indicated diameter are removed and / or otherwise eliminated, more preferably 75% by volume or more, more preferably 85% and more preferably 90% by weight or more.

In one embodiment, in step a) 40% by volume or more of the particles having a size between 20-60 μm are removed and / or otherwise eliminated. More preferably, 50% by volume or more, 60% by volume or more of the particles having the indicated diameter are removed and / or otherwise eliminated, more preferably 75% by volume or more, more preferably 85% and more preferably 90% by weight or more.

In one embodiment, in step a) 40% by volume or more of the particles having a size between 25-50 μm are removed and / or otherwise eliminated. More preferably, 50% by volume or more, 60% by volume or more of the particles having the indicated diameter are removed and / or otherwise eliminated, more preferably 75% by volume or more, more preferably 85% and more preferably 90% by weight or more.

The "diameter" and also the "size" of the microparticles is preferably determined using an appropriate device. In one embodiment, the device is a Camsizer XT, sold by Retsch Technology GmbH in Germany, in the liquid phase (water solvent) with the liquid "X-Flow wet mode" module using the recommended configuration. The Q3 results obtained using this instrument are the volume proportion of particles, i.e. the cumulative distribution (% passing), based on the volume.

In a preferred embodiment, in step a), at least a portion of the microparticles with a diameter greater than or equal to 20 μm, preferably greater than or equal to 25 μm, more preferably greater than or equal to 30 µm, is removed and / or otherwise disposed of.

In a preferred embodiment, in step a), at least a portion of the microparticles with a size between 10-100 μm, preferably with a size between 15-70 μm, preferably with a size between 20-60, more preferably a size between 25-50 is removed and / or otherwise eliminated.

According to one embodiment, at least part of the microparticles with a size between 25-45 μm, and more preferably with a size between 25-35 μm is removed and / or otherwise eliminated in step a ).

It should be noted that, according to the observations of the inventor, the nut-based drink, following the extraction and therefore already before step a), preferably contains little or no large particles, that is to say microparticles having a diameter greater than 80 μm, preferably greater than 70 μm, even more preferably greater than 60 μm or greater than 50 μm, in particular particles, which have, in addition, a smaller diameter at 300 µm, preferably less than 200 µm, more preferably less than 100 µm.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the nutcracker drink preferably contains no or comparatively few particles having a diameter greater than 60 microns, for example between 60 and 100 microns (the "large “Microparticles). Large microparticles may naturally be absent due to the choice of extraction method and / or due to filtering / sieving and / or other physical treatment carried out following extraction, but before step a) according to the invention.

Filtering the large microparticles before step a) can be considered as pre-filtering. In this case, step a) can take place after said pre-filtering.

Alternatively, the pre-filtering and the elimination of the microparticles according to step a) ("medium-sized microparticles"), for example having a diameter between about 15 and 70 μm, or according to another embodiment such as indicated above, can take place at the same time and / or in a single separation step. In other words, large and medium sized microparticles can be removed at the same time.

In one embodiment, the microparticles having a diameter of approximately 70 μm or more can be considered as the large microparticles and the microparticles from 15 to 70 μm, preferably from 20-60 μm (etc.) are considered. like medium sized microparticles. In another embodiment, this "size limit" for microparticles of average size is 25-50 μm, more preferably 25-45 μm, that is to say, microparticles of size around 35 µm are considered average in the context of this description.

It should be noted that, during step a), "small" microparticles, for example microparticles having a diameter of less than 25 μm, preferably less than 20 μm, more preferably less than 15 μm or less than 12 μm are preferably not removed or otherwise eliminated in step a) and preferably remain in the final drink, or at least the majority of these particles remain in the final drink.

Preferably, after step a), the drink contains little or no microparticles in suspension with a diameter greater than 60 μm (large microparticles), or else these particles constitute less than 50% by volume. of all the microparticles in suspension, preferably less than 30 vol.%, more preferably less than 15 vol.%.

This applies when these microparticles are removed during or before step a), or if these particles are naturally absent in the drink after extraction.

Preferably, after step a), the drink contains little or no microparticles in suspension with a diameter greater than 50 μm, or else these particles constitute less than 50% by volume of all the microparticles in suspension, preferably less than 30 vol.%, more preferably less than 15 vol.%.

Preferably, after step a), the drink contains little or no microparticles in suspension with a diameter greater than 45 μm, or else these particles constitute less than 50% by volume of all the microparticles in suspension, preferably less than 30 vol.%, more preferably less than 15 vol.%.

Preferably, after step a), the drink contains little or no microparticles in suspension with a diameter greater than 30 μm, or else these particles constitute less than 50% by volume of all the microparticles in suspension, preferably less than 30 vol.%, more preferably less than 15 vol.%.

Preferably, after step a), the drink contains little or no microparticles in suspension with a diameter greater than 25 μm, or else these particles constitute less than 50% by volume of all the microparticles in suspension, preferably less than 30 vol.%, more preferably less than 15 vol.%.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 15 to 70 μm constitute less than 50%, preferably less than 30%, even more preferably less than 20 %, and more preferably less than 10% by volume of the dry matter suspended in the drink.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 15 to 70 μm constitute less than 25%, preferably less than 20%, more preferably less than 10 %, and more preferably less than 5% by volume of the dry matter suspended in the drink.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 20 to 60 μm constitute less than 50%, preferably less than 30%, more preferably less than 20 %, and more preferably less than 10% by volume of the dry matter suspended in the drink.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 20 to 60 μm constitute less than 25%, preferably less than 20%, more preferably less than 10 %, and more preferably less than 5% by volume of the dry matter suspended in the drink.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 25 to 50 μm constitute less than 40%, preferably less than 30%, more preferably less than 20 %, and more preferably less than 10% by volume of the dry matter suspended in the drink.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 25 to 50 μm constitute less than 40%, preferably less than 30%, more preferably less than 20 %, and more preferably less than 10% by volume of the dry matter suspended in the drink.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 25 to 45 μm constitute less than 40%, preferably less than 30%, more preferably less than 20 %, and more preferably less than 10% by volume of the dry matter suspended in the drink.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a nut-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 25 to 45 μm constitute less than 40%, preferably less than 30%, more preferably less than 20 %, and more preferably less than 10% by volume of the dry matter suspended in the drink.

In one embodiment, the dry matter removed or otherwise removed during step a) constitutes between about 1 and about 30% by weight of the dry matter of the drink, preferably between 1 and 25% by weight.

In a preferred embodiment, in step a) 1 to 20% by weight of the dry matter of the drink are removed, preferably 2 to 18%, more preferably 3 to 15%. Preferably 7 to 13% of the dry matter is removed in step a), for example 8 to 12% by weight of the dry matter is removed.

These percentages preferably correspond to the dry matter formed by the microparticles in suspension of the size indicated above which are present before step a) and / or which are removed or otherwise eliminated during step a). Preferably, these percentages of dry matter correspond to the dry matter formed by the "medium-sized microparticles" which are removed or otherwise eliminated in step a) according to the present description. The 100% by weight of the dry matter corresponds to the dry matter of the drink before step a).

In one embodiment, in step a), at least part of the particles having a size between 10-100 μm is removed so that the total dry matter of the drink is reduced by 1 to 25% by weight, preferably 2 to 20%, preferably 3 to 18%, more preferably 5 to 15%.

In one embodiment, in step a), at least part of the particles having a size between 10-75 μm is removed so that the total dry matter of the drink is reduced by 1 to 25% by weight, preferably 2 to 20%, preferably 3 to 18%, more preferably 5 to 15%.

In one embodiment, in step a) at least part of the particles having a size between 20-60 μm is removed so that the total dry matter of the drink is reduced by 1 to 25% by weight , preferably from 2 to 20%, preferably 3 to 18%, more preferably 5 to 15%.

In one embodiment, in step a) at least part of the particles having a size between 25-50 μm is removed so that the total dry matter of the drink is reduced by 1 to 25% by weight , preferably from 2 to 20%, preferably 3 to 18%, more preferably 5 to 15%.

In one embodiment, the drink, after step a), has a dry matter content of 5 to 20% by weight.

In a preferred embodiment, the drink, after step a), has a dry matter content of 7 to 14% by weight, preferably 8 to 12%, more preferably 8.5-11%.

In one embodiment, the final drink of the invention, after steps a) -c), has a dry matter content of 5 to 20% by weight.

In a preferred embodiment, the final drink of the invention, after steps a) -c), has a dry matter content of 7 to 14% by weight, preferably 8 to 12%, again preferably 8.5-11%.

In a preferred embodiment, the method of the invention comprises the homogenization of the drink, preferably before filling, more preferably before step a) or simultaneously with step a).

In a preferred embodiment, the homogenization is carried out after step a), in order to prevent disturbance of the homogenization by the dry matter (particles) removed during step a).

Homogenization can be carried out using an appropriate homogenizer, for example a homogenizer with one or two stages. One floor is in principle sufficient. Preferably, the pressure during homogenization is of the order of 100 to 1500 bars, preferably 110 to 1000 bars, more preferably from 120 to 800 bars. A pressure below 500 bars and preferably below 300 bars is preferred, due to the changes in color of the beverage that the present inventor observed when a pressure above 200 bars, for example 460 bars , was applied during homogenization.

In one embodiment, the method comprises an acidification of the drink. The inventor has observed that with acidification the shelf life can be further increased. On the other hand, a slight acidification has little influence on the taste of the drink or can even make the taste of the drink more refreshing. Preferably, the drink is acidified before step b), preferably after step a), and if necessary, preferably after homogenization. It is also possible to carry out the acidification before step a).

In the case of acidification, the pH is preferably adjusted so that the final drink has a pH of 5 to 7.0, preferably 5.2 to 6.5, more preferably 5 to 6.4. In a preferred embodiment, the pH of the final drink is from 5.50 to 6.35.

It should be noted that acidification is optional and is only recommended if the shelf life must be further increased.

If an acidification takes place, the present invention is not limited to a particular way of carrying out this acidification. A preferred way to acidify the drink is by adding lemon juice or another naturally acidic fruit juice, for example the juice of a citrus fruit in general. The addition of citrus juice provides a drink with a naturally fresh taste.

In one embodiment, the method comprises filling the containers with the drink after step a). These containers are preferably chosen so as to allow treatment by pascalisation. For example, bottles or other containers of PET or other plastic having a certain flexibility or elasticity can be used. Preferably, the drink is put in a plastic bottle.

The container preferably has a nominal volume (filling volume) of 100 ml (milliliters) at IL, preferably from 200 ml to 0.75 L, preferably from 250 to 500 ml, more preferably from 250 to 400 ml, for example from 300 to 350 mL. The comparison of the results of the state of the art (Elbrhami, 2016) with those made by the present inventor suggests that the volume of the container subjected to pascalisation can have an influence on the properties of the drink, in particular the physicochemical properties.

The method of the invention preferably comprises the treatment of containers filled by pascalisation, in particular a high pressure treatment, known under the abbreviation HPP, from the English "High Pressure Processing".

The pascalisation involves the application of significant pressures using specially adapted devices. There are in particular devices from the Hyperbaric companies, at 33122 Miami, in the United States, or even from Avure Technologies, Inc, also in the United States. In particular, the container containing the drink is loaded into a container. During the pascalalisation, a liquid is added to the container under high pressure, so that the pressure of the liquid is directed on the containers containing the drink.

In a preferred embodiment, in step c) the containers are exposed to a pressure between 460 and 810 MPa (4600 to 8100 bar), preferably between 490 and 710 MPa, more preferably between 540 and 690 MPa, and more preferably between 570 and 650 MPa.

In a preferred embodiment, the container is exposed to the pressure indicated (or the pressures indicated) for a period of at least 150 s, preferably more than 180 s, more preferably 200 s or more , more preferably 250 s or more.

[0111] Preferably, the container is exposed to the pressure indicated for a period of 300 s or more, 400 s or more, 450 s or more, more preferably 500 s or more.

In order to avoid any misunderstanding, it is specified that the pressure is preferably maintained within the values defined by the ranges indicated. For example, when the pressure is maintained for 150 s, said pressure is between 460 and 810 MPa during said 150 s. It is not necessary, but generally preferred, that the pressure be maintained at a specific value for the entire duration of the treatment (eg 6000 bar for 200 s). The pressure can therefore vary within the range during treatment (eg 6000 bar for 100 s and 5900 bar for 100 s).

In one embodiment, the containers are exposed to a pressure between 460 and 810 MPa (4900 to 8100 bar), for 200 s or more, preferably for 300 s or more, more preferably for 350 s or more, more preferably for 400 s or more, for example for 450 s or more.

In one embodiment the containers are exposed to a pressure of between 490 and 710 MPa, for 200 s or more, preferably for 300 s or more, more preferably for 350 s or more, more preferably for 400 s or more, for example for 450s or more.

In one embodiment the containers are exposed to a pressure of between 540 and 690 MPa, for 200 s or more, preferably for 300 s or more, more preferably for 350 s or more, more preferably for 400 s or more, for example for 450s or more.

In one embodiment the containers are exposed to a pressure of 570 to 650 MPa, for 200 s or more, preferably for 300 s or more, more preferably for 350 s or more, more preferably for 400 s or more, for example for 450s or more.

During the pascalisation, the pressure can be maintained for the whole of the duration indicated according to the ranges indicated. In other words, the pressure can be applied all at once and / or in one treatment. For example, the pressure in the container containing the containers can be adjusted to be between 5,400 and 6,900 bar and be maintained for 250 to 600 seconds. Then, the pressure is lowered to reach ambient pressure and the treatment by pascalization is finished.

In another embodiment, the pressure can be applied in several times to reach the whole of the duration indicated. In one example, the pressure is maintained for a fraction of the indicated time in accordance with the indicated range, followed by a complete or partial release of the pressure, before the pressure is increased again and maintained for a second fraction of the time at l 'inside the range indicated. For example, the container can be exposed to a series of 1 to 5, preferably from 1 to 3 pressure sequences according to the ranges indicated.

For example, the pressure in the container can be adjusted between 5400 and 6900 bars for 100 to 200 seconds, followed by a partial or complete release of the pressure (below 5400 bars), and followed by a further pressure increase to a level between 5400 and 6900 bar for 100 to 200 seconds. This treatment can thus be carried out from 2 to 4 times overall, for example.

The present inventor observed that the aforementioned parameters make it possible to significantly reduce the cfu (from the English: "colony forming units") of bacteria and / or other microorganisms in the drink, and thus to increase the stability beverage, especially when it is then refrigerated.

Preferably, following the pascalization, the drink is stored at a temperature of 0 to 10 ° C, preferably from 1 to 7 ° C, more preferably from 2 to 5 ° C. Preferably, this temperature is maintained until the sale and / or consumption of the drink.

In one embodiment, the drink can be exposed to a heat treatment before step c), preferably after step a) and preferably after the optional homogenization. The present inventor has observed that the combination of heat treatment followed by pascalization makes it possible to significantly increase the destruction of microorganisms and thus to increase the shelf life of the drink.

In the case of a heat treatment, the drink is preferably exposed to a temperature of at least 60 ° C, preferably of at least 65 ° C, more preferably at least 70 ° C. In one embodiment, said temperature is maintained for a period of 15 s or more, preferably 60 s or more, more preferably 360 s or more.

The present invention also relates to the drink as obtained by the method of the invention.

In one embodiment, the pH of the drink is between 5.5 and 8.0, preferably between 6 and 7.5, more preferably between 6.5 and 6. Unlike fruit juices, which are generally treated with HPP, the drink of the invention preferably has a relatively high pH, which could promote the growth of microorganisms.

A particularity of the nut-based drink according to the invention is that the microparticles of 20 to 60 μm constitute less than 40% by volume of the solid matter suspended in the drink, preferably less than 30%, still preferably less than 20%, more preferably less than 10%. Preferably, these microparticles constitute less than 5%, preferably less than 3% and more preferably less than 1% by volume of the microparticles in suspension in the drink.

In one embodiment, the quantity (the number) of microparticles of 20 to 60 μm (in diameter) constitutes less than 60% of microparticles with a diameter of 1 to 60 μm suspended in the drink, preferably less than 40%, more preferably less than 25%, more preferably less than 15%. Preferably, the quantity of microparticles from 25 to 50 μm constitutes less than 10%, preferably less than 5% and more preferably less than 2% of microparticles with a diameter of 1 to 50 μm suspended in the drink.

According to one embodiment, the drink according to the invention has a dry matter content of 6 to 20% by weight, preferably 7 to 16%, more preferably 8-15%, more preferably 8.5 to 12 %.

According to one embodiment, the drink according to the invention has a dry matter content of 7-14% by weight, preferably from 8 to 12%, preferably encodes from 8.5 to 11%.

These percentages are preferably the consequence of the removal of part of the dry matter in step a), and / or of a reduction in the size of the microparticles having the indicated size. These percentages thus also apply to the drink according to the invention, after step c), and therefore also to the final drink according to the invention.

Those skilled in the art will understand in particular that the method of the invention comprises the elimination or destruction of at least part of the microparticles and preferably of a major part of the microparticles which are associated with the peak on the right in Figure 3, surrounding the peak at around 33 µm.

The method of the invention makes it possible to improve the visual appearance and the physicochemical stability (phase separation) of the drink when the latter is subjected to pascalisation. On the other hand, the method of the invention makes it possible to increase the shelf life of the drink, probably due to the reduction in the microbial load thanks to pascalisation and / or decantation. For the purposes of this specification, "shelf life" refers to storage at 4 ° C. Preferably, the shelf life is the time during which the drink can be consumed by a consumer, provided that the container containing the drink remains closed during the shelf life. It is generally advisable to consume the drink within 1 to 3 days of opening. In one embodiment, the shelf life corresponds to the time between filling the container and the expiration date indicated on the label of the drink. It should be noted that the drink can often be consumed beyond the expiration date as indicated on the drink.

Without wishing to be bound by a theory, the applicant considers that, in the case of removal of microparticles in suspension in step a), for example by gravimetric or centrifugal decantation, the microbial load of the drink can be scaled down.

In one embodiment, the shelf life is the time after filling during which the pH of the drink remains above 4.6, preferably above 5, more preferably above 5.5, and more preferably above 6.

Preferably, the drink of the invention has a shelf life of more than 7 days when it is stored at 4 ° C. Preferably, the shelf life is two to 14 days or more, preferably 17 days or more, more preferably 21 days or more.

Surprisingly, the method of the invention makes it possible to reduce the extent of phase separation of a nut-based drink due to a treatment by pascalisation.

It is also surprising that a known treatment in the field of processing cow's milk, such as homogenization, can also contribute to increasing the shelf life and / or stabilizing a drink. tiger nut vegetable. This applies in particular if the treatment is combined synergistically with the pascalisation and / or the separation step (eg by decantation and / or centrifugation).

Those skilled in the art will not encounter any particular difficulty in adapting the content of the present disclosure to their own needs.

Examples

Several experiments were carried out using a drink prepared by the extraction of nuts nuts using an industrial extractor.

Example 1: Impact of homogenization on the color of the drink

In a first experiment, the effect of several homogenization regimes with one or two stages was evaluated. The effects on the color (dE * ab (DB65)) as well as the pressures applied during the homogenization are indicated in Table 1 below. ; Table 1: The effect of homogenization on the color of the nut-based beverage; [0141] <tb> 200 (one stage) <SEP> 3.02 ± 0.03 <tb> 200/25 (two stages) <SEP> 4.65 ± 0.01 <tb> 460/50 (two stages) <SEP> 6.65 ± 0.02 <tb> 1000/100 (two stages) <SEP> 9.72 ± 0.03 <tb> * Reference: untreated product

Because of the effect on the color when pressures greater than about 400 bar are used, the pressure of 200 bar in one stage was used for the following experiments.

Example 2: Pascalisation. optical appearance and size of suspended particles

Several pascalisation tests were carried out. Figure 1 shows a bottle containing 340 mL of the nutcracker drink (untreated before filling) and subjected to a pascalization of 6000 bars for 480 seconds. As can be seen, the pascalization involves a separation of the drink in three phases. There is a creaming of the fat (upper part) as well as a sedimentation of the heaviest particles. Following the HPP treatment, these particles agglomerate and become a solid block. This result is not acceptable due to the effect of pascalalisation on the physicochemical stability and / or the visual appearance of the drink.

FIG. 2 shows a bottle containing 340 ml of the nut-based drink which has been subjected to decantation before pascalization using a separator in order to remove 1% of the dry matter from the drink , followed by homogenization in one stage at 200 bars, before subjecting the bottle to treatment by pascalization (6000 bars, 480 seconds). The product has an impeccable visual appearance.

FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively show the results of the analysis of the size of the particles in the beverage based on untreated nutsedge and that subjected to decantation and homogenization as described. As can be seen, due to the separation settling, particles with a diameter between 15 to 50 µm have been eliminated.

Example 3: The Effect of Passover on Microbial Inactivation

Several tests were carried out in order to determine the effect of the treatment by pascalization on microbial inactivation. The bottles filled with the drink were subjected to treatments of 180 s, twice 180 s with a complete release of the pressure between two treatments, three times 180 s with the release of the pressure, and a treatment of 6000 bar in continuous for 480 seconds.

In the graph of Figure 5, the horizontal bar at the bottom indicates a decrease of 2 log10 of CFU / g (g of the drink) following the treatment of 6000 bars for 180 s.

The second bar from the bottom indicates that the second treatment of 6000 bars for 180 s brings an additional reduction of a little more than 0.5 log10 of CFU / g, and the third treatment brings only a very small additional reduction .

Compared to the continuous treatment of 600 bars for 480 seconds, a better result is obtained by applying two treatments at 180 bars each (in total 360 seconds) with the complete release of the pressure between treatments.

EXAMPLE 4 Evaluation of the Stability of the Nut-Based Drink

Samples of the nut-based drink were subjected to continuous plates of various treatments. In one treatment, the decanted and homogenized drink as described in Example 2 was subjected to pasteurization in two stages, a first heat treatment of 72 ° C. for 1 minute in a continuous plate pasteuriser, filling the drink in 340ml glass bottles, and a second external heat treatment of the bottles filled at 72 ° C for 10 minutes. In another treatment, pasteurization has been replaced by a pascalization of 6000 bars for 180 s, or even 6000 bars for 480 s.

The microbial load was evaluated for the decanted drink and homogenized before the treatment, immediately after the treatment, 7 days and 14 days after the treatment. The results are shown in the graph of FIG. 6. As can be seen, in the case of treatment by pascalization (6000 bars, 480s), the level of CFU / g remains constant in the drink during the observation period. The drink treated by pascalization at 6000 bar for 180s remains stable for 7 days, but then the microorganisms seem to grow slightly. The thermally pasteurized drink shows a good decrease in CFU / g at the beginning, but the microorganisms start to multiply quickly after.

The experiments carried out by the inventor make it possible to conclude that a drink having a natural optical appearance and which remains stable for at least 14 days at 4 ° C. can be obtained thanks to the separation of microparticles of defined size followed by pascalisation. Homogenization makes it possible to reduce the size of the fatty globules and to avoid the phenomenon of creaming. It should be noted that these results are obtained without the addition of a preservative, stabilizer or dye. The drink treated according to the invention remains a natural food.

Claims (14)

1. A method for increasing the stability and / or the shelf life of a nutcracker drink, comprising: a) treating the drink so that at least part of the microparticles suspended in the drink disappears, b) filling the beverage obtained in step a) into containers, and, c) the treatment of containers filled with pascalisation. 2. The method according to claim 1, in which, in step a), part of the dry matter suspended in the beverage is removed. 3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which in step a), at least a portion of the microparticles of a size less than 70 µm, preferably less than 60 µm, more preferably less than 50 µm, and more preferably less than 45 µm is removed and / or otherwise eliminated. 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which in step a), at least a portion of the microparticles with a size between 10-100 µm, preferably between 15-70 µm, preferably between 20 -60 µm and more preferably between 25-50 µm in size is removed and / or otherwise eliminated. 5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which step a) comprises filtration and / or separation using a separator, a decanter and / or a centrifuge. 6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which in step a) 1 to 25% by weight of the dry matter of the drink is removed, preferably 2 to 20%, preferably 3 to 18% more preferably 5 to 15%. 7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the homogenization of the drink, preferably before filling, more preferably before step b) and after step a). 8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in step c) the containers are exposed to a pressure between 460 and 810 MPa (4800 to 8010 bar), preferably between 490 and 710 MPa, more preferably between 540 and 690 MPa, and more preferably between 570 and 650 MPa. 9. The method according to claim 8, in which the container is exposed to the pressures of the forks indicated for a duration preferably of more than 180 s, more preferably of 200 s or more, more preferably of 250 s or more. 10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drink is acidified before step b), preferably after step a), and if necessary, preferably after homogenization. 11. A method for the preparation of a nutsedge drink, comprising: i. the grinding of nuts nuts in the presence of water and the recovery of the water in which components of the crushed nuts nuts are dissolved and / or in suspension, in order to obtain said nut-based drink, and, ii. the treatment of the drink according to steps a) to c) of any one of claims from 1 to 10. 12. A souchet-based drink, characterized in that it can be obtained by the method according to any one of claims from 1 to 11. 13. A souchet-based drink, characterized in that the microparticles of 20 to 60 μm constitute less than 40% by volume of the solid matter suspended in the drink, preferably less than 30%, even more preferably less than 20 %, more preferably less than 15%. 14. The nutcracker drink according to claim 12 and / or 13, characterized in that it has a dry matter content of 7 to 14% by weight, preferably 8 to 12%, more preferably 8.5-11 %.