CN114929031A

CN114929031A - Compacted fruit powder and powdered beverage

Info

Publication number: CN114929031A
Application number: CN202080069261.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: L·布鲁彻; O·伯克哈特; A·詹弗朗切斯科; Y·哈什; J·卡默霍夫; V·D·M·梅乌涅尔; M·普祖特; C·维奈
Original assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA
Current assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA
Priority date: 2019-09-04
Filing date: 2020-09-01
Publication date: 2022-08-19
Anticipated expiration: 2040-09-01
Also published as: JP2022547834A; EP4025060A1; WO2021043758A1; CN114929031B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fruit powder comprising compacted fruit powder particles having a diameter of less than 2.0mm as determined by sieving, less than 30% by weight of the fruit powder particles having a diameter of less than 300 μm as determined by sieving, and wherein the bulk density of the fruit powder is higher than 550g/L and lower than 800 g/L. The fruit powder has improved shelf life and reconstitution behavior. The fruit powder can be used for preparing powdered beverage products. A method of manufacture is also disclosed.

Description

Compacted fruit powder and powdered beverage

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of fruit powders and methods of making the same. For example, the present invention relates to fruit powders for preparing powdered beverages. In particular, the present invention relates to fruit powders that exhibit good shelf life stability and good reconstitution properties.

Background

Powdered beverages are powdered compositions suitable for dispersion into an aqueous liquid to form a beverage. Powdered beverages may contain fruit powder as an ingredient. A problem with fruit powders is that they are very hygroscopic, which means that fruit powders tend to absorb moisture from the ambient atmosphere and form lumps. This phenomenon is called caking. Within a few hours, the fruit powder clumps and is less likely to disperse into the liquid when exposed to the ambient atmosphere.

There are several options to prevent the fruit powder from caking. One option is to mix the carrier, drying aid or anti-caking agent with the fruit powder. For example, maltodextrin or glucose syrup may be used as a carrier or drying aid. Silica is a common anti-caking agent. Thus, the resulting fruit powder is no longer 100% fruit powder. Furthermore, maltodextrin or glucose syrup may be counted as the added sugar. Reducing the sugar content in food products, in particular avoiding the addition of sugar in the first place, is a continuing goal of the food and beverage industry. Consumers are also increasingly inclined to select products that are considered natural or "clean labels". This trend is counter to the addition of anti-caking agents, carriers or drying aids.

Another option is to package the powdered beverage in a moisture-tight container shortly after production. Such containers typically include a plastic or metal layer as a moisture barrier. The container may also be made of multiple layers of material, which is difficult to recycle. For this reason, it is desirable not to use multiple layers of material. In bulk containers containing several portions of powdered beverage, moisture protection may only be effective if the container remains sealed. As soon as the container is opened, caking may start. This option may be more effective for single serving containers. However, single-serve containers are typically made from multiple layers of materials. Paper (such as coated paper) is a recyclable packaging material. However, when hygroscopic materials such as fruit powders are considered, their barrier properties may be insufficient.

In fact, because of the low glass transition temperature of fully dried fruit powders, such powders can agglomerate in moisture-tight containers even at room temperature. Therefore, packaging 100% fruit powdered beverages in moisture-proof containers shortly after production does not prevent caking.

Another problem with fruit powders is related to their reconstitution properties. Generally, reconstitution of 100% fruit powder at low to moderate shear rates (such as when the consumer stirs with a spoon) often results in incomplete reconstitution and formation of lumps.

Therefore, there is a need to improve the properties of powdered beverages, in particular powdered beverages containing fruit powder, to prevent caking and to improve reconstitution properties.

WO 2013/167452 of nestle gmbh (NESTEC s.a.) discloses a composition for preparing a food or beverage product. The composition comprises a blowing agent component that releases a gas when dissolved in an aqueous liquid. The composition further comprises roast and ground coffee particles in a coffee extract matrix. The dissolution of the coffee is delayed until a foam is formed from the foaming agent component. The delay in dissolution may be achieved by compacting the coffee component of the composition. Thus, the coffee component is compacted in order to delay or delay the dissolution of the coffee component. The present publication does not discuss the manufacture of fruit powders suitable for preparing powdered beverages.

WO 2012/09668 of INTERCONTINENTAL GREAT brand limited (interstandental green BRANDS) discloses a powdered composition suitable for the preparation of a beverage, such as a three-in-one coffee mix (coffee, sweetener and creamer). The powdered composition is obtained by co-milling at least one hard-to-disperse powdered ingredient (e.g., non-fat milk solids, insoluble cocoa solids, insoluble coffee solids) with a dispersion-enhancing agent (e.g., lipids, milk fat, sugar, salt). The present publication does not discuss the manufacture of fruit powders suitable for preparing powdered beverages.

WO 2012/38913 from hennera (fontera) discloses a method of processing milk powder by pressing and coating with a surfactant such as lecithin. The purpose of this processing is to modify at least one characteristic of the powder, such as bulk density, flowability, dust content, dispersibility, wettability, hydration viscosity, hydration rate, dissolution rate, solubility, sedimentation, suspension stability, and caking. Lecithin is often added to improve the wetting properties of fat-containing powders. According to the present disclosure, there is a need to use lecithin to improve the solubility of compacted milk powders.

US 2009/246315 a1 to Barnekow et al relates to pressed agglomerates suitable for consumption and delayed aroma release. The compositions described in this document mainly comprise maltodextrin carriers with a fruit aroma (spray dried fruit aroma on carrier), or spray dried mixtures of maltodextrin with fruit puree or fruit concentrate. Mixtures of spray dried fruit aroma with spray dried mixtures on a carrier are disclosed. None of the compositions described contained maltodextrin.

US 2008/00801a1 to Barnekow et al relates to pressed agglomerates suitable for consumption, in particular for aromatization of food products. These examples disclose spray-dried products comprising raspberry aroma on a carrier comprising maltodextrin, dextrose, and gum arabic.

US 4,737,370 to Huster et al relates to dried mash starch flakes. This can be used to reconstitute, for example, mashed potatoes.

US 2019/0110514 a1 by PERORA GMBH relates to a kit comprising a satiety inducing formulation.

Perez-gandarilas et al investigated the effect of roller compaction and milling conditions on granule and tablet properties (european journal of medicine and biopharmaceuticals, 2016, volume 106, pages 38 to 49). These granules and tablets contain microcrystalline cellulose and mannitol.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a fruit powder suitable for use in powdered beverage compositions and having excellent industrial and use characteristics. Industrial characteristics include flow and caking, which are associated with storing fruit powder as an ingredient and transporting, dosing and mixing fruit powder in industrial processes. The use characteristics include caking and dispersibility, which are related to the shelf life of the final product and reconstitution as a beverage.

Any reference in this specification to prior art documents is not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to improve the prior art, and in particular to provide a fruit powder and a method of making the same that overcomes the problems of the prior art and addresses the above needs, or at least to provide a useful alternative.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a 100% fruit powder that can be used industrially to make powdered beverages (flowable, non-lumping, shelf-life), which 100% fruit powder does not cake during shelf-life and does not form lumps when reconstituted in water.

The inventors have surprisingly found that the object of the present invention can be achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims further develop the idea of the invention.

Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention proposes a fruit powder comprising compacted fruit powder particles, wherein the diameter of the compacted fruit powder particles, as determined by sieving, is below 2.0mm, preferably below 1.6mm, wherein less than 30% by weight of the fruit powder particles, as determined by sieving, have a diameter below 300 μm, preferably 350 μm, and wherein the bulk density of the fruit powder is above 550g/L and below 800 g/L.

Preferably, the fruit powder has one or more of the following characteristics:

less than 10% by weight of the particles of compacted fruit powder having a diameter lower than 300 μm, preferably lower than 350 μm,

-the water activity Aw of the fruit powder is lower than 0.20,

-the fruit powder has a glass transition temperature of from 12 ℃ to 30 ℃,

-the sugar content of the fruit powder is from 30 to 80% by weight (dry weight),

-the fruit powder has a fiber content of 5 to 35% by weight (dry weight).

In one embodiment, the (compacted fruit) powder can be obtained by compacting fruit powder at a linear compaction force of 4 to 12kN/cm and by sieving compacted fruit powder particles retaining a diameter of 300 to 2mm, preferably 350 to 1.6 mm.

Another embodiment of the present invention proposes a powdered beverage composition comprising from 10 to 100% by weight of a fruit powder as defined above, and optionally up to 90% by weight of a plant based ingredient selected from nut or bean based milk powder analogues, cereal based flakes or powders suitable for preparing beverages or congee and mixtures thereof.

Another embodiment of the invention proposes a method for manufacturing a fruit powder as defined above, comprising the steps of:

1) fruit powder is fed into a powder compactor at a rate of 15kg/h to 25kg/h,

2) compacting the fruit powder in a powder compaction apparatus to obtain a compacted fruit powder mass,

3) grinding the compacted fruit powder mass to a particle size below 2.0mm to obtain compacted fruit powder particles,

4) the compacted fruit powder particles are sieved and the compacted fruit powder particles having a diameter of 300 μm to 2mm, preferably 350 μm to 1.6mm are retained.

Preferably, the powder compaction equipment is a roller compactor. In one embodiment, a linear compaction force of 4kN/cm to 12kN/cm is applied to compact the fruit powder.

In one embodiment, particles smaller than 300 μm, preferably smaller than 350 μm, and optionally larger than 2mm, are collected after sieving and the collected particles are fed back to the powder compaction equipment together with the fruit powder.

In a further embodiment, the invention proposes a kit for preparing one or more beverages, the kit comprising:

-one or more containers of a first beverage component selected from the group consisting of a milk-based powder, a fermented milk-based powder, a plant-based milk analogue powder, a cereal-based flake or powder suitable for preparing a beverage or a porridge,

-one or more containers of a second beverage component, wherein the second beverage component i) comprises or consists of a fruit powder as defined above, or ii) is a powdered beverage composition as defined above.

In one embodiment, the container is selected from a sachet, pouch, can or capsule. The container may be a single serving container or a multi-serving container.

These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Figure 1 shows the visual aspect of strawberry powder during 1 hour exposure at a temperature T22 ℃ and a relative humidity RH 45%. A: the starting powder (not compacted); b: the powder is compacted.

Figure 2 shows the visual aspect of the strawberry powder in the sealed glass jar after 1 hour at 50 ℃ in an oven. A: starting powder (not compacted), B: the powder is compacted.

Figure 3 shows the visual appearance of the fruit powder mix after 3 months storage in aluminium packaging at 30 ℃ and 70% RH. A: the starting powder (not compacted); b: the powder is compacted.

Fig. 4 shows the reconstituted state of the fruit powder mixture. A: the starting powder (not compacted); b: the particulate material is compacted.

Figure 5 shows the reconstitution time (in seconds) of the beverage as a function of the stirring speed for non-compacted powder (grey circles) or compacted powder (black squares).

Fig. 6 shows the visual aspect of the powder after wetting. A: uncompacted powder; b: a compacted powder containing 10% by weight of fines; c: compacted powder containing 30% by weight of fines. D: a compacted powder free of fines.

Fig. 7 shows the water adsorption kinetics of the three products as a function of time, either uncompacted (empty symbols) or compacted (black symbols). And (4) square block: product 1, whole milk powder mixed with 10 wt% sucrose; circle: product 2, strawberry powder; triangle: product 3, blueberry powder.

Fig. 8-11 show the surface microstructure of the compacted strawberry powder (fig. 9 and 11) and the uncompacted strawberry powder (fig. 8 and 10). Scale bar: fig. 8 and 9: 300 mu m; fig. 10 and 11: 50 μm.

Fig. 12 to 15 show the surface microstructure of the compacted milk powder (fig. 13 and 15) and the non-compacted milk powder (fig. 12 and 14) containing 10 wt% sucrose. Scale bar: fig. 12 and 13: 1 mm; fig. 14 and 15: 50 μm.

Figures 16 to 19 show the results of the viscosity measurements of the solutions of fruit powder (figure 16: red mixture, figure 17: purple mixture, figure 18: yellow mixture) and milk-based powder (figure 19) for both the compacted powder (solid line) and the uncompacted powder (dashed line) in each case. For detailed information, please refer to example 7.

Detailed Description

As used in this specification, the words "comprise", "comprising", and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive sense, that is, in a sense of "including but not limited to", and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. As used in this specification, the words "consisting of … … (of a consistent of), and the like, are to be understood in an exclusive or exhaustive sense: they exclude any not listed elements or method steps. As used in this specification, the word "consisting essentially of … … (of a consistent essentiality of) or the like should be interpreted to mean that there may be further elements or method steps as long as they do not materially affect the basic characteristics of the invention.

As used in this specification, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Unless otherwise indicated, all percentages in this specification, where applicable, refer to weight percentages. The weight percentages can be reported as weight%.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms have and should be given the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

One aspect of the invention is a fruit powder comprising compacted fruit powder particles. The compacted fruit powder particles are prepared by compacting an uncompacted fruit powder to a desired particle size and bulk density. Herein, "compacted fruit powder" and "compacted fruit powder granules" have the same meaning.

The inventors have found that compaction of fruit powder can retard the occurrence of caking. Thus, shelf stable fruit powders can be produced that do not show caking when packaged for more than 6 months at ambient temperature (shelf life test, paragraph 1.3 below).

Furthermore, the inventors have found that compaction of the fruit powder enhances the overall reconstitution of the beverage without forming lumps even at low shear rates. In particular, the dispersion of the powder in the beverage, including wetting and settling of the fruit powder particles in the beverage, is improved due to compaction (evaluation of powder reconstitution, paragraph 2 below).

In particular, the inventors have found that compacted fruit powder has a different behaviour than other compacted beverage powders (e.g. compacted milk powder).

The term "fruit" as used in cooking means: it refers to the fleshy seed-related structure of plants, which are sweet and edible in the raw state, such as apples, oranges, grapes and strawberries. These include fruits from plant cultivars that produce seedless fruits, such as seedless grapes or bananas. The term "fruit" is not used herein as a botanical term. For example, legumes, nuts, dried beans, and grains are not considered fruits in the context of the present invention, while strawberries are considered fruits in the context of the present invention. Typically, raw or cooked fruit is used in desserts and sweetened products.

The fruit may be selected from, but is not limited to, apple, apricot, banana, blueberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, boysenberry, cherry, cloudberry, cocoa liquor, cranberry, dansen, date, dragon fruit, durian, elderberry, currant, grape, grapefruit, guava, kiwi, kumquat, lemon, lime, lychee, citrus, mango, mangosteen, melon, mulberry, nectarine, orange, papaya, peach, pear, persimmon, pineapple, plum, pomegranate, grapefruit, raspberry, currant, carambola, strawberry, tangerine, mandarin, watermelon, white currant, medlar, honey pomelo, and mixtures thereof. In its fresh, ripe state, the sugar content of the fruit may be greater than 4% by weight.

The uncompacted fruit powder is prepared by grinding or milling dried fruit preparations or dried fruit. The fruit product can be a fruit puree, a fruit juice, or a mixture of a fruit puree and a fruit juice. Several fruits can be mixed to prepare a fruit preparation. The drying of the fruit preparation may comprise one or several steps. Since fruit typically contains a large amount of water in the fresh state, it may be useful to heat the fruit preparation (e.g., under vacuum) to remove a portion of the water and obtain a concentrated fruit preparation.

In some instances, it may be desirable to apply heat to the fruit preparation, for example to generate an aroma or flavor. Thereafter, the fruit preparation may be further dried by freeze-drying. Alternatively, the fruit preparation may be dried directly by freeze-drying. This avoids heating the fruit preparation, as heating may have an effect on the organoleptic properties of the fruit.

Whether heating is useful depends on its effect on the flavor profile of the fruit preparation. Standard freeze drying equipment can be used to achieve this effect. Thereafter, the lyophilized product is ground or milled to obtain an uncompacted fruit powder. The fruit preparation may also be spray dried to obtain an uncompacted fruit powder.

Dried fruits can also be prepared by Individual Quick Freezing (IQF). IQF is particularly suitable for small fruits (such as berries) or fruit pieces. After freezing, the IQF fruit is freeze dried to remove water and then ground into a powder to obtain an uncompacted fruit powder.

The uncompacted fruit powder may be prepared from a single fruit. Uncompacted fruit powders may also be prepared by mixing several fruit powders to obtain a fruit powder mixture. The fruit powder, whether comprising a single fruit or several fruits, is preferably prepared from the whole pulp or flesh of the fruit. Indeed, the inventors have found that fruit powders made from fruit juices are more prone to caking than fruit powders made from whole fruits. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the fruit powder is prepared from whole fruit pulp or flesh of a fruit.

When the seeds are sufficiently small (such as in kiwi or strawberry), the seeds can remain in the fruit preparation. Seeds are considered "small" when the particle size of the seed is less than the desired particle size of the compacted fruit powder particles. However, when the seeds are too large or may develop undesirable flavors after milling, they are preferably filtered or sieved from the fruit preparation prior to drying and milling. The undesirable flavor may be inherent to the seed material. Oxidation of the milled seed material may also produce undesirable flavors. Kernels such as mango seeds, almond or peach seeds are usually removed before the fruit preparation is dried. In any event, prior to milling, it is preferred to remove seeds from the fruit preparation or dried fruit that may impart undesirable flavor attributes. Under these preconditions, the compacted fruit powder is preferably a compacted whole fruit powder.

In one embodiment, it is also contemplated that seed components, such as small seeds or ground seeds or nuts, can be added to provide the texture and mouthfeel of the reconstituted beverage. The seed component may be mixed into the fruit preparation prior to drying. Alternatively, the seed component is mixed with the fruit powder before or after compaction. Examples of small seeds include, but are not limited to, cranberry, date, kiwi, sesame, or strawberry seeds. As explained above, a seed is considered "small" when its particle size is less than the desired particle size of the compacted fruit powder particles. Examples of milled seeds or nuts include, but are not limited to, milled cocoa beans, milled coffee beans, or milled nuts. Examples of nuts include, but are not limited to, brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios. In this embodiment, the fruit powder comprises a seed component. Preferably, the particle size of the seed component is less than the desired particle size of the compacted fruit powder particles.

As will be explained below, the inventors have found that the presence of fibres, in combination with the desired particle size of the compacted fruit powder, may contribute to the reconstitution properties of the fruit powder. In a preferred embodiment, this is also another reason that fruit powder is prepared from whole fruit (such as fruit puree) rather than fruit juice. In fact, juice contains less fiber than whole fruit. If the juice is part of a fruit preparation, the compacted fruit powder should contain less than 80% by weight sugar. The term "sugar" as used herein refers to the monosaccharides and disaccharides naturally occurring in fruit, primarily glucose, fructose and sucrose. Preferably, the fruit powder has a sugar content of 30 to 60% by weight before and after compaction. Preferably, the compacted fruit powder does not contain added sugar.

Thus, in one embodiment, it is contemplated that up to 20% by weight of the plant fiber may be mixed with the uncompacted fruit powder or fruit preparation prior to drying. Preferably, the plant fibre is fruit fibre, such as citrus fibre or apple fibre. Alternatively, the plant fiber is a cereal fiber, such as oat or wheat fiber, or even carrot fiber. In one embodiment, the fruit powder comprises from 5 wt% to 20 wt% of added plant fiber, such as from 8 wt% to 15 wt% of added plant fiber, preferably citrus fiber, apple fiber or carrot fiber. Thus, the fruit powder comprises up to 35% by weight of fibres, including optional additional plant fibres, before and after compaction.

Thus, the fruit powder does not contain other ingredients than plant material: whole fruit as the main or sole ingredient, optionally a seed component, and optionally plant fiber. The fruit powder does not contain added sucrose, glucose syrup, maltodextrin or other sweeteners or leavening agents. Similarly, the fruit powder does not contain a flow aid, such as silicon dioxide. In other words, the fruit powder is 100% plant based and contains no added sugar. Thus, the uncompacted fruit powder comprises only fruit components, such as at least 95 wt% fruit components, preferably at least 96 wt%, or at least 97 wt%, or at least 98 wt%, or at least 99 wt%. The uncompacted fruit powder consists essentially of the fruit component. Most preferably, the uncompacted fruit powder consists of a fruit component. Thus, the compacted fruit powder comprises only fruit components, such as at least 95 wt% fruit components, preferably at least 96 wt%, or at least 97 wt%, or at least 98 wt%, or at least 99 wt%. The compacted fruit powder consists essentially of fruit components. Most preferably, the compacted fruit powder consists of fruit components.

Thus, in one embodiment the fruit powder consists of compacted fruit powder particles, wherein the diameter of the compacted fruit powder particles, as determined by sieving, is below 2.0mm, preferably below 1.6mm, wherein less than 30 wt% of the fruit powder particles, as determined by sieving, have a diameter below 300 μm, preferably 350 μm, and wherein the bulk density of the fruit powder is above 550g/L and below 800 g/L. Optionally, the fruit powder further comprises added plant fiber and/or added seed components, as described above. The fruit powder may then consist of the compacted fruit powder particles with added plant fiber and/or added seed components.

The particle size distribution of the uncompacted fruit powder is in the range of D10 between 80 and 110 μm, D50 between 200 and 300 μm, and D90 between 700 and 900 μm.

As explained above, the inventors have found that fruit powders made from fruit juices are more prone to caking than fruit powders made from whole fruits. Without being bound by theory, one explanation may be that the whole fruit contains more fiber than the juice. This may have an effect on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the fruit powder: the more fibers in the powder, the higher the glass transition temperature. When the glass transition temperature of the fruit powder is low (e.g., at approximately ambient temperature), glass transition may occur in the package, resulting in clumping even in the absence of moisture. The addition of fiber to the fruit powder may raise the glass transition temperature of the system above ambient temperature. The ambient temperature range is 18 ℃ to 25 ℃.

The fruit powder has a glass transition temperature of from 12 ℃ to 30 ℃. The glass transition temperature of the fruit powder can be measured as described in paragraph 3.4 below. The glass transition temperature was measured on fruit powder prior to mixing the seed component or plant fiber.

The inventors have found that the preferred particle size of the compacted fruit powder particles is when the diameter of the compacted fruit powder particles is below 2.0mm and above 300 μm. This range provides a good balance between avoiding caking during shelf-life or industrial processing, handling during industrial processing and ensuring good beverage reconstitution behaviour. By "reconstituting" is meant preparing a beverage by mixing a powdered beverage composition into a liquid, such as cold or warm water or milk. The "reconstitution behavior" of a powdered beverage composition can be characterized, for example, by the wetting and settling characteristics of the powder, the formation of lumps in the liquid, or the amount of powder left on the surface of the liquid before stirring.

When the compacted particles are smaller than 300 μm, they are more likely to agglomerate. When the compacted granules are larger than about 2.0mm, their reconstitution behaviour may be unsatisfactory: the dispersion is incomplete, which may lead to sedimentation and dephasing. Furthermore, the size range gives the fruit powder a good flowability, which makes it easier to handle in industrial processes, such as during transport or dosing. This size range also reduces dust. Dust is a known industrial hazard. It is related to the amount of fines in the powder.

In one embodiment, the compacted fruit powder particles have a diameter of less than 2.0mm, preferably less than 1.8mm, even more preferably less than 1.6mm, as determined by sieving. The particle size distribution of the compacted fruit powder can be measured as described in paragraph 3.1 below.

However, during the production of compacted fruit powder, it can be difficult to eliminate all fines. In addition, handling, shipping or packaging of the compacted fruit powder can produce fines, which are associated with the friability of the compacted fruit powder. The friability of the compacted fruit powder was measured as described in paragraph 3.2 below.

However, the compacted fruit powder should not contain too much fines, i.e. particles with a diameter below 300 μm or even below 350 μm. Indeed, the inventors have observed that a higher proportion of fines appears to cause sticking and caking between the powder particles. Thus, in the fruit powder according to the invention, less than 30% by weight of the fruit powder particles have a diameter below 300 μm, preferably below 350 μm. Preferably, less than 20 wt%, more preferably less than 10 wt% of the fruit powder particles have a diameter below 300 μm, preferably below 350 μm. Preferably, less than 30 wt%, more preferably less than 20 wt%, even more preferably less than 10 wt% of the fruit powder particles have a diameter below 350 μm. Herein, the particle size of the fruit powder is determined by sieving.

The inventors have also found that the bulk density of the fruit powder may also be relevant. When the bulk density is too low, wetting may be negatively affected because a minimum density is required to ensure that the fruit powder settles upon reconstitution. A higher bulk density is interesting because it improves the flowability of the powder in industrial processes. It also allows the use of less packaging material for a given mass of powder. However, when the bulk density is too high, wetting of the powder may be slowed. Thus, the inventors have found the optimum bulk density of the compacted fruit powder. In one embodiment, the bulk density of the compacted fruit powder is above 550g/L and below 800g/L, preferably from 650g/L to 800 g/L. Bulk density of the compacted fruit powder was measured as described in paragraph 3.3 below.

Another aspect of the invention is a powdered beverage composition. Fruit powder, particularly the compacted fruit powder described above, can be used as an ingredient for preparing such powdered beverage compositions.

Preferably, such powdered beverage compositions comprise 10 to 100 weight% (dry weight) of compacted fruit powder. Powdered beverage compositions can be prepared by dry blending a compacted fruit powder or several types of compacted fruit powders with another plant based ingredient.

Preferably, the other plant-based ingredients of the powdered beverage composition comprise up to 90 wt% (dry weight) of the powdered beverage composition. For example, the plant-based ingredients include nut-based milk analog powder, legume-based milk analog powder, grain-based flakes or powders, and mixtures thereof. Nut-based milk analog powders may be prepared from coconut, walnut, almond, peanut, hazelnut, macadamia nut, pecan, and the like. The bean-based milk analog powder can be prepared from soybean, pea, lupin, etc. Cereal-based flakes or powders are suitable for preparing congees or beverages. Cereal-based flakes or powders can be prepared from true cereals such as wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, millet, rice, and the like, and pseudocereals such as buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, and the like. Preferably, the powdered beverage composition comprises at least 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% by weight of the compacted fruit powder.

Another aspect of the invention is a kit for preparing one or more beverages using the powdered beverage composition as described above. The beverage may be prepared by combining a first beverage component and a second beverage component.

Preferably, the first beverage component is a "wheat" component, which is a fairly neutral beverage component. For example, the first beverage component is selected from the group consisting of a milk-based powder, a fermented milk-based powder, a plant-based milk analogue powder, a cereal-based flake or powder suitable for preparing a beverage or a porridge.

The second beverage component is mixed with the first beverage component. The second beverage component is a flavor or color component. The second beverage component may comprise or consist of a fruit powder as described above. The second beverage component may also be a powdered beverage composition as described above.

In effect, the kit allows the consumer to select from a variety of "white" beverage components as well as a variety of flavor or color components. Each of the first beverage component and the second beverage component is contained in a plurality of containers. For example, the container may be a sachet, pouch, can, or capsule. The container may be a single serving container or a multiple serving container. Preferably, the container is made of recyclable material, such as coated paper.

Preferably, the first beverage component is designed to provide a minimal set of nutrients, such as a minimal amount of protein, carbohydrates and lipids, while the second beverage component is designed to provide a primary flavor and/or color profile. Vitamins and/or minerals may be added to the first beverage component or the second beverage component. Preferably, the first beverage component and the second beverage component are manufactured such that any first beverage component can be combined with any second beverage component to achieve the minimum nutritional profile of the reconstituted beverage.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to a kit for preparing one or more beverages, the kit comprising:

-one or more containers of a second beverage component, wherein the second beverage component comprises or consists of a fruit powder as described above, or is a powdered beverage composition as described above.

Preferably, the kit contains single-serve containers, as they are more convenient for the consumer to use. The consumer can select a container containing a first "white" beverage component and a container containing a second flavored or colored beverage component, pour them into a glass (for example) into water in any order, or subsequently add water, mix and obtain a beverage corresponding to the desired combination of beverage components.

Interestingly, the inventors have found that due to compaction, the reconstitution time of the compacted fruit powder is independent of the shear rate applied when it is mixed in water (fig. 5).

Another aspect of the invention is a method for making a fruit powder as described above. The method comprises the following steps: 1) feeding fruit powder into a powder compactor at a rate of 15 to 25kg/h, 2) compacting the fruit powder in a powder compaction equipment to obtain a compacted fruit powder mass, 3) milling the compacted fruit powder mass to a particle size below 2.0mm to obtain compacted fruit powder particles, 4) sieving the compacted fruit powder particles and retaining compacted fruit powder particles having a diameter of 300 to 2mm, preferably 350 to 1.6 mm.

Preferably, the powder compaction equipment is a roller compactor. For example, a roller compactor WP 120 or WP 200 from alexander rwerk company (alexander rwerk, remshiid, Germany) from remheid, Germany, may be used in the method. Such roller compactors are described, for example, in US 2018/0243748. Of the compaction parameters, the inventors found that linear compaction force seems to be the most important. Thus, preferably a linear compaction force of 4kN/cm to 12kN/cm is applied to compact the fruit powder. Linear compaction force is the force applied between two rollers in a roller compactor per centimeter of product.

Other relevant parameters include roll gap and feed speed or rate. Preferably, the roll gap is 1.5mm to 4 mm.

In one embodiment, particles smaller than 300 μm, preferably smaller than 350 μm, and optionally larger than 2mm, are collected after sieving and fed back to the powder compaction equipment together with the fruit powder. This avoids waste of raw materials. The inventors have found that the incorporation of compacted or pre-compacted fruit powder or non-compacted fruit powder in the raw material does not negatively affect the reconstitution behaviour and shelf life characteristics of the resulting product.

The method may be performed under a controlled atmosphere, particularly in the case of oxidation or humidity sensitive materials. In particular, the method may be performed at low relative humidity or in the presence of an inert gas (such as nitrogen).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that they are free to incorporate all of the features of the invention disclosed herein. In addition, features described for different implementations of the invention may be combined together where appropriate. Where known equivalents exist to specific features, such equivalents are incorporated as if explicitly set forth in this specification. Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and non-limiting examples.

Examples

Method

1Evaluation of powder stability

The caking behaviour of the compacted particulate material was compared with that of an uncompacted dry mixture of similar composition according to different methods described below.

1.1Humidity test

15g of fruit powder was manually spread on white paper and then exposed to atmospheric conditions (T18 ℃ to 22 ℃, RH 40% to 50%) for 2 hours. Every hour, pictures were taken to assess caking. At the end of the experiment, the powder was mechanically moved by hand in order to evaluate its flow behaviour.

1.2Oven test (Heat shock)

10g of fruit powder was placed in a glass jar (d 0.02m, V20 mL). The jar was sealed and placed in a laboratory oven at 40 ℃ and 50 ℃ for 1 hour. At the end of the experiment, the presence of lumps was visually observed and the jar was shaken by hand in order to evaluate the flow behaviour of the powder. The jar was then inverted and a picture taken.

1.3Shelf life test

20g of fruit powder was placed in an air tight aluminum bag and placed into two climatic chambers at controlled air temperature and relative humidity (20-50% RH and 30-70% RH). Powder agglomerates were visually evaluated monthly and pictures taken. The total duration of the experiment was 6 months and each measurement was performed in duplicate.

2Evaluation of powder reconstitution

The reconstitution behavior of the compacted fruit powder was compared to that of an uncompacted dry mix of similar composition, according to the method described below.

2.1Visual assessment of reconstitution

12.5g of fruit powder are poured into a beaker (d 70 mm; V500 mL) equipped with a magnetic stirrer at the bottom into 100mL of ambient or hot water (T20 ℃ and 55 ℃ respectively). The liquid was stirred for 2 minutes and then poured onto a sieve (mesh size 0.355 mm). The presence of powder agglomerates with poor reconstitution was visually observed and a picture was taken with a camera.

2.2Reconstruction by conductivity assessment

Deionized water was used at ambient temperature (i.e., 20 ℃). 145mL of water was poured into the dissolution vessel. The conductivity probe Metrohm (conductivity cell Pt100) was placed horizontally 15mm from the bottom of the dissolution vessel. An overhead stirrer was placed directly above the conductivity probe and set to the desired stirring rate between 300rpm and 1000 rpm. The conductivity probe was interfaced to a computer to record conductivity and temperature during the assay. The conductivity and temperature were recorded. After 10 seconds: 13g of fruit powder was poured manually into the dissolution vessel from the top of the vessel (8 cm from water).

The onset of dissolution time is detected by the intersection of a straight line passing through the points at 5% and 10% of the conductivity signal with the line given by the initial conductivity signal. The dissolution time is defined as the time to reach 90% of the maximum conductivity signal. Three replicates were performed for each powder.

2.3Wetting evaluation

Deionized water was used at ambient temperature (i.e., 20 ℃). 200mL of water was poured into a glass beaker (d 70 mm; V250 mL) and placed under a powder dispenser. The powder dispenser comprises a column open at both ends. The bottom end is equipped with a sliding metal plate. 10g of fruit powder was loaded into a closed powder dispenser and placed on a metal plate. The plate was quickly slid down the bottom of the dispenser, allowing the powder to fall to the water surface. The stopwatch is started simultaneously. The stopwatch stopped when all the powder had wet but not settled to the bottom of the beaker.

The wetting time is defined as the time required to wet all of the powder before it settles. Three replicates were performed for each powder.

3Fruit powder characteristics

3.1Particle size distribution

The particle size distribution was measured using a particle analyzer Camsizer XT (Retsch Technology GmbH, Germany) equipped with an X-fall module for dispersing particles by gravity. During the measurement, the time during which the powder is exposed to laboratory conditions is as short as possible, in no case more than 2 minutes. Digital image analysis techniques are based on computer processing of a large number of sample pictures taken simultaneously by two different cameras at a frame rate of 277 images/second. The characteristic particle sizes D10, D50 and D90 were calculated from normalized curves corresponding to particle sizes of 10%, 50% and 90% of the particles, respectively.

3.2Fragility of

Friability refers to the tendency of particles to fracture under mechanical stress. Friability is measured as the mass percentage of fine particles produced in the friability test.

The compacted and sieved fruit powder (100g) was placed on a vibrating sieve (Retsch sieve tower) with a sieve opening size of 0.2 mm. The sieve was then vibrated for 1 minute with an amplitude of 1 mm. The fines are collected below the vibrating screen in a recovery vessel. The first part of the granules (F1) and the remaining powder (RP1) were weighed on a 0.2mm sieve. The recovery vessel is then emptied and cleaned. The remaining powder was then shaken for 2 minutes with an amplitude of 3 mm. A second fraction of fines (F2) was recovered and weighed. After the second vibration treatment, the remaining powder was also weighed (RP 2). Friability is the ratio of the weight of the second fraction of fine particles F2 divided by the weight of the first remaining powder RP 1. Friability is expressed in weight percent (wt%):

friability ═ RP1x100/F2

Wherein RP1 is the weight of the remaining powder and F2 is the weight of the first fraction of fines.

3.3Bulk and tap density

The bulk density of the material is the ratio of the mass to volume (including the volume of the inter-granular voids) of the untargeted mod powder sample. Bulk density is obtained by adding a known volume of powder to a graduated cylinder and by weighing the mass in that volume. The density is calculated as mass/volume.

Tap density is obtained by mechanically vibrating a graduated cylinder containing the sample until little further volume change is observed. Tapping may be performed using different methods. Tap density was calculated as the mass of the powder divided by the final volume. To determine tap density, a JEL vibrating densitometer STAV 2003 was used and 300 ± 2 vibrations were applied. The interparticle interactions that affect the bulking properties of the powder are also those that interfere with the flow of the powder. Thus, by comparing the bulk density and tap density, information can be obtained about the relative importance of these interactions in a given powder, and this comparison can be used to indicate the flow ability of the powder.

3.4Glass transition temperature

The glass transition temperature Tg was measured using a differential scanning calorimeter from TA Instruments (TA Instruments) (Q2000 DSC, TA Instruments, New Castle, DE, USA). The scanning speed was 5 ℃/min. The system was then cooled at 20 deg.C/min. A simple scanning procedure was performed from-40 ℃ to 80 ℃ to measure different glass transition temperatures of different compounds. According to our experience, the uncertainty of the measurement is typically ± 3 ℃.

To avoid evaporation of water during the measurement, all experiments were performed in a gas-sealed tray. Tg was determined from the change in heat flow observed at the second heating ramp rate.

3.5Kinetics of hygroscopicity-adsorption isotherms

The SPSx method allows for continuous recording of the hygroscopicity or hygroscopicity of food samples. An automated adsorption system using proUmid SPSx. The samples were maintained under controlled temperature (T) and Relative Humidity (RH) conditions. SPSx was equipped with very accurate RH and T sensors, calibrated at 23 ℃ and 50 ℃ at a wide range of RH (10% to 80%). SPSx was used to record adsorption kinetics by applying a relative humidity step at a constant temperature. The data was then fitted with a diffusion model to establish the water diffusion coefficient of the product. The Weibull model was used.

For this determination, the temperature was set to 25 ℃ and adjusted in a closed SPS to avoid temperature changes. Relative humidity is also controlled and regulated in closed SPS. The samples were pre-treated at 10% RH for 12 hours to ensure that they were in equilibrium prior to the RH application step at 15%.

3.6Microscopic method

The surface of the compacted and uncompacted powders was observed by microscopy to understand the effect of compaction on the structure of the fruit powder and to observe the enhanced rehydration and hygroscopicity of the compacted fruit powder.

The SEM micrographs of fig. 8 to 15 were obtained by Quanta F200 scanning electron microscope (FEI, Germany) operating with a secondary electron detector in a 4kV high voltage mode. Before observation, the sample had been deposited on an aluminum stub equipped with a double-sided conductive tape, and the excess had been removed by tapping, thus allowing the powder to be spread well on the stub. To reveal their surface and internal structure, the samples were fractured using a razor blade and then coated with a 10nm gold layer using a Leica SCD500 sputter plater.

Example 1 strawberry powder

Compacted strawberry powder was prepared with a roller compactor WP 120 (Alexanderwerk, Remscheid DE), using an uncompacted strawberry powder supplied by the company Paradise front, Germany. The uncompacted strawberry powder was fed between the compaction rollers at a rate of [ kg/h ]. The compaction roller gap was 3mm and the compaction roller speed was 5 rpm. Applying a linear compaction force in the range of 5 to 12kN/cm to the fruit powder between the compaction rollers to obtain a compacted mass of fruit powder. Downstream of the compaction roller, the compacted mass of fruit powder is forced through an internal grinding sieve having mesh sizes of 0.8mm to 3.15 mm. The compacted strawberry powder was collected on a sieve with a mesh size of 300 μm to remove fines.

In a separate test, fines were collected and added to the uncompacted strawberry powder to examine the effect on the properties of the compacted powder. No significant effect on the reconstitution or other properties of the compacted powder was observed.

The physical properties of the resulting granules, such as particle size distribution, friability, volume and tap density, have been studied. Reconstitution of compacted particulate material in water has also been carried out at moderate to low shear.

The particle size distribution of the granules is in the range of D10 between 90 to 450 μm, D50 between 550 to 1300 μm and D90 between 700 to 1850 μm depending on the type of fruit powder, compaction strength and the milling sieve size used. Thus, the density ranges from a free-flow bulk density of 580g/L to 730g/L and a tap density of 610g/L to 770 g/L.

The starting powder (i.e., before compaction) and the compacted powder were subjected to the humidity test and oven test described in paragraphs 1.1 and 1.2 above, respectively. The results are shown in fig. 1 and 2:

fig. 1 shows the visual aspect of strawberry powder during 1 hour exposure at a temperature T-22 ℃ and relative humidity RH-45%. A: the starting powder (not compacted); b: the powder is compacted. Agglomerated powder agglomerates can be seen on the left side, while no agglomeration is observed on the compacted granules.

Figure 2 shows the visual aspect of the strawberry powder in the sealed glass jar after 1 hour at 50 ℃ in an oven. A: starting powder (not compacted), B: the powder is compacted. Upon rotation of the can, the uncompacted powder agglomerates and does not flow, while the compacted particulate material is still free flowing, and upon rotation of the can, all of the powder flows easily to the bottom of the can.

Similar results were obtained using the fruit powder mixture described in example 2, or using fruit powders made from other fruit powders such as blueberry powder, pear powder, apple powder, banana powder, carrot powder or mango powder, or using apple flakes.

Strawberry powder, blueberry powder (Paradise Fruit, Germany)

Pear 300, Apple 100, Banana 300, Carrot 100 (Naturex, France) Napeleli Co., Ltd.)

Mango powder, apple flakes (Diana, France)

Example 2 fruit powder mixture

A fruit powder mixture was prepared under the same conditions as in example 1. The fruit mix comprises 48% by weight Apple powder (Apple 100, Naturex, France) from narcole France), 32% by weight Pear powder (pearl 300, Naturex, France) from narcole France) and 20% by weight Banana powder (Banana 300, Naturex, France) from narcole France), wherein the recycling of fines is below 300 μm.

The starting powder (i.e., before compaction) and the compacted powder were subjected to the shelf life test described in paragraph 1.3 above.

Figure 3 shows the visual appearance of the fruit powder mixture after storage in a closed aluminium sachet for 3 months at 30 ℃ and 70% RH in a controlled atmosphere. A: the starting powder (not compacted); b: the powder is compacted. Hard agglomerates were observed on the uncompacted powder, while the compacted granules remained free flowing.

Examples3-reconstitution of compacted fruit powder

The fruit powder of example 2 was used in the visual evaluation test for reconstitution described in paragraph 2.1 above.

Fig. 4 shows the reconstituted state of the fruit powder mixture. A: the starting powder (not compacted); b: the particulate material is compacted. The powder was redissolved in water at T-20 ℃ and stirred for 2 minutes. It was observed that the uncompacted powder produced large lumps when dispersed in water. The interior of these lumps is dry, probably because water cannot penetrate the viscous outer layer and does not disappear even after a longer stirring time. In contrast, the compacted particulate material disperses more slowly, delaying the appearance of a sticky layer, and the powder can be fully reconstituted at low to medium shear rates in 2 minutes at ambient temperature.

The effect of compaction on beverage reconstitution at different agitation speeds was analyzed using the conductivity assay described in paragraph 2.2 above.

Figure 5 shows the reconstitution time (in seconds) of the beverage as a function of the stirring speed for non-compacted powder (grey circles) or compacted powder (black squares). Surprisingly, the reconstitution time appears to be independent of the agitation speed of the compacted powder. In contrast, the reconstitution time is highly dependent on the agitation rate of the uncompacted powder.

This observation is interesting because it indicates that under different conditions, compacted fruit powder can be used to reconstitute beverages (e.g., using a manual blender or electric whipping equipment) and that the speed of blending does not have an effect on the time required for reconstitution.

Example 4 wetting behavior of fruit powder

The wetting behavior of the fruit powder was analyzed by the wetting test described in paragraph 2.3 above. Three fruit powders were tested: the compacted fruit powder of example 2, a compacted fruit powder of the same composition as example 2 but containing 10% or 30% fines below 300 μm, and an uncompacted fruit powder used as starting material for producing the compacted fruit powder of example 2.

The measurement is shown below. After 15 minutes, the uncompacted fruit powder was not fully wet, left on the water surface and did not settle. The floating product is shown in the circle in fig. 6A. The fine-grain-free compacted fruit powder (fig. 6D) settled to the bottom of the beaker in about 20 seconds without any caking. This means that all the powder is wet. Within about 20 seconds, the compacted fruit powder containing the fines is also wetted, but the bottom of the beaker still lumps or the lumps float below the water surface. The clumps in fig. 6B and 6C are indicated by circles. This means that part of the fruit powder within the mass is not fully wetted.

Example 5 hygroscopicity

The hygroscopicity (circle and triangle symbols) of the two different fruit mix powders and of the fully amorphous milk-based powder (square symbols), whether compacted (filled symbols) or uncompacted (open symbols), was determined by sorption isotherm kinetics measurements as described in paragraph 3.5 above. The milk-based powder was a spray-dried whole milk powder, dry-blended with 10 wt% crystalline sucrose.

The inventors observed that the compacted powder absorbed moisture more rapidly than the uncompacted powder under an atmosphere with a relative humidity RH of 15% and a temperature of 25 ℃. For fruit powders, the difference in hygroscopicity kinetics between compacted and uncompacted powders is much more pronounced than in the case of amorphous milk-based powders. In the amorphous milk-based powder, the difference in hygroscopicity is very small.

Without being bound by theory, the inventors believe that this effect may be related to the fact that compaction of the fruit powder produces a very rough surface, especially for fruit powder variants, as can be seen when comparing fig. 9 to 11.

Fig. 9-11 show the surface microstructure of the compacted strawberry powder of example 1 (fig. 9 and 11) and the uncompacted strawberry powder (fig. 8 and 10). They can be compared to fig. 12-15, which show the surface microstructure of the compacted sweetened milk powder (fig. 13 and 15) and the uncompacted sweetened milk powder (fig. 12 and 14). These photographs were taken as described in paragraph 3.6 above.

Compaction of fruit powder can result in breakage of the fruit powder material in very small particulate microdomains that only partially sinter under the intensity of compaction and heat, most likely due to the high fiber content of the fruit material. This can be seen in fig. 8 to 11. In the case of milk powder, the higher the degree of sintering, the more pronounced the sintering, resulting in a smoother surface than the compacted fruit powder (fig. 12 to 15). This can be considered a monolithic plasticization. This may explain why the difference in hygroscopicity observed in milk powders between the compacted and the uncompacted variant is much smaller.

Example 6 pouch

Figure 3 shows the visual appearance of the fruit powder mixture after 3 months storage in a closed aluminium sachet at 30 ℃ and 70% RH in a controlled atmosphere. Despite the fact that aluminum sachets can be used as evidence, significant caking occurred in the initial fruit powder of example 2. This indicates that the agglomeration is driven by the temperature inside the pouch. These lumps are a direct obstacle to emptying the pouch and to reconstitution of the beverage in water.

No caking was observed in the case of compacted fruit powder. The powder remained completely free flowing even after 3 months of storage in an aluminum pouch under the same conditions as the uncompacted powder (30 ℃, 70% RH). This ensures proper emptying of the pouch and facilitates reconstitution of the beverage. Furthermore, as indicated above, the compacted powder has a better wetting behavior, which also improves the reconstitution of the beverage.

Example 7 viscosity of articles prepared from compacted and uncompacted powders

Fruit powder

Sample preparation and analysis

The compacted and uncompacted powders were reconstituted at 25 ℃ for 5 minutes at 300rpm in a beaker with a magnetic stirrer. 12.5g of fruit powder in 100ml of water and 9g of milk powder in 95ml of water. Complete reconstitution of the powder was ensured by measuring the conductivity signal of the reconstituted solution and by visual observation. Rheological measurements were then performed using these suspensions.

The viscosity of the fully reconstituted fruit powder was measured using a rotational rheometer MCR502 (Anton Paar). After reconstitution at 25 ℃, the flow curves were measured directly using the blade geometry (ST 22, serial No. 32311). Solutions with compacted and uncompacted powders were compared according to the flow curve. Each measurement was repeated three times to check the reproducibility of the results.

Results

The viscosities of formulations prepared using either compacted or uncompacted powder for different fruit powders are compared in fig. 16 (red mixture), fig. 17 (purple mixture) and fig. 18 (yellow mixture). The solid line in the figure shows the results for the compacted powder and the dashed line shows the results for the uncompacted powder. As can be seen from figures 16, 17 and 18, the viscosity of the smoothie produced from compacted fruit powder is significantly lower regardless of the fruit powder compared to the smoothie produced from uncompacted powder. The solution viscosity changed significantly. This also indicates that similar TS compacted powders require less effort or energy input to reconstitute than uncompacted powders. This behavior was compared to milk-based powders (38% sugar, 11.5% milk fat, 33.5% skim milk powder, 16.3% cocoa powder, 0.7% lecithin, and 0.1% flavoring, all in weight percent). The compacted coconut milk powder and the uncompacted coconut milk powder were reconstituted in the same manner as the fruit powder and rheological measurements were made to obtain a flow curve. The results are shown in FIG. 19. As can be seen from the figure, the compaction has no effect on the viscosity of such milk-based powders.

Although the present invention has been described by way of example, it should be understood that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A fruit powder comprising compacted fruit powder particles, wherein the diameter of the compacted fruit powder particles is less than 2.0mm, preferably less than 1.6mm, as determined by sieving; wherein less than 30% by weight of the fruit powder particles have a diameter, as determined by sieving, of less than 300 μm, preferably 350 μm; and wherein the bulk density of the fruit powder is higher than 550g/L and lower than 800 g/L.

2. Fruit powder according to claim 1, wherein less than 10 wt% of the compacted fruit powder particles have a diameter below 300 μm, preferably below 350 μm.

3. Fruit powder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water activity Aw is below 0.20.

4. The fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fruit powder has a glass transition temperature of from 12 ℃ to 30 ℃.

5. Fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sugar content of the fruit powder is from 30 to 80% by weight dry weight.

6. Fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fruit powder has a fibre content of from 5 to 35% by weight dry weight.

7. Fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, obtainable by compacting a fruit powder with a linear compaction force of 4 to 12kN/cm and retaining the compacted fruit powder particles with a diameter of 300 to 2mm, preferably 350 to 1.6mm by sieving.

8. Fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 7, consisting of compacted fruit powder particles, wherein the diameter of the compacted fruit powder particles, as determined by sieving, is below 2.0mm, preferably below 1.6 mm; wherein less than 30% by weight of the fruit powder particles have a diameter, as determined by sieving, of less than 300 μm, preferably 350 μm; and wherein the bulk density of the fruit powder is above 550g/L and below 800 g/L.

9. The fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising only fruit components, such as at least 95 wt% fruit components, preferably at least 96 wt%, or at least 97 wt%, or at least 98 wt%, or at least 99 wt% fruit components, preferably wherein the fruit powder consists essentially of fruit components, and most preferably wherein the fruit powder consists of fruit components, and optionally the fruit powder contains seed components and/or plant fibers.

10. The fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is free of added sucrose, glucose syrup, maltodextrin or other sweeteners, which is free of bulking agents, and which is free of glidants.

11. A powdered beverage composition comprising 10 to 100 wt% of the fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and optionally up to 90 wt% of a plant based ingredient selected from nut or legume based milk powder analogues, cereal based flakes or powders suitable for preparing a beverage or porridge and mixtures thereof.

12. A process for manufacturing a fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the process comprising the steps of:

1) feeding fruit powder into a powder compactor at a rate of 15kg/h to 25kg/h,

4) sieving the compacted fruit powder particles and retaining the compacted fruit powder particles having a diameter of 300 μm to 2mm, preferably 350 μm to 1.6 mm.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the powder compaction equipment is a roller compactor.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a linear compaction force of 4kN/cm to 12kN/cm is applied to compact the fruit powder.

15. Method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein particles smaller than 300 μ ι η, preferably smaller than 350 μ ι η, and optionally particles larger than 2mm are collected after sieving, and wherein the collected particles are fed back into the powder compaction equipment together with the fruit powder.

16. A kit for preparing one or more beverages, the kit comprising:

-one or more containers of a second beverage component, wherein the second beverage component

Comprising or consisting of a fruit powder according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or

Is a powdered beverage composition according to claim 11.

17. The kit of claim 16, wherein the container is selected from a sachet, pouch, canister, or capsule.

18. A kit according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the container is a single-serving container or a multi-serving container.