EP2003985A2

EP2003985A2 - Improved food coating composition based on wax and a polymer.

Info

Publication number: EP2003985A2
Application number: EP07727849A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Van Pim Hee; Angela Leonarda Maria Smits
Original assignee: DSM IP Assets BV
Current assignee: IN 2 FOOD B.V.
Priority date: 2006-04-10
Filing date: 2007-04-05
Publication date: 2008-12-24
Also published as: WO2007116020A2; WO2007116020A3

Abstract

The present invention describes a coating composition which comprises a polymer or copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, a poly acrylate, possibly mixed with other dispersions. The coating composition further comprises a wax and optionally at least one component selected from the group consisting of: surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol, glycerine, and softener. In this way food products with non-blocking and peelable coatings may be produced.

Description

IMPROVED FOOD COATING COMPOSITION

Field of the invention The invention relates to the use of an improved coating composition in a method for producing a non-blocking or peelable coating. In particular, it relates to the coating of a food product with a non-blocking or peelable coating.

Background of the invention During and after ripening, cheeses and sausages are coated to prevent physical damage, to maintain a desired shape, to reduce or prevent loss of moisture or to protect against undesired fungi including yeasts and bacteria. Hard, semi-hard or soft cheeses and various sausages such as matured sausages like salami or chorizo can be protected in this way by a coating. The protective coating consists in general of a plastic or polymer coating (for example a (co-) polymer based on vinyl acetate) that can be applied in a single layer or multiple layers. For some types of food, the coating needs to be flexible because of volume changes of the food during ripening. A skilled person will be able to select a proper polymer regarding its flexibility, depending on the type of food to be coated. An outer layer of wax, generally on basis of paraffin, can be applied on the polymer coating to block evaporative water loss and to block further ripening. This type of classical coating has therefore at least two layers: one internal layer made of polymer and one external layer made of wax.

This type of coating is known to be difficult to be peeled from the cheese or sausage it is applied to. In addition, this type of coating is known to be sticky (or blocking) (MBi/www.centrgagr^ It means cheeses or sausages coated with this type of coating will stick to each other and/or stick to the surface they are laid upon (often a wooden shelf).

Detailed description

In a first aspect, the invention provides a method wherein a wax-containing coating composition is used for producing a low-blocking coating. The wax-containing coating composition comprises: a) a polymer or copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; a poly acrylate; and b) a wax.

The use of the wax-containing coating composition has several advantages, because the coating composition is distinct from the classical coating with at least two layers (one internal layer made of polymer and one external layer made of wax): the coating used according to the invention comprises in one single layer the wax and the polymer.

In this way, a low-blocking or peelable coating may be obtained. According to one embodiment, the coating is non-blocking.

In the context of the present invention, blocking is synonymous with sticking and low-blocking indicates that stickiness is reduced. The low-blocking property of the coating reduces the adhesion of the coated substrate to any material to which it is contacted. For example, in the case of coated cheeses, this reduces the adhesion of cheeses to shelves and to the coating of neighbouring cheeses in case of contact. In general, the low-blocking aspect of the coating reduces adhesion to any material, which is beneficial to the processing of the coated product. In a preferred embodiment, the low-blocking coating is non-blocking.

The blocking characteristic of any coating is preferably quantified by the following assay. A wet tissue is applied on a coating to be tested for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the wet tissue is removed and the wetted coating is folded in order to contact the wet coating with itself (cohesion test). A glass plate is placed on top of the folded coating and after 1 hour the plate is removed. The folded coating is then tested on cohesion by pulling the folded coating layers apart. In the present invention, the ease of pulling the coating layers apart is indicated by 1 , 2, 3 or 4. 1 means (almost) impossible to pull the layers apart: it means that less than 10% of the area that was into contact can be pulled apart (coating is very blocking/sticky). 2 indicates a reasonable possibility to pull the layers apart: it means that between 10 and less than 30% of the area that was into contact can be pulled apart (coating is reasonably low blocking, slightly sticky). 3 indicates that the two layers can be almost totally pulled from one another easily: it means that between 30 and less than 70% of the area that was into contact can be pulled apart (coating is low blocking, slightly sticky). 4 indicates that the two layers can be pulled from one another very easily: it means that at least 70% of the area that was into contact can be pulled apart (coating is very low blocking, not sticky). According to a more preferred embodiment, the coatings used according to the invention are non- blocking, i.e. when tested in the assay above, the coatings give a value of 3 or 4. According to another preferred embodiment, the coatings used according to the invention are less sticky/blocking than commercially available coatings such as Mowilith SDM 4230 (Celanese GmBH, Division Emulsions, D-65926 Frankfurt am Main) or Craymul 4386 (Cray Valley B. V., Brummen, the Netherlands).

According to another preferred embodiment, the coatings used according to the invention are peelable (or strippable) when applied on a food product. The peelable aspect of the coating used according to the invention allows the coating to be removed from the surface that it coats, simply by mechanical peeling. The coating is peelable during and after storage, without the need to pack the product in plastic foil or other packaging material. A peelable coating possesses sufficient flexibility and strength so that it does not fracture during peeling. Preferably, the adhesive ability of the coating is sufficient to keep it completely bound to the underlying surface during the period of protection and yet remains peelable at the time of removal. Preferably, the peelable coating is peeled off without being torn in pieces. Advantageously, parts of at least 5 cm² can be peeled off; preferably parts of at least 10 cm², and more preferably at least parts of 20 cm² can be peeled off in one piece. A useful coating when removed should not remain partially unpeeled, and thus not leaving parts of coating adhering to the coated surface. By mechanical peeling is meant that it can be peeled by a suitable apparatus or by hand.

The peelability of coatings is preferably tested by cutting part of a dried coating that is applied to a glass plate with a sharp object like a knife. The ease of tearing the coating from the glass surface gives a good indication of the peelability. In the present invention, the ease of tearing is indicated by 1 , 2 or 3 in the course of which 1 means almost impossible to tear or peel the coating from the surface, 2 means possible to peel but when the coating is teared off it breaks within 1 cm, the coating can only be removed in small parts less than 1 -5 cm², 3 means that it is easy to peel and that the coating can be teared off easily like a banana peel in parts of at least 5 cm². According to a preferred embodiment, the coatings used according to the invention are peelable. It means that when tested using the assay above, the coatings give a value of 3 or 4. According to another preferred embodiment, the coatings used according to the invention are more peelable than commercially available -A-

coatings such as Mowilith SDM 4230 (Celanese GmBH, Division Emulsions, D-65926 Frankfurt am Main) or Craymul 4386 (Cray Valley B. V., Brummen, the Netherlands).

According to a preferred embodiment, the wax-containing coating composition is used to produce a coating which is both low-blocking and peelable when applied on a food product. Even more preferably, the method according to the invention uses a coating which gives a value of 3, or 4 in the blocking assay and a value of 3 or 4 in the peeling assay defined above, i.e. uses a coating which is both non-blocking and peelable when applied on a food product.

A first component present in the coating composition used according to the invention is a polymer or copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selecting from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, poly acrylate, possibly mixed with other dispersions. In the context used according to the invention, "a" means "at least one". Preferably, the copolymer is a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate. All these types of polymers and copolymers are commercially available, eg. Mowilith SDM 4230 (Celanese GmBH, Division Emulsions, D-65926 Frankfurt am Main) or Craymul 4386 (Cray Valley B. V., Brummen, the Netherlands). These polymers are preferably used at concentrations ranging between 20-60% w/w.

A second component present in the coating composition used according to the invention is a wax. Typically, the wax is a blend of fully refined food grade hydrocarbon waxes or paraffin's. The wax can be added as a prefabricated emulsion to the polymer dispersion. Many of these types of products are commercially available. An alternative method for the preparation of the wax containing coating is to melt the wax and disperse it with the right dispersant in the liquid phase during the polymerisation process that is used to produce the polymer. Preferably, the wax comprises at least 50% (w/w) refined solid wax, petrolatum and/or microcrystalline wax. In general, the wax can be a blend of formulated linear and branched hydrocarbon waxes and optionally contains small amounts of polymers such as polyethylene, polyisobutene or butylrubber. The skilled person will know to choose the best appropriate wax to be used in the wax-containing coating used according to the invention. In general, the blocking and peeling characteristics of the coating seem to be linked with the wax content of the coating: when the wax content increases, it seems that the blocking characteristic decreases, whereas the peelable characteristic increases. The skilled person knows which type of wax is most suited depending on the type of food product to be coated. For example, a broad range of waxes is available nowadays for cheeses.

According to another preferred embodiment, the amount of wax present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention ranges between 0.01 and 5% w/w in the polymer dispersion with a preferred polymer content ranging between 20 and 60% w/w. The waxes used in the present invention typically have a melting temperature in the range of 10 - 150 °C.

More preferably, the amount of wax present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention ranges between 0.1 and 2.0 % w/w in the polymer dispersion with a preferred polymer content ranging between 30 and 45% w/w for obtaining the desired blocking characteristic.

More preferably, the amount of wax present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention ranges between 1 .0 and 4.0 % w/w in the polymer dispersion with a preferred polymer content ranging between 30 and 45% w/w for obtaining the desired peelability.

The polymer or copolymer of the food coating composition may be mixed with other dispersions. In one embodiment, a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate mixed with a polyethylene comprising dispersion is used in the method of the invention. Optionally, the coating composition for use in the present invention may further comprise at least one component selected from the group consisting of: surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol, glycerine, and softener may be present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention.

Surfactants may be used in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention to facilitate the production of the polymer dispersion. Preferably, the amount of surfactants present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention ranges between 0.1 and 3.0% (w/w). Many surfactant types may be used, but preferably sodium lauryl sulphate or polyethyleneoxide ethers. Cellulose thickener, polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidon may also be present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention to improve the rheological properties of the coating. Preferably, the amount of these compounds present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention ranges between 0.01 and 10.0% w/w. Many different cellulose thickeners may be used, but preferably hydroxy ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, or carboxymethyl cellulose should be used.

Preferably, an anti-microbial agent is present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention to prevent fungal/microbial growth. Any anti- microbial may be used. Preferred anti-microbial are polyene anti-fungal agents (0-1000 ppm), sorbic acid (0.01 -0.3% w/w), propionic acid (0.01 -0.3% w/w), benzoic acid (0.01 - 0.3% w/w), lactic acid (0.1 -3% w/w), nisin (0-500 ppm) and cinnamic acid (0.001 -0.01 % w/w). A preferred polyene anti-fungal agent is natamycin. If an anti-microbial agent is present in the coating composition used according to the invention, preferably, ascorbic acid is also present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention to act as an anti-oxidising agent. Preferably, the amount of ascorbic acid (sodium salt or calcium salt) present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention ranges between 0 and 2000 ppm.

According to another preferred embodiment, glycerine or glycerol is present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention to reduce the blocking of the coating and to make the polymer more flexible. Preferably, the amount of glycerine present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention ranges between 0.2 and 1.0% (w/w).

Softeners can be used to improve the physical properties of the wax-containing coating used according to the invention. However, softeners are suspected to migrate from the wax-containing coating into the coated product. Therefore, there is a need to improve cheese wax-containing coating without using softeners or with very limited amounts of softeners. Preferably, the wax-containing coating used according to the invention contains less than 2% (w/w) of softeners or plasticisers, more preferably less than 1 % (w/w). Preferably, the wax-containing coating used according to the invention is free of softeners or plasticisers. Preferably, the wax-containing coating used according to the invention contains less than 2% w/w of softeners or plasticisers on basis of butadiene. More preferably, softeners comprising butadiene are excluded from the coating.

According to a more preferred embodiment, the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention comprises: a) a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, b) a wax and optionally c) at least one component selected from the group consisting of: surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol, glycerine, and softener.

According to another preferred embodiment, the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention comprises: a) a polymer or copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selecting from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, a poly acrylate, possibly mixed with other dispersions, preferably a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, b) a wax and optionally c) glycerine.

According to another preferred embodiment, the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention comprises: a) a polymer or copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selecting from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, a poly acrylate, possibly mixed with other dispersions, preferably a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, b) a wax and optionally c) natamycin.

According to another preferred embodiment, the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention comprises: a) a polymer or copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selecting from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, a poly acrylate, possibly mixed with other dispersions, preferably a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, b) a wax and optionally c) natamycin and ascorbic acid.

According to another preferred embodiment, the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention comprises: a) a polymer or copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selecting from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, a poly acrylate, possibly mixed with other dispersions, preferably a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, b) a wax and optionally c) natamycin and glycerine.

According to another preferred embodiment, the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention comprises: a) a polymer or copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selecting from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, a poly acrylate, possibly mixed with other dispersions, preferably a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, b) a wax and optionally c) natamycin, ascorbic acid and glycerine.

More preferably, in the six preferred coating compositions defined above, the amount of wax present ranges between 0.01 and 5% w/w in the polymer dispersion with a preferred polymer content ranged between 20 and 60% w/w. Even more preferably, in the six preferred coating compositions defined above, the amount of wax present in the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention ranges between 0.1 and 2.0 % w/w in the polymer dispersion with a preferred polymer content ranged between 30 and 45% for obtaining the desired non-blocking characteristic. According to other more preferred embodiments, the amount of wax present in the six preferred wax-containing coating composition defined above ranges between 1 .0 and 4.0 % in the polymer dispersion with a preferred polymer content ranged between 30 and 45% for obtaining the desired peelability.

According to a second aspect, the invention provides a food product with a low- blocking coating produced by the method of the invention. Preferred food products are cheeses and meat products. Preferred meat products are hard sausages. Preferably, the low-blocking coating is also peelable. In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of coating a food product with a low- blocking coating. The method comprises applying to a food product a wax-containing coating composition which comprises a) a polymer or a copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; a poly acrylate; and b) a wax.

The polymer or copolymer of the food coating composition may be mixed with other dispersions and may further comprise at least one component selected from the group consisting of: surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol, glycerine, and softener, as mentioned before.

Preferred food products to be coated are cheeses and meat products. Preferred meat products are hard sausages.

The food product which is coated by the method of the invention may already contain an inner/first layer coating of any kind. According to a preferred embodiment, the inner/first layer coating the food product is a plastic, polymer, lipid or fatty acid coating. More preferably, the polymer comprises a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate.

The wax can be added as a prefabricated emulsion to the polymer dispersion. An alternative method for the preparation of the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention is to melt the wax and disperse it in the liquid phase during the polymerisation process that is used to produce the polymer. The wax-containing coating can be applied directly to the food product surface, to cheese rind or to a bandaged surface of suitable integrity. The wax-containing coating can be applied to individual food product by dipping or brush application or spray application. The coating layer thickness can be increased by applying a thicker layer, by application of multiple layers, or by varying the solids content of the coating. Application of the wax-containing coating composition used according to the invention can be manual, semi-automatic or automatic depending on the number of food products to be treated. Specialised coating machines are commercially available. Machine settings can be modified in an empirical way in order to produce a specific end result in terms of coating application.

According to a preferred embodiment, the wax-containing coating can be used in combination with other types of coatings. It can be applied at any stage in the (ripening) process to make the coating non-blocking and/or peelable. In a further aspect, the invention provides a method for peeling the coating of a food product, wherein the food product had been first coated by the method of the invention. In another aspect, the present invention relates to a low-blocking coating composition which coating composition comprises a polymer or copolymer which comprises (a) a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; or a polyacrylate, and (b) glycerine.

A first component present in the coating composition used according to the invention is a polymer or copolymer comprising at least one of the following polymers or copolymers selecting from the group consisting of: copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate, poly acrylate. Preferably, the copolymer is a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate. All these types of polymers and copolymers are commercially available, eg. Mowilith SDM 4230 (Celanese GmBH, Division Emulsions, D-65926 Frankfurt am Main) or Craymul 4386 (Cray Valley B. V., Brummen, the Netherlands). These polymers are preferably used at concentrations ranging between 20-60% w/w.

The amount of glycerine present in the coating composition used according to the invention ranges between 0.2 and 1.0% (w/w).

The coating composition may be mixed with other dispersions and may further comprise at least one component selected from the group consisting of: surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol, wax, and softener, as discussed above.

The present invention also encompasses a food product coated with the coating composition of the present invention. Preferred food products to be coated are cheeses and meat products. Preferred meat products are hard sausages.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples, which should not be construed as limiting the scope used according to the invention. EXAMPLES

Material and methods Materials

Base polymers used

Mowilith SDM 4230, a copolymer from vinyl acetate and butyl acrylate, approx. 45% purchased by Celanese GmBH, Division Emulsions, D-65926 Frankfurt am Main.

Craymul 4376, a copolymer from vinyl actate and dibutylmaleate, approx. 45% purchased by Cray Valley B. V. (Brummen, the Netherlands).

Craymul 4386, a copolymer from vinyl actate and dibutylmaleate, approx. 45% purchased by Cray Valley B. V. (Brummen, the Netherlands).

Other ingredients - Delvocid®, containing 50% (w/w) active natamycin, DSM Food Specialties, P.O.

Box 1 , 2600 MA, Delft, The Netherlands.

Michem Emulsion 37135, polyethylene wax emulsion from Michelman Inc., Ohio

USA, purchased by Keyser & Mackay, Leidsegracht 19, 1017 NA, Amsterdam,

The Netherlands. - Pekophob C50, paraffin wax emulsion, approx. 45% purchased from Clariant

Benelux NV/SA (Diemen, The Netherlands)

Glycerine, Boom BV (Meppel, The Netherlands)

Example 1 Preparation of food coating formulations

This Example describes a method to prepare a formulation suitable for use as a food coating and especially a cheese coating. The mixtures were made with an electric top stirrer, type RW 20 DZM from Janke & Kunkel equipped with a planetary mixer. Several mixtures were made: Reference coating 1 , comprising 182 gram Craymul 4376 and 18 grams of demineralised water. Coating 2, comprising 175 gram Craymul 4376, 4 gram polyethylene Michem Emulsion

37135 and 21 grams of demineralised water.

Coating 3, comprising 175 gram Craymul 4386, 0.2 gram Pekophob C50 and 24.8 grams of demineralised water. Coating 4, comprising 175 gram Craymul 4386, 0.4 gram Pekophob C50 and 24.6 grams of demineralised water.

Coating 5, comprising 175 gram Craymul 4386, 1.0 gram Pekophob C50 and 24.0 grams of demineralised water.

Coating 6, comprising 175 gram Craymul 4386, 4.0 gram Pekophob C50 and 21.0 grams of demineralised water.

Coating 7, comprising 175 gram Craymul 4386, 1 1 .0 gram Pekophob C50 and 14.0 grams of demineralised water.

Coating 8, comprising 175 gram Craymul 4386, 0.4 gram glycerine and 24.6 grams of demineralised water. Coating 9, comprising 175 gram Craymul 4386, 1.0 gram glycerine and 24.0 grams of demineralised water.

Coating 10, comprising 175 gram Craymul 4386, 1.6 gram glycerine and 23.4 grams of demineralised water.

The obtained mixtures were stored at 18 °C in closed buckets in the dark until the moment of usage.

Example 2

Peelability test criteria This Example describes the method that was used to test the peelability of the coatings after application and sufficient storage. The coating surface is a closed layer and to test peelability, an attachment point is made by opening the coating by a sharp subject like a knife. The ease of tearing the coating from the surface gives a good indication of the peelability. The ease of tearing is indicated by 1 , 2 or 3 in the course of which 1 means almost impossible to tear or peel the coating from the surface, 2 means possible to peel but when the coating is teared off it breaks within 1 cm, the coating can only be removed in small parts less than 1 - 5 cm², 3 means that it is easy to peel and that the coating can be teared off easily like a banana peel in parts of at least 5 cm². Example 3 Peelabilitv results

This Example describes the results obtained from preparing a coating film on a glass plate to evaluate the peelability. The dispersions as described in Example 1 (coating 1 , 2 and 7) were drawn on glass substrates by using a pulling bar with adjustable slit height (200 μm and 635 μm) and were left to dry uncovered for at least 12 hours under normal conditions. (55 % relative humidity, 23⁰C). The dry films were tested on their peelability as indicated in Example 2. The results are presented in Table 1 .

Table 1 : Results of the peelability of the dry films on glass as substrate.

The results in Table 1 show that coating 2 and coating 7 are easy to peel off, while coating 1 is almost impossible to tear or peel from the glass surface.

Example 4

Blocking results using wax

This Example describes the results obtained from preparing a coating film on a poly ethylene foil to evaluate the blocking/stickiness of the coating. Dispersions described in Example 1 were drawn on glass substrates by using a pulling bar (635 μm) and were left to dry uncovered for at least 12 hours under normal conditions. (55 % relative humidity, 23⁰C). The dry films were wetted by placing a wet tissue on top of the coating. After 30 minutes, the wet tissue was removed and the wetted coating was folded in order to contact the wet coating with itself (cohesion test). A glass plate was placed on top of the folded coating and after 1 hour the plate was removed. The folded coating was tested on cohesion by pulling the folded coating layers apart. The ease of pulling the coating layers apart is indicated by 1 , 2, 3 or 4 in the course of which 1 means almost impossible to pull the layers apart (coating is very blocking/sticky), 2 indicates a reasonable possibility to pull the layers apart (coating is reasonably low blocking, slightly sticky), 3 indicates that the two layers can be pulled from one another easily (coating is low blocking, slightly sticky), and 4 indicates that the two layers can be pulled from one another very easily (coating is very low blocking, not sticky). The results are presented in Table 2.

Table 2: Results of the blocking/stickiness of the wet films contacting one another.

The results in Table 2 show that stickiness decreases with increasing wax content. Coatings 6 and 7 are not sticky at all, while coating 1 is very sticky.

Example 5 Blocking results using glycerine instead of wax

This Example describes a similar test as described in Example 4. In this Example, glycerine is tested for its low blocking effect instead of wax. The results are presented in Table 3.

Table 3: Results of the blocking/stickiness of the wet films contacting one another.

The results in Table 3 show that stickiness decreases with increasing glycerine content. Coating 10 is slightly sticky and coatings 1 and 8 are very sticky.

Comparison of the results in Tables 2 and 3 thus shows that:

1 ) addition of 0.4 gram of glycerine to 175 grams the Craymul 4386 base dispersion (coating 8) does not reduce the stickiness of the Craymul 4386 base dispersion (coating

1 ) ;

2) addition of 1 .0 gram of glycerine to 175 grams the Craymul 4386 base dispersion (coating 9) gives the same reduced stickiness as the addition of 0.2 to 0.4 grams of

Pekophob C50 wax dispersion (coatings 3 and 4);

3) addition of 1 .6 gram of glycerine to 175 grams the Craymul 4386 base dispersion (coating 10) gives the same reduced stickiness as the addition of 1.0 gram of Pekophob C50 wax dispersion (coating 5); 4) addition of 4.0 to 1 1.0 grams of Pekophob C50 wax dispersion to 175 grams of Craymul 4386 base dispersion gives the highest reduction in stickiness of the coatings that were tested.

Example 6

Production of low-blocking coatings on cheese

Coating 6 was applied onto 5 round Maasdam cheeses of approximately 12 kg each. In the first part of the analyses cheeses were coated with 2.5 coating layers of 40 grams each. As a reference 5 other cheeses were coated with coating 1 according to the same procedure. The cheeses were stored at 8 - 10 degrees C and a relative humidity of 85 - 87%.

It was observed that during the whole process the cheeses that were coated with coating 6 showed less sticking to the wooden shelves onto which the cheeses were stored in comparison to cheeses that were coated with coating 1. After this first analysis 1.5 additional coating layers of both coatings were applied onto the cheeses. Now the cheeses were stored at 19 - 21 degrees C and a relative humidity of 85 - 88%. The cheeses that were coated with coating 6 again showed less sticking to the shelves in comparison to those that were coated with coating 1. These results show that a coating with wax shows less blocking both at low (8-10 degrees C) and elevated temperatures (19-21 degrees C) in comparison to a coating without wax.

Claims

1. Use of a coating composition which comprises (a) a polymer or copolymer comprising a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; or a polyacrylate; and (b) a wax, for producing a low-blocking coating.

2. Use according to claim 1 , wherein the coating composition comprises (a) a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate and (b) a wax.

3. Use according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the polymer or copolymer is mixed with another dispersion.

4. Use according to claims 1 -3, wherein the coating composition further comprises glycerine.

5. Use according to claims 1 -4 wherein the coating composition further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of: surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol and softener.

6. Use according to claims 1 -5, wherein the coating is produced for application on a food product.

7. Use according to claim 6, wherein the food product is a cheese or meat product.

8. A method for producing a low-blocking coating, which method comprises the use of a coating composition which comprises (a) a polymer or copolymer comprising a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; or a polyacrylate; and (b) a wax.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the coating composition comprises (a) a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate and (b) a wax.

10. Method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the polymer or copolymer is mixed with another dispersion.

1 1 . A method according to claims 8-10, wherein the coating composition further comprises one or more component selected from the group consisting of: glycerine, surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol and softener.

12. A method for producing a food product with a low-blocking coating, wherein the method comprises: applying a coating composition which comprises (a) a polymer or copolymer comprising a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; or a polyacrylate; and (b) a wax, to a food product.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the coating composition further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of: glycerine, surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol and softener.

14. A method according to claims 1 1 -13, wherein the coating composition is applied to a coated food product.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the coated food product is coated with a plastic coating, polymer coating, lipid coating or fatty acid coating.

16. A coating composition comprising a polymer or copolymer which comprises (a) a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; or a polyacrylate, and (b) glycerine.

17. A coating composition according to claim 16, which further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of: a wax, surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol and softener.

18. A food product coated with the coating composition according to claims 16 or 17.

19. A food product according to claim 18, wherein the food product is a cheese or a meat product.

20. A method for producing a peelable coating, which method comprises the use of a composition which comprises (a) a polymer or copolymer comprising a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; or a polyacrylate; and (b) a wax.

21 . A method according to claim 20, wherein wherein the polymer or copolymer is mixed with another dispersion.

22. A method for producing a peelable coating on a food product, wherein the method comprises: applying to a food product a coating composition which comprises (a) a polymer or copolymer comprising a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; or a polyacrylate;, and (b) a wax.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the coating composition further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of: glycerine, surfactant, cellulose thickener, ascorbic acid, anti-microbial agent, polyvinyl alcohol and softener.

24. A method according to claims 22 or 23, wherein the coating is produced for application on a food product.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the food product is a cheese or meat product.

26. A method for peeling the coating of a food product, which method comprises removing a coating composition which comprises (a) a polymer or copolymer comprising a copolymer of vinyl acetate and dibutyl maleate; or a polyacrylate; and (b) a wax.