EP2190302A1

EP2190302A1 - Encapsulated edible liquids

Info

Publication number: EP2190302A1
Application number: EP08793839A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Erik Peter Schokker; Ramona Maria Henricus Prickaerts; Miranda Maryska Helena Huisman
Original assignee: Friesland Brands BV
Current assignee: FrieslandCampina Nederland BV
Priority date: 2007-08-16
Filing date: 2008-08-15
Publication date: 2010-06-02
Also published as: WO2009022909A1; NL1034260C2

Abstract

Capsules for use in edible products are provided. The capsules comprise an edible liquid which is encapsulated by a wall of an edible material, wherein the liquid comprises an oil-in-water emulsion, and wherein at least one flavorant or colorant is present in the oil phase of the emulsion. The capsules can be taken up into edible products, such as drinks, to give these products a flavor sensation and/or mouth-feel based on the liquid in the capsules, such as a splash effect.

Description

Title: ENCAPSULATED EDIBLE LIQUIDS

Field of the invention

The invention pertains to capsules comprising a liquid base and one or more food additives selected from the group consisting of flavorants, colorants, and mixtures thereof, so as to provide a flavor and/or color effect for use in edible products such as juices, drinks, yoghurts, desserts, snack foods, and the like. More particularly, the invention pertains to encapsulated liquids for use in edible, preferably liquid products. The invention also pertains to methods of making these capsules and edible liquid products containing these elements.

Background to the invention

US 4,507,327 relates to encapsulated foods filled with a desired edible liquid and a process for preparing drinks which include such encapsulated foods. In this reference, an edible inner liquid is encapsulated by a wall of calcium alginate.

As indicated in US 4,507,327, the capsules therein are only in a condition of temporary enclosure and therefore the edible liquid or water is apt to ooze out. In order to prevent this oozing, it is proposed in US 4,507,327 to add a little of the same kind (same flavor) or different kind (different flavor) of edible liquid to these capsules so that they are preserved in a state of aggregation by immersing them in added edible liquid.

EP 1 629 722 (CSM) relates to a pourable composition which comprises a plurality of tasty gelled beads (i.e. solid beads, not having a liquid inside) dispersed in a continuous aqueous phase, wherein the gelled beads may contain various flavorings. The aqueous phase containing the gelled beads can be added to food products, e.g. to a fruit preparation, a yoghurt, or an ice cream.

Other encapsulated edible liquids concern dairy products. One class of encapsulated dairy products is highly viscous yoghurts, as disclosed in Japanese patent application no. 62"¹SO 645 (Meiji Milk Product Co). These yoghurts typically have viscosities greater than 2000 mPa.s at 10⁰C.

Distinguishing from the above Meiji capsules, US 6,627,236 (Gervais Danone) discloses a composition and method for encapsulating yoghurts with a somewhat lower viscosity, as exemplified with reference to a viscosity at 10⁰C of 900 mPa.s. measured at 64 s^"1.

The disclosed dairy products, whilst having their native flavor and color, do not comprise flavorants and/or colorants.

Summary of the Invention

The invention seeks to provide encapsulated liquids which allow retention of added components, viz. food additives selected from the group consisting of flavorants, colorants, and mixtures thereof.

The invention particularly seeks to provide such encapsulated liquids as will allow retention of flavorants or colorants also if filled with liquids having a relatively low viscosity such as juices and drinks.

To this end, in one aspect, the invention provides capsules for use in edible products, the capsules comprising an edible liquid which is encapsulated by a wall of an edible material, wherein the liquid comprises an oil-in- water emulsion, and wherein at least one flavorant or colorant is present in the oil phase of the emulsion.

The invention, in another aspect, provides an edible product, preferably an edible liquid product, comprising one or more of the foregoing encapsulated liquids. One or more of the flavorants or colorants of the encapsulated liquids, as well as the overall flavor or color of the encapsulated liquids, can be the same or different from the flavorants or colorants or overall flavor or color of the edible product. In yet another aspect, the invention relates to such edible products, e.g., snacks or drinks, as will exhibit a flavor or mouth-feel sensation to the person consuming it, by the presence of encapsulated liquid as described above. Preferably this is a burst effect, which can be experienced as a "splash", as it is related to a sudden release of liquid in the mouth.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method of encapsulating an edible liquid, wherein the liquid is an oil-in- water emulsion comprising at least one flavorant or colorant in the oil phase of the emulsion, the method comprising providing an emulsion containing calcium or other divalent ions, contacting small quantities, preferably droplets, of the emulsion with a gel- forming polysaccharide solution, and allowing the calcium or other divalent ions to diffuse into the polysaccharide solution so as to form a polysaccharide gel encapsulating the emulsion quantity. In another aspect of the method of the invention, the quantities of the emulsion are first frozen preferably by being dispersed into liquid nitrogen, and then contacted with the polysaccharide.

In another aspect the edible liquid is encapsulated in a gel-forming polysaccharide using a co-extrusion technique, wherein various types of gel forming components can be applied, such as in which gel formation is induced by divalent cations or those which form gels according to other mechanisms such as cooling or heating.

These and other aspects will be further elucidated in the detailed description below.

Detailed Description of the Invention

According to the invention, a good retention of flavorants or colorants in encapsulated liquids is obtained by the judicious choice of an oil-in- water emulsion for the liquid to be encapsulated, and the presence of the flavorant or colorant in the oil phase of the emulsion. The terms "food additive", "flavorant", and "colorant" used in the present description will be readily understood by the person skilled in the art to refer to components that are separately added and will normally be listed among the declaration of ingredients of the food product in which they are contained. Thus, e.g., plain yoghurt or milk, which have their own, native flavor and color, do not as such comprise flavorants or colorants, whilst e.g. a raspberrry drinking yoghurt will generally comprise raspberries and/or a raspberry flavorant, as a declared additive.

Flavor is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The "trigeminal senses", which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat, may also occasionally determine flavor. The flavor of the food, as such, can be altered with artificial or natural flavorants, which affect these senses. Flavorant is defined as a substance that gives another substance flavor. Similarly, a colorant is a substance that gives another substance color.

The highest benefit of the invention is enjoyed in those edible products in which the retention of flavorants in the encapsulated liquids is the most prominent, generally products having a water-based continuous phase, such as fruit juices, drinks and dairy drinks based on milk, whey or yoghurts, or snacks having soft- solid or solid surroundings, such as an aqueous-based (gelled) surrounding (including yoghurts and cheese

The term "flavorants" particularly refers to aroma's, taste components, and trigeminal stimuli, i.e. substances which are sensed by the trigeminal senses, notably substances which give a cool sensation (e.g., in the case of mint) or a hot sensation (e.g., in the case of capsaicin, piperine, sambal). In the invention, the at least one flavorant which is present in the oil phase of the emulsion, preferably is the component, or are the components, responsible for the desired flavor effect of the encapsulated liquid. It is possible to have flavorants in both the aqueous phase and the oil phase of the emulsion. In that case one should accept any worse retention of the flavorant in the aqueous phase, while benefiting from the better retention of the at least one flavorant in the oil phase.

Preferably the overall flavor of the encapsulated liquid is determined by one or more flavorants present in the oil phase. This will allow a good predictability of the resulting flavor sensation if the capsules are taken up into an edible product.

Most preferably, to this end all of the flavorants are present in the oil phase of the emulsion. The concentration of the flavorant or colorant may vary widely, depending on the specific component used as the flavorant or colorant. This is known to the person skilled in the art, and requires no elucidation here.

Suitable flavorants include citrus flavors and mint flavors, but a great variety of other oil- soluble flavorants are suitable as well. Preferably hydrophobic flavorants are used such as limonene and pulegone.

One possible way of determining suitable oil solubility, is to take into account the partition coefficient P, being the activity of the flavorant in octanol divided by the activity of the component in water. Preferably P is larger than 1, and more preferably larger than 5. Most preferably, hydrophobic flavorants are used having P larger than 5 and more preferably larger than 50.

Preferred trigeminal stimuli are those providing a cool sensation, such as mint or menthol (which is an aroma as well as a trigeminal stimulus).

These apparent coolants can well be used in drinks to provide an additional cool sensation, when the person consuming the drink bites or squeezes one or more of the capsules present.

The emulsions preferably have a volume ratio of the oil phase to the water phase of from about 0.1 to 50 , preferably about 0.5 to 10.

The effect of a person biting or squeezing one or more encapsulated liquids of the invention, or otherwise causing the opening up or breaking up of the capsule in the mouth, can be used with advantage in providing edible products. The effect of a person consuming an edible product in which at least one such capsule is contained, can be put to use in various manners. Thus, e.g., in a snack food, it can be an appealing surprise to include a liquid bite (e.g., rendering a splash or burst effect). This can have a flavor similar to that of the surrounding snack food. In that case the effect is based on the physical difference between the snack food and the encapsulated liquid. It can also be considered to include a different flavor, which may either be a different degree of a similar flavor, or a per se different, incongruent, or even contrasting flavor. According to the invention this can be simply effected by taking up any desired flavorant in the oil phase of the emulsion to be encapsulated. The term "incongruent" is known to persons skilled in the art of food sensorics and indicates a difference from the normal, acquired associations (e.g., "sugar"and "sweet" are congruent stimuli and "sugar" and "salt" are incongruent stimuli). It should be noted that incongruent stimuli can be contrasting and vice versa. Contrasting stimuli are not necessarily incongruent: as long as they are well compartmentalized and their release is sudden, an encapsulated flavor stimulus can also be experienced as "contrasting" based on its sudden release in an otherwise congruent flavor environment.

The encapsulated liquids of the invention can be mixed with, or incorporated into a variety of edible products. Suitable edible products according to the invention include drinks such as milk, milk drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate milk, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, beer, etc. or juices, such as fruit juice; whey drinks, fruit preparations such as jams; desserts such as ice cream or yoghurt, candy bars, cheese. By taking up the encapsulated liquid in these edible products, a wealth of possibilities opens up for including flavor and mouth feel effects in such products. E.g., an encapsulated fruit juice (e.g., with strawberry aroma) can be used to lend a fruit juice effect to ice cream (e.g., strawberry ice cream). Or a juice with a first flavor, e.g., raspberry, is used to lend an additional flavor effect to an edible product having a second flavor, different from the first flavor, e.g., in strawberry-flavored yoghurt. Also, e.g., an encapsulated lemon juice can be added to ice-tea, or an encapsulated coffee can be added to a coffee or chocolate drink. Or mustard is encapsulated and included in cheese or a cheese snack, fruit vlavoured capsules can be put into chocolate flavoured custard, or lemon-flavored capsules in strawberry flavoured yoghurt. By no means is this summing up of a limitative nature. The encapsulated liquid can be the same as the edible liquid in which it is taken up, or it can be different. An interesting flavor potential is given by the use of a flavorant in the encapsulated liquid which contrasts with the flavor of the edible product in which it is incorporated. Also, in a single drink two or more different capsules comprising different flavorants can be added.

In a preferred embodiment, the edible product is a drink comprising beads with encapsulated liquid that are preferably visible (e.g. in a transparent drink). Preferably the beads are made to float throughout the drink (e.g. by ensuring that they have more or less the same density as the drink). Apart from the potential for the surprising taste and/or mouthfeel effect associated with the present invention, this also leads to a visual effect that can be appealing to the consumer.

The invention is generally applicable to any edible liquid to be encapsulated, as long as this is in the form of an oil-in- water emulsion. The invention is particularly beneficial if applied on liquids of relatively low viscosity. The latter refers to viscosities below the typical viscosities of, e.g., yoghurts, i.e., below 900 mPa.s, measured at 64 s^"1 and preferably below 400 mPa.s. when measured at 100 s"¹. Particularly, the invention is applicable to encapsulated liquids which have a low viscosity of below 100 mPa.s, such as evaporated milk, and more preferably below 10 mPa.s, such as juice, water-based drinks, or milk. The viscosities of suitable drinks and edible liquids are known to the person skilled in the art, and do not require further elucidation here. E.g., whipping cream has a viscosity of about 100 mPa.s, a thin drinking yoghurt will have a viscosity of about 10 mPa.s, drinking chocolate has a viscosity of between about 100 and 200 mPa.s, all at a shear rate of 100/s.

With a view to the particular viscosities discussed above, the encapsulated liquid preferably is based on a juice or a water-based drink such as coffee or tea, or on a milk-based drink such as chocolate milk or fruit- flavored milk. In this respect it is preferred if the water phase in the encapsulated emulsion is neutral (e.g., water) or is the same as the surrounding drink.

Particularly with encapsulated liquids of a relatively low viscosity, such as juices or water-based drinks, or low viscous milk-based drinks, the invention has the advantage of providing an edible product which yields to the consumer the above- described "splash" effect. This effect is of potential interest to the consumer, who will be able to enjoy, e.g., a solid food product such as a snack food and be pleasantly surprised upon experiencing one or more splash events, based on the number of encapsulated liquids contained in the food.

Also in a juice, a drink, a dessert, a yoghurt, or the like, the pleasant surprise of a splash effect can be well provided by the invention. In this respect, it is preferred if the splash effect makes for a contrast with the surrounding food product. E.g., if the latter is a juice, a flavor contrast in the encapsulated liquid will make for a more marked splash effect. In a higher viscous or solid food, e.g., a yoghurt, the presence of encapsulated low viscous liquid, such as a juice, per se will lead to a favourable splash effect.

An important component of the encapsulated liquid is the oil phase. Suitable oils are edible oils, such as sunflower oil, soybean oil, butter oil, olive oil, medium chain triglyceride oils, peanut oil, and other edibles oils such are known to the skilled person.

The emulsions can be prepared in any manner known to the person skilled in the art.

According to the invention, the preparation is to be conducted in such a way as to include the one or more desired flavorants in the oil phase of the emulsion. Preferably, the flavorants are used as provided commercially in an oily solution, as this facilitates mixing the flavored oil with the remaining oil to be incorporated into the emulsion.

The invention also pertains to methods of encapsulating the aforementioned emulsions.

Suitable edible wall materials include polymers, such as the polysaccarides alginate, pectinate, gellan, or carrageenan, or proteins, notably milk-protein and milk derived proteins such as caseinate, and gelatin. For the formation of a suitable wall, it is preferred if these wall materials form gels or can otherwise be crosslinked or hardened.

A good example hereof, and preferred according to the invention, is the calcium induced gelation of an alginate or a pectinate. Alginates and pectinates, e.g., sodium or potassium alginate or pectinate, are known to the person skilled in the art. This can be carried out, e.g., by providing an emulsion containing calcium ions (e.g., using CaCl2 or calcium lactate as a source), or other divalent cations, contacting discrete portions, in small quantities, of the emulsion with a gel-forming polysaccharide solution, and allowing the calcium to diffuse into the polysaccharide solution so as to form a polysaccharide gel encapsulating the emulsion quantity.

The contacting preferably takes place by allowing droplets of the emulsion to enter (fall) into the polysaccharide solution. The latter preferably is a pectinate, and more preferably an alginate solution. The polysaccharide concentration in this solution preferably is of from 0.5 to 10 wt.%, and more preferably of from 2 to 6 wt.%.

The calcium concentration used is generally of from 0.5 to 10% calculated on calcium choride. Preferably around 1% CaCl2 and, in the case of co-extrusion, around 4%. In the case of alginate it is preferred to use a lower range (0.5-2%) than in the case of pectinate. The contacting more preferably takes place by allowing droplets of an emulsion not containing calcium or other divalent ions, surrounded by alginate to enter (fall) into a calcium solution. This can well be achieved using co- extrusion. This co-extrusion method is particularly preferred for manufacturing on a larger scale.

As an alternative to the above divalent cation-induced gelation, it will be clear that other polymers, can be used which form gels in different ways, e.g., upon cooling or heating (e.g., gelatin, agar, gellan). Such gels can be employed, e.g., by causing droplets from a warm solution to cool (e.g., in the case of gelatin), e.g., in a cooling bath or by contact with cool air, or vice versa by heating up in a hot bath or in hot air (e.g., with gellan).

Generating emulsion droplets can be done in any manner known to the person skilled in the art. This can typically be done using a high pressure homogenizer, a rotor/stator mixer, or by membranes emulsification. See, e.g., DJ McClements, Food Emulsions: Principles, Practice and Techniques (2ⁿ^ Edition), CRC Press, 2004.

In the case of methods involving the generation of droplets, i.e., discrete portions of emulsion, the latter can be generated using, e.g., a pipette, a pump or a nozzle. A nozzle, and more particularly a vibrating nozzle, is preferably used if a co-extrusion method is employed, which leads to well shaped capsules with a narrow size distribution.

The person skilled in the art will be able, without undue experimentation, to determine the appropriate conditions to form a suitable wall. In this respect it is particularly desired to realize a relatively slow mixing of the emulsion with the polysaccharide solution. This can be realized by increasing the viscosity of the liquid to be encapsulated. In a preferred method, discrete portions of the emulsion containing divalent ions are first frozen, preferably by being dispersed into liquid nitrogen, and then contacted with the polysaccharide. In this embodiment too, the discrete portions preferably are droplets. The thawing of the emulsion droplets provides a naturally suitable rate at which the calcium ions are released for gel formation.

For a larger, preferably commercial, scale it is preferred to manufacture the capsules using a co-extrusion method. To this end, the invention also pertains to a method of making capsules as described hereinbefore, comprising providing an oil in water emulsion (without calcium ions or other divalent ions needed in the emulsion) having at least one flavorant in the oil phase of the emulsion, and co-extruding this emulsion with a gel-forming component, such that the gel-forming component is extruded as an outer layer surrounding the emulsion, and wherein the extrusion is conducted so as to form discrete portions if emulsion surrounded with gel-forming component, and subjected to conditions under which the gel-forming component forms a gel. These conditions are, e.g., allowing the co-extrudate to fall, in discrete portions such as droplets, into a calcium or other divalent ions-containing solution (if, e.g., alginate or pectinate is employed as the gel-forming component), or cooling down or heating up of other gel-forming components, e.g., gelatin or gellan, as discussed above. Suitable co-extrusion equipment is known to the skilled person. Conveniently, an apparatus comprising a co-axial nozzle can be used and, more preferably, a vibrating nozzle for the ease of making said discrete portions.

Apart from scale, an advantage of the co-extrusion method is that it more easily facilitates a wide choice of gel forming components. The method can be conducted using a polysaccharide that is gel-forming under the influence of divalent cations. The method can also be carried out using a wide range of different gel-forming materials, preferably selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agar, gellan, carrageenan, and mixtures thereof.

In the co-extrusion method it may be desired to temporarily enhance the viscosity of the emulsionr This can be done in a preferred method according to the invention, by adding a (preferably saturated) sugar solution to the emulsion. The sugar is intended as a process tool only, and will be preferably made to diffuse out of the capsules after they have been manufactured, thus leaving behind an encapsulated liquid of the originally desired viscosity. Preferred sugars in this respect are maltodextrins, which are small enough to achieve this, but it will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that variations on (small) sugars are well possible.

After encapsulation of the liquid, the emulsion-containing capsules can be removed from the polysaccharide solution or calcium solution and put to use, e.g., by transferring them into an edible liquid as desired.

The capsules according to the invention typically have a size commensurate with the size of drink and snack food servings for humans. Preferably the capsules have a diameter in the range of from about 0.5 mm, more preferably 1 mm, to about 20 mm, more preferably 10 mm. The low end of the range is preferably determined by a threshold size at which a person will be able to feel the capsules when consuming an edible product containing them. The high end of the range is preferably determined by the limit at which a capsule can still be sufficiently robust. Most preferably, the capsules will be of a size of about 3-8 mm diameter, and more preferably of from about 4 to 6 mm.

As to the robustness, this will also be determined by the thickness of the wall. To this end the minimal wall thickness preferably is about 0.1 mm, with a preferred range being up to about 1 mm. Most preferably the wall thickness will be of the order of about 0.1 to 0.5 mm, and more preferably of from 0.2 to 0.4 mm, a typical thickness being about 0.25 mm.

In an edible liquid product the capsules of the invention will preferably be used so as to take up a volume of from about 0.1%, preferably 0.5% to about 50%, preferably 40%. A further preferred range is of from 1 vol.% to 10 vol.%. In an edible snack food, i.e., a solid or semisolid edible product, even higher volumes of capsules can be incorporated, viz. up to 70 vol.% and preferably of from 40-60 vol.%. It will be appreciated by the skilled person, that based upon the foregoing disclosure of the invention, variations are possible that are not particularly described hereinbefore, but which fall within the scope of the invention. E.g., other edible wall materials can be thought of and embodiments described with reference to flavorants can analogously be applicable to colorants. Also additives can be present as are customary in the field. In the present invention a particular additive in the emulsion can be an emulsifying agent. As an emulsifying agent, any food grade emulsifying agent may be present. Preferred emulsifying agents include macromolecules, such as (linear) polypeptides and (linear) polysaccharides. The macromolecules typically have a Mw of at least 1 kDa. Preferred polypeptides are (milk) proteins and (milk) peptides; preferred polysaccharides include gum arabic and modified polysaccharides, in particular modified alginates such as alkylene glycol alginates (e.g. , propylene glycol alginate), alkenyl succinic anhydride modified starches, especially n-octenyl succinic anhydride modified starches (NOSA-starches). Particularly suitable emulsifying agents are further food- grade small-molecule surfactants (or emulsifiers) (generally with molar mass of less than 1 kDa) (as defined by P. Walstra (2003) Physical Chemistry of Foods, Marcel Dekker, New York) for instance lecithin and lecithin derivates, mono- and/or diglycerides (glycerol fatty acid esters), Tweens (sorbitan ester ethoxylates), Spans (sorbitan fatty acid esters), glycerol lacto palmitate and the like. Usually the amount of emulsifying agent, in particular protein and/or peptide, in the foamable food composition respectively the foam is in the range of about 0.01 to about 20 wt. % based upon the total weight of the composition. Further embodiments include capsules wherein the wall is obtainable from a gelating solution which is an aqueous solution of a complexing agent (e.g., chitosan or guar gum) that forms stable complexes with the wall material (e.g., alginate, pectinate, carrageenan). Also referred to are capsules wherein the wall is obtainable from a gelating solution which is an aqueous solution of a gel-forming polysaccharide such as alginate, pectinate, or carrageenan, and calcium lactate in the concentration of 2 to 10 % calcium lactate.

Preferred are capsules wherein the size distribution is narrow, viz. in the range of about 1- 20 % of the mean value of capsule diameter, and preferably very narrow, i.e., below 1% of said diameter.

The invention will be illustrated with reference to the following non- limitative examples.

Example 1 (reference example)

An orange juice concentrate is diluted with water so as to obtain an orange juice concentrate concentration comparable to that of orange juice. An amount of 1% by weight of calcium chloride is added. This mixture is frozen in discrete portions of 0.1 ml.

In a concentration of 1% by weight alginate (Caldic/Ferdiwo, type 29165) is dissolved in water.

The frozen orange juice portions are mixed with the alginate solution. Upon thawing (with alginate at room temperature) calcium ions are released from the orange juice, causing gelation of the alginate in the direct surroundings of the orange juice. This results in a wall of alginate encapsulating the orange juice.

The resulting capsules provide a mouth-feel of juice vesicles. However, they are prone to losing their flavor in only an hour's time when stored in water, or another aqueous-based liquid. Example 2

An oil-soluble citrus flavor, limonene, is dissolved in βunil<wcτ oil.

The oil (1%) is mixed with a 2% WPI (whey protein isolate) solution and the mixture is homogenized. Ten parts of the resulting emulsion are mixed with one part of a (10%) calcium solution and then frozen in discrete portions of 0.1 ml.

In a concentration of 1% (by weight), alginate (Caldic/Ferdiwo, type

29165) is dissolved in water. The frozen limonene-flavored emulsion portions are mixed with the alginate solution. Upon thawing (with the alginate at room temperature) calcium ions are released from the emulsion, causing gelation of the alginate in the direct surroundings of the emulsion. This results in a wall of alginate encapsulating the emulsion. The resulting capsules provide a mouth-feel of juice vesicles. Upon storage of the encapsulated emulsions in an aqueous-based drink, the flavor of the capsules is retained for the shelf life of the drink, while the flavor of the drink has not been changed (i.e., flavor retention is good).

Example 3

An oil- soluble flavor (limonene) is mixed with sunflower oil. The 1% flavored oil is mixed with a 1% sodium caseinate solution. The mixture is homogenized with a high-pressure homogenizer. The viscosity of this emulsion is increased by adding a saturated sugar solution. Alginate (2%) is dissolved in water.

Both liquids are pumped to a co-axial nozzle, whereupon the emulsion is pumped through the inner nozzle and the alginate through the outer nozzle.

Below the nozzle a liquid stream (jet) results. The jet is broken up into discrete quantities (droplets) by vibrating the nozzle. These droplets have the emulsion on the inside, and the alginate on the outside. The droplets are collected in a 4% calcium chloride solution. As a result of the contact with calcium, the alginate gels, and thus forms a layer surrounding the emulsion. The resulting encapsulated liquids are in the form of beads having an inner diameter of about 3.5 mm and an outer diameter of about 4.0 mm, i.e., a wall-thickness of about 0.25 mm and a mouth-feel and flavor retention as in Example 2.

Example 4

An oil- soluble flavor (limonene) is mixed with sunflower oil. The 1% flavored oil is mixed with a 1% sodium caseinate solution. The mixture is homogenized with a high-pressure homogenizer. The viscosity of this emulsion is increased by adding a saturated sugar solution. Sodium Alginate (1.5%) is dissolved in water.

Both liquids are pumped to a co-axial nozzle (Annular gap nozzle), whereupon the emulsion is pumped through the inner nozzle and the alginate through the outer nozzle. Below the nozzle a laminar liquid stream (jet) results. The jet is broken up into discrete quantities (droplets) by vibrating the nozzle. These droplets have the emulsion on the inside, and the alginate on the outside. The droplets are collected in a 5% calcium lactate solution. As a result of the contact with calcium, the alginate gels, and thus forms a layer surrounding the emulsion.

The resulting encapsulated liquids are in the form of beads having an inner diameter of about 2.5 mm and an outer diameter of about 3.1 mm, i.e. a wall-thickness of about 0.3 mm and a mouth-feel and flavor retention as in Example 2.

Claims

1. A capsule for use in edible products, the capsule comprising an edible liquid which is encapsulated by a wall of an edible material, wherein the liquid comprises an oil-in- water emulsion, and wherein at least one flavorant or colorant is present in the oil phase of the emulsion.

2. A capsule according to claim 1, wherein the flavorant or colorant is an aroma component, a taste component, or a trigeminal stimulus, or a color component

3. A capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flavorant or colorant has a partition coefficient P of greater than 5.

4. A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid has a viscosity below 900 mPa.s measured at 64 s^" , and preferably below 400 mPa.s measured at 100 s^"1 .

5. A capsule according to claim 4, wherein the liquid has a viscosity below 100 mPa.s measured at 100 s^" , and preferably below 10 mPa.s measured at 100 s^"1 .

6. A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the total diameter of the capsules is in the range of 0.5 to 20 mm, preferably 0.5 to 5 mm.

7. A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall material is obtainable from a gelating solution which is an aqueous solution of a gel-forming polysaccharide and an edible soluble salt of the group of Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Al or their homologs.

8. A capsule according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the wall is obtainable from a gelating solution which is an aqueous solution of a gel-forming polysaccharide and an edible acid.

9. A capsule according to to any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the wall is obtainable from a gelating solution which is a cold oil or wax.

10. A capsule according to to any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the wall is obtainable from a gelating solution which is an aqueous solution of a complexing agent that forms stable complexes with the wall material

11. A capsule according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the wall is obtainable from a gelating solution which is an aqueous solution of calcium chloride in the concentration of 1 to 8 % calcium chloride, preferably 2- 6%.

12. A capsule according to to any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the wall is obtainable from a gelating solution which is an aqueous solution of a gel-forming polysaccharide and calcium lactate in the concentration of 2 to 10 % calcium lactate.

13. A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the size distribution is in the range of up to about 20 % of the mean value of capsule diameter, and preferably below 1% of said diameter.

14. A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall thickness of the capsule is in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 mm.

15. An edible, preferably liquid product comprising of from 0.1%, preferably 0.5%, to about 50%, preferably 40%, by volume, of one or more capsules according to any one of the claims 1-14.

16. An edible product according to claim 15, wherein the difference in nature or composition between the edible liquid in at least one capsule and the edible product in which the at least one capsule is contained, is such as to provide a burst effect.

17. An edible product according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the difference in nature or composition between the edible liquid in at least one capsule and the edible product in which the at least one capsule is such as to provide a contrasting taste effect.

18. An edible product according to any one of the claims 15-17, selected from the group consisting of milk, milk drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate milk, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, beer, juices, whey drinks, soft-solids such as yoghurt or cheese, and solids.

19. A method of making capsules according to claim 7, comprising providing an oil in water emulsion having at least one flavorant or colorant in the oil phase of the emulsion, adding a source of divalent or polyvalent cations, preferably calcium ions to the emulsion, providing discrete portions of the emulsion and freezing these discrete portions, and then contacting the frozen discrete portions of emulsion with a polysaccharide that is gel-forming under the influence of divalent cations.

20. A method of making capsules according to any one of claims 1-6, comprising providing an oil in water emulsion having at least one flavorant or colorant in the oil phase of the emulsion, and co-extruding this emulsion with a gel-forming component, such that the gel-forming component is extruded as an outer layer surrounding the emulsion, and wherein the extrusion is conducted so as to form discrete portions of co-extrudate comprising emulsion surrounded with gel-forming component, and subjected to conditions under which the gel- forming component forms a gel.

21 A method according to claim 20, wherein the gel forming component is selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectinate, gelatin, milk proteins, whey proteins, agar, gellan, guar gum, carrageenan, and mixtures thereof.

22. A method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the gel forming component comprises a polysaccharide that is gel-forming under the influence of divalent or polyvalent cations, and wherein the gel-forming conditions are satisfied by contacting the discrete portions of co-extrudate with a solution comprising divalent cations.

23. A method of making a liquid food product the consumption of which triggers a flavour or mouth-feel effect that is incongruent and/or contrasting with the flavour or mouth-feel normally associated with the liquid food product, the method comprising providing the food product and adding one or more capsules according to any one of the claims 1-14.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the liquid food product is selected from the group consisting of milk, milk drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate milk, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, beer, juices, and whey drinks.