EP2763544A1

EP2763544A1 - Powdered soluble beverage mix

Info

Publication number: EP2763544A1
Application number: EP12756474.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe François Warnery; Alexandra Weingand-Ziade; Mélanie Emilie BELLAMY-DESCAMPS; Yann Doleyres
Original assignee: Nestec SA
Current assignee: Nestec SA
Priority date: 2011-09-14
Filing date: 2012-09-10
Publication date: 2014-08-13
Also published as: KR20140061509A; WO2013037734A1; CN103796524A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a powdered soluble instant beverage mix suitable for preparing a spoonable beverage upon reconstitution with liquid, the beverage mix comprising at least one type of soluble beverage ingredient and a soluble foamer ingredient comprising a matrix containing a carbohydrate and entrapped gas under pressure, the soluble foamer ingredient being present in the instant beverage mix in an amount of at least 60% by weight.

Description

Powdered soluble beverage mix

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of instant beverages that are prepared by dissolving a powdered soluble beverage mix in a cold or hot liquid such as e.g. milk or water. More particularly, the present invention relates to powdered soluble beverage mix for preparation of a spoonable beverage product having an enhanced texture enabling an improved and convenient way of consuming the product.

Background of the invention

Powdered soluble beverage mixes that enable the preparation of a particular desired beverage in a convenient manner are well- known. Thereby, a beverage may be easily prepared by dissolving a predefined amount of powdered soluble beverage mix, that can be provided for example in a bulk or monodose packaging, with a cold or hot liquid such as e.g. milk or water .

In particular, the preparation of cold or hot coffee or coffee type beverages such as for example cappuccino, espresso, hot chocolate or the like by means of such powdered soluble beverage mix is well-known and appreciated by the consumers.

Besides the provision of a beverage which has a desired flavor impact, the texture of the beverage is a very important attribute for the consumer, as beverages prepared from powdered soluble beverage mixes are often perceived as being thin and watery, and do not develop any foamy head. It is thus desired to adjust the texture of the beverage in order to enable an improved richness and/or mouthfeel of the reconstituted beverage.

This can be obtained for example by addition of soluble creamer powders which are particularly known in the field of milk shakes and cappuccino-type beverages. Thereby, the creamer powders provide a creamy foam upon addition of a liquid. These creamer powders may also have food applications such as desserts, soups and sauces.

Usually soluble coffee powdered beverage mixes are a dry mix of a soluble coffee powder and a soluble beverage creamer. The soluble beverage creamer may contain pockets of gas which, upon dissolution of the powder, produce foam. Therefore, upon the addition of usually hot water or milk, a whitened coffee beverage, which has a foam on its upper surface, may be formed. Examples of these gassed soluble beverage creamers are described in European patent applications No 0154192, 0458310 and 0885566. Soluble beverage creamers which contain inorganic foaming agents are also available.

A further example of a soluble powdered creamer ingredient is given in EP 1 206 193 Bl .

In this well-known field of cappuccino-type powdered soluble beverage mixes however, there exists a need for a new way of consuming the beverage. Based on the known prior art, it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a product of improved texture that enables an end user to conveniently consume the product in a new way, giving a new experience to the consumer. There exists also a need to develop low fat powdered soluble beverage mixes without making any compromise regarding the taste and pleasure of the consumer. It is a further aim of the invention to provide a beverage having an improved texture and an enhanced mouthfeel, while maintaining the particular convenient preparation from a powdered soluble beverage mix. These objects are solved by means of the features of the independent claims. The dependent claims develop further the central idea of the invention.

Summary of the invention

The present invention relates to a powdered soluble beverage mix suitable for preparing a spoonable beverage upon reconstitution with liquid, the beverage mix comprising: at least one type of soluble beverage ingredient, and a soluble foamer ingredient comprising a matrix containing at least a carbohydrate and entrapped gas under pressure, wherein the soluble foamer ingredient is present in the instant beverage mix in an amount of at least 60% by weight. In further aspects the invention relates to spoonable beverages and methods of preparing same.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1 shows samples of foams prepared by dissolving 2 g (B) , 6 g (C) , 12 g (D) , and 18 g (E) , respectively, of a foamer ingredient in 20 mL of water, compared to a commercial cappuccino beverage (A) . Figure 2 shows a foam prepared by dissolving 12 g of a foamer ingredient in 20 mL of water.

Detailed description of the invention

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a powdered soluble beverage mix suitable for preparing a spoonable beverage upon reconst itution with liquid, the powdered soluble beverage mix comprising at least one type of soluble beverage ingredient, and a soluble foamer ingredient, the foamer ingredient comprising a matrix containing a carbohydrate and entrapped gas under pressure, the soluble foamer ingredient being present in the instant beverage mix in an amount of at least 60% by weight.

The present invention thus provides a powdered soluble beverage mix that is suitable for the rapid and simple preparation of a spoonable mousse-type beverage by blending the mix with a liquid.

Thereby, a particular advantage of the prepared beverage is the fact that is it being spoonable by a consumer. A new way of consuming the beverage is thus provided while at the same time, the convenient and fast preparation of the beverage is maintained.

It is to be noted that "spoonable" in the context of the invention relates to a beverage of essentially foamy respectively frothy texture, comparable to a mousse.

Preferably, the spoonable beverage has a foamy and smooth texture. Thereby, the attribute "smooth" is meant as being a regular texture without lumps and/or semolina, flaky, coarse, gritty, sandy, or fibrous particles. Smoothness of the texture is assessed using the skin, the mouth and palate. The throat is also quite sensitive to the presence of undesirable particles. Smoothness is generally assessed by squashing the product between the tongue and the palate and moving the tongue back and forth over the mass of the product.

The liquid used to reconstitute the powdered soluble beverage mix may be any suitable aqueous liquid, e.g. water, milk, and/or fruit juice. The liquid may be cold or hot. Preferably, the liquid to reconstitute powdered soluble beverage mix is a hot liquid such as e.g. hot water, e.g. having a temperature above 50°C, such as between 55°C and 100°C.

The foamer ingredient according to the present invention is a gas-releasing ingredient comprising a matrix containing at least carbohydrate and entrapped gas under pressure. The carbohydrate in the matrix may be any suitable carbohydrate that includes lactose, dextrose, fructose, sucrose, maltodextrin, corn syrup, starch, modified starch, cyclodext rin , and mixtures thereof. Mixtures containing maltodextrin are preferred and for example, the carbohydrate may be a mixture of about 40% to about 80% by weight of maltodextrin, sucrose and lactose. The carbohydrate may provide from about 40% to 100% of the matrix and preferably from about 70% to 90%.

The gas may be introduced into the matrix by any suitable process. One suitable technique involves providing the matrix in the form of expanded particles and then entrapping gas in the particles. The expanded particles may be produced by injecting a gas into an aqueous matrix concentrate having a solids content above about 30% by weight and then spray drying the concentrate to powder. The gas may be injected into the aqueous matrix concentrate at a pressure of about 500 kPa to about 5 MPa. However, the pressure at which the gas is injected into the matrix concentrate is not critical. The particles are then subjected to an inert gas atmosphere at high pressure and at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the particles. The pressure may be from about 100 kPa gauge to about 20 MPa gauge. The temperature needed will depend upon the composition of the particles since this will influence the glass transition temperature. However, the temperature may be readily set for any particle type by the skilled person. Temperatures more than about 50°C above the glass transition temperature are probably best avoided. The particles may be subjected to the pressure and temperature for as long as desired since increasing the time will generally increase the gas entrapment. Usually times of about 10 seconds to about 30 minutes are sufficient. The particles are then subjected to rapid quenching or curing to ensure entrapment of the gas. Rapidly releasing the pressure may well be sufficient to quench the particles. Otherwise suitable cooling procedures may be used.

Another suitable technique involves injecting gas into a molten mass of the matrix which contains little or no moisture; for example in an extruder. The gas may be injected at a pressure of about 100 kPa gauge to about 20 MPa gauge. The temperature required will depend upon the composition of the matrix since this will influence the melt temperature. However, the temperature may be readily set for any matrix by the skilled person. Generally, however, temperatures above about 150°C should be avoided. The molten mass may then be extruded through a small orifice and comminuted into a powder. Depending upon the rapidity of solidification of the matrix, the matrix may need to be cured or quenched under pressure before being formed into a powder. This will prevent the gas from escaping from the matrix. The curing or quenching is preferably carried out rapidly but the time may vary from about 10 seconds to about 90 minutes.

A method for producing such a foamer ingredient and for measuring the gas released by the foamer is for example described in EP 1 206 193 Bl .

The soluble foamer ingredient is present in the instant beverage mix in an amount of at least 60% by weight, preferably at least 70%, such as at least 80% by weight. More preferably, the soluble foamer ingredient is present in an amount of between 80% and 95% by weight.

Thereby, an essentially foamy texture of the resulting spoonable beverage is obtained by the relatively high amount of foamer ingredient present in the powdered instant beverage mix. The foam of a beverage prepared from a powdered soluble beverage mix of the invention has a firmer texture than the foam of an ordinary cappuccino beverage prepared from prior art powdered soluble beverage mixes.

The gas being present in the foamer ingredient is preferably sufficient to release upon addition of liquid from about 2 ml to about 18 ml of gas at ambient conditions per gram of soluble foamer ingredient. The expression "ambient conditions" is understood to refer to approximate room temperature, i.e., 20 to 25 °C, and the ambient condition of pressure, namely about 0.95 to 1.2 bar. Of course, the volume of released gas formed in the instant beverage mix will depend on the quantity of foamer ingredient in the instant beverage mix. Furthermore, the generated volume may also depend on the liquid composition and temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the soluble instant beverage mix is generating a foam portion of volume at least 7 ml/g of powdered instant beverage mix when reconstituted in liquid. More preferably, the soluble instant beverage mix is, upon reconst i tut ion with liquid, generating a foam portion of volume at least 10 ml/g of powdered instant beverage mix.

The soluble beverage ingredient in the powdered soluble beverage mix, may be any suitable soluble beverage ingredient, which in combination with the soluble foamer ingredient is suitable for producing a spoonable beverage composition. It is thus understood that a soluble beverage ingredient according to the invention is not a soluble foamer ingredient as defined above. The soluble beverage ingredient may e.g. be soluble coffee powder, soluble cocoa powder, soluble chocolate powder, soluble malt extract powder, soluble fruit juice powder, soluble soup powder, soluble milk powder, and/or soluble cream powder . The soluble beverage ingredient within the instant beverage mix is preferably soluble coffee powder. The soluble coffee powder is preferably present in the instant beverage mix in an amount of 1 to 15 % by weight. More preferably, the soluble coffee powder is present in an amount of 3 to 12 % by weight of the powdered instant beverage mix.

The powdered soluble beverage mix according to the present invention may further comprise other ingredients suitable for inclusion in a powdered soluble beverage mix. The powdered soluble beverage mix may e.g. comprise fat or fat mixture, e.g. any food acceptable fat from either animal or vegetable origin used alone or in combination. It may be hydrogenated or not and may e.g. be selected from the group consisting of milk fat, palm fat, coconut fat, peanut oil, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil, used alone or in combination.

The amount of fat in the powdered soluble beverage mix according to the present invention may e.g. range from about 1 to 3%, preferably from 1.5 to 2.5% by weight of the mix, for example. In one embodiment of the invention, the powdered soluble beverage mix comprises less than 1% fat.

The powdered soluble beverage mix may comprise protein, e.g. selected from the group consisting of milk protein, skimmed milk powder, whey powder, caseinate, yogurt or other fermented dairy based powder, soy protein, wheat protein, and combinations thereof. The powdered soluble beverage mix may comprise other components such as for example flavors and/or sweeteners. Thereby, suitable artificial sweeteners include saccharin, cyclamates, acetosulfame, L-aspartyl based sweeteners such as aspartame, and mixtures of these. The powdered soluble beverage mix may comprise sugar, e.g. between 5% and 30 % sugar by weight.

The powdered soluble beverage mix may as well comprise further ingredients, e . g. fruit powder, milk powder, vitamins, minerals, cocoa powder, and any mixture thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the powdered soluble beverage mix is provided within individual sticks containing a single- serving. This may be interesting when it is desired to prepare a spoonable drink out-of-home. In another embodiment, the instant beverage mix is sold in bulk packages. In that case, the consumer measures himself the amount of powder to be used or according to the instructions that may be provided on the packaging . Typically, the powdered soluble beverage mix is mixed in an amount of 7 to 12 g per 30 mL of liquid. As an example, a serving may be 8 to 9 g of instant beverage powder to be mixed to with 20-30 mL of preferably hot liquid, such as water or milk .

The spoonable beverage product obtained by mixing a powdered soluble beverage mix according to the present invention with liquid may be consumed just after recons ti tut ion or allowed to stand since the generated entrapped gas in the spoonable beverage product thus formed may be retained, e.g. from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the viscosity of the spoonable beverage product obtained. After recons titut ion with liquid, the spoonable beverage may be frozen, e.g. at a temperature below -5°C, such as below -10°C, preferably between -10°C and -30°C, to obtain an ice cream product. Thus, the powdered soluble beverage mix of the invention may be useful for preparing an aerated ice cream without the need for specific equipment for the inclusion of air, the invention therefore in a further aspect relates to a method of producing an ice cream product, comprising freezing the spoonable beverage product of the invention, or the spoonable beverage product obtained by the method of the invention, to obtain an ice cream product.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a spoonable coffee-type beverage obtainable by mixing the powdered soluble beverage mix according to the invention with an aqueous liquid.

The invention thus proposes a spoonable food product, in particular a coffee-type beverage that may be consumed in a particular convenient way. The invention may build the bridge between a dessert and a coffee-type beverage, preferably a cappuccino. It may be prepared with hot water as for traditional powdered cappuccino but may be consumed with a spoon and has a foamy respectively frothy dessert-like texture comparable to a chocolate mousse for example.

In order to reinforce the dessert appearance of the instant beverage, toppings such as chocolate, chips, pralines etc. may be added on top of the instant beverage.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a method for preparing a spoonable food product by mixing a powdered soluble beverage mix according to the present invention with an aqueous liquid, the soluble powdered beverage mix and liquid being present in a weight ratio of between 2:1 and 1:5, preferably between 1.5:1 and 1:4. The ratio will depend on the desired viscosity or firmness of the spoonable beverage and may also depend on the quantity of the different ingredients of the powdered instant beverage mix. The method may further comprise freezing of the spoonable food product to produce an ice cream product. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for preparing a spoonable beverage product, comprising mixing a soluble powdered beverage mix according to the invention, with an aqueous liquid, the soluble powdered beverage mix being present in an amount releasing between 1 mL and 20 mL gas per gram of aqueous liquid when being mixed at ambient conditions, preferably releasing between 5 mL and 10 mL gas per gram of aqueous liquid.

For recons ti tut ion of the beverage it is preferably not necessary to apply vigorous mixing, shaking or whisking after mixing with a liquid to obtain a spoonable beverage. Indeed, a simple gentle stirring with a spoon, typically for about 30-60 seconds, allows obtaining a texture comparable to a foamy mousse showing uniformly dispersed gas bubbles.

Examples

Example 1

Table 1.

Table 1 show 4 different samples of a soluble powdered beverage mix according to the present invention. The foamer ingredient was prepared as described in Example 1 of EP 1206193 Bl . Beverages were prepared from the soluble powdered beverage mixes of table 1 by mixing each sample with 20 mL of water. Example 2

Different amounts of a foamer ingredient prepared as described in Example 1 of EP 1206193 Bl and comprising 10 mL/g of entrapped gas at ambient conditions were reconstituted by dissolving them in 20 mL of water. The resulting foams are shown in figure 1 as compared to a cappuccino beverage prepared from a commercial instant cappuccino powder.

The samples in figure 1 are:

A: Cappuccino

B: 2 g foamer ingredient in 20 mL water

C: 6 g foamer ingredient in 20 mL water

D: 12 g foamer ingredient in 20 mL water

E: 18 g foamer ingredient in 20 mL water Figure 2 shows a spoonful of the foam from sample D placed on a glass disk.

Claims

Powdered soluble beverage mix suitable for preparing a spoonable beverage upon reconstitution with liquid, the beverage mix comprising:

- at least one type of soluble beverage ingredient, and a soluble foamer ingredient comprising a matrix containing at least a carbohydrate and entrapped gas under pressure,

wherein the soluble foamer ingredient is present in the instant beverage mix in an amount of at least 60% by weight .

Powdered soluble beverage mix according to claim 1,

Wherein the soluble foamer ingredient is present in the instant beverage mix in an amount of from 60% to 95% by weight .

Powdered soluble beverage mix according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the powdered soluble beverage mix generates a foam volume of at least 2 ml/g of powdered soluble beverage mix when reconstituted in liquid.

Powdered soluble beverage mix according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein the soluble beverage ingredient is soluble coffee powder which is present in the instant beverage mix in an amount of 1% to 15% by weight.

Powdered instant beverage mix according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein the powdered instant beverage mix comprises less than 1% fat. Powdered instant beverage mix according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein the powdered mix further comprises flavours and/or sweeteners .

7. Powdered instant beverage mix according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein the foamer ingredient releases upon addition of liquid from about 2 ml to about 18 ml of gas at ambient conditions per gram of soluble foamer ingredient.

A spoonable coffee-type beverage obtainable by mixing the powdered soluble beverage mix according to claims 1 to 8 with an aqueous liquid.

A method for preparing a spoonable beverage product, comprising mixing a soluble powdered beverage mix according to any of claims 1 to 7 with an aqueous liquid, the soluble powdered beverage mix and liquid being present in a weight ratio of between 2:1 and 1:5, preferably between 1.5:1 and 1:4.

0. A method for preparing a spoonable beverage product, comprising mixing a soluble powdered beverage mix according to any of claims 1 to 7, with an aqueous liquid, the soluble powdered beverage mix being present in an amount releasing between 1 mL and 20 mL gas per gram of aqueous liquid when being mixed at ambient conditions.

1. A method for preparing an ice cream product, comprising freezing the spoonable coffee-type beverage of claim 8, or the spoonable beverage product obtained by the method of claim 9 or 10, to obtain an ice cream product.