EP2793593A1

EP2793593A1 - Dairy dessert composition

Info

Publication number: EP2793593A1
Application number: EP12812664.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Theodora PANAGIOTOU; Tanja Dahlke
Original assignee: Nestec SA
Current assignee: Nestec SA
Priority date: 2011-12-22
Filing date: 2012-12-23
Publication date: 2014-10-29
Also published as: BR112014015321A2; MX2014007493A; BR112014015321A8; WO2013093111A1; AU2012356754A1; CL2014001683A1

Abstract

There are provided a cold-filled dairy composition having gel-like texture containing alginate and composite dairy desserts comprising at least one phase comprising the cold-filled dairy composition containing alginate having a gel-like texture and at least a second phase comprising a second dairy product or a jelly product, and processes for the preparation thereof.

Description

Dairy Dessert Composition

The invention relates to a cold-filled dairy composition containing alginate, which can be used i n a composite dairy dessert, as well as the composite dairy product containing it and a process for its preparation.

Composite dairy desserts are commonly known, and include dairy desserts having su perposed phases of two or more d ifferent dessert components. Typically the different phases may have a different texture and or flavour. Typical dessert components used in composite dairy desserts include, creams, custards, aerated dairy components such as mousses, or whipped cream, jellies, yoghurts and curd-cheeses amongst others. The very popular Liegeois- or Viennois-type composite dairy dessert products, generally offer an inferior phase having a creamy texture of chocolate, coffee or other varieties combined with an aerated chilled dairy product on the top.

Providing a composite dairy dessert, like a Liegeois- or Viennois-type product, having a dairy inferior phase with a gel-like texture could not be feasibly achieved up to now, because obtaining such texture involves dosing the inferior phase at high temperature (higher than 60°C), while dosing the chilled dairy superior phase, such as an aerated superior phase, has to be done at low temperature (8-10°C) in order to maintain its stability.

While it would be theoretically feasible to cool an inferior dairy phase having a gel-like texture, obtained at high temperature, e.g via an oven-cooking step, to a temperature which would be compatible to the dosing of the superior phase, namely around 8-10°C, this cooling would require an expensive equipment such as a flash cooling system or continuous blast chillers. This cooling step would thus entail disadvantages in terms of investment and energy consumption which are incompatible with a production at the industrial scale.

It has now surprisingly been found that the desired gel-like texture can be ach ieved in a cold-filled dairy product by adding alginate to the composition, which allows cold conditions during the process while maintaining the organoleptic characteristics of a traditional oven cooked dessert. "Gel-like" structure as used herein refers to a gel strength higher than 90 g, preferably higher than 100 g, and more preferably of approximately 100- 120 g, measured by penetrometry using a Texture analyzer TATX2.

Obtaining such cold-filled dairy composition with a gel-like structure makes it possible to use it as an inferior, intermediate or superior phase of a composite dairy dessert comprising a cold filled superior (or inferior) phase, such as an aerated dairy product, or as an inferior phase of a composite dairy dessert comprising a hot filled superior phase such as a water jelly.

One particularly advantageous application of the cold-filled alginate contain ing da iry com position of the present invention is in a Viennois- or Liegeois-type product, whereby the cold-filled dairy composition with a gel-like structure can be used as an inferior phase of a composite dairy dessert comprising an aerated dairy product on the superior phase, by allowing dosing an aerated chilled dairy product as the superior phase to be performed without the need for an additional energy-consuming cooling step.

Alginate is an anionic polysaccharide distributed widely in the cell walls of brown algae. As used herein, "alginate" refers to alginic acid or salts of alg in ic acid , in particular water solu ble salts of alg in ic acid , and m ixtures thereof. Preferably, alginate is used in the form of its sodium or potassium salt.

In the food industry, alginate is commonly used as a foam stabilizer in the production of cold-filled mousses (based on emulsions), or else for hot filled gels like panacotta.

WO 2006/067064 discloses a shelf stable mousse comprising a food composition based sweetened condensed milk aerated with an inert gas, which has a fat content of less than 25% and contains 0.1 to 2% of a hydrocolloid foam stabilizer which, in particular alginate.

WO2004/1 05498 relates to a m il k based product conta in ing an alginate coated with a meltable oil or fat, wherein the coated alginate is used at elevated temperatures during processing. When the coating around the alginate melts, the alginate can dissolve without interference from calcium present in the milk. Uncoated alginate (listed as Pronatal GP2055) is used as the control in some of the examples (preparation of a mousse), resulting in an unsatisfactory firmness (measured by a TA-TXT-texture analyzer).

Thus, alg inate was not u ntil now used as a stabil izer for a dairy composition in order to obtain a gel like structure after chilling.

The invention thus relates to a process for preparing a cold-filled dairy composition containing alginate, comprising

- prepari ng a m ixtu re conta i n i ng a m i l k-based component and alginate,

- heating sa id m ixture at a temperature of approximately 70°C to 80°C,

- sterilizing the mixture, for example at approximately 130°C for at least 10s,

- cooling the mixture to a temperature of approximately 5-10°C,

- dosing the composition thus obtained in a container.

If needed, the pH of the mixture is adjusted within the range of 6.0 to

8.0, preferably 6.5 to 7.5, prior to heating. pH adjustment can be performed by addition of a basis, such as, for example, sodium hydroxide.

The mixture can be submitted to homogenization under pressure, for example at 50 to 120 bars after heating at 70°C- 80°C.

The dairy composition comprising alginate according to the present invention has the similar or the same viscosity during dosing as a common cream custard, i.e. a viscosity between 10 000 cP and 30 OOOcP measured with Brookfield viscometer (T module 92mm).

The com position fil led in the conta iner can be stored at chilled storage conditions. Alternatively, the composition filled in the container can be kept in an intermediate storage, usually at about 4°C to about 10°C for about 12 to 24 hours, before its storage. Or else, the composition filled in the container is further processed by dosing a dairy, such as an aerated dairy product on top of it, in order to prepare a composite dairy dessert, and then stored.

The dairy composition having a gel-like structure containing alginate, obtainable by the process described above, is an object of the invention. The dairy composition having a gel-like structure containing alginate according to the invention can be used for example as an inferior, intermediate or superior layer in a composite dairy dessert. The dairy composition having a gel-like structure containing alginate according to the invention can also be used for example as a filling in a confectionery or bakery composite product, such as a filling for biscuit, wafer or cake-type products.

The mixture containing a milk-based component and alginate may also conta i n one or more other hyd rocol loids, such as, for exam ple, carrageenan, guar gum, gelatine, locust bean gum, pectins, xanthan gum, starch and their mixtures. Preferably, the content of alginate in the mixture is approximately 0.1 to 1 wt % , and the content of other hydrocolloids is approximately 0.3 to 3wt%, with respect to the total weight of ingredients. Preferably, starch is used as other hydrocolloid.

The composition according to the invention preferably comprises approximately 50 to 85 wt% of a milk-based component.

By "milk-based component" is meant at least one component selected from whol e m i l k, ski m med m i l k or partial ly skimmed m il k, optionally reconstituted from milk powder, and cream.

The composition according to the invention may also contain usual ingredients of dairy dessert compositions such as carbohydrates, in particular sucrose or fructose, vegetal ingredients, such as cocoa, vegetable fat (cocoa butter, palm oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil), dried or candied fruit pieces, citrus peels, nut pieces, natural or artificial colouring agents, natural or artificial flavouring agents, sweeteners etc.

The composition may also contain one or more food additives. Suitable food additives are disclosed, for example, in EP 2 010 007.

The invention further relates to a process for preparing a composite dairy dessert comprising a phase comprising the dairy composition containing alginate having a gel-like texture and at least one other phase comprising an chilled dairy product such a custard, an aerated product such as a mousse or whipped cream, or a jelly product comprising - using the composition obtained by the process described above as a phase of the composite dessert, and

-dosing a the composition on top of another cold fil led da iry component inferior phase, such as a mousse, or a cream;

- and/or dosing a cold-filled dairy product such as a chilled aerated dairy product, or a hot-filled dessert component such as a jelly (water based jelly), on top of the dairy composition containing alginate having a gel-like texture.

The cold-filled alginate containing dairy composition of the present invention has sufficient gel-strength and viscosity to support a layer of a cold- filled dairy product, such as a mousse, a custard, a yoghurt, and curd cheese, etc, and to support the application of a hot-filled product such as a water-jelly, which is liquid on filling and then sets on cooling to form a layer on top of the alginate containing dairy composition having a gel-like structure according to the invention.

In certain embodiments, where the composition is used as a superior phase, the cold-filled inferior phase can have the viscosity and firmness characteristics of a cream custard, i.e. a Brookfield viscosity between 6000cP- 25000cP. In other embodiments, where the composition is used as a superior phase, the cold-filled inferior phase can have the viscosity and firmness or the characteristics of a mousse 1000-5000 cP.

In a particular embodiment the process for preparing a composite dairy dessert comprises

- using the composition obtained by the process described above as the inferior phase of the composite dessert, and

- dosing an aerated chilled dairy product on top of said inferior phase to form the superior phase of the composite dessert.

Preferably, dosing of the aerated chilled dairy product is carried out at a temperature of approximately 5-10°C.

The chilled dairy product phase, or water jelly phase, can be prepared separately by usual processes in the field. For instance, in a conventional process for the preparation of a chilled dairy product a milk base is mixed with the desired additives such as carbohydrates, stabilizing agents, emulsifying agents etc., submitted to a heat treatment, cooled and if applicable whipped.

The present invention makes it possible to obtain novel composite desserts with new combinations of textures and tastes, for example a Liegeois- type product with an inferior phase of the cold-filled alginate containing gel-like dairy composition of the invention and a whipped dairy topping, a combination of a conventional cold-filled custard layer with a layer of the cold-filled gel-like dairy composition of the invention, a combination of a layer of a gel-like dairy composition of the invention with a layer of a jelly (water based jelly), a combination of a layer of a dairy mousse with a layer of a gel-like dairy composition of the invention, or other combinations.

The composite dessert may contain two layers or may contain more than two layers such as three, four or even five layers. Two or more different dessert components may be comprised in the composite dessert.

The composite dairy dessert comprising a first phase comprising a dairy composition containing alginate having a gel-like texture and a second phase comprising an dairy product, obtainable by the above process, is an object of the invention.

The examples below illustrate the invention, without limiting it.

Example 1

The following composition (Table 1 ) was prepared for making a chocolate composition containing alginate

Table 1

The following process is used:

The dairy mix (milk, cream and skimmed milk powder) is put in a tank at cold temperature (8-1 5°C) while stirring to hydrate all the dairy ingredients.

Afterwards the mix is heated up at 68°C-75°C and all sugar, native starch and alginate are incorporated . The mix is under stirring for approximately half an hour so as to dissolve well all the ingredients.

To contin ue, an homogen ization step with APV Gau l i n G m bH

Homogenisator (type: 132MC4 5TBSX) is appl ied at 50-1 20 bars by using a feeding pressure of 4bar.The product is then sterilized at 1 30°C for 20-30 s.

Then, the product is cooled down to 5-10°C and dosed.

Texture characteristics of a commercial oven cooked dessert and of the composition of example 1 were determined by penetrometry and dynamic viscosity measurements. For penetrometry measurements, a Texture Analyser, TAXT2 is used . For the dynamic viscosity measurements, the rheometer Anton Paar was used at a speed of 100s^"1.

The results are shown in Tables 2 and 3 below. Table 2

The results show that at 8°C, the composition of example 1 has a gel force which is comparable to that of the commercial product.

Table 3

The results show that the composition of example 1 after 30 days has a gel-like structure which is comparable to that of the commercial oven-cooked product, with a higher dynamic viscosity.

Example 2

The composition of example 1 (Table 1 ) was prepared for making a chocolate composition containing alginate.

The dairy mix together with the starch and the sugar is added in a recipient and the mix is heated up at 70°C while stirring. At this temperature the alginate is incorporated and the stirring may continue for approximately 20 min.

An homogenization step of 50 bar may be applied at this stage (optional).

Afterwards the mix is heated up at 90°C for approximately 10 min and cooled down at 15°C before dosing.

Claims

1 . A process for preparing a composite dairy dessert comprising at least one phase comprising a dairy composition containing alginate having a gel-like texture and at least a second phase comprising a second dairy product or a jelly, comprising

(i) preparing a mixture containing a milk-based component and alginate,

(ii) heating said mixture at a temperature of approximately 70°C to 80°C,

(iii) sterilizing the mixture,

(iv) cooling the mixture to a temperature of approximately 5-10°C,

- dosing the composition obtained in (iv) in a container to form an inferior phase, and dosing the second chilled dairy product or the jelly product on top of said inferior phase to form the superior phase of the composite dessert;

-or dosing the second chilled dairy product into a container to form an inferior phase and dosing the composition obtained in (iv) on top of said inferior phase to form the superior phase of the composite dessert.

2. A process for preparing a composite dairy dessert comprising an inferior phase comprising a dairy composition containing alginate having a gel-like texture and a superior phase comprising an aerated dairy product according to claim 1 , comprising

(i) preparing a mixture containing a milk-based component and alginate,

(ii) heating said mixture at a temperature of approximately 70°C to 80°C,

(iii) sterilizing the mixture,

(iv) cooling the mixture to a temperature of approximately 5-10°C,

(v)dosing the composition thus obtained in a container to form the inferior phase, and

(vi)dosing an aerated chilled dairy product on top of said inferior phase to form the superior phase of the composite dessert.

3. The process of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second phase comprises a chilled dairy product and the dosing of the chilled dairy product is carried out at a temperature of approximately 5-10°C.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the second phase comprises a jelly product and the dosing of the jelly product is carried out above 60°C.

5. A composite dairy dessert comprising at least one phase comprising a cold-filled dairy composition containing alginate having a gel-like texture and at least a second phase comprising a second dairy product or a jelly product, obtainable by the process of any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A composite dairy dessert comprising an inferior phase comprising a dairy composition containing alginate having a gel-like texture and a superior phase comprising an aerated dairy product, obtainable by the process of any one of claim 1 to 3.

7. A composite dessert accord ing to claim 5 or 6, wherein the content of alginate in the composition of step (iv) is approximately 0.1 to 1 wt %, and the content of other hydrocolloids is approximately 0.3 to 3 wt%, with respect to the total weight of ingredients.

8. A composite desert according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the cold-filled dairy composition containing alginate having a gel-like structure, has gel strength higher than 90 g, preferably higher than 100 g, and more preferably of approximately 1 00-120 g , as measured by penetrometry using a Texture analyzer TATX2.

9. A process for preparing a dairy composition containing alginate, comprising

- preparing a mixture containing a milk-based component and alginate,

- heating said mixture at a temperature of approximately 70°C to 80°C,

- sterilizing the mixture,

- cooling the mixture to a temperature of approximately 5-10°C,

- dosing the composition thus obtained in a container.

10. The process of claim 1 , in characterized in that the pH of the mixture is adjusted within the range of 6.0 to 8.0, prior to heating.

1 1 . The process of claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the m ixture is submitted to homogenization under pressure after heating.

12. The process according to any one of claims 9 to 1 1 , characterized in that the content of alginate in the mixture is approximately 0.1 to 1 wt %, and the content of other hydrocolloids is approximately 0.3 to 3 wt%, with respect to the total weight of ingredients.

13. The process according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the mixture comprises approximately 50 to 85 wt% of a milk-based component.

14. A cold-filled dairy composition having gel-like texture containing alginate, obtainable by the process according to any one of claims 9 to 13.

15. The composition of claim 14, characterized in that it has gel strength h ig h er tha n 90 g, preferably higher than 100 g , a nd more prefera bly of approximately 100-120 g, measured by penetrometry using a Texture analyzer TATX2.