GB2531719A

GB2531719A - A tablet or gel food product

Info

Publication number: GB2531719A
Application number: GB1419036.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Williams Gregory
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-10-25
Filing date: 2014-10-25
Publication date: 2016-05-04
Also published as: WO2016063088A9; GB201419036D0; WO2016063088A1

Abstract

A product provides a measured dose of the zest of a citrus fruit in a convenient form for use as an ingredient to flavour foods or drinks. The citrus fruits may be orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit or pomelo. After the zest is removed from the fruit it may be formed or shaped by gather, moulding or binding to form a tablet or gel product. More than one citrus fruit can be used. A binding agent and preservative may be used and the preservation method may be drying. The zest product may be packaged.

Description

A TABLET OR GEL FOOD PRODUCT

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a tablet or gel product, for example, for use as an ingredient in cooking, mixing, blending and preparation of foods or drinks or as a garnish or condiment.

Background

Zest of citrus fruits is commonly used as a culinary food ingredient to flavour foods. However, it is time consuming to include zest in food, since the zest must be removed from the citrus fruit, which may have to be specially purchased for preparation of a particular dish or drink It is an object of the present invention to address these issues.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tablet or gel product comprising zest of a citrus fruit, for example, for use as an ingredient in cooking, mixing, blending and preparation of foods or drinks or as a garnish or condiment.

The form of a tablet or gel product is a convenient form in which to use zest in food and drink preparation and presentation. The zest of citrus fruits, such as orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit and pomelo, after being removed from the fruit, may be formed or shaped by gathering or compressing, moulding or binding, or by any combination of methods, into a tablet or gel product. This provides a measured dose or quantity of zest that may be added to food and drink, during or after preparation.

The tablet or gel product may be cubic, spherical or any other shape or form.

The zest may he from one or two or more citrus fruits.

The tablet product may be in a dry or partially dried form, resembling a pharmaceutical tablet or stock cube. The gel product that contain fresh or partially dried zest.

The pieces of zest used to form the tablet may be fine, medium or coarse, or may be larger peelings.

The odour, flavour and nutritional value of the zest may be preserved by an oil, powder, binder or other suitable additive, or by full or partial drying or freezing or by the effect of its packaging, that may be suitably sealed or vacuum packed, or by any combination of such 10 methods.

A convenient, simple-to-use culinary food and drink ingredient, that may he used in the preparation of many sweet and savoury food items and drinks. It may also be added as a condiment or garnish by crushing, crumbling, grinding, grating or by dissolving the tablet, or any combination of such methods.

Advantageously the products may add value in citrus fruit processing.

Prior to forming, the zest may be prepared to improve its binding and to best preserve its 20 odour and flavour. A method or combination of methods may be employed, such as freezing or drying. A binding agent or preservative may be added to prevent or impede degradation of the zest and lengthen the shelf life of the tablet.

The zest may also be formed by gathering or compressing or both, in a mould and set or bound into a tablet product, including in the form of a cube, or gel or jelly product.

The tablet product may comprise at least 90% zest, preferably at least 95%.

The tablet or gel products are packaged so as to be sealed with respect to the environment. 30 The packaging may be vacuum, blister or flow wrapped. Optionally they may be held within a protective dispenser.

The citrus fruit may be organic and/or unsprayed and is preferably unwaxed.

Zest is particularly vulnerable to accumulating high concentrations of chemical from sprays and thus it is especially desirable to use unsprayed and organic fruits.

According to a second aspect of (he present invention, there is provided a method of fanning a tablet of the zest of a citrus fruit, comprising the steps of: removing the zest of a citrus fruit; forming the zest into a tablet.

Preferably, the method may further comprise carrying out at least one preservation action on the tablet. The preservation action may comprise adding a preservative. The preservation action may comprise drying the zest prior to the step of being 'bulled. The preservation action may comprise freezing or freeze-drying.

Preferably, the method further comprises adding a binding agent to the zest prior to the step of forming.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only. In embodiments, a tablet comprises zest of one or more citrus fruits, which may be of one of more varieties. Varieties of citrus fruit from which zest may he removed for use in preparation of foods include but are not limited to: orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit and pomelo.

Typically, zest is present only in an outer layer of less than lmm of a citrus fruit, although the depth of the fruit that is considered zest may vary from one variety of citrus fruit to another and also between fruits of the same variety. Below the zest is pith. Typically, the pith is not to be included in a tablet since the pith may be unpleasantly bitter. However, embodiments of the tablet may include some pith, since pith may sometimes he included when preparing food without detriment to the flavour, depending on the variety of fruit and the foods being prepared.

The tablet may include a preservative. The preservative may he in the form of an oil, powder or setting gel for example. Alternatively, the zest may be fully or partially (hied, frozen or freeze-dried, to aid in preservation.

The tablet is provided for convenient use by consumers as a compressed and packaged form. The packaging may advantageously contribute to the preservation of the compressed zest, where gas, such as nitrogen flushing, strips any bacteria of oxygen needed for survival in the process of vacuum packing or flushed blister packing. The packaging may he in the form of a wrapper made of plastics and/or foil material, or in the form of a container or dispenser. The packing seals the tablet from the outer environment, aiding preservation of the zest.

The packaged zest preferably comprises at least 90% zest, preferably still at least 95% zest.

The tablet may be formed from one or more citrus fruits in the steps described in the following.

Zest is first removed from the citrus fruits. Zest may be removed manually using a zester or peeler, for example. Machines are also commercially available to do this and are preferably used for efficiency in producing large quantities.

If the zest is to be dried, it is then dried.

Any additives are then added to the zest. For example, a preservative such as an oil may be added and mixed with the zest. The binder, which may also act as a preservative, may also be 20 added.

The zest is then gathered and compressed, formed or moulded into tablets and each tablet is packaged so as to be sealed with respect to the environment. Preferably, the packaging is vacuum or blister packing or a protective dispenser.

Conveniently, each tablet is compressed and packaged into a cube, cuboid or other shape of tablet.

The resultant compressed and packaged tablets may be unpacked and used in food preparation, for example as an ingredient in cooking, mixing, blending and preparation of foods or drinks or as a garnish or condiment. In alternative embodiments, the zest need not be compressed. For example, citrus zest is widely used in sauces, marmalades, jams, jellies, cakes, duck a l'orange, numerous Middle Eastern, North African and many other sweet and savoury dishes, and drinks such as cocktails and punch.

Citrus fruit zest may offer nutritional health benefits: for example flavonoids in zest are believed to have anticancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. A number of studies claim that citrus zest has numerous nutritional health benefits.

The applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature or step described herein and any combination of two or more such features, to the extent that such features or steps or combinations of features and/or steps are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, irrespective of whether such features or steps or combinations of features and/or steps solve any problems disclosed herein, and without limitation to the scope of the claims. The applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or step or combination of features and/or steps. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A tablet or gel product for use as an ingredient in cooking, mixing, blending and preparation of foods or drinks or as a garnish or condiment, comprising zest of a citrus fruit.
2. A tablet or gel product according to claim 1, wherein the product is a cube or a cuboid or any other shape.
3. A tablet or gel product according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tablet is packaged to be sealed with respect to outside environment.
4. A tablet or gel product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tablet further comprises a binding agent.
5. A tablet or gel product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tablet further comprises a preservative.
6. A tablet or gel product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the zest is dried or partially prior to the tablet being formed.
7. A tablet or gel product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tablet product comprises at least 90% zest, preferably at least 95%.
8. A tablet or gel product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the citrus fruit is organic.
9. A table or gel product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the zest is from at least two citrus fruits.
10. A tablet product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tablet is gathered, compressed or moulded.
11. A method of forming a tablet comprising zest of a citrus fruit, comprising the steps of: removing the zest of a citrus fruit; forming the zest into a tablet by gathering, compressing or moulding.
12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising carrying out at least one preservation action on tablet.
13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said preservation action comprises adding a preservative.
14. A method according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein said preservation action comprises drying the zest.
15. A method according to claim 10 to 13, further comprising adding a binding agent to the zest prior to the step of compressing.16. A method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the tablet is a cube or cuboid.
16. A tablet or gel product substantially as hereinbefore described.
17. A method of forming a tablet substantially as hereinbefore described.