MXPA01003474A - Non-stick soft confectionery composition and methods of making the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A non-stick confectionery composition which includes a confectionery base and an effective amount of the combination of insoluble and soluble components to provide sufficient non-stick domains within the confectionery composition.

Description

COMPOSITION OF NON-ADHERENT SOFT CONFITERY AND METHOD TO MANUFACTURE THE SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the formation of a soft, non-stick confectionery composition, especially, to a nugat composition that includes a combination of soluble and insoluble components. The composition has texture, consistency and other desirable properties in a confectionery composition; as well as domains or regions of sufficient non-adherence to provide the composition with non-adhesion properties.

Previous Art Confectionery products such as nugat are aerated confections whose density depends greatly on a component of viscous or crushed consistency (frappé) and whose texture depends to a large extent on an amorphous sugar ingredient (bob syrup) together with its subsequent crystallization. The bob syrup component consists mainly of glucose syrup (for example, corn syrup) and sucrose, heated to temperatures above 120 ° C to remove the water and form a melted sweet. The relatively light texturized frappe is generally prepared from viscosity agents such as gelatin, egg albumin, milk proteins such as casein, dextrin and vegetable proteins such as soy protein and the like, which can be used in combination with starch or arabic gum, which can be easily mixed at room temperature to form an aerated mass. The nugat composition is prepared either batchwise, or in a continuous system, by the addition of the bob syrup to the crushed with stirring, at temperatures between 65 ° C and 120 ° C to form the nugat base mixture. An alternative method does not include the aeration of the viscosity component before mixing it with the bob syrup, but it adds the viscosity agent, in solution, to the bob syrup and the mixture is aerated at high speeds. Additional ingredients such as flavoring agents, fats and oils, colorants and additional sugar and the like, can also be added with stirring. The resulting mixture is shaped into the desired shape and allowed to cool.

Nugats have a range of textures that can vary between a prolonged chewing product, low granulation and a product of short chewing, high granulation. The texture of the nugat is influenced by factors such as the ratio of sugar to glucose syrup, the ratio of the amorphous phase to the crystalline phase, the ratio of the liquid phase to the solid phase, the moisture content, the type of agent of viscosity, the process of aeration and the presence and type of additives. Generally, the prolonged chewing nugat contains a higher percentage of a low moisture amorphous sugar, while the short chewing nugat contains a higher percentage of crystalline sugar.

The preparation of nugats is described in "Choice Confections," Walter Richmond (Chapter 14), p. 251-267, Manufacturing Confectionery Publishing Company (1954), citation included in this document as reference.

Many soft confectionery compositions and especially the nugats, adhere to the teeth. It is a natural occurrence that the soft chewing texture of the nugat when it adheres to tooth enamel is difficult to remove and therefore is a problem for many people, including those who use dentures.

Various efforts have been made to manufacture confectionery compositions with non-sticking properties. For example, Richard B. Cook, Patent of E.U.A. No. 5,482,722, describes a confectionery composition employing a chewable protein base containing prolamin, which entrap a texturizing agent, in which, first prolamin is solubilized and subsequently co-precipitated with the texturizing agent, which can be an organic food grade acid and the like.

Japanese Patent Publication No. JP62 / 257,347 describes the preparation of a non-stick nugat by interposing a thin layer of a polysaccharide such as pullulan between a layer of nugat and a layer of gelatin.Japanese Patent Publication No. JP63 / 296,652 discloses a confectionery composition employing xanthan gum and cyclodextrin or dextrin and the fatty acid ester of sugar cane in maltodextrose to provide non-stick properties.

Japanese Patent Publication No. JP52 / 120,168 discloses a chewing gum-like food containing a nugat having a fibrous milk protein, a non-edible gum base and / or an edible nugat together with a sweetener and a flavoring as main ingredients.

Despite such efforts, it has been difficult to provide a soft confectionery composition, such as a nugat with non-sticky properties and texture, consistency and pleasant mouthfeel; normally associated with confectionery compositions that do not possess non-adherent properties.

Therefore, it would mean a great advance in the prior art, the development of confectionery products such as nugats with non-adherent properties, maintaining the properties associated with said products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a non-sticky soft confectionery composition, in which the combination of various ingredients provides a product with non-stick properties, with the same or similar properties as those normally associated with conventional confectionery compositions. . The present invention is also directed to the methods of manufacturing such confectionery products, for example, to the methods of making a nugat composition.

In one aspect of the present invention, a non-stick, soft confectionery composition is provided, comprising: An effective amount of a confectionery base, an effective amount of a combination of soluble and insoluble components to provide sufficient non-adhesion domains within the composition, so that it does not readily adhere to a substrate such as tooth enamel or Denture material (that is, having non-adherent properties).

The composition of the present invention provides non-stick properties to the confectionery product and provides texture, consistency and cohesion of sufficient quality, so that the present confectionery composition has the same or similar properties, as those associated with conventional confectionery compositions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed generally to a mild confectionery composition and to methods of manufacturing thereof to provide a non-sticky product. As used herein, the term "confectionery composition" is defined in its broadest sense and includes edible compositions made from a confectionery base. As used herein, the term "soft confectionery composition" means chewable confectionery compositions that include fondants, soft marshmallows, sweets, candies, bonbons, gums, gelatins and nugats. Nugat is the preferred soft confectionery composition of the present invention. The term "confectionery base" is used according to its common meaning. The confectionery base employed in the present invention includes sugar (for example, sucrose), as a source of glucose, moisture and optionally, fat and / or oil. An article on candies, including soft candies is found in "Foods and Food Production Encyclopedia," Douglas Considine, Editor-in-Chief, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1982, pgs. 475-480, citation incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention exhibits domain or regions that do not readily adhere to substrates such as tooth enamel and denture material. A "non-sticky domain" is defined as an area of the soft confectionery composition that at least does not substantially adhere to a target substrate (e.g., the material of a denture). The nonadherent domains occupy only a part of the total volume of the soft confectionery composition. The nonadherent domains are separated from each other (scattered), but close enough so that the total effect of the composition is non-adherent to the substrate. The size of the nonadherent domains and the total area of the scattered domains in the soft confectionery composition of the present invention is sufficient to prevent the composition from adhering to any appreciable extent of the substrate.

Nonadherent domains may vary in size. The size of the domains should not be so large that a feeling of granulation can be detected when the product is chewed. On the other hand, the domains must be sufficiently extensive with respect to their total surface area to at least substantially prevent the product from adhering to a substrate such as tooth enamel or denture material. In a preferred form of the invention, the non-adherent domains are in the form of particles which generally have a particle size of about 15 to 20 μ.

The soft confectionery composition of the present invention employs a base, optionally a comminute including a viscous protein and soluble and insoluble components, sufficient to provide the desired nonadherent domains, achieving the properties of commercially acceptable confectionery compositions that do not exhibit not adherents As mentioned previously, the confectionery base has a syrup phase that typically contains sucrose and glucose and other carbohydrates, or possibly, modified carbohydrates such as polydextrose, sorbitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. Generally, for nugats a fat and / or oil (eg, hydrogenated vegetable oil) is dispersed in the syrup and sometimes emulsified with it. Although the fat and / or oil component does not form the main structure of such confectionery compositions, it influences texture and mouth feel and is used to lubricate the composition to modify the "adhesion", although the presence of itself of the fat and / or the oil does not provide non-adherent properties. The typical amount of a confectionery base in a nugat composition is from about 70 to 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the soft confectionery composition.

For nugats, the soft confectionery composition will usually include a component that can be viscous, such as crushed. Said shred will contain a viscous protein such as egg albumin, gelatin, combinations thereof and the like. Also included are conventional crushed ingredients such as gum arabic, glucose (for example, corn syrup) and water. Other conventional ingredients that can be employed in grinding are well known to those skilled in the art.

The proteins used in the crushed component are soluble proteins. The amount of the protein component is generally from about 1 to 3% by weight, preferably from about 1 to 2% by weight, based on the total weight of the nugat composition. The protein part of the traditional nugat composition provides two functions. The first function is to provide a film for the glucose, sugar, fat and / or oil components. Since glucose and fat are incompatible, the protein component (for example, gelatin) is used as a compatibilizer.

The second function of the protein is to provide a feeling of "robustness" to the sweet. "Robustness" is the property that gives rise to the feeling that a force of chewing applied to the sweet will result in the same force in the opposite direction of the chewing action. The milk protein (e.g., demineralized whey protein) has high "robustness" properties and is one of the preferred proteins employed in the present invention and more preferably, in combination with gelatin.

The moisture content of the confectionery compositions and especially of the nugats is within a range of about 4 to 5% for the long chewing nugats and up to 12 to 15% for the short chewing nugats.

As previously indicated, the present invention requires the combination of soluble and insoluble components in an amount sufficient to provide the required presence of the non-adherent domains to give the composition at least similar non-adherent and sensory properties to the compositions. of confectionery conventional. The terms "soluble" and "insoluble" are handled in this document with their common meaning.

Soluble components can be selected from edible materials that solubilize during chewing and include some hydrocolloids, particularly, polysaccharides. The amount of the soluble components used in the present composition is from about 0.05 to 7.0% by weight, preferably from about 0.5 to 2.5% by weight, based on the weight of the confectionery composition. The most preferred class of soluble components are polysaccharides, especially corn starch and rice starch because of their high content of amylopectin. The polysaccharide component provides compatibility with the sugar portion of the confectionery composition (present in the bob syrup) and furthermore provides a sufficient number of non-sticky domains to aid in the provision of the composition with non-stick properties, especially, in the short term . In addition, the polysaccharides contribute to the stability of the confectionery composition, because such ingredients control water mobility.

Specific examples of soluble components that can be incorporated into the confectionery composition include carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), xanthan gum, carrageenan, alignates and the like and combinations thereof.

In addition to a soluble component as described above, the present invention is provided with an insoluble component selected from ingredients such as insoluble polysaccharides and denatured protein materials. Preferred insoluble polysaccharide materials are insoluble cellulosic materials, especially microcrystalline cellulose.

The preferred amount of the insoluble component is typically from about 0.5 to 5.0% by weight, preferably from about 2.0 to 5.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the confectionery composition.

The insoluble component remains solid during consumption of the confectionery composition and materially is not affected by the water of the saliva. Therefore, the insoluble component can continue to provide the nonadherent domains of a confectionery composition during the life of the chewable composition and therefore, similarly assists the extended chewing properties. Thus, while the soluble components that form the non-adherent domains tend to leak out of the dough while the confectionery composition is being chewed (when short-term nonadherent domains are provided), the insoluble component provides an essential supply of domains non-sticky to maintain the non-stick properties of the confectionery composition during chewing in a period of over-extended chewing.

The insoluble component (eg, the insoluble cellulose component) also gives the dimensional stability of the composition by providing the physical structure in the form of a "lattice" very similar to glass fiber. The lattice provides a network around which the components of the confectionery composition are firmly held and allow it to maintain its dimensional stability during chewing. The insoluble component also provides the cohesive properties of the composition, so it tends to remain as a single bolus. This exposes less surface area to the substrate (for example, the material of a denture) and thereby indirectly assists in the delivery of the non-stick composition. In addition, the insoluble component aids in the manufacturing process of the confectionery composition by stabilizing the ingredients when they are being formulated in the final composition.

As previously indicated, the insoluble component can include a denatured protein. Proteins are usually soluble in water. However, the denaturing process supplies the water insoluble protein.

Denaturation is defined in this document as "any modification of the secondary, tertiary or quaternary structure of a protein molecule, which does not break the covalent bonds". A change in protein structure is usually associated with some changes in at least one of the physical, chemical or functional properties of the protein including the supply of the soluble and water-insoluble protein.

The degree of change in the structure and therefore in the properties of the proteins depends, in part, on the way in which the proteins are denatured. Among the most important changes in proteins as a result of denaturation, are: (1) the decrease in solubility, (2) the loss of biological activity, (3) the increase in the reactivity of the constituent groups, and (4) the change in molecular shape and size.

The denaturation can be carried out by the application of physical, chemical and biological methods. Physical methods include heating, freezing, application of surface forces, sound waves, spraying, pressure and radiation, including ionization and ultraviolet radiation. Chemical methods include the use of chemical agents such as solvents, pH adjusters and salts. Biological methods include the use of proteolytic enzymes.

The denaturation of the proteins carried out by heating, usually within the range of about 55 to 75 ° C, requires conventionally, the use of a solvent, inter alia, to avoid the concomitant decomposition of the polypeptide chain and to provide preferably a diluted solution to avoid intermolecular interactions of the denatured protein. Aqueous, non-aqueous and aqueous-alcohol solutions have been used.

A general description of proteins including protein classifications can be found in John M. DeMan, "Principles Of Food Chemestry" 2nd Edition, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, NY, (1990) on pages 89 & ff, and in Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionay, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, NY (1987), pages 477-478, both citations are incorporated herein by reference.

A preferred denatured protein is provided as a plasticized protein material that is derived from the combination or mixture of at least one protein (e.g., a protein component) and at least one plasticizer (e.g., a plasticizer component) that has been preferably labeled so that the final product (plasticized protein material) can be specially and effectively used in the confectionery composition. The plasticized protein material provides the confectionery composition with suitable texture, consistency and cohesion and thus provides it with the same sensory or similar properties, as those of conventional confectionery compositions including nugats.

The plasticized protein material can be manufactured in several ways. A particularly preferred method is to heat the mixture of the protein component and the plasticizer component under controlled cutting conditions, preferably at a temperature of about 20 ° C to about 140 ° C, preferably about 90 ° C to 110 ° C.

The selection and labeling of the appropriate protein component and an appropriate plasticizer component can be made with consideration of the respective solubility parameters, as well as the free volume and the transition temperature of the mixture as described in detail in the US Patent Application. , Serial No. 08 / 936,570 filed on September 24, 1997, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The preferred process for the formation of the plasticized protein material denatures the protein component in a molten state, for example, a protein component in the form of a viscous liquid. More specifically, the process comprises heating, under controlled cutting conditions, the mixture of the protein component and the plasticizer component, preferably in the solid state prior to processing, so that after cooling, the plasticizer component is trapped in a matrix denatured protein component.

A suitable denatured protein that can be used as an insoluble component in the present invention is the demineralized whey protein. This type of protein has little, if any, flavor and therefore can be mixed with a variety of flavors without adversely affecting the flavor of the confectionery composition, while providing the necessary assistance for obtaining the non-stick properties. . The demineralized whey protein can be formed into a plasticized protein material by combining it with a suitable plasticizer such as glycerol according to the previously described method.

The invention is illustrated by the following non-limiting examples.

EXAMPLE 1 Formulation of the nugat The soft confectionery nugat products according to the present invention were prepared from the following ingredients: INGREDIENT% WEIGHT Crushed (frappé) Gelatin 1.13 Arabica Gum 0.34 Corn Syrup 44Be 16.36 Water 1.75 Bob Syrup Granulated Sugar 38.7 Corn Syrup 44Be 30.07 * -X Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil 5.5 Flavor 0.50 Isolated Whey Protein / Glycerol 1.83 Powdered Sugar 2.74 Pulp Microcrystalline 0.91 * Soluble Component (Selected from the Compounds shown in Table 1) X * The amount of corn syrup in the bobo syrup is by the amount the soluble component The shredded (frappe) was formed by adding the gelatin to the hot water and mixing until dissolution. The solution was left to stand for 30 minutes. The gum arabic was added to the cold water and treated in the same way as the gelatin. The gelatin and gum arabic solutions were added to hot 44Be corn syrup in a Hobart mixer and mixed first at low speed and then at moderate speed for a total of 4 minutes.

The bob syrup was prepared by mixing 44Be corn syrup, granulated sugar and water. The mixture was heated to 130 ° C.

The bob syrup was slowly added to the frappe, mixing for approximately 5 minutes. Powdered cellulose (for example, microcrystalline cellulose) was added, mixing for 2 minutes, followed by the addition of sugar and at least one component, preferably a combination of the soluble components shown in Table 1 below. Finally, the plasticized protein material (eg, whey protein / glycerol) was added with stirring, followed by the addition of the sweetener (eg, powdered sugar) and the flavoring components.

The resulting nugats exhibited non-adherent properties, as well as the properties of conventional nugats, including the feasibility of chewing, texture and cohesion.

Table 1 Soluble components EXAMPLE 2 To make the nugat composition, Example 1 was repeated, with the exception that the amount of corn syrup in the bob syrup was 32.16% by weight and the amount of the microcrystalline cellulose was 3.0% by weight. As in Example 1, the amount of corn syrup in the bob syrup was reduced by the amount of the soluble component used.

The resulting nugat composition exhibited non-adherent properties, as well as the properties of conventional nugats, including the feasibility of chewing, texture and cohesion.

EXAMPLE 3 To make the nugat composition, Example 1 was repeated, with the exception that the amount of corn syrup in the bob syrup was 33.24% by weight and the amount of the whey protein was 5.0% by weight. As in example 1, the amount of corn syrup in the bob syrup was reduced by the amount of the soluble component.

The resulting nugat composition exhibited non-adherent properties, as well as the properties of conventional nugats including the feasibility of chewing, texture and cohesion.

Claims (10)

1. A soft, non-stick confectionery composition comprising: an effective amount of a confectionery base and an effective amount of a combination of soluble and insoluble components to provide sufficient non-sticky domains within the confectionery composition, such that the Confectionery composition has non-adherent properties.
2. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 1, wherein the insoluble component comprises an insoluble cellulosic material.
3. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 2, wherein the insoluble cellulosic material is microcrystalline cellulose.
4. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 1, wherein the insoluble component comprises a denatured protein.
5. 5. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 4, wherein the denatured protein is a plasticized protein material.
6. 6. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 1, wherein the insoluble component is present in an amount from about 0.5 to 5.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the confectionery composition.
7. 7. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 2, wherein the amount of the insoluble component is about 2.0 to 5.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the confectionery composition.
8. 8. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 1, wherein the soluble component is a hydrocolloid.
9. 9. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 8, wherein the hydrocolloid is a polysaccharide.
10. 10. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 9, wherein the polysaccharides are selected from the group consisting of corn starch and rice starch. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 8, wherein the soluble component is selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, carrageenan alginates and combinations thereof. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 1, wherein the soluble component is present in an amount from about 0.05 to 7.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the confectionery composition. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 12, wherein the soluble component is present in an amount from about 0.5 to 2.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the confectionery composition. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 1, wherein the non-sticky domains are in the form of particles having a particle size from about 15 to 20 μ. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 1, comprising from about 70 to 90% of a confectionery base, an effective amount of a comminute, 0.05 to 7.0% by weight of said soluble component and 0.5 to 5.0% by weight of said insoluble component, based on the total weight of the confectionery composition. The non-stick confectionery composition according to claim 15, wherein the shred comprises a soluble viscous protein.