RU2322071C1 - Method for forming of figured product from viscoplastic confectionery masses - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: confectionery industry.

SUBSTANCE: method involves producing supporting form made as platform of polypropylene with slots provided on its upper surface and having shape conforming to that of confectioneries, said slots being closed with low density polyethylene film having thickness less than 0.1 mm, each depression of slot communicating via through channel to lower surface of platform for creating air pressure difference of at least 0.08 MPa before said slots are filled with confectionery mass having temperature below film melting temperature by more than 40 C; upon termination of filling procedure, leveling air pressure; providing cooling procedure and applying the same film flush with upper surface of platform before directing the latter into pressurized vacuum chamber, wherein connecting film parts by heat sealing process or by gluing along perimeter of slots, at a distance of 1.5-2 mm from edge; withdrawing product by supplying air at excessive pressure above 0.1 MPa via through channels.

EFFECT: increased efficiency of method owing to substantially reduced costs of packaging procedure.

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Description

The invention relates to the food industry, namely the production of various packaged curly confectionery from viscoplastic confectionery masses, for example marmalade, chocolate-like mass, jelly, chewing confectionery.

A known method of forming a figured confectionery product from a plastic material, for example chocolate, comprising the free flow of the current material to a pair of forming rollers that perform counter-rotation, on the surface of which there are recesses corresponding to the desired shape of the product, compaction and compression of the plastic material to form a single sheet of the aforementioned material with curly products connected by a thin jumper from said material, separating the curly product from the connecting jumper, to Thoroe subsequently fed to the packaging (Patent RU №2264121, IPC 7 A23G 1/20).

The disadvantage of this method is the deformation of the product when it is separated from the common sheet and during mechanical actions associated with the packaging.

Closest to the claimed technical solution is a method of manufacturing a packaged confectionery product from a tempered fluid confectionery mass, namely a hollow confectionery product. This method is chosen by us as a prototype. The method comprises the following steps:

a) the stage of separate supply of two parts of a film-like or plate-like food-safe plastic material and the manufacture of thin-walled parts of a working form from it, namely the halves of the mold with the upper flat edge section, these halves of the mold representing the future outer packaging of the confectionery product,

b) the stage of manufacture and supply of the support form, made respectively thin-walled parts of the working form and supporting them on the outer sides, in contact with the individual elements,

c) the combination of the support form with thin-walled parts of the working form,

d) filling the halves of the working form with a metered volume of confectionery mass, the volume of which basically corresponds to the volume of the hollow space, limited by the internal contour of the halves of the form,

e) the formation of a half-shell of the confectionery product between the thin-walled half of the working form and the punch inserted into it to form a girdling edge flat section, the hollow body of the mold forming a removable outer packaging with a flat edge portion of the dividing plane of the mold halves, which are cut to the final packaging format with the formation of a continuous girdle edges around the confectionery packaging.

After the introduction of the punch, the confectionery product is cooled. When connecting the half-shells to the hollow form, the edges of the packaging of the confectionery are heated. Connection, cutting and sealing are carried out simultaneously. (RF patent 2242881, IPC 7 A23G 1/00).

This method involves the use as a material of the halves of the working form of strong, rigid film-like materials of considerable thickness, namely 0.3 mm-1.5 mm, capable of maintaining their geometry when pouring tempered confectionery masses into them. When forming them with a punch, it is impossible to repeat the elements of the figure having small dimensions, because the material is well formed, exposed to only the protruding parts of the punch. The surface tensile forces of the polymeric material prevent it from entering deep cavities and depressions on the punch, the figure elements are smeared from the outside and some of them are lost. Therefore, in this way only simple figures with large sizes of individual elements can be molded. This leads to increased consumption of packaging material, increases the cost of products and environmental degradation due to the need to dispose of excess packaging. During transportation and storage of such confectionery products, the packaged confectionery product may peel off from the walls of a rigid and strong shape as a result of shaking or as a result of inconsistency of the temperature coefficients of the linear expansion of the packaging material and the frozen confectionery mass. As a result, the organoleptic characteristics of the product are significantly reduced, it is deformed, in particular, crumbles and cracks.

The use of thin films with a thickness of less than 0.1 mm during molding by the punch is not possible due to their strong deformation after removal from the punch. The film formed in this way cannot be embedded in the support form.

The task set in the development of the proposed method is to obtain a packaged figured confectionery product with improved external quality indicators, namely the achievement of the possibility of expressing the elements of the figure up to 0.1 mm in size, attractive appearance and bright colors, reducing packaging costs and at the same time expanding the range of packaged confectionery with the effect of lack of packaging.

The problem is solved in that in the method of forming a packaged curly product from viscoplastic confectionery masses, comprising the separate supply of two parts of a thin plastic material that is harmless to food, intended for the manufacture of an outer packaging with a flat edge section, the manufacture and supply of a support form for combining with one part of a thin plastic material and the subsequent connection with the second part of the same material with simultaneous sealing and final formed with a marginal portion, filling the recesses of the mold with a tempered confectionery mass, forming and cooling the confectionery mass, the support form is made of polypropylene in the form of a platform with a lower plane and an upper plane, in which recesses are made exactly repeating the shape of the confectionery product; each depression cavity is connected through a channel with the lower plane of the platform. Submission of thin plastic material is carried out by applying a film of polyethylene with a thickness of less than 0.1 mm to the recesses of the support form with heating for 3-5 s to the softening temperature of polyethylene with an air pressure drop of at least 0.08 MPa created between the film and the lower plane of the platform pumping air through the through channels, the width of which exceeds the thickness of the applied polyethylene film by no more than 8 times, and the melting temperature of the film is lower than the melting temperature of the material of the supporting form. Filling the confectionery mass, the temperature of which should be more than 40 ° C below the melting temperature of the polyethylene film, is carried out no later than 4 s from the moment the film was fed. When filling is achieved, the air pressure is equalized between the planes of the platform, cooling and formation of the internal structure of the confectionery mass is carried out, which ensures the preservation of the shape of the confectionery product, and the connection with the second part of the thin plastic material is carried out by applying a film of polyethylene that covers the upper plane of the platform flush before feeding it into the sealed vacuum a chamber where the parts of the film are interconnected by welding or gluing along the perimeter of the recesses of the support form on Toyan from the edge of 1.5-2 mm. Then, a figured confectionery product coated with a plastic film is removed from the recesses using an air supply with an overpressure of more than 0.1 MPa through the through channels of the support form.

The technical result achieved by the proposed method is to increase the degree of resolution of the details of the elements of the figure, which reaches 0.1 mm, in reducing the cost of packaging and its subsequent disposal. A packaged figured confectionery product with an attractive appearance and vibrant colors is obtained. The tight coating in the form of a thin polyethylene film without signs of delamination prevents deformation and does not distort the natural look of the product, creating the effect of lack of packaging, which greatly affects the increase in demand for this type of confectionery.

It has been established that the joint use of a propylene support mold having a sufficiently high hardness in the form of a platform with a lower and upper plane, in which recesses are made exactly repeating the shape of a confectionery product, and a softened thin polyethylene film with a thickness of less than 0.1 mm with an air pressure drop not less than 0.08 MPa and the simultaneous formation of a package of the above film and a figured confectionery product provides a clear form of the product with a high degree of resolution of its elements. The width of the through channels exceeds the thickness of the polyethylene film by no more than 8 times to prevent the possibility of deformation of the softened film during the pumping period. When filling the mold with a confectionery mass having a temperature more than 40 ° C lower than the melting temperature of the polyethylene film, the temperature is mutually balanced in accordance with the specific heat of the contacting substances with the formation of adhesive bonds, but excluding their interpenetration. Technological modes of the method ensure the absence of air inclusions under the coating of a thin durable transparent film, which increases the shelf life of the product. The film thickness is 3-15 times less than the thickness of the material used for the forms of the prototype, i.e. material consumption is reduced by 3-15 times and the cost of disposing disposable packaging is reduced by 3-15 times.

The method is as follows: a support mold is made of polypropylene with a melting point of about 172 ° C in the form of a platform with recesses on its upper plane, exactly repeating the shape of the confectionery product, and a flat bottom side. Each cavity of the platform recess is connected through channels with the lower plane of the platform for a more snug fit of the film. Then, a plastic film with a thickness of less than 0.1 mm and a melting point of 123 ° C is applied to the upper plane of the platform. Larger film thickness does not provide clarity of a figured confectionery product, and a smaller one does not provide sufficient strength. The film is heated by the convective-radiation method, having a metal surface heated to a temperature of 250-280 ° C, painted with a black matte paint, parallel to the film deposition plane at a distance of 15-18 mm from it. The duration of heating is selected empirically and ranges from 3 to 5 seconds. Heating for less than 3 s does not provide adequate plasticity and clarity of the confectionery. Heating for more than 5 s can lead to overheating and burning of the film. Then, air is pumped through the through channels from the recesses of the support form. Moreover, a pressure drop of more than 0.08 MPa occurs on both sides of the softened film. Under the influence of this pressure, a polyethylene film, which has a high degree of elasticity, is pressed in and fits tightly over all cavities of the mold cavities for 2-3 s, achieving a high degree of resolution of the elements. Simultaneously with the beginning of the pumping of air or with a small (no more than 3-4 s) time delay, the recesses tightened with a film are filled with a confectionery mass. The difference in the melting temperature of the film and the heated confectionery mass should be more than 40 ° C. This ensures further good separation of the film from the molded confectionery mass and prevents the transfer of part of the polymeric material into the heated confectionery mass. After the recesses of the mold are completely filled with a confectionery mass, the pressure differential is eliminated and the support form with the film and the confectionery mass is cooled and held until the state of the confectionery mass capable of maintaining the shape is reached. After exposure, the support form with the figured confectionery product is placed in an airtight chamber, a film of the same material as the material of the film previously used for molding and fitting the recesses of the support form is applied on top. The chamber is evacuated and parts of the film are joined together by welding or gluing along the perimeter of the recesses at a distance of no more than 1.5-2 mm from the edge of the recesses. At the same time, the edges of the films are cut off. After that, the figured confectionery product packed on both sides together with the support form is removed from the sealed chamber and then from the recesses of the support form by supplying air with an overpressure of more than 0.1 MPa through the through channels into the space between the lower plane of the platform and the plastic film. Under the influence of air pressure, the packaged figured confectionery product is removed from the support form for feeding into the group container, and the support form is returned to the beginning of the technological process.

Example 1. For the production of curly fondant sweets in a package, fill in a fondant mass having a temperature below 83 ° C. After the recesses of the mold are completely filled with fondant, the air pressure drop is eliminated and the support mold with the film and the confectionery mass is fed for cooling and crystallization. After 40-50 minutes of exposure at a temperature of 4-10 ° C, the support form with a figured confectionery product from fondant is placed in an airtight chamber. Next, operations are carried out according to the above method.

Example 2. For the production of figured marmalade in the package, pour the marmalade mass having a temperature below 80 ° C. After the cavities are completely filled with the confectionery mass, the pressure drop is eliminated and the support form with the film and the confectionery mass is fed for cooling and gelation. After 4-6 hours of exposure at a temperature of 18-20 ° C, the support form with a figured confectionery product from marmalade is placed in an airtight chamber. The chamber is evacuated and films are joined together by welding along the perimeter of the recesses of the support form at a distance of no more than 1.5-2 mm from the edge of the recesses. At the same time, the edges of the films are trimmed further according to the method described above.

Example 3. For the production of figured chocolate, the filling is carried out with a chocolate mass heated to 32-34 ° C. Cooling and crystallization is carried out for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 4-8 ° C. Further, according to the above method.

Thus, the inventive method allows the manufacture of curly products from viscoplastic confectionery masses in packaging from a polyethylene film with a thickness of less than 0.1 mm, having a good appearance and attractiveness. The shape and color of which is characteristic of this product name in accordance with the approved formulations. A thin film makes it possible to convey the whole variety and brightness of colors of individual elements of confectionery figures up to 0.1 mm in size, has better adhesion to the material of the confectionery product, therefore during transportation and storage the film does not peel off the surface of the figured confectionery product and lose its presentation . This also contributes to the pumping of air from the inner cavity of the package during the connection of the films. At the same time, a thin packaging film has many times less rigidity than the material of a figured confectionery product, therefore, it is easily removed and does not damage its surface. The use of sealed individual packaging helps to preserve the structure and properties of confectionery products and allows to increase shelf life, and due to the low cost of the polyethylene film it helps to reduce material consumption, eliminates the stage of preliminary manufacturing of thin-walled parts of the working form, and the cost of the product itself is significantly reduced.

Information sources

1. Pat. 2264121 Russian Federation, IPC 7 A23G 1/20. Method and device for the formation of a confectionery product / Cashline Peter Thomas Ml .; applicant and patent holder Mars Incorporated / - No. 2002118707; Claim 12/11/2000; Publ. 20.11.2005 // Bull. No. 32 (2 hours) - p. 340.

2. Pat. 2242881 Russian Federation, IPC 7 A23G 1/00, 1/21, 3/00. A packaged hollow confectionery product as well as a method for manufacturing a hollow confectionery product. / Ferrero Pietro; Applicant and patent holder Ferrero OHG MBH / - No. 99123373/13; Claim 11/04/99; Publ. 12/27/2004 // Bull. No. 36 (4 hours) - p. 704.

Claims (1)

A method of forming a packaged figured product from viscoplastic confectionery masses, comprising separately supplying two parts of a food-safe thin plastic material for manufacturing an outer packaging with a flat edge portion, manufacturing and supplying a support form for aligning with a part of plastic material and subsequent joining with the second part of the same material with simultaneous sealing and final formation of the edge section, filling the recesses of the support rmy tempered confectionery mass, its formation and cooling, characterized in that the supporting mold is made of polypropylene in the form of a platform with upper and lower planes in which recesses, exactly corresponding to the shape of the confectionery product; each depression cavity is connected through a channel with the lower plane of the platform, and the supply of plastic material is carried out by applying a film of polyethylene with a thickness of less than 0.1 mm to the recesses of the support form by heating it for 3-5 s to a softening temperature of polyethylene with a pressure drop of at least 0 , 08 MPa, created between the film and the lower plane of the platform by pumping air through through channels whose width exceeds the thickness of the applied polyethylene film by no more than 8 times, and the melt temperature pouring the film below the melting temperature of the material of the support form, filling is done with a confectionery mass, the temperature of which should be more than 40 ° C lower than the melting temperature of the polyethylene film, not later than 4 s from the moment the film was fed and when filling is reached, the air pressure is equalized between the planes of the platform cooling and forming the internal structure of the confectionery mass, ensuring the preservation of the shape of the confectionery product, and the connection with the second part of the plastic material m of the same film of polyethylene flush with the upper plane of the platform before feeding it into a sealed vacuum chamber, where the parts of the film are connected by welding or gluing along the perimeter of the recesses of the support form at a distance from the edge of 1.5-2 mm, then a figured confectionery is removed from the recesses in a package in the form of a coating of a polyethylene film, using an air supply with an overpressure of more than 0.1 MPa through the through channels of the support form.