RU2780588C2 - Whitener composition - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a composition of a powdered whitener, containing vegetable protein with a certain median molecular weight, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid. A composition of a powdered whitener for a beverage is proposed, containing: 1-8 wt.% of vegetable protein selected from soy protein, rice protein, and pea protein; 12-50 wt.% of vegetable oil; 25-80 wt.% of carbohydrate; 0.5-5 wt.% of sodium bicarbonate; 0.2-3 wt.% of citric acid; and at the same time, vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 Dalton. A composition of a powdered coffee beverage, containing instant coffee and the specified composition of a powdered whitener, is proposed. A composition of a powdered tea beverage, containing instant tea and the specified composition of a powdered whitener, is proposed. A capsule for beverage making for a beverage making device is proposed, wherein the capsule for beverage making contains the specified composition of a powdered whitener. A method for the production of a composition of a powdered whitener for a beverage is also proposed, including: a) obtaining an aqueous solution containing vegetable protein; b) emulsifying vegetable oil in the aqueous solution to obtain an emulsion; and c) drying the emulsion to obtain a composition of a powdered whitener, wherein carbohydrate, citric acid, and sodium bicarbonate are added to the aqueous solution prepared at the stage a) and/or to the emulsion obtained at the stage b) before the stage c); and at the same time, vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid are present in amounts necessary to obtain a composition of a powdered whitener for a beverage, containing: 1-8 wt.% of vegetable protein selected from soy protein, rice protein, and pea protein; 12-50 wt.% of vegetable oil; 25-80 wt.% of carbohydrate; 0.5–5 wt.% of sodium bicarbonate; 0.2-3 wt.% of citric acid; and at the same time, vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 Dalton.

EFFECT: invention provides a composition of a powdered whitener for a beverage, which has good organoleptic properties and is stable, when added to beverages, without the need for additional stabilizers.

14 cl, 2 dwg, 1 tbl, 6 ex

Description

Scope of the invention

The present invention relates to a creamer powder composition containing vegetable protein, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid.

Prerequisites for the creation of the invention

Creamers are widely used as creaming agents as well as texture/taste modifiers with hot and cold beverages such as coffee, cocoa, tea, and the like. As a rule, they are used instead of milk and/or cream. Creamers can contain a variety of different flavors and provide a whitening effect, mouthfeel, body and more uniform texture. Creamers may be presented in powder or liquid form.

More and more consumers are concerned about additives that may be perceived as synthetic or artificial in foods. Therefore, there is a need for commercially available creamers without such additives. Typically, creamers contain stabilizers such as hydrocolloids, buffer salts, artificial emulsifiers, or creamers, which are often not perceived as natural products by consumers. However, these perceived as artificial food ingredients are generally necessary to maintain the physical stability of the creamer after pouring into coffee or other beverages. In addition, they are necessary to achieve the desired whitening effect and texture/taste of the beverage. In the absence of such ingredients, coffee whiteners are much less stable and show a weaker whitening effect and adversely affect organoleptic properties. In addition, without the introduction of synthetic or artificial additives, severe physical destabilization of creamers and loss of functionality can occur in finished beverages.

Most dairy, non-dairy and vegetable creamers undergo physical separation in low pH, high mineral beverages without the presence of buffers such as phosphates and/or hydrocolloids. Physical separation is often referred to as flocculation, coagulation, clumping, aggregation, or settling. This phenomenon is primarily associated with the removal of the charge of the emulsion droplets, and then with the aggregation of the droplets. In order for a creamer to successfully exhibit its properties in a beverage, the emulsion must be stable and free of aggregates or lumps when added to the beverage and until the beverage is consumed. When added to beverages, the creamer should provide good organoleptic properties without any physical instability.

Statement of the Invention

The present inventors have surprisingly found that a powdered creamer that is stable when added to a beverage and has good organoleptic properties and whitening ability without the addition of artificial additives can be obtained by adding baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to a creamer composition containing vegetable protein and vegetable oil. . Accordingly, the invention relates to a composition of powdered creamer containing 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein; 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil; 25–80 wt% carbohydrate; 0.5–5 wt% sodium bicarbonate; 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 daltons. In additional embodiments, the invention relates to a coffee or tea beverage composition, a beverage capsule, and a method for preparing a powdered creamer composition.

Brief description of the figures

In FIG. 1 shows the distribution of fat droplets obtained with a creamer powder having good emulsifying properties according to the present invention.

In FIG. 2 shows the distribution of fat droplets obtained with a creamer powder having poor emulsifying properties.

Detailed description of the invention

The plant protein according to the invention may be any protein derived from plant material suitable for human consumption. Advantageously, the vegetable protein according to the invention can replace milk proteins in powdered coffee creamers while maintaining good organoleptic properties and without creating any physical instability when added to beverages. It was expected that the ability of vegetable protein not to cause flaking, curdling or clumping of powdered creamer would be different from the ability of milk proteins, such as sodium caseinate. The inventors of the present invention have actually found that not all native or even partially hydrolyzed vegetable proteins can effectively stabilize an oil-in-water emulsion, thus not leading to flocculation, coagulation, clumping or aggregation of the inventive creamer powder after dissolution in a liquid, like coffee.

Preferred vegetable proteins are soy protein, rice protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, potato protein, canola protein, hemp protein, oat protein, flax protein, green bean protein, lentil protein, and combinations thereof. The protein may be in any suitable form, for example in a purified form, for example in the form of a protein isolate or protein powder, or may be in the form of herbal ingredients containing the protein as well as other compounds such as a carbohydrate and/or oil, for example in the form flour such as rice flour, corn flour, tapioca flour or oatmeal, or in the form of ground or ground plant parts such as nuts, almonds, soybeans, oats, quinoa, hemp and peas, and any combinations thereof. The vegetable protein is present in the powdered creamer composition in an amount of 1-8% by weight, preferably 1-5% by weight, more preferably 1.5-4% by weight.

The plant protein of the present invention has a median molecular weight in the range of 800 to 20,000 daltons (Da). The inventors of the present invention first found that, at the same concentration, vegetable protein was less effective in stabilizing the emulsion than sodium caseinate. The present inventors have unexpectedly found that a plant protein with a median molecular weight in the range of 800 to 20,000 Da has an improved emulsion stabilizing ability to avoid flocculation, coagulation, clumping or aggregation of the inventive creamer powder when dissolved in a liquid such as coffee . Without wishing to be bound by theory, a plant protein with a median molecular weight in the claimed range may be less susceptible to protein aggregation, thus maintaining emulsion stability, for example, without causing oil droplet aggregation.

In one embodiment, the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 850 to 20,000 Da, or in the range of 900 to 20,000 Da, or in the range of 950 to 20,000 Da. In another embodiment, the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 850 to 15,000 Da, or in the range of 850 to 12,000 Da, or in the range of 850 to 11,000 Da. In a further embodiment, the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 900 to 15,000 Da, or in the range of 900 to 12,000 Da, or in the range of 900 to 11,000 Da. In yet another embodiment, the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 950 to 15,000 Da, or in the range of 950 to 12,000 Da, or in the range of 950 to 11,000 Da.

The vegetable protein may be subjected to any suitable pretreatment, for example to increase solubility. For example, a vegetable protein can be partially hydrolyzed by any suitable method known in the art, such as, for example, acid hydrolysis and/or enzymatic hydrolysis. The vegetable protein can be hydrolyzed using any suitable enzyme adapted to the nature of the vegetable protein and under conditions well known in the art. After enzymatic hydrolysis, the protein is cleaved to form a mixture of polypeptides, oligopeptides and free amino acids. The degree of protein hydrolysis is determined using the Kjeldahl method, the generally accepted standard method for determining protein content. Briefly, the degree of protein hydrolysis is determined using the ratio (NPN/TN%) between the amount of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and total nitrogen (TN). NPN contains hydrolyzed peptides and reflects nitrogen from nitrogenous compounds such as peptides or free amino acids. The NPN fraction is obtained by acid precipitation of proteins. Thus, the higher the NPN/TN ratio, the higher the degree of protein hydrolysis.

In one embodiment of the invention, the plant protein has been hydrolysed to a degree of protein hydrolysis in the range of 5 to 99%. In another embodiment, the plant protein has been hydrolysed to a degree of hydrolysis in the range of 5 to 90%, in the range of 5 to 80%, or in the range of 5 to 70%, or in the range of 5 to 60%. In another embodiment, the vegetable protein has been hydrolysed to a degree of protein hydrolysis in the range of 6 to 90%, or in the range of 6 to 80%, or in the range of 6 to 60%, or in the range of 6 to 55%, or 5 to 58%, or 5 to 55%, or 6 to 58%, or 6 to 55%, or 7 to 58%, or 7 to 55 %, or in the range from 7 to 53%.

In one embodiment of the invention, the creamer powder composition is substantially free of milk protein. It was expected that the replacement of milk protein with vegetable protein would adversely affect the organoleptic properties of the creamer and the stability after dissolution. An advantage of the powdered creamer composition of the present invention is that it is substantially free of milk protein and yet exhibits good organoleptic properties without any physical instability when added to beverages.

The vegetable oil according to the invention may be any oil derived from plant material suitable for human consumption. Preferred vegetable oils are coconut oil, palm kernel oil or oleins, soybean oil such as high low oleic linoleic acid soybean oil, sunflower oil such as high oleic acid sunflower oil, algal oil, rice bran oil, almond oil, nuts, canola oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, and any combination thereof, blended or transesterified. The oil may be in a hydrogenated form or in a non-hydrogenated form. The vegetable oil may be in any suitable form, for example in a refined form as an oil, or may be in the form of vegetable ingredients containing oil as well as other compounds such as carbohydrate and/or protein, for example in the form of a flour such as rice flour, corn flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, palm kernel or oatmeal, or in the form of ground or ground plant parts such as nuts, almonds, soybeans, oats, quinoa, hemp and peas, and any combinations thereof. The vegetable oil is present in the creamer powder composition in an amount of 12-50% by weight, preferably 20-45% by weight, more preferably 25-40% by weight.

The carbohydrate according to the invention may be any carbohydrate suitable for human consumption. The carbohydrate may be present in pure form or may, for example, be present in the form of herbal ingredients containing the carbohydrate as well as other compounds such as protein and/or oil, for example in the form of flour such as rice flour, corn flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, palm kernel flour or oatmeal, or in the form of ground or ground plant parts such as nuts, almonds, soybeans, oats, quinoa, hemp and peas, and any combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the carbohydrate is present in whole or in part in the form of a sugar. Preferred sugars are sucrose, fructose, lactose, molasses/glucose syrup, corn syrup, rice syrup, tapioca syrup, maple syrup, agave syrup, honey, dextrin, oligosaccharides, and combinations thereof. The carbohydrate is present in the creamer powder composition in an amount of 25-80 wt.%, preferably 40-75 wt.%, more preferably 50-70 wt.%.

In one embodiment of the invention, the protein, carbohydrate and/or vegetable oil is present in whole or in part in the form of vegetable meal and/or in the form of ground or ground plant parts. Vegetable flour according to the invention may, for example, be rice flour, corn flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, palm kernel flour, oat flour, and combinations thereof. The crushed or ground parts of the plant may be, for example, crushed or ground nuts, almonds, soybeans, oats, quinoa, hemp, peas, lentils, and any combination thereof.

The powdered creamer composition of the invention contains sodium bicarbonate in an amount of 0.5-5% by weight, preferably 0.7-3% by weight. The sodium bicarbonate may be in any form suitable for human consumption, such as baking soda.

In one embodiment of the invention, the powdered creamer composition contains citric acid in an amount of 0.2-3 wt.%, preferably 0.4-1.5 wt.%. Citric acid may be present in any suitable form, for example in the form of citrate, such as, for example. The citric acid may be present in pure form, or may be present in whole or in part in the form of a composition derived from fruit, eg fruit juice (eg fruit juice concentrate) containing citric acid. In a preferred embodiment, the citric acid is present in whole or in part in the form of lemon juice, such as lemon juice concentrate.

In one embodiment of the invention, the powdered creamer composition contains calcium carbonate in an amount of 1-7 wt.%, for example, in an amount of 1-6 wt.%, 1-5 wt.%, or in an amount of 2-7 wt.%, or in an amount of 2-6 wt.%, or in the amount of 2-5 wt.%, or in the amount of 2-4 wt.%, or in the amount of 3-7 wt.%, or in the amount of 3-6 wt.%, or in the amount 3–5 wt.%, or in the amount of 3–4 wt.%. The calcium carbonate may be in any form suitable for human consumption, for example in the form of a powder. The addition of calcium carbonate improves the creaming properties of the creamer powder according to the invention.

In a further embodiment, the powdered creamer composition contains one or more emulsifiers. Suitable emulsifiers are, for example, lecithin (as such or hydrolysed), peptides (eg, peptides from vegetable protein), quilaia extract, monoglycerides, succinic acid esters of monoglycerides, and diacetyltartaric acid esters of monoglycerides. The preferred emulsifier is lecithin. Consumers generally take lecithin well.

The creamer powder composition of the invention may contain other ingredients suitable for use in the creamer powder composition, such as, for example, flavors, creamers, texturizing agents, and/or foaming agents.

The creamer powder composition of the invention preferably does not contain added phosphates. By added phosphates is meant phosphates which are added as substantially pure compounds, for example to achieve a buffering effect and/or to stabilize the creamer composition. The term "added phosphates" is intended not to include phosphates present in small amounts as natural components of other ingredients of the creamer composition, such as phosphates that may be naturally present in plant material added to provide vegetable protein, vegetable oil and/or carbohydrate in the creamer composition, such as flour, such as rice flour or oatmeal, or crushed or ground parts of plants, such as nuts.

In another preferred embodiment, the creamer powder composition is substantially free of milk protein. The term "substantially free of milk protein" means that no milk protein is added per se to the composition and that any milk protein present is derived from minor traces or impurities present in other ingredients, such as traces of milk protein present in lactose or lactose formulations. composition of plant proteins. In one embodiment, the powdered creamer composition contains less than 0.1 wt.% milk protein, such as less than 0.01 wt.% milk protein.

The creamer powder composition of the invention may be a foaming creamer, i. e. a creamer that produces foam when dissolved in a liquid. Foaming creamers and methods for making them are well known in the art. The foaming creamer may, for example, be a powdered creamer composition in which the powdered creamer particles are porous and gas is released from the pores upon dissolution to form a foam.

The invention further relates to a powdered coffee or tea beverage composition comprising instant coffee or tea and a powdered creamer composition according to the invention. By powdered coffee or tea beverage composition is meant a powdered composition suitable for preparing a coffee or tea beverage by dissolving in a liquid, preferably water, such as instant coffee or instant tea. Powdered coffee or tea beverage compositions containing instant coffee or tea in combination with a creamer powder are well known in the art. Powdered coffee or tea beverages may additionally contain sweeteners such as sugar and flavors. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a powdered coffee beverage containing instant coffee and a powdered creamer composition according to the invention. In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a powdered tea beverage containing instant tea and a powdered creamer composition according to the invention.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a beverage preparation capsule for a beverage preparation apparatus, the capsule containing a creamer powder composition according to the invention. Beverage capsules are well known in the art and any suitable capsule design can be used. Suitable capsules are described, for example, in WO03059778 and EP 0512468. The design of the capsule will depend on the particular beverage preparation device(s) to be used. Several such beverage preparation devices exist and are well known in the art and are capable of preparing beverages from capsules. The beverage preparation capsule includes a chamber in which the creamer powder composition of the invention is present. The chamber may be hermetically sealed or may be partially open to the environment. Beverage preparation capsules are designed such that water or other suitable liquid can be introduced into the chamber containing the creamer powder composition of the invention such that the creamer powder composition dissolves when the beverage is prepared from the capsule in the beverage preparation apparatus. The dissolved creamer liquid flows from the capsule into a cup or other suitable container. The capsule may contain additional beverage ingredients depending on the beverage to be prepared, such as instant coffee or roast and ground coffee. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a beverage preparation capsule for a beverage preparation apparatus, wherein the invention relates to a beverage preparation capsule comprising a powdered coffee or tea beverage composition of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a creamer powder composition comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil;

- 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid;

- 1-7 wt.% calcium carbonate; and

while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 daltons.

In a further embodiment, the invention relates to a creamer powder composition comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil;

- 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid;

- 1-7 wt.% calcium carbonate; and

- 0.1-5 wt.% lecithin, and while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 daltons.

In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a powdered creamer composition substantially free of milk protein, comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil;

- 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 900 to 15,000 daltons.

In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a powdered creamer composition substantially free of milk protein, comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil;

- 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 900 to 12,000 daltons.

In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a creamer powder composition comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil;

- 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid;

- 1-7 wt.% calcium carbonate;

- 0.1-5 wt.% lecithin; and

while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 900 to 12,000 daltons.

In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a creamer powder composition comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil;

- 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

wherein the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 800 to 20,000 daltons and has been hydrolyzed to a degree of protein hydrolysis in the range of 5% to 99%.

In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a creamer powder composition comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil;

- 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

wherein the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 800 to 20,000 daltons and has been hydrolyzed to a degree of protein hydrolysis in the range of 5% to 60%.

In a further embodiment, the invention relates to a creamer powder composition comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil;

- 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

wherein the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight ranging from 900 to 12,000 daltons and has been hydrolyzed to a degree of protein hydrolysis ranging from 5% to 99%.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a creamer powder composition comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil;

- 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

wherein the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 900 to 12,000 daltons and has been hydrolyzed to a degree of protein hydrolysis in the range of 5% to 60%.

Way

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for preparing a powdered creamer composition comprising: a) providing an aqueous solution containing a vegetable protein; b) emulsifying vegetable oil in an aqueous solution to obtain an emulsion; and c) drying the emulsion to form a creamer powder composition; moreover, the carbohydrate and sodium bicarbonate are added to the aqueous solution prepared in step a), and/or to the emulsion obtained in step b), before step c); and wherein the vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate and bicarbonate are present in the amounts necessary to obtain a creamer powder composition comprising:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12-50 wt.% vegetable oil in a dry state;

- 25-80 wt.% carbohydrate in a dry state;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate in a dry state;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 daltons.

In one embodiment, the method relates to a process for preparing a powdered creamer composition in accordance with the invention.

In step a) of the process, an aqueous solution containing vegetable protein is prepared. This can be done by any suitable method, and methods for preparing an aqueous solution of vegetable protein to form emulsions are well known in the art. Vegetable proteins are dispersed in an aqueous liquid, eg water, and allowed to undergo hydration and dissolution. To facilitate hydration and dissolution, dispersion can be carried out at an elevated temperature, and suitable mixing devices can also be used. The method may be selected based on the specific characteristics of the protein to be dissolved. Other water-soluble ingredients, such as carbohydrate, sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, calcium carbonate, and/or water-soluble emulsifiers, may be added to the aqueous solution at this stage, either before, during, or after the addition of vegetable protein.

In step b) of the process, the vegetable oil is emulsified in the aqueous solution obtained in step. Oil-soluble ingredients, such as oil-soluble emulsifiers, may be mixed with the oil prior to emulsification. Emulsification can be carried out by any suitable method, for example using mixing and homogenization methods well known in the art.

Vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate, bicarbonate, and any other ingredients are added in amounts necessary to obtain a composition of creamer powder with the desired composition, as described in this application.

In step c) of the process, the emulsion is dried to form a creamer powder composition. Drying can be carried out by any suitable method, such as spray drying, roller drying, freeze drying, or the like.

In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes admixing a gas into the liquid emulsion immediately prior to spray drying to form a porous creamer powder. Any suitable gas may be used, such as, for example, nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a process for preparing a creamer powder composition comprising:

a) obtaining an aqueous solution containing vegetable protein;

b) emulsifying vegetable oil in an aqueous solution to obtain an emulsion; and

c) drying the emulsion to form a creamer powder composition,

wherein the carbohydrate, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are added to the aqueous solution prepared in step a) and/or to the emulsion obtained in step b) before step c), and

wherein vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate, bicarbonate and citric acid are present in the amounts necessary to obtain a powdered creamer composition containing:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12-50 wt.% vegetable oil in a dry state;

- 25-80 wt.% carbohydrate in a dry state;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate in a dry state;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid;

- 1-7 wt.% calcium carbonate; and

while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 daltons.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a process for preparing a powdered creamer composition comprising:

a) obtaining an aqueous solution containing vegetable protein;

b) emulsifying vegetable oil in an aqueous solution to obtain an emulsion; and

c) drying the emulsion to form a creamer powder composition,

wherein the carbohydrate, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are added to the aqueous solution prepared in step a) and/or to the emulsion obtained in step b) before step c), and

wherein vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate, bicarbonate and citric acid are present in the amounts necessary to obtain a powdered creamer composition containing:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12-50 wt.% vegetable oil in a dry state;

- 25-80 wt.% carbohydrate in a dry state;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate in a dry state;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid;

- 0.1-5 wt.% lecithin; and

while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 daltons.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a process for preparing a creamer powder composition of the invention, comprising:

a) obtaining an aqueous solution containing vegetable protein;

b) emulsifying vegetable oil in an aqueous solution to obtain an emulsion; and

c) drying the emulsion to form a creamer powder composition,

moreover, the carbohydrate, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are added to the aqueous solution prepared in step a), and/or to the emulsion obtained in step b), before step c); and

wherein vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate and bicarbonate are present in amounts necessary to obtain a powdered creamer composition containing:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12-50 wt.% vegetable oil in a dry state;

- 25-80 wt.% carbohydrate in a dry state;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate in a dry state;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

wherein the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight ranging from 800 to 20,000 daltons, and wherein the vegetable protein has been hydrolyzed to a degree of protein hydrolysis ranging from 5 to 99%.

In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a process for preparing a powdered creamer composition according to the invention, comprising:

a) obtaining an aqueous solution containing vegetable protein;

b) emulsifying vegetable oil in an aqueous solution to obtain an emulsion; and

c) drying the emulsion to form a creamer powder composition,

moreover, the carbohydrate, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are added to the aqueous solution prepared in step a), and/or to the emulsion obtained in step b), before step c); and

wherein vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate and bicarbonate are present in amounts necessary to obtain a powdered creamer composition containing:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12-50 wt.% vegetable oil in a dry state;

- 25-80 wt.% carbohydrate in a dry state;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate in a dry state;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

wherein the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 800 to 20,000 daltons, and wherein the vegetable protein has been hydrolyzed to a degree of protein hydrolysis in the range of 5 to 60%.

In another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a process for preparing a powdered creamer composition according to the invention, comprising:

a) obtaining an aqueous solution containing vegetable protein;

b) emulsifying vegetable oil in an aqueous solution to obtain an emulsion; and

c) drying the emulsion to form a creamer powder composition,

moreover, the carbohydrate, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are added to the aqueous solution prepared in step a), and/or to the emulsion obtained in step b), before step c); and

wherein vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate and bicarbonate are present in amounts necessary to obtain a powdered creamer composition containing:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12-50 wt.% vegetable oil in a dry state;

- 25-80 wt.% carbohydrate in a dry state;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate in a dry state;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

wherein the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 900 to 12,000 daltons, and wherein the vegetable protein has been hydrolyzed to a degree of protein hydrolysis in the range of 5 to 99%.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a process for preparing a creamer powder composition of the invention, comprising:

a) obtaining an aqueous solution containing vegetable protein;

b) emulsifying vegetable oil in an aqueous solution to obtain an emulsion; and

c) drying the emulsion to form a creamer powder composition,

moreover, the carbohydrate, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are added to the aqueous solution prepared in step a), and/or to the emulsion obtained in step b), before step c); and

wherein vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate and bicarbonate are present in amounts necessary to obtain a powdered creamer composition containing:

- 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein;

- 12-50 wt.% vegetable oil in a dry state;

- 25-80 wt.% carbohydrate in a dry state;

- 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate in a dry state;

- 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and

wherein the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range of 900 to 12,000 daltons, and wherein the vegetable protein has been hydrolyzed to a degree of protein hydrolysis in the range of 5 to 60%.

Examples

Example 1 Soy Protein Creamer

The method started with a mixing process to obtain 40 kg of concentrate. The mixing process consisted of two phases: mixing with water and mixing with oil.

The mixing phase with water was carried out by adding 0.24 kg of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and 0.11 kg of citric acid to 16 kg of reverse osmosis water with vigorous stirring for 5 minutes at 70°C. Added 0.37 kg of soy protein, hydrolyzed to the degree of protein hydrolysis of 7.55%, and left the mixture under vigorous stirring for 30 minutes for hydration.

Measuring the degree of protein hydrolysis

The degree of protein hydrolysis was determined using the ratio between the amount of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and total nitrogen (TN), i.e. NPN/TN%.

The NPN fraction was prepared as follows. Plant proteins in the form of a powder were dissolved in water in a 50 ml volumetric flask with an accuracy of 0.1 mg, with a trial portion corresponding to 0.02 g of nitrogen. For example, for a product with 2.00 g/100 g N, the mass was 0.02 x 100/2.00 = 1.00 g, which was thoroughly dissolved in about 20 ml of distilled water at 40°C. Cooled to 20°C (room temperature).

The dissolved intact proteins were then precipitated by adding 25 ml of a 24% (w/v) trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solution (pH 2). The total volume was adjusted to 50 ml with distilled water. The solution was well mixed and left to stand for 20 minutes at room temperature. The solution was then filtered through a dry pleated filter (S&S 602 manual ½). The NPN content was then obtained by measuring the nitrogen content according to the Kjeldahl method, using a nitrogen to protein conversion factor of 6.25.

The TN fraction was prepared according to the standard protocol for measuring nitrogen in the TN fraction using the standard Kjeldahl method.

The oil mixing phase was performed by mixing 0.080 kg of sunflower lecithin with 5.44 kg of non-hydrogenated palm kernel oil at 60° C. for 5 minutes.

The oil phase was then introduced into the aqueous phase with vigorous stirring for 5 minutes. Next, 9.7 kg of glucose syrup was added to the mixture, and the resulting mixture was left under vigorous stirring for 5 minutes.

This final mixture was then heated to 81° C. for 40 sec, homogenized at 180/50 bar and spray dried to give a powder. Thereafter, the powder was passed through a subsequent dryer and cooler before collection.

The organoleptic properties of the creamer dissolved in hot coffee were evaluated by trained tasters.

Surprisingly, it has been found that the creamer dissolved in coffee has good appearance, mouthfeel, smooth texture and good flavor properties with no off-flavour. Additionally, a high whitening ability of the creamer was found when added to coffee.

It was also unexpectedly found that the powdered creamer when added to 150 ml of water at a temperature of 85°C in a volume of 330 ppm. with 2 g of instant coffee (a cup of Nescafé Red) did not coagulate or form flakes.

Example 2 (comparative). Soy Protein Creamer without Baking Soda

Powdered creamer was prepared as described in example 1, but without baking soda.

The organoleptic properties and stability of the creamer dissolved in coffee were evaluated by trained tasters. It was found that the creamer powder when added to 150 ml of water at 85°C in a volume of 330 ppm. with 2 g of instant coffee (a cup of Nescafé Red) coagulated and flaked.

Example 3 (comparative). Soy protein creamer without baking soda and without citric acid

Powdered creamer was prepared as described in example 1, but without baking soda and citric acid.

The organoleptic properties and stability of the creamer dissolved in coffee were evaluated by trained tasters. It was found that the creamer powder when added to 150 ml of water at 85°C in a volume of 330 ppm. with 2 g of instant coffee (a cup of Nescafé Red) coagulated and flaked.

Example 4 Rice Protein Creamers

Creamer powder was prepared as described in Example 1, but rice proteins were used instead of soy proteins. The used amount of rice protein hydrolyzed to a protein hydrolysis degree of 52.89% was 0.53 kg, the amount of baking soda was 0.29 kg, and the amount of citric acid was 0.15 kg. After adding to the mixing phase with water, the rice protein was left under vigorous stirring for 30 minutes to hydrate.

The organoleptic properties and stability of the creamer dissolved in coffee were evaluated by trained tasters.

Surprisingly, it has been found that the creamer dissolved in coffee has good appearance, mouthfeel, smooth texture and good flavor properties with no off-flavour. Additionally, a high whitening ability of the creamer was found when added to coffee.

It was also unexpectedly found that the powdered creamer when added to 150 ml of water at a temperature of 85°C in a volume of 330 ppm. with 2 g of instant coffee (a cup of Nescafé Red) did not coagulate or form flakes.

A second version of the creamer powder containing rice protein was prepared as described in Example 1, but using rice proteins hydrolyzed to a protein hydrolysis degree of 97% instead of soy proteins. The amount of rice protein used was 0.45 kg, the amount of baking soda was 0.29 kg, and the amount of citric acid was 0.15 kg. After adding to the mixing phase with water, the rice protein was left under vigorous stirring for 30 minutes to hydrate.

The organoleptic properties and stability of the creamer dissolved in coffee were evaluated by trained tasters. The coffee-dissolved creamer had good appearance, mouthfeel, smooth texture, and good flavor properties with no off-flavors.

Surprisingly, it was found that the powdered creamer when added to 150 ml of water at a temperature of 85°C in a volume of 330 ppm. with 2 g of instant coffee (a cup of Nescafé Red) did not coagulate or form flakes.

Example 5 Pea Protein Creamer

Creamer powder was prepared as described in Example 1, but pea proteins were used instead of soy proteins. The amount of pea protein hydrolysed to a protein hydrolysis degree of 14.34% used was 0.42 kg, the amount of baking soda was 0.29 kg, and the amount of citric acid was 0.15 kg. After being added to the mixing phase with water, the pea protein was left under vigorous stirring for 30 minutes to hydrate.

The organoleptic properties and stability of the creamer dissolved in coffee were evaluated by trained tasters. The coffee-dissolved creamer had good appearance, mouthfeel, smooth texture, and good flavor properties with no off-flavors. Additionally, a high whitening ability of the creamer was found when added to coffee.

Surprisingly, it was found that the powdered creamer when added to 150 ml of water at a temperature of 85°C in a volume of 330 ppm. with 2 g of instant coffee (a cup of Nescafé Red) did not coagulate or form flakes.

Example 6 Effect of Median Molecular Weight Distribution on Creamer Efficiency

Creamer powders were prepared according to Example 1 using either soy protein that had been hydrolyzed to a protein hydrolysis of 7.55% (sample A1) or soy protein that had been hydrolyzed to a protein hydrolysis of 1.83% (sample A2), as an alternative source of soy protein.

Creamer powders were prepared according to Example 4 using either rice protein that had been hydrolysed to a protein hydrolysis of 52.89% (sample B1) or rice protein that had been hydrolyzed to a protein hydrolysis of 1.02% (sample B2). as an alternative source of rice protein.

Creamer powders were prepared according to Example 5 using either pea protein that had been hydrolysed to a protein hydrolysis of 14.34% (sample C1) or pea protein that had been hydrolyzed to a protein hydrolysis of 3.23% (sample C2). as an alternative source of pea protein.

The molecular weight distribution for each sample was determined by measuring the peptide size of the protein hydrolysates using size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) under conditions known in the art. The median molecular weight of protein hydrolysates is defined as the value separating half of the data sample values that are greater than it from half of the data sample values that are less than it.

Each sample of creamer powder was dissolved in coffee by mixing in a cup 6 g of creamer powder with 2 g of instant coffee with the addition of 150 ml of water in a volume of 450 ppm/270 ppm. at 85°C. The stability of the creamers was evaluated by measuring flocculation. Determination of the absence of flaking, curdling, clumping and aggregation of the creamer after dissolution in coffee indicates good efficiency of the creamer powder. In contrast, detection of flocculation, coagulation, clumping and aggregation of the creamer after dissolution in coffee indicates poor performance of the creamer powder.

Median molecular weight results and creamer powder performance are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Median Molecular Weight and Potency of Creamer Powders

Sample A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 Median molecular weight (Yes) 10'460.7 27'657 950 22'607.7 1'794.1 30’646.8 Efficiency Good bad Good bad Good bad

The present inventors have found that the effectiveness of a creamer powder, meaning its emulsion stabilization capability, is related to the median molecular weight. If the vegetable protein has a too high or too low median molecular weight, then the effectiveness of the creamer powder deteriorates and flocculation is observed. Thus, it has been confirmed that not all vegetable proteins, either in their natural structure or partially hydrolyzed, will be able to effectively stabilize the emulsion.

In FIG. 1 and 2 further illustrate the improved emulsifying properties of creamer powder in accordance with the present invention.

Direct visualization of the emulsion by DIC (differential interference contrast) microscopy using the LEICA DMR system together with DFC495 (objective: 40x, eyepiece: 1.6x) shows a uniform distribution of well-defined fat droplets in samples A1 and B1, with good performance (see Fig. 1). In contrast, fat droplets in samples A2 and B2, which have poor performance, are aggregated (FIG. 2).

These observations further confirmed that a specific range of median molecular weight is needed to effectively stabilize oil droplets to avoid flocculation.

Claims (31)

1. Powdered beverage creamer composition comprising: - 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein selected from soy protein, rice protein and pea protein; - 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil; - 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate; - 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate; - 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 daltons. 2. The beverage creamer powder composition of claim 1, wherein the vegetable protein has been hydrolysed to a degree of protein hydrolysis ranging from 5% to 99%. 3. Powdered beverage creamer composition according to claim 1 or 2, additionally containing 1-7% by weight of calcium carbonate. 4. A powdered beverage creamer composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the citric acid is in whole or in part in the form of lemon juice. 5. A powdered beverage creamer composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carbohydrate is wholly or partially in the form of a sugar. 6. The beverage creamer powder composition of claim 5 wherein the sugar is selected from sucrose, fructose, lactose, molasses/glucose syrup, corn syrup, rice syrup, tapioca syrup, maple syrup, agave syrup, honey, dextrin, oligosaccharides, and their combinations. 7. A powdered beverage creamer composition according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more emulsifiers. 8. A powdered beverage creamer composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the creamer composition does not contain added phosphates. 9. A coffee beverage powder composition comprising instant coffee and a creamer powder composition according to any one of the preceding claims. 10. Powdered tea beverage composition containing instant tea and powdered creamer composition according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8. 11. A beverage preparation capsule for a beverage preparation apparatus, wherein the beverage preparation capsule contains a powdered creamer composition according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8. 12. A process for preparing a powdered beverage creamer composition, comprising: a) obtaining an aqueous solution containing vegetable protein; b) emulsifying the vegetable oil in an aqueous solution to form an emulsion; and c) drying the emulsion to form a creamer powder composition, wherein the carbohydrate, citric acid and sodium bicarbonate are added to the aqueous solution prepared in step a) and/or to the emulsion obtained in step b) before step c); and wherein vegetable proteins, vegetable oil, carbohydrate, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are present in the amounts necessary to obtain a powdered beverage creamer composition comprising: - 1-8 wt.% vegetable protein selected from soy protein, rice protein and pea protein; - 12–50 wt.% vegetable oil; - 25–80 wt.% carbohydrate; - 0.5-5 wt.% sodium bicarbonate; - 0.2-3 wt.% citric acid; and while the vegetable protein has a median molecular weight in the range from 800 to 20,000 daltons. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plant protein of step a) is hydrolysed to a degree of protein hydrolysis ranging from 5 to 99%. 14. The method according to p. 12 or 13, in which calcium carbonate is additionally added to the aqueous solution prepared in step a), and/or to the emulsion obtained in step b), before step c); in an amount sufficient to obtain a composition of powdered creamer containing 1-7 wt.% calcium carbonate.

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