Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L27/00—Spices; Flavouring agents or condiments; Artificial sweetening agents; Table salts; Dietetic salt substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L27/30—Artificial sweetening agents
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
  • A23G1/00—Cocoa; Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor
  • A23G1/30—Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor
  • A23G1/32—Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds
  • A23G1/40—Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds characterised by the carbohydrates used, e.g. polysaccharides
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
  • A23G1/00—Cocoa; Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L27/00—Spices; Flavouring agents or condiments; Artificial sweetening agents; Table salts; Dietetic salt substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L27/30—Artificial sweetening agents
  • A23L27/33—Artificial sweetening agents containing sugars or derivatives
  • A23L27/34—Sugar alcohols
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L33/00—Modifying nutritive qualities of foods; Dietetic products; Preparation or treatment thereof

Definitions

• the present invention relates to dietetic chocolate compositions sweetened by a bulk sweetening composition and to a process for making the chocolate compositions which closely approximate the taste profile, texture and mouth feel of traditional chocolate compositions.
• Sugar free and no sugar added chocolate products have generally been manufactured using either a single alternative sweetener or a combination of two alternative sweeteners.
• existing sugar free and no sugar added chocolate products typically employ as a single alternative sweetener either maltitol, lactitol, mannitol or xylitol, optionally in combination with an intense sweetener, as needed, to achieve the desired sweetness of the chocolate product.
• some proposed chocolate products may include other alternative sweeteners such as isomalt, sorbitol, erythitol or maltodextrin.
• chocolate products sweetened solely with maltitol do not provide a significant reduction in the glycemic index of the product relative to sucrose sweetened chocolate products nor do such products provide the same level of calorie reduction provided by sweetening chocolate products with lactitol and/or polydextrose.
• Chocolate products sweetened with lactitol or a combination of lactitol and polydextrose do not have a perceptible cooling effect at the onset of the eating experience.
• the consumer immediately notes a difference between the taste profile of such products and the taste profile of conventional sucrose sweetened chocolate products which exhibit a mild cooling effect at the onset of the eating experience.
• the delicious chocolate aftertaste which has become commonly associated with sucrose sweetened chocolate is inhibited in chocolate products sweetened with lactitol or a combination of lactitol and polydextrose.
• the addition of a high intensity sweetener is required when using lactitol or a combination of lactitol and polydextrose in order to produce a chocolate product of sufficient sweetness.
• a dietetic chocolate product is given in Japanese patent application no. JP 10234302 published on September 8, 1998.
• This patent application discloses a chocolate product wherein sucrose is replaced by a sweetener including a sugar alcohol selected from the group of lactitol, reduced isomaltose and maltitol, and a second sugar substitute selected from the group of polydextrose, xylitol, erythritol and maltitol.
• a dietetic chocolate product is disclosed in U.S. patent no. 5,490,996.
• a sweetener composition which includes a combination of a sucrose substitute selected from polydextrose, inulin, mannitol, maltitol and mixtures thereof; and a sucrose substitute selected from lactitol, fructose, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt and combinations thereof.
• a two-step manufacturing process is employed whereby the first sucrose substitute is processed separately from the second sucrose substitute in order to permit use of different conching temperatures for each component of the sweetener.
• European patent no. 599 830 Bl discloses reduced calorie chocolate compositions which employ as an alternative sweetener, a combination of a sweetener selected from inulin, linear and branched fructo-oligosaccharides and mixtures thereof; a product selected from sucrose, fructose, sugar alcohols, isomaltose, polyglucose, polydextrose, polymaltose, carboxymethylcellulose, carboxyethylcellulose, arabinogalactan, microcrystalline cellulose or a mixture thereof; and a high intensity sweetener.
• a sweetener selected from inulin, linear and branched fructo-oligosaccharides and mixtures thereof
• a product selected from sucrose, fructose, sugar alcohols, isomaltose, polyglucose, polydextrose, polymaltose, carboxymethylcellulose, carboxyethylcellulose, arabinogalactan, microcrystalline cellulose or a mixture thereof
• a high intensity sweetener
• dietetic chocolate compositions should preferably have a reduced caloric content, a reduced fat content, an increased fiber content, a beneficial effect on the intestinal metabolism, a reduced sugar content, and reduced cariogenic properties.
• this patent recognizes the disadvantage that in the case of sugar substitutes such as lactitol in chocolate products, the high water content of the chocolate mass may make it necessary to adapt the production process, often with significant processing delays.
• maltitol sweetened chocolate products the maltitol is absorbed and metabolized in the human body thereby resulting in a smaller calorie reduction than is desirable.
• this object of the invention aims to provide a product which closely mimics the cooling effect of conventional sugar sweetened chocolate which is perceptible primarily during the initial eating experience, as well as the pleasing chocolate aftertaste common to conventional sugar sweetened chocolate products.
• the present invention addresses the foregoing objects by providing a chocolate product that is sweetened by a combination of lactitol, maltitol and polydextrose. More specifically, in a first aspect, the present invention relates to a dietetic, calorie reduced chocolate composition wherein sucrose sweetener or bulk sweeteners are partially or wholly replaced by a bulk sweetening composition which includes 10-90% by weight of maltitol, 9-89% by weight of lactitol, and 1-55% by weight of polydextrose.
• a more preferred composition (on a bulk sweetener basis) includes 30-70% maltitol, 20-60% lactitol and 10- 50% polydextrose.
• This specific combination of sweeteners when used in a chocolate product, can provide a dietetic chocolate product with a surprisingly high degree of sweetness and a significant reduction in the caloric content and glycemic index, relative to conventional sugar sweetened chocolate products, and at the same time closely reproduces the taste profile, texture and mouth feel of such conventional chocolate products.
• the present invention also addresses the need for a dietetic chocolate product which can be made without employing a complicated manufacturing process.
• the present invention relates to a process for the production of a dietetic chocolate product including the step of incorporating in the chocolate product a bulk sweetening composition including 10-90% by weight of maltitol, 9-89% by weight of lactitol, and 1-55% by weight of polydextrose.
• conventional chocolate production processes can be employed to make the chocolate products of the present invention using conching temperatures of 40-80°C. The particular conching temperature employed will depend on the ingredients of a particular composition. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• the chocolate product of the present invention is a dietetic calorie reduced chocolate product which may be either sucrose free or may employ a reduced quantity of sugar relative to conventional chocolate products.
• dietetic refers to the reduction in the amount of, or elimination of, sucrose from the chocolate product.
• the chocolate product of the present invention closely reproduces the taste profile, texture and mouth feel of conventional sucrose sweetened chocolate, particularly with respect to the cooling effect and chocolate aftertaste.
• the bulk sweetening composition of the invention provides a chocolate product wherein the use of an intense sweetener may not be required to produce the desired level of sweetness.
• These chocolate products can be prepared by substituting the bulk sweetening composition of the present invention for some or all of the sugars which are typically used to sweeten conventional chocolate products.
• a dietetic chocolate product which comprises chocolate wherein the sucrose sweetener is partially or wholly replaced by a bulk sweetening composition which includes 10-90% by weight of maltitol, 9-89% by weight of lactitol, and 1-55% by weight of polydextrose.
• a more preferred composition includes 30-70% by weight of maltitol, 20-60% by weight of lactitol and 10-50% by weight of polydextrose.
• the bulk sweetening composition may further comprise up to 1% by weight of a high intensity sweetener. All percentages used herein are weight percentages, unless otherwise specified and the total of all ingredients in a particular composition is 100%.
• the bulk sweetening composition of the present invention may be employed in a variety of chocolate products including sugar free chocolate, no sugar added chocolate and reduced sugar chocolate.
• the invention may be employed to produce milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate or compound chocolate products.
• the chocolate products of the present invention may be in the form of chips, bar products, enrobing coatings, as well as chocolate coatings for ice cream products or for other applications where chocolate coatings are conventionally employed.
• the cocoa material used in the chocolate products of the present invention may be selected from any of the chocolate liquors or cocoa powders used in the preparation of chocolate confections and/or coatings.
• Chocolate liquor generally contains about 50% by weight of natural cocoa butter and/or cocoa butter substitutes having a reduced fat content, such as, for example, those disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,380,538 and 5,565,232, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference to the extent that these patents disclose such reduced fat cocoa butter substitutes.
• Cocoa powders typically contain from about 5% to about 30% by weight of natural cocoa butter and cocoa butter substitutes having a reduced fat content.
• ingredients customarily used in formulating chocolate products can be included in the chocolate products of the present invention.
• chocolate products of the present invention Materials customarily used in formulating chocolate products can be included in the chocolate products of the present invention.
• optional ingredients for chocolate products may also be employed.
• optional ingredients are natural food flavoring oils, oleoresins, oleoresin extract, artificial food flavorings, spices, coffee flavor, nut meats, vanilla, malted cereal extract, salt, dietary fiber sources such as cocoa fiber, citrus fiber, wheat bran, corn bran, oat bran, pea bran and soy fiber, and lecithin and other emulsifiers, all of which are used at levels conventional for chocolate products.
• ingredients such as caseinates and whey-derived compounds may also be employed.
• the present invention involves the partial or complete replacement of sucrose in chocolate products with a bulk sweetening composition including lactitol, maltitol and polydextrose.
• a bulk sweetening composition including lactitol, maltitol and polydextrose.
• the applicable ranges of the ingredients of the bulk sweetening composition are 10-90 % by weight of maltitol, 9-89% by weight of lactitol and 1-55% by weight of polydextrose. More preferably, the bulk sweetening composition of the present invention includes 30-70% by weight of maltitol, 20-60% by weight of lactitol and 10-50% by weight of polydextrose.
• the levels of the various ingredients will vary depending upon the application for which they are employed in order to accommodate, among other things, the sweetening and flavor release requirements of a wide range of chocolate liquors and chocolate and cocoa types. In this manner, the chocolate product can be formulated to optimize the various properties including, for example, caloric content, cariogenic properties,
• the bulk sweetening composition of the present invention may comprise up to 65% by weight of the chocolate product. More preferably, the bulk sweetening composition comprises 20-55% by weight of the chocolate product.
• the polydextrose component of the bulk sweetening composition may be employed in either the refined or unrefined form of anhydro-polyglucose.
• the polydextrose may also be partially or completely hydrogenated or in a fractionated form, if desirable.
• Preferred polydextroses for use in the present invention are sold by Cultor Ltd. under the names Litesse®, Litesse® II and Litesse® Ultra III.
• Fractionated polydextrose is a conventional, known material which may be made by the processes disclosed in U.S. patent nos. 5,424,418 and 4,948,596.
• Other polydextroses suitable for use in the present invention are disclosed in U.S. patent no. 5,645,647 and hydrogenated polydextroses as described in U.S. patent no. 5,601,863.
• the maltitol component of the bulk sweetening composition may be employed in any solid form, preferably in a purified crystalline form and more preferably in a purified crystalline form wherein the maltitol exceeds 90% purity.
• the lactitol component of the bulk sweetening composition may be employed in the form of lactitol monohydrate, lactitol dihydrate, anhydrous lactitol or mixtures thereof.
• the components of the bulk sweetening composition of the present invention may be utilized in the formulation of dietetic chocolate in their crystalline form as well as other forms such as milled, spray dried, pulverized or granulated.
• a high intensity sweetener may be employed in addition to the bulk sweetening composition of the present invention.
• a high intensity sweetener will not be required to achieve an acceptable sweetness level for chocolate products in accordance with the present invention.
• high intensity sweeteners are employed, they will typically be present in amounts of less than 1% by weight, more preferably less than 0.5% by weight and most preferably less than 0.2% by weight, of the chocolate product.
• Suitable high intensity sweeteners include, but are not limited to, acesulfame K, L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester
• the chocolate products of the present invention may be refined using techniques which are conventional and known in the chocolate industry.
• the chocolate products of the invention can be conched at temperatures ranging from about 40°C to about 80°C with no significant adverse effects on the chocolate product.
• the bulk sweetening composition described above is added to the chocolate during formulation as a partial or complete replacement of the sucrose and other bulk sweeteners.
• the chocolate product can be formulated using conventional processes to prepare an acceptable dietetic chocolate product.
• the chocolate products of the present invention offer the advantages of a reduced caloric content and a lower glycemic index than conventional sucrose sweetened chocolate products. Moreover, the products of the present invention closely reproduce the taste profile, texture and mouth feel of conventional sucrose sweetened chocolates.
• the bulk sweetening composition of the present invention has been found to exhibit a surprisingly high degree of sweetness relative to the level of sweetness which would be expected from a simple mixture of the various sweeteners which make up the bulk sweetening composition.
• lower levels of intense sweeteners may be utilized.
• the computed sweetness equivalent of the bulk sweetening composition was based on the known sweetness equivalents of maltitol (about 0.9), lactitol (about 0.4) and polydextrose (about 0). These values for sweetness equivalents were then weighted based on the ratio of the amounts of the three ingredients in the bulk sweetening composition to compute the sweetness equivalent of about 0.4.
• Example #2 Dietetic "dark” type chocolate was made using a blend of maltitol/lactitol and polydextrose that exhibits sweetening and flavor characteristics similar to example #1.
• the formulation of this product is shown in Table 1.
• Example #3 No Sugar Added type milk chocolate was made using a blend of maltitol/lactitol and polydextrose that exhibits sweetening and flavor characteristics similar to example #1.
• the formulation of this product is shown in Table 1.
• Example #4 A dietetic "milk” type compound chocolate made with a blend of maltitol/lactitol and polydextrose that exhibits sweetening and flavor characteristics similar to a sugar (sucrose) based "milk” type compound chocolate coating.
• Example #5 A dietetic "milk” type chocolate made using a blend of maltitol/lactitol and polydextrose that exhibits sweetening and flavor characteristics similar to example 1 that also delivers a 25%+ reduction in calories as compared with a sugar (sucrose) based reference chocolate.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Nutrition Science (AREA)
• Proteomics, Peptides & Aminoacids (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
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Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (10)

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• 2000
  • 2000-01-07 BR BR0007411-0A patent/BR0007411A/pt not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-01-07 CA CA002363060A patent/CA2363060A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-01-07 JP JP2000591873A patent/JP2002534072A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-01-07 NZ NZ512802A patent/NZ512802A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-01-07 KR KR1020017008623A patent/KR20010101417A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-01-07 EP EP00904223A patent/EP1146797A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-01-07 WO PCT/US2000/000244 patent/WO2000040101A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-01-07 CN CN00802599A patent/CN1113614C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-01-07 AU AU26011/00A patent/AU765562C/en not_active Ceased

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