Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23F—COFFEE; TEA; THEIR SUBSTITUTES; MANUFACTURE, PREPARATION, OR INFUSION THEREOF
  • A23F5/00—Coffee; Coffee substitutes; Preparations thereof
• • 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
  • A23L33/10—Modifying nutritive qualities of foods; Dietetic products; Preparation or treatment thereof using additives
  • A23L33/125—Modifying nutritive qualities of foods; Dietetic products; Preparation or treatment thereof using additives containing carbohydrate syrups; containing sugars; containing sugar alcohols; containing starch hydrolysates
• • 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
  • A23G1/48—Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts
• • 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
  • A23G3/00—Sweetmeats; Confectionery; Marzipan; Coated or filled products
  • A23G3/34—Sweetmeats, confectionery or marzipan; Processes for the preparation thereof
  • A23G3/36—Sweetmeats, confectionery or marzipan; Processes for the preparation thereof characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds
  • A23G3/48—Sweetmeats, confectionery or marzipan; Processes for the preparation thereof characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts
• • 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
  • A23L25/00—Food consisting mainly of nutmeat or seeds; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L25/30—Mashed or comminuted products, e.g. pulp, pastes, meal, powders; Products made therefrom, e.g. blocks, flakes, snacks; Liquid or semi-liquid products
• • 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
  • A23L29/00—Foods or foodstuffs containing additives; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L29/30—Foods or foodstuffs containing additives; Preparation or treatment thereof containing carbohydrate syrups; containing sugars; containing sugar alcohols, e.g. xylitol; containing starch hydrolysates, e.g. dextrin
• • 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
  • A23L29/00—Foods or foodstuffs containing additives; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L29/30—Foods or foodstuffs containing additives; Preparation or treatment thereof containing carbohydrate syrups; containing sugars; containing sugar alcohols, e.g. xylitol; containing starch hydrolysates, e.g. dextrin
  • A23L29/37—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
  • A23L5/00—Preparation or treatment of foods or foodstuffs, in general; Food or foodstuffs obtained thereby; Materials 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
  • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
  • A23P20/00—Coating of foodstuffs; Coatings therefor; Making laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs
  • A23P20/10—Coating with edible coatings, e.g. with oils or fats

Definitions

• the present invention concerns food, dietary or nutraceutical compositions based on nut paste, flour or meal, and their use in the production of dragees and the like. More specifically, the invention concerns the formulation of mixtures essentially based on flour, paste or meal of almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios or other similar products, through which it is possible to reconstitute cores completely like those of a whole nut, in order to manufacture pralines, dragees or other confectionary, food or nutraceutical products of optimum stability as regards conservation and palatability.
• dry fruit is used to mean both fruit with a shell, such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and pine-seeds, and also pulpy fruit such as figs, grapes, peaches and the like, that is then dehydrated in various ways. In both cases, the product is "dry” and thus easily preserved over time. Nuts are used whole, ground or floured in recipes in order to decorate the outside of cakes and biscuits, and also as ingredients in cake mixes. Besides having a hard shell, walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts are covered by a film-like skin and can be used either skinned or with the skin on. Many recipes require hazelnuts and almonds to be lightly roasted before use.
• Shell dry fruit (hereinafter simply referred to as “nuts”) is a lipid food rich in calories and fats, while fresh fruit is a glycidic food rich in carbohydrates. Nuts are found in poor people's diets because of their high calorie content, while they are not recommended in slimming diets because they do not contribute any particular energy benefits. The calories obtained with nuts are exactly the same as those obtained from bread and noodles. They are, however, essential ingredients in the confectionary and ice-cream industry, especially in the autumn, so that many kinds of different fruits and nuts can even be found in the same recipe. In these preparations, it is a good idea to use low-fat ingredients, such as skimmed milk, in order to balance the high fat content of nuts.
• low-fat ingredients such as skimmed milk
• Nuts contain bioactive substances, which are components of non-vital importance for the body but which especially influence metabolic processes, thereby contributing towards a balanced healthy diet. Nuts are also rich in useful components including proteins, fibre, "good" fats, mineral salts, iron, calcium, phosphorous and vitamins E, A, Bi and B 2 .
• the lipid content of nuts is of an oily kind and is rich in unsaturated fats (particularly polyunsaturated ones such as ⁇ -linolenic acid, of the family of the well-known omega-3 fats), that are precious for the body; their proteins contain an abundance of an amino acid of considerable preventive value - arginin (which yields nitroxide, a substance that can prevent and combat atherosclerosis); moreover, nuts contain non-negligible amounts of food fibre and lesser compounds (vitamins and mineral salts), which round off the nutritional profile of these products.
• almonds are especially used in the confectionary industry, to make sweets such as nougat, sugared almonds and almond cakes. They have a high fat content, which also yields an oil called sweet almond oil used in pharmacy. Almonds can be considered to be a natural dietary supplement for their wealth of nutritional contents, including a high level of calcium and magnesium, a high content of unsaturated fats, vi- tamin E and vegetable proteins of good quality. That is why sweet almonds are an ideal food for vegetarians and in cases of convalescence, asthenia, demineralisation, dermatosis and constipation, and can effectively strengthen the nervous system. For their high calorie content they should be considered an outright food.
• Walnuts are eaten both in a fresh and dry staterand they are also rich in good quality oil. However, great care must be taken to preserve them for a long period to avoid them going rancid, since their oil tends to go rancid in a short time.
• the properties of the walnut thanks to its wealth of mineral salts and polyunsaturated fatty acid content, have become very important in preventing heart disease. More specifically, walnuts contain significant amounts of essential fatty acids including, specifically, ⁇ -linolenic acid (of the omega-3 series) and linoleic acid (of the omega-6 series), of which they are one of the main sources.
• hazelnuts are another kind of nut widely found in all temperate re- gions of the boreal hemisphere, and have been used since ancient times as an important source of nutrition. They are used with cocoa to make gianduia chocolate.
• the hazelnut is a highly digestible oily seed characterised by a low cholesterol content. Of its great quantity of fats, 85% are unsaturated - which is a particularly high percentage (unlike with other nuts), and consist of mono- unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid. This makes hazelnut oil composition very similar to that of olive oil, and confirms its nutritional properties.
• Hazelnuts also contain the highest amount of vitamin E, besides vitamins of groups A and B, and thus have antioxidant properties. They are also an excellent source of fitosterols, substances considered important for the prevention of heart disease.
• Chestnuts are also very common and were once a staple for their high energy content.
• Both chestnuts and maroons (a larger and normally sweeter variety having a lighter-coloured streaked skin) are widely used in the kitchen and in the confectionary industry: fresh or dried, they are used in recipes for soups and creams, or as an accompaniment to game and meats in general, while when roasted they are the famous "roast chestnuts".
• the confectionary industry uses maroons, for their sweeter taste, in recipes for marron Magazine and chestnut cake.
• the main characteristic of chestnuts is their high starch content and thus their high calorie value, which makes them unsuitable for overweight people and diabetics. Moreover, because they are difficult to digest, chestnuts are not suitable for very young children or for people with problems of diges- tion.
• pistachio Another widely used nut is the pistachio, which is original of ancient Asia Minor and is commonly used in the confectionary industry and food industry in general, in order to aromatise and flavour many foods, particularly cold meats and sausages. More specifically, pistachios are used by confec- tioners to prepare nougats and ice-creams, for their aromatic taste and characteristic green colour. In the natural state, and sometimes salted, pistachios are eaten with aperitifs. From a nutritional standpoint, pistachios have a considerable fat content (about 48% of their weight), but no cholesterol, and also contain appreciable quantities of calcium, potassium, phosphorous and mag- nesium, as well as vitamins A, B 1 and B 2.
• pine-seeds from the domestic pine tree, that have a characteristic aromatic flavour can be considered within the food category of nuts, since they are used in many recipes such as Genoese pesto, and in confectionary products.
• Pine-seeds also have a high fat content, about 45% by weight of a sweet oil, as well as albuminoid proteins and fibre.
• a typical sugared almond has an internal core, also called a "soul”, traditionally consisting of an almond, preferably of the Avola variety, originally from the area of Syracuse (Sicily), that is char- acterised by having a thin elongated shape, or consisting of a Spanish almond or even another kind of nut, such as hazelnut, pistachio, chestnut or walnut - used whole, shelled and skinned.
• the core is coated with several layers of sugar through successive "washes" by means of equipment called “bassine” (basins), consisting of round cauldrons, preferably made of copper or steel, with a circular mouth, that are continuously rotating about their own axis, slightly inclined with respect to the vertical.
• basicsine consisting of round cauldrons, preferably made of copper or steel, with a circular mouth, that are continuously rotating about their own axis, slightly inclined with respect to the vertical.
• the almonds or other nut variety
• the outside surface of the finished sugared almond is smooth and white with a porcelain appearance. Its weight and size varies according to the calibre of the almond used and also according to the thickness and quality of the sugar coating.
• the best sugared almonds besides being made from the highest quality almonds, are coated with very fine sugar which preserves their tenderness and does not smother their taste.
• the core can also consist of other ingredients besides the nuts already mentioned: such as, for instance, the well-known dragees with cinnamon, chocolate, coffee, dried or candied fruit core, coated with sugar and/or chocolate.
• Another particular example consists of almonds coated with an inner chocolate layer and then an outer sugar layer.
• Another feature of traditional sugared almonds but of more recent origin is their external colouring: besides white, which is used for events such as weddings, other specific colours conventionally correspond to a particular ceremony, event or commemoration.
• European patent EP 1347686 describes a method for making multiple-layered sugar coatings on cores, preferably consisting of almonds, which method is addressed to solving the problem of the release of the external colour (in the case of coloured products) when the product is touched by the hands.
• the document suggests using the conventional equipment (cauldrons) of the core coating stages, wherein the coating phase with a coloured syrup is followed by a coating phase with one or more layers of colourless (transparent) syrup and then a layer of glazing syrup.
• the aforesaid document does not pay particular attention to the constitution of the nut core, which is of a conventional type and particularly consists of a whole almond.
• the compression production technique met with considerable difficulties: firstly, owing to an evident poor cohesion and hardness of the core obtained, caused by the high oil content of nut paste or flour, and secondly, owing to the high operating cost, which would increase the price of the finished product out of all reasonable proportions.
• Another non-negligible nega- tive aspect of such a process is the poor stability of the compressed cores in terms of an excessive exposure of the paste or flour to oxidative processes that spoil the product, thereby worsening its palatability, in a relatively short time.
• nut paste and flour are very poorly workable by direct compression, and are discretely unstable at temperatures above 1 O 0 C or in the pres- ence of humidity, so that while whole nuts can be stable for up to one year, nut paste and/or flour has a stability of not more than six months when properly stored.
• a further inconvenience, certainly a non-negligible one, of the process for reconstituting nut cores by direct compression treatment is the fact that the core composition would be too different from the natural nut composition (of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts etc.), since the excipients normally used in tablet production (such as gelatine, starch, alginates, magnesium stearate, micro- crystalline cellulose, etc.) are different with respect to the composition of these foods.
• mixtures based on nut paste and/or flour if not formulated according to particular procedures and with specific precautions, yield cores with problems of instability and fragility, with evident negative repercussions on the sugar coating process (breakages of the cores) and on the final product storage even for short periods of time.
• an object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive procedure for obtaining a product based on the paste, flour or meal of almonds, chestnuts, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts and nuts in general, having a shape, substance, mechanical and rheological characteristics, as well as organoleptic characteristics similar to the original product consisting of whole dry seeds.
• the choice and dosage of the ingredients to be added to the raw material coming from nuts are such as to make the obtained cores easily processable in cauldrons, to be coated without incurring any breakages, as well as giving the resulting product a substance comparable to that of the corresponding whole seed.
• the presence of hydrogenated fatty acids makes the mixture little hygroscopic and thus provides greater " protection both in the aqueous coating phase and against atmospheric agents (humidity, oxidative processes). Stability actually increases three-fold with respect to that of the corresponding flour or paste, with the possibility of protracting the preservation period of the finished product.
• the present invention specifically provides a food, dietary or nutraceutical composition based on nut paste, flour or meal including from 10% to 90% by weight of nut flour, paste and/or meal, from 10% to 90% by weight of hydrogenated fatty acids and/or their glycerides, and also mono- or disaccharide sugar, one or more polyalcohols, soy lecithin, cocoa butter, gum arabic and maltodextrin.
• the nut flour, paste and/or meal may be the flour, paste and/or meal of almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, chest- nuts or pine-seeds, but it is not to be ruled out that the same composition and procedure according to the present invention can be adopted to make cores for pralines and dragees based on the flour or meal of other vegetable products, particularly seeds, such as coffee beans.
• the said mono- or disaccha- ride sugar is chosen from among inverted and/or fondant sugar, sucrose, glucose, fructose or their mixtures, and is preferably inverted and/or fondant sugar.
• the formulation according to the present invention preferably includes from 5% to 90% by weight of inverted and/or fondant sugar.
• the said one or more polyal- cohols are chosen from the group consisting of erythritol, isomaltol, lactol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol; the formulation according to the present invention preferably includes from 5% to 90% by weight of erythritol.
• the tenor of soy lecithin is from 1 % to 3% by weight
• the cocoa butter is from 2% to 30%
• the tenor of gum arabic and maltodextrin, independently of one another is from 0.5% to 3% by weight.
• the composition according to the present invention preferably includes from 10% to 90% by weight of coffee or nut flour, paste and/or meal, from 20% to 60% by weight of hydrogenated fatty acids and/or their glycerides, from 5% to 90% by weight of inverted and/or fondant sugar, from 1 % to 3% by weight of soy lecithin, from 2% to 30% of cocoa butter, from 5% to 90% by weight of polyalcohols, from 0.5% to 3% by weight of gum ara- bic, and from 0.5% to 3% by weight of maltodextrin.
• the said hydrogenated fatty acids and/or their glycerides are selected from the group consisting of: hydrogenated vegetable oils, hydrogenated soy oil, hydrogen- ated coconut oil, hydrogenated palm-seed oil, hydrogenated castor oil, cocoa butter, triglycerides of lauric or dodecanoic acid (C-
• hydrogenated vegetable oils hydrogenated soy oil, hydrogen-
• the said hydrogenated fatty acids and/or their glycerides used according to the present invention are hydrogenated soy oil or mixtures of triglycerides of palmitic and stearic acid, such as the product marketed under the brand name of VGB 4S by Gat- tefosse, which is defined as a hydrogenated soy oil, mainly composed of triglycerides of palmitic and stearic acid, with lesser quantities of oleic acid and its isomers (Ci 8 : 1), and still lower quantities of other fatty acids.
• the proposed composition also includes antioxidants, preferably chosen from among Q10 coenzyme and reduced glutathione (GSH) and their mixtures.
• the said composition can optionally also include at least one other active ingredient, preferably chosen from among NADH, resveratrol, vitamin K 2 or other antioxidants and acceptable for use in foods.
• compositions according to the present invention are considerably less hygroscopic compared to hitherto known compositions based on nut paste and/or flour, as reported in the following Tables. TABLE 1 Hygroscopicity of the compositions according to the invention
• compositions according to the present invention can be presented in the form of a bar, tablet, capsule or granule, but are preferably in the form of an almond-, hazelnut-, walnut-, pistachio-, pine-seed- or chestnut- shaped core, or can be spherical, lens-shaped, oval or cylindrical.
• the proposed compositions are realised in the form of a whole almond or walnut, so that they can then undergo sugar coating or dragee production.
• compositions according to the present invention makes it possible to easily create cores in the form of almonds or walnuts, for example, or in any other shape suitable for a food, dietary or nutraceutical composition to be taken orally, simply by pouring the melted mixture and then solidifying it on cooled rollers, using suitable moulds, after mixing while hot. The cores thus obtained can then be coated.
• the term "sugar-coating” generally means a process by means of which the cores ("souls"), consisting of whole nuts or other elements, are coated with a sugary layer in order to obtain the traditional type sugared almonds/nuts.
• the cores are loaded inside particular vessels - the basins (mentioned above) - equipped with an automatic system for feeding the sugary solution and also an air ventilation and suction system.
• the cores are made to rotate inside the cauldrons and a wa- ter and sugar solution is added at intervals. This solution is distributed uniformly on all the cores before hot air is inputted to dry them and remove the humidity. This operation is carried out several times until the required thickness of sugary coating is obtained.
• sucgar film- coating generally means an operation that is carried out in the same aforesaid cauldrons by a continuous input of sugary solution.
• the difference with the aforesaid “sugar-coating” process is that in this case the syrup feed takes place in a continuous manner with the forming of extremely fine particles, and hot air is also fed in continuously to dry the cores, in order to form uniformly thin layers of sugary coating.
• suitable colouring or falvouring agents in quantities normally from 1% to 2% by weight, can be added to the sugary solutions used for coating the cores.
• the elements making up the cores can also be coated with an under- coat based on water varnishes preferably containing shellac and/or its salts (ShellacTM), or titanium dioxide, talcum, glycerine, polyvynilpyrolidone, hy- droxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and/or their mixtures.
• the varnish may be present in a quantity ranging from 2% to 50% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the core.
• an essential oil of almond or hazelnut can be added, in a quantity from 0.01% to 0.5% by weight, calculated on the total core weight.
• the present invention further specifically provides cores for producing bars, tablets, capsules or granules, or elements of a spherical, lens, oval or cylindrical shape, or shaped like almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, pine-seeds, chestnuts or coffee bean, coated by sugar film-coating or by sugar-coating, including the aforesaid defined composition.
• the present invention concerns cores for producing pralines or dragees shaped like almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, pine- seeds, chestnuts or coffee beans, coated by sugar film-coating or by sugar- coating, including the aforesaid defined composition.
• the cores according to the present invention are shaped like almonds, hazelnuts, wal- nuts, pistachios or pine-seeds and are coated by sugar-coating.
• the present invention concerns the corresponding final products, that is, pralines or dragees shaped like almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, pine-seeds, chestnuts or coffee beans, coated by sugar film-coating or by sugar-coating, including, as cores, the aforesaid defined composition.
• the present invention further concerns a procedure for the production of cores for the production of pralines or dragees, or bars, tablets, capsules or granules based on nut paste, flour or meal or coffee, including the following consecutive steps: a) melting the hydrogenated fatty acids and/or their glycerides in quantities of 10%-90% of the total weight of the said cores; b) mixing the melted product obtained in step a) with coffee or nut flour, paste and/or meal or in quantities equal to 10%-90% of the total weight of the said cores, and with mono- or disaccharide sugar, soy lecithin, gum arabic and maltodextrin, and other optional additional ingredients; c) shaping the dragees, pralines or other elements by pouring the melted mixture obtained in step b) between two opposed counter-rotating mould rollers that have cavities shaped like the required dragees, pralines or other elements; d) cooling the shaped elements obtained in step c); e) removing the waste and
• the mono- or disaccharide sugar is preferably inverted and/or fondant sugar, and is mixed in the said step b) in quantities ranging from 5% to 90% of the total weight of the said cores.
• the soy lecithin, cocoa butter, polyalcohols, gum arabic and maltodextrin are mixed in step b) in quantities ranging between 1 %- 3%, 2%-30%, 5%-90%, 0.5%-3% and 0.5%-3%, respectively, of the total weight of the said cores.
• the said coffee or nut flour, paste and/or meal is mixed in step b) in quantities ranging from 20% to 90% of the total weight of the cores, and the hydrogenated fatty acids and/or their glycerides that are initially melted in operation a) are in quantities ranging from 20% to 60% of the total weight of the said cores.
• the said pralines or dragees that must be created are of a spherical, lens, oval or cylindrical shape, or shaped like almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, pine-seeds, chestnuts or coffee beans, and the said cavities envisaged on the said mould rollers of step c) are shaped accordingly.
• step a the hydrogenated fatty acids and/or their glycerides are added in a heated stainless steel vessel equipped with a paddle stirrer.
• the temperature is then set at which the vessel must be kept, normally in the range between 5O 0 C and 100 0 C, and preferably between 60°C and 90°C.
• the mixture is then left under stirring until the fat has completely melted, and until a liquid consistency is obtained.
• the rotating speed of the stirring system is from 10 and 50 rpm, and preferably between 10 and 20 rpm.
• the nut flour, paste and/or meal as well as all the other ingredients from step b), along with any other additional ingredient, are added to the vessel still under stirring, and the whole mixture is left under stirring for about 5-10 minutes, at a stirring speed within the aforesaid limits, until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed to- gether.
• step c) of the procedure according to the present invention the liquid mixture from the vessel is conveyed on the shaping line and poured through two parallel steel rollers, one rotating clockwise and the other anticlockwise, at a speed ranging between 5 and 30 rpm, and preferably between 6 and 15 rpm.
• the rollers contain cavities of the desired shape (almond-shape, oval, etc.).
• the rollers are cooled at a temperature ranging between -4O 0 C and 20 0 C, and preferably between -1O 0 C and 10°C, in order to favour cooling of the liquid mass.
• the liquid that is poured hot between the two rollers goes to fill the cavities and comes out at the bottom in the required shape.
• step d) the shaped cores formed on exiting the two rollers fall onto a conveyor belt to then be taken into a cooling tunnel fed with forced air at a temperature ranging between 0°C and 1O 0 C, and preferably 4-5 0 C.
• the cores are thus further cooled inside the tunnel until they become hard and compact.
• the cores obtained in step d) of the proposed process still contain some slight imperfections along their edges, due to small pieces of mix, the cores are passed inside rotating cylinders (at a speed ranging between 5 and 30 rpm, and preferably between 7 and 12 rpm), where the continuous rotation and resulting remixing files away at the edges thereby conferring a regular and uniform shape.
• the cores formed in this way can be packaged and sold as they are for their subsequent use in other processes, or can undergo the aforesaid sugar-coating and/or sugar film-coating processes.
• the cores obtained with the process according to the present invention are loaded into the cauldrons and heated at a temperature ranging from 25°C and 6O 0 C, and preferably from 30 0 C and 35 0 C.
• the cores are made to roll inside the cauldrons while a water, sugar and polyalcohol solution is added at regular intervals.
• the concentrations of the solution range between 50°bx and 80°bx, and preferably between 70°bx and 78°bx.
• the cores coated with this solution are then dried in hot air at a flow ranging between 10 mm H 2 O and 40 mm H 2 O, and preferably between 30 mm H 2 O and 40 mm H 2 O, until all the humidity is removed. This operation is carried out several times until the required thickness of the sugar and/or polyalcohol coating is obtained, with an increase in weight ranging from 30% to 70%, and preferably from 30% to 50%.
• the cores are treated in the same cauldrons, but with a continuous input of sugary solution at a flow rate ranging from 100 and 1000 g/min, and preferably from 300 and 600 g/min.
• the temperature of the cores is between 30°C and 50 0 C, and preferably between 35 0 C and 45 0 C.
• the sugar-coating or sugar film-coating phase can also optionally envisage the addition of one or more excipients, including ⁇ ol- orants or flavourings, to the film-coating or sugar-coating mixture.
• the final coating of the core may be preceded by an intermediate phase wherein an undercoat is applied, preferably consisting of shellac and/or its salts (ShellacTM). This step allows reducing the hygroscopicity of the core produced according to the present invention and brings considerable advantages in the possible subsequent step of sugar film- coating in an aqueous phase.
• the cores of the aforesaid composition are prepared according to the following procedure.
• the hydrogenated fatty acid is first melted at a temperature ranging between 6O 0 C and 90 0 C and then the almond flour is mixed into the melted hydrogenated fatty acid, forming a fluid mix that is..kept under stirring by means of a paddle system inside a stainless steel vessel.
• a surface active agent is then added to the oily liquid.
• all the other ingredients are added while the melted mix is kept under constant stirring, preferably by means of stainless steel paddles.
• the fluid paste is then poured between two slowly rotating rollers cooled at a temperature ranging between -1O 0 C and 10 0 C to favour cooling of the liquid mass and to increase the hardness of the cores being formed.
• the cores thus formed after further cooling and treatment inside the rotating cylinders in order to remove the process imperfections, can be sold as they are or undergo a further processing (sugar-coating or sugar film-coating).
• the temperature of the cores is kept at 40 0 C for about 40 minutes; then, at regular intervals, it is lowered to 35 0 C in the final phase. After the protected cores- are coated, they are left to dry for another 10 minutes still at 50 0 C. Finally, the temperature is al- lowed to fall to 30-35°C in order to start emptying the cauldron, taking care to properly store the dragees in suitable damp-proof bags. No increase in the percentage of aqueous content was found in the cores thus produced.
• EXAMPLE 2 Cores of 1010 mg Basic composition: hydrogenated soy oil (VGB 4S Gattefosse) 50 g soy lecithin 15 g gum arabic 1O g maltodextrin 10O g inverted and/or fondant sugar 38O g almond flour 455 g
• the quantities refer to the preparation of a standard industrial batch of 250 kg of cores.
• the cores were prepared according to the procedure de- scribed in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• EXAMPLE 3 Cores of 1010 mg Basic composition: hydrogenated soy oil (VGB 4S Gattefosse) 250 g hydrogenated fatty acids 60 (Igor 60) 130 g maltodextrin 100 g soy lecithin 15 g gum arabic 10 g inverted and/or fondant sugar 50 g almond flour 455 g
• the quantities refer to the preparation of a standard industrial batch of 250 kg of cores.
• the cores were prepared according to the procedure described in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• the cores were prepared according to the procedure described in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• EXAMPLE 5 Cores of 1010 mg Basic composition: hydrogenated soy oil (VGB 4S Gattefosse) 470 g soy lecithin 15 g gum arabic 10 g maltodextrin 10 g inverted and/or fondant sugar 50 g almond flour 455 g
• the cores were prepared according to the procedure described in Example 1 , with the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• Cores of 1010 mg Basic composition hydrogenated soy oil (VGB 4S Gattefosse) 480 g soy lecithin 15 g gum arabic 10 g maltodextrin 10 g inverted and/or fondant sugar 40 g hazelnut, pistacchio, chestnut or almond meal or coffee granules 455 g 1010 g
• the cores were prepared according to the procedures described in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• EXAMPLE 10 Cores of 1010 mg Basic composition: hydrogenated soy oil (VGB 4S Gattefosse) 400 g gum arabic 2O g soy lecithin 15 g maltodextrin 10 g inverted and/or fondant sugar 6O g dextrose 5O g almond flour 455 g
• the cores were prepared according to the procedures described in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• EXAMPLE 11 Cores of 1010 mg Basic composition: hydrogenated soy oil (VGB 4S Gattefosse) 400 g gum arabic 20 g soy lecithin 15 g maltodextrin 10 g inverted and/or fondant sugar 50 g modified rice or flour starches 10 g dextrose 50 g almond flour 455 g hazelnut, pistachio, chestnut or almond meal or coffee granules 455 g
• the cores were prepared according to the procedures described in Example 1, by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• the data reported in Table 7 below show the excellent stability of the cores produced.
• Basic composition hydrogenated soy oil (VGB 4S Gattefosse) 38O g gum arabic 2O g soy lecithin 15 g maltodextrin 10 g inverted and/or fondant sugar. 5O g modified rice or flour starches 10 g dextrose 5O g almond flour 455 g hazelnut, pistachio, chestnut or almond meal or coffee granules 475 g 1010 g
• the cores were prepared according to the procedures described in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• EXAMPLE 13 Cores of 1010 mg Basic composition: hydrogenated soy oil (VGB 4S Gattefosse) 400 g gum arabic 20 g soy lecithin 15 g maltodextrin 10 g inverted and/or fondant sugar 50 g cocoa 10 g dextrose 50 g hazelnut, pistachio, chestnut * or almond meal or coffee granules 455 g 1010 g
• the cores were prepared according to the procedures described in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• the data reported in Table 8 below show the excellent stability of the cores produced.
• the cores were prepared according to the procedures described in Example 1, by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• the data reported in Table 9 below show the excellent stability of the cores produced.
• the quantities refer to the preparation of a standard industrial batch of 250 kg of cores.
• the cores were prepared according to the procedure described in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• the quantities refer to the preparation of a standard industrial batch of 250 kg of cores.
• the cores were prepared according to the procedure described in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• Cores of 1010 mg Basic composition hydrogenated soy oil (VGB 4S Gattefosse) 200 g palm-seed oil 200 g gum arabic 20 g soy lecithin 15 g maltodextrin 1O g inverted and/or fondant sugar 5O g animal or vegetable gelatine ' 10 g dextrose 5O g
• the cores were prepared according to the procedures described in Example 1 , by using the aforesaid ingredients and quantities.
• the data reported in Table 10 below show the excellent stability of the cores produced.
• the stability, both at 40 0 C and 75% R.H. (stress test) as well as at long-term room temperature (shelf life), of the compositions of Examples 1-18 according to the present invention was assessed on the basis of variations in appearance (essentially variations in colour and palatability), by the increase in humidity (K.F. method), by the titre (% of dragee or of sugar film-coated core) in substances that are degradable both by oxidation and by other degrading processes (glucides, lipids, proteins, vitamin E and other starting active ingredients: Q10, GSH etc.), expressed as a percentage with respect to the preparation as produced at time zero.
• the cores were packaged in screw-top plastic flasks in order to reproduce the final packaging conditions (50-60% of humidity and 25 0 C).
• the prod- uct is normally packaged in 1 kg cartons that are not hermetically sealed.
• the samples thus prepared were stored for six months in an oven (Kottermann), with thermostat set at a temperature of 40 ⁇ 2°C and 75% R. H.. Three samples were used, coming from each batch for the cores of 1010 mg and each sample, for each batch, was sampled after 0, 1 , 3 and 6 months. Tables 11-28 below report the results of the stress test.
• the cores were packaged in screw-top plastic flasks in order to recreate the final packaging conditions (50-60% humidity and 25°C).
• the samples were selected according to the same procedures and quantities described for the stress test, and were stored in a thermostat controlled environment at a temperature of 25 ⁇ 2°C and humidity of 60% R.H. Three samples were used, coming from each batch for the 1010 mg cores and each sample, for each batch, was sampled after 0, 1 , 3 and 6 months.

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