WO2008113778A1 - Sintered, solid piece, water soluble or dispersible beverage composition and method for its preparation - Google Patents

Sintered, solid piece, water soluble or dispersible beverage composition and method for its preparation Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008113778A1
WO2008113778A1 PCT/EP2008/053146 EP2008053146W WO2008113778A1 WO 2008113778 A1 WO2008113778 A1 WO 2008113778A1 EP 2008053146 W EP2008053146 W EP 2008053146W WO 2008113778 A1 WO2008113778 A1 WO 2008113778A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
bullets
formatted
numbering
composition
glassy phase
Prior art date
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PCT/EP2008/053146
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Andrew Steven Whitehouse
Original Assignee
Nestec S.A.
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Application filed by Nestec S.A. filed Critical Nestec S.A.
Publication of WO2008113778A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008113778A1/en

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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
    • A23L2/00—Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor; Their preparation
    • A23L2/385—Concentrates of non-alcoholic beverages
    • A23L2/39—Dry compositions
    • A23L2/395—Dry compositions in a particular shape or form
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23F—COFFEE; TEA; THEIR SUBSTITUTES; MANUFACTURE, PREPARATION, OR INFUSION THEREOF
    • A23F3/00—Tea; Tea substitutes; Preparations thereof
    • A23F3/16—Tea extraction; Tea extracts; Treating tea extract; Making instant tea
    • A23F3/30—Further treatment of dried tea extract; Preparations produced thereby, e.g. instant tea
    • A23F3/32—Agglomerating, flaking or tabletting or granulating
    • 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
    • A23F5/24—Extraction of coffee; Coffee extracts; Making instant coffee
    • A23F5/36—Further treatment of dried coffee extract; Preparations produced thereby, e.g. instant coffee
    • A23F5/38—Agglomerating, flaking or tabletting or granulating
    • A23F5/385—Tablets or other similar solid forms
    • 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
    • A23L23/00—Soups; Sauces; Preparation or treatment thereof
    • A23L23/10—Soup concentrates, e.g. powders or cakes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23V—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION
    • A23V2002/00—Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs

Definitions

  • the invention relates to beverage compositions, in particular to beverage compositions which disperse and dissolve rapidly upon contact with water.
  • Solid beverage compositions that dissolve in water to produce the desired beverage are known and are commonly produced in powder, granule or tablet form.
  • beverage compositions include instant coffee, tea, iced tea, chocolate (e.g. Milo ® ), soups and sport nutrition drinks, such as the PowerBar ® beverage system.
  • Powder compositions are often hygroscopic and so caking of the powder is a problem.
  • Anti-caking agents may be added to overcome this problem but these can impair the taste and appearance of the resulting beverage and increase the cost.
  • Further problems associated with powdered beverage compositions are dust and lack of convenience in making up the drink, such as the need to measure the required dose of powder and the
  • US 2003/0026836 relates to powders and tablets based on a carbohydrate matrix with improved dissolution properties in water.
  • the components of the powder or tablet are subjected to treatment with a gas so that gas is entrapped therein and sufficient closed porosity is provided so that the entrapped gas promotes dissolution or dispersion upon contact with water.
  • the need to incorporate gas into the components of the pressed tablet adds cost and complexity to the manufacturing process.
  • US 4,031,238 relates to dry water-soluble beverage cubes containing powdered crystalline glucose monohydrate, crystalline sucrose and a hygroscopic flavour material.
  • the cubes are prepared by heating the mixed ingredients to above 95 0 F (35 0 C) in a high humidity atmosphere to solidify the mass. Under these conditions the hygroscopic flavour material absorbs moisture and these articles then wet adjacent sugar particles causing partial or complete dissolution of them. In effect, the flavour material acts as a binding agent for the system.
  • Rapid dissolution without the problems associated with tablets and powders may be achieved by sintering a powder to produce a granular beverage material.
  • EP 0 373 697 describes such a method which comprises sintering an essentially dry powdered beverage extract by heating the extract in a closed environment to form an agglomerate in which the particles of the powder have been brought in a point-to-point contact so that they are bridged to one another without loosing their identity, and then granulating the agglomerate.
  • a problem with such a product is lack of convenience in making up the drink, particularly in the case of an athlete on the move as described above.
  • An object of the invention is to provide a beverage composition in solid piece-form which disperses and dissolves rapidly upon addition to water, and a method for making such a composition.
  • the invention in a first aspect relates to a sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition
  • a sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition comprising dry particulates bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase which constitutes 10 to 40 wt % of the composition.
  • the finely dispersed glassy phase acts as a bonding agent to link components that would otherwise not be prone to join to each other under moderate conditions.
  • Such a composition is easy to handle.
  • the composition has high open porosity and readily solvated
  • the invention in a second aspect relates to a method for producing a solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition comprising: (a) providing a powder comprising 10 to 40 wt % glassy phase particles and 60 to 90 wt % one or more other dry particulate components; and
  • the finely dispersed glassy phase particles acquire sufficient mobility to wet and bond neighbouring particles in contact and so achieve a 3-dimensional network structure through the whole mass.
  • the resulting composition has high open porosity and readily solvated (by water) inter-particle bonding which allows rapid ingress of water into the depth of the body. Consequently, upon contact with water, the body rapidly disintegrates and the particles disperse and are free to dissolve.
  • the invention in one aspect relates to a sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition
  • a sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition comprising dry particulates bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase which comprises 10 to 40 wt % of the composition.
  • "Beverage composition” is any composition that can be dissolved or dispersed in water to produce a beverage, such as coffee, tea, iced tea, chocolate, soup and sport nutrition drinks.
  • Solid piece means that the beverage composition consists of a mass, or coherent body, of substance as opposed to a powder or granules.
  • the mass is preferably porous and of a size which is easy to handle and suitable for adding to a cup, glass or bottle of water.
  • “Sintering” is a method for forming such a coherent mass by heating and is a method for making objects from powder, increasing the adhesion between particles as they are heated.
  • the particles of the starting material are only brought in a kind of point-to- point contact in which the particles are "bridged” to one another without losing their identity as a particle.
  • the glassy material acts as the bridging agent. During the sintering process the glassy phase particles become viscous and wet and bond neighbouring particles to form a structured, porous, fused product.
  • Glassy phase means an amorphous (or glassy) solid, rather than a crystalline solid.
  • the beverage composition comprises dry particulates which are selected according to the desired resulting beverage. Particulates having a diameter of 10 to 100 ⁇ m are preferred since extremely large particulates are too slow to dissolve and a very small particle size would mean there were not enough glassy particles to form the links.
  • the dry particulates may include, but are not limited to, one or more of crystalline sugars, maltodextrin, protein powders, cereal components, fruit powders, powdered gum, cocoa, coffee powder, tea powder, herbs, and heat sensitive ingredients such as volatile flavour ingredients, heat sensitive vitamins and nutritional powders, such as fruit or milk. Further, particles with a fragile structure and/or low density may be incorporated intact. These may be such that they hydrate and float to the surface of the beverage after dispersion.
  • the dry particulates comprise 60 to 90 wt % of the weight of the composition, preferably 75 to 85 wt %.
  • the dry particulates are bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase.
  • Sugar glasses stable over time are conventionally manufactured from mixtures of carbohydrates.
  • the glassy bonding phase can be made up from a wide variety of carbohydrate materials encompassing both sugar and sugar-free ingredient types.
  • the glassy bonding phase may preferably comprise corn syrup solids or dextrins or two or more of sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, corn syrup solids, dextrins, sorbitol, isomalt, maltitol, xylitol, erythritol and polydextrose.
  • the glassy material comprises 10 to 40 wt % of the weight of the composition, preferably 15 to 25 wt %. Since only a minor proportion of glassy bonding material is required in order to link the other components, the other components can be selected for other qualities, e.g. nutritional value, flavour, structure, etc.
  • the glassy material is milled to a fine powder, preferably with the median particle size (d50) smaller than 10 ⁇ m, such that in the resulting beverage composition the material is finely dispersed.
  • the glassy material acts as a binding agent in the beverage composition and acts to bond neighbouring particles in contact and so achieve a 3- dimensional network structure through the whole mass.
  • the glassy material may act as a binding agent at the outer surface of the solid piece beverage composition only, leaving the inner dry particulate contents unbound. This allows even more rapid dispersal and dissolution of the particles upon contact with water.
  • the sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition of the invention preferably has a density of 0.5 to 1.0 g/cm 3 , most preferably about 0.7 g/cm 3 .
  • the sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition of the invention preferably has a porosity of 35 % and 70 %, most preferably about 55 %. This allows water percolation into the structure thus improving dispersion and dissolution of the composition upon contact with water.
  • the composition disperses rapidly upon contact with water and then rapidly dissolves with agitation.
  • the sintered solid piece disintegrates in less than 10 seconds for 50 g of sample of any dimensions in 500 ml of water at 15 0 C.
  • the dispersion rate of these compositions depends on the dimensions of the solid piece rather than simply on the mass. For example, a 10 mm diameter rod would disperse at much the same speed whatever its length (and therefore its weight) providing there was sufficient water.
  • the solid piece composition is a dose-sized portion.
  • composition has many uses including:
  • the composition may be produced in a stick-shaped, dose-sized portion suitable for a standard size water bottle (e.g. 500 ml), which can then be passed through the neck of such a water bottle to dissolve quickly and easily.
  • a standard size water bottle e.g. 500 ml
  • a composition to be added to hot water to produce a hot drink such as tea, coffee, chocolate, soup.
  • the solid portion is simply dropped into hot water, in which it disperses and dissolves rapidly to produce the drink. No measuring is required and there is no risk of powder spillage or dust.
  • ⁇ A composition to be added to cold water to produce a beverage such as iced tea or a milk drink.
  • the solid portion is simply dropped into cold water, in which it disperses and dissolves rapidly to produce the drink. No measuring is required and there is no risk of powder spillage or dust.
  • the invention provides a method for producing a solid piece beverage composition comprising:
  • the glassy phase particles as described above have been milled to a fine powder prior to mixing with the dry particulate component(s) as described above.
  • the glassy phase particles are milled to a fine powder with the median particle size (d50) smaller than 10 ⁇ m prior to intimate mixing with one or more other dry particulate components.
  • the glassy phase particles may be co-milled together with the other dry particulate components.
  • the glassy phase particles comprise 10 to 40 wt % of the beverage composition, preferably 15 to 25 wt %.
  • the resulting mixture in both cases has a low bulk density of around 0.5 g/cm .
  • a mould is filled with this mixture, optionally with some degree of tamping to assure a degree of close-packing of the particles (particle-particle contact).
  • the mould should represent the desired finished shape of the product, e.g. a simple capped cylindrical tube. Further, the mould may also provide the packaging for the product. However, the mould need not have such dual purpose and in principle could be from any suitable food grade material, such as a semi-rigid polymer.
  • the solid piece beverage composition will closely follow the shape of the mould faces with which it has initial contact. Hence, the mould may be of a form with specific shape interest or functionality and may carry quite detailed figuring or engraving of design or lettering which will be transferred onto the surface of the solid piece.
  • the mixture contained in the mould is then subjected to a sintering heat treatment.
  • a sintering heat treatment Preferably the mould is sealed closed during the treatment. Hermetic closure is useful to prevent moisture loss on heating which might inhibit the sintering process.
  • sintering may be carried out in an atmosphere with a controlled relative humidity to provide greater process control and flexibility.
  • the mould preferably stays in the same orientation during the heat treatment.
  • the time and temperature of heat treatment is partially determined by the composition of the glassy phase. Temperature should be in the vicinity of the onset of mobility at the glass transition. With progressive increase of temperature above the glass transition temperature (Tg), mobility of the glassy phase particles rises dramatically. Hence, at higher temperature the required residence time should be shorter.
  • relatively long duration treatment at modest temperature is favoured. For most formulations treatment will be at 50 to 60 0 C for 5 to 10 hours.
  • Such a low temperature heat treatment allows the use of heat- sensitive ingredients and allows the incorporation of volatile flavour ingredients, heat sensitive vitamins and high value nutritional powders, such as fruit or milk, without damage to their quality. Further, use of a relatively long duration treatment at modest temperature is favoured, particularly with a piece of substantial size, since this helps to alleviate unwanted inhomogeneity of sintering through the piece caused by the inevitable temperature gradient during heating.
  • the finely dispersed glass particles acquire sufficient mobility to wet and bond neighbouring particles in contact and so achieve a 3-dimensional network structure through the whole mass.
  • a short-duration, high temperature exposure may be used to sinter- fuse the outer surface of the piece leaving the inner contents unbound.
  • treatment for powder filled into a vessel with a thin-walled he at- conductive wall, such as a 33 mm diameter metal tube would be at 90 to 110 0 C for 1 to 10 minutes followed by immediate force cooling to an ambient temperature of approximately 20 0 C.
  • the sintering treatment is carried out at about 100 0 C for 5 minutes before the immediate force cooling.
  • the product and mould are preferably allowed to cool to ambient temperature
  • the sintering process causes a modest contraction of the product m three dimensions such that the piece releases from the walls of the container and can be readily removed for use
  • PowerBar ® Endurance Sport Drink powder mix is bonded to make a solid form by the agency of a finely dispersed sugar glass and a thermal treatment
  • PowerBar ® Endurance Sport Drink mix is distributed by Powerbar Inc , Berkeley, California, 94704, USA
  • a sugar glass is manufactured by dissolving and concentrating by boiling a mixture of Sucrose 40%, t42DE Glucose Syrup (Corn Syrup) @ 81 % dry substance 45% ⁇ ⁇ F ormatte d : F renc h F rance
  • a dry powder mix is prepared by co-comminution of 4 parts PowerBar ® Endurance Sport Drink mix with 1 part of the sugar glass in a benchtop impact mill (Type: IKA M20 from IKA Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Staufen, Germany). Milling is continued long enough to assure that all material passes though a lmm sieve. In fact, microscopic examination reveals particles to have a wide size range falling primarily in the band 10 to 100 microns diameter.
  • a dose of this dry powder mix (typically 50 g) is filled into a slightly conical rigid plastic container (105 mm length, 33 mm mid-height internal diameter, open end widest), and this is sealed with a closely fitting plastic cap to prevent moisture loss.
  • the container and its contents are then subject to a thermal treatment by placement in a cabinet controlled at 50 0 C for a period of 4 hours. After heat treatment the tube and contents are allowed to cool freely to ambient room temperature.
  • the finely dispersed sugar glass particles acquire sufficient mobility to wet and bond neighbouring particles in contact and so achieve a 3 -dimensional network structure through the whole mass. This process is accompanied by a modest contraction in three dimensions such that the piece releases from the walls of the container and can be readily removed for use.
  • the resulting body has a density of 0.7 grams per cubic centimetre and a porosity of 55 %.
  • the solid piece disintegrates within 10 seconds into a dispersed powder which then freely dissolves in the water.

Abstract

Sintered beverage compositions in solid piece-form which disperse and dissolve rapidly upon contact with water. Method for producing solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage compositions. Said composition comprise dry particulates bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase, which comprises 10-40 wt % of the composition.

Description

SINTERED , SOLID PIECE , WATER SOLUBLE OR DISPERSIBLE BEVERAGE COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR ITS PREPARATION
Field of the invention
5 The invention relates to beverage compositions, in particular to beverage compositions which disperse and dissolve rapidly upon contact with water.
Background of the invention
10 Solid beverage compositions that dissolve in water to produce the desired beverage are known and are commonly produced in powder, granule or tablet form. Such beverage compositions include instant coffee, tea, iced tea, chocolate (e.g. Milo®), soups and sport nutrition drinks, such as the PowerBar® beverage system.
15 Powder compositions are often hygroscopic and so caking of the powder is a problem. Anti-caking agents may be added to overcome this problem but these can impair the taste and appearance of the resulting beverage and increase the cost. Further problems associated with powdered beverage compositions are dust and lack of convenience in making up the drink, such as the need to measure the required dose of powder and the
20 risk of spillage.
Various sports nutrition drinks come in powder form and are sold in large tubs with a small scoop to measure out the correct amount to make up with water. They are also sold in convenient single serve sachets of the exact amount to be made up in a standard
25 volume, often a 500 ml bottle. An example of such products are PowerBar® Endurance Sport Drink powder mix (Powerbar Inc.), Gatorade ® Stix (PepsiCo, Inc.) and Isostar ® energy drink powder (Nutrition et Sante SAS). Ease of measuring a dose and minimising risk of spillage are particularly important for such products since they are primarily used by athletes who want to make up the drink in a water bottle whilst on the
30 move. These products at best allow pouring of the required dose into a water bottle, but this is difficult whilst on the move without some of the material spilling or blowing away. Pressed tablets provide a convenient dosage form but even with the inclusion of disintegrants in the composition such products do not dissolve rapidly. US 2003/0026836 relates to powders and tablets based on a carbohydrate matrix with improved dissolution properties in water. The components of the powder or tablet are subjected to treatment with a gas so that gas is entrapped therein and sufficient closed porosity is provided so that the entrapped gas promotes dissolution or dispersion upon contact with water. The need to incorporate gas into the components of the pressed tablet adds cost and complexity to the manufacturing process.
US 4,031,238 relates to dry water-soluble beverage cubes containing powdered crystalline glucose monohydrate, crystalline sucrose and a hygroscopic flavour material. The cubes are prepared by heating the mixed ingredients to above 95 0F (35 0C) in a high humidity atmosphere to solidify the mass. Under these conditions the hygroscopic flavour material absorbs moisture and these articles then wet adjacent sugar particles causing partial or complete dissolution of them. In effect, the flavour material acts as a binding agent for the system.
Rapid dissolution without the problems associated with tablets and powders may be achieved by sintering a powder to produce a granular beverage material. EP 0 373 697 describes such a method which comprises sintering an essentially dry powdered beverage extract by heating the extract in a closed environment to form an agglomerate in which the particles of the powder have been brought in a point-to-point contact so that they are bridged to one another without loosing their identity, and then granulating the agglomerate. However a problem with such a product is lack of convenience in making up the drink, particularly in the case of an athlete on the move as described above.
An object of the invention is to provide a beverage composition in solid piece-form which disperses and dissolves rapidly upon addition to water, and a method for making such a composition.
Summary of the invention
In a first aspect the invention relates to a sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition comprising dry particulates bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase which constitutes 10 to 40 wt % of the composition. The finely dispersed glassy phase acts as a bonding agent to link components that would otherwise not be prone to join to each other under moderate conditions. Such a composition is easy to handle. Further, the composition has high open porosity and readily solvated
(by water) inter-particle bonding which allows rapid ingress of water into the depth of the composition. Consequently, upon contact with water, the composition rapidly disintegrates and the particles disperse and are free to dissolve.
In a second aspect the invention relates to a method for producing a solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition comprising: (a) providing a powder comprising 10 to 40 wt % glassy phase particles and 60 to 90 wt % one or more other dry particulate components; and
(b) sintering the powder, such that the glassy phase particles melt at their surface and wet and bond neighbouring particles to form a structured, porous, fused product.
During the sintering treatment, the finely dispersed glassy phase particles acquire sufficient mobility to wet and bond neighbouring particles in contact and so achieve a 3-dimensional network structure through the whole mass. The resulting composition has high open porosity and readily solvated (by water) inter-particle bonding which allows rapid ingress of water into the depth of the body. Consequently, upon contact with water, the body rapidly disintegrates and the particles disperse and are free to dissolve.
Detailed description of the invention
In one aspect the invention relates to a sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition comprising dry particulates bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase which comprises 10 to 40 wt % of the composition. "Beverage composition" is any composition that can be dissolved or dispersed in water to produce a beverage, such as coffee, tea, iced tea, chocolate, soup and sport nutrition drinks.
"Solid piece" means that the beverage composition consists of a mass, or coherent body, of substance as opposed to a powder or granules. The mass is preferably porous and of a size which is easy to handle and suitable for adding to a cup, glass or bottle of water.
"Sintering" is a method for forming such a coherent mass by heating and is a method for making objects from powder, increasing the adhesion between particles as they are heated. The particles of the starting material are only brought in a kind of point-to- point contact in which the particles are "bridged" to one another without losing their identity as a particle. According to the invention the glassy material acts as the bridging agent. During the sintering process the glassy phase particles become viscous and wet and bond neighbouring particles to form a structured, porous, fused product.
"Glassy phase" means an amorphous (or glassy) solid, rather than a crystalline solid.
The beverage composition comprises dry particulates which are selected according to the desired resulting beverage. Particulates having a diameter of 10 to 100 μm are preferred since extremely large particulates are too slow to dissolve and a very small particle size would mean there were not enough glassy particles to form the links. The dry particulates may include, but are not limited to, one or more of crystalline sugars, maltodextrin, protein powders, cereal components, fruit powders, powdered gum, cocoa, coffee powder, tea powder, herbs, and heat sensitive ingredients such as volatile flavour ingredients, heat sensitive vitamins and nutritional powders, such as fruit or milk. Further, particles with a fragile structure and/or low density may be incorporated intact. These may be such that they hydrate and float to the surface of the beverage after dispersion. Examples of such materials are freeze-dried fruit, dried marshmallow shapes, dried pasta shapes or croutons. Such low-density materials could not be formed into a beverage tablet by tablet-pressing as their structure would be destroyed. The dry particulates comprise 60 to 90 wt % of the weight of the composition, preferably 75 to 85 wt %.
The dry particulates are bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase. Sugar glasses stable over time are conventionally manufactured from mixtures of carbohydrates. The glassy bonding phase can be made up from a wide variety of carbohydrate materials encompassing both sugar and sugar-free ingredient types. In particular the glassy bonding phase may preferably comprise corn syrup solids or dextrins or two or more of sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, corn syrup solids, dextrins, sorbitol, isomalt, maltitol, xylitol, erythritol and polydextrose.
The glassy material comprises 10 to 40 wt % of the weight of the composition, preferably 15 to 25 wt %. Since only a minor proportion of glassy bonding material is required in order to link the other components, the other components can be selected for other qualities, e.g. nutritional value, flavour, structure, etc.
The glassy material is milled to a fine powder, preferably with the median particle size (d50) smaller than 10 μm, such that in the resulting beverage composition the material is finely dispersed. The glassy material acts as a binding agent in the beverage composition and acts to bond neighbouring particles in contact and so achieve a 3- dimensional network structure through the whole mass. Alternatively, the glassy material may act as a binding agent at the outer surface of the solid piece beverage composition only, leaving the inner dry particulate contents unbound. This allows even more rapid dispersal and dissolution of the particles upon contact with water.
The sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition of the invention preferably has a density of 0.5 to 1.0 g/cm3, most preferably about 0.7 g/cm3. The sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition of the invention preferably has a porosity of 35 % and 70 %, most preferably about 55 %. This allows water percolation into the structure thus improving dispersion and dissolution of the composition upon contact with water.
The composition disperses rapidly upon contact with water and then rapidly dissolves with agitation. Preferably the sintered solid piece disintegrates in less than 10 seconds for 50 g of sample of any dimensions in 500 ml of water at 15 0C. However, the dispersion rate of these compositions depends on the dimensions of the solid piece rather than simply on the mass. For example, a 10 mm diameter rod would disperse at much the same speed whatever its length (and therefore its weight) providing there was sufficient water.
Preferably the solid piece composition is a dose-sized portion.
The composition has many uses including:
■ A sport nutrition drink for use by athletes who wish to make up the drink quickly and easily whilst on the move. The composition may be produced in a stick-shaped, dose-sized portion suitable for a standard size water bottle (e.g. 500 ml), which can then be passed through the neck of such a water bottle to dissolve quickly and easily.
■ A composition to be added to hot water to produce a hot drink, such as tea, coffee, chocolate, soup. The solid portion is simply dropped into hot water, in which it disperses and dissolves rapidly to produce the drink. No measuring is required and there is no risk of powder spillage or dust. ■ A composition to be added to cold water to produce a beverage such as iced tea or a milk drink. The solid portion is simply dropped into cold water, in which it disperses and dissolves rapidly to produce the drink. No measuring is required and there is no risk of powder spillage or dust.
■ A composition to be added to cold water to produce a beverage containing heat sensitive ingredients such as volatile flavour ingredients, heat sensitive vitamins and nutritional powders, such as fruit or milk.
■ A composition to be added to water to produce a beverage with inclusions of fragile low density materials which float to the top of the drink.
In a further aspect the invention provides a method for producing a solid piece beverage composition comprising:
(a) providing a powder comprising 10 to 40 wt % glassy phase particles and 60 to 90% one or more other dry particulate components; and (b) sintering the powder, such that the glassy phase particles melt at their surface and wet and bond neighbouring particles to form a structured, porous, fused product.
According to one aspect, the glassy phase particles as described above have been milled to a fine powder prior to mixing with the dry particulate component(s) as described above. Preferably the glassy phase particles are milled to a fine powder with the median particle size (d50) smaller than 10 μm prior to intimate mixing with one or more other dry particulate components.
According to another aspect, the glassy phase particles may be co-milled together with the other dry particulate components.
The glassy phase particles comprise 10 to 40 wt % of the beverage composition, preferably 15 to 25 wt %.
The resulting mixture in both cases has a low bulk density of around 0.5 g/cm .
A mould is filled with this mixture, optionally with some degree of tamping to assure a degree of close-packing of the particles (particle-particle contact). The mould should represent the desired finished shape of the product, e.g. a simple capped cylindrical tube. Further, the mould may also provide the packaging for the product. However, the mould need not have such dual purpose and in principle could be from any suitable food grade material, such as a semi-rigid polymer. The solid piece beverage composition will closely follow the shape of the mould faces with which it has initial contact. Hence, the mould may be of a form with specific shape interest or functionality and may carry quite detailed figuring or engraving of design or lettering which will be transferred onto the surface of the solid piece.
The mixture contained in the mould is then subjected to a sintering heat treatment. Preferably the mould is sealed closed during the treatment. Hermetic closure is useful to prevent moisture loss on heating which might inhibit the sintering process.
Alternatively, sintering may be carried out in an atmosphere with a controlled relative humidity to provide greater process control and flexibility. The mould preferably stays in the same orientation during the heat treatment.
The time and temperature of heat treatment is partially determined by the composition of the glassy phase. Temperature should be in the vicinity of the onset of mobility at the glass transition. With progressive increase of temperature above the glass transition temperature (Tg), mobility of the glassy phase particles rises dramatically. Hence, at higher temperature the required residence time should be shorter. However, with a body of substantial size, the inevitable temperature gradient during heating can cause an unwanted inhomogeneity of sintering through the piece. For this reason relatively long duration treatment at modest temperature is favoured. For most formulations treatment will be at 50 to 60 0C for 5 to 10 hours. Such a low temperature heat treatment allows the use of heat- sensitive ingredients and allows the incorporation of volatile flavour ingredients, heat sensitive vitamins and high value nutritional powders, such as fruit or milk, without damage to their quality. Further, use of a relatively long duration treatment at modest temperature is favoured, particularly with a piece of substantial size, since this helps to alleviate unwanted inhomogeneity of sintering through the piece caused by the inevitable temperature gradient during heating.
During the sintering heat treatment, the finely dispersed glass particles acquire sufficient mobility to wet and bond neighbouring particles in contact and so achieve a 3-dimensional network structure through the whole mass.
In an alternative embodiment, a short-duration, high temperature exposure may be used to sinter- fuse the outer surface of the piece leaving the inner contents unbound. In this alternative embodiment, treatment for powder filled into a vessel with a thin-walled he at- conductive wall, such as a 33 mm diameter metal tube, would be at 90 to 110 0C for 1 to 10 minutes followed by immediate force cooling to an ambient temperature of approximately 20 0C. Preferably the sintering treatment is carried out at about 100 0C for 5 minutes before the immediate force cooling. This results in a composition in which the dry particulates are bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase at the outer surface of the solid piece beverage composition only, leaving the inner dry particulate contents unbound This allows even more rapid dispersal and dissolution of the particles upon contact with water
After sintering, the product and mould are preferably allowed to cool to ambient temperature The sintering process causes a modest contraction of the product m three dimensions such that the piece releases from the walls of the container and can be readily removed for use
Care should be taken to protect the powders and finished product from moisture gam from the atmosphere
Examples
The following examples are illustrative of the products and methods of making the same falling withm the scope of the present invention They are not to be considered m any way limitative of the invention Changes and modifications can be made with respect to the invention That is, the skilled person will recognise many possible variations m these examples covering a wide range of compositions, ingredients, processing methods, and mixtures, and can adjust the naturally occurring levels of the compounds of the invention for a variety of applications
Example 1
In this example PowerBar® Endurance Sport Drink powder mix is bonded to make a solid form by the agency of a finely dispersed sugar glass and a thermal treatment
PowerBar® Endurance Sport Drink mix is distributed by Powerbar Inc , Berkeley, California, 94704, USA
A sugar glass is manufactured by dissolving and concentrating by boiling a mixture of Sucrose 40%, t42DE Glucose Syrup (Corn Syrup) @ 81 % dry substance 45% ^ ^ Formatted: French France
Water 15% This operation is performed in a stirred steam-heated confectionery boiling kettle equipped with the facility to draw a partial vacuum. The mass is boiled at atmospheric pressure to a temperature maximum of 145 0C before application of a vacuum of -0.3 Barg until boiling stops. The resulting hot syrup is poured onto a metal slab at 20 0C and allowed to cool to ambient temperature to become hard and glassy before onward use.
A dry powder mix is prepared by co-comminution of 4 parts PowerBar® Endurance Sport Drink mix with 1 part of the sugar glass in a benchtop impact mill (Type: IKA M20 from IKA Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Staufen, Germany). Milling is continued long enough to assure that all material passes though a lmm sieve. In fact, microscopic examination reveals particles to have a wide size range falling primarily in the band 10 to 100 microns diameter.
A dose of this dry powder mix (typically 50 g) is filled into a slightly conical rigid plastic container (105 mm length, 33 mm mid-height internal diameter, open end widest), and this is sealed with a closely fitting plastic cap to prevent moisture loss. The container and its contents are then subject to a thermal treatment by placement in a cabinet controlled at 50 0C for a period of 4 hours. After heat treatment the tube and contents are allowed to cool freely to ambient room temperature.
During the sinter heat treatment, which is performed above the glass transition of the sugar glass, the finely dispersed sugar glass particles acquire sufficient mobility to wet and bond neighbouring particles in contact and so achieve a 3 -dimensional network structure through the whole mass. This process is accompanied by a modest contraction in three dimensions such that the piece releases from the walls of the container and can be readily removed for use.
The resulting body has a density of 0.7 grams per cubic centimetre and a porosity of 55 %. On addition to cold water at 15 0C the solid piece disintegrates within 10 seconds into a dispersed powder which then freely dissolves in the water.

Claims

Claims
1 A sintered, solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage composition comprising dry particulates bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase which comprises 10 to 40 wt % of the composition
A composition according to claim 1 having a density of 0 5 g/cm3 to 1 0 g/cm3
3 A composition according to claim 2 having a density of about 0 7 g/cm
4 A composition according to any of the preceding claims having a porosity of 35 % to 70 %
5 A composition according to claim 4 having a porosity of about 55 %
6 A composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein the dry particulates comprise one or more of crystalline sugars, maltodextrm, protein powders, cereal components, fruit powders, powdered gum, cocoa, coffee powder, tea powder, herbs, heat sensitive ingredients, and low-density inclusions which float to the surface of the beverage after dispersion
7 A composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein the glassy phase comprises a sugar or sugar-free carbohydrate material
8 A composition according to claim 7 wherein the glassy phase comprises corn syrup solids or dextrms or two or more of sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, corn syrup solids, dextrms, sorbitol, isomalt, maltitol, xylitol, erythπtol, and polydextrose
-| Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
I \_A composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein the proportion of* glassy phase material is m the range 15 to 25 wt %
"1 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
I Λ' A composition according to any of the preceding claims which has a disintegration* rate of <10 seconds for 50 g of sample of any dimensions m 500 ml of water at 15 0C - 4 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
LLA composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein the solid piece* composition is a dose-sized portion.
- 4 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering I ILA composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein the dry* particulates are bound by a finely dispersed glassy phase at the outer surface of the solid piece beverage composition only, leaving the inner dry particulate contents unbound.
4 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering I .Lh. A method for producing a solid piece, water soluble or water dispersible beverage* composition comprising:
(a) providing a powder comprising 10 to 40 wt % glassy phase particles and 60 to 90 wt % one or more other dry particulate components; and
(b) sintering the powder, such that the glassy phase particles melt at their surface and wet and bond neighbouring particles to form a structured, porous, fused product.
"1 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
I 14 A method according to claim 13 wherein the glassy phase particles have been* milled to a fine powder prior to mixing with the dry particulate component(s).
Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
I .LiA method according to claim 13 wherein the glassy phase particles and the dry* particulate component(s) are mixed and then co-milled to a fine powder.
- 4 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
I lii_A method according to any of claims 13 to 15 wherein the sintering treatment is* carried out at 50 to 60 0C for 5 to 10 hours.
4 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
I LlA method according to any of claims 13 to 15 wherein the sintering treatment is* carried out at 90 to 110 0C for 1 to 10 minutes, followed by immediate force cooling to an ambient temperature of approximately 20 0C.
- -\ Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
ULA method according to claim 17 wherein the sintering treatment is carried out at* about 100 0C for 5 minutes, followed by immediate force cooling to an ambient temperature of approximately 20 0C. - 4 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
.IJLA method according to any of claims 13 to 18 wherein the dry particulates comprise* one or more of crystalline sugars, maltodextrin, protein powders, cereal components, fruit powders, powdered gum, cocoa, coffee powder, tea powder, herbs, heat sensitive ingredients, and low-density inclusions which float to the surface of the beverage after dispersion.
- 4 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
I ~1L,Λ method according to any of claims 13 to 19 wherein the glassy phase comprises a* sugar or sugar-free carbohydrate material.
- -j Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
I :li_,.A method according to claim 20 wherein the glassy phase comprises corn syrup* solids or dextrins or two or more of sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, corn syrup solids, dextrins, sorbitol, isomalt, maltitol, xylitol, erythritol and polydextrose.
"1 Formatted: Bullets and Numbering I !;.;_A method according to any of claims 13 to 21 wherein the proportion of glassy* phase material in the composition is in the range 15 to 25 wt %.
PCT/EP2008/053146 2007-03-21 2008-03-17 Sintered, solid piece, water soluble or dispersible beverage composition and method for its preparation WO2008113778A1 (en)

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EP2689669A1 (en) * 2011-03-24 2014-01-29 Meiji Co, Ltd. Coffee beverage and process for producing same
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WO2016091943A1 (en) * 2014-12-10 2016-06-16 Koninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V. Beverage mass and a method for the manufacture thereof
US9861945B1 (en) 2017-08-04 2018-01-09 ZoomEssence, Inc. Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process
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US10155234B1 (en) 2017-08-04 2018-12-18 ZoomEssence, Inc. Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process
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US10486173B2 (en) 2017-08-04 2019-11-26 ZoomEssence, Inc. Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process
US10569244B2 (en) 2018-04-28 2020-02-25 ZoomEssence, Inc. Low temperature spray drying of carrier-free compositions
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US8939388B1 (en) 2010-09-27 2015-01-27 ZoomEssence, Inc. Methods and apparatus for low heat spray drying
US9332776B1 (en) 2010-09-27 2016-05-10 ZoomEssence, Inc. Methods and apparatus for low heat spray drying
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EP2689669A1 (en) * 2011-03-24 2014-01-29 Meiji Co, Ltd. Coffee beverage and process for producing same
EP2689669A4 (en) * 2011-03-24 2014-10-01 Meiji Co Ltd Coffee beverage and process for producing same
WO2015028784A1 (en) * 2013-08-26 2015-03-05 Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas Llc Method of preparing edible composition
WO2016091943A1 (en) * 2014-12-10 2016-06-16 Koninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V. Beverage mass and a method for the manufacture thereof
US9861945B1 (en) 2017-08-04 2018-01-09 ZoomEssence, Inc. Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process
US9993787B1 (en) 2017-08-04 2018-06-12 ZoomEssence, Inc. Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process
US10155234B1 (en) 2017-08-04 2018-12-18 ZoomEssence, Inc. Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process
US10252181B2 (en) 2017-08-04 2019-04-09 ZoomEssence, Inc. Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process
US10486173B2 (en) 2017-08-04 2019-11-26 ZoomEssence, Inc. Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process
US10625281B2 (en) 2017-08-04 2020-04-21 ZoomEssence, Inc. Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process
US10569244B2 (en) 2018-04-28 2020-02-25 ZoomEssence, Inc. Low temperature spray drying of carrier-free compositions
US10850244B2 (en) 2018-04-28 2020-12-01 ZoomEssence, Inc. Low temperature spray drying of carrier-free compositions
US11090622B2 (en) 2018-04-28 2021-08-17 ZoomEssence, Inc. Low temperature spray drying of carrier-free compositions
WO2021148970A1 (en) * 2020-01-24 2021-07-29 Moxcha Ltd Beverage composition

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