WO2013034520A1

WO2013034520A1 - Foam beverage

Info

Publication number: WO2013034520A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/067098
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexandra Weingand-Ziade; Klaus Ernst ZIMMERMANN; Fritz Wilhelm Nueckel; Philippe François Warnery
Original assignee: Nestec S.A.
Priority date: 2011-09-08
Filing date: 2012-09-03
Publication date: 2013-03-14
Also published as: EP2753195A1; KR20140058634A; CN103763946A

Abstract

The present invention relates to edible powder compositions which, upon mixing with a liquid, form a foam beverage with enhanced body and mouthfeel. The powder comprises a foamer ingredient and a thickening agent. The invention also relates to a method for the production of a foam beverage and to edible foams.

Description

Foam beverage

Field of the invention The present invention relates to edible powder compositions which, upon mixing with a liquid, form a foam beverage. The powder comprises a foamer ingredient and a thickening agent. The invention also relates to a method for the production of a foam beverage and to edible foams.

Background of the invention

Beverages comprising a foamy surface are known in the art, for example as cappuccino coffees. It has recently been possible to produce such beverages from reconstitution of a powder in a liquid. Such powders may comprise a foamer ingredient, as described for instance in EP 1 557 091 and WO2008/052952. Other foamable powders which produce a foamy head upon reconstitution are known from US 5,350,591, WO2008/009617, US 6,048,567.

US 2008/0014315 describes a composition which, when shaken and poured, produces a foam head.

Beverages which are stored in sealed containers and which, when poured, form a foam on the surface are also known from WO2004/049833.

The resulting beverages of the prior art are generally characterized by two distinct layers - the liquid layer and the foam layer. There is therefore a need to provide consumers with new sensory experiences upon consumption of a reconstituted beverage . Object of the invention

The object of the invention is therefore to provide an instant beverage with enhanced body and mouthfeel.

The object is solved by means of the independent claims. The dependent claims further develop the central idea of the invention. Summary of the invention

Thus, in a first aspect, the invention relates to an edible powder composition suitable for forming a foam upon reconstitution in a liquid comprising a foamer ingredient and a thickening agent.

A method for the production of a foam beverage comprising the step of mixing a powder composition comprising a foamer ingredient and a thickening agent with an aqueous liquid also forms part of the present invention.

A third aspect of the invention pertains to an edible foam characterized in that it comprises gas bubbles which remain dispersed throughout the whole volume of the foam for at least 15 minutes, preferably at least 30 minutes.

Finally, the use of a pregelatinised agglomerated starch in an edible powder composition comprising a foamer ingredient for stabilizing the gas bubbles resulting from the mixture of the powder composition with a liquid is also part of the invention.

Description of the invention The present invention relates to an edible powder composition comprising a foamer ingredient and a thickening agent. The powder composition is preferably soluble in aqueous liquids, e.g. at temperatures varying between 0°C and 100°C.

The foamer ingredient may be any ingredient or combination of ingredients, which, upon mixing with an aqueous liquid, releases gas. Preferably, the foamer ingredient is capable of releasing upon mixing with an aqueous liquid at least lmL of gas at ambient conditions per gram of foamer ingredient, preferably at least 6 mL of gas per gram of foamer ingredient.

In the present context, ambient conditions refer to standard temperature and pressure conditions (25°C, 1 atm) . A suitable method for measuring the release of gas is known from EP 1 206 193 Bl for instance.

In one embodiment, the foamer may be a combination of acid and base. Typical acids are malic acid or sodium citrate or any combinations thereof. Typical bases are bicarbonates . Upon addition of a liquid, the acid and base react together to produce gas .

In a preferred embodiment, the foamer ingredient is a matrix comprising gas entrapped under pressure, being able to release the entrapped gas upon mixing with an aqueous liquid .

The matrix comprising gas entrapped under pressure preferably comprises at least a carbohydrate. The carbohydrate in the matrix may be any suitable carbohydrate or carbohydrate mixture. Suitable examples include lactose, dextrose, fructose, sucrose, maltodextrin, corn syrup, starch, modified starch, cyclodextrin, dextrose, fructose and any mixtures thereof. If the carbohydrate in the pressurized matrix is a starch, it is preferably not a pregelatinised starch.

For the pressurized matrix, mixtures containing maltodextrin are preferred and for example, the carbohydrate may be a mixture of maltodextrin, sucrose and lactose. The carbohydrate may provide from about 40 to 100% of the matrix and preferably from about 70 to 90%. A gas is entrapped in the matrix. The gas may be any suitable food acceptable gas like nitrogen, carbon dioxide, air or mixtures thereof. Inert gases are preferred. To provide the enhanced and easy reconstitution of the foam beverage, the gas is introduced in the matrix under pressure, at above about 100 kPa gauge. Preferably, the gas is introduced into the matrix at above about 500 kPa gauge, for example at about 1 MPa to about 6 MPa.

The gas may be introduced into the matrix by any suitable process. One suitable technique involves providing the matrix in the form of expanded particles and then entrapping gas in the particles. The expanded particles may be produced by injecting a gas into an aqueous matrix concentrate having a solids content above about 30% by weight and then spray drying the concentrate to powder. The gas may be injected into the aqueous matrix concentrate at a pressure of about 500 kPa to about 5 MPa. However, the pressure at which the gas is injected into the matrix concentrate is not critical. The particles are then subjected to an inert gas atmosphere at high pressure and at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the particles. The pressure may be from about 100 kPa gauge to about 20 MPa gauge. The temperature needed will depend upon the composition of the particles since this will influence the glass transition temperature. However, the temperature may be readily set for any particle type by the skilled person. Temperatures more than about 50°C above the glass transition temperature are probably best avoided. The particles may be subjected to the pressure and temperature for as long as desired since increasing the time will generally increase the gas entrapment. Usually times of about 10 seconds to about 30 minutes are sufficient. The particles are then subjected to rapid quenching or curing to ensure entrapment of the gas. Rapidly releasing the pressure may well be sufficient to quench the particles. Otherwise suitable cooling procedures may be used. Another suitable technique involves injecting gas into a molten mass of the matrix which contains little or no moisture; for example in an extruder. The gas may be injected at a pressure of about 100 kPa gauge to about 20 MPa gauge. The temperature required will depend upon the composition of the matrix since this will influence the melt temperature. However, the temperature may be readily set for any matrix by the skilled person. Generally, however, temperatures above about 150 °C should be avoided. The molten mass may then be extruded through a small orifice and comminuted into a powder. Depending upon the rapidity of solidification of the matrix, the matrix may need to be cured or quenched under pressure before being formed into a powder. This will prevent the gas from escaping from the matrix. The curing or quenching is preferably carried out rapidly but the time may vary from about 10 seconds to about 90 minutes.

A method for producing such a foamer ingredient and for measuring the gas released by the foamer is for example described in EP 1 206 193 Bl .

The pressurized matrix may further comprise a protein or mixture of proteins. Preferably, the protein is selected from milk protein (casein or whey or both) , soy proteins, wheat proteins, gelatin, caseinates and any mixtures thereof .

The second component of the powder composition of the invention is a thickening agent. The thickening agent may be any suitable compound capable of increasing the viscosity and keeping the bubbles formed by the gas released from the foaming agent, dispersed in the liquid, so a stable viscous foam is formed. The thickening agent is preferably selected from the list consisting of pregelatinised starch, xanthan gum, carageenan, guar gum, and combinations thereof. The thickening agent is most preferably pregelatinised starch. By "pregelatinised" is meant that the starch is precooked. Preferably, the starch is a cold-water swelling (CWS) starch. The pregelatinised starch is preferably agglomerated.

The pregelatinised starch may e.g. be a potato, tapioca, wheat, or maize starch, or combinations thereof. The pregelatinised starch may be a modified starch. A number of modified starches are known in the art.

Starches which are suitable for the present invention may be obtained commercially for example under the tradename of "Prej el", "Perfectamyl" or "Eliane" from Avebe .

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is thought that the nature of the thickening agent is important for developing the desired texture in the end foam product. It is thought that the thickening agent must be capable of developing viscosity upon mixing with a liquid at a rate which is high enough to trap the gas bubbles which are formed by the foamer ingredient throughout the whole volume of the product.

The resulting product is thus a drinkable and/or eatable foam wherein the gas bubbles are dispersed throughout the whole volume of the product. Preferably, the gas bubbles remain dispersed in the whole volume of the product for at least 15 minutes, preferably at least 30 minutes after mixing the edible powder with an aqueous liquid. If the thickening agent is pregelatinised starch, the weight ratio of foamer ingredient to starch in the powder composition of the invention is preferably between 2:1 and 1:3, more preferably between 1:1 and 1:2. In a powder composition weighing 14-20 g and intended to be mixed with 80-100 mL of liquid, the amount of foamer ingredient may e.g. vary from 0.2 to 3 g, preferably 0.5 to 2g, most preferably 1 to 1.5g. The amount of pregelatinised starch may e.g. vary from 1.5 to 4g, preferably 1.9 to 2.5g. If the thickening agent is xanthan, the weight ratio of foamer ingredient to xanthan in the powder composition of the invention is preferably between 2:1 and 15:1. If the thickening agent is carageenan, the weight ratio of foamer ingredient to carageenan in the powder composition of the invention is preferably between 1:2 and 2:1. If the thickening agent is guar gum, the weight ratio of foamer ingredient to guar gum in the powder composition of the invention is preferably between 1:1 and 10:1. If the amount of thickening agent is to high, it has been found that the end product is no longer liquid but is too viscous and has the appearance of a thick puree. If the amount of thickening agent is too low, the gas bubbles formed by the foamer ingredient tend to migrate to the surface of the beverage, thus resulting in a "cappuccino" effect .

Similarly, if the amount of foamer ingredient is too high, the "cappuccino" effect is observed, while if the amount of foamer is too low, fewer gas bubbles are formed and the ideal mouthfeel is not achieved. In a preferred embodiment the amount of fomaer ingredient is sufficient for the foamer ingredient to release between 0.05 mL and 0.5 mL of gas per mL of liquid at ambient conditions, when the edible powder is mixed with the intended amount of aqueous liquid . In a preferred embodiment, 1.5g of foamer ingredient and 2.4g of pregelatinised, agglomerated starch are present in 16 g of a powder composition intended to be reconstituted with 80-100 mL of hot water (i.e. water at 70°C or above) . In another preferred embodiment, 1.5 g of foamer ingredient and 1.9 g of pregelatinised, agglomerated starch are present in 12.7 g of a powder composition to be reconstituted with 80-100mL of cold water (i.e. water below 20°C) .

The powder composition of the invention may further comprise any other ingredient suitable for inclusion in an edible beverage powder, e.g. ingredients selected from sweeteners, salts, flavours, coffee powder, tea powder, milk powder, cocoa powder, fruit powder, and any combinations thereof. Thus, a wide variety of edible foams may be obtained by the present invention.

In a further aspect of the invention, a method for the production of a foam beverage is provided. The method comprises the step of mixing a powder composition according to the present invention with an aqueous liquid.

The liquid used to reconstitute the powder may be at any temperature between 0°C and 100°C. Thus, the liquid may be be hot or cold or at ambient temperature. This represents a clear advantage of the present invention which allows the instant production of cold beverages from a powder. The aqueous liquid used for reconstitut ion of the powder may preferably be selected from water, milk, juice, carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, chocolate beverage, and any combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment the edible powder is mixed with a liquid in a ratio between powder and liquid sufficient for the foamer ingredient to release between 0.01 mL and 0.5 mL of gas per mL of liquid at ambient conditions.

The foam obtained by the method of the invention differs from the known "cappuccino" type instant beverages in that the gas bubbles are distributed homogeneously throughout the volume of the product. The gas bubbles preferably stays dispersed throughout the volume of the liquid for at least 15 minutes, preferably at least 30 minutes at consumption temperature. The consumption temperature may vary from 0°C to 100°C. For cold beverages, it is preferably from 7°C to 25°C. For hot beverages, it is preferably 55-75°C.

The foams obtainable by the method of the invention also form part of the present invention. The present invention further relates to edible foams. The foam of the invention is characterized in that it comprises a thickening agent, between 5% and 50% gas in the form of bubbles, and that the gas bubbles remains dispersed for at least 15 minutes, preferably at least 30 minutes. The edible foam of the invention preferably comprises between 9% and 15% pregelatinised starch

The gas bubble distribution may e . gbe monitored by turbiscan-backscattering data. Backscattering intensity being correlated to the number and size of scattering entities (such as bubbles), a substantially uniform back scattering along the z-axis (vertical axis) of the beverage is associated with a stable emulsion in terms of coalescence and creaming.

A foam produced according to the invention has never been hitherto achievable when starting from a powder composition. The methods known in the art for achieving such foams are the traditional egg white or cream whipping methods .

The present invention thus provides the advantages that an edible foam, having the characteristics of a stable flowable mousse can be obtained from a powder, thus providing a eatable and/or drinkable foam. The entrapped bubbles inside the foam bring a new indulgent experience to the consumer by increasing the mouthfeel and body of the product. Thus, a new drinking experience is achieved. The edible foam may further bee frozen, to produce a foamed frozen product, e.g. a foamed ice cream product.

The present invention is further illustrated by means of the non-limiting examples.

Examples

In all examples, the foamer ingredient was prepared as described in Example 1 of EP 1206193 Bl, the foamer ingredient contained between 8 and 10 ml of gas enclosed under pressure (gas volume measured at ambient conditions) . Example 1

A powder composition was prepared by mixing the following ingredients :

Ingredient Amount (g)

Foamer 1.5

Pregelatinised starch 2.4

Instant coffee powder 1.1

Sugar 7.4

Non-dairy creamer 3.6

Flavours 0.11

Cocoa powder 0.3 The powder composition was reconstituted by dissolving the powder in 90ml water. The appearance of the product was characterized by a homogeneous bubble distribution throughout the volume of the product giving a bubbly texture and good body in the mouth. The gas bubbles stayed dispersed throughout the volume for more than 30 minutes.

Example 2

4 samples of edible powders where produced as detailed below. All amounts in gram.

The powder compositions were reconstituted by dissolving each powder in 90ml water. The appearance of the products were characterized by a homogeneous bubble distribution throughout the volume of the product giving a bubbly texture and good body in the mouth. The gas bubbles stayed dispersed throughout the volume for more than 30 minutes.

Example 3

Edible powders were produced with the following composition:

Ingredient Amount (g)

Foamer 1.5

Instant coffee powder 1.1 Sugar 7.4

Non-dairy creamer 3.6

Flavours 0.11

Cocoa powder 0.3

3 samples were produced with above composition but 3 different thickening agents as follows: 1. Xanthan gum, 0.6g

2. Lambda Carageenan MV306, lg

3. Guar gum, lg

Claims

. Edible powder composition suitable for forming a foam upon reconstitution in a liquid, comprising a foamer ingredient which releases gas upon contact with aqueous liquid, and a thickening agent.

Powder composition according to claim 1, wherein the foamer ingredient is capable of releasing at least lmL gas at ambient conditions per gram of foamer ingredient .

Powder composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the foamer ingredient comprises a matrix with gas entrapped under pressure.

Powder composition according to claim 3, wherein the matrix of the foamer ingredient comprises at least a carbohydrate and entrapped gas .

Powder composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the thickening agent is selected from the list consisting of pregelatinised starch, xanthan gum, carageenan, guar gum, and combinations thereof.

Powder composition according to claim 5, wherein the thickening agent is pregelatinised starch, and the ratio of foamer ingredient to pregelatinised starch is between 2:1 and 1:3.

Powder composition according to any of the preceding claims, which comprises further ingredients selected from sweeteners, salts, flavours, coffee powder, tea powder, milk powder, cocoa powder, fruit powder, and any combinations thereof.

8. Method for the production of a foam beverage comprising the step of mixing an edible powder of any of the preceding claims with an aqueous liquid.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the liquid is at a temperature between 0°C and 100°C.

10. Method according to claims 8 or 9, wherein the liquid is selected from water, milk, juice, carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, chocolate beverage, and any combination thereof.

11. Method according to any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the edible powder is mixed with a liquid in a ratio between powder and liquid sufficient for the foamer ingredient to release between 0.01 mL and 0.5 mL of gas per mL of liquid at ambient conditions.

12. Edible foam characterized in that it comprises a thickening agent, between 5% and 50% gas in the form of bubbles, and that the gas bubbles remains dispersed for at least 15 minutes, preferably at least 30 minutes.

13. Edible foam according to claim 12, comprising between 9% and 15% pregelatinised starch.

14. Edible foam obtainable by mixing an edible powder according to any of claims 1-7 with an aqueous liquid .

15. Use of a pregelatinised starch in an edible powder composition comprising a foamer ingredient for stabilizing the air bubbles resulting from the mixture of the powder composition with a liquid.