WO2022254421A1

WO2022254421A1 - Reduced sugar chocolate confection composition

Info

Publication number: WO2022254421A1
Application number: PCT/IL2021/050659
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoel Benesh; Gil DE PICCIOTTO
Original assignee: B.T. Sweet Ltd
Priority date: 2021-06-03
Filing date: 2021-06-03
Publication date: 2022-12-08

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a reduced sugar chocolate confection composition that maintains the taste, texture and mouthfeel of all- sugar chocolate, sweetened by an all-natural, botanically-based sugar substitute that includes monk fruit, tiger nut, and an indigestible soluble fiber, which replaces all or some of the sugar in the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition.

Description

REDUCED SUGAR CHOCOLATE CONFECTION COMPOSITION

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a reduced sugar confectionery composition, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a reduced-sugar chocolate composition.

Chocolate is a high sugar and calorie food. A typical commercial chocolate will normally comprise non-fat cocoa solids (absent in white chocolate), fat, sugar, emulsifier and optionally milk solids in milk chocolate varieties. The fat will usually consist of cocoa butter that is often at least partially replaced with alternative fats such as butterfat or cocoa butter equivalent (CBE). Chocolate may contain many other ingredients; flavours such as vanilla are popular as well as inclusions such as nuts, dried fruit, toffee and biscuit pieces.

Excessive sugar consumption is linked to the metabolic syndrome (a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure/hypertension and obesity), as well as the development of dental caries. As consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the sugar and calorie content of confectionery with “light”, “sugarfree” and “reduced- sugar” products growing in popularity. Sugar- free confectionery is of course particularly popular with those suffering from diabetes.

Accordingly it would be desirable to provide a chocolate composition having a reduced sugar and/or calorie content; however, attempts to reduce the amount of sugar in chocolate failed over the years since the texture and mouthfeel of chocolate, which is one of its most sought and desired characteristics, has been adversely affected by such attempts.

It is generally known to replace sucrose in chocolate with substitutes such as sugar alcohols (also known as polyols). Sugar alcohols are less sweet than sucrose but generally provide fewer calories because they are incompletely digestible. As with many other incompletely digestible substances, overconsumption can lead to gastro-intestinal effects such as bloating, diarrhoea and flatulence. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is better tolerated than the other sugar alcohols because it is excreted via the kidneys. It is almost as sweet as sucrose (70 % relative sweetness) and has a calorie content of just 0.2 kcal/g. Erythritol has a high negative heat of solution that provides a significant cooling effect in the mouth. This effect is less desirable in other types of confectionery such as chocolate.

Chocolate compositions comprising other sugar substitutes, such as stevia, are typically rejected by consumers due to a strong adverse aftertaste and sweetness lingering effect.

United States Patent No. 4,810,516 provides reduced calorie chocolate confections in which a non-digestible polyol fatty acid polyester is substituted for the natural fat, and an artificial sweetener, such as saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame and acesulfame K, plus a partially or wholly non-digestible carbohydrate bulking agent is substituted for sugar.

Other prior art includes documents such as, for example, United States Patent Nos. 4,810,516, 5,360,621, 5,425,957, 5,425,957, 6,045,850, 6,143,345, 7,186,435 and 7,579,031, United States Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004/0086615 and 2011/0014350, 2001/0007690, 2004/0086615, 2007/0082104, 2008/0069937, and 2008/0075805.

WO 2020/250224 provides an all-natural sugar substitute composition-of-matter, which includes an indigestible soluble fiber ingredient, a natural high-potency sweetening ingredient, a flavor-balancing ingredient, a taste-balancing ingredient, and a tiger nut product ingredient, which can replace sugar in any food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical product.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a chocolate confectionery composition which is contains a reduced amount of sugar, and yet still provides acceptable flavor, texture and/or mouthfeel similar to conventional chocolate products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes embodiments of a reduced-sugar chocolate composition comprising a pre-mixed (unified) all-natural sugar substitute that includes specific botanical components. The chocolate composition includes the unified ingredients in the sugar substitute having at least three botanical components: a soluble and non-digestible fiber carrier, a monk fruit derived ingredient for sweetening and a tiger nut product for flavor balancing, all of which are preferably GRAS, preferably non-GMO, and preferably devoid of maltodextrin, sugar alcohol, stevia Reb-A or any stevia derivative, glycerin, and preferably devoid of any known artificial sweetener.

The unified sugar substitute composition that is used in the reduced-sugar chocolate provided herein, is based on specific ratios between the sweetening ingredient and the flavor balancing ingredient, each of which yields a specific level of sweetness while maintaining a clean taste with no cooling or lingering effects, bitter, metallic, or licorice aftertaste such as that commonly associated with other sugar substitutes, such as stevia, sugar alcohol, allulose and pristine monk fruit extracts. The sugar substitute used in the presently disclosed chocolate composition is nutritive in that each version provides phytonutrients to the diet without causing adverse effects on gut flora such as those commonly associated with non-nutritive sweeteners.

It is the unique combination of properties - all natural, clean taste and range of sweetness, that confers the desired characteristic of the composition disclosed herein, which is distinctively unique compared to chocolates made with conventional sugar substitutes, as it the only sugar substitute capable of fully replacing natural sugar, such as cane sugar, and all types of sweeteners in all industrial and consumer recipes without added fillers or binders.

Thus, according to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a reduced sugar chocolate confection composition that includes: cocoa mass; chocolate confectionery fat; and a sweetening formulation, wherein a unified sugar substitute composition constitutes 10-100 weight percent of the total weight of the sweetening formulation, and sugar constitutes 0-90 weight percent of the total weight of the sweetening formulation, the unified sugar substitute composition comprises an indigestible soluble fiber ingredient, a natural high-potency sweetening ingredient, and a tiger nut product, the indigestible soluble fiber ingredient is selected from the group consisting of an isomaltooligosaccharide, an inulin, a digestive resistant dextrin, and a digestive resistant maltodextrin, the natural high-potency sweetening ingredient is selected from the group consisting of a siraitia grosvenorii derived substance, a luo-han guo liquid extract, a luo-han guo dry extract, a mogroside and esgoside, the tiger nut product ingredient is selected from the group consisting of powdered tiger nuts, sliced/chopped tiger nuts and mashed tiger nuts.

In some embodiments, the unified sugar substitute composition constitutes 30-70 weight percent of the total weight of the sweetening formulation.

In some embodiments: the concentration of the indigestible soluble fiber ingredient ranges 85-98 weight percent of the total weight of the unified sugar substitute composition; the concentration of the natural high-potency sweetening ingredient ranges 3-10 weight percent of the total weight of the unified sugar substitute composition and the concentration of the tiger nut product ingredient ranges 3-10 weight percent of the total weight of the unified sugar substitute composition.

In some embodiments: the concentration of the cocoa mass ranges 5-35 weight percent of the total weight of the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition; the concentration of the chocolate confectionery fat ranges 25-70 weight percent of the total weight of the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition; and the concentration of the sweetening formulation ranges 10-60 weight percent of the total weight of the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition.

In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of the present invention further includes additional ingredients selected from the group consisting of a flavor balancing ingredient, a taste -balancing ingredient, a dairy product, a fat, a nut, a fruit, a cereal, an antioxidant, a preservative, an emulsifier, and any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of the present invention is substantially devoid of a sugar alcohol.

In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of the present invention is substantially devoid of an artificial or synthetic sweetener.

In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of the present invention is substantially devoid of a steviol glycoside, or any Stevia rebaudiana-derived substance.

In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of the present invention is characterized by inducing a glycemic response in healthy adult humans that is lower than a glycemic response induced by all-sugar chocolate.

In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of the present invention is characterized by an organoleptic profile that is essentially the same as an organoleptic profile of an all-sugar chocolate.

In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of the present invention is characterized by sensory taste profile that is essentially the same or substantially similar to that of an all-sugar chocolate.

In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of the present invention is characterized by sensory texture (mouth feel) profile that is essentially the same or substantially similar to that of an all-sugar chocolate.

According to another aspect of some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a process of manufacturing the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of the present invention, which is effected by: blending, conching and tempering the cocoa mass, the chocolate confectionery fat and the sweetening formulation, wherein the unified sugar substitute composition is obtained by mixing an aqueous solution of the indigestible soluble fiber ingredient, the natural high-potency sweetening ingredient, and the tiger nut product at 60-80 °C, and spray drying or freeze drying the aqueous solution to thereby obtain the unified sugar substitute composition. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and/or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the invention, exemplary methods and/or materials are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be necessarily limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments of the invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how embodiments of the invention may be practiced.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 presents comparative spider diagrams of the sensory taste profile afforded for chocolate Sample 197 (100 % sugar reduction), Sample 752 (30 % sugar reduction), Sample 292 (70 % sugar reduction), Sample 795 (70 % sugar reduction, non-unified BTS), and Sample 544 (0 % sugar reduction, all- sugar); and

FIG. 2 presents comparative spider diagrams of the sensory texture profile afforded for chocolate Sample 197 (100 % sugar reduction), Sample 752 (30 % sugar reduction), Sample 292 (70 % sugar reduction), Sample 795 (70 % sugar reduction, non-unified BTS), and Sample 544 (0 % sugar reduction, all- sugar).

DESCRIPTION OF SOME SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a reduced- sugar confectionery composition, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a reduced-sugar chocolate composition.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its application to the details set forth in the following description or exemplified by the Examples. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

As discussed hereinabove, a sugar substitute composition has been developed by some of the present inventors, and disclosed in WO 2020/250224 (hereinafter “the sugar substitute”); the general approach to the mode of use of the sugar substitute at the time of conceiving the invention disclosed in WO 2020/250224, which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein, was a complete substitution of sugar with the sugar substitute. While conceiving the present invention, the present inventors have contemplated the use of the sugar substitute in chocolate may present challenges that are unique to this particular confectionary composition, as some of the more prominent properties of chocolate is its mouthfeel (texture), and the nuances of flavors. The present inventors assumed that while many food products can be made with the sugar substitute, that approach to sugar replacement may not be trivial in the case of chocolate.

While reducing the present invention to practice, it was surprisingly found that the sugar substitute can replace sugar in chocolate, but under certain conditions, including the use of the sugar substitute as a pre-fabricated composition rather than the addition of its ingredients separately into the chocolate mixture during the chocolate manufacturing process. In addition, a preferred sugar replacement rate was found, surprisingly providing a “golden path” in terms of critical parameters for successful sugar replacement in chocolate.

A reduced-sugar chocolate composition:

The present invention provides a product that addresses the need to maintain a healthier daily diet of humans, by providing reduced sugar chocolate confection composition. Not only do conventional chocolate confections commonly contain roughly 30 % to 35 % by weight total fat in the form of cocoa butter, such confections are usually high in saturated fats. The combination of the amounts of fats in conventional chocolate confections and the relatively high sugar content of such products results in a product with a relatively high caloric content which is considered undesirable for those on a reduced calorie diet by choice or due to medical necessity. Thus, reduction of sugar contents in chocolate is a desirable goal.

As discussed hereinabove, while reduced-calorie chocolate compositions have been proposed and even manufactured and commercialized, this goal has not been achieved satisfactorily due to the high sensory sensitivity of consumers to texture and taste of chocolate, the present inventors have accomplished this feat using the sugar substitute presented in WO 2020/250224, once overcoming the non-trivial task of delicate balancing sugar reduction with required sensory characteristics.

Thus, according to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a reduced sugar chocolate confection composition that includes cocoa mass, chocolate confectionery fat, and a sweetening formulation.

The sweetening formulation includes a unified sugar substitute composition, based on the teaching of WO 2020/250224, and sugar at a reduced amount compared to an equivalent all-sugar chocolate confection composition. The sweetening formulation includes or consists of the unified sugar substitute composition in an amount of 10-100 weight percent of the total weight of said sweetening formulation, and sugar constitutes the rest of the sweetening formulation (0-90 weight percent of the total weight of said sweetening formulation, respectfully). For example, the sweetening formulation includes or consists of 30 % unified sugar substitute composition by weight of the total weight of the weight of the sweetening formulation, and the resulting reduced sugar chocolate confection composition is referred to herein as a 30 % reduced sugar chocolate.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition is a 30-70 % reduced sugar chocolate, namely the unified sugar substitute composition constitutes 30-70 weight percent of the total weight of the sweetening formulation.

According to some embodiments, the unified sugar substitute composition, or the sweetening formulation, or the reduced-sugar chocolate composition presented herein, are all substantially devoid of an artificial or synthetic sweetener. As used herein, the phrase “artificial or synthetic sweetener” refers to any substance that is not found in nature and characteristically have a sweetness potency greater than sucrose, fructose, or glucose, yet have less calories. Non limiting examples of artificial or synthetic sweeteners relevant in the context of embodiments of the present invention include, without limitation, advantame, sucralose, potassium acesulfame, aspartame, alitame, saccharin, cyclamate, neotame, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4- methoxyphenyl)propyl]-L-a-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4- methoxyphenyl)-3-methylbutyl]-L-a-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, N-[N-[3-(3- methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)propyl]-L-a-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, salts thereof, and the like.

According to some embodiments, the unified sugar substitute composition, or the sweetening formulation, or the reduced-sugar chocolate composition presented herein, are all essentially devoid of a sugar alcohol, and more specifically, essentially devoid of sugar alcohol having 3-30 carbon atoms. Common sugar alcohols include, ethylene glycol (2-carbon), glycerol (3-carbon), erythritol (4-carbon), threitol (4-carbon), arabitol (5-carbon), xylitol (5-carbon), ribitol (5-carbon), mannitol (6-carbon), sorbitol (6-carbon), galactitol (6-carbon), fucitol (6-carbon), iditol (6-carbon), inositol (6-carbon; a cyclic sugar alcohol), volemitol (7-carbon), isomalt (12- carbon), maltitol (12-carbon), lactitol (12-carbon), maltotriitol (18-carbon), and maltotetraitol (24- carbon). It is noted herein that an IMO, as defined hereinabove, is not included in the category of sugar alcohols.

According to some embodiments, the unified sugar substitute composition, or the sweetening formulation, or the reduced-sugar chocolate composition presented herein, are all essentially devoid of any stevia derivative, stevioside, or other steviol glycoside extract components, including any natural, modified, derivative or a synthetic form thereof. In some embodiments, the high-potency sweetening ingredient is not selected from the group consisting of steviolbioside, stevioside, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside E, rebaudioside F, rebaudioside M/X, rubusoside, dulcoside A, dulcoside B, and a combination thereof.

As most conventional chocolate or chocolate-based confections, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition provided herein may contain about 30 % to 60 % by weight sweetening formulation (in most typical commercially available chocolates it is sugar; all-sugar chocolate), about 10 % to 70 % by weight cocoa liquor (which contains about 50-55 wt. % cocoa butter and finely ground cocoa bean solids), up to about 20 % to 25 % by weight added cocoa butter, and small amounts of other ingredients including nuts, fruits and flavoring.

The present invention provides a chocolate composition wherein the sugar content is sufficiently low to render the food product metabolically acceptable, or less objectable health- wise, without sacrificing the benefits of chocolate consumption in terms of taste and texture.

In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition is further characterized by comprising: cocoa mass at a concentration that ranges 5-35 weight percent of the total weight of the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition; chocolate confectionery fat at a concentration that ranges 25-70 weight percent of the total weight of the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition; and sweetening formulation at a concentration that ranges 10-60 weight percent of the total weight of the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition.

The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition presented herein may further include additional ingredients, as known in the art, such as, for non-limiting examples, a flavor-balancing ingredient, a taste-balancing ingredient, a dairy product, a fat, a nut, a fruit, a candy, a cereal, an antioxidant, a preservative, an emulsifier, and any combination thereof.

The cocoa mass used in the compositions of the present invention can be any of the chocolate liquors or cocoa powders used in the preparation of chocolate confections. Chocolate liquor typically contains about 50 % natural cocoa butter. Cocoa powders typically contain from about 5-30 % natural cocoa butter. In order to obtain maximum fat and calorie reduction in the compositions of the present invention, low cocoa butter content cocoa powders are preferred. The amount of cocoa mass in the compositions herein is from about 5-35 wt.% of the total weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition presented herein includes a chocolate confectionery fat substitute. The chocolate confectionery fat substitute in the compositions of the invention may be, for a non-limiting example, any non-digestible fatty polyester or polyether which has a melting point of 30-36 °C and a solids content index (SCI) of at least 66 at a temperature of 6.6 °C below the melting point. Preferably the ester has an SCI of at least 40 at a temperature which is 3.3 °C below its melting point.

Additional ingredients which are customarily used in formulating chocolate confectionery compositions can be included in the compositions herein. For example if it is desired to formulate the composition of this invention as a milk chocolate, from about 10-20 wt.% whole or nonfat milk solids can be included. Other optional ingredients include any natural food flavoring oil, oleoresin or extract, artificial food flavorings, ground spice, ground coffee, ground nut meats, ground vanilla beans, dried malted cereal extract, salt, dietary fiber sources such as cocoa fiber, citrus fiber, wheat bran, corn bran, oat bran, pea bran and soy fiber, lecithin, and other emulsifying ingredients at levels conventionally used in chocolate confections. Also, if desired, some sugar, honey, molasses, maple sugar, brown sugar, may be included in the compositions, in which case the amount of unified sugar substitute composition will be proportionately adjusted. If desired, a combination of natural confectionery fats and confectionery fat substitutes can be used in compositions of the invention.

A unified sugar substitute composition:

The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition provided herein is characterized by inducing a glycemic response in healthy adult humans that is lower than a glycemic response induced by all-sugar chocolate, and that is due to the lower content of glycemic response inducer - sugar. This feat is achieved in the present invention, by using a unified sugar substitute composition.

The unified sugar substitute composition referred to in the context of the present invention is essentially described in WO 2020/250224, which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein.

Specifically, unified sugar substitute composition comprises an extract of luo-han guo, tiger nut and an indigestible soluble fiber ingredient.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the unified sugar substitute composition includes a natural high-potency sweetening ingredient (NHPS ingredient) found in luo-han guo, also known as monk fruit.

In some embodiments of the present invention the NHPS ingredient is a luo-han guo product. The luo-han guo product is derived from the siraitia grosvenorii plant comprising 25-95 % mogrosides, and particularly mogroside V. Mogrosides constitute a family of glycosides of cucurbitane derivatives, or terpenoid glycoside phytonutrients, esgosides, and include mogroside V (also referred to as mogroside 5), mogroside II Ai, mogroside II B, 7-oxomogroside II E, 11- oxomogroside Ai, mogroside III A2, 11-deoxymogroside III, 11-oxomogroside IV A, 7- oxomogroside V, 11-oxo-mogroside V, and mogroside VI. The extract of such terpenoid glycoside phytonutrients is typically sweeter than sugar, yet induce very low glycemic response and very low calorie content.

In some embodiments of the present invention the high-potency sweetening ingredient is selected from the group consisting of: mogroside IV, mogroside V, Luo-han Guo sweetener, siamenoside, other components of Luo-han Guo sweetener, monatin and its salts (monatin SS, RR, RS, SR), curculin, glycyrrhizic acid and its salts, thaumatin, monellin, mabinlin, brazzein, hemandulcin, phyllodulcin, glycyphyllin, phloridzin, trilobatin, baiyunoside, osladin, polypodoside A, pterocaryoside A, pterocaryoside B, mukurozioside, phlomisoside I, periandrin I, abrusoside A, cyclocarioside I, modification or derivatives thereof, and a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the high-potency sweetening ingredient is monk fruit extract, which is a natural product extracted from siraitia grosvenorii (luo-han guo), and includes 25-95 % mogroside V, and is tested to be 150-200 time as sweet as sugar. Monk fruit extract (synonymously used herein with luo-han guo extract) is also selected for being heat stable, non GMO, Kosher and GRAS certified. In addition, sweeteners made with monk fruit extract do not impact blood sugar levels, and carry substantially no calories. Unlike some artificial sweeteners, there is no evidence to date showing that monk fruit extracts has negative side effects, and they are recognized as safe for children, pregnant women, and breast-feeding women. Monk fruit extracts are available in liquid, granule, and powder forms.

In some embodiments, the luo-han guo product is a siraitia grosvenorii derived substance, a dry or liquid luo-han guo extract, a mogroside and an esgoside.

As discussed in WO 2020/250224, the sugar substitute comprises a tiger nut product, and particularly dried and grounded tiger nut powder. In the context of embodiments of the present invention, the term “tiger nut product” refers to a preparation afforded from the genus Cyperus esculentus, which is also referred to as chufa sedge, nut grass, yellow nutsedge, tiger nut sedge, edible galingale, water grass or earth almond. C. esculentus is mostly cultivated for its edible tubers, called earth almonds or tiger nuts, for the preparation of a sweet, milk-like beverage. Tiger nut products include, without limitation, raw dried and grounded tiger nuts (flour; powder), tiger nut bits and/or slices, tiger nut puree and/or mash and instant tiger nut preparations. The sugar substitute composition includes an indigestible soluble fiber ingredient. The indigestible soluble fiber ingredient may include a substance referred to herein as an isomaltooligosaccharide, or IMO. In the context of embodiments of the present invention, IMO is a mixture of short-chain carbohydrates (fibers) that constitute a matrix of glucose oligomers (oligosaccharides) having a-D-(l,6) linkage ("iso" linkage) of various chain length, ranging from 2 to 9 saccharides linked together. In the context of embodiments of the present invention, IMO is digestion-resistant, namely a mixture of nutritional fibers that are ingestible yet indigestible; thus, ingestion of IMO is likely to contribute little to the caloric value of foods, and induce a low glycemic response in a subject (35+8 on a scale of 1-100). In general, a glycemic response refers to the changes in blood glucose after consuming/ingesting a carbohydrate-containing food, unlike available carbohydrates that are actually digested and absorbed into the blood, metabolized and induce a high glycemic response (>50 on a scale of 1-100) .

IMOs are found naturally in all plants, and the raw material used for manufacturing IMO is typically starch, which is enzymatically converted into a mixture of isomaltooligosaccharides. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the IMO is a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) food ingredient, which is afforded from crops like chicory, acacia, tapioca, com, milk, banana, pulses (peas, beans, lentils), rice, potato and the likes.

In some embodiments, the indigestible soluble fiber ingredient is IMO produced from chicory, com, potato, acacia and/or tapioca.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, IMO can be replaced by an inulin as an indigestible soluble fiber ingredient. Inulins constitute a group of naturally occurring fructose oligosaccharides produced by many types of plants, and are most often extracted from chicory or Jerusalem artichoke. Because of the b(2,1) linkages, inulins are not digested by enzymes in the human alimentary system, contributing to its functional properties: reduced calorie value, dietary fiber and prebiotic effects. Thus, inulins belong to a class of dietary fibers known as fructans, and are considered as indigestible soluble fiber ingredient in the context of embodiments of the present invention. Inulin is used by some plants as a means of storing energy and is typically found in roots or rhizomes, and most plants that synthesize and store inulin do not store other forms of carbohydrate such as starch.

Alternatively and/or additionally, the indigestible soluble fiber ingredient may include digestive resistant dextrin and digestive resistant maltodextrin.

In some embodiments, the indigestible soluble fiber ingredient may further include cellulose (e.g., from plants) and/or pectin (e.g., from apples) and/or IMO varieties derived from, for example, potato, pumpkin or banana, and in some cases also milk. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the unified sugar substitute composition includes: an indigestible soluble fiber ingredient, 85-98 wt.%; a high-potency sweetening ingredient, 3-10 wt.%; and a tiger nut product ingredient, 3-10 wt.%.

The unified sugar substitute composition can be supplemented with various optional and additional ingredients, which are used to confer particular properties to the composition, such as flavoring agents, dairy-derived ingredients (e.g., dried milk), salts, thickeners, anticaking agents, antioxidants and coloring agents. Such optional ingredients are selected and quantified so as not to augment the desired flavor and functionality of the composition.

The unified sugar substitute composition is processed by mixing dry, pasted or dissolved ingredients with water to form a substantially homogeneous aqueous slurry or solution, and drying the resulting slurry or solution by known methods, such as freeze drying or spray drying, while other forms of drying are also contemplated within the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, the ingredients of the sugar substitute, including water, are mixed at 65-80 °C with agitation to obtain a homogenous liquid, and spray dried in a spray dryer. In some embodiments, the slurry or solution is heated to about 75 °C for a time period of about 3 minutes, and thereafter the initial aqueous slurry or solution is mixed for another period of about 6 minutes at about 40 °C before further homogenization and drying.

Process:

The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition provided herein is manufactured similarly to any commercially available chocolate confection composition, whereas the main difference is the use of the unified sugar substitute composition.

Briefly, the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition provided herein is prepared by blending, conching and tempering cocoa mass, chocolate confectionery fat and a sweetening formulation, following the traditional chocolate making practices known in the art.

Following is a typical preparation procedure for a chocolate bar, according to some embodiments of the present invention. The typical ingredients of chocolate (cocoa mass, chocolate confectionery fat, sweetening formulation, and typically lecithin) are weighed into a mixer and mixed for a period of time. After mixing, the resulting paste is passed through a mill (steel rollers) several times and converted to a powdery mass. Milling breaks up crystalline sweetener/bulking agent and fibrous cocoa mass into the desired particle size. After milling, the chocolate is subjected to conching. The conching temperature ranges from 55-85 °C, and the time of conching varies from a few hours to several days. Flavor, emulsifiers, and additional ingredients are often added during conching. After conching, more emulsifiers and sucrose polyester may be added to adjust the chocolate to final specification and the chocolate is tempered. Proper tempering ensures the production of a stable fat base which is critical to the overall quality and stability of chocolate. The final stage in the processing of chocolate is molding. The properly tempered chocolate is poured quickly into block molds, allowed to cool, and then removed from the mold as solid pieces. Instead of bars, the chocolate compositions provided herein can be used as confectionery coatings or fillings or as chocolate pieces (e.g., chocolate chips for cookies).

It is expected that during the life of a patent maturing from this application many relevant variants of the sugar substitute presented herein will be developed and the scope of the terms “reduced sugar chocolate confection composition” is intended to include all such new technologies a priori.

As used herein the term “about” refers to ± 10 %.

The terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", "including", “having” and their conjugates mean "including but not limited to".

The term “consisting of’ means “including and limited to”.

The term "consisting essentially of" means that the composition, method or structure may include additional ingredients, steps and/or parts, but only if the additional ingredients, steps and/or parts do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed composition, method or structure.

As used herein, the phrases "substantially devoid of" and/or "essentially devoid of" in the context of a certain substance, refer to a composition that is totally devoid of this substance or includes less than about 5, 1, 0.5 or 0.1 percent of the substance by total weight or volume of the composition. Alternatively, the phrases "substantially devoid of" and/or "essentially devoid of" in the context of a process, a method, a property or a characteristic, refer to a process, a composition, a structure or an article that is totally devoid of a certain process/method step, or a certain property or a certain characteristic, or a process/method wherein the certain process/method step is effected at less than about 5, 1, 0.5 or 0.1 percent compared to a given standard process/method, or property or a characteristic characterized by less than about 5, 1, 0.5 or 0.1 percent of the property or characteristic, compared to a given standard.

The term “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance or illustration”. Any embodiment described as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments and/or to exclude the incorporation of features from other embodiments. The words “optionally” or “alternatively” are used herein to mean “is provided in some embodiments and not provided in other embodiments”. Any particular embodiment of the invention may include a plurality of “optional” features unless such features conflict.

As used herein, the singular form "a", "an" and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term "a compound" or "at least one compound" may include a plurality of compounds, including mixtures thereof.

Throughout this application, various embodiments of this invention may be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.

Whenever a numerical range is indicated herein, it is meant to include any cited numeral (fractional or integral) within the indicated range. The phrases “ranging/ranges between” a first indicate number and a second indicate number and “ranging/ranges from” a first indicate number “to” a second indicate number are used herein interchangeably and are meant to include the first and second indicated numbers and all the fractional and integral numerals therebetween.

As used herein the terms “process” and "method" refer to manners, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, those manners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or readily developed from known manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the chemical, material, mechanical, computational and digital arts.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the invention. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements. Various embodiments and aspects of the present invention as delineated hereinabove and as claimed in the claims section below find experimental and/or calculated support in the following examples.

EXAMPLES

Reference is now made to the following examples, which together with the above descriptions illustrate some embodiments of the invention in a non-limiting fashion.

Example 1

Materials and Methods

The experimental study presented below was conducted to allow comparison between different chocolate recipes, evaluated through sensory analysis, and to evaluate the merit of sugar substitute composition in the context of chocolate. The experiment was also design to demonstrate the impact of the unifying process that forms the sugar substitute composition, versus use of the individual ingredients of the sugar substitute composition.

The sugar substitute composition was composed of several ingredients, processed together to form a unified composition that is close to sugar in the sensory (organoleptic) sense. The sugar substitute, having been undergone a process of unification, is therefore referred to herein as a unified sugar substitute composition, as opposed to a mixture of the ingredients.

Materials:

Liquid extract of lou-han guo (Monk fruit), was obtained from Sorpol Israel. Botanical source: Siraitia grosvenorip

Instant inulin was obtained from Cusucra, Belgium. Botanical source: root of Cichorium intybus

Tiger nut powder was obtained Alboraya, Valencia, Spain. Botanical source: Cyperus esculentus,

Tea extract as antioxidant was obtained from N.M.S Israel).

Unifying process:

The exemplary formulation used in the study was produced by mixing the ingredients at 70 °C with agitation to obtain a homogenous liquid, and spray drying said liquid in a spray dryer (Buchi B290).

Formulations and samples:

The following sugar substitute composition formulation, referred to herein as “BTS”, is presented in Table 1 below. Table 1

A chocolate sample comprising 100 % sugar as a sweetener, referred to herein as “Sample 544” and presented in Table 2, was prepared by mixing, milling and tempering the following formula using a lab size ball mill (Mazzetti, Italy). The chocolate was tempered, molded into standard chocolate molds (Mr. Cake, Israel) cooled and released from mold.

Table 2

A second chocolate sample, referred to herein as “Sample 197”, was prepared by replacing all the sugar with BTS powder (sugar substitute composition), and following the same process described herein. Sample 197 constitutes a 100 % sugar reduction chocolate, since all the sugar has been replaced by the sugar substitute composition.

A chocolate sample comprising the non-unified ingredients of BTS, referred to herein as “Sample 795” and presented in Table 3, was prepared by mixing, milling and tempering the following formula using a lab size ball mill (Mazzetti, Italy). The chocolate was tempered, molded into standard chocolate molds (Mr. Cake, Israel) cooled and released from mold. In its sugar contents, Sample 795 constitutes a 70 % reduction of sugar, or 30 % sugar contents compared to Sample 544. Table 3

A sample referred to herein as “Sample 752”, was prepared by mixing 70 parts of Sample 544 (100 % sugar) with 30 parts of Sample 197 (100 % BTS), thereby constituting a 30 % reduction of sugar, or 70 % sugar contents compared to Sample 544.

A sample referred to herein as “Sample 292”, was prepared by mixing 30 parts of Sample 544 (100 % sugar; “all-sugar chocolate”) with 70 parts of Sample 197 (100 % BTS), thereby constituting a 70 % reduction of sugar, or 30 % sugar contents compared to Sample 544.

Sample 197 - 100 % sugar reduction; Sample 292 - 70 % sugar reduction;

Sample 795 - 70 % sugar reduction (non-unified);

Sample 752 - 30 % sugar reduction; and Sample 544 - 0 % sugar reduction;

All samples were tempered, put into a chocolate mold, cooled down, extracted from mold and wrapped.

Example 2

Taste Sensory Evaluation

Ten adult individuals were selected for the sensory (organoleptic) evaluation of the samples presented hereinabove. Each was given a score card, sample and water. The group was trained to taste the samples and thereafter were blindly given the samples. The score card was designed as presented in Table 4 below. Table 4

Tasters were encouraged to take one chocolate cube at a time, wash their mouth between tasting and adhere to score guidelines, and scored the samples using the scoring cards. The results are presented in Table 5 as mean scores.

Table 5

FIG. 1 presents comparative spider diagrams of the sensory taste profile afforded for chocolate Samples 197, 752, 292, 795, and 544.

As can be seen clearly in FIG. 1, the sample with 30 % sugar reduction using BTS as a sugar substitute sweetener, Sample 752, received scores that indicate it is almost indistinguishable from the 100 % sugar chocolate, Sample 544.

As can also be seen in FIG. 1, while sweetness level is similar in all cases, comparing Sample 292 with Sample 795 that virtually have the same ingredients, except for the process of forming BTS in Sample 292 versus the use of the individual components of BTS in Sample 795, clearly demonstrates that BTS is superior in the sensory sense by having less aftertaste, lingering, metallic taste and bitterness, when compared to using the unprocessed non-unified BTS ingredients individually. This result was not expected and was observed during product development.

Example 3 Texture Sensory Evaluation

Ten adult individuals were selected for the sensory (organoleptic) evaluation of the samples presented hereinabove. Each was given a score card, sample and water. The group was trained to taste the samples and thereafter were blindly given the samples. The score card was designed as presented in Table 6 below. Table 6

Tasters were encouraged to take one chocolate cube at a time, wash their mouth between tasting and adhere to score guidelines, and scored the samples using the scoring cards. The results are presented in Table 7 as mean scores.

Table 7

FIG. 2 presents comparative spider diagrams of the sensory texture profile afforded for chocolate Samples 197, 752, 292, 795, and 544.

As can be seen clearly in FIG. 2, comparing Sample 292 with Sample 795 that essentially have the same ingredients, except for the use of the unified composition BTS in Sample 292 versus the use of individual ingredients in Sample 795, clearly demonstrates that the unified sugar substitute is superior in terms of texture sensory properties, namely mouthfeel, smoothness, melting, hardness and overall texture, compared to using the non-unified individual ingredients. This result was not expected and was observed during product development.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification, to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention. To the extent that section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting. In addition, any priority document(s) of this application is/are hereby incorporated herein by reference in its/their entirety.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A reduced sugar chocolate confection composition comprising: cocoa mass; chocolate confectionery fat; and a sweetening formulation, wherein a unified sugar substitute composition constitutes 10-100 weight percent of the total weight of said sweetening formulation, and sugar constitutes 0-90 weight percent of the total weight of said sweetening formulation, said unified sugar substitute composition comprises an indigestible soluble fiber ingredient, a natural high-potency sweetening ingredient, and a tiger nut product, said indigestible soluble fiber ingredient is selected from the group consisting of an isomaltooligosaccharide, an inulin, a digestive resistant dextrin, and a digestive resistant maltodextrin, said natural high-potency sweetening ingredient is selected from the group consisting of a siraitia grosvenorii derived substance, a luo-han guo liquid extract, a luo-han guo dry extract, a mogroside and esgoside, said tiger nut product ingredient is selected from the group consisting of powdered tiger nuts, sliced/chopped tiger nuts and mashed tiger nuts.

2. The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of claim 1, wherein said unified sugar substitute composition constitutes 30-70 weight percent of the total weight of said sweetening formulation.

3. The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of any one of claims 1-2, wherein: a concentration of said indigestible soluble fiber ingredient ranges 85-98 weight percent of the total weight of said unified sugar substitute composition; a concentration of said natural high-potency sweetening ingredient ranges 3-10 weight percent of the total weight of said unified sugar substitute composition and a concentration of said tiger nut product ingredient ranges 3-10 weight percent of the total weight of said unified sugar substitute composition.

4. The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of any one of claims 1-3, wherein: a concentration of said cocoa mass ranges 5-35 weight percent of the total weight of the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition; a concentration of said chocolate confectionery fat ranges 25-70 weight percent of the total weight of the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition; and a concentration of said sweetening formulation ranges 10-60 weight percent of the total weight of the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition.

5. The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of any one of claims 1-4, further comprising additional ingredients selected from the group consisting of a flavor-balancing ingredient, a taste-balancing ingredient, a dairy product, a fat, a nut, a fruit, a cereal, an antioxidant, a preservative, an emulsifier, and any combination thereof.

6. The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of any one of claims 1-5, substantially devoid of a sugar alcohol.

7. The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of any one of claims 1-5, substantially devoid of an artificial or synthetic sweetener.

8. The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of any one of claims 1-5, substantially devoid of a steviol glycoside, or any Stevia rebaudiana-d&m&d substance.

9. The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of any one of claims 1-8, characterized by inducing a glycemic response in healthy adult humans that is lower than a glycemic response induced by all-sugar chocolate.

10. The reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of any one of claims 1-9, characterized by an organoleptic profile that is essentially the same as an organoleptic profile of an all-sugar chocolate.

11. A process of manufacturing the reduced sugar chocolate confection composition of any one of claims 1-10, comprising: blending, conching and tempering said cocoa mass, said chocolate confectionery fat and said sweetening formulation, wherein said unified sugar substitute composition is obtained by mixing an aqueous solution of said indigestible soluble fiber ingredient, said natural high-potency sweetening ingredient, and said tiger nut product at 60-80 °C, and spray drying or freeze spray drying said aqueous solution to thereby obtain said unified sugar substitute composition.