EP3727039A1

EP3727039A1 - Whipped cream and manufacturing method

Info

Publication number: EP3727039A1
Application number: EP18822082.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-François Chevalier; Markus KREUSS; Anne ROHART; Nicole ROHRER
Original assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA; Nestle SA
Current assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA; Nestle SA
Priority date: 2017-12-20
Filing date: 2018-12-20
Publication date: 2020-10-28
Also published as: CL2020001557A1; BR112020012010A2; WO2019122135A1

Abstract

A method for the manufacture of a whipped cream composition is disclosed. It comprises the steps of: preparing a cream composition comprising between 15 wt% and 40 wt% of fat by mixing a milk-based component, a cream component, an optional stabilising system and a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.05 and 0.35; adjusting the pH of the cream composition between 5.7 and 6.5; heat-treating and sterilising the cream composition, cooling it, and then storing it for a period of from 4 to 10 hours; and then, aerating the heat-treated cream composition to obtain a whipped cream composition having an overrun of from 100% to 200%. A whipped cream composition, and a food product comprising the whipped cream composition are also disclosed.

Description

WHIPPED CREAM AND MANUFACTURING METHOD

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the field of whipped cream. For example, the present invention relates to a whipped cream having a low-fat content, in particular having shelf-life of several days or weeks under refrigeration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Whipped dairy products, such as whipped cream, are a key component of dairy desserts such as liegois desserts, where a layer of whipped cream is above a layer of chocolate dessert cream for instance. Whipped cream may also be used as an ingredient in aerated compositions, where whipped cream is mixed with other ingredients, such as fruit-based compositions.

Usually, cream contains a high amount of fat. It is also the case of whipped cream, even though the fat content in whipped cream is lower than that of non-whipped cream per volume unit, thanks to the overrun of the whipped cream. In any case, whipped cream contributes significantly to the fat content and energy content of this category of food products.

In addition, dairy fat is mostly comprised of saturated fatty acids (SFA): dairy fat contains about 70wt% of saturated fatty acids. Recommendations to reduce or limit dietary intake of saturated fat are made, amongst others, by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In 2003, the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) concluded in an expert report that "intake of saturated fatty acids is directly related to cardiovascular risk." A traditional target is to limit the dietary intake to 10% of the daily energy intake.

Therefore, there is a need to reduce the content of saturated fatty acids in food products, in order to contribute to the reduction or limitation of the daily SFA intake by consumers, taking into account their whole diet.

Whipped cream provides a light texture to food products, either as an ingredient (for mixing with other ingredient) or as a discernible component of the product, such as a separate layer. It may also impart an attractive visual aspect to the product. Also, fat contributes to the mouthfeel of the whipped cream as well as to its stability over shelf life.

Indeed, foams, such as whipped cream, are meta-stable systems with a low shelf life. Gas bubbles are dispersed in a liquid phase. The bubbles are stabilised by a thin film of milk proteins and milk fat. As soon as the foam is formed, destabilisation begins due to drainage, coalescence and disproportionation. Drainage is the phenomenon whereby liquid in the thin film drains by gravity. Coalescence is the phenomenon whereby neighbouring gas bubbles merge together, for instance due to disproportionation. Disproportionation occurs due to gas pressure differences between bubbles of unequal sizes.

Foam destabilisation can be delayed by high viscosities of the liquid phase, as in a mousse, by drying the system (e.g. dough) or by freezing (e.g. ice-cream). In a mousse, the liquid phase is not removed, as in a dough, or solidified, as in ice-cream. The high viscosity of the liquid phase is not sufficient to avoid destabilisation.

Therefore, reducing the fat content may have a negative impact on acceptance and liking by consumers, both due to a less appealing mouthfeel or texture, and to the reduced stability during shelf life.

In general, chilled dairy products have a shelf life of several weeks under refrigeration. This is to ensure that they remain appealing to the consumer until consumption. For instance, the shelf life of chilled dairy products ranges from 25 to 40 days at 3°C to 5°C. Chilled dairy desserts which contain whipped cream are especially sensitive, due to the inherent instability of their whipped cream component.

Therefore, there is a need to provide whipped cream having a low fat content, an improved mouthfeel and a sufficient shelf life under refrigeration, as well as to provide an industrial process for the manufacture of such a whipped cream.

US 3468671 (BRATLAND ARTHUR) relates to a low-fat whipping cream obtained by combining a cream comprising more than 30% butterfat with buttermilk, to produce a whipping cream comprising 15% to 25% butterfat. Adding skim milk or sodium caseinate is required to improve the consistency of the whipping cream when it contains less than 20% butterfat.

US 4556574 A (ALFA LAVAL AB) relates to a process for the production of cream. The process comprises concentrating buttermilk by ultrafiltration, then acidifying the concentrated buttermilk to a pH below 4.0, adding the acidified buttermilk concentrate to cream having a predetermined fat content, the amount of said added concentrate being in the range of 5-15% of the amount of the cream, and neutralizing the mixture of buttermilk concentrate and cream.

EP 2996483 A (VALIO OY) relates to whippable milk product comprising milk fat from unhomogenized milk, protein, water-soluble calcium salt, at least one stabilizer and water. The pH of the milk product ranges between 5.5 and 7. GB 2437239 A (LAKELAND DAIRY PROCESSING LTD) relates to a process for preparing a low fat whipping cream having 20% or less total fat by weight. The process comprises obtaining milk sufficient to provide between 70 and 80% by weight, adding milk powder and from 1 to 4% of cream to the milk and agitating. A starch and polysaccharide are added to the milk composition. A non-dairy lauric fat is melted at between 60 and 80 °C. An emulsifier mix comprising monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids, sorbitan monostearate, lactic acid ester and sodium stearyl lactylate is added to the non-dairy lauric fat to form a fat-emulsifier mix. A hydrocolloid mix of at least guar and carrageenan is added to either the milk composition or the fat-emulsifier mix before the aqueous and oily phases are combined, sterilised, homogenised and cooled. This final product contains non-dairy fat.

EP 0109372 A (SKANEMEJERIER EKONOMISK FORENI ) relates to a process for the production of a low fat beatable cream (17-31% by weight of fat) having a shelf life of up to 8 weeks when kept in cold storage. The process comprises mixing a cream with sweet buttermilk and heating and tempering it by alternate heating and chilling and then heating the cream to at least 60°C. Then, the pH of the mixture is adjusted to about 5.95-6.25 by adding sour milk or sour buttermilk, whereupon the mixture is allowed to swell. After that, the mixture is homogenised, chilled, and sterilised or alternatively pasteurised. Afterthe pasteurisation step, the mixture is again homogenized and chilled before being packaged.

US 3505077 (BRATLAND ARTHUR ET AL) relates to a recombined cream obtained by mixing a low fat milk fraction, a high fat milk fraction and water. The high fat milk fraction consists of any type of fat including butter or other glyceride fats such as palm kernel oil. The low fat fraction relates to skimmed milk and buttermilk. The low fat fraction may also be the remaining fraction obtained after removing the fat fraction of a concentrated cream. The document discloses that when using buttermilk or a buttermilk powder as addition, buttermilk may vary in its properties all according to the process used in churning. Variability of buttermilk properties appears as a limiting drawback for using it in whipped cream.

US 4,547,385 or GB 2437239 disclose low fat cream compositions are that stored and distributed as non-aerated cream compositions and are aerated by the consumers upon consumption.

The foregoing documents disclose dairy compositions which are ready for whipping. However, they do not address the issue of the shelf life of whipped dairy compositions, in particular at refrigerated temperatures. US 2015/099050 A (NESTEC) relates to a stable frozen confectionery product having improved organoleptic properties. The frozen confectionery product comprises a partially coagulated protein system including kappa-casein and beta-lactoglobulin and exhibits a pH comprised between 5.6 and 6.3 when melted and centrifuged at 50 000 g for 30 min at 25°C. The partially coagulated protein system is obtained by coagulating milk proteins through heat treatment in a mild acidic environment. More particularly, the frozen confectionery product is produced by homogenising, pasteurising between 178 and 190°F (80 to 87.7°C) for 30 to 90 seconds and then, freezing while aerating an ingredient mixture having a pH comprised between 5.6 and 6.3. The ingredient mixture comprises fat in an amount of 0-20% by weight, milk solids non-fat in an amount of 5-15%, a sweetening agent in an amount of 5-30%, a stabilizer system in an amount of 0-6% and optionally an acidic component.

The document US 2015/099050 A does not relate to chilled dairy products. Issues related to texture and stability are different between frozen and chilled dairy products. In particular, it is more difficult to stabilize a whipped chilled dairy product while keeping a satisfactory texture over time. WO 2018/002139 discloses the addition of a milk-based ingredient which has been mild-acidified and heat treated, to a cream composition before aeration. However, the process of WO 2018/002139 requires the preliminary complex preparation of an acidified and heat-treated milk-based ingredient and then the whole process cannot be performed in a continuous manner at an industrial scale.

Any reference to prior art documents in this specification is not to be considered an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to improve the state of the art, and in particular to provide whipped cream composition, and a method for its manufacture, that overcomes the problems of the prior art and addresses the needs described above, or at least to provide a useful alternative.

The inventors were surprised to see that the object of the present invention could be achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims further develop the idea of the present invention.

Hence in a first aspect, the invention proposes a method for the manufacture of a whipped cream composition, which comprises the steps of: a) preparing a cream composition comprising between 15wt% and 40wt% of fat by mixing a milk-based component, a cream component, and optionally a stabilising system to obtain a cream composition, wherein said cream composition has a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.05 and 0.35,

b) adjusting the pH of the cream composition between 5.7 and 6.5 at a temperature ranging from 1°C to 25°C;

c) heat-treating the cream composition obtained at step (b) at a temperature of from 60°C to 100°C for a period of from 3 seconds to 300 seconds,

d) sterilising the cream composition at a temperature of from 120°C to 150°C, for a period of from 1 second to 1 minute, then cooling it, then storing it at a temperature of from 4°C to 15°C for a period of from 4 hours to 10 hours,

e) aerating the sterilised cream composition to obtain a whipped cream composition having an overrun of from 100% to 200%.

In a second aspect, the invention proposes a whipped cream composition obtainable by a method according the first aspect of the invention, comprising 15 wt% to 40 wt% of fat, having a protein/fat ratio between 0.05 and 0.35, having an overrun of from 100% to 200%, and a shelf life of 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C.

In a third aspect, the invention proposes a food product comprising at least two different food layers, wherein one of said food layers comprises a whipped cream composition according to the second aspect of the invention.

These and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of embodiments of the invention, in connection with the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures are provided as black-and-white pdf documents after conversion from a coloured pre-conversion document. The pre-conversion document is filed together with this patent application as the "pre-conversion archive".

Figure 1 shows the microstructure of the cream compositions before whipping depending on fat content (16, 20 or 26%), on the protein/fat weight ratio (0.13, 0.2 or 0.3) and on the application of the process according to the invention (HTAC) or not (Reference). The top pictures were taken with optical microscopy in differential interference contrast mode (DIC) and the lower ones in phase-contrast mode (PC). Figure 2 shows the microstructure with protein aggregates of the 16% fat cream composition prepared with the process of reference (left) and the 16% fat cream composition prepared with the process according to the invention, namely HTAC (right). The pictures were taken with optical microscopy in differential interference contrast mode (DIC). Legend 1 refers to oil droplets and legend 2 refers to protein aggregates.

Figure 3 shows the viscosity at 100 s-1 (40°C) of the cream compositions before whipping depending on fat content (16, 20 or 26%), on the protein/fat weight ratio (0.2 or 0.3) and on the application of the process according to the invention (HTAC) or not (Reference).

Figure 4 shows the microstructure of the 26% fat whipped creams depending on the application of the process according to the invention (HTAC, top pictures) or not (Reference, bottom pictures). The pictures on the left were taken with optical microscopy in differential interference contrast mode (DIC) and the pictures on the right were taken with optical microscopy in phase-contrast mode (PC).

Figure 5 shows the microstructure of the 16% fat whipped creams depending on the application of the process according to the invention (HTAC, bottom pictures) or not (Reference, top pictures). The pictures on the left were taken with optical microscopy in differential interference contrast mode (DIC) and the pictures on the right were taken with optical microscopy in phase-contrast mode (PC).

Figure 6 shows the microstructure of the 20% fat HTAC whipped creams depending on the protein/fat weight ratio (0.2, top pictures or 0.3, bottom pictures). The pictures on the left were taken with optical microscopy in differential interference contrast mode (DIC) and the pictures on the right were taken with optical microscopy in phase-contrast mode (PC).

Figure 7 shows the images obtained by confocal microscopy of the whipped creams depending on fat content (16 or 26%), on the protein/fat weight ratio (0.12 or 0.3) and on the application of the process according to the invention (HTAC) or not (Reference). Proteins appears in green (1) while fat appears in red (2). Bar scale represents 10 pm.

Figure 8 shows the images obtained by confocal microscopy of 20% fat whipped creams prepared with the process according to the invention (HTAC) depending on the protein/fat weight ratio (0.2 or 0.3). Proteins appears in green (1) while fat appears in red (2). Bar scale represents 10 pm.

Figure 9 shows the images obtained by confocal microscopy of the whipped creams prepared with the process according to the invention (HTAC) depending on fat content (20% or 26%), on the protein/fat weight ratio (0.12 or 0.3). The rotation speed of the whipping device varied from 300 to 1400 rpm. Proteins appears in green (1) while fat appears in red (2). Bar scale represents 10 pm.

Figure 10 shows the values of the force measured after 7 days of storage and 14 days of storage at 4°C for whipped creams depending on fat content (16, 20 or 26%), on the protein/fat weight ratio (0.2 or 0.3) and on the application of the process according to the invention (HTAC) or not (Reference).

Figure 11 shows the values of G' measured at 10°C (temperature sweep test) after 30 days of storage a 4°C for whipped creams depending on fat content (16, 20 or 26%), on the protein/fat weight ratio (0.2 or 0.3) and on the application of the process according to the invention (HTAC) or not (Reference).

Figure 12 shows the results of the sensory tasting of the 26% fat whipped cream prepared with the reference process versus the 20% fat low protein (protein/fat weight ratio of 0.2) whipped cream prepared with the process according to the invention (HTAC). The 26% fat whipped cream prepared with the reference process is chosen as reference and is set at 0.

Figure 13 shows the mean intensity of the descriptors "Thick", "Fat coating" and "Airy" for the 26% fat whipped cream with a protein/fat weight ratio of 0.13 and prepared with the process according the invention (HTAC) or not (Reference) (overrun 123%), and for the 20% fat whipped creams with a protein/fat weight ratio of 0.2 or 0.3 (overrun 137%) and prepared with the process according to the invention (HTAC). The 26% fat whipped cream prepared with the reference process is chosen as reference and is set at 0.

Figure 14 shows the values obtained for all the assessed sensory descriptors for the 26% fat whipped cream prepared with the reference process versus the 20% fat low protein (protein/fat weight ratio of 0.24) whipped cream prepared with the process according to the invention (HTAC).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used in the specification, the words "comprise", "comprising" and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to", as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense.

As used in the specification, the word "about" should be understood to apply to each bound in a range of numerals. Moreover, all numerical ranges should be understood to include each whole integer within the range. The terms "consists essentially of" mean that specific further components can be present, namely those not materially affecting the essential characteristics of the invention.

Unless noted otherwise, all percentages in the specification refer to weight percent, where applicable.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms have and should be given the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

The terms "whipped cream composition" or "whipped cream" refer to a cream composition in which gas bubbles have been introduced by whipping or aerating, in order to impart a foamy texture to the cream composition. The amount of gas introduced in the cream composition is measured by the overrun of whipped cream.

The terms "chilled" or "refrigerated" refer to a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C, which is recommended for the conservation of a dairy product.

In a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a whipped cream composition which has a low fat content, which is stable over several weeks at refrigerated temperatures, and which has a similar or improved mouthfeel when compared to that of a standard full fat whipped cream. Thanks to its lower fat content and higher overrun, such a whipped cream contributes to a lower fat and SFA intake, for a given volume or for a given weight of product, when compared to standard full fat whipped cream.

In a first step, the method comprises preparing a cream composition. The cream composition is prepared by mixing a milk-based component with a cream component and optionally with a stabilising system. The cream composition comprises between 10 wt% and 40 wt% of fat, preferably between 15 wt% and 30 wt% of fat. In another embodiment, the cream composition has a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.05 and 0.35, preferably a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.13 and 0.30. More preferably, the cream composition has a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.20 and 0.30 or between 0.24 and 0.30. Most preferably, the cream composition has a protein/fat weight ratio of 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29 or 0.30. With such protein/fat weight ratios, the generation of protein aggregates and protein/fat aggregates is promoted. Moreover, with such a protein/fat weight ratio, the mouthfeel and the firmness of the whipped cream are enhanced even in the case of a whipped cream with a low fat content. Proteins in the cream composition may be milk proteins and/or plant proteins. However, the proteins preferably consists essentially of milk proteins.

In a further embodiment, the cream composition has a total solids of 30 wt% to 50 wt%, for instance 35 wt% to 45 wt%.

The milk-based component is a composition consisting essentially of ingredients directly derived from at least one non-human mammal milk, except cream. The non-human mammal milk may be cow milk, sheep milk, buffalo milk, goat milk, donkey milk or camel milk. Preferably, the non-human mammal milk is cow milk. The milk-based component may be skimmed milk, semi-skimmed milk, full fat milk, and mixtures thereof. The milk-based component is not buttermilk. Buttermilk is avoided because buttermilk properties may vary according to the churning method used.

Preferably, the milk-based component is skimmed milk because it reduces the amount of fat added to the composition. The milk-based component may be provided as a liquid or as a powder. When the milk-based component is a powder, the milk-based component is dissolved in a sufficient amount of aqueous liquid before being mixed to the cream component and the stabilising system. The aqueous liquid may be water or a non-human mammal milk.

The cream component is the dairy product which results from the separation of milk fat from raw milk. It is usually found as a suspension of fat globules in a plasma, which is an aqueous medium. The cream component may comprise between 20 wt% and 60 wt% of milk fat. Preferably, the cream component comprises between 30 wt% and 40 wt% of milk fat, such as about 34 wt%.

In an embodiment, the cream component may be replaced with a fat component. The term "fat component" refers to a composition comprising between 90 wt% and 100 wt% of milk fat. In such an embodiment, the cream composition contains from 10 wt% to 45 wt% of fat component and from 55 wt% to 90 wt% of milk-based component (liquid or after dissolution in an aqueous liquid). More preferably, the cream composition contains from 15 wt% to 34 wt% of fat component and from 66 wt% to 85 wt% of milk-based component.

As mentioned earlier, the cream composition comprises an optional stabilising system. The stabilising system may comprise gelatine, locust bean gum, pectin, guar, xanthan, carrageenan, alginate or combinations thereof. A person having ordinary skill in the art may select other well-known food-grade stabilizers than the ones previously cited as ingredient of the stabilising system. In an embodiment, the stabilising system comprises gelatine and locust bean gum. For instance, gelatine is graded 275 Bloom. The stabilising system may represent up to 1 wt% of the cream composition, preferably from 0.5 wt% to 0.8 wt% of the cream composition. Preferably, the cream composition is substantially free from any stabilising systems. Indeed, there is a growing tendency amongst consumers to prefer products perceived as natural. Removing or reducing the stabilising systems meets with this trend, but it generates technical issues linked to the removal or reduction of stabilising system,

Preferably, the cream composition contains from 45 wt% to 100 wt% of cream component (e.g. at 36% fat) and from 0 wt% to 50 wt% of milk-based component (liquid or after dissolution in an aqueous liquid). More preferably, the cream composition comprises from 45 wt% to 75% of cream component and from 20 wt% to 50% of milk-based component. Most preferably, the cream composition comprises from 50 wt% to 70 wt% of cream component and from 21 wt% to 47 wt% of milk-based component.

Additional ingredients may be mixed into the cream composition, such as flavour agents or colour agents. Flavour agents include sweetening agents, such as sugar, natural or artificial sweetening agents; as well as fruit flavours; spices and herbal flavours.

The pH of the cream composition is then adjusted between 5.7 and 6.5, more preferably between 6.0 and 6.5, where needed. By using the term "where needed", it is understood that, when the pH of the cream composition is below 5.7, a food-grade alkali is added to increase the pH in the range of 5.7 to 6.5; conversely, when the pH of the cream composition is above 6.5, a food-grade acid is added to reduce the pH in the range of 5.7 to 6.5. Examples of food-grade acid include citric acid, hydrochloric acid, lactic acid or phosphoric acid. An example of food-grade alkali is sodium hydroxide. The pH adjustment is performed at a temperature ranging from 1°C to 25°C, preferably ranging from 1°C to 20°C, more preferably ranging from 10°C to 20°C, most preferably ranging from 15°C to 20°C. It is important that the pH adjustment is performed at a temperature ranging from 1°C to 25°C, preferably ranging from 1°C to 20°C, more preferably ranging from 10°C to 20°C, most preferably ranging from 15°C to 20°C. Indeed, without wishing to be bound by theory, the inventors believe that it is possible to control the formation of aggregates with a targeted mean diameter within this temperature range. These aggregates with a targeted mean diameter provide an improved mouthfeel to the final product. At higher temperatures, the formation of aggregates would become out of control and protein precipitates of high mean diameter would be obtained. This would result in a final product with an undesired grainy texture. Moreover, the formation of protein precipitates would adversely affect the process by fouling the industrial line. At lower temperatures, aggregates with a sufficient mean diameter are not formed. Therefore, the resulting product would lack mouthfeel.

After pH adjustment, the cream composition is heat-treated at a temperature of from 60°C to 100°C for a period of from 3 seconds to 300 seconds, such as from 60°C to 80°C for a period of from 3 to 20 seconds. Heat treatment can be done with standard heating equipment in the food industry, such as by direct steam injection. Preferably, the heat-treatment is not combined with a homogenization step. Indeed, combining the heat-treatment with a homogenization would prevent the formation of aggregates at this step or it would break the aggregates apart.

The cream composition should not be homogenised after the heat-treatment because homogenisation destroys or breaks apart the protein aggregates and the protein/fat aggregates formed in the cream composition, and affects aeration stabilisation. During such a homogenization step, the aggregates would be broken apart due the high shear forces. Moreover, homogenization may cause the disruption and reformation of the fat globules by weakening their membrane and making the fat globules more sensitive to undesired butter formation (also called churning).

Therefore, in an embodiment, the method for the manufacture of a whipped cream composition does not comprise a homogenisation step on or after the heat-treatment of step c). Even more preferably, the method for the manufacture of a whipped cream composition does not comprise a homogenisation step on or after the heat-treatment of step b). Optionally, the method for the manufacture of a whipped cream composition may comprise a homogenisation step before step b).

Afterwards, the cream composition is sterilised at a temperature of from 120°C to 150°C, for a period of from 1 second to 1 minute. More preferably, the cream composition is sterilised at a temperature of from 140°C to 150°C, for a period of from 1 second to 10 seconds. Sterilisation step reduces the bacterial load in the cream composition. The sterilisation step also contributes to the formation of aggregates. The sterilised cream composition is then cooled down and stored at a temperature of from 4°C to 15°C for a period of from 4 hours to 10 hours. This allows fat crystallisation. For instance, the heat-treated cream composition is stored 24 hours. A storage period of from 4 hours to 10 hours allows a sufficient fat crystallisation while minimizing reasonably the storage period before the aeration step to ensure a fast manufacturing process. Preferably, the cream composition is stored under gentle stirring, such as cyclic stirring. By "gentle stirring", it is understood a stirring with a rotation speed sufficiently low to prevent churning of the cream composition.

Then, the sterilised cream composition is aerated to obtain a whipped cream composition having an overrun of from 100% to 200%. Preferably, the heat-treated cream composition is aerated to obtain a whipped cream composition having an overrun of from 100% to 200% and a shelf life of up to 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C, such as at 4°C.

Despite a low fat content, the whipped cream composition of the invention has a noteworthy shelf life of 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C. The term "a whipped cream having a shelf life of up to 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C" or "stable whipped cream" refers to a whipped cream essentially preserving its initial organoleptic and rheology features after a time of up to 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C. More specifically, the whipped cream exhibits a limited loss of overrun, i.e. a loss of overrun below 10% over shelf life. Furthermore, it exhibits no or limited syneresis or other markers of foam destabilisation (e.g. volume loss) after a time up to 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C.

Aeration may be performed in a MONDOMIX whipping device or an AEROMIX whipping device. Preferably, aeration is performed in a continuous in-line rotor-stator whipping device as disclosed in WO 2013/068426 A1 or as disclosed in WO 2017/067965. Indeed, despite the low fat content, such a continuous in-line rotor-stator whipping device enables to reach higher overruns than overruns reached with classical equipment such as an AEROMIX whipping device. For instance, aeration is performed using a neutral gas, such as nitrogen. At the pilot plant, working parameters of this equipment include a rotation speed of 200 rpm to 1400 rpm, preferably from 400 rpm to 600 rpm; and a nitrogen flow rate of 0.06 kg N2/h to 0.8 kg N2/h, preferably from 0.15 kg N2/h to 0.6 kg N2/h, for a cream composition (product) flow rate of 50 kg/h to 100 kg/h, preferably from 60 kg/h to 80 kg/h. The nitrogen flow rate is adapted to the cream composition flow rate, in order to inject enough gas to reach the target overrun. In industrial setting, the nitrogen flow rate is adapted to a cream composition flow rate of, for instance, 800 kg/h to 1 ton/hour.

Nitrogen is preferred over carbon dioxide. Indeed, carbon dioxide may impart an acidic taste to the product. Air may be used since it contains 80% nitrogen and the target shelf life of 30 days is short enough to have a minimal oxidation and off-taste. In an embodiment, the sterilised cream composition is aerated with a rotation speed ranging from 200 rpm to 1200 rpm, more preferably ranging from 400 rpm to 600 rpm. This range of rotation speed is selected to prevent churning of the cream composition upon whipping, to optimize the gas incorporation in the cream composition and to achieve a sufficient shear rate to promote the contact and the partial coalescence between fat globules in order to stabilize the gas bubbles in the whipped cream.

It was found that through control of pH of the cream composition in combination of controlled heat treatment (temperature and hold time), the whey proteins form complexes with the casein micelles, which results in increased colloidal particle size, water binding and overall viscosity. The controlled sterilisation heat treatment also contributes to the formation of these complexes or aggregates. These aggregates contribute to the mouthfeel of whipped creams. The formation of aggregates is possible by adjusting the pH of the cream composition at mild acidic conditions, more especially, at a pH ranging from 5.7 to 6.5, and by applying after pH adjustment to mild acidic conditions, a temperature from 60°C to 100°C for a period of from 3 seconds to 300 seconds and a sterilisation step at a temperature of 120°C to 150°C for a period of from 1 second to 1 minute.

Hence, it is possible to manufacture a cream composition comprising caseins and whey protein/fat aggregates having a mean diameter value Dv50 of at least 2 pm as measured by laser diffraction.

The term "particles having mean diameter value Dv50" refers to protein network comprising casein micelles and whey proteins either present in aggregates together with fat. The term "aggregates" refers to the structure formed by the aggregation of the whey proteins with casein micelles and fat droplets. By the term "aggregation" it is meant that the proteins and the fat droplets are in contact and form together a 3D network. These protein aggregates, especially these protein/fat aggregates, form a network that is suspected of binding water and entrapping fat globules (in case of presence of fat) and increases mix viscosity to create a uniquely smooth, creamy texture that mimics the presence of higher fat levels.

The mean diameter value Dv50 of the cream composition ranges from 2 pm to 100 pm. For instance, the Dv50 value ranges from 2 pm to 50 pm. Also for instance, the Dv50 value ranges from 2 pm to 15 pm. Also for instance, the Dv50 value ranges from 5pm to 15 pm.

It has surprisingly been found that the mild-acidification combined to heat-treatment, including the sterilisation heat-treatment, may be applied directly to the cream composition to enhance texture and mouthfeel of the whipped creams obtained after aeration, even whipped creams having low fat content. The process of the invention applies the mild- acidification and the heat-treatment, including the sterilisation heat-treatment, to the cream composition, rather than applying it to a single ingredient of the cream composition. This promotes even more the formation of aggregates and improves the mouthfeel of the resulting whipped creams.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to a whipped cream composition obtainable by a method as described above. Such a whipped cream composition comprises 15 wt% to 40 wt% of fat, having a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.05 and 0.35, an overrun of from 100% to 200%, and a shelf life of 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C. The overrun and the shelf life are measured as explained in the analytical methods in the examples. In another embodiment, the whipped cream composition has a total solids of 30 wt% to 50 wt%, for instance 35 wt% to 45 wt%. As mentioned above, this enables to overcome the shelf life issues, especially the stability issues, related to the long storage of whipped creams at refrigerated temperatures. Despite a low fat content, the whipped cream composition of the invention has a noteworthy shelf life of 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C. The term "a whipped cream having a shelf life of up to 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C" or "stable whipped cream" refers to a whipped cream essentially preserving its initial organoleptic and rheology features after a time of up to 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C, such as 4°C. More specifically, the whipped cream exhibits a limited loss of overrun, i.e. a loss of overrun below 10% over shelf life. Furthermore, it exhibits no or limited syneresis or other foam destabilisation clues (e.g. volume loss) after a time up to 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C. Preferably, the whipped cream composition has an overrun of 110% to 190%, such as from 120% to 180%, and more preferably from 140% to 170%. At this level of overrun, it is considered that the whipped cream composition exhibits similar or improved texture and mouthfeel when compared to a standard full fat whipped cream. In connection with whipped cream, "full fat" shall mean about 26 wt% of fat.

In an embodiment, the whipped cream composition comprises 15 wt% to 40 wt% of fat, preferably from 18 wt% to 25 wt% of fat, such as about 20 wt% of fat. Preferably, the whipped cream composition comprises up to 15 wt% of saturated fatty acids, such as 10 wt% to 15 w% SFA. In an embodiment, the fat in the whipped cream composition comprises milk fat. Non-milk fat (e.g. vegetable fat) may be included in the whipped cream composition, but this is not a preferred option due to regulatory constraints and consumer acceptance. Therefore, it is preferred that the fat consists essentially of milk fat. Even more preferably, the cream composition does not contain non-milk fat.

In an embodiment, the whipped cream composition has a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.05 and 0.35, preferably between 0.13 and 0.30 or between 0.20 and 0.30, such as between 0.22 and 0.28. More preferably, the whipped cream composition has a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.24 and 0.30. Most preferably, the whipped cream composition has a protein/fat weight ratio of 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29 or 0.30. Proteins in the whipped cream composition may be milk proteins and/or plant proteins. However, the proteins preferably consists essentially of milk proteins.

The whipped cream composition may also comprise sugars, such as lactose from the dairy-based ingredients, or added sugars, such as sucrose. Preferable, the whipped cream composition comprises up to 15wt% of sugar, including for instance as from 5 to 10 wt% of sucrose.

The whipped cream composition further comprises an optional stabilising system, as described above.

In an embodiment, the whipped cream composition has a G' modulus ranging from 450 to 1800 Pa, preferably from 600 to 1800 Pa and even more preferably from 1400 to 1800 Pa. The G' modulus is measured at 10°C. The G' modulus may be measured using a stress- controlled rheometer (MCR101, Anton Paar, Austria) equipped with a sandy stainless steel parallel plate geometry (diameter 40 mm; gap 1 mm). Especially, the measurements are conducted from 8 to 45°C at a constant deformation amplitude of 0.02% and frequency of 1.6 Hz within the linear regime. In the invention, the G' modulus of the invention is the G' modulus measured at 10°C.

The whipped cream composition described above may be used in the manufacture of desserts or other food products, such as multi-layered food products. Hence, a third aspect of the invention is a food product comprising at least two different food layers, wherein one of said food layers comprises a whipped cream composition as described before. Preferably, the layer of whipped cream composition is a top layer, optionally sprinkled with particles. In a dessert, the particles are preferably confectionery particles, such as nut pieces, chocolate chips, or biscuit crumbs for instance. In a savoury dish, the particles are savoury particles such as nut pieces, herbs, spices, or fried onion pieces for instance. For instance, the food product comprises at least one bottom layer different from the whipped cream composition layer. The bottom layer may comprise for instance a creme dessert, a fermented dairy product, a fresh cheese, a mousse (for instance, a chocolate mousse) or a fruit-based composition. An example of a dessert is a liegeois-type dessert, which comprises a bottom layer of chocolate creme dessert with a topping of whipped cream.

Those skilled in the art will understand that they can freely combine all features of the present invention disclosed herein. Further, features described for different embodiments of the present invention may be combined.

Furthermore, where known equivalents exist to specific features, such equivalents are incorporated as if specifically referred in this specification. Further advantages and features of the present invention are apparent from the figures and non-limiting examples.

EXAMPLES

In the examples, protein/fat ratio values refers to weight ratio values.

Analytical methods

Brookfield viscosity

Viscosity is measured using a Brookfield viscometer. A rotating spindle (N°92) was used at rotation speed of 5 rpm on cream compositions at 8°C. Each sample was analysed one day after production, before whipping, and each analysis was repeated three times in order to get standard deviation.

The measurement was done directly in the cup at three different heights (top, middle and bottom) in order to take into account the texture differences which might occur.

This analysis can relate to the texture of the cream composition.

Foam overrun

The term "overrun" refers to the increase in volume of the cream composition. It is also referred to as a "foaming capacity". The overrun (OR) is calculated according to the following equation:

Va - Vb

OR = - - - x 100

Vb

where Vb is the volume of a predetermined weight of the cream composition before aeration and Va is the volume of the same weight of whipped cream composition, i.e. after aeration or whipping.

The overrun was measured immediately after whipping. Foam texture - Rheology / Oscillometry

The texture of whipped cream is analysed using a pseudo-compression ("back- extrusion") test using a TA-HDi Texture Analyzer (TA Instruments, Stable Micro Systems, UK). A 45 mm diameter cylindrical flat probe penetrated into the sample at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm.s ^_1and to a depth of 25 mm. The force-distance curves gave a mean force value (g) that was calculated in the maximum force area.

Shelf life

Shelf life is measured by storing the freshly made whipped cream or dessert with a whipped cream topping for a period of up to 35 days under a controlled temperature of 4°C. Samples of stored products are inspected visually to observe whether there is a loss of texture, such as syneresis or foam destabilisation. Observations may be performed, after 1 day, 8, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days of storing. Microbial stability is checked by analysing the total micro organism count and enterobacteriae count. The total micro-organism count must be below 10 cfu/g and the enterobacteriae count must be below 10 cfu/g, after storage under a temperature of 4°C. cfu = colony forming unit.

Example 1: Analysis of cream composition before whipping

In the examples, the terms "protein/fat ratio" and "protein/fat weight ratio" will be used indifferently to refer to the protein/fat weight ratio.

Material & Methods

• Cream composition preparation

Six different cream compositions were prepared:

- a 26wt% fat cream composition with a protein/fat weight ratio of 0.13 prepared with a reference process (26% fat, 0.13, ref),

- a 26wt% fat cream composition with a protein/fat ratio weight of 0.13 prepared with a process according to the invention (26% fat, 0.13, HTAC),

- a 20wt% fat cream composition with a protein/fat ratio of 0.20 prepared with a process according to the invention (20% fat, 0.20, HTAC),

- a 20wt% fat cream composition with a protein/fat ratio of 0.30 prepared with a process according to the invention (20% fat, 0.30, HTAC),

- a 16wt% fat cream composition with a protein/fat ratio of 0.30 prepared with a process according to the invention (16% fat, 0.30, ref), - a 16wt% fat cream composition with a protein/fat ratio of 0.30 prepared with a process according to the invention (16% fat, 0.30, HTAC).

The recipes of the different cream compositions are indicated in Table 1 (cream composition recipes to be prepared under the process according to the invention) and Table 2 (cream composition recipes to be prepared under the reference process) below.

Table 1

Table 2 Two different processes were performed to manufacture the cream composition.

A first process according to the invention was applied to the four cream composition recipes disclosed in Table 1. The process according to the invention and resulting whipped or non-whipped cream composition will be named HTAC (Heat treated and Acidified) in Example 1 and Example 2. In a first time, skimmed milk powder, skimmed milk and water were mixed for hydration during 30 minutes at 8°C. The resulting mixture was heated up to 60°C and then the gelatine, locust bean gum and sugar were mixed during 20 minutes to obtain a milk-based component. The cream at 4°C was then added to the milk-based component to obtain a cream composition. Thereafter, the pH of the cream composition was adjusted at a pH of 6.4 using phosphoric acid. The acidified cream composition underwent a pre-heat treatment at 70°C during 8 seconds using a plate heat exchanger and then a sterilisation at 143°C during 8 seconds by direct steam injection. Thereafter, the cream composition was cooled down to a temperature of 78°C using a Flash cooler equipment. Then, the cream composition was cooled down to a temperature of 20°C in a tubular exchanger and stored at 4°C. The prepared cream compositions had to be stored overnight at 4°C in order to achieve a good ripening of the fat crystals.

Alternatively, a second process, i.e. the reference process, was applied to the cream composition recipes disclosed in table 2. The reference process is similar to the HTAC process. The single difference is that the pH of cream composition was adjusted to 6.8 instead of 6.4 using sodium hydroxide.

• Rheology analysis

The cream compositions were characterized before whipping using a Haake RheoStress 6000 rheometer coupled with temperature controller UMTC - TM-PE-P regulating to 40 +/-0.1 °C. The measuring geometry was a plate-plate system with a 60 mm diameter and a measuring gap of 1 mm. The flow curve was obtained by applying a controlled shear stress to a 3 mL sample in order to cover a shear rate range between 0 and 300 s ¹ (controlled rate linear increase) in 180 seconds. From the flow curves, the viscosities corresponding to a shear rate of 100 s ¹ were determined. All dynamic viscosity values given within this report correspond to the 100 s ¹ shear rate value at 40 °C in order to melt the gelatine (and fat) and thus to better assess the contribution of the presence of protein aggregates and protein/fat aggregates on the rheology of the cream composition. • Microscopy analysis

The microstructure of the cream compositions was investigated directly in liquid with a 20 fold dilution using light microscopy. Prior the dilution, the cream compositions were tempered at 40°C to melt the gelatin network. For the study of the liquid samples, a Leica DMR light microscope coupled with a Leica DFC 495 camera was used. The samples were observed using the differential interference contrast (DIC) and the phase contrast (PC) mode. An aliquot of 500 microliters of liquid sample was deposited on a glass slide and covered with a clover slide before observation under the microscope.

Results:

• Microstructure before whipping

An overview of the microstructure of all the six different variants is disclosed in Figure 1. Moreover, a "zoom-in" on the 16% fat variants, which had the highest fat/protein ratio is disclosed in Figure 2.

For the cream composition variants with a higher protein/fat ratio and manufactured with the process according to the invention, the protein aggregates are clearly visible under the microscope. This means that microscopy is a suitable tool to differentiate a sample manufactured with the process according to the invention from a reference sample manufactured with a classical process. How far the oil droplets are integrated into the protein/fat aggregates cannot be concluded from the obtained pictures.

• Viscosity at 40°C before whipping

The viscosity of each cream composition was measured at 40°C before whipping (Figure 3). Surprisingly, the viscosity of the cream compositions was not significantly modified by the fat content (16% to 26% fat). It should be noted that the fat crystals were totally melt at 40°C that may have strongly masked the fat content effect. Moreover, the dry matter was quite similar whatever the fat content contained in the recipe.

For the two fat content tested (16% or 26% fat), the viscosity of unwhipped cream composition variants manufactured using the process according to the invention (HTAC) was slightly higher than the Reference variants (Ref). Therefore, the protein aggregates present in the cream composition undergoing the process according to the invention (HTAC) contributed to increase the viscosity of the mix. Under the microscope, the protein aggregates were well visible and the amount of aggregated protein increased for the samples with an increased protein/fat ratio.

The 20% fat HTAC cream composition was formulated with two different protein/fat ratios: 0.2 or 0.3. Increasing the protein/fat ratio strongly contributed to increase the number of aggregates and viscosity of the cream compositions before whipping. The measured viscosity for the 20% fat HTAC cream composition with protein/fat ratio of 0.3 is around 3 times higher than the viscosity of the 20% fat HTAC cream composition with a protein/fat ratio of 0.2. It should be noted that the viscosity of the 16% fat HTAC cream composition with a protein/fat ratio of 0.3 was not so high, which may be due to the low fat content.

Conclusion:

As expected, protein aggregates were formed using the process according to the invention (HTAC). Viscosity was not only influenced by the application of the process according to the invention (HTAC), but also strongly by the protein/fat ratio.

Example 2: Analysis of the whipped cream

The different cream compositions prepared in example 1 were whipped after an overnight storage at 4°C using a continuous in-line rotor-stator whipping device as disclosed in WO 2013/068426 Al. The whipping parameters are disclosed in table 3.

Table 3

Material & Methods

• Texture analysis

The mechanical properties of the whipped creams were characterized using a pseudo compression ("back-extrusion") test using a TA-HDi Texture Analyzer (TA Instruments, Stable Micro Systems, UK). A 45 mm diameter cylindrical flat probe penetrated into the sample at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm.s and to a depth of 25 mm. The force-distance curves gave a mean force value (g) that was calculated in the maximum force area. The samples (packaging 500 mL PE sterile, red lid) were stored in the climate chamber at 4°C for 7 days, 14 days and 30 days. The texture analysis was performed immediately after removing them from the chamber.

Temperature sweep test was performed using a stress-controlled rheometer (MCR101, Anton Paar, Austria) equipped with a sandy stainless steel parallel plate geometry (diameter 40 mm; gap 1 mm). The measurements were conducted from 8 to 45°C at a constant deformation amplitude of 0.02% and frequency of 1.6 Hz within the linear regime. Values of G', G” were taken at 10°C.

• Confocal microscopy

Coverslips are plunged tree times in the staining solution with a drying step between each bath to allow the formation of a thin and homogenous film.

Aliquot of each whipped cream were gently picked up in the middle of the pot and deposed inside a 1 mm deep plastic chamber closed by the glass slide coverslips coated with the Nile red and Fast Green film. The film has to be in contact with the staining agents. Imaging was done with a LSM 710 confocal microscope upgraded with an Airyscan detector (Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany). Acquisition and image treatments were done using the Zen 2.1 software.

The dyes used were:

- Fast Green FCF ( Sigma-Aldrich , Saint Louis, Missouri, United States ): 0.1% in PVP K15 (Polyvinylpyrrolidone molecular weight 15000) 5% in ethanol.

- Nile Red ( Sigma-Aldrich , Saint Louis, Missouri, United States ): 0.1% in PVP K15 (Polyvinylpyrrolidone molecular weight 15000) 5% in ethanol.

The acquisition parameters were:

- Nile Red: Excitation 488 nm; Emission: BP: 490-631 nm

- Fast Green: Excitation 633 nm; Emission: LP: 639 nm

• Sensory tasting

Two different tastings were performed by a trained panel after the whipped creams had a storage time of two weeks: - Comparative profiling: Samples were compared to a reference sample monadically following a randomized presentation. All attributes were evaluated on a scale from -5 to +5 without repetition (quantitative descriptive analysis). A comparative profile was done for the 26% fat reference whipped cream versus the HTAC 20% fat HTAC whipped cream having protein/fat ratio of 0.2.

- Rank rating: Whipped creams were presented together. All the attributes were evaluated on a scale anchored from 0 to 10 without repetition (descriptive analysis). Rank-rating on comparative scale (Reference set at 0) was done with 4 products (26% fat reference whipped cream (set at 0), 26 % fat HTAC whipped cream & 20 % fat HTAC whipped creams having a protein/fat content of 0.2 and 0.3. The ranking was done for the following attributes: thick, fat coating & airy.

Results:

• Microstructure of the whipped cream

Two techniques were used to characterize the microstructure of the whipped creams: optical microscopy (interference contrast (DIC) and the phase contrast (PC) modes) and confocal microscopy, which allows localizing specifically both the protein and the fat within the whipped creams.

- Optical microscopy

The microstructure of the two 26% fat whipped cream variants was compared (Figure 4). The 26% fat whipped cream which passed through the process according to the invention (HTAC) has a slightly more aggregated structure when compared to the reference 26% fat whipped cream composition. Protein aggregates are present in the continuous phase.

The microstructure of the two 16% fat whipped cream was also compared (Figure 5). The 16% fat whipped cream which passed through the process according to the invention (HTAC) has a more aggregated structure when compared to the reference 16% fat whipped cream composition. The protein/fat aggregates are more visible in the 16% fat variants than in the 26% fat variants due to the higher protein content. The protein/fat aggregates are visible in the continuous phase.

The microstructure of the two 20% fat whipped creams was also compared (Figure 6) to assess the influence of the protein/ fat ratio. For both whipped creams, aggregated structures are visible. The size of aggregates are difficult to compare between the two 20% fat whipped cream variants having a different protein/fat ratios. - Confocal microscopy

The microstructures observed by confocal microscopy for 16% or 26% fat whipped creams are shown in Figure 7.

The difference between the 16% and the 26% fat HTAC whipped creams is not clear, but it seems that smaller fat clusters are visible for the 16% fat HTAC whipped cream variant compared to the 26% fat HTAC whipped cream variant. Moreover, the fat clusters seems to be less separated from the protein aggregates in the 16% fat HTAC whipped cream compared to the 26% fat HTAC whipped cream (cf. Figure 7).

The effect of the process according to the invention (HTAC) on the microstructure of the whipped creams is clearly visible whatever the fat content. Protein aggregates (in green) appears in the HTAC variants whereas a continuous protein phase is present in the Reference variants. Moreover, it seems that the fat clusters are more separated in the HTAC variants than in the Reference whipped creams (cf. Figure 7).

The effect of the protein/fat ratio (0.2 versus 0.3) on the microstructure was assessed by confocal microscopy study on the two 20% fat HTAC whipped cream variants (cf. Figure 8).

In the 20% fat whipped cream with a protein/fat ratio of 0.2, large fat clusters separated from the protein aggregates appears. On the contrary, the fat clusters are clearly surrounded by small protein aggregates with less separation between fat and protein in the 20% fat whipped cream with a protein/fat ratio of 0.3. This observation is consistent with the structure of the 16% fat HTAC whipped cream with a ratio of 0.3 where fat and proteins appeared less separated (Figure 7, bottom right) than for the 26% HTAC fat whipped cream with a ratio of 0.13 (Figure 7, top right). Therefore, the protein/fat ratio seems to be really key for the structural organization of the fat and protein aggregates. Increasing the protein/fat ratio leads to the surrounding of the fat cluster by protein aggregates.

Several rotation speeds of the head of the whipping device were set up during the trials, which impacts the intensity of the shear forces generated during the whipping of the cream compositions. The influence of the rotation speed on the microstructure of the 20% fat and 26% HTAC whipped cream variants having respectively a protein/fat ratio of 0.12 and 0.30 was assessed (Figure 9).

By comparing the 26% fat HTAC whipped creams (Figure 8, top), no clear difference is visible with a modification of the rotation speed from 300 to 1400 rpm. However, the very specific microstructure observed for the 20% fat HTAC whipped cream with a protein/fat ratio of 0.3 produced with a rotation speed of 1000 rpm (fat clusters surrounded by small protein aggregates) was not observed anymore at a rotation speed of 300 rpm (clear separation between fat clusters and protein aggregates) (Figure 9, bottom). Thus, it seems that increasing the rotation speed can create the conditions to organize specifically the fat and proteins, which could have strong influence on the rheological and sensory properties.

• Rheological properties of the whipped creams

The rheological properties of the whipped creams were analysed at different times of storage using penetrometry (Figure 10) or oscillatory (Figure 11) tests.

For the 16% fat and 26% fat whipped creams, a strong increase in texture was noticed when the in process according to the invention (HTAC) was applied, which was observed for both rheological tests (Figure 10 and Figure 11). Therefore, the effect of the process according to the invention (HTAC) was highlighted whatever the fat content. This process gives a real opportunity to increase the texture of the whipped cream without modifying the cream composition recipe.

The increase in the protein / fat ratio strongly increased the texture of the 20% fat HTAC whipped cream. The effect of protein / fat ratio may also be visible by comparing the 26% fat whipped cream with a ratio of 0.13 compared to the 16% fat whipped cream with a ratio of 0.3. The higher ratio in the 16% fat whipped cream (0.3 versus 0.13) may have compensate the lower fat content which could have resulted in lower force and G' values.

• Sensory tasting

According to figure 12, the 20% fat HTAC whipped cream variant with a protein/fat ratio of 0.2 has a little higher mouthfeel (thick, coating). These results are consistent with rheology analyses.

A rank-rating was performed with four whipped creams prepared with the process according to the invention. The 20% fat reference whipped cream was set at 0 (cf. Figure 13). All differences observed in Figure 13 are significant.

Compared to the reference whipped cream, all whipped creams prepared with the process according to the invention have a higher mouth feel (thicker, more fat coating, more compact). The high protein content in the 20% fat HTAC whipped cream with a protein/fat ratio of 0.3 seems to be the biggest driver for high mouth feel. The 20% fat HTAC whipped cream with a protein/ fat ratio of 0.2 is just a little more thick/coating/compact compared to the reference. Therefore, the 20% fat HTAC whipped cream with a protein/ fat ratio of 0.2 compensates the reduced fat content. The mouthfeel of the 26% fat HTAC whipped cream having the same fat level than the reference is slightly higher than the mouthfeel of the 26% fat reference whipped cream and the mouthfeel of the 20% fat HTAC whipped cream with a protein/ fat ration of 0.2.

Therefore, the process according to the invention can deliver a higher mouthfeel even at 6% less fat content versus the reference. Whipped creams are thicker, more fat coating, slower in melting, and slightly more compact (less «airy»).

Conclusion:

The microstructure of the whipped cream is significantly different when the process according to the invention was applied instead of the process of reference. Indeed, protein aggregates are promoted in the process according to the invention while the proteins are dispersed in the continuous phase following to the reference process. Without wishing to be bound by theory, the inventors believe that this microstructure with protein aggregates may have contributed to increase sensitivity to partial coalescence and to the higher texture perceived in mouth.

The protein / fat ratio has clearly the most important influence on the texture. Increasing the ratio from 0.13 to 0.3 creates a specific structuration with entrapment and surrounding of fat clusters within protein aggregates.

Example 3:

Material & Methods:

• Samples preparation

Two different cream compositions were prepared:

- a 20wt% fat cream composition with a protein/fat ratio of 0.24 prepared with a process according to the invention (20% fat, 0.24, HTAC). The recipes of the different cream compositions are indicated in Table 4 below.

Table 4

The 20% fat, 0.24, HTAC cream composition was prepared according to the process HTAC of Example 1 with some adjustments. Contrary to the process HTAC of example 1, the cooling step after direct steam injection is performed with a heat plate exchanger instead of a Flash cooler equipment. Due to this change of equipment, the steam injected during the direct steam injection is not evacuated from the cream composition. Hence, the cream is diluted by the steam. Then, the cream composition requires an adjustment of the recipe. Especially, the ingredients of the cream composition (table 4) are concentrated, compared to example 1, to take into account the dilution of the cream composition by the injected steam during the process. Moreover, due to the difference in the cream composition recipe (table 4) as compared to Example 1, no pH adjustment was required. Indeed, the final pH of the cream composition after mixing was 6.4.

The 20% fat, 0.24, HTAC cream composition was whipped into a whipped cream with a continuous in-line rotor-stator whipping device as disclosed in WO 2013/068426 A1 at 500 rpm. An overrun of 120% was obtained.

The 26% fat, 0.13, ref whipped cream variant was prepared according to a reference process. The reference process is similar to the HTAC process. The single difference is that the pH of cream composition was adjusted to 6.8 instead of 6.4 using sodium hydroxide. The 26% fat, 0.13, ref whipped cream has an overrun of 120%.

• Sensory tasting

A tasting was performed by an external trained panel after the whipped creams had a storage time of two weeks: - Monadic profiling test: the 20% fat, 0.24, HTAC whipped cream was compared to the reference whipped cream, i.e. the 26% fat, 0.13, ref whipped cream variant, monadically following a randomized presentation. All attributes were evaluated on a scale from 0 to 10 without repetition (quantitative descriptive analysis) according to the glossary of table 5. A comparative profile was done for the reference 26% fat whipped cream having a protein/fat weight ratio of 0.13, ref versus the HTAC 20% fat whipped cream having a protein/fat weight ratio of 0.24.

Table 5

Results:

The whipped cream with 20% fat prepared with the HTAC process was perceived very close to whipped cream with 26% fat prepared with the reference process. Despite a low fat content, the 20% fat, 0.24, HTAC variant has a sensory profile similar to the sensory profile of the 26% fat, 0.13, ref variant. Especially, the texture of the 20% fat, 0.24, HTAC variant is similar to the texture of the 26% fat, 0.13, ref variant. The main difference is that the 20% fat, 0.24, HTAC variant is perceived glossier and slightly more persistent than the 26% fat, 0.13, ref variant.

Example 4: Impact of the whipping device on the overrun

Material & Methods:

A cream composition having 20% fat content and a protein/fat ratio of 0.24 was prepared according to the recipe of table 6 (20% fat, 0.24, HTAC).

Table 6

Especially, the 20% fat, 0.24, HTAC cream composition was prepared according to the process HTAC of Example 1 with some adjustments. Contrary to the process HTAC of example 1, the cooling step after direct steam injection is performed with a heat plate exchanger instead of a Flash cooler equipment. Due to this change of equipment, the steam injected during the direct steam injection is not evacuated from the cream composition. Hence, the cream is diluted by the steam. Then, the cream composition requires an adjustment of the recipe. Especially, the ingredients of the cream composition (table 6) are concentrated, compared to example 1, to take into account the dilution of the cream composition by the injected steam during the process. Moreover, due to the difference in the cream composition recipe (table 6) as compared to Example 1, no pH adjustment was required. Indeed, the final pH of the cream composition after mixing was 6.4.

After the preparation of the 20% fat, 0.24, HTAC cream composition, a first part of the cream composition was whipped into a first whipped cream (named whipped cream 20% Fat/0.24, HTAC+Aeromix) with a Mondomix equipment, especially the Aeromix whipping device, at a rotation speed of 600 rpm. The Aeromix device is a standard whipping device used in the food industry. A second part of the cream composition was whipped into a second whipped cream (named whipped cream 20% Fat/0.24, HTAC+rotor-stator whipping device) with a continuous in-line rotor-stator whipping device as disclosed in WO 2013/068426 A1 at a rotation speed of 500 rpm. The overrun of the two whipped creams was measured.

Results:

Based on Table 7, we can notice that the whipped cream 20% Fat/0.24, HTAC+Aeromix has an overrun of 95% while the whipped cream 20% Fat/0.24, HTAC+rotor-stator whipping device has an overrun of 120%. It was not possible to reach overruns which are higher than 95% for the whipped cream 20% Fat/0.24, HTAC+Aeromix. Hence, the continuous in-line rotor-stator whipping device as disclosed in WO 2013/068426 A1 enables to reach higher overruns than that possible with classical equipment such as the Aeromix whipping device.

Table 7

Although the invention has been described by way of example, it should be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for the manufacture of a whipped cream composition , which comprises the steps of:

a) preparing a cream composition comprising between 15wt% and 40wt% of fat by mixing a milk-based component, a cream component, and optionally a stabilising system to obtain a cream composition, wherein said cream composition has a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.05 and 0.35,

b) adjusting the pH of the cream composition between 5.7 and 6.5 at a temperature ranging from 1°C to 25°C,

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said cream component comprises between 30 wt% and 40 wt% of milk fat.

3. A method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the sterilised cream composition is aerated in a continuous in-line rotor-stator whipping device.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sterilised cream composition is aerated with a rotation speed ranging from 200 rpm to 1200 rpm.

5. A whipped cream composition obtainable by a method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising 15 wt% to 40 wt% of fat, having a protein/fat weight ratio between 0.05 and 0.35, having an overrun of from 100% to 200%, and a shelf life of 30 days at a temperature ranging from about 3°C to about 8°C.

6. The whipped cream composition according to claim 5, wherein the fat consists essentially of milk fat.

7. The whipped cream composition according to claims 5 or 6, wherein the proteins consist essentially of milk proteins.

8. The whipped cream composition according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the whipped cream further comprises a stabilising system.

9. The whipped cream composition according to claim 8, wherein the stabilising system comprises gelatine, locust bean gum, pectin, guar, xanthan, carrageenan, alginate or a combination thereof.

10. A food product comprising at least two different food layers, wherein one of said food layers comprises a whipped cream composition according to any one of claims 5 to 9.

11. A food product according to claim 10, wherein said layer of whipped cream composition is a top layer, optionally sprinkled with confectionery or savoury particles.

12. A food product according to claims 10 or 11, comprising at least one bottom layer which bottom layer comprises a creme dessert, a fermented dairy product, a fresh cheese, a mousse different from said whipped cream, or a fruit-based composition.