RU2840495C1 - Method for increasing of chocolate tropic resistance - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.

SUBSTANCE: disclosed is a composition of agents which increase tropical resistance, containing a fat component, a component of cocoa cake and a moistener, as well as a method of preparing said composition.

EFFECT: composition may be applied for improvement of thermal stability of chocolate and chocolate-like products.

17 cl, 11 ex

Description

Field of application of the invention

The present invention relates to compositions of tropicalization agents, to methods for their preparation, to methods for increasing the tropicalization of chocolate or its analogues, and to chocolate or chocolate analogues containing tropicalization agents. In particular, it relates to the use of a novel combination of cocoa particles and methods of the invention and their incorporation into compositions of tropicalization agents and into products of the invention.

Prerequisites for the creation of an invention

Traditionally produced chocolate consists of sugars, cocoa cake and protein (usually milk protein) uniformly dispersed in fat and fatty substances derived from cocoa butter. Chocolate analogues contain other vegetable fats that partially/fully replace the fats of cocoa butter. Often the continuous fat phase also contains milk fat.

Cocoa butter typically begins to soften at around 28°C, causing the chocolate to lose its mechanical strength. This means that at the high ambient temperatures often found in tropical countries, the chocolate will become sticky or even runny. It will tend to stick to the wrapper and disintegrate when the wrapper is removed, leaving a semi-liquid mass that can often only be eaten with a spoon to avoid mess. Enrobed chocolate products tend to lose their integrity under these conditions, with the contents often leaking out and individual elements commonly sticking together in the packaging. The chocolate will also lose its "crunch" - an important (and enjoyable) textural characteristic of chocolate stored and eaten in cool conditions.

Many attempts have been made to produce chocolate that is stable to heat. Those skilled in the art generally refer to methods for producing heat-resistant chocolate or its analogues as methods for increasing the tropical stability of chocolate. The most widely used approaches can be divided into two main groups: 1) the inclusion of high-melting-point fats; and 2) the creation of a three-dimensional matrix or network of sugar crystals or protein particles that act as a sponge and trap the fat, so that the structure of the product can be maintained even as the fat melts. Many different methods have been reported over the past century.

There are two main disadvantages to using high-melting point fats in chocolate. First, food regulations in many countries restrict the use of cocoa butter substitutes in chocolate. Second, high-melting point fats create an unpleasant waxy taste in chocolate-like products.

A number of methods have been described which result in the growth of sugar crystals by adding water or a polyol to chocolate, which was originally described in DE 389127. Publication CH 409603 describes the direct incorporation of water into the liquid chocolate mass during production, which leads to a rapid increase in viscosity. As a result, the material cannot be poured into moulds or used for enrobing.

EP0189469 describes mixing a liquid polyol with a tempered standard chocolate mass before placing it in a mould. Preferred polyols are those that remain liquid at ambient temperatures (such as glycerol), although the patent also allows polyols with higher melting points (such as sorbitol). The mixture is held at slightly elevated temperatures (24-35°C) for a short period of time, during which the viscosity increases. This is the result of a chemical reaction between the fat and the polyol. The time and temperature of the holding period are critical parameters that determine the increase in viscosity, with the viscosity remaining low enough for subsequent moulding or enrobing operations.

In the method described in US5,445,843, a polyol (such as glycerol) is encapsulated by emulsifying with a liquid fat (such as molten cocoa butter) using lecithin as an emulsifier and then cooling the emulsion by spraying. The emulsion "capsules" (which have an average diameter of 100 µm) are added to the liquid chocolate mass to achieve a polyol content of 0.2 to 5 wt%. The product was reported to remain in a liquid state for several minutes.

The use of emulsification to prevent water from being incorporated too quickly into the chocolate mass is described in US4,446,166. An oil-in-water emulsion (usually 50% water, 50% fat) is prepared from cocoa butter, with lecithin as the emulsifier. The emulsion is cooled and ground to form partially or completely solid particles, which are then added to the chocolate mass at a concentration of 2 to 10%. After incorporation into the warmer liquid chocolate mass, the emulsion particles melt, releasing droplets of water. A disadvantage of this method is that it is necessary to ensure that the emulsion particles are uniformly distributed before they melt. Premature release of water results in a sharp increase in viscosity, which makes the chocolate unsuitable for moulding or enrobing.

EP0297054 describes a method for uniformly dispersing water using aqueous foam. The foam is stabilised with an edible foaming agent (such as egg albumen) and added to a conventionally produced chocolate mass after tempering. The foam is added in quantities that provide 0.5 to 2% water, which according to some reports does not lead to a significant increase in viscosity for obtaining a processed chocolate suitable for moulding or enrobing. Entrained gases can be removed from the still liquid product by subjecting it to reduced pressure. EP0407347 describes a similar method.

Document EP0393327 describes another embodiment in which the aqueous phase of the water-in-oil emulsion comprises sugars (such as sucrose or glucose) or polyols (such as sorbitol). The emulsion is prepared using an emulsifying agent at a concentration of 0.1 to 3% with a fat content of 30 to 60%. Suitable emulsifying agents described are lecithin, glycerol fatty acid ester, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester and sucrose fatty acid ester which has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of not more than 7. The sugar or polyol content in the aqueous phase of the emulsion may be from 20 to 60%, and the water content is from 15 to 25%. According to some data, sugar or polyol in the water phase provides a more uniform texture for heat-stable chocolate mass. However, a storage period of about 20 days is required for the correct formation of the internal structure.

A similar process is described in EP0442324, where an oil-in-water emulsion is prepared by mixing 30-80% of an oil or fat (e.g., cocoa butter) with water containing a small amount of a suitable emulsifier. This emulsion is mixed at a concentration of about 5% with a conventionally prepared and tempered chocolate mass, which is then molded. It should be understood that it is important to ensure that the temperature does not rise above 90°F in order to maintain a stable oil-in-water emulsion. The uniformly dispersed water ensures that the viscosity of the chocolate mass increases during the solidification of the finished product. However, the molded product must be stored for several additional days to become heat-stable.

US5,486,376 describes the use of water-in-oil microemulsions to introduce finely dispersed water into a chocolate mass. Similarly, US6,159,526 describes the addition of water to chocolate as a water-in-oil emulsion stabilized by sucrose fatty acid esters (HLB < 3). US6,159,526 focuses on the addition of water-based flavors to chocolate.

WO 93/06737 describes methods for producing gels/pastes by adding water to inulin (Raftiline), starches (potato and corn), pectin (Splendid) or acacia. The paste is subsequently mixed into tempered moulded chocolate.

US5,468,509 describes a method of adding up to 16% water to chocolate. Presumably the chocolate remains moldable. Two mixtures were prepared. (1) Cocoa is coated with cocoa butter in the presence of an emulsifier and (2) water, sweetener and milk solids are mixed to form an aqueous phase. The two components are gently mixed and the product is molded.

The purpose of US5,965,179 is to solve the problems of increasing viscosity when adding water to chocolate using a chocolate extruder. The water is added in the form of an aqueous gel with microcrystalline cellulose. This gel is injected into the chocolate using a twin-screw extruder to produce a viscous product containing from 3 to 20% of added water.

2005/0118327 describes the preparation of gel beads containing 20-50% sugar or polyol, water, emulsifying agent and gelling agent (hydrocolloids). The gel beads are formed by dispersing a hot aqueous colloidal solution (90-95°C) in liquid fat in a high shear mixer to form an emulsion and then cooling to gel the beads. The gel beads dispersed in the fat are stirred into the molten chocolate mass. One disadvantage is that activation is required to release the sugar/polyol syrup from the gel beads. US2005/0118327 describes activating the decomposition of the gel beads by freezing at temperatures between -5 and -15°C. Without such cooling, the products are said to need to be stored for 10-14 days to develop shape-retaining properties.

Another approach, presented in publication WO91/19424, describes the preparation of gel beads comprising alginate or pectate, divalent metal ions and a sequestrant for the metal ions. The gel beads are used as fat substitutes.

Publication EP0688506 describes the preparation of gels comprising a polyol or polyol/water mixture with gelling agents and alkali or alkaline earth metal salts. The gels are prepared by heating to temperatures of 120°C and then freezing in liquid nitrogen before adding to liquid chocolate. These prior art disclosures suffer from the following drawbacks: water ingress into the chocolate mass occurs early in the process and is not retarded long enough to allow the material to be used for typical enrobing processes; the dispersion and release of water cannot be controlled sufficiently to prevent the formation of unpleasant grainy textures in the final product; and/or activation and/or inconvenient long storage times are required to fully develop the structures necessary for stability.

EP0393327 describes the preparation of an emulsion of a saccharide and an emulsifying agent followed by ageing of the chocolate. US5486376 describes the preparation of an emulsion of monoglyceride (50-65%)/lecithin (0-10%)/chocolate fat (CBE/CBR/CB) (15-20%) and water (15-20%). WO2011010105 relates to the addition of water and propylene glycol to molten chocolate. US4446166 uses water in a fat emulsion where 20% of the fat is in solid form.

Many of the processes are complex, or require additional steps in the manufacturing procedure, and/or require the use of emulsifiers and/or gelling agents.

The corresponding need to provide a tropicalization agent that delays any significant increase in viscosity to enable these materials to be used in conventional moulding or enrobing processes and also provides acceptable texture and stability, or integrity, of the chocolate product is met in part by the use of the tropicalization agent and methods described in International Patent Publication WO2013/045523.

However, this prior art method has disadvantages in terms of the period of time required for aging before the product is released for sale, i.e., the product must be stored under certain conditions to ensure the effective action of the tropicalization agent. In addition, additional fibrous materials must be added to the product, which may negatively affect the organoleptic properties.

Accordingly, the present invention primarily provides a solution to the above-mentioned technical problems.

Statement of the essence of the invention

The inventors have developed an additional improved method for introducing a humectant into chocolate or its analogue to obtain heat-resistant (having increased tropical resistance) chocolate or its analogue, which exhibits improved heat resistance without aging and negatively affecting other properties of chocolate.

According to one aspect of the invention, a composition of tropicalization enhancing agents is provided, comprising a fat component, a cocoa cake component and a humectant, wherein the composition comprises from 10 to 60 wt.% of the cocoa cake component based on the weight of the composition.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method for producing a tropicalization enhancing agent composition according to the present invention, comprising the steps of (a) mixing cocoa cake with a fat component, preferably at a temperature at which the fat component is a liquid, (b) optionally cooling the mixture, (c) adding a humectant to the mixture, optionally at an elevated temperature, and (d) mixing the components.

In another aspect, the invention encompasses the use of a tropicalization enhancing agent composition according to the present invention for improving the heat stability of chocolate or chocolate-like products.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chocolate or chocolate-like product comprising a tropicalization enhancing agent composition according to the present invention.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for increasing the tropical resistance of chocolate or its analogue by combining a chocolate or chocolate-like mass, optionally a tempered chocolate mass or an untempered chocolate-like mass, with a composition of tropical resistance-enhancing agents according to the present invention to improve the structure of the chocolate mass with increased tropical resistance. Preferably, the amount of the composition of tropical resistance-enhancing agents should be sufficient to improve the shape-keeping properties of the chocolate mass with increased tropical resistance compared to a mass without increased tropical resistance.

Detailed description of the invention

Definitions

According to the present invention, the terms "chocolate product" and "chocolate-like product" mean products based on chocolate or a chocolate analogue, respectively (they are also traditionally called "composition"). Chocolate and chocolate-like products of the invention include, without limitation, a chocolate product, a chocolate-like product (e.g., containing cocoa butter substitutes, cocoa butter equivalents or cocoa butter substitutes), a product with a chocolate coating, a product with a chocolate-like coating, a chocolate coating for biscuits, wafers or other confectionery products, a chocolate-like coating for biscuits, wafers or other confectionery products, and the like.

The term “chocolate” in the context of this document means any product (and/or component thereof, if capable of being a product) that meets the legal definition of chocolate in any jurisdiction and also includes a product (and/or component thereof) in which all or part of the cocoa butter (CB) has been replaced by cocoa butter equivalents (CBE) and/or cocoa butter replacers (CBR).

The term "chocolate compound product" in this document (unless the context clearly indicates otherwise) means chocolate-like analogues characterised by the presence of cocoa cake (which includes cocoa liquor/mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder) in any quantity, although in some jurisdictions a compound product may be legally defined as containing a minimum quantity of cocoa cake.

The term "chocolate product" in the context of this document means chocolate, composite product and other related materials that contain cocoa butter (CB), cocoa butter equivalents (CBE), cocoa butter replacers (CBR) and/or cocoa butter substitutes (CBS). Thus, a chocolate product includes products based on chocolate and/or based on chocolate analogues and, therefore, it can be based on, for example, dark, milk or white chocolate.

In one embodiment, the chocolate product of the present invention comprises cocoa butter (or its equivalent as described above) based on the weight of the confectionery material in an amount of at least 5.0 wt.%, preferably at least 10.0 wt.%, preferably at least 13.0 wt.%, more preferably at least 15.0 wt.%, such as at least 17.0% or at least 20%.

A preferred maximum amount of cocoa butter (or its equivalent as described above) present in the chocolate product of the present invention is less than 35.0 wt.%, preferably no more than 30.0 wt.%, more preferably no more than 30.0 wt.% and most preferably no more than 25.0 wt.% cocoa butter based on the weight of the chocolate product. For example, from 10.0 to 35.0 wt.% based on the weight of the chocolate product.

In one embodiment, the chocolate product comprises from 0 to 95% by weight of cocoa mass based on the weight of the confectionery product depending on the final product, preferably from 0 to 85%, such as from 45 to 80%, less than 5% or from 8 to 12% cocoa mass based on the weight of the chocolate product.

Typically, the chocolate product of the present invention comprises at least 10.0 wt.%, preferably at least 13.0 wt.%, more preferably at least 15.0 wt.% and even more preferably at least 17.0 wt.% cocoa mass, based on the weight of the chocolate product.

The preferred maximum amount of cocoa mass present in the chocolate product of the present invention is less than 35.0 wt.%, preferably no more than 30.0 wt.%, wt.% and most preferably no more than 25.0 wt.% cocoa mass. For example, from 10.0 wt.% to 35.0 wt.% based on the weight of the chocolate product.

If the chocolate product is a white chocolate product, the amount of cocoa mass is less than the above, preferably it is absent.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the chocolate product comprises a milk-based component, preferably selected from the group consisting of non-fat milk solids, milk powder (optionally full fat, skimmed or semi-skimmed) and milk fat and combinations thereof. This milk-based component may be present in an amount of from 0 to 60 wt.%, optionally from 10 to 50 wt.%, based on the weight of the chocolate product.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the chocolate product comprises sugar, preferably in an amount of from 10 to 60% by weight based on the weight of the chocolate product.

The chocolate product of the present invention may comprise:

from 5.0 to 35.0 wt.% cocoa butter,

from 10 to 35.0 wt.% cocoa mass,

from 10 to 60 wt.% sugar,

from 0 to 60 wt.% of a milk-based component,

from 1.0 to 20 wt.% of the composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa butter, cocoa mass, sugar and milk-based component mentioned above constitute from 75 to 99.9 wt.% based on the weight of the chocolate product composition, preferably from 80 to 98 wt.% and preferably from 90 to 95 wt.%.

In one preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned percentage of cocoa butter and cocoa mass takes into account all cocoa butter and/or cocoa cake present in the tropicalization enhancing agent composition, i.e. they are not considered to be additionally present.

The chocolate or chocolate-like product may, among other things, be in the form of a molded tablet, molded bar, puffed product or coating for confectionery, wafers, biscuits. It may also have inclusions, layers of chocolate, chocolate grains, chocolate pieces, chocolate drops. The chocolate or chocolate-like product may further contain crunchy inclusions, such as cereals such as puffed or toasted rice, or pieces of dried fruit.

The terms "tropical resistance enhancement", "tropical resistance enhancement methods" and variations thereof as used herein refer to the inventive methods and processes for achieving heat resistance and shape stability in chocolate or chocolate analogue products.

The term "tropically tolerant products" and variations thereof as used herein refer to chocolate and chocolate analogue products of the invention that exhibit heat resistance and shape stability.

As used herein, the term "tropical tolerance enhancing agent composition" generally refers to suitable materials according to the invention. In particular, it refers to a composition that enhances the stability, or structural integrity, of a tropical tolerance enhancing food product in which the agent is included. In a preferred embodiment, the tropical tolerance enhancing agent composition is not chocolate or a chocolate product.

The D90 value is a standard method for describing particle size distribution. D90 is the diameter greater than the diameter value for 90% of the mass of particles in a sample. In the context of the present invention, D90 by mass is equivalent to D90 by volume. The D90 value can be measured, for example, by a particle size analyzer based on laser light scattering. A preferred method is described in the examples section.

Preferred embodiments

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, all embodiments and preferred embodiments described hereinafter are also applicable to the various aspects of the invention, mutatis mutandis, and all of them can be combined with each other.

The present invention provides a composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents comprising a fat component, a cocoa cake component and a humectant, wherein the composition contains from 10 to 60 wt.% of the cocoa cake component based on the weight of the composition.

In a preferred embodiment, the cocoa cake is present in an amount of preferably from 15 to 55 wt.% based on the weight of the composition, preferably from 20 to 45 wt.%, preferably from 25 to 40 wt.% and preferably from 30 to 40 wt.%.

In the present invention, the term "cocoa cake" has the standard meaning accepted in the art, i.e. the components of the cocoa beans remaining after the removal of the fat component of cocoa butter. Cocoa liquor is pure cocoa mass, preferably in solid or semi-solid form, which contains cocoa cake and cocoa butter. In one preferred embodiment, the cocoa liquor contains from 40 to 60% by weight of cocoa cake and from 40 to 60% by weight of cocoa butter, preferably from 45 to 55% by weight of cocoa cake and from 45 to 50% by weight of cocoa butter.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the humectant is present in an amount of from 2.5 to 40% by weight based on the weight of the composition, preferably from 4.5 to 30% by weight, preferably from 6.5 to 25% by weight, preferably from 8.0 to 20% by weight and preferably from 10 to 18% by weight. The above amounts refer to the total amount of humectant present, i.e. if a mixture of humectants is present, the total combined weight is within the above ranges.

Suitable humectants according to the present invention are edible liquid humectants. Examples of humectants according to the present invention include propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polyols such as glycerin and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, mannitol, a sugar solution such as fructose, dextrose, galactose, or any mixture thereof.

In some particularly preferred embodiments, the humectant is a polyol. A preferred polyol is glycerol. However, other polyols can also be used, such as sugar alcohols, for example sorbitol, xylitol, erythitol, maltitol, mannitol. According to some embodiments, the polyol is selected from glycerol, sorbitol, xylitol or any mixture thereof. According to other embodiments, the liquid humectant is propylene glycol. According to some embodiments, the humectant is a mixture of a polyol, such as glycerol, with another liquid humectant, such as another polyol and/or propylene glycol.

In one preferred embodiment, the humectant is a polyol and is present in an amount of from 2.5 to 40 wt.% based on the weight of the composition, preferably the humectant comprises glycerol and is present in an amount of from 4.5 to 30 wt.%.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, water and a liquid humectant may be used in a mixing ratio. According to one embodiment, the tropicalization agent composition comprises water and a liquid humectant in a water:humectant ratio of from 1:10 to 10:1 w/w, preferably in a water:humectant ratio of from 1:2 to 2:1 w/w, such as in a water:humectant ratio of about 1:1. According to one embodiment, the tropicalization agent composition comprises water and a polyol in a water:polyol ratio of from 1:10 to 10:1 w/w, preferably in a water:polyol ratio of from 1:2 to 2:1 w/w, such as in a water:polyol ratio of about 1:1.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fat component is present in an amount of 20 to 80% by weight based on the weight of the composition, preferably 25 to 75% by weight, preferably 30 to 70% by weight, preferably 35 to 65% by weight and preferably 40 to 60% by weight. The above amounts refer to the total amount of fat present, i.e. if a mixture of fats is present, the total combined weight is within the above ranges.

The liquid fat component may be any vegetable fat or oil acceptable for use in food products. The fat component must be compatible with the chocolate or chocolate analogue to which it is intended to be added. Acceptable fats include, but are not limited to, cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalents (CBE), cocoa butter substitutes (CBS), vegetable oils and milk fats. Acceptable CBE and CBS are widely available commercially. Examples of CBE include Coberine™ (Loders Croklaan) and Illexao™ SC70 (Aarthuslarshmn). Examples of CBS include the Palkena™ range and the Melano™ range (Fuji Oil).

Preferably, the liquid fat comprises cocoa butter, particularly when the tropicalization agent or tropicalization agent composition is intended to be used in chocolate products. In one preferred embodiment, the liquid fat is cocoa butter and the tropicalization agent compositions are included in regular chocolate rather than in chocolate analogues.

However, the liquid fat may comprise one or more cocoa butter substitutes, in particular when the tropicalization agent or tropicalization agent composition is intended to be used in chocolate analogues. In another embodiment, the liquid fat preferably comprises one or more vegetable fats, such as non-lauric vegetable fats. If the tropicalization agent or tropicalization agent composition is intended to be used in a chocolate analogue, the vegetable fat is preferably the same fat or at least one of the same fats used in the preparation of the chocolate-like mass, in order to improve the compatibility and stability of the chocolate mass with increased tropicalization.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the fat component is selected from the group consisting of cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalents (CBE), cocoa butter substitutes (CBS), vegetable oils and milk fats, or any mixture thereof.

In one preferred embodiment, the liquid fat is cocoa butter. The use of cocoa butter as the liquid fat component of the tropicalization enhancing agent is particularly preferred for the preparation of a chocolate product, since food regulations in many countries limit or prohibit the addition of other fats to the chocolate mass. In another preferred embodiment, the liquid fat comprises one or more vegetable fats that are the same as the fat used in the preparation of the chocolate-like mass, such as for the chocolate composition or coating composition, to improve the compatibility and stability of the chocolate-like mass with increased tropicalization.

In one preferred embodiment, the tropicalization enhancing agent composition comprises:

from 10 to 60 wt.% cocoa cake,

from 20 to 80% by weight of the fat component, and

from 2.5 to 40% by weight of humectant.

In one preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned three components constitute from 75 to 100% by weight of the tropicalization agent composition, preferably from 80 to 100% by weight and preferably from 90 to 100% by weight.

In one preferred embodiment, the weight ratio of cocoa cake to humectant is from 0.25:1 to 24:1, preferably from 0.5:1 to 20:1, preferably from 1:1 to 15:1, and preferably from 1.5:1 to 10:1.

In one preferred embodiment, the weight ratio of cocoa cake to fat component is from 0.4:1 to 2.4:1, preferably from 0.45:1 to 2.0:1, preferably from 0.5:1 to 1.5:1 and preferably from 0.55:1 to 1.0:1.

In one preferred embodiment, the weight ratio of cocoa cake to humectant is from 0.5:1 to 20:1, and the weight ratio of cocoa cake to fat component is from 0.45:1 to 2.0:1.

In one preferred embodiment, the tropicalization enhancing agent composition comprises:

from 10 to 60 wt.% cocoa cake,

from 20 to 80% by weight of the fat component, and

from 2.5 to 40 wt.% of a humectant, the mass ratio of cocoa cake: humectant is from 0.5: 1 to 20: 1, and the mass ratio of cocoa cake: fat component is from 0.45: 1 to 2.0: 1, wherein the three above components make up from 75 wt.% to 100 wt.% based on the composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents.

Advantageously, the tropicalization-enhancing agent composition of the present invention can be prepared from the above-described food ingredients, and this does not require the use of any emulsifying agent, gelling agent or other additive.

In a preferred embodiment, the tropicalization agent is in the form of an emulsion, preferably with emulsion droplet sizes D90 of 20 to 100 μm, preferably 25 to 80 μm, preferably 30 to 60 μm. As shown in the examples, these ranges provide advantageous properties with respect to heat resistance. The method set out in the examples can be used to measure the particle size.

The present invention provides a method for preparing a composition of tropicalization-enhancing agents comprising the steps of (a) mixing cocoa cake with a fat component, preferably at a temperature at which the fat component is liquid, (b) optionally cooling the mixture, (c) adding a humectant to the mixture, optionally at an elevated temperature, and (d) mixing the components.

In one embodiment of the method, the temperature in step (a) is more than 40°C, preferably more than 45°C, preferably more than 50°C and preferably more than 55°C. In one embodiment, the temperature is less than 75°C, preferably less than 70°C and preferably less than 65°C. For example, if the fat component is cocoa butter, a temperature of 40°C or higher, such as about 50°C, may be preferred. If a fat component such as butter is used that is liquid at room temperature, the tropicalization agent may be prepared at room temperature, i.e. without any heating.

In one embodiment, the cooling in step (b) is carried out to a temperature of from 45 to 65 degrees Celsius. In one preferred embodiment, the elevated temperature in step (d) is in the same ranges as the temperature specified above for step (a).

In one embodiment of the method, cocoa cake and at least part of the fat component are added in step (a) in the form of cocoa liquor. In one preferred embodiment, the portion of fat in the form of cocoa liquor is from 25 to 90 wt.%, preferably from 45 to 80 wt.%, based on the total amount of fat added.

In one embodiment of the method, the cocoa mass has a particle size D90 of 10 to 40 μm, preferably 15 to 30 μm. The method set out in the examples can be used to measure the particle size.

The emulsion of the humectant component can be added to the fat component by simply mixing the components under stirring, for example in a conventional mixing/stirring device. Optionally, an emulsifying agent can be added to facilitate the formation of the emulsion. The emulsifying component can be any suitable emulsifier. The emulsifier is preferably lecithin, for example soya lecithin. The emulsifier, if present, is typically present in the tropicalization agent composition in an amount of from about 0.001 to 2 wt.%, preferably from about 0.10 to 1 wt.%, for example from 0.10 to 0.5 wt.%, based on the total weight of the tropicalization agent composition.

Preferably, the prepared tropicalization agent composition can be maintained in a molten state for subsequent addition to the liquid chocolate mass. In an alternative embodiment, the tropicalization agent composition can be designed to be cooled and solidified for storage and distribution and can be designed to be re-melted for addition to the liquid chocolate or can be prepared in the form of particles or flakes for "dry" addition to the liquid chocolate, after which the fat is melted and the particles are dispersed.

The advantage is that the composition of tropicalization enhancing agents is suitable for use in chocolate under conditions of restrictions or prohibition of the introduction of artificial additives into chocolate in many countries under food industry regulations.

Advantageously, the addition of the tropicalization enhancing agent composition to the chocolate mass (or chocolate-like mass) should not result in any significant increase in the viscosity of the liquid chocolate mass over time, as a result of which the chocolate mass can be processed and molded or used for enrobing in traditional industrial manufacturing processes, and at the same time it is possible to provide a chocolate product that exhibits improved shape stability at elevated temperatures above room temperature, for example at temperatures up to 40°C and even higher. By "significant increase" is meant an increase in viscosity that would interfere with traditional molding or enrobing processes. Preferably, the increase in viscosity is less than about 20 percent, more preferably less than about 10 percent. The chocolate product is dry to the touch, does not stick to the wrapper and does not take the shape of the wrapper even when exposed to temperatures above the melting range of the fat composition. Advantageously, the good texture and organoleptic properties of ordinary chocolate should be maintained.

The composition of tropicalization enhancing agents of the present invention can be added to liquid chocolate before, after or during tempering of the chocolate. The increase in viscosity of the chocolate after the addition of the agent is slowed down to such an extent that the tempering process can be carried out (manually or in a machine, thermally/mechanically or by adding a seeding agent or pre-crystallized chocolate mass), without the chocolate subsequently becoming unsuitable for processing and not blocking the tempering machine and associated tubes and pumps.

In one preferred embodiment, the addition of the tropicalization agent composition must be carried out after conching the chocolate or chocolate analogue. The combination of stable temperature and high shear force used in the conche partially destroys the internal structures of the tropicalization agent composition, as a result of which the latter can no longer provide thermal stability.

The tropicalization-enhancing agent composition of the present invention can be added to liquid chocolate or chocolate analogue and dispersed by mechanical or manual stirring and/or using a conventional mixing apparatus. Advantageously, the tropicalization-enhancing agent or tropicalization-enhancing agent composition should be easily dispersible in the liquid chocolate or chocolate analogue to provide a substantially uniform and homogeneous dispersion of food particles in the liquid chocolate mass.

Advantageously, for increasing the tropical resistance of chocolate or chocolate analogues in accordance with the present invention, simple and economical processes are used, acceptable for industrial use, which do not require harsh conditions or expensive machinery. Advantageously, for the composition of agents increasing tropical resistance of the present invention, only a few constituent components are required and it can be prepared from commercially available food ingredients. The use of any expensive additives is not required.

According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the humectant added to the chocolate or chocolate analogue can be used in an amount of from 0.1 to 5 wt.% based on the weight of the final chocolate or chocolate-like product, preferably from 0.2 to 4.5 wt.%, preferably from 0.35 to 3.5 wt.%, preferably from 0.40 to 2.5 wt.%, preferably from 0.45 to 2.0 wt.%, preferably from 0.5 to 1.0 wt.%.

According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tropicalization-enhancing agent composition can be added to the chocolate or chocolate analogue in an amount of 1.0 to 20 wt%. Preferably, an amount of 2.0 to 15 wt%, preferably 2.5 to 17.5 wt%, preferably 2.75 to 15.0 wt%, preferably 3.0 to 12.0 wt%, and more preferably 3.0 to 10 wt% is used.

In one embodiment of the method, a dispersion of cocoa cake in a portion of the liquid fat component is mixed with an emulsion of a moisturizing component in a second portion of the liquid fat component.

Addition of too much tropicalization agent or composition, or of a tropicalization agent or composition with too high a water content, and/or of a wetting liquid component to the solid carrier component, may in some cases result in too rapid an increase in viscosity, and the product will not be suitable for molding, coating, or both, particularly if multiple such factors are present. Addition of too little tropicalization agent or composition may result in a delay exceeding the time during which the desired shape stability properties are maintained, or the required heat resistance properties may not be possible.

According to one embodiment, the fat content, for example the cocoa butter content, of the initial chocolate mass to which the tropicalization-enhancing agent composition is to be added is reduced compared to the desired final fat content by such an amount that the fat content, for example the cocoa butter, of the tropicalization-enhancing agent or composition provides the remaining amount of fat to obtain the final chocolate product with the desired fat content.

Advantageously, the resulting chocolate products comprising the tropicalization-enhancing agent composition of the present invention should not stick to the wrapper or take the shape of the wrapper at elevated temperatures, even at temperatures up to 40°C, should not have an undesirable appearance or taste sensation, and the chocolate or its analogues should not be subject to undesirable blooming effects. Moreover, the tropicalization-enhancing chocolate and chocolate analogues should have improved shape retention properties at elevated temperatures, even at temperatures up to 40°C, compared to the corresponding conventional chocolate or chocolate-like product without the tropicalization-enhancing agent.

The composition of the tropicalization enhancing agents of the present invention can be added to any type of chocolate, such as white, milk, dark chocolate or any intermediate type or any type of chocolate analogue, such as a coating composition. It can be expected that the heat resistance will be most effectively demonstrated in masses containing a high proportion of sugar and milk solids with a fine particle size distribution and having a relatively low fat content due to the loading and proximity of the building blocks of the particle network.

The tropicalizable chocolate and chocolate analogs of the invention can be advantageously used in tropical countries where hot weather causes frequent or rapid melting of chocolate or chocolate analogs. For example, chocolate analogs that include coatings or glazes that are thin and prone to rapid melting can be unexpectedly and advantageously produced using the tropicalizable agent of the invention. The tropicalizable food products of the invention remain non-sticky and are easy to separate from the wrapper, and the product does not remain on the consumer's fingers when consumed.

The term "about" as used herein may be generally understood to refer to numbers within a range of numbers. Moreover, all numerical ranges used herein are understood to include each integer within the range and the endpoints of the range, unless otherwise specified.

All patent and non-patent references cited in this application are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The present invention will be further described in detail in the following non-limiting examples.

Examples

Reference example 1

The reference composition was prepared as follows and using a 3-roll refiner and a conche machine from Lipp Mischechnichnik GmbH:

Ingredient wt.% Sugar 46 Cocoa butter 19 Cocoa mass 14 Whole milk powder 11 Dry skim milk 10 Sunflower lecithin 0.5 Vanilla flavoring 0.03

Examples

To obtain a composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents, cocoa mass is heated to 60°C, cocoa butter is added until it reaches a liquid state and cooled to a temperature of about 50°C. Glycerin, heated to a temperature of about 50°C, is added under high shear forces (in a Hobart planetary mixer) and the mixture is mixed for 3 minutes.

Unless otherwise stated, the agent is combined with tempered liquid chocolate.

Chocolate compositions are stored for one week under ambient conditions (20°C and 50 percent humidity).

Thermal shock test. Placed in an oven at a given temperature for 1 hour. Removed from the oven and pressed onto a flat surface twelve times to achieve shape loss. The tray always had base contours. The data is presented in pixels and shows the increase in area. The higher the number, the lower the heat resistance of the resulting mixture.

Peel-off test. Placed in an oven at a given temperature for 1 hour. Visual evaluation was performed based on the mass adhering to the wrapper and the loss of logo clarity when wrapped in standard foil.

Particle size analysis. Conducted using a Malvern Mastersizer 3000E particle counter, Fraunhofer theory, Hydro SM application, AAK Akomed R MCT oil disperser (RI 1.45). In the wet system, the sample is placed in the MCT oil disperser and dispersed ultrasonically for 2 minutes with an ultrasonic probe before being placed in the Malvern 3000E particle counter (in two parallel tests).

The mould is a 25mm x 25mm square with a depth of 7mm. The standard square area for the initial test is 26,228 pixels (Examples 1 and 2). From the conching experiments onwards (including particle size variation and shelf life/expiry date of the composition), the chamber was adjusted again and a new standard with an area of 22,000 pixels was used (all other examples in the patent).

Examples 1 and 2

The following components were mixed by weight: Cocoa butter: 1 part; Cocoa mass: 4 parts (2 parts cocoa butter, 2 parts cocoa cake); Glycerin: 1 part. Therefore, 17% glycerin, 50% fat, 33% cocoa cake using the above method.

This mixture is then added at a rate of 6% to a tempered chocolate mass made using the above recipe from reconstituted cocoa mass and butter, the only change to the recipe being the addition of 1% glycerin.

A portion of the agent is kept in a warm room at 45°C for 24 hours to obtain a chocolate product as described above. Reference Example 2 uses the same base chocolate but uses a commercially available cocoa butter improver, Illexo Sal, a previously used tropicalization agent.

Thermal shock testing was performed over the range of temperatures and pixel measurements shown below:

Temperature (°C) Reference example 1 Reference example 2 Example 1. Aged tropicalization agent Example 2. Unaged tropicalization agent 33 37 248 27 566 27 565 27 887 35 45 044 42 017 26 888 27 985 37 50 358 55 073 27 626 30 938 39 49 724 52 576 27 548 28 406

Thus, the results of the sample containing the aged tropicalization agent were slightly better, but in the other case significant advantages were observed due to the absence of additional process complexity. Accordingly, the present invention offers advantages over known methods that require aging to provide an acceptable product.

Examples 3-5

The following tests were carried out based on the above formulations with variations in the conditions of addition of the tropicalization agent of the present invention.

Temperature (°C) Reference example 1 Example 3. Start of conching Example 4. Completion of conching Example 5. During tempering 33 37 248 27 011 25 845,67 23 712 35 45 044 36 275,67 28 861,33 24 516 37 50 358 45,587.33 33 634,33 30 698,33 39 49 724 48 806,67 34,455.33 30 619

Changing the point of addition of the tropicalizing agent significantly affects the heat stability. The reference sample and the "start of conching" sample have similar heat stability profiles, indicating that the combination of stable temperature and high shear used during conching destroys the integrity of the tropicalizing agent and negatively affects its subsequent effectiveness. The "end of conching" sample has a profile close to that of the tropicalizing chocolate to which the agent was added during tempering.

Examples 6-9

The above methods were repeated varying the mixing speeds and shear forces to produce emulsions of varying particle sizes. Particle sizes were measured using the above parameters and the resulting chocolates were subjected to thermal shock testing at 37°C.

Emulsion D90/μm Sample area Standard 1 - 50 358 Example 6 38.4 24 904 Example 7 39.3 25 895 Example 8 44.3 27 079 Example 9 52.1 29 365

As can be seen, a smaller emulsion particle size can provide improved thermal stability.

Example 10

A study was conducted to compare the effects of the amount of lecithin, the amount of glycerin and the holding time after molding by means of a heat shock test at 37°C. The mass percentage was determined based on the mass of the chocolate composition.

Amount of glycerol/wt.% Amount of lecithin/wt.% 2 weeks 3 weeks 4 weeks 6 weeks 0 0 29 958 26 902 27 556 23 594 0.25 34 460 32 721 29 618 25 553 0.5 37 283 34 899 29 444 27 198 0.75 40 023 37,500 33 676 29 932 1 38 291 34 067 34 522 31 561 0.5 0.25 22 874 22 270 22 709 22 190 0.5 23 931 24 430 22 821 22 752 0.75 27 509 27 688 24 945 24 128 1 28 466 26 992 27,500 24 855 1 0.25 22 672 22 428 22 300 22 373 0.5 24 333 23 043 23 059 22 600 0.75 23 546 23 144 22 785 22 609 1 26 263 25 458 24 050 23 221

The p-value for the interaction between lecithin amount and aging in weeks is 0.576, indicating that there is no interaction between lecithin amount and aging in weeks (i.e., no interaction). The p-value for the interaction between lecithin amount and glycerol is 0.01, indicating that there is an interaction between lecithin amount and glycerol (i.e., an interaction). The p-value for the interaction between aging in weeks and glycerol amount is 0.00, indicating that there is an interaction between aging in weeks and glycerol amount (i.e., an interaction).

The above data show that, unlike a number of known methods, the agent of the present invention works without the need for long-term holding at a controlled temperature. The quality of the product is improved by holding, but this factor is not an essential feature for obtaining the desired product.

Example 11

The composition of Example 2 was wrapped in metallized foil and found to unroll easily after storage at the temperatures specified in the tables above, and the logo was still legible. Reference Example 1 was found to have melted and was difficult to unroll.

Claims (17)

1. A composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents comprising a fat component, a cocoa cake component and a humectant, wherein the composition contains from 10 to 60 wt.% of the cocoa cake component based on the weight of the composition, and wherein the humectant is present in an amount of from 2.5 to 40 wt.% based on the weight of the composition. 2. A composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents according to claim 1, in which the fat component is present in an amount of 20 to 80% by weight based on the weight of the composition. 3. A composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents according to claim 1 or 2, in which the mass ratio of cocoa cake:humidifier is from 0.25:1 to 24:1. 4. A composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents according to any one of claims 1-3, in which the mass ratio of cocoa cake:fat component is from 0.4:1 to 2.4:1. 5. A composition of tropicalization-enhancing agents according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the tropicalization-enhancing agent is in the form of an emulsion with an emulsion droplet size D90 of 20 to 100 μm. 6. A composition of tropicalization enhancing agents according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fat component is selected from the group consisting of cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalents (CBE), cocoa butter substitutes (CBS), vegetable oils and milk fats or any mixture thereof. 7. A composition of tropicalization enhancing agents according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the humectant is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polyols, sugar alcohols, sugar solution or any mixture thereof. 8. A method for preparing a composition of tropicalization enhancing agents according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the steps of (a) mixing cocoa cake with a fat component at a temperature at which the fat component is a liquid, (b) optionally cooling the mixture, (c) adding a humectant to the mixture, optionally at an elevated temperature, and (d) mixing the components. 9. A method for preparing a composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents according to claim 8, wherein the temperature of step (a) is more than 40°C. 10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the cocoa cake and part of the fat component are added to step (a) in the form of cocoa mass. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the cocoa mass has a particle size D90 from 10 μm to 40 μm. 12. Use of a composition of tropical resistance enhancing agents according to any of paragraphs 1-7 for improving the heat resistance of chocolate and chocolate-like products. 13. A method for increasing the tropical resistance of chocolate or its analogue by combining a chocolate or chocolate-like mass, optionally a tempered chocolate mass or an untempered chocolate-like mass, with a composition of tropical resistance-enhancing agents according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 14. A chocolate or chocolate-like product containing a composition of tropicalization enhancing agents according to any one of claims 1-7. 15. The use of paragraph 12, according to which the humectant is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the weight of the final chocolate or chocolate-like product. 16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the humectant is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the weight of the final chocolate or chocolate-like product. 17. The product according to claim 14, wherein the humectant is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the weight of the final chocolate or chocolate-like product.