WO1994002026A1 - Process for coating candied foodstuffs and products so obtained - Google Patents

Abstract

Process for coating candied foodstuffs and products so obtained. According to the invention, the process consists in coating the candied foodstuff with an alginate gel or calcium or aluminium pectate film, obtained by firstly soaking said foodstuff in an alginate or pectate solution, and then soaking it in a bath containing calcium or aluminium salts. The invention concerns food products candied in a saccharose or glucose syrup or a mixture of both, and more especially candied fruit.

Description

 PROCESS FOR COATING EDIBLE CONFIT FOODS AND PRODUCTS THUS OBTAINED

The subject of the present invention is a process for coating candied edible foodstuffs and the products thus obtained.

The invention relates to the industry of edible products candied in a syrup of sucrose, glucose or a mixture of the two, and more particularly candied fruits.

Candied edible products currently produced are generally simply drained. The syrup that adheres to their skin makes them sticky to each other which makes their handling difficult and prevents them from being automatically packaged to be sold in a box or incorporated mechanically into the composition where they must enter. In addition, the fruits thus treated must imperatively be washed before incorporation into cake doughs or other cakes.

Techniques are used to try to limit these drawbacks. For example, sugar-based frosting, which greatly increases the sugar content of the finished product, or drying followed by coating with dehydrated starch powder or granulated or granulated sugar, which results in a significant increase in treatment times.

Patent No. FR 87 O 255, by the same inventor, proposes a coating with powdered maltodextrin, however this product is more or less long-term absorbed by the candied fruit which then regains its sticky surface.

The method according to the present invention eliminates all these drawbacks. Indeed, it makes it possible to obtain candied products which no longer stick to each other without icing, which results in a load of sweetening material of 12 to 22% lower than that of traditional products. They do not need to be washed beforehand and retain a shiny appearance for a long time. Finally, the process which is the subject of the invention makes it possible to apply protection does not alter the product and does not modify its texture, having the effect of preventing or slowing the exudation of the syrup, thus ensuring that the initial characteristics are maintained for an extended period.

The method according to the invention consists in coating the candied food with a film consisting of an alginate gel © u of calcium pectate or aluminum, obtained by a first trem¬ page of said food in a solution of alginate or pectate, followed by a second soaking in a bath containing calcium or aluminum salts.

The detailed description below relates to a nonlimiting example of one of the embodiments of the subject of the invention.

To allow the creation of the film on the candied product, it is necessary to soak the material to be coated (fruit or other candied product, drained) in a solution of alginate or pectate to which a proportion of pregelatinized starch, gelatin or different gums making the film thicker or more impermeable to the excess syrup contained in the food to be treated.

For the layer of alginate or pectate to take the form of gel, it suffices, after a certain time of draining, to carry out a new soaking in a bath containing edible calcium or aluminum salts, depending on the soil used for the first soaking.

The alginate (or pectate) solution is obtained by diluting 1 to 3% of this product in the solution which may also contain 0.5 to 2% of other fillers. The hardening bath, allowing the alginate (or pectate) solution to gel will be prepared using calcium salts such as calcium lactate or gluconate, or even calcium chloride, but in the latter case a third rinse bath is necessary. The solution of this second bath is obtained by diluting 1 to 10% of salts in water, depending on the time required to obtain the gelation. If the concentration is very high, a fresh water rinse should be provided. The film thus obtained coats the product and allows it to no longer stick, constituting a skin.

The first soaking and draining times are determined so that the alginate (or pectate) film is thick enough to ensure correct protection of the candied product, without being too thick, so as not to denature it taste.

Soaking can be done both manually and mechanically.

The coating can also be carried out by spraying the solutions onto the candied product, using a wrapper or the like.

The coating example and the formula proposed below are given for information only, the forms of coating, draining and the formulas being able to vary according to the means used and the products used.

To treat candied cherries for example, or other similar fruits, in accordance with the process of the invention, the proportions for the solutions will advantageously be as follows:

A. Coating solution (solution N ° 1):

- Water

- Alginate - Xantham gum (falcutative)

B. Gelling bath (solution 2):

- Water

- A- Calcium lactate

- AT

The fruits are soaked in the coating solution, or coated with this solution thanks to a coating machine, taking care carefully that they are not damaged, then they are carefully drained on grids, so that the Alginate solution layer is neither too thin because it would be ineffective, nor too thick, as it could distort the taste of the product. The fruits will then be immersed in the gelling bath.

The drip screens can then be taken up and immersed in pure water if necessary before drying to prevent any risk of mold. The fruits are then immersed in the gelling bath.

The manual soaking process can only be applied to the coating of small quantities due to the fragility of the products to be treated. For large quantities, the operations will advantageously be carried out mechanically, according to the method described above.

The fruits arrive drained in a coating auger with solid walls whose axis is slightly inclined so that the coating solution can completely cover the fruits so that the fruits and the solution mix intimately. Solution No. 1 is sent into said worm using a pump. The screw allows the fruit and the excess solution to exit towards a double endless draining screw called "biturbine", the walls of which are perforated in order to allow the fruit to drain and the coating solution to be evacuated , which is recycled to the feed tank of the pump feeding the coating auger. The products can also be drained on a wire mesh, rotating or vibrating. The length of this biturbine and the speed of rotation of the screws condition the characteristics of the draining, which makes it possible to adapt the system to the products to be treated. On leaving the double worm or the drip mat, the fruits fall into a third screw unending similar to the coating screw and slightly inclined like it, but receiving the gelling bath (solution No. 2). The passage time is determined so that the gel has time to be sufficiently solid, before the fruits reach a final drip grid and are then dried.

The mechanical coating described can of course be used for all types of candied food, and not only for fruit.

The positioning of the various constituent elements gives this process a maximum of useful effects which had not been obtained to date by similar processes.

Claims

1 ° Process for coating candied edible foodstuffs, applicable to edible products candied in a syrup of sucrose, glucose or a mixture of the two, and more particularly to candied fruit, characterized in that it consists in coating the candied product with a film consisting of a calcium alginate gel or calcium pectate or aluminum, obtained by a first coating of the said product with an alginate or pectate solution, followed, after draining, a second coating with a gelling solution of calcium or aluminum salts. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the coatings are obtained by soaking the products to be treated in the solutions. 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the coatings are produced by spraying the solutions onto the candied product, using a wrapper or the like. L ° Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is added to the alginate or pectate solution of pregelatinized starch, gelatin or other gums making the film more impermeable to the excess syrup contained in the food to be treated. 5 ° Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the algi¬ nate (or pectate) solution is obtained by diluting 1 to 3% of this product in the solution which may also contain 0 , 5 to 2% of other charges, and that the gelling solution is prepared using calcium salts such as calcium chloride, lactate or gluconate, in a proportion of 1 to 5% of salts in water. 6 ° A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coating is carried out mechanically, the candied food arriving drained in a coating worm with solid walls whose axis is slightly inclined so that the alginate (or pectate) solution, introduced with the aid of a feed pump completely covers said foodstuffs, the coating worm allowing the foodstuffs and the excess solution to escape to a double drip auger whose walls are perforated to allow drainage and evacuation of the coating solution, which is recycled to the feed tank of the feed pump, the drained food falling into a third endless screw similar to the coating screw and slightly inclined like it, but receiving the gelling solution, and conveying the foodstuffs to a final dripping grid. 7. Candied products obtained by the process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that they are covered with a film consisting of a calcium alginate gel or calcium pectate or aluminum capable of preventing them from sticking together, and of slowing down the exudation of the syrup which they contain to prolong the duration of the maintenance of the initial characteristics of the said products.