CA1059820A

CA1059820A - Acidified milk product and method of producing the same

Info

Publication number: CA1059820A
Application number: CA251,715A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Robert S. Igoe
Original assignee: Merck and Co Inc
Current assignee: Merck and Co Inc
Priority date: 1975-05-13
Filing date: 1976-05-04
Publication date: 1979-08-07
Also published as: FR2310707A1; GB1485112A; FR2310707B1

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A method and composition are provided for preparing a novel acidified milk gel product, characterized by smooth body with no graininess and good flavor. The composition comprises a novel thickener system which is a blend of carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, and locust bean gum.
The thickener is used as a level of from about 0.6-1.6 by weight based on the weight of the final total weight of the milk - acid system. The three components of the thickener composition are present at levels of from about 30% to about 50% for carboxymethyl cellulose, from about 20% to about 50% for xanthan gum, and from about 10% to about 45% for locust bean gum, all percentages as a per-cent of total weight of the thickener composition. The thickener system can be used for both hot and cold pre-parations.

Description

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' BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has long been desired to successfully prepare a food product in which milk and acid juices, especially fruit juices, were blended to provide valuable nutritional advantages. There are inherent difficulties, however, in combining milk, which has a tendency to curdle, with fruit ` -juice having a relatively high acid content. Products which have be~n produced lack palatabil~ty, in many cases , .
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have lost essential vitamins, or are devoid of "lasting qualities so that they deteriorate rapldly.
Accordingly, it is a major purpose of the present invention to produce a novel mil~ and acid frult juice beverage or dessert without necessi~y for chemical neutralizers which will be highly palatable, have a high protein content, a smooth and creamy consistency, have a tender body, a firm moldable texture, and a relatively long life without deterioration~
The novel milk and acid fruit juice beverage or dessert of this invention can use low fat milk. Low fat milk is generally accepted in the industry to be below 2% fat conten~.
This invention can provide a particularly pleasing and nutritious ~ dessert per se. The produce may be packaged and distributed through ordinary ; channels and with a minimum of refrigeration~ together with the normal commercial distribution and sale of fresh milk or fruit juices.
In addition, other acid food juices" in addition to fruit juices, i can be used to prepare flavored milk desserts.
Other objects will become apparent upon further reading. :
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
This invention provides for the combination of milk and acid juices in a palatable, high protein beverage or food product which will re in stable. The E-~le ~u~ce .

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~ 5~Z~ i will rem~in within the product, as a finely divided widely dispersed mixture, providing uniformity of flavor without noticeable particles or any graininess.
To accomplish this result, this invention pro- !
vides a novel thickener system which results in the desirable product. This thickener system is a blend of carboxymethyl cellulose, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum.
The amounts of each component is as follows (percents based on weight of the total thickener composition and the total is 100~
carhoxymethyl celluIose from about 30~ to about 50%
locust bean gum from about 10% to about 45 xanthan gum from about 20~ to about 50 Within the above broad ranges, I have found certain ideal levels for specific formulations, depending on whether the final product is processed using cold or hot temperatures.
The optimum composition for cold processing usage contains from about 20% to about 35% xanthan gum, from about 20% to about 45% locust bean gum, and from about 30~ to about 50~
carboxymethyl cellulose (total is 100%). For hot processing, from about 35% to about 50~ xanthan gum, from about 15~ to about 20~ locust bean gum, and from about 30% to about 50~ carboxymethyl ~`
cellulose is used (total is 100~).
The chosen amount of each component can be dry mixed together, with sugar if desired, and ~dded to the milk, followed by addition of the fruit juice. Alternatively, the thickeners can be added separately, first adding carboxymethyl cellulose to the milk, followed by addition of the fruit juice and the locust bean gum and xanthan gum. The final blend can be heated, :~S~8~

or not, as desired during preparation. Slight changes of the amounts of th~ individual thickener components can be made, depending on whether cold or hot processing i5 chosen, as illustrated in the examples which are set forth in more detail below.
The thickener composition, as defined above, is used in the final milk-fruit juice product in an amount of from about 0.65% and about 1~, when the mixture is prepared hot, or from about 0.85% to about 1.6%, when the mixture is prepared cold, based on weight of the final volume amount.

The final liquid volume is the volume total of the milk and ; the fruit juice. Generally, the milk-fruit juice is used in approximately equal amounts by volume of each.
It is noted that the use of carboxymethyl cellu-lose as a protein stabilizer has been taught in the litera-ture, see C.A., 56, 1816b; C.A~, 78, 83016u. In add~tion, ; carboxymethyl cellulose has been used in a milk-fruit juice beverage, see Shenkenberg et al., F d Engineering, 43, No. 4, April 1971. I have found that carboxymethyl cellulose alone in a milk-fruit juice blend, at a level below 0.35~, did not form a gel, but a liquid product.
Also taught in the literature is the use of xanthan gum and locust bean gum to thicken acidified milk products, see U.S. 3,726,690~ In this case, as in the literature above, the milk products have a high fat content, see the Examples of that Patent. When I experimented using low fat content milk-fruit juice blends thickened with xanthan gum-locust bean gum alone, I observed a graininess ; of texture which is highly undesirable.

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It is therefore apparent that the focus of this in-vention is the discovery that milk-fruit juice blends can be prepared having superior characteristics using the synergistic effects of a mixture of carboxymethyl cellulose and xanthan gum-locust bean gum. I also found that the pH of the final products could be reduced substantially lower, to from about 3 to about 4.5, than those products prepared in the prior art, with a resultant improved flavor, even with the low fat ~:
levels present. My thickener composition is useful down to a pH range o from about 3 to about 4.5 Suitable fruit juices are orange, Hawaiian Punch*, black cherry, cranapple, papa~a, mango, grape, cranberry, lemon-lime, grapefruit, but this list is non-limiting, and many suit-able fruits and juices will occur to those skilled in the art.
This invention is further illustrated by the following examples: ~
EXAMPLE 1 .~.
Gel Made by One-Step "Hot" P`rocess ,, ., ~ _ The final level of the components of the system are as ollows;

Ingredients Percent by Weight .
Xanthan gum 0-35 Locust bean gl~ 0.14 Carboxymçthyl cellulose 0.30 Total thickener content 0.79 Milk 45.00 Juice (Hawaiian Punch*, 45.00 reconstituted frozen 2~

Sugar 9~01 Citric acid _.20 Total fat content of system 1.58 * Trade Mark ` ' '' ' : ' K-195.
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1 ~ bl.end of xanthan g~, locust bean gum, ~nd carboxy-

2 methyl cellulose is clry mixed, then blended with the

3 sugar. This blend is added to milk at room temperature

4 and mixed for about 1-2 minutes. The fruit ~uice, to which is added the citric acid, is then added to the 6 milk mixture and blended with stirring. The final pH
7 is 3.9. While stirring is continued, the mixture is 8 heated to 160F. for 30 minutes. The hot mixture is 9 then packaged, by pouring into decorative trays or lG another suitable container in tlle desired serving quantity.
11 The mixture is then cooled to below 40C., and is ready 12 for consumption or shipping.

14 Gel ~ade by Two~Step_"Hot" Process ~
The following formulations were prepared using 16 the process herein described~
17 Ingredients Pe.rcent by Flavor 18 Hawaiian Black 19 Punch Cherry Orange 20 Xanthan gum0.37 37 0 37 -21 Locust bean gum 0.15 0.15 0.15 22 ~ilk 45.Q0 45.00 45.00 23 Juice (recon 24 stituted 25 frozen con-26 centrate 27 2 x 1) 45.00 45.00 45.00 28 Sugar 8.98 8.98 8.88 29 Carboxymethyl 30cellulose 0.30 0.30 0.30 31Citric Acid 0.20 0.20 0.30 32~OTAL 100.00 100.00 100.00 .:
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1 Ingredients Percent by Flavor 2 Hawaiian Black 3 Punch Cherry Orange 4 (total thick-

5 ener content) 0.82 0.82 0.82

6 Total fat content of system: 1.58%; 1.58%; 1.5~.

7 The carboxymethyl cellulose blended with half

8 the sugar, is added to milk while stirring, and stirring

9 is continued for 15 minutes. The fruit juice (frozen reconstituted 2 x 1, and acidified with citric acid, is 11 then added to the milk and mixed. The xanthan gum, and 12 locust bean gum blended with the rest of the sugar, is 13 then added to the liquids while stirring. Final pH is 14 4.1. Under continuous stirring, the mixture is heated to 160F. for 30 minutes. The mixture is then packaged 16 cooled to below 40C. and consumed, or shipped.

18 The formulation in Example 2 was prepared into a 19 orange juice flavored gel using a "cold" process. ~he same general procedure was followed, except that the level 21 was applied while stirring, and stirring was continuing 22 at low speed after all ingredients were added, for 23 seven minutes.
24 In~redients Percentage 25 ~anthan gum 0.24 26 Locust bean gum 0.40 27 Carboxymethyl cellulose 0.30 28 Milk 45.00 29 Orange juice (reconstituted 30 frozen 2 x 1) 45.00 31 Sugar 8.86 32 Citric Acid .20 33 TOTAL 100.00 * Trade Mark 4'~

V K-19' 1 ~X~MPLE 4 2 Showin~ Syner~is-tic ~ffect of the Thickener 3 Blend Components :
4 A gel made by the one-step "hot" process, Example 1 above, was compared with two mixes made using identieal 6 food ingredients, but with either carboxymethyl cellulose 7 above or the xanthan gum ~ locust bean gum blend as 8 thiekener.
9 Percent Fat

10 ThiekenerThiekener Level Quality of Texture

11 Example 1.79 1.58 Excellent, smooth,

12 blend tender gel

13 Carboxy-

14 methyl

15 cellulose.3 1.58 Smooth viscous

16 non gelled liquid

17 Xanthan gum/ .35/

18 locust bean ~14 1.58 Non-gelling, grainy

19 gum 21 Following the proeedure of Example 1, the follow-i 22 ing formulations are pre~ared int:o a juiee-flavored gel using 23 a "hot" process and a ~um blend eonsisting of 39.4% xanthan 24 gum, 15.2% locust bean gum and 45.4% carboxymethyl cellulose.
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26 I. FORMULATION: (A) _ (B) 27 KELTROL F .26 ; .26 28 Loeust Bean Gum .10 .10 29 Carboxymethyl eellulose .30 .30 Sugar 9.09 9"09 31 Citrie Acid, anhydrous .25 .25 32 Juiee (Hawaiian Puneh~ e-33 constituted) 45.00 45.00 34 (A) Half & Half Cream (11.3%
Fat)45-00 36 (B) Cream mix (7.25% Fat) ~ 45.00 37 Final Gel Fat Level 38 (A) 5.6% Fat 39 (B) 3.6~ Fat * Trade Mark ~ ., .... ~ ~.
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1 The acid gels from formulations A and B each 2 had a smooth body exhibiting no ~raininess indicative 3 of protein precipitation. The gels had a richer taste A than those using low fat due to the increase of fat content.
Similar results are obtained using either of 6 the abeve formulations with the procedure of Ex-mple 2.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A gel-forming composition for use in a blend comprising fruit juice and milk or fruit juice and cream, the blend having a pH below about 4.5, comprising from about 20% to about 50% xanthan gum, from about 10% to about 45%
locust bean gum, and from about 30% to about 50% carboxy-methyl cellulose, the percentages being based on the total weight of the thickener composition and chosen so that the total is 100%.

2. The composition of Claim 1 which has the following components:
xanthan gum ........from about 35% to about 50%
locust bean gum ......from about 15% to about 20%
carboxymethyl cellulose ..from about 30% to about 50%

3. The composition of Claim 2 which has the following components:
xanthan gum ..............about 45%
locust bean gum ............about 18%
carboxymethyl cellulose ........about 37%

4. The composition of Claim 1 which has the following components:
xanthan gum ........from about 20% to about 35%
locust bean gum ......from about 20% to about 45%
carboxymethyl cellulose ....from about 30% to about 50%

5. The composition of Claim 4 which has the following composition:
xanthan gum ...............about 26%
locust bean gum ..............about 42%
carboxymethyl cellulose .........about 32%

6. A process for making edible gelled food composition comprising milk and fruit juice or cream and fruit juice, the gelled composition having a pH below about 4 which comprises adding to the milk or cream at ambient temperature between about 0.6 and about 1% by weight based on final weight of the food product of a gel-forming composition comprising from about 20% to about 50%
xanthan gum, from about 15% to about 45% locust bean gum, and from about 30% to about 40% carboxymethyl cellulose and then adding about the same weight of fruit juice as the milk or cream.

7. An edible gelled food composition comprising milk and fruit juice or cream and fruit juice thickened with from about 0.6 to about 1.6% of a thickener composition, the latter comprising from about 20% to about 50% xanthan gum, from about 15% to about 45% locust bean gum, and from about 30% to about 40% carboxymethyl cellulose, the gelled composition having a pH below about 4.5.

8. A process according to Claim 6 wherein the final mixture is heated to from about 150 to about 150 to about 170°F. for from about 30 to about 60 minutes.

9. A composition according to claim 1 having a fat content below about 2%.

10. A composition according to claim 2 having a fat content below about 2%.

11. A composition according to claim 3 having a fat content below about 2%.

12. A composition according to claim 4 having a fat content below about 2%.

13. A composition according to claim 5 having a fat content below about 2%.

14. A composition according to claim 7 having a fat content below about 2%.

15. A process according to claim 6 wherein the product has a fat content below about 2%.

16. A process according to claim 8 wherein the product has a fat content below about 2%.