The present invention relates to a composite flexible frozen confection containing a distinct block(s) of a gel component, that is combined with one or more frozen dessert components, in such a manner that the composition may exhibit hand-held flexibility without significant separation of one or more of the components. The present invention further teaches a method of preparing such a food composition for frozen dessert applications.
The key features of the invention are the fun, or play factor and the absence of the messiness of eat that would otherwise ensue. Other aspects of multiple components are also present such as having more than one visual appearance such as color and clarity, more than one texture, mouthfeel, flavor, flavor release etc. upon consumption. In particular, the frozen dessert component provides the refreshment aspect that complements the physical strength necessary for the wobbly gel component.
WO 99/38386 relates to a water ice containing stabilizers and having a channeled structure of air passages. It does not teach flexibility or combinations having blocks of gel components with other blocks of frozen dessert component.
EP 0864256 teaches a way of molding an ice confection using multipart molds and liquid nitrogen as a cryogen. It does not teach a way to achieve flexibility of multicomponent products.
JP 2000 004793 relates to an iced dessert with a jelly-like solid item coated with ice cream. Product is made by coating solid or fluid edible material with ice cream, or using concentric nozzles. It teaches viscosity control and use of sweet potato fiber as additive to ice cream and does not teach flexibility.
JP 1999 346659 relates to a swirl design food based upon molding and nozzle devices. This does not relate to a gel, or to a method of making a gel, and does not teach flexibility.
EP 0560052 relates to the use of a gelatin coating (not a polyanionic) upon ice cream. The teaching is for low calorie products. There is no teaching regarding wobbliness or prevention of disengagement of gel layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,678 involves dipping an ice cream into a thixotropic batch containing alginate. This product contains the separate gel phase as a distinct component block (a coating) and emphasis is upon achieving a jelly coating, not upon wobbliness.
In any situation of bending a typical flexible material (like a piece of eraser), it is not just the change in the direction of the arc that must be considered. There is typically one surface of the flexible material that suffers dilation (the outside of the arc) and the opposite surface suffers compression (the inside of the arc). Both dilation and compression effects typically lead to other indirect but significant changes in surface geometry. These indirect changes have large contributions to the disengagement of the components of the composition. The present invention minimizes both the occurrence and the consequences of these side effects.
These side effects are explained as follows.
A dilated surface also typically undergoes some narrowing in one direction, to compensate for the stretching in the other direction. A compressed surface also undergoes some lateral broadening and buckling, in order to tolerate the material displacement that is resultant from the squeezing of its fabric in the other direction. Although these changes are side effects of the creation of the bend, they are nonetheless substantive, geometric displacements.
When such changes in surface geometry of a flexible gel occur in juxtaposition with a more rigid conjoined structure such as a frozen dessert; surface separation and delamination of the union is wholly expected. Bending movements lead to substantial breaking of at least one of the more brittle non-gel components. Such broken fragments of the non-gel component(s) then typically fall off the gel component.
Thus there is a need for a composition in which two or more components of different rigidity are combined, yet in which the application of bending motions does not cause the falling apart of the composition in any significant way. Another need is for a composition that, despite being able to be wiggled about, does not generate a very messy eating experience. The present invention now satisfies these needs.
Surprisingly, it has been discovered that with the present composition, compositions having greater structural integrity are provided such that meesy eating experiences due to breakage are substantially minimized. In fact although the more rigid component does still crack, or craze to some degree, this is not excessive. Further, the more rigid component does not readily separate or disengage from the gel component and survives repeated wiggles without disengaging. Part of this is due to the discovery that the adhesiveness of the gel phase should not be too high.
The invention thus concerns a composite frozen confection containing one or more component block(s) of polyanionic gel(s) in conjunction with more rigid component such that:
a) During warming to room temperature the confection develops flexibility,
b) When flexible, the confection may be bent or wobbled such that one end may distort to an angle of at least 5 degrees from other end and
c) During the first 4 distortions, not more than 5% by weight of the rigid component falls off.
In this invention the gel phase is separate, as a distinct and elongated component block, such as a filling, a layer, a rope, a coating, or as laminations etc., provided the gel phase substantially extends longitudinally from one end of the product to the other end.
The gel component is not present as an emulsion phase or dispersion (in which individual particulate gel sizes and geometries are not visible to the eye of a healthy individual).
The adjunct frozen dessert component is typically a water ice, but may be a sorbet, sherbet, ice cream etc. and might or might not itself also be, or contain, a gel. There is a difference in the rigidities of the two components of the present composition.
The method for preparing such items is embodying the ability to form a viscoelastic charged gel component and a rigid component together into a composite.
The method comprises contacting the gel component with the rigid component by processes such as molding, enrobing, spraying or co-extrusion.