Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
Saffron essence
The present invention relates to a composition containing
saffron and/or saffron ingredient;) chocolates, chocolate
products, sweets, cakes, gateaux, cake-shop products,
confectionery, jellies, marmalade;, jams, aspics,
vinegars and other foods containing this composition as
well as processes for their preparation.
Cakes containing saffron are just as well-known (see E.
Ziegler, Die natiirlichen and kiinstlichen Aromen, page 91,
Dr Alfred Hiithig Verlag Heidelberg, 1982) as pastries
containing saffron (see Rompp Chem.ie Lexikon, 9th
Edition, Volume 5, 1992, page 3965, Keyword: Saffron). In
this case the saffron is however used mainly to create a
yellow colour and not because of its characteristic taste
(see Rompp Chemie Lexikon, 9th Edition, page 3965).
Saffron baking flavourings are also known (see A. M.
Burger, Die natiirlichen and kiinstlichen Aromen, page 207,
Dr. Alfred Hiithig Verlag Heidelberg, 1968). In the ranges
of flavourings preparers, saffron flavourings which are
prepared for example by extraction, freeze-drying and
mixing with glucose are also offered. These ready-made
flavourings are however less suitable for the preparation
of essences and confectionery. These flavourings merely
give the products mixed with them an additional taste
element that does not carry the principal taste, as very
large quantities of flavouring and therefore very large
quantities of saffron would be necessary to give a
characteristic predominant taste in which saffron was the
principal component. This is however not acceptable on
the grounds of cost, as saffron ha.s a high market price
(see Rommp Chemie Lexikon, 9th Edition, page 3965). In
addition to this the known saffron flavourings cannot
give solid food preparations, such as say, chocolate
products or sweets, a strong, clear yellow colour.
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
2
A "Vinaigre de vin blanc au Safran" [Saffron flavoured
white wine vinegar] (Producer: Paul Corcellet, TVM 5, Rue
de Valmy, F-51100 Reims) is commercially available,
contains strands of saffron (approx. 1.2 g per litre),
but has almost no saffron taste and is only a pale
yellow.
DE-A-196 33 393 which is not a prior publication
describes inter alia a spirituous liquor, which comprises
a composition of saffron ingredients, one or more
monosaccharides with at least four carbon atoms, e.g.
glucose or fructose and ethanol ass well as water and (the
non-reducing disaccharide) sucrose.
The object of the present inventic>n is to provide
saffron-containing compositions and products in which the
saffron taste is more intense comb>ared with normal
saffron-containing compositions arid products.
This object is achieved by compositions which together
with saffron and/or saffron ingredients as well as one or
more monosaccharides with at least four carbon atoms
contain at least one reducing disaccharide, as well as by
chocolates, chocolate products, sweets, cakes, gateaux,
cake-shop products, confectionery, jellies, marmalades,
jams, aspics, vinegars and other foods which contain the
composition according to the invention.
Surprisingly, it was ascertained that the chocolates,
chocolate products, sweets, cakes, gateaux, cake-shop
products, confectionery, jellies, marmalades, jams,
aspics, vinegars or other foods ccntaining the
composition according to the invention have an intense
saffron taste. In contrast to this, when using saffron
flavourings which contain other saccharides instead of
the reducing disaccharide of the composition according to
the invention, 2.5 - 5 times as much saffron has to be
used to achieve the same taste intensity i.e. 60 - 80$
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
3
saffron can be saved with the compositions according to
the invention. By using the reducing disaccharides
instead of the non-reducing disacc:harides, a considerable
amount of the expensive saffron is thus saved, so that
henceforth vinegars, confectionery, cake-shop products,
gateaux, cakes, jellies, jams, marmalades, aspics,
sweets, chocolate products, chocolate and other foods in
which saffron is the principal ta~;te element can also be
made available to the consumer at acceptable prices.
Furthermore, by using the compositions according to the
invention solid food preparations containing saffron such
as e.g. chocolates, sweets etc., can henceforth also be
made available with a clear, strong, yellow colour, which
in addition also have an extremely long-lasting
aftertaste.
In the case of the products prepared with the
compositions according to the invention, which with the
exception of sweets do not normally contain sucrose in
their saffron-containing parts, the advantage of taste
intensification is not generally associated with the
disadvantage of a loss of sweetness due to a lack of
sucrose compared with normal saffron flavourings. As an
example, compared with sucrose (100$)) the monosaccharide
fructose has a sweetness of 173 and the reducing
disaccharide lactose has a sweetness of 16g (Nutrition
and Diet Therapy Reference Dictionary, 4th Edition,
Chapman & Hill, 1995, page 332, Keyword: "Sweetener"), so
that with the compositions according to the invention,
which for example contain fructose as monosaccharide and
lactose as reducing disaccharide, the same sweetnesses
can be achieved as with the quantity of sucrose of the
same weight. On the other hand, the sweetness of the
compositions according to the invention can be slightly
varied in relation to the composition containing sucrose
by appropriate adjustment of the amounts of
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
4
monosaccharide and disaccharide, :i.e. the compositions
according to the invention made sweeter or less sweet.
The compositions according to the invention contain
saffron and/or saffron ingredient,, e.g., stigmas, in
particular the dried, aromatic smelling, normally red
parts of the stigmas of the saffron plant, saffron fibres
or saffron ingredients obtained using conventional
processes, for example extraction.. The saffron fibres
used are the female stigmas, in particular the dried,
usually red parts of the stigmas of the saffron plant,
(Crocus sativus, Iridaceae), which are commercially
available. The extraction of, for example (particularly
freshly) ground saffron fibres can take place using
ethanol or aqueous ethanol (if at a11 possible at
temperatures up to max. 50~C, preferably max. 40~C, and
approx. 0.5 - 2 hours), followed, if desired, by
filtering, to obtain cellulose-free saffron ingredients.
A11 monosaccharides with at least four carbon atoms,
which as a rule can be reproduced by the general formula
CnH2nOn with n >_ 4 can be used as monosaccharides. n is
preferably 5 or 6, particularly 6. Preferred
monosaccharides are arabinose, sorbose, fructose and
glucose. Fructose is particularly preferred (e.g. D-
fructose). Naturally, the different stereoisomers of the
monosaccharides can equally be used.
All disaccharides in which two mon.osaccharides are
glycosidically connected to each other in such a way that
the glycoside bond is formed by a hemiacetal or hemiketal
hydroxyl group of one monosaccharide and by an alcoholic
(not hemiacetal or hemiketal) hydroxyl group of the other
monosaccharide (see e.g. H. Beyer, W. Walter, Lehrbuch
der organischen Chemie, 18th Edition, pp. 383, 384, S.
Hirzel Verlag Stuttgart, 1976) can be used as reducing
disaccharides. These disaccharides normally have the
general formula CX+yH2cX3yt-2 OcX+p-1, x and y being
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
independently of each other, greater than or equal to 4.
x and y are preferably 5 or 6, in particular 6. Examples
of suitable reducing disaccharide: are: lactose and
maltose. Lactose is preferred. Naturally, the different
5 stereoisomers of the reducing disaccharides can equally
be used. Just like the monosaccharides, the disaccharides
are usually commercially available and/or can be prepared
and purified by standard processes;.
For preference, the composition according to the
invention also contains water (preferably demineralized
water). For example, the monosacch.aride can be used as a
saturated aqueous solution and/or the reducing
disaccharide as a highly concentrated aqueous solution
for preparing the compositions according to the
invention.
Furthermore, the composition according to the invention
can contain ethanol, the presence of water then not being
absolutely necessary. 100% ethanol, preferably however
96% ethanol, can be used as ethanol. Ethanol can also be
used in the form of a high percentage spirituous liquor,
containing a small amount of essential oils such as e.g.
cognac (e.g. 2nd distillation, heart, approx. 70 vol.-
ethanol), whisky (e. g. 2nd distillation, heart, approx.
70 vol.-% ethanol) or rum ( e.g. Jamaica) approx. 75
vol . -%) .
The weight ratio of saffron and/or saffron ingredients to
the sum of mono- and reducing disaccharides is 1 to 100
to 800, preferably 200 to 500, in ;particular 300 to 400
and approx. 320 (relative to the d.ry weight of the
saffron and saccharides).
It is preferred that there are 100 to 500 g (preferably
200 - 400 g, particularly 250-300 g) of monosaccharides
and 20 to 150 g (preferably 50 - 100, particularly 60 -
80 g) of reducing disaccharides pe:r gram of saffron or
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
6
saffron ingredients (again relative to the dry weight of
the saffron and saccharides). The concentration of
saffron and/or saffron ingredient: in the compositions
according to the invention is mostly less than 1 wt.-~,
preferably 0.05 to 0.15 wt.-~, related to the composition
of saffron and/or saffron ingredients, one or more
monosaccharides with at least four carbon atoms and at
least one reducing disaccharide a~; well as optionally
ethanol and/or water. The concentration of saffron and/or
saffron ingredients will be greater (e.g. approx. 0.8
wt.-~) in compositions in which only saffron/saffron
ingredients, monosaccharide and rE~ducing disaccharide are
present, whereas it is lower if water and/or ethanol is
present (e. g. 0.05 - 0.15 wt.-~). The level of ethanol
and water in the compositions according to the invention
varies depending on the amount of ethanol or water
(preferably demineralized water) used as well as,
particularly in the case of ethanol due to its
volatility, depending on the special processing
conditions used for the preparation of the compositions.
Thus, for example, during the preparation of the
composition according to the invention, ethanol and/or
water can partly or completely evaporate through heating.
The compositions according to the invention can be
prepared by the following general process, a11 materials
being commercially available (when being used for foods,
the purity of the materials or additives used must
naturally comply with the respective food directives, for
example, the EU food directives.): commercial saffron
fibres with a dry weight of 1 g are ground and sifted
with a sieve, preferably with a plastic sieve with a
screen fineness of 12 to 30 n/cm (warp/weft count per
extension), reground and sifted once more until the
quantity is exhausted. The thus-obtained saffron powder
is then soaked with 4 to 8 ml of water (here and in the
following demineralized water). The aqueous
suspension is macerated with 20 to 150 ml, preferably
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
7
approx. 100 ml of ethanol (here and in the following
preferably 96 vol.-~), reacted anE'w with approx. 100 ml
ethanol after approx. 30 to 120 minutes and finally
heated briefly in a water bath at circa 70~C, accompanied
by shaking, during which the temperature in the vessel is
not to exceed 50~C. After cooling to room temperature, 100
to S00 g, preferably 2S0 g, of the monosaccharide or
monosaccharides, preferably fructose, are then added to
the mixture, and the whole is sha~:en. The mixture is then
kept being occasionally shaken, until the solution is
saturated, as a rule for approx. 2, hours.
A supersaturated solution of 20 to 150 g, preferably
approx. 70 g, of the reducing disaccharide or
disaccharides, preferably lactose, in a 30-60 vol.-~,
preferably approx. 50 vol.-$ of ethanol-water mixture is
then added to the mixture in the weight ratio of approx.
1:2 to approx. 1:4, preferably approx. 1:3. The resulting
preparation is then kept at room temperature for at least
approx. 12 hours and during this period is shaken at
least three times. Before each further use in a
chocolate, a chocolate product, a sweet, a cake, a
gateau, a cake-shop product, a confection (preferably
with no cocoa powder), a jelly, a marmalade, a jam,
aspic, vinegar or other food, the composition according
to the invention is shaken up. Optionally, before the
further processing of the composition according to the
invention, a part or the whole amount of the ethanol
and/or water used can be removed from the composition
according to the invention by careful and known
processes, such as for example gentle heating under
normal or reduced pressure.
The compositions according to the invention obtained in
this way can then be processed into different food or ,
confectionery by being added to the food or confectionery
at a suitable point during the customary preparation of
the food or confectionery or else mixed with the finished
product. The concentration of the composition according
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
8
to the invention in the finished product is preferably
0,2 to 25 wt.-$, depending on the product and the desired
taste intensity.
For example, the compositions according to the invention
obtained in this way can be processed to the chocolate
according to the invention, to the chocolate product
according to the invention or to t:he confection according
to the invention by stirring the composition according to
the invention into a mixture of chocolate ingredients or
chocolate-type ingredients (preferably cocoa powder free)
or ingredients forming confectionery. The ingredients of
the chocolate are the ingredients conventionally
contained in (whitish) "white" chocolates, i.e. cocoa
butter and emulsifiers as well as optionally further
components such as milk products, sultanas and/or raisins
or similar (see Rompp Lexikon Lebensmittel-Chemie, 1995,
p. 757 et seq., keywords: Schokola.de and
Schokoladenerzeugnisse). Possible ingredients of the
chocolate product are, among other's, cocoa butter,
butter, glucose, skim-milk powder and other ingredients
normally contained in chocolate products such as are
listed, for example, in Rompp Lexikon Lebensmittelchemie,
1995, pages 758 to 760, under the keyword "Schokoladen-
Erzeugnisse". (Cocoa butter is a whitish fat mixture, at
room temperature a pourable granulate that is practically
neutral in taste. Cocoa powder is left over if the cocoa
butter is separated from the cocoa mass hot and under
pressure. It is dark and tastes very intense and bitter,
harsh, so that it is preferably not to be contained in
the products prepared with the compositions according to
the invention). Apart from chocolates and chocolate
products, long-life pastries, snacks, jellies,
marmalades, jams, ice-cream, raw materials and/or
(initially) kneaded raw materials as well as icing
materials can be used as confectionery. Depending on the
ethanol content of the compositions according to the
invention prepared using the general process described
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
9
above, the chocolates, chocolate products, jellies,
marmalades, jams and confectionery can contain ethanol.
The concentration of the composition according to the
invention in the end-product (for example, chocolate) is
preferably 5 to 15 wt.-~, in particular 8 to 10 wt.-~.
The compositions obtained using the general process can
furthermore be processed into the sweets according to the
invention by adding the composition according to the
invention to a cooling melted sweet material (prepared by
boiling e.g. 50~ invert sugar syr,ap) before and above the
solidification point and quickly cooling the resulting
mixture after intensive stirring and pouring it into
sweet moulds. The concentration o:E the composition
according to the invention in the end-product (sweet) is
preferably 10 - 20 wt.-~, in particular approx. 14 - 16
wt.-~.
Furthermore, the compositions prepared with the general
process can be processed further into a gateau according
to the invention by introducing at: least one layer
(preferably 2 or 3 layers) of an aqueous dilution of the
composition according to the invention between layers of
ready-baked gateau and, optionally pouring the melted
chocolate according to the invention or the chocolate
product according to the invention over the gateau. The
cake and cake-shop products according to the invention
can, for example, in a similar way, be prepared by
applying or adding the composition according to the
invention or aqueous dilutions of the composition
according to the invention. Depending on the ethanol
content of the composition according to the invention,
the gateau according to the invention, the cakes
according to the invention and the: cake-shop product
according to the invention can contain ethanol.
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
The concentration of the composition according to the
invention in the aqueous dilution is usually between 1
and 10 wt.-~, preferably approx. 5 wt.-$.
5 To prepare a jelly, jam or marmalade according to the
invention, pectin is brought to t:~e boil in demineralized
water and mixed with fructose. Th.=_ composition according
to the invention is stirred in at approx. 50~C and the
mixture is poured into suitable (preferably previously
10 sterilized) containers, work preferably being carried out
at a low germ level. The concentration of the composition
according to the invention in the end-product (jelly, for
example) is preferably between 2 and 10 wt.-$, in
particular 5 - 7 wt.-$. As well as a variation in the
concentration of the composition according to the
invention, the pectin concentration can also be varied,
firm jellies being obtained with higher pectin
concentrations.
Aspic can be prepared by stirring in the composition
according to the invention in degreased highly-
concentrated stock.
To prepare vinegars, the composition according to the
invention is stirred into a purchasable vinegar (e. g.
wine vinegar) so that the concentration of the
composition according to the invention in the finished
vinegar is preferably 0.2 - 2.0 wt.-~, particularly 0.5 -
1.5 wt.-~.
With the different processes described here, it is
preferred not to exceed or to exceed only briefly a
process temperature of 50~C, as far as saffron and/or
saffron ingredients are concerned, since at higher
temperatures the smell- and taste-forming components of
saffron evaporate or are broken down to a greater extent,
for example by glycoside decomposition. For this reason,
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
11
it is also recommended to protect saffron-containing
products from light while storing them.
The invention can be further illustrated by the following
examples:
Example 1:
Preparation of a composition accordinc,~ to the invention
~ontainin~ fructose and lactose:
1 g (dry weight) of purchasable saffron fibres is ground
and sifted with a plastic sieve with a screen fineness of
12 to 30 n/cm (warp/weft count per extension), reground
and sifted anew until the quantity is exhausted. The
saffron powder obtained in this way is soaked with 6 ml
of demineralized water, then macerated with 100 ml of 96
vol.-$ ethanol, reacted anew with 100 ml of 96 vol.-~
ethanol after 75 minutes, and then heated briefly at 70~C
in a heated water bath accompanied by shaking. After
cooling to room temperature, 250 g of fructose are added,
the solution is shaken and stored for 2 hours with
occasional shaking until saturation. A supersaturated
solution is then prepared from 70 g of lactose in a 50
vol.-~ mixture of 96 vol.-$ ethanol and demineralized
water in the weight ratio of 1:3 and this supersaturated
lactose solution added to the fructose-saffron mixture.
The resulting preparation is stored for 12 hours at room
temperature, being shaken three times. It resembles a
suspension and is shaken up each time before it is
processed to confectionery.
example 2:
preparation of a fellow saffron chocolate product:
A mixture of 10 g of freshly-melted butter, 30 g glucose
and 2 g skim-milk powder is stirred into 40 g of melted,
cooling cocoa butter in the solidification range. After
it is heated to just the melting r~~nge, it is stirred
cold, and at just above the solidi:Eication range, 8 g of
the freshly shaken-up preparation <~ccording to the
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
12
invention according to example 1 :is stirred in. The
mixture is poured into chocolate moulds.
Exam~l a 3
Preparation of yellow saffronswee:ts:
85 g of 50 wt.-% invert sugar syrup are boiled to a sweet
material, stirred quickly before t:he solidification range
with 15 g of the freshly shaken-up preparation according
to the invention according to Example 1, poured into
sweet moulds and then subjected to rapid cooling.
Example 4:
Preparation of a saffron gateau w~.th low alcohol content:
Part A: 250 g butter are stirred with 200 g of glucose
until foamy; then four eggs are beaten in.
Part B: 300 g flour are mixed with 100 g edible starch
and sifted with a household sieve.
Part C: Parts A and B are mixed. The resulting dough is
poured into a gateau mould, greased with a little butter
and baked in a pre-heated oven at a low heat of approx.
190~C for 75 minutes. After cooling, the baked gateau is
cut into four horizontal layers. The second and fourth
layer are moistened with a 5 wt.-% aqueous dilution of
the freshly-shaken-up preparation according to the
invention according to example 1 until the colour is
constant, but not with more than is necessary for this.
The layers are joined together again,
The chocolate product according to example 2 is melted
carefully and poured as desired on to the surface of the
baked gateau. After the poured chocolate has cooled, the
process can be repeated in the same way with the sides of ,
the baked gateau after the latter has been tipped over on
a rack.
CA 02258705 1999-O1-14
13
xam~le 5:
Preparation of yellow saffron vinegar:
99.1 g of wine vinegar with an alcohol content of less
than 0.1 vol.-~ are mixed with 0.9 g of the freshly
shaken-up preparation according to the invention
according to example 1 and filtered after 24 hours.
The vinegar obtained is deep yelloca and tastes strongly
of saffron.
Example 6:
reparation of an alcohol-containing saffron jelly with
fructose
Depending on the desired consistency, 1.5 to 7 g of
pectin with 65 g of demineralized water are brought to
the boil accompanied by stirring, rnixed with 30 g of
fructose and kept at boiling point for a further 5
minutes. Further processing is carried out a low germ
level and with the greatest degree of sealing. After it
is cooled to 50~C, 6 g of the shaken-up preparation
according the invention prepared w~_th cognac (2nd
distillation, heart, approx. 70 vo~_.-~ of ethanol) are
stirred in slowly. The mixture is immediately poured into
sterilised containers. The containers are left to rest
for 24 hours at room temperature. At pectin
concentrations of ca. 4-7 g, firm jellies can be
obtained.
