Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
1
CONCENTRATED DESSERT CUBE, METHODS OF
MANUFACTURE, AND PACKAGING THEREFOR
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the food arts, and more particularly to a novel
concentrated food composition containing dessert ingredients in the form of a
cube, tablet,
or other rigid form, that is manufactured and sold as such and used by the
consumer for
to making a dessert-like food product. The concentrated food composition,
referred to
herein as a "dessert cube," is mixed with a liquid such as water or milk and a
specified
amount of other ingredients, typically sugar, subsequently cooked or heated in
accordance
with a specified process, and thereafter cooled in a mold, producing a dessert-
like food
product.
The invention also relates to a process for manufacturing a dessert cube of
the type
described herein in a form that has good stability prior to use, e.g.,
resistance to crumbling
during shipment and during handling, but which will dissolve or disperse in a
liquid in a
relatively short amount of time, e.g., less than five minutes, when the
consumer prepares
the dessert-like food product.
2o In another aspect, the present invention relates to an arrangement for
packaging
one or more of the dessert cubes in a convenient fashion for the user.
B. Description of Related Art
It is known in the food arts to provide to the retail consumer a pre-mixed dry
or
powdered dessert formulation containing all or substantially all the essential
dry
ingredients, including the required amount of sugar, for making a batch of a
dessert food
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
2
product. This approach, referred to herein simply as the "complete mix"
approach, has
obvious benefits for the retail consumer, in that the task of acquiring and
measuring out all
the ingredients to make the dessert is avoided. For example, mixes for making
flan, a
custard-like dessert popular in Latin America, have been sold to the retail
consumer. The
consumer adds a liquid such as milk to the mix and follows the cooking
directions on the
package. A similar approach has been used for making gelatin desserts, whereby
the
consumer merely provides a predetermined quantity of water and follows a few
simple
directions.
Despite the apparent convenience to the retail consumer, there are several
to drawbacks to the "complete mix" method that have been appreciated by the
present
inventors. First of all, this approach is relatively costly for the consumer.
Since one of
the principal ingredients in the mix is almost always sugar, the consumer pays
the
manufacturer's full margin on the sugar that is present in the formulation.
The consumer
would experience a substantial cost saving if they could purchase all the
ingredients
already mixed, except for the sugar, and supply their own sugar. Furthermore,
the
inclusion of a substantial amount of sugar in the mix or formulation increases
the weight
and bulk of the product, thereby increasing the cost of the packaging for the
product and
the cost to ship the product to the site of the retail sale. Additionally, the
"complete mix"
approach can be rather difficult for the consumer to work with if they want to
prepare
2o some lesser amount of the resulting dessert, instead of the quantity that
would result if the
entire contents of the complete mix are used.
The present invention represents a significant departure from the standard
"complete mix" approach and addresses each of the above drawbacks. The dessert
cube
format, as described herein, provides a convenient and effective means to
supply all of the
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
3
dry or powdered ingredients for the dessert except for the sugar. The format
allows the
retail consumer to supply essentially all of the sugar for the dessert product
(some sugar
may be part of the dessert cube itself). The consumer thus experiences cost
savings for
making the dessert. For a similar shelf price, the consumer gets twice as much
product as
they would get with a competitive product that has the sugar in the mix.
Further, the
dessert cube formulation delivers a similar product yield to the consumer as
found in a
complete mix, but due to the small size of the concentrated dessert cube it
can be packaged
in a much smaller package, thereby resulting in a cost savings in terms of
packaging costs
and transportation costs. Additionally, using the concentrated dessert cubes
is a new and
1o convenient way to make the dessert foods, such as flans and gelatins. When
the consumer
buys a package containing several of the dessert cubes, they can use one
dessert cube to
make one batch and store the remainder until later. The size of the dessert
cubes could be
reduced so that more than one dessert cube is used to make the typical size
batch (e.g., 1/2
liter of gelatin), giving the consumer the option to make only half a batch or
a third of a
~5 batch and avoid any weighing out of a mix, as would be required using the
"complete
mix" approach.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect of the invention, a dessert cube is provided comprising a
2o concentrated food composition containing dessert ingredients in the form of
a solid block
or mass, such as a cube, tablet, or other suitable compact and substantially
rigid form. The
food composition will typically comprise sugar, of either coarse or fme
varieties (or
perhaps both), flavorings, food coloring, and a small amount of water admixed
together to
produce a free-flowing granular mix. The free-flowing granular mix is
subsequently
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
4
compressed in a press to form the substantially solid block or cube.
The solid block or cube is adapted to be mixed with and preferably dissolved
or
dispersed in milk or water by the consumer at the time of preparation and
mixed with an
additional quantity of sugar. The product is then subjected to a predetermined
process,
such as cooking and then cooling in a mold. For example, the heating can be by
boiling
or simmering the resulting dessert cube/water/sugar or dessert cube/milk/sugar
solution.
After the heating step is completed, the liquid solution can be poured in a
mold and
subsequently cooled to thereby produce a dessert-like food product, such as a
gelatin, flan
or custard. Alternatively, the dessert food product may be in liquid form,
such as a
1o gelatin drink in which the gelatin does not set.
Two representative examples or varieties of dessert cubes are described herein
for
purposes of example and not limitation. One variety is a gelatin dessert cube
for making a
gelatin dessert food product. Another variety is a flan dessert cube for
making a flan-like
dessert food product.
In the gelatin dessert cube embodiment, the food composition that comprises
the
dessert cube includes a predetermined quantity of gelatin, flavoring and
coloring. In this
embodiment the dessert cube is adapted to be dispersed or, more preferably,
dissolved in
heated water, mixed with a quantity of sugar, and then cooled in a mold. In a
preferred
embodiment the gelatin comprises between about 25 percent and 75 percent by
weight of
2o the total mass of food composition forming the dessert cube, and more
preferably between
about 54 and about 65 per cent by weight of the total mass of the food
composition.
Dessert cubes which have gelatin in an amount below 50 percent will generally
be more
suitable either for gelatin drink products, or for use in an embodiment in
which more than
one dessert cube is used to make a standard amount of a gelatin food product
(e.g., '/Z liter)
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
in which the gelatin is refrigerated and set in a mold.
In the flan dessert cube embodiment, the food composition comprises sugar,
carageenan and corn starch, in addition to flavorings, colorings and
polyglycerol esters,
and the dessert cube is adapted to be dissolved in and mixed with milk and an
additional
5 quantity of sugar. Typical ranges for the flan dessert cube, in terms of the
total mass of
the food composition, are as follows: sugar: 60-80%, carageenan:l4-22%, corn
starch 3.5-
7%; polyglycerol esters: 0.5-1.5%, water: 0.7-1.3%.
In another aspect of the invention, a process for manufacturing a concentrated
dessert cube for use in making a dessert-like food product is provided. In a
typical
to embodiment of the invention, the substances making up the dessert cube are
either very
low in or totally devoid of fat. Hence, particular problems are encountered in
making a
cube of sufficient stability and resistance to crumbling during handling but
which will
disperse, or more preferably, dissolve in water or milk within an acceptable
period of time
at the time of preparation of the dessert food product. In this aspect of the
invention, the
manufacturing method comprises the steps of mixing together a food composition
making
up the dessert cube, including sugar, flavoring, food coloring, and water
(perhaps with
other ingredients) to produce a free-flowing granular mix. Next, a
predetermined quantity
of the free-flowing granular mix is placed in a press. The press is operated
so as to
compress the predetermined quantity of the granular mix with a compression
force
2o sufficient to form a compact, substantially solid block or tablet of the
food composition,
such that the compact solid block or tablet will (1) disperse or dissolve in a
liquid such as
milk or water within a predetermined suitable amount of time when the dessert-
like food
product is to be prepared, and (2) have the desired stability. It has been
found
experimentally that, for the representative embodiments, a compressive force
of between
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
6
about 2000 and 2700 pounds per square inch produces a concentrated dessert
cube having
the desired stability and dissolvability properties, but departure from this
range may be
required depending on the formulation in question.
In another aspect of the invention, an easy to use, packaged dessert cube food
product adapted for purchase, preparation and consumption by a retail consumer
is
provided. The packaged dessert cube food product comprises, in combination, a
package
comprising a panel and a clear plastic member allowing the consumer to view
the interior
of the package. The clear plastic member and the panel define an enclosure for
a product
placed therein. The enclosure contains at least one dessert cube formulated to
be dissolved
1o in a liquid, mixed with at least one other ingredient (normally just sugar)
and subsequently
subject to a specified process to prepare a dessert-like food product, such as
of the type
described herein. In an alternative embodiment, several, e.g., 2 or 4 of such
dessert cubes
are placed in the enclosure. In a preferred embodiment, each of the dessert
cubes is
encased within or over-wrapped by an envelope comprising an openable, e.g.,
tearable,
material such as aluminum foil or plastic or paper film. The retail consumer
opens the
package and removes the tearable material from the dessert cube and
subsequently
prepares the dessert-like food product in accordance with a specified process
printed on
the package. Any remaining dessert cubes in the package remain unopened in
their
respective envelope or wrapping. Typically, in the preferred embodiment, one
dessert cube
2o would be used by the consumer for preparation of a batch of the dessert-
like food product,
such as 1 liter of the flan product or %2 liter of the gelatin product.
These and still other features of the invention will be described more
particularly in
the following detailed description of presently preferred, representative
embodiments.
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
7
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following description, reference will be made to the appended drawings,
wherein like reference numbers refer to like elements in the various views,
and in which:
Figure 1 is an illustration of a dessert cube in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is an illustration of an alternative form factor for the dessert cube
of
Figure l, it being apparent from Figures 1 and 2 that many different form
factors for a
dessert cube are possible;
Figure 3 is a flow chart of a process of manufacturing the dessert cub of a
gelatin
1 o variety in accordance with a presently preferred manufacturing method;
Figure 4 is a flow chart of a process of manufacturing a dessert cube of a
flan
variety in accordance with a presently preferred manufacturing method;
Figures SA -SC are several views of a presently preferred packaging
arrangement
for packaging the dessert cube of Figures 1 or 2 for sale to a retail
consumer; and
Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a rotary tablet press than can be
adapted to
manufacture dessert cubes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
2o EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Refernng to Figures 1 and 2, a dessert cube 10 in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the invention is shown in a perspective view. The dessert cube
10
comprises a substantially solid block 12 consisting of a food composition
containing
concentrated dessert ingredients such as sugar, flavorings, colorings,
acidulants, a small
amount of water, and possibly gelatin, or carageenan, corn starch and
polyglycerol esters.
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
8
The ingredients making up the block 12 are admixed together during a
manufacturing
process to produce a free-flowing granular mix, with the granular mix based
around the
sugar or gelatin particles 14. The free-flowing granular mix is subsequently
compressed
in a press at a predetermined pressure or compression force to form the
substantially solid
block 12. As indicated by a comparison of Figures 1 and 2, the particular
shape of the
dessert cube 10 is not particularly important. A tablet press or other similar
type of device
may be used to make the dessert cube. Various types of form factors, such as a
tablet, may
be chosen for the dessert cube 10. Referring to Figure 1, the cube may weigh
between 10
and 15 grams and have a dimension of between 15 and 30 mm per side, such as 20
mm x
30 mm x 20 mm in an illustrative embodiment.
The dessert cube 10 is adapted or formulated such that the dessert cube is
mixed
with a liquid such as milk or water, preferably dispersed or dissolved in the
liquid, and the
resulting mixture mixed with a quantity of sugar by the consumer at the time
of
preparation of the dessert. The resulting solution comprising the dessert cube
10, liquid,
and an additional quantity of sugar is processed in a predetermined cooking or
other
process to thereby produce a dessert-like food product. Several representative
cooking
processes for using the dessert cube to make a dessert are described below for
purposes of
example.
In one possible embodiment, the food composition making up the dessert cube 10
2o comprises, among other things, a predetermined quantity of gelatin. The
dessert cube 10 is
adapted to be dissolved in hot water, mixed with a quantity of sugar, and
thereafter cooled
in a mold to produce a gelatin food product. In this embodiment, the gelatin
comprises
between 50 and 75 percent by weight of the total mass of the food composition
making up
the dessert cube, and between about 54% and about 65% by weight of the total
mass of the
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
9
food composition in a preferred embodiment. Sugar is present in the dessert
cube within a
range of between about 22% and about 29%. Water is present in an amount of
less than 5%
by weight. Citric acid is present in a range of between about 1 and about 5%.
Preferably,
the gelatin has a bloom index (indicating the gel strength derived from the
gelatin) of
between 220 and 240. For a gelatin drink dessert food product embodiment, the
amount of
gelatin in the cube could be reduced somewhat, but would be expected to at
least 25 percent
of the total mass of the dessert cube. Similarly, if more than one dessert
cube is to be used
to make a given batch of a gelatin dessert of the type that is cooled in a
mold, then the
quantity of gelatin in the cube could be reduced below the range of 50-75
percent, and may
1o for example be between 25 and 50 percent.
As another example, the dessert cube may be used by the consumer to prepare a
flan dessert food product. In this example, the food composition comprises, in
addition to
sugar, flavoring, colorings, carageenan, corn starch and polyglycerol esters.
Typical ranges
for the flan dessert, in terms of the total mass of the food composition, are
as follows:
sugar: 60-80%, carageenan: 14-22%, corn starch: 3.5-7%; polyglycerol esters:
0.5-1.5%,
water: 0.7-1.3%. The dessert cube 10 is adapted or formulated to be dissolved
in and
mixed with milk. The consumer heats the solution in accordance with a
predetermined
cooking process, pours the solution into a mold and subsequently cools it to
produce a flan
dessert.
The proper range of the amount of carageenan in the dessert cube will depend
on
the dessert formulation in question, the type of carageenan that is used, and
the other
ingredients in the mix. If too little carageenan is used the product will not
gel
satisfactorily, and if too much is used the cube will not dissolve in the time
required. For
a compact form such as cube or tablet for producing a custard or flan type of
dessert
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
product, a suitable range for carageenan is believed to be between 14 and 22
percent of the
total mass of the dessert cube.
After production of the dessert cubes, the dessert cubes are packaged in a
suitable
manner for shipment and retail sale. A presently preferred packaging system
for the
5 dessert cubes of Figures 1 and 2 is illustrated in Figures SA-SC and
described
subsequently.
EXAMPLE 1
A gelatin variety dessert cube and manufacturing method will now be described.
to The mix for the gelatin dessert cube has a formula set forth in Table 1
below. The
resulting dessert cube is 12.0 grams in weight, has a dimension of 20 mm x 30
mm x 20
mm, and yields a '/2 liter of gelatin.
Table 1.
Gelatin Dessert Cube Formulation
In_ erg Percentage (wt.)% Range (+/-)
Gelatin (220-240 bloom index) 59.81 5
Fumaric Acid * 5.61 1.5
Flavoring 4.67 to taste
2o Citric Acid ** 2.43 1.0 (as required)
Colors (blend) 0.37 as required
Sugar (fine) 25.23 3.0
Potable water 1.67 0.5
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
11
* Fumaric Acid is used as an acidulant but also adds lubrication properties
for
the forming process.
* * Citric Acid is used as an acidulant but also contributes to some flavors.
The manufacturing process for producing the gelatin dessert cube is
illustrated in
Figure 3. At step 20, the powdered ingredients (other than the gelatin) are
pre-blended in
a "plow" type mixer or a ribbon blender. The blender must have a high shear
mixing
device "chopper" to develop the proper granulation to the mix. At step 22, the
pre-
blended ingredients are hydrated using the water, which is added slowly to the
blender.
The batch of material is mixed at a high speed during step 24 to thoroughly
incorporate the
1 o water. At step 26, once the mix is hydrated and a homogeneous blend is
achieved, the
gelatin power is added as a gentle stream with the mixer on a slow speed. When
all of the
gelatin has been added, the mixer remains on a slow/medium speed to evenly
disperse the
gelatin. The mixing action between the hydrated pre-mix and the gelatin causes
the
gelatin to bind itself to the pre-mix, creating a granular material which is
fairly free
flowing and has a particle size of between 0.7 mm and 1.2 mm. The use of a
fine gelatin
(0.5 mm particle size), and the fine sugar, facilitates this granule formation
due to the
similarity of the particle sizes. It also minimizes the risk of particulate
separation during
processing.
At step 28, the formulation resulting from the above process is then
introduced into
2o a suitable press for forming of the dessert cube per se. In a preferred
embodiment, this is
carned out in a direct compression tablet press in the manner described below.
The
machine is set to achieve the desired compression force to produce a cube
having the
desired stability and dissolution properties. The typical compression force is
2,300 p.s.i.
This can be adjusted to suit the formulation and the optimum range appears to
be between
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
12
about 2,000 p.s.i. and 2,700 p.s.i. for the gelatin cubes.
After production of the cubes, the cubes are packaged in a suitable fashion
for
distribution or sale. For example, the cubes may be individually wrapped in a
tearable
film or membrane, preferably one that provides a substantial barrier to the
entry of
moisture, such as a thin aluminum film. A die-wrapping machine similar to the
wrapping
machines used for die-wrapping candy bars is a suitable machine for this
packaging
concept.
The process for using the cube to make the gelatin dessert food is as follows:
Place one cube into a suitable vessel. Pour in 250 mls of boiling water and
stir with a fork
to or spoon to dissolve the cube. Add approximately 80-100 g sugar (to taste).
Add cold
water to make the volume up to 500 mls. Stir until all the cube and sugar are
dissolved.
Pour into molds and refrigerate.
EXAMPLE TWO
A flan variety dessert cube and manufacturing process for making the dessert
cube
will now be described. The resulting dessert cube weighs 14.3 grams, is 20 mm
x 30 mm
x 20 mm, and yields 1 liter of flan. The formulation for the dessert cube is
as follows:
Table 2.
2o Flan Dessert Cube Formulation
Ingredient Percentage (wt 1 % Range (+/-)
Sugar (coarse ground) 70.0 10.0
Carageenan 17.8 4.0
Flavorings 3.97 To taste
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
13
Polyglycerol esters 1.0 0.5
Colors (blend of Tartrazine and 0.265 As required
Ponceau 4R)
Salt 0.70 0.3
Corn Starch 5.265 1.5
Potable water 1.0 0.3
to
The manufacturing process is illustrated in Figure 4. At step 30, the coarse
sugar is
blended together with the water and the polyglycerol esters to form a hydrated
sugar
"crumb". All the other ingredients are pre-blended and incorporated into the
sugar
"crumb" slowly, as indicate at step 32. At step 34, gentle mixing of the
resulting
formulation is performed. The action of the gentle mixing creates a granule,
of relatively
uniform size, based around the sugar particles. The material at this stage is
a free-flowing
granular mix. The particle shape and size distribution is key to the
effectiveness of the
forming process. At step 36, the mix is introduced in the press and the press
forms the
dessert cube of the desired shape, mass and dimension. In a laboratory
setting, this can be
carried out on a hydraulic press using either a 2 or 3 piece die set
comprising 1 or 2
machined punches and a machined die cavity. A commercial process is described
further
below. The typical compression force for the flan variety is 2,100 p.s.i. This
can be
adjusted to suit the formulation and the optimum range appears to be between
about 2,000
and about 2,500 p.s.i. for this embodiment. Commercial production will
preferably take
place on a direct compression tablet press or other suitable machine, modified
as necessary
to produce the dessert cube of the desired size and form factor and capable of
producing
compression forces as required to meet the stability and dissolution
objectives for the
dessert cube.
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
14
The dessert cube is then packaged in a suitable package, such as individually
wrapped or enveloped in a tearable film such as aluminum foil film.
The process for using the cube to make the flan dessert food is as follows:
Place
one cube into pan with 100 g sugar. Pour in 1 liter of cold milk while stirnng
with a fork
or spoon. Put the pan on the stove and heat to boil, stirring constantly. When
boiling,
reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute while continuing to stir. Remove from
the heat
and pour into flan molds and refrigerate.
Manufacturing Considerations
to Prior to forming the dessert cube in the press, the free-flowing granular
mix is
mixed in a manner to produce an average particle size and an even distribution
thereof
such that the forming process is most effective. While the optimum particle
shape and
size in the free-flowing granular mix is not an exact science, the key is to
achieve a
particle that has a consistent size to prevent separation of the component
ingredients. The
particles, ideally, should have an irregular shape rather than a spherical and
smooth shape.
This irregularity enables the particles to "lock" together under compression
as the particles
are pressed into the air spaces that are present before compression. When a
consistent
particle size and an irregular shaped granule are achieved then the
compression force
required is reduced, thus enhancing the dissolution of the dessert cube at the
time of
2o preparation of the dessert food product.
The granules produced for the dessert cube are typically either based on sugar
crystals or gelatin crystals, and such crystals offer a basis to form the
irregular particles.
The remaining dessert ingredients are then mixed with the sugar/gelatin to
coat the
particles. The resulting size of the irregular particle will generally be
between 0.7 mm and
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
1.2 mm in size. In the above gelatin embodiment, a gelatin crystal size of
less than 0.5
mm is preferred, which will result in a irregular particle in the above range.
In the representative embodiments described herein, the contents of the food
composition forming the dessert mix are low in, or devoid of, fat or oil and
hence
5 machines typically used for making cubes in the food art, such as bouillon
cubes, may not
be adequate to make the cubes. We have determined that production of many
types of the
dessert cubes can be carried out satisfactorily using a direct compression
tablet press of the
general type used in the pharmaceutical and confectionery industries. The
Stokes DD2
Rotary Press (where DD2 indicates the tooling size) and the Manesty DX4 and
RS3
to presses are believed suitable for making the dessert cubes. These machines
have punches
and dies incorporated into the machine design to enable a continuous
operation. A
continuous feed system, typically gravity feed, is used to fill the die cavity
during each
cycle of the press. The lower punch holds the material (i.e., mix), in the die
cavity during
filling, then once the upper punch descends into the die it compresses the
material to form
15 the cube.
It has also been experimentally determined that the amount of compression
force
needed to be applied to the mix during the pressing operation is important to
achieve the
required stability of the cube, and yet provide a short enough dissolving
time. For most
dessert cubes, it is presently believed that a compression force of between
2,000 and 2,700
2o pounds per square inch would be satisfactory. Some modification to the
tooling or cam
systems may be required to produce the required compression forces. The cubes
could be
made on most tableting machines, e.g., single punch or rotary, with the only
limiting factor
being the tooling dimensions.
A somewhat simplified schematic illustration of rotary tablet press adapted
for
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
16
continuous production of the dessert cubes is shown in Figure 6. The tablet
press 70
includes a plurality of sets of upper and lower punches 72 and 74,
respectively, each of
which comprise a punch tool 76 placed within a hollow cylindrical collar 78.
The
punches and an intermediate table 77 move from right to left in unison in the
illustrated
embodiment. The space defined between the end portions 80 and 82 of the punch
tools
76 in the position at the right hand side of the illustration define a region
to receive a
predetermined quantity of the free-flowing dessert mix from a feed shoe 84. A
lower
support 86 includes a cam feature 88 providing a tablet weight adjustment, as
the feature
88 defines the separation distance, and hence volume of space, between the end
portions
80 and 82, when the lower punch 74 rides over the cam feature 88. As the
punches 72
and 74 are moved to the left in the illustration, the peripheral end portions
90 and 92
thereof engage an upper compression roll 94 and a lower compression roll 96,
respectively. The action of the upper compression roll and lower compression
roll on the
end portions 90 and 92 of the punches cause the punch tools 76 to move towards
each
other, compressing the mix and forming a tablet. The punches 72 and 74 are
moved
further to the left and the tablet is ejected when the lower tool moves over
an ejection
ramp 98.
From the above description, it will be appreciated that we have described a
process
for manufacturing a dessert cube for use in making a dessert-like food
product, comprising
2o the steps of: mixing together a food composition comprising two or more
dessert
ingredients selected from the group consisting of sugar, flavoring, food
coloring,
carageenan, corn starch, polyglycerol esters and water to produce a free-
flowing granular
mix, placing a predetermined quantity of the free-flowing granular mix in a
press, and then
compressing the mix in the press to achieve a predetermined compression force
sufficient
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
17
to form a compact, solid block of the food composition, for example of the
type illustrated
in Figures 1 and 2, wherein the compact solid block of the food composition
will dissolve
in milk or water within a predetermined suitable amount of time, e.g., less
than 5 minutes,
when the dessert-like food product is to be prepared.
One possible example of the food composition includes gelatin, with the
resulting
solid block or dessert cube adapted to be dissolved in water. In a preferred
embodiment
the gelatin comprises between 25 and 75 percent by weight of the total mass of
the food
composition, and more preferably between about 54 and 65 % by weight the total
mass of
the food composition for a gelatin dessert food product that is refrigerated
in a mold.
In the mixing process the free-flowing granular mix is preferably mixed in a
manner to produce an average particle size of between about 0.7 mm and 1.2 mm
prior to
the placing of the quantity of mix into the press. After production of the
dessert cube, the
dessert cube 10 (Figures 1 and 2) is individually wrapped in an openable
material such as
aluminum foil, and placed in a package. The package either contains or has
printed
thereon directions for the consumer to prepare the dessert food product in
accordance with
a predetermined process, such as described above for the flan and gelatin
varieties of the
dessert cube.
Refernng now to Figure SA, a representative package for one or more dessert
cubes particularly suitable for retail sale is illustrated in a perspective
view. The package
50 comprises a panel 52 and a plastic member or blister 54 affixed to the
panel 52 in
known fashion. The opening in the clear plastic member 54 is sealed with a
removable
translucent plastic membrane 56, shown best in Figures SB and SC. The plastic
membrane
or film 56 is peeled away from the panel 52, by means of a tab 59, to open the
package.
The membrane 56 is removed in Figure SA. The membrane 56 and the blister 54
enable
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/LTS00/05274
18
ready visual observation of the novel dessert cubes in a retail environment.
The dessert cubes 10 are individually wrapped or enveloped in an openable
material 58 and placed within the blister package 50. The blister package
could contain
any arbitrary number of dessert cubes, such as one, four, or perhaps ten. The
retail
consumer opens the blister package by removing the membrane 56 from the panel
52,
removes a dessert cube 10 from the package, removes the tearable material 58
from the
dessert cube 10, and subsequently prepares the dessert-like food product in
accordance
with the specified process. In the example of Figure SA, the directions for
performing the
process are printed on the panel as indicated at 60.
to In a preferred embodiment, the material used for the wrapping 58 is a thin
aluminum foil film to provide a moisture barrier for the dessert cubes. Other
materials
could of course be used.
When the consumer opens the blister package 50, they will typically remove one
cube from the package 50 and make the dessert from the specified directions.
The
remaining dessert cubes remain fresh, in a sealed condition in their
respective wrapper 58,
within the package 50. Thus, the package arrangement of Figure SA-SC is
convenient for
the user.
Although the preceding detailed description and appended claims refer to sugar
as
being the primary or even sole ingredient added by the user (other than the
liquid such as
2o milk or water) this does not necessarily have to be the case. Furthermore,
the term "sugar"
is intended to encompass all the various different types and sources of sugar
in common
usage in the art (e.g., coarse sugar, fine or castor sugar, beet sugar, cane
sugar, unrefined or
raw sugar, etc.). The term is also intended to encompass the situation in
which sugar, such
CA 02359658 2001-08-07
WO 00/57714 PCT/US00/05274
19
as one or more of the types referred to above, is replaced with a sugar
substitute such as
aspartame or saccharin.
Further, the particular geometric shape, form factor, size and mass of the
dessert
cube is not considered critical to the practice of the invention. The choice
of shape, form
factor, size and mass will typically be a function of the type of machine
being used to
compress and form the dessert cube, the desired yield of the dessert-like food
product, and
the particular recipe or variety of dessert cube in question. As noted above,
the dessert
cube may take various forms, such as a rectangular cube, square cube, egg or
spheroid
shapes, and various tablet forms such as round, ovoid, or square. Accordingly,
the generic
1 o term "substantially solid block" has been used in the claims with the
intent to encompass
all such form factors, shapes and sizes of the dessert cube, unless the
context clearly
indicates that a specific form factor, shape or size is intended.
The preferred embodiments having been described with particularity, it will be
appreciated that considerable variation from the specifics thereof may be made
without
departure from the true scope and spirit of the invention. For example,
variation from the
disclosed preferred food compositions could be made to make other varieties of
dessert
food products, without departure from the scope of the invention. This true
scope and spirit
of the invention will be found by reference to the appended claims,
interpreted in light of
the foregoing specification.
