Aroma-retaining soluble coffee

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11968996-B2
Application number	US-201715851313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2015
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for the production of aromatized soluble coffee particles. The process comprises the incubation of an aroma donor, such as a roasted coffee, with a acceptor, such as a refined coffee oil. The acceptor can be added prior or after incubation to the soluble coffee particles. The disclosure of the present technology also pertains to a process for the preparation of an instant coffee product comprising aromatized soluble coffee particles. Thereby an odor-acceptable edible oil is subjected to aroma transfer from roast coffee beans, either before or after being applied on soluble coffee particles. The aroma transfer being conducted for an incubation time of at least one day, and the amount of the aromatized oil in the instant coffee is 0.8 wt. % to 4.5 wt. %.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for the preparation of an instant coffee product comprising aromatized soluble coffee particles, the process comprising (a) providing soluble coffee particles; (b) providing an odor-acceptable edible oil; (c) applying the oil on the soluble coffee particles, and wherein the oil is applied on the soluble coffee particles prior to conducting aroma transfer, and wherein the oil is subjected to aroma transfer from roast coffee beans, so as to obtain the aromatized soluble coffee particles, wherein the aromatized soluble coffee particles comprise aromatized oil, the aroma transfer being conducted for an incubation time of at least one day, wherein the temperature of the soluble coffee particles during incubation is 0° C. to 50° C., wherein the amount of the aromatized oil in the instant coffee is 0.8 wt. % to 4.5 wt. %, and wherein the aroma transfer is in an aroma-transfer environment wherein both the oil and roast coffee beans are present, and wherein the aroma-transfer environment is set up in such a way that the coffee beans and the oil cannot come into physical contact with each other.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aromatized soluble coffee particles are mixed with non-aromatized soluble coffee particles in a ratio of from 15:1 to 1:1 on a weight basis, wherein the non-aromatized soluble coffee particles do not contain aromatized oil.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the ratio is 8:1 to 4:1.

4. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the aromatized soluble coffee particles have an aromatized oil concentration prior to mixing of between 4.5 wt. % and 15 wt. %.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of the aromatized oil on the soluble coffee particles is 0.8 wt. % to 4.5 wt. %, and wherein all of the soluble coffee particles in the instant coffee are the aromatized soluble coffee particles.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the roast coffee beans have a temperature of at most 50° C.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the temperature of the soluble coffee particles is 4° C. to 25° C.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aroma transfer is conducted for an incubation time of one to six days.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aroma transfer is conducted for an incubation time of three to six days.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the roast coffee beans to the soluble coffee particles comprising applied oil is in a range of from 5:1 to 1:5 on a weight basis.

11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the ratio is 2:1 to 1:2.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the oil is a refined oil.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the oil is coffee oil.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of aromatized oil in the instant coffee product is in a range of from 1 wt. % to 2.5 wt. % calculated on the weight of the soluble coffee particles.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the oil is applied in the form of an emulsion of the oil in water.

16. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the emulsion has an oil percentage of at most 50 wt. %.

17. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the amount of oil applied on the soluble coffee particles is in a range of from 1 wt. % to 3 wt.

18. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the emulsion comprises of from 1 wt. % to 10 wt. % of soluble coffee particles as an emulsifier.

19. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the roast coffee beans are whole beans.

20. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aroma transfer is conducted in a single vessel.

21. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aroma transfer is conducted in two separate vessels which are connected via the gas phase, optionally via a gas permeable membrane.

22. The process according to claim 21 , wherein a forced convection is applied to the gas phase.

23. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aromatized soluble coffee particles are mixed with non-aromatized soluble coffee particles in a ratio of from 10:1 to 2:1 on a weight basis, wherein the non-aromatized soluble coffee particles do not contain aromatized oil.

24. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the roast coffee beans have a temperature below 30° C.

25. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the roast coffee beans to the soluble coffee particles comprising applied oil is in a range of from 3:1 to 1:3 on a weight basis.

26. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the oil is refined coffee oil.

27. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of aromatized oil in the instant coffee product is in a range of from 1 wt. % to 1.5 wt. % calculated on the weight of the soluble coffee particles.

28. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the emulsion has an oil percentage of from 15 wt. % to 45 wt. %.

29. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the amount of oil applied on the soluble coffee particles is in a range of from 1.25 wt. % to 2 wt. %.

30. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the emulsion comprises of from 2.5 wt. % to 7.5 wt. % of soluble coffee particles as an emulsifier.

Assignees

• Douwe Egberts Bv

Inventors

• Heijman Gertjan
• De Kok Petrus Maria Theresia
• Oosterveld Alexander

Classifications

• A23F5/48 Primary

  Isolation {or recuperation} of coffee flavour or coffee oil · CPC title

• A23F5/36

  Further treatment of dried coffee extract; Preparations produced thereby, e.g. instant coffee ({A23F5/246 takes precedence; } removing unwanted substances A23F5/18; flavouring A23F5/46) · CPC title

• A23F5/46 Primary

  Coffee flavour; Coffee oil; Flavouring of coffee or coffee extract (synthetic coffee flavours A23L27/28) · CPC title

• A23F5/465 Primary

  Flavouring with flavours other than natural coffee flavour or coffee oil · CPC title

• A23F5/10 Primary

  Treating roasted coffee; Preparations produced thereby (removing unwanted substances A23F5/16; reducing or removing alkaloid content A23F5/20; coffee extraction, making instant coffee A23F5/24) · CPC title