Systems and methods for reduced refining during cocoa liquor processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019364923-A1
Application number	US-201716472715-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 29, 2016
Publication date	Dec 5, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing processed cocoa nibs are provided. The methods involve coarse grinding cocoa nibs to form a slurry and subjecting less than all of the cocoa slurry to refining. The refined and unrefined volumes or portions of cocoa slurry are then recombined to provide a recombined cocoa product. The cocoa nibs produced by the method may be further processed to provide cocoa liquor or chocolate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for producing a recombined cocoa product, which method comprises the steps of:
grinding cocoa nibs to create a coarse cocoa slurry comprising a liquid portion and a particulate portion, separating the coarse cocoa slurry in a separating step to create a precipitate and a supernatant, refining precipitate composition ingredients comprising the precipitate in a refining step to create a refined precipitate composition, and combining cocoa product ingredients comprising the refined precipitate composition and the supernatant in a combining step to form the recombined cocoa product.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cocoa slurry is input to separating at a temperature in the range of 45 to 130° C., wherein the apparent viscosity of the precipitate is between 150,000 and 730,000 cP.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein 30-50% of the cocoa slurry by weight is in the precipitate after the separating step.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the supernatant comprises a cocoa butter and cocoa particles, the cocoa solid particles has a D90 value equal to or less than about 40 μm, and the cocoa particles comprises at least 15 weight % of the total weight of the particulate portion.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the cocoa solid particles has a D90 value equal to or less than about 30 μm.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the precipitate composition ingredients further comprise chocolate ingredients comprising sugar and cocoa powder.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the cocoa product ingredients further comprise an additional cocoa butter, and the additional cocoa butter is added in the combining step.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the recombined cocoa product is a chocolate and the combining step mixes and conches the cocoa product ingredients.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recombined cocoa product is a chocolate liquor.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the separating step is conducted using a centrifuge.

11 . A method for processing cocoa nibs, the method comprising:
coarsely grinding cocoa nibs to form a cocoa slurry comprising a cocoa liquid and cocoa solid particles in the cocoa liquid, wherein the cocoa liquid comprises cocoa butter; separating the cocoa slurry in a separation step into a liquid portion and a precipitate portion, wherein the liquid portion comprises a portion of the cocoa solid particles forming a particle portion within the liquid portion, and wherein the particle portion comprises cocoa solid particles having a D90 value equal to or less than about 40 μm; refining the precipitate portion to form a refined precipitate in a refining step; and recombining the liquid portion and the refined precipitate in a combining step to produce a recombined cocoa product.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the liquid portion is not subjected to a process that significantly reduces particles sizes of the portion of the cocoa solid particles.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the particle portion has a D90 value equal to or less than about 30 μm.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the refining step further comprises adding an emulsifier.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the refining step further comprises adding chocolate ingredient comprising sugar and optionally milk powder.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the combining step further comprises adding an additional cocoa butter.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the combining step provides conching of the recombined cocoa product.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the recombined cocoa product is a chocolate.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the separating step in conducted in a centrifuge.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the liquid portion is at least 50% by weight is the cocoa slurry.

Assignees

• Mars Inc

Inventors

• Josyula Aditya
• Slesser Dale
• Kaiser John
• Shafi Rogaite
• Kelley Matthew
• Gonzalez Jose

Classifications

• A23G1/0009

  Manufacture or treatment of liquids, creams, pastes, granules, shreds or powders · CPC title

• A23G1/002 Primary

  Processes for preparing or treating cocoa beans or nibs · CPC title

• A23G1/0006 Primary

  Processes specially adapted for manufacture or treatment of cocoa or cocoa products (A23G1/002 - A23G1/005 take precedence) · CPC title

• A23G1/0036

  Conching · CPC title

• A23G1/30

  Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor · CPC title