Intermediate moisture bar using a dairy-based binder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9326538-B2
Application number	US-75582810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2010
Priority date	Apr 7, 2010
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A chewy and intermediate moisture bar is provided that uses a dairy-based binder generally without the need to employ gums, humectants, and sugar syrups as a binder to achieve the moist and chewy texture. In one aspect, the bar includes a dry base uniformly blended with a dairy-based binder that uses high levels of dairy proteins as the main binding component. A method of forming the chewy and intermediate moisture bar is also provided that may use a lay or delay period to allow moisture equilibration or migration from the binder to the dry base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chewy and intermediate moisture bar using a dairy-based binder, the bar comprising:
a dry base selected from one of grains, nuts, granola, oats, and mixtures thereof;
a dairy-based binder including about 3 to about 14 percent dairy protein, about 16 to about 35 percent water, and less than about 0.1 percent non-dairy binding ingredients all based on the weight of the dairy-based binder, and a dairy protein to moisture ratio of less than about 0.5 such that the dairy-based binder includes about 2 to about 5 times more moisture than dairy protein, the dairy-based binder blended with the dry base;
about 3 to about 9 percent total dairy protein, about 10 to about 40 percent total water, and a total dairy protein to total moisture ratio of less than 0.5 such that the bar includes about 2 to about 5 times more total moisture than total dairy protein so that the dairy protein is sufficiently hydrated effective to function as a binder to form the dry base into a moist and chewy self-supporting bar shape;
wherein the maximum exposure temperature of the dairy-based binder and the chewy and intermediate moisture bar is about 110° F. and the dairy-based binder includes live and active cultures; and
wherein the dairy-based binder includes a blend of an aqueous dairy source and a dry dairy protein source.

2. The chewy and intermediate moisture bar of claim 1 , wherein the dairy protein to moisture ratio of the binder and the total dairy protein to total moisture ratio of the chewy and intermediate moisture bar are both about 0.2 to about 0.5.

3. The chewy and intermediate moisture bar of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous dairy source is selected from the group consisting of cheese, cream, milk, yogurt, cultured dairy products, and mixtures thereof.

4. The chewy and intermediate moisture bar of claim 1 , wherein the dry dairy protein source is selected from the group consisting of non-fat dry milk, milk powders, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, cultured powders, and mixtures thereof.

5. The chewy and intermediate moisture bar of claim 1 , further comprising about 40 to about 60 percent of the dairy-based binder and about 60 to about 40 percent of the dry base.

6. The chewy and intermediate moisture bar of claim 1 , wherein the chewy and intermediate moisture bar has no non-dairy binding agents.

7. The chewy and intermediate moisture bar of claim 1 , wherein the dry base includes about 30 to about 45 percent grains, nuts, granola, oats, or mixtures thereof and up to about 5 percent of a low or intermediate water activity fruit with a water activity less than about 0.5.

8. The chewy and intermediate moisture bar of claim 1 , wherein the chewy and intermediate moisture bar has a water activity of about 0.5 to about 0.9.

9. The chewy and intermediate moisture bar of claim 8 , wherein the water activity is about 0.7 to about 0.85.

10. The chewy and intermediate moisture bar of claim 1 , wherein the chewy and intermediate moisture bar includes about 8 percent to about 16 percent sugar solids.

Assignees

• Smith Gary Francis
• Kortum Olaf C
• Ma Yinqing
• Reilly Amanda J
• Harman Kelly K
• Coleman Edward Charles
• Peebles Juan R
• Kraft Foods Group Brands Llc

Inventors

• Smith Gary Francis
• Kortum Olaf C
• Ma Yinqing
• Reilly Amanda J
• Harman Kelly K
• Coleman Edward Charles
• Peebles Juan R

Classifications

• A23L7/126 Primary

  Snacks or the like obtained by binding, shaping or compacting together cereal grains or cereal pieces, e.g. cereal bars · CPC title

• A23C19/0765

  Addition to the curd of additives other than acidifying agents, dairy products, proteins except gelatine, fats, enzymes, microorganisms, NaCl, CaCl2 or KCl; Foamed fresh cheese products · CPC title

• A23C13/12

  Cream preparations · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A23C19/09

  Other cheese preparations; Mixtures of cheese with other foodstuffs · CPC title