General Foods Limited

Kraft General Foods, Inc.

John M Kovtun

Vijay Kumar Arora

Gary V Jones

Lawrence S Brandlein

Ronald G Gabbard

A coffee glass is disclosed which is prepared by evaporating coffee extract to at least 45% solids and then further evaporating that extract to form as viscoelastic fluid containing above 3% to 12% water and about 88% to 97% total coffee derived solids, aromatizing and/or gasifying the fluid in a confined headspace shaping the fluid, and cooling the fluid to entrap and protect coffee aromas providing less than 20% loss of volatiles.

Evaporative process for producing coffee glass

A thin, transparent coffee glass is disclosed which is prepared by forming a mixture containing above 4% to 12% water and about 88% to above 96% total coffee derived solids. These solids can further contain up to 20% hydrolyzed mannan and oligomers having a DP from 1 to 10 and up to 10% coffee cellulosic sugars. The coffee melt is characterized by having a glass transition temperature between 30.degree. C. to 80.degree. C. The coffee melt is heated to a temperature of 60.degree. C. to 130.degree. C. and extruded into a thin continuous film, stretched to further form a thin film which is rapidly cooled into a hard coffee glass which is shiny on both sides, dark in color and transparent. This transparent glass is then dried to a stable moisture content. The coffee glass provides a shiny appearance to any coffee product it is combined with an is an excellent means of entrapping and protecting coffee aromas. Furthermore, the coffee glass provides a means for shaping numerous new coffee products. The thin flakes of coffee glass disolve rapidly.

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Rahway, NJ, United States of America

John M Kovtun