Nestec S.a.

Case Western Reserve University

Zenon Ioannis Mandralis

Robert Eugene Garwood

Scott A Westfall

Keith Roberts

James Tuot

Donald L Feke

Sanjay Gupta

Kenneth A Yunker

Thomas G Heeb

Pu-Sheng Cheng

Don P Weitzenecker

A method and apparatus for acoustically enhanced particle separation uses a chamber through which flows a fluid containing particles to be separated. A porous medium is disposed within the chamber. A transducer mounted on one wall of the chamber is powered to impose on the porous medium an acoustic field that is resonant to the chamber when filled with the fluid. Under the influence of the resonant acoustic field, the porous medium is able to trap particles substantially smaller than the average pore size of the medium. When the acoustic field is deactivated, the flowing fluid flushes the trapped particles from the porous medium and regenerates the medium. A collection circuit for harvesting the particles flushed from the porous medium is disclosed. Aluminum mesh, polyester foam, and unconsolidated glass beads are disclosed as porous media.

Method and apparatus for acoustically driven media filtration

An aroma product resulting from the recovery of aroma components from coffee. A slurry of coffee grounds in an aqueous liquid is subjected to stripping for stripping aroma components from the slurry. The stripping is carried out using gas in a substantially counter-current manner to provide an aromatized gas containing aroma components. The aroma components are then collected from the aromatized gas. The aroma components may be added to concentrated coffee extract prior to drying of the extract. The coffee powder produced has much increased and improved aroma and flavor and contains higher levels of furans and diketones.

Aroma product resulting from recovery process

A process for controlling the softness of a food product which tends to lose water and become progressively harder during storage which comprises adding an immobilized edible plasticizer to the food product.

Process of modifying texture of food products

A soluble coffee product containing carbohydrates obtained exclusively from roasted coffee beans, at least about 40% by weight of total sugars of which at least about 5.5%, by weight are free sugars, and at least about 10% by weight are mono, di and oligosaccharides containing 3 to 10 saccharide units.

Extraction product and process

A process for the recovery of aroma components from coffee. A slurry of coffee grounds in an aqueous liquid is subjected to stripping for stripping aroma components from the slurry. The stripping is carried out using gas in a substantially counter-current manner to provide an aromatized gas containing aroma components. The aroma components are then collected from the aromatized gas. The aroma components may be added to concentrated coffee extract prior to drying of the extract. The coffee powder produced has much increased and improved aroma and flavor and contains higher levels of furans and diketones.

Aroma recovery process

A process for encapsulating a core material by mixing the core material with an aqueous medium comprising a natural polymer and treating the formed mixture at a pressure of from about 15,000 to 200,000 psi at a temperature of from about 0.degree. to 100.degree. C. to form a gel matrix comprising the core material encapsulated within the natural food polymer and then drying the resulting product.

Encapsulation process

A process for the continuous extraction of water soluble solids from solid particles containing them for providing an extract product in one or more extraction stages. In each extraction stage, a slurry containing particles to be extracted and extract is introduced into an extraction reactor to form an upwardly moving packed bed. Particles are scraped from the packed bed for defining an upper surface of the packed bed. An extraction liquid is introduced into the extraction reactor above the upper surface of the packed bed. A portion of the extraction liquid percolating through the packed bed for extracting water soluble substances from the particles in the packed bed and forming an extract. The remaining portion of the extraction liquid entrains the particles scraped from the packed bed for providing a spent particles slurry. The spent particles slurry is removed from the extraction reactor. Extract is removed from below the packed bed and at least a portion of the extract forms the extract product. The extraction stages may be separated by one or more solubilization stages. Examples of water soluble substances are soluble coffee solids or soluble tea solids.

Extraction process

A method of producing coffee particles containing entrapped aroma. Soluble coffee solids and up to 10% by weight water are introduced into a heating and mixing zone and to raise the temperature to about 85.degree. C. to about 130.degree. C. to form a molten mass. Aroma-containing substrate is introduced into the molten mass to form a molten mixture containing a gas under a pressure of about 2.0 MPa to about 7.0 MPa. The molten mixture is extruded into a pressure zone in which the pressure is greater than the pressure of the gas in the molten mixture and the molten mixture is retained in the pressure zone until it solidifies to form a hardened glass. The hardened glass is ground into coffee particles of size of about 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

Method of making coffee particles containing aroma

Chocolate-based confectionery products having improved heat-resistance are prepared by mixing a polyol gel in particulate form with a flowable chocolate or a flowable mixture of ingredients for preparing a chocolate or chocolate-type composition in an amount to obtain a product having, based upon the product weight, a polyol content of from 0.2% to 60% by weight.

Chocolate heat-resistance by particulate polyol gel addition

A method of encapsulating volatile aroma compounds in which an inert gas, such as carbon dioxide, is dissolved in an aromatized edible liquid, and the aromatized, gasified liquid is co-extruded with a molten carbohydrate material having a glass transition temperature of between 20.degree. C. and 80.degree. C. to provide a continuous stream having an outer shell of the carbohydrate material surrounding an inner core of the aromatized, gasified liquid. The continuous stream is extruded into a pressure chamber having a pressure higher than the internal pressure of the inert gas in the aromatized liquid core, and is maintained under such pressure until the carbohydrate shell has cooled to below the glass transition temperature to provide capsules having a shell of hardened amorphous carbohydrate glass surrounding an inner core of gasified, aromatized liquid. When the capsules, which are incorporated in an instant consumer product, are contacted with hot water, the inert gas in the capsule core rapidly expands and ruptures the capsule wall, releasing aromatized liquid across the surface of the water. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, coffee aroma capsules are prepared from 100% coffee derived material, in which coffee aroma frost is dissolved in coffee oil and gasified, and the aromatized, gasified coffee oil is encapsulated in an outer shell of hardened amorphous coffee glass.

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Dublin, OH, United States of America

Zenon Ioannis Mandralis