Multiple Texture Food

Abstract

The disclosure herein provides a process for the manufacture of a multiple texture food product. The process includes providing a dairy material, freezing the dairy material by cooling it to a temperature of −2° C. or less, aerating the frozen dairy material, shaping the aerated, frozen dairy material, and depositing the shaped, aerated, frozen dairy material on or between one or more layers of a food material which is not the aerated dairy material. The aerated dairy material has a Stevens firmness of 20 or more at a temperature in the range of from 5 to 10° C. and a water activity (a W ) of 0.90 or more. The disclosure herein further provides an aerated dairy material as well as a multiple texture food product which comprises a core of the aerated dairy material and a shell of a food material which is not the aerated dairy material.

1 . A process for the manufacture of an aerated dairy material comprising:
 providing a dairy material,   freezing the dairy material by cooling it to a temperature of −2° C. or less,   aerating the frozen dairy material,   shaping the aerated, frozen dairy material,   wherein the aerated dairy material has a Stevens firmness of 20 or more at a temperature in the range of from 5 to 10° C. and a water activity (a w ) of 0.90 or more.   
     
     
         2 . A process for the manufacture of a multiple texture food product comprising:
 providing a dairy material,   freezing the dairy material by cooling it to a temperature of −2° C. or less,   aerating the frozen dairy material,   shaping the aerated, frozen dairy material,   depositing the shaped, aerated, frozen dairy material on or between one or more layers of a food material which is not the aerated dairy material,   wherein the aerated dairy material has a Stevens firmness of at 20 or more at a temperature in the range of from 5 to 10° C. and a water activity (a W ) of 0.90 or more.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the dairy material is selected from the group consisting of cream cheese, processed cheese, curd and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the frozen dairy material is aerated to an overrun in the range of from 10 to 150%. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the freezing, aerating and shaping of the frozen dairy material is carried out in a continuous freezer extruder. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the food material is selected from the group consisting of non-aerated cream cheese, non-aerated processed cheese, cereal, bread, biscuit, waffle, sponge cake, chocolate and a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein depositing comprises enrobing the shaped, aerated, frozen dairy material with a non-aerated cream cheese or non-aerated processed cheese liquefied by heating, followed by cooling. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein the aerated dairy material is selected from aerated cream cheese and aerated processed cheese. 
     
     
         9 . An aerated dairy material having a Stevens firmness of 20 or more at a temperature in the range of from 5 to 10° C. and a water activity (a W ) of 0.90 or more. 
     
     
         10 . A multiple texture food product comprising a core of an aerated dairy material having a Stevens firmness of 20 or more at a temperature in the range of from 5 to 10° C. and a water activity (a W ) of 0.90 or more and a shell of a food material which is not the aerated dairy material. 
     
     
         11 . The food product of  claim 10 , wherein the aerated dairy material is selected from the group consisting of aerated cream cheese, aerated processed cheese, aerated curd and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The food product of  claim 10 , wherein the aerated dairy material has an overrun in the range of from 10 to 1500. 
     
     
         13 . The food product of  claim 10 , wherein the food material is selected from the group consisting of non-aerated cream cheese and non-aerated processed cheese or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The food product of  claim 10 , wherein the food material has a Stevens firmness of at least 100 at a temperature in the range of from 5 to 10° C. 
     
     
         15 . The food product of  claim 10 , wherein the aerated dairy material is selected from aerated cream cheese and aerated processed cheese. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1 , the process further comprising thawing or allowing the shaped, aerated, frozen dairy material to thaw. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the dairy material is selected from the group consisting of cream cheese, processed cheese, curd and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the frozen dairy material is aerated to an overrun in the range of from 10 to 150%. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the freezing, aerating and shaping of the frozen dairy material is carried out in a continuous freezer extruder. 
     
     
         20 . The aerated dairy material of  claim 9 , wherein the aerated dairy material is selected from the group consisting of aerated cream cheese, aerated processed cheese, aerated curd and combinations thereof.