Particulate flavor compositions and process to prepare same

Abstract

The process provides particulate flavor compositions having a flavor oil fixed in a particulate polyol material. It consists in mixing a mono- or disaccharide, a polysaccharide and water with a minor but flavor effective amount of a flavor oil such that the resulting particular flavor compositions possess a Tg below room temperature, and extruding the resulting homogeneous substrate at a temperature to form a melt which on cooling solidifies as a hard rubbery amorphous material having the flavor oil entrapped therein.

We claim:  
     
       1. A process for the preparation of particulate flavour compositions comprising a flavour oil fixed in a particulate polyol material, which comprises: 
       a. forming a homogenous substrate by mixing selected amounts of mono- or disaccharide, and a polysaccharide and water  with a minor but flavour effective amount of a flavour oil in order to form a homogeneous substrate  possessing a Tg below room temperature, and a sufficient amount of water such that the resulting particulate flavor composition possesses a Tg below room temperature; and  
       b. extruding said homogeneous substrate at a temperature sufficient to form a melt which on cooling solidifies as a hard rubbery and amorphous material having said flavour oil entrapped herein.  
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the mono- or disaccharide is chosen from the group consisting of sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose and glucopyranosylmanitol or glucopyranosylsorbitol. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the polysaccharide is a maltodextrin having a DE below 18. 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 3 , wherein the maltodextrin has a DE of from 1 to 6. 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 1  wherein the amount of water added to the mixture of mono- or disaccharide and polysaccharide is of between 5 and 10% by weight based on the total weight of the mixture. 
     
     
       6. A particulate flavour composition having a Tg below room-temperature prepared according to the process of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       7. A particulate flavour composition according to  claim 6  comprising about 0.2-4 parts by weight of mono- or disaccharide and about 1 part by weight of maltodextrin having a DE of 1 to 6. 
     
     
       8. An edible consumable material containing a flavour effective amount of a particulate flavour composition according to  claim 6 . 
     
     
       9. Method for the aromatisation of tea leaves, tea powders or tea extracts, which comprises adding thereto a flavour effective amount of a particulate flavour composition according to  claim 6 having a Tg below room temperature and which is obtained according to the process of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       10. A process for the preparation of a flavour composition comprising a flavour oil entrapped in an amorphous matrix, which process comprises: 
       mixing selected amounts of mono- or disaccharide, polysaccharide, water and a flavour effective amount of a flavour oil in order to form a homogeneous substrate possessing , with the amount of water being sufficient such that the resulting particulate flavor composition possesses a T g  below room temperature;  
       extruding said homogeneous substrate at a temperature sufficient to form a melt; and  
       cooling the extruded homogeneous substrate melt to form an amorphous matrix having said flavour oil entrapped therein.  
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 10 , wherein the mono- or disaccharide is chosen from the group consisting of sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose and glucopyranosylmannitol or glucopyranosylsorbitol. 
     
     
       12. The process of  claim 10 , wherein the polysaccharide is a maltodextrin having a DE below 18. 
     
     
       13. The process of  claim 12 , wherein the maltodextrin has a DE of from 1 to 6. 
     
     
       14. The process of  claim 10 , wherein the amount of water added to the mixture of mono- or disaccharide and polysaccharide is between 5 and 10% by weight based on the total weight of the mixture. 
     
     
       15. A flavour composition comprising a flavour oil entrapped in an amorphous matrix of a solidified mixture of selected amounts of mono- or disaccharide, polysaccharide, and water, to provide said matrix with a T g  below room temperature. 
     
     
       16. A flavour composition according to  claim 15  comprising about 0.2-4 parts by weight of mono- or disaccharide and about 1 part by weight of maltodextrin having a DE of 1 to 6. 
     
     
       17. An edible consumable material containing a flavour effective amount of a flavour composition according to  claim 15 . 
     
     
       18. Method for the aromatisation of tea leaves, tea powders or tea extracts, which comprises adding thereto a flavour effective amount of flavour composition according to  claim 15 comprising a flavour oil entrapped in an amorphous matrix of a solidified mixture of selected amounts of mono-  or disaccharide, polysaccharide, and water in an amount sufficient to provide said matrix with a Tg below room temperature . 
     
     
       19. Method according to  claim 9 , wherein the particulate flavour composition comprises about  0 . 2 - 4  parts by weight of mono-  or disaccharide and about  1  part by weight of maltodextrin having DE of  1  to  6 .   
     
     
       20. Method according to  claim 18 , wherein the flavour composition comprises about  0 . 2 - 4  parts by weight of mono-  or disaccharide and about  1  part by weight of maltodextrin having a DE of  1  to  6 .