United States Patent (19) 11) 4,272,557 Nappen 45) Jun
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United States Patent (19) 11) 4,272,557 Nappen 45) Jun. 9, 1981 54 STABLE GELATIN DESSERT AND PROCESS 3,996,390 12/1976 Igoe...................................... 426/573 FOR MAKING SAME OTHER PUBLICATIONS (75) Inventor: Bernard H. Nappen, Cranford, N.J. Goldfrank; H., Chemurgic Digest "Guar: A Plant Gum 73) Assignee: National Starch and Chemical With Many Uses", Jul., p. 10, 1960. Corporation, Bridgewater, N.J. Primary Examiner-Jeanette M. Hunter (21) Appl. No.: 101,781 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edwin M. Szala; Janet E. Hasak (22 Filed: Dec. 10, 1979 57) ABSTRACT 51) Int. Cl’................................................ A23L 1/06 52 U.S.C. ..................................... 426/576; 426/573 A gelatin dessert prepared from a dessert powder con 58) Field of Search ............... 426/573, 576, 578,579, taining gelatin, sugar and optionally flavor and color is 426/661 improved by adding to the powder from about 0.5 to 5%, by weight, of guar gum, based on the weight of the (56) References Cited powder. The guar gum imparts low-temperature stable U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS properties to the gelatin dessert without substantially 3,471,301 10/1969 Mitchell ............................... 426/576 adversely affecting the physical appearance and texture 3,917,875 11/1975 Gardiner .............................. 426/576 thereof. 3,930,052 12/1975 DeBrou et al. ... 426/576 3,940,505 2/1976 Nappen .............................................. 426/661 6 Claims, No Drawings 4,272,557 1. 2 the dry dessert powder, and usually no more than 90% STABLE GE LATIN DESSERT AND PROCESS FOR by weight. The amount of sugar employed depends on MAKING SAME the degree of sweetness desired, but generally as sugar concentration increases, the amount of time for setting BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 decreases. The other ingredients which are preferably This invention relates to a gelatin dessert powder added to the powder and the amounts thereof are well which, when incorporated into a gelatin dessert, pro known in the food industry. Additional optional ingre vides the dessert with low-temperature stability. dients include a water-soluble sulfate to increase the One of the most important uses of gelatin in the food rate of gelation and an edible organic acid such as citric industry today is in the manufacture of gelatin desserts, 10 or tartaric acid to provide a degree of tartness in the which are prepared from gelatin dessert powders typi dessert. To enhance the flavor of the gelatin dessert, cally composed of gelatin, sugar, an edible organic acid, powdered or flaked fruit may also be added to the des flavor and color. In the standard preparation of such sert powder, such as the drum-dried mixture of starch desserts, the gelatin powder is dissolved in hot water and fruit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,505. and the mixture is then cooled by adding cold water and 15 According to the invention herein, guar gum is allowing to stand in a refrigerator, whereupon a translu blended with the other ingredients of the dessert pow cent gel is formed. Much of the use of gelatin desserts today is in institutional programs such as school lunches der in any order, and in an amount which may range and hospital meals. Because of the uncertainty in the from about 0.5 to 5% by weight of the powder, depend production and supply of institutional foods, the meals 20 ing on the setting properties desired in the gelatin des prepared therefrom are now usually stored in a freezer. sert and on whether fruit particles are to be dispersed, in Gelatin desserts, however, cannot tolerate the freeze which a larger amount is added. It will be recognized thaw cycles which are undergone when the gelatin is by the practitioner that amounts of guar gum which are thawed before use or when the storage temperature too low will not be effective in imparting the desired fluctuates, and consequently break down through sy 25 properties to the dessert, while amounts much higher neresis, losing their acceptable texture, set and mouth than 5% will result in precipitation or cloudiness in the feel. The gelatin desserts must therefore be prepared dessert. The preferred amount of guar gum employed is and stored separately from the main meal. 1 to 3% by weight. It is an object of the present invention to provide a In the preparation of the gelatin dessert, the standard gelatin dessert powder which will produce a gelatin 30 technique is followed whereby initially the gelatin or dessert exhibiting low-temperature stability. complete dessert powder is dissolved in warm or boil It is another object to provide a process for preparing ing water, accompanied by stirring to achieve dissolu low-temperature stable gelatin desserts which substan tion. The remainder of the ingredients of the powder tially retain their desirable physical properties and ap are added at this point, if not already added, followed pearance, 35 by the addition of cold water. The amount of total water added depends on the type of gelatin powder SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION employed but ordinarily is such as to be four to ten The above and related objects are achieved in an times the weight of the dessert powder. The resulting improved gelatin powder of the type containing gelatin, mixture is allowed to set at refrigeration temperature sugar, and optionally flavor and color, the improvement until a gel is formed. Fruit pieces derived from fresh or which comprises the presence of about 0.5 to 5% by canned fruit (such as fruit cocktail) may be optionally weight of guar gum, based on the weight of the powder. added to the gelatin mixture prior to the setting of the The guar gum-containing powder provides the finished dessert. gelatin dessert with low-temperature stability, while not The gelatin dessert obtained using the powder of this substantially altering the physical properties, e.g., clar 45 invention successfully withstands break-down caused ity and set, of the dessert. The dessert product canthus by syneresis from freeze-thaw cycles, while essentially be prepared and frozen with the main meal for institu retaining the taste, mouthfeel, texture, color and clarity tional uses with succesful results. of a gelatin dessert which does not contain any stabi Guar gum has bee known for its use as a thickener lizer. In addition, the dessert remains as a gel at room and stabilizer for many foods such as ice cream, cheeses 50 temperature overnight, whereas standard gelatin des and salad dressing; however, it is unexpected that guar serts break down at room temperature in a few hours. gum will impart low-temperature stability to a gelatin The examples which follow illustrate the embodi dessert while not producing an undesirable cloudy ments of the invention. In every example, all parts and product or reacting with the gelatin, as do many other percentages are given by weight and all temperatures in known stabilizers such as food starches and various 55 other gums. degrees Celsius unless otherwise noted. EXAMPLE I DESCRIPTION OF THE PREPARED EMBODEMENTS Five gelatin dessert powders were prepared using 7.2 A typical gelatin dessert powder is prepared by g of unflavored powdered gelatin, 56.5g of sugar, 1.3g blending finely ground gelatin, usually of high gel of a drum-dried mixture of 30 parts lemon and 70 parts strength, with sugar, a flavoring agent and a coloring starch as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,505, and one agent. For purposes of achieving clarity in the final of the gums in the amount indicated in Table I. product, it is desirable to employ the clearest gelatins TABLE I having a low lime content. The proper amount of gela 65 Sample tin to be used varies with the Bloom value thereof and Gum (g): Control A B C. D+ Ek the dilution factor in the final product. Ordinarily, the Guar gum m 2.0 2.5 - o - gelatin powder will constitute at least 20% by weight of Xanthan gum m m - 3.0 - 1.25 4,272,557 3 4. TABLE I-continued TABLE II-continued Sample Polysaccharide added: Results Gum (g); Control A. B C* D+ Ek Carrogeenan" No set in dessert, precipitate formed. Locust bean gun 2.5 1.25 Locust bean-xanthan Product had moderate low-tempera *Comparative examples. gum (1:1 ratio)* ture stability but was cloudy; fruit pieces settled to bottom. Guar gum Product was low-temperature stable In the preparation of the gelatin dessert, 338g of (i.e., had excellent low-tempera water at ambient temperature were placed in a saucepan ture stability) and had a very O slightly cloudy color. At 0.5% and the gelatin was added thereto. The water and gela concentration, the fruit pieces tin were stirred at low heat until the gelatin dissolved. settled to bottom; at 1.5% and 3% The mixture was taken off the heat, and the remainder levels, the fruit pieces were sus of the ingredients were added with stirring until the pended in the dessert, These are comparative examples. sugar dissolved. The mixture was thereafter chilled for 15 24 hours. The results indicate that of all the known stabilizers Samples A and Bigelled with a slight cloudiness as tested, only guar gum was effective as a low-tempera compared to the control, but with a heavier set. The ture stabilizer for gelatin desserts without substantially drum-dried fruit mixture remained dispersed through adversely affecting the clarity and other desirable prop out Samples A and B with little or no settling. When 20 erties of the gelatin. It is noteworthy that the sample Samples A, B and D were prepared in a separate experi size herein (over one pound) is larger than the typical ment without chilling thereof, Samples A and B re serving portion found in institutional meals.