Patent ID: 8628811
Filing Date: 2014-01-14
Classification: A23G

Abstract:
1. A process for preparing aerated ice confection particles, the process comprising: preparing an elongated frozen stream of an aerated ice confection; freezing the stream cryogenically to a temperature below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the aerated ice confection to form an amorphous glass-like solid mass that is not sticky and that has minimal surface-adhesive properties; comminuting the solid mass to free-flowing aerated ice confection particles; exposing the free-flowing aerated ice confection particles to cryogenic freezing in which the particles are subjected to a temperature of −25° C. to −30° C. to obtain hardened free-flowing aerated ice confection particles; coating the hardened free-flowing aerated ice confection particles with an aqueous solution of a Tg elevating agent to form a glassy coating on the particles that contributes to free-flowing ability at storage temperatures, and the Tg elevating agent is a partially enzymatically degraded starch syrup having dextrose equivalents between 1 and 10 and a molecular weight of 5 kD to 15 kD; and exposing the coated hardened free-flowing aerated ice confection particles to a cryogenic freezing in which the particles are subjected to a temperature of −30° C. to −35° C. to form further hardened free-flowing aerated ice confection particles that have a Tg of −5° C. to −35° C.