GRANULAR OR FLAKY REFRESHMENT,ESPECIALLY FOR USE AS A DRINK DISSOLVED IN A LIQUID BY EXTRACTION OR COOKING,AS WELL AS A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION THEREOF

Abstract: Coffee, tea, herb preparation or a like refreshment in granular or flaky form for use as a drink dissolved in a liquid by extraction or cooking. The refreshment contains 5-50% of an inert, water insoluble carrier which is polymeric or polymerizing material, preferably //c-cellulose. The carrier forms granules or fibers to whose surface said refreshment is adhered in fine-powered form and the finished product is ground into desired coarseness. The fine-powdered refreshement and the inert carrier are mixed by extrusion by applying heat and pressure.

Description: Granular or flaky refreshment, especially for use as a drink dissolved ± a liquid .by extraction or cooking, as well as a process for the preparation thereof. The present invention relates to a granular or flaky refresh¬ ment as well as to a process for the preparation thereof, said refreshment being intended to be used as a drink dissolved in a liquid ^ or solution by extraction or cooking. Such drinks may include coffee, tea and also refreshment drinks made of various herb preparations . For the sake of clarity, the invention will be explained in the following specification in connection with its most significant embodiment, i.e. the preparation of coffee. The present coffee making methods, filtration and boiling, require coffee powder of certain coarseness. In both cases, the degree of grinding is so coarse that considerable amount of flavour remains within the granules and thus the raw material will be incompletely exploited. The object of the invention is to provide a granular or flaky refreshment of the above type from which flavouring agent extraction will be a lot more effective than at present, the raw material thus being exploited better than at present. To accomplish this object the present invention is character¬ ized in that the refreshment contains 5 - 50 % of an inert, water insoluble carrier which is polymeric or polymerizing material which forms granules or fibers to whose surface the refreshment is adhered in fine-powdered form, and the finished product is ground to desired coarseness. With the refreshment groung into a fine dusty form, a large extraction surface is obtained and flavouring agents can be effectively extracted. On the other hand, this does not interfere with conventional drink making methods by filtration or boiling since the fine- powdered material is adhered to the surface of major granules or fibers of the carrier. By inert carrier the intention is to point out that the inert carrier does not substantially relea taste or odour, nor does ' it react with the refreshment even when subjected to heat. Such carriers can comprise polymeric or polymerizing materials h-aving long fibers, α-cellulose has proved to be a particularly preferred carrier. The present preparation process is characterized in that the refreshment is fine-powdered and mixed with a granular or fibrous, inert carrier and adhered to the surface of granules or fibers of the carrier by extrusion by applying heat and pressure, said carrier comprising 5 - 50 % of polymeric or polymerizing material and finally the extruded product is ground for intended use into desired granular coarseness. Thus, the heat and pressure required for adhering the refresh ment to the carrier are generated in an extruder. For the end use, the extruded product is ground to granular coarseness conventional to this particular refreshment material. Dependi on the materials employed, the product obtained from the extruder can be temporarily stored prior to grinding it to desired final coarseness. The attached schematic drawing presents the preparation steps of the product of the ivention. Step 1 refers to fine grinding for grinding e.g. coffee into fine dust form. In step 2, fine-powdered coffee and a suitabl carrier, such a α-cellulose, are mixed. In step 3, the mixtur is subjected in an extruder to heat and pressure. Hence, the setting temperature can vary within the range of 100 - 180 C and temperature of the mass of 90 - 170°C as well as pressure within the range of 50 - 300 bar. The amount of carrier can vary within the range of 5 - 50 % of the total weight of the product, the most suitable amount being 25 - 30 %. Extruded material is ground to conventional granular coarseness for coffee, i.e. either to filtration coarseness or regular pot coarseness, followed by packing. Extruded material can also b stored and transported in unground state. CI. The above steps 2 and 3 can in practice be combined, so that the carrier and fine-powdered coffee are passed into an extruder in which they are mixed and adhered together simultaneously. For sufficient adhering surface it is preferable that the carrier comprises a material having long fibers in an amount of nearly half of the total amount of the product. Example 1 Coffee was fine-ground to coarseness shown in table below: Screen size ASTMr-standard 16 20 30 bottom Yield % of total amount 0,5 0,8 11,1 87,6 90 % by weight of fine-powdered coffee and 10 % by » weight of α-cellulose were mixed. Mousture of the mass was 20 % and it was fed in an extruder at a feed rate of 200 g/min. The extruder was provided with. 5 auger screws, rotational speed was 50 rpm and power consumption of the motor 11 k . Heating was performed with 7 kW induction heaters. Setting temperature w *as 140oC and the measured mass temperature in the extruder was" 129 C. Pressure varied within the range of 7 - 8 MPa. The orifice diameter of the extruder was 5 mm. The extruded product was groung to the coarseness shown in table below corresponding to rather fine pot coarseness. Screen size ASTM standard 16 20 30 40 bottom Yield % of total amount 8,5 23,5 27,6 24,1 16,3 The end product was processed into a drink by using the product in the amount of 60 g/1. A test group verified that coffee flavour was flawless. Example . 2 75 % of fine-ground tea and 25 % of α-cellulose were mixed an fed in an extruder at a feed rate of 300 g/min. Moisture of th mass was 10 %. Power consumption of the extruder drive motor was 24 kW and the mass was heated with 10 kW induction heaters Setting temperature was 140 C and the measured mass temperatur 128°C. In the extruder the mass was subjected to a pressure of 8,2 MPa. The mass was extruded through an orifice of 5 mm in diameter, cut into pieces which were ground into substantially the same grinding coarseness as the end product of example 1. A.test group verified that the tea prepared from the product has flawless flavour. Oli ~

Claims: Claims 1. Coffee, tea, herb preparation or a like refreshment in granular or flaky form for use as a drink dissolved in 'a liquid by extraction or cooking, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the refreshment contains 5 - 50 % of an inert, water insoluble carrier which is polymeric or polymerizing material which forms granules, or fibers to whose surface said refreshment is adhered in fine-powdered form and the finished product is ground into desired coarseness. 2. Refreshment as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in ~ that the carrier comprises α-cellulose, the fine- powdered refreshment being adhered to the surface of its fibers. 3. Refreshment as defined in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r - i z e d in that said refreshment comprises coffee ground into fine dusty form. 4. A process for the preparation of refreshment (coffee, tea, a herb preparation or the like) as defined in any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the refreshment is fine-powdered and mixed with a granular or fibrous, inert carrier and adhered to the " surface cf granules or fibers of the carrier by extrusion by applying heat and pressure, said carrier comprising 5 - 50 % of polyrr-eric or polymerizing material, and finally the extruded product is ground for intended use into desired granular coarseness. 5. A process as defined in claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the carrier comprises α-cellulose. 6. A process as defined in claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that during the adherence temperature of the mass is 90 170 C and pressure 50 - 300 bar.

Inventors: SALO H
Applicants: SALO H, SUOMEN OSUUSKAUPPOJEN KESKUSKU, SUOMEN OSUUSKAUPPOJEN KESKUSKUNTA
Application year: 1981
Main classification: A23F5
IPC codes: A23F3, A23F5, A23L2