Abstract:
Concentrates for bouillons, broths, soups, sauces, gravies, dishes, side dishes, or for use as garnishing or seasoning containing dry herbs and/or vegetables, which concentrate is in the form of a solid body or bodies having a weight of 2-250 g, in particular a cube, block, or tablet shape, which yield a soup, sauce etcetera upon dilution with (hot) water or an aqueous liquid, or can be used as a (side)dish, seasoning or garnishing, and wherein the dry herbs and/or vegetables are present in or with the concentrate as one or more compressed particles or layers.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to concentrates for broths, bouillons, soups, sauces, gravies, dishes, side dishes, for use as garnishing or seasoning and in particular to such concentrates containing dry herbs and/or vegetables, which concentrate is in the form of a solid body or assembly of bodies having a weight of 2-250 g, in particular a cube, block or tablet shape, which yield a broth, bouillon, soup, sauce etcetera upon dilution with (hot) water or an aqueous liquid, or which can be used as a (side)dish, seasoning or garnishing, and wherein the dry herbs and/or vegetables are present in-, or attached to-, or packaged with- the concentrate as one or more compressed particles or layers.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     There exist a wide range of compositions which upon dilution with an aqueous liquid (usually water) can give a broth, bouillon, soup, sauce, gravy, dish, side dish, or which composition can be used as garnishing or seasoning on a (semi-)finished food. Commonly, such compositions are concentrates, in the sense that for normal use they are diluted with a (hot) a aqueous liquid or are applied to a foodstuff. Examples are bouilion cubes or tablets which yield a broth, bouillon or soup upon mixing with water and applying heat, or tablets or cubes which can be used as a seasoning by adding the such tablet or cube to a dish, either as a whole or crumbled or broken.  
         [0003]     Such compositions usually contain one or more of fat (including oil), thickeners (e.g. gums or starch-based like flour), salt, sugar(s), taste enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), spices, flavourings. Most of these ingredients are relatively small size particulates, e.g. not exceeding 1.5 or even 1 mm (e.g. salt, MSG, flour). The compositions can comprise furthermore herbs or pieces thereof, pieces of vegetables, fruit, or meat, croutons, etcetera.  
         [0004]     The concentrates as referred to above can come in a variety of appearances, e.g. as liquid, pasty, or granular composition or as solid cube, tablet.  
         [0005]     The present invention focuses on dry concentrates for broths, bouillons, soups, sauces, dishes, side dishes, use as garnishings or seasonings etectera. Notwithstanding the name “dry”, they will contain a small amount of water (usually less than 20 wt %, preferable less than 12 wt %, more preferably less than 6 wt %). Such dry compositions are used both for single servings as well as for serving multiple portions. It has certain advantages to have such concentrates as solid cubes, tablets, or other shape. Such solid cubes or tablets (which is herein to be understood to comprise all geometric shapes of articles can be obtained by compressing, casting or extruding part or all of the ingredients. Such cubes or tablets are convenient in terms of dosing, but they can have the disadvantage that relatively large (e.g. larger than 1 or 1.5 mm) (dry) herbs and vegetables or pieces thereof can only be included to a certain amount, in particular for leafy herbs and vegetables such is the case.  
         [0006]     The problem that can occur when wishing to include more than a certain amount of such large (dry) herbs and/or vegetables or pieces thereof in e.g. a compressed cube or tablet, is in achieving a cube or tablet with sufficient coherence and rigidity: the cubes can crumble apart prematurely (i.e. before the concentrate is added to an aqueous liquid or added to a dish), ultimately into a heap of (clumps of) the powdery ingredients like salt, MSG, starch, sugar with mixed in it the larger leafy herbs and vegetables. For example, when a bouillon cube is pressed containing the usual ingredients (salt, MSG, sugar, flavourings, spices etcetera), but now added thereto e.g. 10% by weight of dry (e.g. freeze dried) leafy herbs and vegetables, the resulting cube shows an increased tendency to crumble apart prematurely (i.e. is less rigid). This is in particular the case with leafy herbs or vegetables such as parsley in pressed cubes. This premature disintegration is clearly undesired.  
         [0007]     Hence, there is a need for a process for preparing (solid) concentrates, which concentrates can be used for preparing (e.g. upon dilution with an aqueous liquid) a broth, bouillon, soup, sauce, gravy, dish, side dish, or for use as garnishing or seasoning, which concentrates are or comprise (com)pressed, cast or extruded cubes, tablets and other “unit-dose” objects, and which concentrates comprise (preferably for at least 20%, more preferably at least 40% by weight, of total concentrate) as components one or more of salt, sugar, starch, flour, starch-derivatives, taste enhancers such as MSG, fat (including oil), creamer, which components all together are herein after referred to as “bulk ingredients”, furthermore comprise (dry) herbs and/or vegetables or pieces thereof, in particular (dry) leafy herbs and/or vegetables or pieces thereof, and wherein such concentrates, in particular the part made up of the bulk ingredients, does not prematurely crumble apart (i.e. are not too brittle due to presence of pieces of herbs/vegetable pieces): A separation in several (e.g. 2-5) predetermined discrete and as such coherent parts is allowed (i.e. the concentrate does not need to be in the form of 1 cube or tablet, but is allowed to fall apart in (e.g. 1-3) part(s) of (pre-shaped and/or predetermined) bulk ingredients and (e.g. 1-3) part(s) of (pre-shaped and/or predetermined) of (dry) herbs and/or vegetables.  
         [0008]     As such concentrates can have oil-soluble flavours, and as for some applications a creamy texture is preferred (e.g. creamy sauces or soups), it can be preferred that the compositions according to the invention contain some fat or oil and/or a creamer (for example like is disclosed in WO 2004/045298).  
         [0009]     EP 888723 discloses culinary cubes with a core of salt, MSG, fat and which core is covered with particulates. The fat is a mixture of vegetable oil and hardened fat. The processing starts with making the core using standard techniques for hard bouillon cubes. Thereafter, the core is covered with a solution in water or a dispersion in fat of thickeners (e.g. starches, maltodextrins, gums), e.g. by immersion into such solution. Thereafter, the core is covered with particles (herbs, vegetable matter).  
         [0010]     WO 01/72148 discloses culinary cubes with liquid or pasty filling with a covering material.  
         [0011]     WO02/069742 discloses multi-ingredient stock cubes which comprise two parts which can be distinguished by vision or touch. One part can be e.g. small vegetable particles which show no or only weak coherence, i.e. a loose mass of vegetable particles.  
         [0012]     EP 481923 discloses a process for compressing freeze dried vegetables.  
         [0013]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,675 discloses powdered food products optionally pressed into blocks using conventional presses. Such food products may be bouillon products, soups, sauces and thickeners. Such formulations may comprise crystals of sugar, salt, MSG, all milled to a size of less than 50μm, starches, meat and vegetable extract powders, herbs and spices.  
         [0014]     EP 950358 disloses culinary cubes comprising 15-35% fat (e.g. hardened palm fat of a melting point of 41-46° C.), 20-70% dehydrated base (e.g. starch, sugars, salt, MSG, thickeners, meat or vegetable extracts) and 8-50% visual elements (e.g. pieces of fruit, vegetables, seeds, meat, fish). Such cubes are prepared by melting the fat at temperatures of 50-70° C., mixing in the dehydrated base and subsequently the visual elements with the molten fat followed by forming a rolled-out product from the mixture obtained, cutting and cooling.  
         [0015]     U.S. Pat. No. 3385715 discloses compaction of freeze dried vegetables by compression at a moisture content 5-15%, followed by drying to 3% moisture.  
         [0016]     EP 326525 discloses a process in which vegetables are freeze dried, rehydrated to 20% moisture, compressed and dried to 3% moisture, whereby the aim is reduction of weight and volume with a taste (when rehydrated) comparable to the fresh product.  
         [0017]     WO 00/04786 discloses a process for preparing dehydrated vegetables that have improved (rapid rehydrating), quick cooking behaviour. This is achieved by compression of a partially dehydrated vegetable product.  
         [0018]     DE 1043052 discloses concentrates for preparing soups, which concentrates are composed of one layer of water-soluble or meltable components made first, said layer is then contacted with dry herb and vegetable particles, optionally compressed, after which the herb/vegetable side of the article is covered with a melted fat.  
         [0019]     EP 1491101 discloses marbled bouillon and seasoning cubes, and a process to prepare such. The process requires at least one fraction to be granulated, and mixed with a second fraction having a different colour, and then pressed to a cube. The recipes do include herbs or vegetables or particles thereof, in amounts of less than 0.9% by weight based on the total cube.  
         [0020]     EP 1269864 discloses a process for preparing a hard bouillon tablet which comprises little or no fat but does contain oil. For achieving this, part of the ingredients is finely milled. Herb leafs optionally may be present. If such are present, they are present in low amounts (2% or less).  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]     It has now been found that the objective as formulated above may be achieved (at least in part) by a process which relies on one principle, but which can be executed in three different ways.  
         [0022]     Hence, the invention relates to a process for preparing a food concentrate, the concentrate comprising: 
        20-98% (preferably 40-95%, more preferably 60-95%, all weight % on total concentrate) bulk ingredients comprising one or more of salt, taste enhancers, sugar(s), fat, oil, gums, thickeners, creamers, spices, starch, starch-derivatives, flour, maltodextrin, ground herbs, ground vegetables, ground legumes, meat extracts, vegetable extracts,     2-80% (preferably 5-60%, more preferably 540%, all weight % on total concentrate) of herb and/or vegetable pieces, 
 
 which process comprises the steps of: 
        (a) pressing said herb and/or vegetable pieces (preferably 0.5-100 g of it) having a moisture content of 5-30% wt to one or more compressed particles or layers,     (b) forming 2-250 g (preferably 3-50 g) of a mixture of the bulk ingredients with 1-20 (preferably 1 -10, more preferably 1-5) of the compressed particles or layers as obtained under (a) to a solid, shaped concentrate (article).    
 
         [0027]     The invention further relates to a process for preparing a food concentrate, the concentrate comprising: 
        20-98% (preferably 40-95%, more preferably 60-95%, all weight % on total concentrate) bulk ingredients comprising one or more of salt, taste enhancers, sugar(s), fat, oil, gums, thickeners, creamers, spices, starch, starch-derivatives, flour, maltodextrin, ground herbs, ground vegetables, ground legumes, meat extracts, vegetable extracts,     2-80% (preferably 5-60%, more preferably 540%, all weight % on total concentrate) of herb and/or vegetable pieces, 
 
 which process comprises the steps of: 
        (a) pressing said herb and/or vegetable pieces (preferably 0.5-100 g of it) having a moisture content of 5-30% wt to one or more compressed particles or layers,     (b) forming 2-250 g (preferably 3-50 g) of a mixture of the bulk ingredients to a particle or layer, 
 
 jointly packaging 1-10 of the compressed particles or layers as obtained under (a) with 1-20 (preferably 1-10, more preferably 1-5) particles or layers as obtained under (b). 
   
 
         [0032]     The invention also relates to a process for preparing a food concentrate, the concentrate comprising: 
        20-98% (preferably 40-95%, more preferably 60-95%, all weight % on total concentrate) bulk ingredients comprising one or more of salt, taste enhancers, sugar(s), fat, oil, gums, thickeners, creamers, spices, starch, starch-derivatives, flour, maltodextrin, ground herbs, ground vegetables, ground legumes, meat extracts, vegetable extracts,     2-80% (preferably 5-60%, more preferably 540%, all weight % on total concentrate) of herb and/or vegetable pieces, 
 
 which process comprises the steps of: 
        (a) pressing said herb and/or vegetable pieces (preferably 0.5-100 g of it) having a moisture content of 5-30% wt to one or more compressed particles or layers,     (b) forming 2-250 g (preferably 3-50 g) of a mixture of the bulk ingredients to a particle or layer,     (c) adhering 1-10 of the compressed particles or layers as obtained under (a) to 1-10 particles or layers as obtained under (b), to obtain a solid concentrate (article).    
 
         [0038]     In the above, the forming under (b) can be e.g. by pressing, casting or extruding. Pressing and extruding are preferred forming techniques in this connection, with pressing being most preferred.  
         [0039]     It was found that of the concentrates (e.g. pressed, extruded or cast tablets, cubes, blocks, pellets, etcetera) as obtained above the bulk ingredients part could be manufactured such that it did not prematurely fall apart. The first processing option to carry out the invention may give a cube, tablet,.etcetera which as a whole, including the herbs/vegetable particles does not fall apart prematurely. The compressed herbs/vegetable part may be visible from the outside (e.g. as a layer or sheet on one side of a cube) or may be hidden inside the compressed bulk ingredients part (e.g. a pellet inside the cube of bulk material). The second processing option to carry out the invention may give a product which, whilst in the packaging (e.g. a wrapper) may seem like one solid article, but on opening may fall apart in one or more separate parts comprising the bulk ingredients and one or more separate parts of compressed herbs/vegetables. The third processing option to carry out the invention may yield a cube, tablet or other shape that comprises one or more parts of the bulk ingredients and one or more parts of compressed herbs/vegetables attached to it. Depending on the adhereing technique chosen (e.g. glueing with water or an aqueous thickener solution or other) the parts may or may not be separatable by hand. Depending on the desired end result, a process option among the above may be chosen.  
         [0040]     Following the first process as set out above, the invention further relates to a food concentrate suitable for preparing broths, bouillons, soups, sauces, gravies, dishes, side dishes, for use as garnishing or seasoning, the concentrate being a solid article, comprising two parts (a) and (b), wherein part (a) comprises 20-98% (preferably 40-95%, more preferably 60-95%, all weight % on total concentrate) bulk ingredients comprising one or more of salt, taste enhancers, sugar(s), fat, oil, gums, thickeners, creamers, spices, starch, starch-derivatives, flour, maltodextrin, ground herbs, ground vegetables, ground legumes, meat extracts, vegetable extracts, and wherein part (b) comprises 2-80% (preferably 5-60%, more preferably 5-40%, all weight % on total concentrate) of compressed herbs and/or vegetables or pieces thereof. Part (b) can be concealed inside part (a), or part (b) can be (partially) visible from the outside of the concentrate further comprising part (a). Part (b) is preferably in the form of a “pill” or pellet or a plurality of them.  
         [0041]     Following the second process as set out above, the invention further relates to a packaged food concentrate suitable for preparing broths, bouillons, soups, sauces, gravies, dishes, side dishes, for use as garnishing or seasoning, the concentrate being a solid article, comprising at least two separate solid parts (a) and (b) packaged together, wherein part (a) comprises 20-98% (preferably 40-95%, more preferably 60-95%, all weight % on total packaged composition of (a) and (b)) bulk ingredients comprising one or more of salt, taste enhancers, sugar(s), fat, oil, gums, thickeners, creamers, spices, starch, starch-derivatives, flour, maltodextrin, ground herbs, ground vegetables, ground legumes, meat extracts, vegetable extracts, and wherein part (b) comprises 2-80% (preferably 5-60%, more preferably 540%, all weight % on total packaged composition of (a) and (b)) of herb and/or vegetable and wherein part (b) is in the form of a compressed article of bound hersb and/or vegetables and/or pieces thereof.  
         [0042]     Following the third process as set out above, the invention further relates to a food concentrate suitable for preparing broths, bouillons, soups, sauces, gravies, dishes, side dishes, for use as garnishing or seasoning, the concentrate being a solid article comprising at least two discrete solid parts (a) and (b) adhered together, wherein part (a) comprises 20-98% (preferably 40-95%, more preferably 60-95%, all weight % on total concentrate) bulk ingredients comprising one or more of salt, taste enhancers, sugar(s), fat, oil, gums, thickeners, creamers, spices, starch, starch-derivatives, flour, maltodextrin, ground herbs, ground vegetables, ground legumes, meat extracts, vegetable extracts, and wherein part (b) comprises 2-80% (preferably 5-60%, more preferably 5-40%, all weight % on total concentrate) of herb and/or vegetable and wherein part (b) is in the form of a compressed concentrate (article) of bound herbs and/or vegetables and/or pieces thereof.  
         [0043]     In the processes and products as referred to above, the compressed herb/vegetable particle or layer (of which e.g. 1-10, preferably 1-5, can be used in the article with the remaining (e.g. bulk-) ingredients) can be in a variety of shape, e.g. those which are easily produced by compression, such as pills, pellets, briquettes, tablets, layers, and sheets. In case of layers or sheets, the size and shape may be such that it is e.g. a complete layer (or layers, sheet or sheets) of the final article: e.g. a lower layer or sheet of compressed herbs/vegetables according to the invention, with on it and attached thereto the remaining (e.g. bulk-) ingredients of the article. Or e.g. as a middle layer or sheet with the remaining (e.g. bulk-) ingredients on top and bottom. For appearance, the part (b) preferably has smooth sides.  
         [0044]     The part of the bouillon, seasoning etcetera cubes and tablets according to the present invention which comprises the herbs, vegetables or pieces thereof may contain other components next to herbs, vegetables or pieces thereof but preferably comprises 60-100%, more preferably 80-100%, even more preferably 90-100%, most preferably substantially 100% (weight % dry weight based on the part that is compressed under step (a) in the above processes, i.e. excluding moisture) of herbs, vegetables, or pieces thereof. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0045]     In the processes above, the herb and/or vegetable pieces could be pressed with minimal damage as long as the compressing (of the herbs and/or vegetables) is done on herbs and/or vegetables having a moisture content of 5-30%. By having such moisture content, the volume is sufficiently reduced to allow compressing, and the amount of moisture is still enough to give some flexibility to the herbs and/or vegetables to allow compressing. It is preferred to carry out the pressing of the herb and/or vegetable particles having a moisture content of 7-20% wt, more preferably 10-15% wt.  
         [0046]     It was found that the in the process and article according to the invention it is particularly beneficial if freeze dried herbs and/or vegetables are used, but also other drying techniques may be employed, or mixed drying techniques. It is possible to use already (freeze) dried herbs and/or vegetables, which will usually have a moisture content of less than 5%, e.g. 2% or less. In such case, the herb and/or vegetable pieces will first be rehydrated to a moisture content of 5-30% (preferably 7-20% wt, more preferably 10-15% wt) prior to compression step (a). Or, if one starts from fresh herbs and/or vegetables they can be (freeze) dried prior to step (a) to a moisture content of below 5% and then rehydrated to a moisture content of 5-30% (preferably 7-20% wt, more preferably 10-15% wt) and then compressed. Alternatively, instead of drying to a moisture content of below 5% and rehydration, it may be preferred to dry (preferably freeze dry) to a moisture content of 5-30% (preferably 7-20% wt, more preferably 10-15% wt) prior to step (a). In such process no rehydration is needed prior to step (a) and the herbs and/or vegetables can be compressed directly.  
         [0047]     The compression of the herbs and/or vegetables can be done with equipment as is known in the art, e.g. as has been described in US 3385715 and EP 326525. The compressed herbs and/or vegetables may be in any suitable shape, that is any shape that can conveniently be pressed, and the resulting compressed particle should be such that it can be used in the next step: pressing with the bulk ingredients to a shaped article. Preferred shapes may be pills, pellets, briquettes, tablets, layers, sheets, and cubes. For preventing premature crumbling of the seasoning-, bouillon-, or other cubes or tablets according to the present invention it is preferred that the herbs, vegetables or pieces thereof are present as firmly bound (and not as loose or loosely bound herb/vegetable matter) pills, pellets, briquettes, tablets, layers, sheets, cubes or other format, and then combined with the bulk ingredients. The processing of the present invention enables such. After the compression of the herbs and/or vegetables having a moisture content of 5-30% (preferably 7-20% wt, more preferably 10-15% wt), the compressed particles or layers etcetera can be dried to a moisture content of below 15% wt, more preferably below 5% wt. It is preferred that the compressed herbs and/or vegetables have an a w  of less than 0.75.  
         [0048]     It was found that in the process and article according to the invention the usual herbs and/or vegetables or parts thereof can be used such as such as parsley, dill, basil, chives, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, leek, onion, mushrooms, broccoli (incl. florets), cauliflower (incl. florets), tomato, courgette, asparagus, (bell) pepper, egg plant, cucumber, carrot, coconut flesh. These herbs and/or vegetables may be in leafs, slices, florets, dices or other pieces, depending upon its nature and the desired appearance. The processes according to the present invention are in particular suitable for including leafy herbs, vegetables, or pieces thereof in bouillon-, seasoning- and other concentrates in cube, tablet or other solid form.  
         [0049]     Therefore, it is preferred that 60-100% (preferably 80-100%, more preferably 90-100%) by weight of the herbs, vegetables or pieces thereof is in the form of leafy herbs, vegetables or pieces thereof. It may be preferred that part or all of such herbs and/or vegetables are freeze dried. Also present may be e.g. croutons, cheese, dried pieces of meat or fish.  
         [0050]     In the processes according to the invention, the bulk ingredients will usually contain the ingredients which provide the basis or structure and/or part of the taste of the broth, bouillon, soup, sauce, (side)dish, seasoning etcetera when mixed (and optionally heated) with water or another aqueous liquid or applied to a dish, in which the herbs and/or vegetables are desired.  
         [0051]     These components are usually present in the final soup, sauce, (side)dish, etcetera in dissolved (salt, MSG, sugars) or melted (fat and oil) state, next to (powdery) material like spices or finely ground (dried) vegetable powder, starch, flour, maltodextrin, powdered flavourings, gums, thickeners, creamers, or mixtures thereof, which can e.g. be present in the final food composition as finely dispersed or gelated matter. The bulk ingredients preferably comprises one or more of salt, MSG, sugar, spices, flour, starch, maltodextrin, flavourings, or mixtures thereof. Furthermore, the following components may be present: gums, native starch, modified starch, cereal flour, milled dehydrated vegetables/legumes, creamers or mixtures thereof. The amount of starch and/or flour in the filling material is preferably 0-40% wt, preferably 0.1-20% wt based on the total particle. It may be preferred that at least 80% wt of the dry not-fat bulk ingredients (e.g. salt, MSG, flour, sugars, etcetera) as used in this invention has a particle size of smaller than 1 mm (preferably smaller than 500 micron), preferably measured using a sieve with a mesh size of 1 mm. The fat and/or oil may comprise vegetable fat (e.g. sunflower or olive oil) and/or plant sterols or esters thereof and/or plant stanols or esters thereof.  
         [0052]     Preferably, in all three embodiments of the present invention, the fraction of bulk ingredients comprises 40-100% (wt %, based on total amount of bulk fraction or bulk ingredients; more preferably 60-100%, even more preferablt 70-100%, most preferably 70-90%) of salt, taste enhancers, sugar(s), fat, oil, gums, thickeners, creamers, spices, starch, starch-derivatives, flour, maltodextrin, ground herbs, ground vegetables, ground legumes, meat extracts, vegetable extracts,  
         [0053]     A creamer may be included e.g. for creamy soups or sauces, gravies, etcetera. Suitable creamers are known in the art of dry creamy soups and sauces. Such compositions are usually combinations of fat with carbohydrate and/or protein, as e.g. disclosed in WO 2004/045298.  
         [0054]     The present invention relates to products which are preserved by a reduced water content. Preferably the water activity of the products according to the invention is below 0.75, more preferably below 0.6. It is preferred that the shaped articles according to the invention have a moisture content of less than 15%, e.g. 1-15%, preferably less than 10% wt.  
         [0055]     The pressing or other forming (of both herbs/vegetables as well as the bulk ingredients or these two jointly) can be done using equipment as known in the art for pressing or forming (food) products from granular material, e.g. bouillon cubes. Such forming may be done using roller compacting, extruding, sheeting, casting, pelletising, (com)pressing, etcetera.  
         [0056]     The cubes may be used in soup vending machines, in which one or several cubes can be dosed for one serving.  
       EXAMPLE  
       [0057]     Asparagus cream soup with “pill” of dry vegetables and herbs.  
         [0058]     An asparagus cream soup dry concentrate was prepared of the following ingredients (balance is moisture):  
                                                     Component   Amount (g)   Wt %                                Bell pepper particles, freeze dried   0.4   2.2       Courgette particles, 6 × 6 × 6 mm, freeze dried   0.4   2.2       Cauliflower florets, freeze dried   0.4   2.2       Broccoli florets, 12 mm, freeze dried   0.4   2.2       Potato starch   3.93   21.8       Creamer   3.54   19.7       Palm oil   3.50   19.4       Roux (of which 28% fat)   1.12   6.2       Salt   0.71   3.9       MSG   0.56   3.1       Leek powder   0.56   3.1       Basil powder   0.45   2.4       Sugar   0.23   1.3       Flavours and aroma&#39;s   0.98   5.4                  
 
         [0059]     The processing involved first pressing a “pill” of the dry bell peppers, courgette particles and cauliflower and broccoli florets by re-hydrating to about 15% moisture and subsequent compressing to form a pill, which was then dried again to about 6% moisture. The size of the “pill” was approx. 1.5 cm diameter, thickness approx. 1 cm.  
         [0060]     All other ingredients were mixed together to form the matrix material. The pill and the matrix material were put into a press and compressed to a block. The resulting product was a rigid, non-friable block in cylinder shape (diameter 4 cm, thickness 2 cm) with the pill inside, partially visible from the outside. Upon mixing with 175 ml hot water and stirring the block fell apart quickly to form a soup, and the pill fell apart in about 3 minutes in loose vegetables which returned into their shape prior to freeze drying.