Background

Caramel provides a versatile component for use in confectionary products. Caramel can have a range of indulgent textures (from soft, chewy textures (e.g., in caramel or fudge) to hard caramels) that can be used in combination with other edible components to provide an assortment of different product types.

Caramel, toffee and fudge are all made by combining and heating butter, sugar and milk, with the component produced dependent on the ratio of ingredients and the temperature to which the mixture is heated. Consequently, caramels, toffees and fudges are high sugar, high saturated fat components of any confectionary product.

In an effort to improve the nutritional profile of indulgent food products, it is desirable to reduce the sugar and saturated fat content while maintaining the indulgent textures of the various components of the products, including the caramel or fudge components.

Detailed Description

Before the present disclosure is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular process steps and materials disclosed herein because such process steps and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments. The terms are not intended to be limiting because the scope is intended to be limited by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

It is noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

If a standard test is mentioned herein, unless otherwise stated, the version of the test to be referred to is the most recent at the time of filing this patent application.

As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be a little above or a little below the endpoint to allow for variation in test methods or apparatus. The degree of flexibility of this term can be dictated by the particular variable and would be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to determine based on experience and the associated description herein. As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.

Concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not just the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 wt.% to about 5 wt.%” should be interpreted to include not just the explicitly recited values of about 1 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, but also to include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3.5, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc. This same principle applies to ranges reciting a single numerical value. Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.

As used herein, unless otherwise stated, wt.% values are to be taken as referring to a weight-for-weight (w/w) percentage of the total weight of the food product, including the weight of any fluid present.

Unless otherwise stated, any feature described herein can be combined with any aspect or any other feature described herein.

In an aspect, there is provided a food product comprising: a fat in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 15 wt.%; a humectant in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 35 wt.%; a protein in an amount of about 2 wt.% to about 20 wt.%; a fibre in an amount of about 15 wt.% to about 40 wt.%; a starch in an amount of about 8 wt.% to about 15 wt.%; and water in an amount of up to about 18 wt.%; wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the food product. In another aspect, there is provided a coated food product comprising a coating disposed on a food product, wherein the food product is any food product described herein.

In a further aspect, there is provided a confectionary product comprising inclusions disposed within a food product, wherein the food product is any food product described herein.

In another aspect, there is provided a method of producing a food product comprising combining: a fat in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 12 wt.%; a humectant in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 35 wt.%; a protein in an amount of about 2 wt.% to about 14 wt.%; a fibre in an amount of about 20 wt.% to about 39 wt.%; a starch in an amount of about 9 wt.% to about 12 wt.%; and water in an amount of about 14 wt.% to about 18 wt.% water; wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of each component added; and heating to a temperature of up to 120°C to remove at least a portion of the water and form the food product.

Examples of the food product, coated food product, confectionary product and methods of producing the food product described herein have been found to avoid or at least mitigate at least one of these difficulties. It has been found that a starch and protein matrix containing fibre can deliver a texture similar to caramel. The edible products have a plain flavour base and so can be used in a range of different products, from products mimicking the flavour of traditional caramel to fruit flavoured confectionaries. The texture of the final products can be modified by adjusting the ratios of the different ingredients and adapting the production method, providing products with textures from soft, flowable caramels to hard, chewy caramels to short, firm fudge-like textures. Such products have lower sugar and saturated fat contents than traditional caramels, providing an improved nutritional profile, whilst maintaining the indulgent texture of caramel or fudge components.

In particular, a mixture of a fat (in particular a low saturated fat content oil such as canola oil), a fibre, a starch, a humectant (such as a sugar, sugar syrup or polyol), a protein and water can be used to provide a range of caramel-like textures. The precise texture provided by the composition varies depending on, for example, the amount of water remaining in the final product (with a lower water content providing a firmer texture), the type of humectant used (e.g., lower glass transition temperature (Tg) sugars lead to a softer texture) and the order in which the ingredients are combined (e.g., addition of protein later in the process produces a shorter (less cohesive and chewy) texture). Adjusting the ratios of the components and timing of protein addition allows a range of different products with indulgent textures to be produced.

Additionally, while the base composition provides a range of indulgent textures, it does not have a strong flavour. By appropriate addition of flavourings, products that mimic the flavour of caramel or fudge can be achieved, in addition to mimicking the texture. However, addition of other flavourings, such as cocoa powder or fruit flavours, provides other taste profiles that can be used in other types of confectionary.

Food product

In an aspect, there is provided a food product comprising: a fat, a humectant, a protein, a fibre, a starch and water. The food product may comprise a fat in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 15 wt.%; a humectant in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 35 wt.%; a protein in an amount of about 2 wt.% to about 20 wt.%; a fibre in an amount of about 15 wt.% to about 40 wt.%; a starch in an amount of about 8 wt.% to about 15 wt.%; and water in an amount of up to about 18 wt.%; wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the food product. In some examples, the water content is reduced during production of the food content.

In some examples, the food product may comprise a caramel product, a fruit flavoured product, or a chocolate flavoured product.

In some examples, the food product may additionally comprise an emulsifier. The food product may comprise an emulsifier in an amount of up to 5 wt.%. In some examples, the food product may comprise a fat, a humectant, a protein, an emulsifier, a fibre, a starch and water.

The food product may comprise about 5 wt.% to 12 wt.% of the fat; about 5 wt.% to 35 wt.% of the humectant; about 2 wt.% to 14 wt.% of the protein; about 0.1 wt.% to about 3 wt.% of the emulsifier; about 20 wt.% to about 39 wt.% of the fibre; about 9 wt.% to about 12 wt.% of the starch; and up to 13 wt.% of water.

In some examples, the fat may be any suitable fat. In some examples, the fat may be an oil, preferably, a low saturated fat oil. In some examples, a low saturated fat oil is an oil comprising about 20 wt.% or less saturated fat, for example, about 15 wt.% or less, about 14 wt.% or less, about 13 wt.% or less, about 12 wt.% or less, about 11 wt.% or less, about 10 wt.% or less, about 9 wt.% or less, about 8 wt.% or less, about 7 wt.% or less saturated fat (by total weight of the oil). In some examples, the fat may be an oil comprising from about 1 wt.% to about 20 wt.% saturated fat, for example, from about 2 wt.% to about 15 wt.%, from about 3 wt.% to about 14 wt.%, from about 4 wt.% to about 13 wt.%, from about 5 wt.% to about 12 wt.%, from about 6 wt.% to about 1 1 wt.%, from about 7 wt.% to about 10 wt.% saturated fat.

In some examples, the fat may be selected from canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil or a combination thereof. Canola oil may comprise about 7 wt.% saturated fat. Sunflower oil may comprise 11 wt.% saturated fat.

The food product comprises the fat in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 15 wt.% by total weight of the food product, for example, about 6 wt.% to about 14 wt.%, about 7 wt.% to about 13 wt.%, about 8 wt.% to about 11 wt.%, about 9 wt.% to about 10 wt.%, about 5 wt.% to about 12 wt.%, about 6 wt.% to about 12 wt.%. In some examples, the food product comprises about 5 wt.% to about 7 wt.% fat. In some examples, the food product comprises about 10 wt.% to about 12 wt.% fat.

The food product comprises a fibre. In some examples, the food product comprises any suitable fibre. In some examples, the fibre may comprise a soluble fibre. As used herein, the terms “dietary fibre”, “soluble dietary fibre”, “soluble fibre” or “water soluble (dietary) fibre” refer to naturally occurring materials such as inulin, a fructan based on polyfructose, and shorter oligofructosaccharides, that are water soluble, or at least swell in water. Other soluble dietary fibres that may be used in any component of the present food product include dextrins, which are low molecular weight polyglucose molecules produced by the hydrolysis of starch or glycogen. These materials have a low calorific content (approximately 1 cal/g), and so are desirable substitutes for refined sugars, in particular as bulk sugar replacers typically used in confectionery.

Other sources of water-soluble dietary fibre include beta glucan, carrageenan, guar, gum acacia, xanthan gum, and pectin, and combinations thereof. A further example of soluble dietary fibres includes soluble corn fibre (SCF), an example of such an SCF is PROMITOR® Soluble Fibre 70 or PROMITOR® Soluble Corn Fibre 85 A (supplied by Tate & Lyle). In some examples, the fibre is selected from beta glucan, carrageenan, guar, gum acacia, xanthan gum, pectin, maltodextrin, soluble corn fibre, oligofructose and inulin, and combinations thereof. In some examples, the fibre is soluble corn fibre.

The food product comprises the fibre in an amount of about 15 wt.% to about 40 wt.% (by total weight of the food product), for example, about 16 wt.% to about 39 wt.%, about 17 wt.% to about 33 wt.%, about 18 wt.% to about 32 wt.%, about 19 wt.% to about 31 wt.%, or about 20 wt.% to about 31 wt.%.

The food product comprises a humectant. In some examples, the humectant may be any suitable humectant. Some suitable humectants are sugars, polyols, organic acids, amino acids, salts, and gums. In some examples, the humectant may be selected from aminobutyric acid, glucose, lactulose, propylene glycol, alanine, glycine, malic acid, sodium chloride, citric acid, glycerol, maltose, sorbitol, DE42, gums, mannitol, starch, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, mannose, sucrose, lactic acid, PEG 400, tartaric acid, galactose lactose, PEG 600, xylose.

In some examples, the humectant comprises a sugar, a sugar syrup, a polyol, an amino acid, or a combination thereof. Food products containing an amino acid were found to taste less good than food products in which the humectant was a sugar, a sugar syrup, a polyol, or a combination thereof.

In some examples, the sugar syrup may be selected from sucrose syrup, glucose syrup, invert syrup, honey or mixtures thereof. The sugar syrup may comprise water, for example, 1 to 30 wt.% water and 99 to 60 wt.% sugars, for example, 5-20 wt.% water and 95-80 wt.% sugars, or 10-20 wt.% water and 90-80 wt.% sugar. In some examples, honey comprises 82 wt.% sugar and 18 wt.% water. Any water forming part of a sugar syrup is in addition to the water added to the food product separately.

In some examples, the sugar may be selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, galactose, xylitol or a combination thereof. In some examples, the sugar may be granulated sugar, caster sugar, demerara sugar, muscovado sugar, confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar) or a combination thereof. In some examples, the sugar syrup may be honey, maple syrup, corn syrup (e.g., high fructose corn syrup), golden syrup, glucose syrup, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the polyol may be a sugar alcohol, for example, glycerol, mannitol, sorbitol, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the humectant is selected from sucrose, glucose, honey, glycerol, and mixtures thereof. In some examples, the humectant is selected from granulated sugar, honey, glucose syrup, glycerol and mixtures thereof. In some examples, the humectant is glucose syrup and glycerol. In some examples, the humectant is granulated sugar and glycerol.

The texture of the food product may depend on the glass transition temperature of the humectant. A humectant with a lower Tg value may decrease the overall Tg value of the food matrix, leading to a food product with a softer texture. In some examples, the humectant has a glass transition temperature of 70°C or less, for example, 65°C or less. The following humectants have literature reported glass transition temperatures that decrease in the order sucrose (65°C) > glucose (31 °C) > honey (-45°C) (Ergun, R., R. Lietha, and Richard W. Hartel. "Moisture and shelf life in sugar confections." Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 50.2 (2010): 162-192; and Kantor, Zoltan, Guido Pitsi, and Jan Thoen. "Glass transition temperature of honey as a function of water content as determined by differential scanning calorimetry." Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 47.6 (1999): 2327-2330).

As a result, replacing sucrose with honey in a food product generally leads to a softer texture, whereas glucose will generally result in a firmer texture than honey but a softer texture than sucrose.

The food product comprises the humectant in an amount of from about 5 wt.% to about 35 wt.%, for example, from about 8 wt.% to about 31 wt.%. In some examples, the food product may comprise from about 5 wt.% to about 10 wt.%, for example, about 8 wt.% humectant, for example, glycerol. In some examples, the food product may comprise from about 25 wt.% to about 35 wt.% humectant, for example, from about 28 wt.% to about 31 wt.% humectant, for example, honey; glucose syrup; a combination of glucose syrup and glycerol; or a combination sugar (e.g., granulated sugar) and glycerol.

The food product comprises a protein. In some examples, the protein may be any suitable protein. In some examples, the protein may be a dairy protein, a dairy-free protein or a combination thereof, in some examples, the protein may be selected from milk proteins (e.g., cows milk), for example, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, total milk protein or a combination thereof. In some examples, the protein dairy free protein may be egg protein or a plant-based protein, such as protein isolated from potatoes, soy beans, chickpeas, haricot beans, whole green lentils, split yellow lentils, peas, canola or combinations thereof. The food product may comprise a protein selected from whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, total milk protein, and combinations thereof.

The food product comprises protein in an amount of from about 2 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, for example, from about 3 wt.% to about 15 wt.%, about 4 wt.% to about 14 wt.%, about 5 wt.% to about 13 wt.%, about 6 wt.% to about 14 wt.%, about 7 wt.% to about 10 wt.%, about 7 wt.% to about 8 wt.% of the total weight of the food product.

The food product comprises a starch. In some examples, the starch may be any suitable starch. In some examples, the starch may be derived from corn, wheat, modified wheat, tapioca, sorghum, potato, sweet potato, rice, pea, oat, beets, barley, soy, other cereals or grains and mixtures thereof. In some examples, the starch may be maize starch. In some examples, the starch is a waxy starch originating from maize.

The food product comprises starch in an amount of from about 8 wt.% to about 15 wt.%, for example, about 9 wt.% to about 13 wt.%, about 10 wt.% to about 12 wt.% or about 9 to about 1 1 wt.% of the total weight of the food product.

The food product may additionally comprise an emulsifier. In some examples, the food product may comprise any suitable emulsifier. In some examples, the emulsifier may be a lecithin, a monoglyceride or a diglyceride or combinations thereof. In some examples, the emulsifier is a lecithin, for example, a lecithin selected from soy lecithin, sunflower lecithin or a combination thereof. In some examples, the emulsifier is soy lecithin.

In some examples, the food product may comprise an emulsifier in an amount of from about 0.1 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, for example, about 0.5 wt.% to about 4 wt.%, about 1 wt.% to about 3 wt.% of the total weight of the food product. In some examples, the food product may comprise a fat in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 15 wt.%; a humectant in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 35 wt.%; a protein in an amount of about 2 wt.% to about 20 wt.%; an emulsifier in an amount of 0.1 wt.% to about 5 wt.%; a fibre in an amount of about 15 wt.% to about 35 wt.%; a starch in an amount of about 8 wt.% to about 15 wt.%; and water in an amount of up to about 18 wt.%; wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the food product.

In some examples, the food product may additionally comprise a flavouring or a mixture of flavourings. In some examples, the flavouring may include cocoa powder. In some examples, the flavouring comprises a mixture of cocoa powder and other flavourings. In some examples, the flavouring or mixture of flavourings provides a chocolate flavour, caramel flavour, fruit flavour, or a combination thereof to the food product.

The food product may comprise a flavouring or a mixture of flavourings in an amount of about 9 wt.% or less, for examples, about 8 wt.% or less, about 7 wt.% or less, about 6 wt.% or less, about 5 wt.% or less, about 4 wt.% or less, about 3 wt.% or less, about 2 wt.% or less, or about 1 wt.% or less based on the total weight of the food product. In some examples, the food product may comprise a flavouring or a mixture of flavourings in an amount of from about 0.1 wt.% to about 9 wt.%, for examples, about 0.5 wt.% to about 8 wt.%, about 1 wt.% to about 7 wt.%, about 2 wt.% to about 6 wt.%, about 3 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, or about 1 wt.% to about 4 wt.% based on the total weight of the food product.

In some examples, the mixture of flavourings may comprise cocoa powder and other flavourings. In some examples, the mixture of flavourings may comprise about 5 wt.% or less cocoa powder, for example, 4 wt.% or less, about 3 wt.% or less, or about 2 wt.% or less cocoa powder. In some examples, the mixture of flavourings may comprise from about 0.5 wt.% to about 5 wt.% cocoa powder, for example, about 1 wt.% to about 4 wt.%, about 1.5 wt.% to about 3 wt.%, or about 1 wt.% to about 2 wt.% cocoa powder based on the total weight of the food product.

The food product comprises up to 15 wt.% water based on the total weight of the food product, for example, up to about 10 wt.%, up to about 9 wt.%, up to about 8 wt.%, up to about 7 wt.%, up to about 6 wt.%, up to about 5 wt.%, up to about 4 wt.%, up to about 3 wt.%, up to about 2 wt.%, up to about 1 wt.% water. In some examples, the food product comprises at least about 1 wt.% water, for example, at least about 2 wt.%, at least about 3 wt.%, at least about 4 wt.%, at least about 5 wt.%, at least about 6 wt.%, at least about 7 wt.%, at least about 8 wt.%, at least about 9 wt.%, at least about 10 wt.%, or at least about 15 wt.% water. In some examples, the food product comprises from about 1 wt.% to about 15 wt.% water. The amount of water in the food product affects the texture of the food product, with the firmness of the food product increasing as the water content decreases.

Coated food product

In another aspect, there is provided a coated food product. The coated food product may comprise a coating disposed on any food product described herein. In some examples, the coated food product may comprise a plurality of coating layers disposed on the food product. The coating may be applied by a panning system.

In some examples, the coating may comprise a sugar coating, a chocolate coating, a compound coating, an inclusion or dusting coating, or a combination thereof.

In some examples, the coating may comprise a sugar syrup. In some examples, the food product may be coated with a plurality of coating layers at least one of which comprises sugar syrup. In some examples, the coated food product may comprise a plurality of coating layers, at least one of which comprises sugar syrup, disposed on the food product. In some examples, the coating may comprise coloured sugar syrup.

In some examples, the coating may comprise up to about 50 wt.% of the total weight of the coated food product, for example, up to about 45 wt.%, up to about 40 wt.%, up to about 35 wt.%, or up to about 30 wt.% of the total weight of the coated food product. In some examples, the remaining weight of the coated food product may be the food product. In some examples, the coating may comprise from about 5 wt.% to about 50 wt.% of the total weight of the food product, for example, about 10 wt.% to about 45 wt.%, about 15 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, about 20 wt.% to about 35 wt.%, or about 25 wt.% to about 30 wt.% of the total weight of the food product.

In some examples, the food product may comprise up to about 99 wt.% of the total weight of the coated food product, for example, up to about 95 wt.%, up to about 90 wt.%, up to about 85 wt.%, up to about 80 wt.%, up to about 75 wt.%, up to about 70 wt.%, up to about 65 wt.%, up to about 60 wt.%, up to about 55 wt.%, or up to about 50 wt.% of the total weight of the coated food product. In some examples, the food product may comprise from about 5 wt.% to about 99 wt.% of the total weight of the coated food product, for example, about 25 wt.% to about 95 wt.%, about 50 wt.% to about 90 wt.%, about 55 wt.% to about 85 wt.%, about 60 wt.% to about 80 wt.% of the total weight of the coated food product. In some examples, the remaining weight of the coated food product is the coating.

Confectionary product

In another aspect, there is provided a confectionary product. The confectionary product may comprise inclusions disposed within any food product described herein.

In some examples, the inclusions may comprise nuts, seeds, grains, pseudocereals, fruit pieces, dried fruit, biscuit pieces, and combinations thereof. In some examples, the inclusions may comprise whole nuts, chopped nuts, grains (e.g., rolled oats, oat flakes, puffed rice), pseudocereals (e.g., quinoa), and combinations thereof. In some examples, the inclusions may comprise crispy grains.

The confectionary product may comprise inclusions in amounts up to about 50 wt.% based on the weight of the confectionary product, for example up to about 45 wt.%, for example up to about 40 wt.%, for example up to about 35 wt.%, for example up to about 30 wt.%, for example up to about 25 wt.%, for example up to about 20 wt.%, for example up to about 15 wt.%, for example up to about 10 wt.%, for example about 5 wt.%. The confectionary product may comprise inclusions in amounts greater than about 5 wt.% based on the weight of the confectionary product, for example greater than about 10 wt.%, for example greater than about 15 wt.%, for example greater than about 20 wt.%, for example greater than about 25 wt.%, for example greater than about 30 wt.%, for example greater than about 35 wt.%, for example greater than about 40 wt.%, for example greater than about 45 wt.%, for example about 50 wt.%.

In some examples, the confectionary product may additionally comprise a coating disposed on the food product in which inclusions are disposed. In some examples, the coating may be any coating described herein.

Method of producing a food product

In a further aspect, there is provided a method of producing a food product described herein. In some examples, the method may be a method of producing a food product comprising a fat, a humectant, a protein, a fibre, a starch and a water.

The method of producing a food product may comprise combining a fat, a humectant, a protein, a fibre, a starch and water, and heating to a temperature of up to 120°C to remove at least a portion of the water, forming the food product. In some examples, the method of producing a food product may comprise combining a fat in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 12 wt.%; a humectant in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 35 wt.%; a protein in an amount of about 2 wt.% to about 14 wt.%; a fibre in an amount of about 20 wt.% to about 40 wt.%; a starch in an amount of about 9 wt.% to about 12 wt.%; and water in an amount of about 14 wt.% to about 18 wt.% water; wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of each component added; and heating to a temperature of up to 120°C to remove at least a portion of the water and form the food product. In some examples, the food product may additionally comprise an emulsifier. The method of producing a food product may comprise combining a fat, a humectant, a protein, a fibre, a starch, an emulsifier and water; and heating to a temperature of up to 120°C to remove at least a portion of the water, forming the food product. In some examples, the method of producing a food product may comprise combining a fat in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 12 wt.%; a humectant in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 35 wt.%; a protein in an amount of about 2 wt.% to about 14 wt.%; a fibre in an amount of about 20 wt.% to about 39 wt.%; a starch in an amount of about 9 wt.% to about 12 wt.%; an emulsifier in an amount of up to about 5 wt.%; and water in an amount of about 14 wt.% to about 18 wt.% water; wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of each component added; and heating to a temperature of up to 120°C to remove at least a portion of the water and form the food product.

In some examples, the ingredients may be combined in any order. In some examples, the method of producing a food product may comprise combining the liquid ingredients to form a first composition; combining the solid ingredients to form a second composition; combining the first composition with the second composition; and heating to a temperature of up to 120°C to remove at least a portion of the water, forming the food product.

In some examples, the protein may be added before, during or after heating to a temperature of up to 120°C. In some examples, the method of producing a food product may comprise combining all of the ingredients except the protein; heating to a temperature of up to 120°C and then adding the protein. In some examples, the heating may be continued after addition of the protein. In some examples, the method of producing a food product may comprise combining the fat, the humectant, the emulsifier (if present), the fibre, the starch and the water to form a first composition; heating the first composition to remove a first portion of the water and form a second composition; and then adding the protein to the second composition to form a third composition that is heated to remove a second portion of the water and form the food product. In some examples, incorporating the protein later in the process produces a food product with a shorter texture than is achieved when the protein is added at the beginning of the process. In some examples, incorporating the protein at the beginning of the process provides the food product with a more cohesive and chewy texture than when the protein is added later in the process. In some examples, the humectant comprises at least one of a liquid humectant and a solid humectant. In some examples, the method of producing the food product comprises combining a) the water, the fat, and, if present, the emulsifier and/or the liquid humectant to form a first composition; b) combining the starch, the fibre, and, if present, the solid humectant to form a second composition; c) combining the first composition with the second composition; and d) heating to remove at least a portion of the water and form the food product; and wherein the protein is added i) as part of the second composition; or ii) during the heating to remove at least a portion of the water.

In some examples, the method of producing the food product comprises combining a) the water, the fat, the emulsifier, and, if present, the liquid humectant to form a first composition; b) combining the starch, the fibre, and, if present, the solid humectant to form a second composition; c) combining the first composition with the second composition; and d) heating to remove at least a portion of the water and form the food product; and wherein the protein is added i) as part of the second composition; or ii) during the heating to remove at least a portion of the water. In some examples, the method of producing the food product comprises combining a) the water, the fat, the liquid humectant and, if present, the emulsifier to form a first composition; b) combining the starch, the fibre, and, if present, the solid humectant to form a second composition; c) combining the first composition with the second composition; and d) heating to remove at least a portion of the water and form the food product; and wherein the protein is added i) as part of the second composition; or ii) during the heating to remove at least a portion of the water. In some examples, the method of producing the food product comprises combining a) the water, the fat, and, if present, the emulsifier and/or the liquid humectant to form a first composition; b) combining the starch, the fibre, and the solid humectant to form a second composition; c) combining the first composition with the second composition; and d) heating to remove at least a portion of the water and form the food product; and wherein the protein is added i) as part of the second composition; or ii) during the heating to remove at least a portion of the water.

In some examples, the method of producing the food product comprises a) combining the water, the fat, and, if present, the emulsifier and/or the liquid humectant to form a first composition; b) combining the starch and, if present, the solid humectant to form a second composition; c) combining the fibre and, optionally, the protein to form a third composition; d) combining the first composition with the second composition; and heating to remove a first portion of the water; e) adding the third composition; and f) heating to remove a second portion of the water and form the food product; and wherein the protein is added i) as part of the third composition or ii) during the heating to remove the second portion of the water.

In some examples, the flavouring(s) may be added before, during or after heating step. In some examples, the method of producing a food product may comprise combining a fat, a humectant, a protein, a fibre, a starch, water, and optionally an emulsifier; heating to a temperature of up to 120°C to remove a first portion of the water; adding flavouring(s); and continuing to heat to a temperature of up to 120°C to remove a second portion of the water.

The method of producing the food product comprises heating to a temperature of up to about 120°C to remove at least a portion of the water and form the food product. In some examples, the heating is to a temperature of up to about 115°C, for example, up to about 1 10 °C, up to about 105 °C, up to about 100 °C, up to about 95 °C, up to about 90 °C, or up to about 85 °C. In some examples, the heating is to a temperature of at least about 85°C, for example, at least about 90 °C, at least about 95 °C, at least about 100 °C, at least about 105 °C, at least about 110 °C, at least about 115 °C, or at least about 120 °C. In some examples, the heating is to a temperature of from about 85°C to about 120°C, for example, about 90°C to about 115°C, about 95°C to about 110°C, or about 100°C to about 105°C.

In some examples, heating is performed to remove at least 50 wt.% of the water from the composition, for example, at least about 55 wt.%, at least about 60 wt.%, at least about 65 wt.%, at least about 70 wt.%, at least about 75 wt.%, at least about 80 wt.%, at least about 85 wt.%, at least about 86 wt.%, at least about 87 wt.%, at least about 88 wt.%, at least about 89 wt.%, at least about 90 wt.%, at least about 91 wt.%, at least about 92 wt.%, at least about 93 wt.%, at least about 94 wt.%, at least about 95 wt.%, at least about 96 wt.%, at least about 97 wt.%, at least about 98 wt.%, or at least about 99 wt.% of the water from the composition. In some examples, the heating is performed to remove up to 99 wt.% of the water from the composition, for example, up to about

98 wt.%, up to about 97 wt.%, up to about 96 wt.%, up to about 95 wt.%, up to about 94 wt.% up to about 93 wt.%, up to about 92 wt.%, up to about 91 wt.%, up to about 90 wt.% up to about 89 wt.%, up to about 88 wt.%, up to about 87 wt.%, up to about 86 wt.% up to about 85 wt.%, up to about 80 wt.%, up to about 75 wt.%, up to about 70 wt.%, up to about 65 wt.%, up to about 60 wt.%, up to about 55 wt.%, or up to about 50 wt.% of the water from the composition. In some examples, heating is performed to remove from about 50 wt.% to about 99 wt.% of the water from the composition, for example, about 55 wt.% to about 98 wt.%, about 60 wt.% to about 97 wt.%, about 65 wt.% to about 96 wt.%, about 70 wt.% to about 95 wt.%, about 75 wt.% to about 94 wt.%, about 80 wt.% to about 93 wt.%, about 85 wt.% to about 92 wt.%, or about 90 wt.% to about 91 wt.% of the water from the composition. EXAMPLES

The following illustrates examples of the methods and other aspects described herein. Thus, these Examples should not be considered as limitations of the present disclosure, but are merely in place to teach how to make examples of the present disclosure.

Exemplary Food Product Compositions A range of different food products with different textures were produced by modifying the relative amounts of each component, creating the desired textures by following the guidelines outlined above. The specific textures of the food products produced range from soft to firm, and short to cohesive chew textures.

Table 1

+ Barflex 191 ; ++ Barflex 191 (4.03 wt.%) and 895 Instant (2.02 wt.%)

Materials

Whey Protein concentrate 550: available from Fonterra. Total Milk Protein 1000: available from Fonterra

Whey Protein Isolate, Barflex 191 : available from Glanbia

Whey Protein Isolate 895 Instant: available from Fonterra

Canola Oil: available from Stratas Foods

Soy Lecithin Performix E: available from Archer Daniels Midland Glycerin: Kosher; available from Chemworld

Promitor Soluble Corn Fiber 85A: available from Tate & Lyle

Cocoa powder natural 10/12 D-1 1-S alkalised: available form Olam

Thingum 300, Modified Maize Starch: available from Tate & Lyle

Glucose Syrup 63/43 High DE: available form Roquette Maltodextrin 18 DE: available from Tate & Lyle

Water: distilled, ambient temperature water.

Honey: Light amber, organic honey from American Honey

A coated confectionary product was produced comprising the v98 starch caramel in combination with puffed quinoa crisp inclusions and coated with a sugar coating. This composition is also suitable for depositing for filled chocolates.

A coated food product was produced comprising the v108 chewy fudge, coated with a sugar coating. This composition is also suitable for use in filled bars.

A food product comprising v120 hard sucrose caramel was produced, which had a drier, harder fudge like texture.

A food product comprising v64 honey caramel was produced, which had a soft chew. This composition is suitable for use in, for example, filled bars.

A food product comprising v70 glucose caramel had a longer, firmer chew that has a texture similar to a Starburst™ fruit chew.

Production processes

Coated V98 starch caramel with inclusions (crispy grain)

Water, oil, glycerin, glucose and lecithin were combined to form pre-blend 1. Thingum 300, soluble fibre, whey protein concentrate 550 and cocoa powder were combined to form pre-blend 2. Flavouring mix 1 was produced.

Pre-blend 1 was added to a cooking vessel (a Thermomix TM6 machine). Stirring was commenced and pre-blend 2 was added and mixing was continued until full integration was achieved (about 1 to 5 min). The mixture was heated at a temperature of 95°C until 92% of the total water had evaporated (about 30 min, speed 3, 500 rpm). The flavourings were then added to form the caramel food product composition (about 2 min, speed 3, 500 rpm). The composition was transferred to a heated mixer at about 95-70°C). Crispy grain inclusions were added to the mixture in a ratio of 25% inclusions and 75% starch caramel and mixing was performed until the inclusions were fully blended into the caramel, forming a confectionary product. The confectionary product mixture was transferred to a centre forming line comprising a heated hopper, molding, ball forming and cooling tunnel (about 95-70°C & about 12-20°C, 40-50% relative humidity (RH), producing multiple pieces of the confectionary product. The pieces of confectionary product (chocolate cluster centres) were dusted with a starch coating, de-starched and then stacked in trays (3-4 inches thick, 20°C, <50% RH).

Coated chocolate cluster centres were then produced. The chocolate cluster centres were transferred to a panning system for sugar coating. After application of the sugar coating, the coating was allowed to dry and harden for 12-16 hours overnight (20-21 °C, <50 RH). The coated confectionary products can be stored for approximately 4 weeks before packaging.

Coated v108 chewy fudge food products

Water, oil, glycerin and lecithin were combined to form pre-blend 1. Thingum 300 and soluble fibre were combined to form pre-blend 2. Flavouring mix 2 was produced and the required amount of protein was weighed out.

Pre-blend 1 was added to a cooking vessel and heated to 55°C under stirring (about 1- 5 min). Pre-blend 2 was then added to the cooking vessel and the mixture was heated at 95°C to evaporate 66% of the total amount of water (about 15-20 min). Flavouring mix 2 was then added, followed by addition of the protein. Heating at 95°C was continued to evaporate a further 20% of the total amount of water. The composition was then transferred to a centre forming line comprising a heated feed hopper, 2 cold centre forming rolls, a cooling tunnel and rounding drum (about 95-70°C), producing multiple pieces of the chewy fudge food product. These pieces were then dusted with a starch coating, de-starched and then stacked in trays (3-4 inches thick, 20°C, <50% RH.

The chewy fudge pieces were transferred to a panning system for sugar coating. After application of the sugar coating, the coating was allowed to dry and harden for 12-16 hours overnight (20-21 °C, <50 RH). The coated confectionary products can be stored for approximately 4 weeks before packaging.

Hard caramel food products

Water, oil, glycerin and lecithin were combined to form pre-blend 1. Thingum 300 and sucrose were combined to form pre-blend 2. Protein and soluble fibre were combined to form pre-blend 3. A flavour mix was formed. Pre-blend 1 was added to a cooking vessel and combined with pre-blend 2 until the mixtures were fully integrated (about 1-5 min). The mixture was then heated at 95°C to evaporate 66% of the total amount of water (about 30 min). Pre-blend 3 was then added and heating continued at 95°C until only 4% moisture remained (about 5 min). The flavour mix was then added before the composition was transferred to a centre forming line comprising a heated feed hopper, 2 cold centre forming rolls, a cooling tunnel and a rounding drum (about 95-70°C), producing multiple hard caramel pieces. The pieces of hard caramel were then dusted with a starch coating, de-starched and then stacked in trays (3-4 inches thick, 20°C and <50 RH).

Large scale forming processes

The V108 chewy fudge food product has been formed into product centres for a sugar panned coated product. A slab of the chewy fudge food product is warmed to about 40- 60°C to give the product good flexibility and flowability to form lentils. A pip roll is chilled to -9 to 5°C to achieve a good lentil shape and good processing through the rollers.

The food products may also be used in the following process types:

Slabbing using, for example, a standard slab making, slitting and cutting process with a soft chewy product to form a layer in a multi-layered confectionary bar format.

Slabbing as a replacement for caramel, with or without inclusions.

Mixing with inclusions such as cereal grains to form clusters and/or granola bars, for example, in high percentage inclusion products.

Moulded chocolate formation, for example, as a soft, flowable filling within a moulded chocolate.

Lentil formation for coating with, for example, a panned sugar shell or a chocolate coating.

Formation into wrapped soft, chewy confectionary pieces with varying textures and chewing times. Control of Water Activity

Representative food product (starch caramel) formulations are starch caramel formulae V102 and V46 (Table 2). Table 2 (representative starch caramel formulae)

Measurement method

Water activity (Aw) is a measure of partial vapour pressure of water in a product divided by the standard state (1 atm) partial vapour pressure of pure water. The partial vapour pressure of water in a product measures the tendency of water to change into the vapor state at a given temperature, and was measured by placing samples in a closed flask connected to a manometer.

Results Aw is indicative of the amount of water available for biological and chemical reactions, and is a key indicatorof shelf stability of a product (1). In a multi-component confectionery product, such as a cream-filled biscuit or a bar containing fruit pieces, Aw dictates how water can migrate in the product. Water can migrate from components with high Aw value to components with low Aw value, until the Aw values of all components in the product reach equilibrium. However, migration of water within the product can affect the quality attributes, such as texture, of the product, therefore, it is important to mitigate water migration in the product. Two common strategies of mitigating moisture migration in a multi-component product are 1) adding a moisture barrier between components with different water activity levels, and 2) reducing the driving force of water migration by narrowing the difference between water activity values of the different components (2).

In this study, the inventors focused primarily on mitigating water migration by building components with similar water activity values. The majority of the crunchy and crispy components used in this project have low water activity values between 0.2-0.4 (Table 4).

Table 4 - Aw values of representative crunchy/crispy food components.

The inventors aimed to develop components with a soft texture within the same water activity range so that the soft components are compatible with the crunchy/crispy components. Studies were conducted to control the Aw values of soft confectionery components, using starch caramel as a model system. The water content of a substrate can impact the Aw value of the substrate, and high water content can lead to high water activity value of the corresponding substrate (1). The Aw of the starch caramel can be controlled by modulating the moisture content in the system. Table 5 shows the effect of water content on Aw in a starch caramel using V46 as a model formulation (a similar formulation to starch caramel V102, with modifications).

Table 5 - Effect of water content on Aw At a water content of 9.3 wt.%, the V46 starch caramel had a high Aw value of 0.64. As the water content in the product decreased, the Aw values of the product decreased. When the water content in the product was at 3% and 2.5%, the product had a low water activity level of 0.29 and 0.27, respectively. It is worthwhile to note that this formulation contained 12% glycerin as a humectant to suppress the water activity. The results suggest that by reducing the water content in the starch caramel system, the Aw value can be reduced to the 0.2-0.4 range to be compatible with crunchy/crispy components.

The effect of different humectants on the starch caramel system was also studied. Humectants are compounds that can form chemical bounds with water molecules, affecting their ability to move around freely. The addition of humectants can reduce Aw values of a product. Some common humectants that are used in food products include sugars, polyols, organic acids, amino acids, salts, fibres, and gums, with some examples listed in Table 6 (3).

Table 6 - Common humectants used in foods to depress water activity

In general, small molecule humectants are more effective than large molecule humectants at suppressing Aw (2). The effect of different small molecule humectants on Aw suppression was summarized in Table 7.

Table 7 - Effect of humectant on Aw

The control food product (without any humectant) had an Aw value of 0.6 at 5.7% water content. The other samples (containing humectants) were prepared with the same water content. The addition of 12% glycerin and xylitol effectively reduced the Aw values of the starch caramel to 0.46 and 0.49, respectively. The addition of 34% of a sugar also effectively reduced to Aw values of the samples. Among the different sugars studied, honey and glucose were more effective than sucrose at suppressing water activity. The results were in agreement with other reports, that glucose and honey had smaller sugar molecules with lower Norish K constant than sucrose and, therefore, were more effective at suppressing aw (2,4). In addition, a combination of different amino acids (i.e. L- alanine, L-proline, L-citrulline) were incorporated into the formulation (20 %), and reduced the Aw value to 0.48. It is worth noting that these amino acid humectants also provide some sweet flavour, and can serve as potential sweeteners in the formulation. The results showed that Aw starch caramels can be successfully reduced by adding small molecule humectants such as sugars, polyols, and amino acids.

References

(1) Labuza, T. P. (1985). Water binding of humectants. In Properties of water in foods (pp. 421-445). Springer, Dordrecht.

(2) Ergun, R., Lietha, R., & Hartel, R. W. (2010). Moisture and shelf life in sugar confections. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 50(2), 162-192.

(3) Koerber, S. (2000). Humectants and Water Activity. Water Activity News.

(4) Bussiere, G., & Serpelloni, M. (1985). Confectionery and water activity determination of a w by calculation. In Properties of Water in Foods (pp. 627- 645). Springer, Dordrecht

Control of firmness

Measurement of the firmness of a food product was measured at room temperature (24 °C) using a texture analyser (TA-XT plus C, Stable Micro Systems, UK) Analysis was conducted by compressing the materials using a TA-45 probe, with a test speed of 2 mm/s (for both compression and decompression). Test distance was set at 50% strain and trigger force was set at 5 g. Compression and decompression was repeated 3 times. Samples were cut into a circular shape of 23 cm in diameter. Force was recorded over time during the compression and decompression. Firmness of the samples was recorded as the peak force (g) of the analysis. Relative firmness was calculated using the ratio of the peak force of the sample and the peak force of the control sample. Besides regulating the Aw values of soft components to match the Aw values of the crunchy/crispy components, it is also important to control the texture of the soft components. Ideally, the soft components need to be soft, chewable, and malleable during unit operations. As was summarized in above, the Aw is positively associated with water content. Firmness of a substrate, however, is often negatively associated with water content. This is because water can serve as a lubricant and plasticizer in a polymeric food matrix to enable mobility of ingredients in the food matrix. Materials with high water content generally have higher glass transition temperature (Tg) and softer texture than corresponding materials with low water content (1). The effect of water content on the firmness of starch caramel samples is summarized in Table 7.

Table 7 - effect of water content on firmness

The starch caramel formulations were prepared into samples containing different amounts of water (from 9.3 wt.% to 4.9 wt.%), and were subjected to texture analysis in a texture analyser (TA). The firmness of the sample increased as the water content in the sample decreased. When the water content decreased from 9.3 wt.% to 4.9 wt.%, relative firmness of the starch caramel sample increased about 10 times. The results suggested that water could be a critical firmness regulator in the starch caramel system, and water content had to be controlled precisely during the unit operations in order to achieve a controlled firmness in texture.

The effect of different humectants (e.g., sugar and amino acids) on the firmness of the starch caramel was analysed, using a formulation without any humectants as a control (Table 8).

Table 8 - effect of humectant (e.g., different sugars and amino acids) on firmness

The addition of different sugars (i.e. , sucrose, glucose and honey), reduced the relative firmness of the starch caramel. Sugars can serve as plasticizers in starch based polymer matrices and can increase the mobility of polymer matrices (2). In this study, the reduction of firmness in the starch caramel was likely attributed to the plasticizing effect of the sugar molecules, and different sugars had different plasticizing effects due to differences in Tg values of the sugars. Sugars with a low Tg value may decrease the overall Tg of the food matrices, leading to a softer texture. Sucrose, glucose, and honey have literature reported Tg values of 65°C, 31 °C and -45°C, respectively (see earlier). Among all sugars tested, the sample containing sucrose had the firmest texture, the sample with glucose had about half the firmness of the sample with sucrose, and the sample with honey is around 20 times softer than the sample containing sucrose. The results suggest that the firmness of the starch caramels could be regulated by using different sugars to achieve the ideal texture.

In addition, the addition of amino acids also affected the firmness of the starch caramel. The addition of a combination of L-alanine, L-proline, and L-citrulline reduced the firmness of the starch caramel. The relative firmness of the amino acid containing sample was similar to that of the sample containing honey. Studies have shown zwitterionic amino acids such as L-alanine, glycine, L-proline, L-serine have a plasticizing effect and can serve as alternatives to sugars in biopolymer matrices such as egg white and starch systems (3). These results showed the potential for using amino acids as a plasticizer to control the firmness of carbohydrate-based systems without any added sugar.

The effect of different polyols on the firmness of the starch caramel is summarized in Table 11. By replacing xylitol with glycerol, the firmness of the starch caramel reduced. The reduction in the firmness was likely caused by the difference in Tg of the two polyols. Xylitol has a glass transition temperature of -24°C (4), whereas glycerol has a glass transition temperature of -84°C (5). Similar to the effect of the different sugars on the firmness texture, it is hypothesized that the Tg of glycerol lowered the overall Tg of the starch caramel, therefore, reducing the firmness of the matrix.

Table 11 - effect of polyols on firmness of the starch caramel

The effect of cellulose powder on the firmness of starch caramel was analysed and results are given in Table 1 1 , using V44 starch caramel with no cellulose as a control. The addition of cellulose powder reduced the firmness of the starch caramel. The addition of 1 % cellulose powder reduced the relative firmness of the product around 5 times.

Table 1 1 - effect of cellulose addition on firmness of the starch caramel

It is hypothesized that the cellulose served as a filler in the polymer matrix to increase the mobility of the polysaccharide polymers and reduce the overall Tg of the matrix. The incorporation of insoluble cellulosic fillers into starch based bio-composites can impact the rheological properties of the matrices, and can lead to plasticizing effects (6,7). The addition of lignocellulose into starch bio-composites reduced the T g and storage modulus of the matrices, making the material softer (6). Overall, the results showed that cellulose or cellulosic insoluble fibres could potentially as used as a firmness modulator in soft confectionery products.

The impact of different starches on the firmness is evaluated in Table 1 1 , using a starch caramel formulation containing Thingum 300 starch (the starch was used in starch caramel V102) as a model.

Table 1 1 - effect of different starches on the firmness of the starch caramel

Thingum 300 is a modified waxy starch originating from maize. Other alternative starches (from Tate & Lyles) were tested. Confectioners G, Food starch-modified, mira-mist 662, and BRIOGEL 5403 provided a softer texture compared to thingum 300. Tapioca No.1 starch increased the firmness of the sample. According to the manufacturer’s notes, BRIOGEL® 5403 gelling starch is a tapioca-based starch that creates a slightly firmer gel texture and slower gelling rate. Mira-mist 662 is a waxy starch with Mira- a maximum non-waxy starch content of 7%. THINGUM® 107 Starch is a gelling starch based on corn. Confectioners G- food starch-modified is a gelling starch that can replace gelatin in gelatin-free confectionary products. The composition details (e.g., amylose content, amylopectin content) of the different starches are not disclosed by the supplier. Our results suggested that alternative starches could potentially be used to modulate the firmness texture of the starch caramel. Additionally, the presence of protein at higher concentration levels may also impact the firmness of food matrices. For example, complete casein micelles in combination with intact or undenatured whey proteins create a complex matrix that can entrap water and harden over time. Whey proteins may produce a more cohesive product texture that will plateau after 14 days (8).

References

(1) Drake, A. C., et al. (2018). Effect of water content on the glass transition temperature... penetrating cryoprotectants in physiological buffer. PloS one, 13(1), e0190713.

(2) Ploypetchara, T., & Gohtani, S. (2018). Effect of sugar on starch edible film properties: plasticized effect. Journal of food science and technology, 55(9), 3757-3766.

(3) Van der Sman, R. G. M., van den Hoek, I. A. F, 8< Renzetti, S. (2020). Sugar replacement with zwitterionic plasticizers like amino acids. Food Hydrocolloids, 109, 106113

(5) Zondervan, R., et al. (2007). Local viscosity of supercooled glycerol near Tg probed by... and single dye molecules. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(31), 12628-12633.

(6) Torres, F. G., Mayorga, J. P., Vilca, C., Arroyo, J., Castro, P., 8< Rodriguez, L. (2019). Preparation and characterization of a novel starch-chestnut husk biocomposite. SN Applied Sciences, 1(10), 1-7.

(7) Follain N, Joly C, Dole P, Roge B, Mathlouthi M (2006) Quaternary starch based blends: influence of a fourth component addition to the starch/water/glycerol system. Carbohydr Polym 63:400-407

(8) H.R.M. Keefer, et al, Role of sweeteners on temporality and bar hardening of protein bars, Journal of Dairy Science, Volume 103, Issue 7, 2020, Pages 6032- 6053, ISSN 0022-0302

Modulation of cohesiveness

The cohesiveness of a food refers the tendency of the substrate to cohere or stick together. Cohesiveness is related to the internal stickiness of the food matrix. A food matrix with high cohesion is often hard to chew or dissolve in the mouth, while a food matrix with low cohesion, often referred to as short texture, is easier to chew or dissolve in mouth. In order to create a starch caramel texture that is easy to chew (short texture), techniques to regulate the cohesiveness of the starch caramels were investigated (Table 12).

Table 12 - impact of aeration and oil content on the cohesiveness of starch caramels

In a standard starch caramel preparation process (see formulation V98 and V102), all of the dry ingredients were mixed with the wet ingredients at the beginning of the process. This process created a relatively cohesive and chewy texture that mimics the gooey and cohesive textures of caramels. The texture of the control sample was very stretchy and could be stretched to up to 49 times its original length. In an alternative approach (see formulation chewy fudge V108 and hard caramel V120), proteins were added towards the end of the process, and were subjected to high shear mixing (Thermomix, speed 3, 500 rpm). A material with a relatively short texture was created using this process, and could only be stretched to about 8 times its original length. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is hypothesized that the shortening of the texture was caused by aeration of the matrices due to the high shear and foam formation in the matrices. Food matrices containing aqueous solutions of proteins and lipids can form stable foams when air is incorporated into them, leading to unique bulk properties, such as creaming and shortening (1). Aeration can impact the cohesiveness of confectionery products. For example, in confectionery foams prepared with different degrees of aeration, the products with high degrees of porosity due to aeration showed low cohesiveness comparing to products with low degrees of porosity (2). Proteins and lipids are two important components to stabilize air pockets in aerated food matrices (2,3). Different proteins are known to achieve different cohesiveness in the food matrix. For example, intact whey proteins, when heat is applied in a controlled manner, can unfold and force interactions with themselves and with other ingredients present in the system, creating a cohesive and tight network. Casein proteins, however, tend to reduce the cohesiveness of a food matrix (4). In addition, the heating time and temperature could affect the protein structures due to denaturation and could further impact the functional properties of the proteins in terms of foam stabilization. Besides proteins, lipids also play an important role for foam stabilization. A starch caramel with reduced canola oil content had a more cohesive texture than the samples prepared with high oil content. Overall, our results showed that we could successfully modulate cohesiveness of starch caramels through modifications of process and formulation.

Cohesiveness measurement

Cohesiveness measurements were conducted by stretching the samples and measuring the stretching ratio (maximum stretching length compared to the original length). Starch caramel samples (4 grams) were rolled into cylinder shapes (3 cm long, with a 1 cm diameter), and were pulled slowly until the sample broke into two separate sections. The stretching length of the sample before breakage was recorded. The stretching ratio was calculated using the maximum stretching length divided by the original length and was indicative of the cohesiveness of the samples. References

(1) Brooker, B. E. (1993). The stabilisation of air in foods containing fat-a review. Food Structure, 12(1), 12.

(2) Zimbru, R. O., Paduret, S., & Amariei, S. (2020). Effect of aeration on physicochemical, color and texture characteristics of confectionery foams. Ukrainian Food Journal, 9(1), 99-257.

(3) Mohanan, A., Tang, Y. R., Nickerson, M. T, & Ghosh, S. (2020). Oleogelation using pulse protein-stabilized foams and their potential as a baking ingredient. RSC Advances, 10(25), 14892-14905.

(4) Fonterra, Bar Ingredients Decision Tree - Texture Map March 2022 US v16

Analysis

The food products, coated food products and confectionary products described above are low saturated fat, low to no sugar, high protein confectionaries with the texture of various different caramel and fudge products. In some examples, the saturated fat content does not exceed 7 wt.% while the sugar content does not exceed 31 wt.%. In other examples, no sugar is included in the composition and the protein level can be in the range of 8-15 wt.% while the saturated fat content does not exceed 1 wt.%.

The products may contain soluble fibre, starch, proteins, unsaturated lipids, low quantities of sugar, and glycerin, with the relative amounts of these components affecting the final texture of the products. Indeed, by controlling the content of water, plasticizer, starch, protein, and lipids, a wide range of textures (from soft to firm, cohesive to short) can be prepared. Furthermore, the compositions have a low water activity (below 0.40 - with an operating range of 0.30 to 0.50), allowing these products to be used in combination with a range of other products, such as inclusions or in multi-layered confectionary bars. Therefore, these food products can be used as confectionaries themselves or as fillings, binders or coatings for multi-component or multi-layer confectionaries.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, the protein may serve as a texture modifier. In some food products, a water activity of between 0.30 and 0.35 may be advantageous and is affected by the water content of the final product. Additionally, the water contact may affect the firmness of the final product. The water content can be monitored during production by monitoring the weight of moisture loss, the Brix level, a moisture analyser or a water activity meter. It is believed that optimization of the water content in the initial formulation may enable a reduction in the processing time and temperature, reducing energy consumption during the cooking process.

Canola oil mainly contains unsaturated fats and, without wishing to be bound by theory, may serve as a texture modifier to control the cohesiveness of the product. Addition of more oil can shorten the texture, making the product less chewy and less toothpacking. It is believed that alteration of the lipid content may be used to modulate the cohesiveness and adhesiveness of the product. The presence of an emulsifier is believed to prevent oil coalescence. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that a suitable oil content ensures that air pockets can be created in the product, shortening the product. Lowering the oil content provides a cohesive chewy texture that is hard to chew.

The soluble corn fibre is believed to act as a bulking agent and increases the dietary fibre content of the food product. It is believed that other fibres, such as fibersoles, would have similar results.

The modified maize starch is also believed to affect the texture of the food product, regulating the firmness and cohesiveness of the product. This starch is believed to be gelatinized by the presence of water and heating during production. Starches from different sources and that have been modified in different ways will modify the flavour of the final product.

Flavouring mixture 1 , in combination with cocoa powder, provides a chocolate flavour to the composition.

Humectant selection

Glycerol provides a sweet flavour and can contribute to the overall sweetness of the food product. The glycerol helps to control the water activity while also modifying the texture of the product (regulating the firmness) by altering the overall glass transition temperature of the product. Glycerol has 60-75% of the sweetness of sugar.

Glucose syrup contains 20 wt.% water.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the selection of the sugar used in the composition significantly affects the final texture of the composition. It is believed that humectants with a lower glass transition temperature (Tg) lead to food products with a softer texture.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain examples, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, changes, omissions, and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. It is intended, therefore, that the invention be limited by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. Unless otherwise stated, the features of any dependent claim can be combined with the features of any of the other dependent claims and any of the independent claims.