FIELD

[0001] The field relates to fat-based ingredients, and more specifically, to fat ingredient- based powdered compositions for use in consumable foods and beverages.

BACKGROUND

[0002] In the nutraceutical/ functional food industry, food may be supplemented with various functional ingredients that are thought to provide medical or health benefits. These can be natural ingredients or obtained from natural sources including, for example, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, essential fatty acids, prebiotics, probiotics, and the like. The functional ingredients are often converted from their native state to a single blended form and the blended form may be added into a food product or beverage. Powdered or dried food and beverage products or intermediates, such as beverage drinks, instant hot chocolate, chocolate intermediates, instant coffee, and powdered sauces, such as powdered cheese sauces, are well known. Such powders may be reconstituted into a drinkable beverage or consumable food by the addition of water, for example, hot water. Food powders are popular with consumers as they provide an economical, fast and simple way of preparing a food product or beverage for consumption. However, food or beverage powders including blends of fat-based ingredients may suffer from drawbacks resulting from excessive stickiness of such fat-based ingredients during processing, especially when subjected to mechanical stress, for example, during extrusion.

[0003] One problem that may occur is that powders containing fat-based ingredients, for example, nut- or seed-based ingredients, when combined with a fluid such as hot water, tend to clump together and not evenly disperse throughout the fluid. Poor dispersion can lead to clumping of the particles in addition to non-hydrated regions of the powder which do not become fully wet. For example, upon adding such a powder to the fluid, the powder may agglomerate and float to the top of the fluid or sink to the bottom in a clump rather than disperse into the fluid. In situations where the consumer cannot remove all of the clumps in a reconstituted beverage or food, particularly in the case of beverages such as instant coffee or hot chocolate, the food or beverage may exhibit poor consistency and gritty mouthf eel properties that are undesirable to the consumer.

[0004] It is known in the food or beverage manufacturing industry to perform additional mixing steps and/or add ingredients that may improve flowability and dispersibility of the powdered compositions. Such mixing steps may add expense and/or complexity to the production systems while such additional ingredients may be undesired by the consumers.

[0005] In addition, fat-based ingredients, like nuts, are often difficult to convert into a particular shape. Typically, a high fat ingredient requires a higher quantity of carrier material (such as dextrose and sugar) to form a comparatively drier mass that can be better handled and processed into a desired shape and size. Also, processes involved in such cases need to be less shear-intensive such that there is less release of oil and hence the ingredient can be processed with greater ease. However, low shear mixers may result in higher power demands and longer processing times and may not be as economical as compared to high shear mixers.

SUMMARY

[0006] A powdered composition according to one form includes about 10% to about 50% of a powdered fat component obtained from one of nuts and seeds; about 30% to about 80% of a carrier material; about 5% to about 10% of a functional ingredient; and about 0% to about 5% of an additive.

[0007] The nuts may be selected from the group consisting of peanuts, almonds, apricot kernels, coconuts, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, saf flower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cocoa seeds, coffee seeds, grains, and combinations thereof, and the seeds are selected from the group consisting of sunflower seeds, saf flower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cocoa seeds, coffee seeds, grains, and combinations thereof. The carrier material may be a sugar selected from the group consisting of sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, and combinations thereof. The functional ingredient may be selected from the group consisting of honey, cereals, pulses, legumes, and combinations thereof; and the additive is selected from the group consisting of dispersing agents, antioxidants, flavorants, colorants, and combinations thereof.

[0008] The powdered composition may include granules with an average size of about 2 millimeters to about 4 millimeters. [0009] In one approach, the powdered composition comprises a plurality of granules in a form of a fat-based matrix where each of the granules has a core and an outer surface encapsulates the core, and an antioxidant is embedded into the core of the granules or coated onto the outer surface of the granules.

[0010] The granules may have a uniform shape or a non-uniform shape.

[0011] The carrier material may include sucrose and dextrose. A ratio of dextrose-to-sucrose in the powdered composition may be from 4:1 to 10:1. The powdered composition may be configured to completely disperse in water at a temperature of about 80°C to about 100°C in about 20 seconds to about 60 seconds.

[0012] In one approach, a method of making a powdered composition includes mixing a powdered fat component obtained from one of nuts and seeds, a carrier material, a functional ingredient, an additive, and water under high shear to form a homogenous slurry; granulating the homogeneous slurry to form discrete granules; drying the discrete granules; sieving the discrete granules to obtain particles of a desired size; and cooling the particles of the desired size.

[0013] The mixing may further include mixing dry ingredients of the powdered composition to obtain a homogeneous dry mixture, dissolving liquid ingredients of the fat-based powdered composition in water to form an aqueous solution, and spraying the aqueous solution onto the homogenous dry mixture during the mixing.

[0014] The granulating of the homogeneous slurry may further include forming non-uniform discrete granules having an average size of about 1 millimeters to about 10 millimeters.

[0015] In one approach, the drying of the discrete granules further includes drying the discrete granules to obtain semi-wet granules, sieving the semi-dried granules to obtain sieved semi- dried particles, drying the sieved semi-dried particles to obtain dry particles, and sieving the dry particles to obtain the particles of the desired size.

[0016] The sieving of the discrete granules may further include passing the discrete granules through a sieve sized from about 4 to about 18 mesh and obtaining particles having an average size from about 1 millimeter to about 5 millimeters.

[0017] The method may further include depositing the discrete granules into a rotating apparatus after the granulation and prior to the sieving; tumbling the discrete granules in the rotating apparatus to obtain uniform-shaped rounded granules; and sieving the uniform- shaped rounded granules to obtain the particles of the desired size.

[0018] In one approach, a method of making a powdered composition includes: tumbling sugar particles in a rotating apparatus; spraying a blend including a powdered fat component obtained from one of nuts and seeds, a carrier material, a functional ingredient, and water onto the sugar particles to coat the sugar particles with the blend; sieving the sugar particles coated with the blend to obtain particles of a desired size; drying the particles of the desired size; and cooling the dried particles of the desired size.

[0019] The sugar particles may have an average size of about 0.1 to about 0.3 rrrillimeters. The sugar particles may be uniform spheres.

[0020] The sieving of the sugar particles coated with the blend may further comprise passing the sugar particles coated with the blend through a sieve sized from about 4 to about 18 mesh and obtaining particles having an average size from about 1 millimeters to about 5 rnillimeters.

[0021] In one approach, the rotating apparatus may be a revolving pan and the method may further include intermittently drying the sugar particles tumbling in the rotating pan during the spraying of the blend onto the tumbling sugar particles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The products described herein relate to powdered compositions usable in consumer products such as drinkable beverages and consumable foods such as instant hot chocolate, instant coffee, chocolate intermediates, juices, milk, malt and cereal-based beverages, or the like that may be reconstituted by addition of water or milk to a powdered composition. Generally, an exemplary powdered composition according to embodiments described herein may include a fat component and a carrier material. In one approach, the powdered composition may include, in addition to the fat component and the carrier material, a functional or active ingredient other than the fat component and one or more additives. The fat component may be obtained from plant-derived sources such as nuts, seeds, or the like, the carrier material may be one or more sugars, the functional ingredient may be a plant-based dietary supplement or food, and the additives may include one or more of a dispersing agent, an antioxidant, a flavorant, and/or a colorant. [0023] Generally, the fat component and the functional or active component of the powdered compositions described herein may be derived from edible nuts, seeds, beans, kernels, legumes, pulses, cereals, honey, or the like. As used herein, the term "fat component" will be understood to refer to fats (e.g., triglycerides and their corresponding substitutes and derivatives) derived from seeds, nuts, kernels, or the like. Examples of fat components that may be present in the compositions described herein include, but are not limited to, peanuts, almonds, apricot kernels, coconuts, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, saf flower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cocoa seeds, coffee seeds, grains, and the like as well as mixtures thereof. The powdered compositions described herein may include from about 10 to about 50% fat component in one approach, from about 20 to about 40% fat component in another approach, and from about 25% to about 35% fat component in another approach.

[0024] In one form, the powdered composition may include a carrier material or binder material in the form of a sugar or sugar derivative. Examples of sugars suitable for use in the powdered compositions described herein include, but are not limited to, sucrose, fructose, lactose, maltose, dextrose, other sweet mono- or disaccharides, sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, high intensity sweeteners, or the like. Based on the total weight of the composition, the amount of carrier material present in the composition may be from about 30% to about 80% in one approach, from about 40% to about 70% in another approach, and from about 50% to about 60% in another approach.

[0025] As used herein, the term "functional ingredient" or "active ingredient" will be understood to refer to an ingredient of the powdered composition that is distinct from and additional to the fat component present in the powdered composition. Examples of functional ingredients that may be present in the composition may include, but are not limited to legumes such as peas, pulses such as green beans, cereals such as wheat, rice, or the like, and honey. The functional or active ingredient may be present in the composition in amounts from about 5% to about 20% in one approach, from about 5% to about 10% in another approach, from about 6% to about 7% fat in another approach, and from about 5% to about 6% in another approach.

Without wishing to be limited by theory, amounts of the oil-based functional or active ingredient that are very high, e.g., above about 50% may noticeably affect the processing of the product. It will be appreciated that the functional or active ingredient is optional and that the powdered composition may omit the functional or active ingredient distinct from the fat component, and that the powdered composition may include only the fat component and the carrier material.

[0026] Depending on its end use, the powdered composition may also contain other ingredients (i.e., additives) so long as they do not significantly and adversely affect the taste or stability of the composition or the consumable beverage or food product formed based on the powdered composition. The amount of additives in the composition may be from about 0% (e.g., 0.01%, 0.02%, etc.) to about 5% based on the total weight of the composition. Such optional ingredients or additives may include, for example, vitamins and minerals, flavorings (e.g., salt or salt substitutes, seasonings, herbs, spices, cardamom, cinnamon, and the like), colorants (e.g., beta-carotene, curcumin, and tile like), antioxidants, and dispersing agents (e.g., sodium methylcellulose, agar, alginic acid, calcium and sodium alginates, edible gums, dextrin, and the like).

[0027] Antioxidants suitable for use in the compositions described herein may include, but are not limited to Vitamin C, Vitamin E, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA tert- butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), the rosemary extract, green tea extract, tocopherol, and combinations thereof. Generally, the amount of antioxidant in powdered compositions according to some embodiments may be from about 0.01% to about 0.1% based on the total weight of the composition, but higher amounts of antioxidant may be used if desired. The amount of antioxidant selected for use in powdered compositions described herein may be such that oxidative rancidity of the composition is delayed to provide a product that may be shelf- stable at ambient for at least about 6 months to about 12 months.

[0028] The particles of the powdered compositions described herein may be in the form of granules, pellets, or the like. The granules or pellets may have an average size of about 1 millimeters to about 5 millimeters in one approach. Without wishing to be limited by theory, the sizes of the granules can be modified depending on a specific application, with the granules or pellets being sized from about 1 millimeters to about 4 millimeters in one approach, about 1 millimeters to about 3 millimeters in another approach, about 1 millimeter to about 2 millimeters in yet another approach, about 2 millimeters to about 4 millimeters in another approach, and about 2 millimeters to about 3 millimeters in yet another approach. The granules may have a non-uniform shape, or may all be uniform, for example, spherical. [0029] Generally, the granules of the compositions described herein are in a form of a fat-based matrix composition that includes an inner core or body and an outer surface or shell enclosing or encapsulating the core. The granules may, for example, include all of the ingredients described above incorporated into the physical structure or core of the granules, or may have one or more of the above ingredients coated on the outer surface of the granules. For example, an antioxidant, if included in the powdered compositions described herein, may be embedded into the physical structure or core of the granules or may be topically coated onto the outer surface of the granules without being embedded in the core of the granules. Similarly, the granules may have a core formed from the fat component alone, or the fat component combined with one or more other ingredients and a shelf formed from the carrier material alone, or the carrier material combined with one or more other ingredients. Conversely, the granules may have a core formed from the carrier material and an outer surface or shell made of the fat component alone or a blend of the fat component with one or more other ingredients.

[0030] The granules may have varying levels of dispersibility in a liquid. Generally, the degree of dispersibility of tine powdered compositions in drinkable beverage applications may be varied based on the ratio of dextrose-to-sucrose present in the powdered composition.

Generally, a higher dextrose-to-sucrose ratio correlates with a more dispersible powdered composition and a lower dextrose-to-sucrose ratio correlates to a more compact (i.e., less dispersible) powdered composition.

[0031] Turning to the details of exemplary processes of preparation of the compositions described herein, one exemplary method of making a powdered composition as described herein may generally include forming a slurry by mixing a blend including a fat ingredient, a carrier material, a functional ingredient other than the fat component, an additive, and water; subjecting the slurry to mixing and granulation; sieving the granules to obtain particles of a desired size; and drying the particles. Another exemplary method of making a powdered composition as described herein may generally include spraying a blend including a fat component, a sugar, a functional ingredient other than the fat component, an additive, and water onto sugar particles to adhere the blend to the sugar particles, sieving sugar particles coated with the blend to obtain particles of a desired size, and drying the particles. Each of these methods is described in more detail below. [0032] One process of making a powdered composition according to one embodiment generally includes blending food ingredients with carrier materials and optional additives. The blend may be processed to have uniform or non-uniform shapes. In one approach, a fat component obtained from one of nuts and seeds is combined with a carrier material, a functional ingredient, an additive, and water and mixed such that the ingredients form a homogenous slurry. The homogenous slurry may be a dough-like or paste-like mass. The slurry may be mixed at high shear and granulated using a High Shear Wet Granulator for about 2 minutes to about 10 minutes at about 200 to 900 RPM to obtain discrete, non-uniform granules of various sizes, for example, from about 1 millimeters to about 10 millimeters in one approach, from about 1 millimeters to about 6 millimeters in another approach, from about 2 millimeters to about 8 millimeters in yet another approach, and from about 3 millimeters to about 10 millimeters in yet another approach.

[0033] The mixing in the High Shear Wet Granulator may be performed at a constant speed of about 400 RPM or may be performed at variable speeds. For example, the rnixing may be performed at a low speed of about 200 RPM for a predetermined time interval (e.g., 2-4 minutes) followed by mixing at a high speed of about 500 RPM for a predetermined time interval (e.g., 2-3 minutes). Without wishing to be limited by theory, it is believed that very high speed (e.g., above 1000 RPM or excessive mixing times (e.g., more than 10 minutes) may lead to excessive oil oozing.

[0034] In one optional approach, the dry ingredients of the powdered composition may be mixed together to obtain a homogeneous dry mixture prior to the addition of any liquid ingredients and/ or water, and the liquid ingredients of the powdered composition may be dissolved in water separately from the dry ingredients to form an aqueous solution. This aqueous solution may then be sprayed onto the homogenous dry mixture formed by the dry ingredients during the rnixing of the dry ingredients in the High Shear Wet Granulator until the aqueous solution is used and the slurry may be further mixed in the High Shear Wet Granulator to form a homogenous slurry.

[0035] The wet granules obtained via the mixing and granulation processing in the High Shear Wet Granulator may be dried for short periods of time (e.g., 10-15 minutes) at low temperatures (e.g., 60°C -70°C to obtain semi-dried granules with a moisture content of about 3% to about 6% in one approach and about 4% to about 5% in another approach. In one approach, the granules obtained from the High Shear Wet Granulator may be dried in a fluidized bed drier for about 15 minutes at 65°C to obtain the semi-dried granules.

[0036] The semi-dried granules may then be sieved to obtain particles of a desired size. For example, the particles may be passed through a sieve sized from about 4 mesh (U.S.) to about 18 mesh (U.S.) in one approach, from about 5 mesh (U.S.) to about 10 mesh (US.) in another approach, and from about 6 mesh (U.S.) to about 8 mesh (US.) in another approach, such that particles passing through the sieve may be sized from about 1 millimeters to about 5 millimeters in one approach, from about 2 millimeters to about 4 milliirieters in another approach, and from about 2 millimeters to about 3 millimeters in another approach. The particles that do not pass through the sieve may be further reduced in size, for example via a multi mill, and sieved again.

[0037] The particles of the desired size that pass through the sieve may be further dried using, for example, the fluidized bed drier. This drying step may be run for the same time (10 minutes) and at the same temperature (60°Q as the first drying step described above, or may be run for a longer or shorter time or at a higher or lower temperature as necessary to completely or substantially completely dry the semi-dry particles that passed through the sieve. For example, while the semi-dried particles have a moisture content of about 4% to about 5%, the dried particles have a moisture content of about 1% to about 2.5%.

[0038] The dry particles may be sieved again as described above to obtain dry particles of the desired size. By one approach, the dry particles are run through a sieve sized from about 5 mesh (U.S.) to about 10 mesh (U.S.) such that particles sized from about 2 millimeters to about 4 millimeters pass through the sieve. These dry particles may then be cooled at a room

temperature of about 20°C to about 24°C for about 30 minutes and packed. For example, the particles may be packed in food grade poly-lined high density polyethylene bags and into airtight containers.

[0039] The semi-dried granules of non-uniform size as described above may be processed to achieve a desired uniform shape. In one approach, after the granulation in the Rapid Mixer Granulator, and prior to the sieving, the semi-dried granules may be deposited into a rotating apparatus, for example, a rounding pan, and tumbled in the rounding pan for about 20 minutes to about 40 minutes in one approach and about 30 minutes in another approach at speeds of about 20 RPM to about 24 RPM to obtain uniform-shaped rounded granules. The uniform- shaped rounded granules may then be sieved as described above and tray-dried. [0040] The particles of the powdered composition resulting from the method described above may have about 10% to about 50% fat component obtained from one of nuts and seeds; about 30% to about 80% of a carrier material; about 5% to about 10% of a functional ingredient; and about 0% to about 5% of an additive by total weight. As described in more detail below, the particles may also include a carrier material with a dextrose-to-sucrose ratio that provides desired dispersibility of the particles when the powdered composition is combined with a liquid such as water to reconstitute a drinkable beverage or a consumable food product.

[0041] The powdered composition according to an embodiment may be prepared according to another exemplary method as follows. Specifically, uniform or non-uniform sugar particles may be tumbled in a rotating apparatus such as a revolving pan to provide uniform, rounded sugar particles. The sugar particles may be tumbled in a revolving pan at a speed of about 20 RPM to about 24 RPM for about 30 minutes. The sugar particles may be of a size suitable for a particular end-user application (e.g., dispersion into water for forming a drinkable beverage) and may be from about 0.05 millimeters to about 0.1 millimeters in one approach, about 0.1 millimeters to about 0.2 millimeters in another approach, and about 0.2 millimeters to about 0.4 millimeters in another approach.

[0042] In one approach, during the tumbling of the sugar particles in the rotating apparatus, a blend including a fat component obtained from one of nuts and seeds, a carrier material, a functional ingredient, and water are sprayed onto the sugar particles by a manual spray gun or nozzle, which may be optionally incorporated into the revolving pan, to adhere the blend to the sugar particles and/ or coat the sugar particles with the blend. Optionally, sugar syrup may be sprayed onto the tumbling sugar particles in the rotating apparatus to facilitate the adhesion of the blend as the blend is being sprayed onto the tumbling sugar particles. During the spraying of the blend onto the tumbling sugar particles, the mixture in the revolving pan may be intermittently dried, if necessary, to further facilitate the adhesion of the blend to the tumbling sugar particles. Without wishing to be limited by theory, the spraying of the sugar syrup also facilitates the forming of a regular rounded shape of the granules.

[0043] Once the blend is applied to the sugar granules as described above, the blend- coated sugar granules may be sieved to obtain particles of a desired size. The particles may be passed through a sieve sized from about 4 mesh (U.S.) to about 18 mesh (U.S.) in one approach, from about 5 mesh (U.S.) to about 10 mesh (US.) in another approach, and from about 6 mesh (U.S.) to about 8 mesh (US.) in another approach such that the particles that pass through the sieve are particles sized from about 1 millimeters to about 5 millimeters in one approach, from about 2 millimeters to about 4 millimeters in another approach, and from about 2 millimeters to about 3 millimeters in another approach. The particles that do not pass through the sieve may be further reduced in size, for example via a multi mill. The particles of the desired size that pass through the sieve may be dried using, for example, in a tray drier at a temperature of about 60°C to about 65°C for about 3 hours to about 4 hours. Unlike the semi-dried particles that have a moisture content of about 4% to about 5%, the dried particles have a moisture content of about 1% to about 2.5%. The dried particles may be cooled in a room at about 20°C to about 24°C for about 20 to about 45 minutes in one approach, about 25 to about 40 minutes in another approach, and about 30 minutes in yet another approach and packed. For example, the particles may be packed in food grade poly-lined high density polyethylene bas and into airtight containers.

[0044] The particles of the powdered composition resulting from the method described above may have about 10% to about 50% fat component obtained from one of nuts and seeds; about 30% to about 80% of a carrier material; about 5% to about 10% of a functional ingredient; and about 0% to about 5% of an additive by total weight. As described in more detail below, the particles may also include a carrier material with a dextrose-to-sucrose ratio that provides desired dispersibility of the particles when the powdered composition is combined with a liquid such as water to reconstitute a drinkable beverage or a consumable food product.

[0045] The powdered compositions produced by the above methods may be used as a food or beverage intermediate that may be mixed with a fluid (e.g., water) and/or possibly other ingredients to form a drinkable beverage such as milk, malt, and cocoa-based beverages, or a consumable food product. The degree of dispersibility of the powdered compositions in drinkable beverage applications may be varied based on the ratio of dextrose-to-sucrose in the powdered composition. Generally, a higher dextrose-to-sucrose ratio results in a more dispersible powdered composition and a lower dextrose-to-sucrose ratio results in a more compact, less dispersible powdered composition.

[0046] In one approach, the desired size particles of the powdered composition obtained by the methods described above may formed such that the dry powdered particles (e.g., pellets, granules, or the like) of the desired size include a carrier in the form of dextrose and sucrose at a ratio of dextrose-to-sucrose of about 4:1 to about 10:1. When a powdered composition comprising such particles is added to water (e.g., hot water at a temperature of about 80°C to about 100°C, the particles of the powdered composition completely disperse within about 20 seconds to about 60 seconds with stirring.

[0047] By way of example, a powdered composition according formed by the methods described above may have a dextrose-to-sucrose ratio of about 4:1 to about 5:1 in one approach, about 6:1 to about 8:1 in another approach, and about 8:1 to about 10:1 in yet another approach, resulting in a higher dispersibility of the powdered composition in a liquid. For example, such a powdered composition may completely disperse in water when added to water in about 20 seconds to about 30 seconds in one approach, about 30 seconds to about 40 seconds in another approach, and about 40 seconds to about 60 seconds in yet another approach. Without wishing to be limited by theory, the decrease in dispersibility associated with increasing the levels of sucrose is thought to be due to the fact that sucrose has a greater binding property as compared to dextrose.

[0048] Advantages and embodiments of the powdered composition including a fat component and sugar material as described herein are further illustrated by the following example; however, the particular conditions, processing schemes, materials, and amounts thereof recited in the example, as well as other conditions and details, should not be construed to unduly limit the above- described methods. All percentages, ratios, and parts are by weight unless otherwise indicated.

EXAMPLES

[0049] The following Example illustrates an exemplary methods of preparing a powdered composition containing a fat-based matrix including carrier materials, functional ingredients and additives.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] Powdered ingredients such as almond powder (40 kg), sugar/ dextrose (45kg), wheat gluten (5kg) and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (5 kg) were added in High Shear Wet

Granulator. The Rapid Mixer granulator was run for 10 minutes to ensure homogenous mixing of the dry ingredients. Liquid ingredients like honey (5kg), flavors (0.12 kg), natural (β-carotene) color (0.6 kg), antioxidant (300 ppm) and little sugar/ dextrose (0.3 kg) were dissolved in 1 liter of water to form a syrup. [0052] The syrup was then sprayed into the High Shear Wet Granulator in small amounts at 20 second intervals until the entire amount of the syrup was used. The mixing in the High Shear Wet Granulator was continued for another 3 minutes at low speed followed by 3 minutes at high speed. Once the granules were formed/ the mass in the form of a homogenous slurry was discharged from the High Shear Wet Granulator. This slurry was transferred to a bowl of a Fluidized Bed Dryer in portions depending upon the capacity of die Fluidized Bed Dryer bowl and dried in the Fluidized Bed Dryer bowl for 10 minutes at 60°C such that the particles of the slurry were semi-dried (i.e., some moisture remained in the slurry).

[0053] The semi-dried granules were then passed through an 8 mesh sieve. The particles that did not pass through the sieve were recycled through a multi-mill for size reduction. The particles that passed through the 8 mesh sieve were again transferred to the Fluidized Bed Dryer bowl for further drying. The Fluidized Bed Dryer was run for 10 minutes at 60C.

[0054] The dried sample was again sieved based on the desired particle sizes (2-4 mm) and the particles passing through die sieve were then cooled and finally packed in food grade poly- lined high density polyethylene bags which were then packed in airtight containers.

[0055] It was observed that the particles of the resulting product dispersed more uniformly when added to water as compared to the direct addition of the individual ingredients comprising the resulting product to water.

[0056] The powdered compositions as described herein including a fat component derived from nuts or seeds and a carrier such as one or more sugars advantageously permits the powders to disperse in liquids when used to make drinkable beverages without forming clumps or gritty pieces and restricts and/ or eliminates the undesirable sedimentation of the fat- based powdered particles. The powdered compositions as described herein may

advantageously include antioxidants that delay the oxidative rancidity of the powdered compositions and thereby increase the shelf-life of the powdered compositions.

[0057] It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the process, formulations, and ingredients thereof, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the methods and resulting powdered

copositions, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the embodied compositions and methods as expressed in the appended claims.