Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a powder fondant comprising sucrose, and glucose syrup, starch and inulin. The powder can be used in standard fondant applications such as sugar fondant, icing and/or chocolate fillings. The present invention furthermore relates to a method for preparing the powder fondant, comprising sucrose, as well as glucose syrup, starch and inulin.

Background of the invention

Sugar reduction is set to remain a pivotal trend in foods and drinks. Consumers prefer to eat sugar reduced products, also in products traditionally rich in sugar like cakes, cookies, chocolates etcetera. Consumers are concerned about their sugar consumption. Furthermore, governments are taking action to reduce sugar content in food products, such as for example the introduction of sugar taxes to promote a healthier choice of products. Still, people find taste often more important than health in indulgent food products.

Existing, traditional, powder fondants, also referred to as sugar powder fondant, typically contain about 80 to 90% of sucrose and 10 to 20% of glucose syrup. Reduction of sucrose in these existing, high sucrose containing, powder fondant would therefore be advantageous. Certain current regulations stipulate that the indication "reduced sugar" can only be used where the reduction in content is at least 30% compared to a similar product and the amount of energy of the product is equal to or less than the amount of energy in a similar product.

An additional challenge of reducing the sucrose percentage in high sucrose containing powder fondant, whilst retaining suitable processing properties, is that the use of polyols as substitutes for sucrose must often be indicated on the packaging of the product with the warning "excessive consumption may cause laxative effects" when used in amounts greater than 10%.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide alternative compositions. There is furthermore a demand for using these compositions in various indulgent food products.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a composition that has reduced sucrose content whilst retaining suitable processing conditions and having a great taste.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a sucrose containing powder fondant comprising sucrose, and at least 30 wt% (based on the total of carbohydrates) of a sum of at least glucose syrup, starch and inulin. The teachings disclosed below apply to the above disclosure of the invention.

The powder fondant comprises sucrose, glucose syrup, starch and inulin, and has a combined amount of glucose syrup, starch and inulin of at least 30 wt%, based on the total of carbohydrates. The powder fondant therefore is essentially containing sucrose, as well as containing glucose syrup, starch and inulin. In the context of the present disclosure, the powder fondant may also be referred to as the sucrose containing powder fondant.

The physical appearance of the powder fondant according to the invention is a powder. A powder in the context of the present application is meant to have a dry matter content of at least 96 wt.%, a water content of below 4 wt.%, and a fat content of below 4 wt.%.

The powder fondant of the present invention may show a performance essentially identical to existing, high sucrose containing, powder fondant in various applications. It may use similar or essentially the same dosage as existing, high sucrose containing versions and essentially the same volume. The invented powder fondant is reduced in mono- and/or disaccharide content while keeping about the same performance as existing, high sucrose containing powder fondants, i.e. powder fondants containing typically about 80 to 90% of sucrose and 10 to 20% of glucose syrup . Applications, such as confectionary products, like chocolate fillings or fondant paste applied onto pastries, wherein the powder fondant according to the invention is used, may exhibit flow properties and texture properties, for example stiffness and elasticity, in the same range as existing, high sucrose containing fondant powder, while typically having a reduced effect on blood glucose level. It may further show excellent gloss and delicious sweetness, and may have essentially the full taste of existing, high sucrose containing products.

The present invention further relates to a fondant paste comprising the invented fondant powder and an ingredient selected from the group consisting of an aqueous solution, dairy butter, vegetable fats, vegetable oils and any combination of two or more thereof.

The present invention also relates to the use of the powder fondant and/or the fondant paste for the preparation of a confectionary product.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of preparing the invented powder fondant, comprising grinding sucrose and glucose syrup and adding inulin and starch. In an embodiment, grinding the sucrose and glucose syrup is performed to a particle size in the range of from 10 to 20 pm.

Detailed description of the invention

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The present invention is thus related to fondant powders. Fondant powders are being used worldwide as a basis for the preparation of for example sugar fondants, icings, glazes and chocolate fillings. The powder is easily mixed with water to form a workable sugar paste. A typical composition of such paste comprises around 88 to 90 wt% powder fondant and around 10% to 12 wt% of water. For some applications a bit more water might be added. After heating to preferably about 30 to 40°C, it is easy to apply it to all kinds of pastries. It also finds its application in confectionery, where it is used more as a filling in chocolate bars, pralines, etc.

As more and more industrial customers are looking for products with less sugar, at the request of governments, consumers and supermarket chains, we now developed a powder fondant comprising sucrose, glucose syrup, starch and inulin, and having a combined amount of glucose syrup, starch and inulin of at least 30 wt% (based on the total of carbohydrates), more preferably of at least 35 wt.%, more preferably of at least 37 wt.% and most preferably of at least 39 wt.% based on the total of carbohydrates. Applications, such as, but not limited to, confectionary products, like chocolate fillings or fondant paste applied onto pastries, wherein the powder fondant according to the invention is used, may show very similar flow properties and texture properties, for example stiffness and elasticity, compared to the known full sucrose fondant powder, while having a reduced content of mono- and diglycerides, and typically having a reduced effect on blood glucose level. The applications wherein the powder fondant according to the invention is used, may also exhibit excellent gloss and delicious sweetness, and may further have essentially the full taste of the application as if it were prepared with known high sucrose containing powder fondant product.

As is known, a carbohydrate is a molecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen-oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 , with the empirical formula Cx(H2O) _y (where x may or may not be different from y). The term is synonym to a group that includes monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double sugars, are molecules made of two bonded monosaccharides; common examples are sucrose (glucose + fructose), lactose (glucose + galactose), and maltose (two molecules of glucose). White sugar is a refined form of sucrose. Disaccharides have 12 carbon atoms, with the general formula C12H22O11. The differences in these disaccharides are due to atomic arrangements within the molecule.

Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. For human consumption, sucrose is typically extracted and refined from either sugarcane or sugar beet. In sucrose, the monomers glucose and fructose are linked via an ether bond between C1 on the glucosyl subunit and C2 on the fructosyl unit. The bond is called a glycosidic linkage. The monomer glucose exists predominantly as a mixture of a- and [3- pyranose anomers, but sucrose has only the a form. The monomer fructose exists as a mixture of five tautomers, sucrose has only the [3-D-fructofuranose form. Unlike most disaccharides, the glycosidic bond in sucrose is formed between the reducing ends of both glucose and fructose. This linkage generally inhibits further bonding to other saccharide units, and prevents sucrose from spontaneously reacting with cellular and circulatory macromolecules in the manner that glucose and other reducing sugars do.

Sucrose has a glycemic index of 65. It has a relatively low glycemic index; due to its content of fructose, it has a lesser effect on blood glucose levels. Sucrose is digested into its components via the enzyme sucrase.

In embodiments, the amount of sucrose in the powder fondant ranges from 40 to 68 wt.%, more preferably from 45 to 67 wt.%, even more preferably from 50 to 63 wt.%, such as about 61 wt.% of sucrose, based on the total weight of carbohydrates.

The invented powder fondant comprises glucose syrup. Glucose syrup is a syrup, often made from the hydrolysis of starch. Glucose belongs to the general group of sugars. Maize (corn) is commonly used as the source of the starch in the US, in which case the syrup is called "com syrup", but glucose syrup is also made from potatoes and wheat, and less often from barley, rice and cassava. The glucose syrup used in the present invention preferably is a refined and concentrated solution of glucose, maltose and higher saccharides, obtained by hydrolysis of for example starch, preferably wheat, corn, or rice starch. The glucose syrup can be in liquid or dried form.

In embodiments, the powder fondant comprises from 5 to 15 wt.% of glucose syrup, based on the total weight of carbohydrates. In more preferred embodiments, the powder fondant comprises from 6 to 13 wt.% of glucose syrup, more preferably from 7 to 10 wt.%, such as 9 wt.%, based on the total weight of carbohydrates.

Preferably, the powder fondant according to an embodiment, is characterized in that the glucose syrup has a Dextrose Equivalent (DE) of at most 45, more preferably at most 40, even more preferably at most 35. The DE of the glucose syrup may be in a range of from 10 to 45, more preferably from 15 to 40, and most preferably from 20 to 35, such as 21 . Dextrose equivalent (DE) is a measure of the amount of reducing sugars present in a sugar product, expressed as a percentage on a dry basis relative to dextrose. The dextrose equivalent provides an indication of the average degree of polymerisation (DP) for starch sugars. Thus, if one hundred grams of dry solid from a glucose syrup has a dextrose equivalent (DE) of 42, it means that the solids act in reducing terms as if they were 42 grams of dextrose.

In another useful embodiment of the invention, a powder fondant is provided wherein the sucrose and the glucose syrup have a particle size distribution expressed as D90 of at most 30 micron. More preferred embodiments provide a powder fondant wherein the sucrose and the glucose syrup have a particle size distribution expressed as D90 in a range from 10 to 30 micron (micrometer, pm), more preferably from 12 to 25, and most preferably from 15 to 20 micron.

A particle size, expressed as D90, of a granular product, such as sucrose, is defined as the point in the particle size distribution up to, and including which, 90% of the total volume of particles from the granular product is contained. In other words, if the particle size, expressed as D90, of a sucrose sample is 20 micron, it means that 90 vol. % of the particles in the sucrose sample are smaller than 20 micron.

The fondant powder according to the present invention is comprising starch. The starch is mainly used for the purpose of thickening the application, such as a fondant paste, made from the fondant powder of the invention. Suitably, the starch in the substrate composition may include starch from any native source, wherein native indicates a starch in essentially the form as found in nature.

The fondant powder according to the present invention is comprising inulin. Inulin has been chosen as the properties of inulin enhance the creaminess of the prepared fondant due to the solubility of the fibers. A further advantage is that the fiber enrichment brought by inulin results in a better Nutri-Score. The Nutri-Score is a five-colour nutrition label (A=dark green - B= light green - C=yellow - D=orange - E=red) to simplify the nutritional rating system demonstrating the overall nutritional value of food products (consumer products). This system was selected by the French government in March 2017 to be displayed on food products after it was compared against several labels proposed by industry or retailers. It has also been recommended by Belgian, Spanish, German and Dutch authorities as well as the European Commission and the World Health Organization.

A calculation algorithm is used to determine the value of the Nutri-Score label: the system awards 0 to 10 points for energy value and ingredients that should be limited in the diet, i.e.: saturated fatty acids, sugar and salt; and 0 to 5 points for beneficial ingredients whose consumption should be promoted. These are: fiber, protein, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and rapeseed oil.

The maximum amount of inulin added according to the invention should preferably be set with a total recommended daily intake of inulin and fibers in mind.

The inulin used in the powder fondant according to the present invention is known as such and has herein common meaning of being a - usually polydisperse - carbohydrate oligomer or polymer consisting mainly of fructosyl-fructose links with optionally a glucose starting unit. The fructosyl-fructose links in inulin are mainly of the (3(2,1 ) type. As used herein, the meaning of the term inulin encompasses as such also the compounds known as oligofructose; typical of oligofructoses is that they are inulin compounds whereby the degree of polymerization (DP) ranges from 2 to 10. In practice, oligofructose is also referred to as fructooligosaccharide; as meant herein, these terms are considered to be synonyms. Thus, inulin is a mixture of oligo- and polysaccharides which are composed of fructose (F) units and which oligo- and polysaccharides may or may not comprise a starting glucose moiety (G). Thus, in the context of the present invention, the term inulin refers to both GF _n - (which is Glucose-Fructose _n ) and F _m - (which is Fructose _m ) compounds, with n and m being the number of fructose units in the oligo- or polysaccharide and each of n and m >2.

A useful embodiment of the invention provides a powder fondant wherein the inulin has an average degree of polymerization (AV-DP) of at least 4.0, more preferably between 4.0 and 15, even more preferably between 4.2 and 12, even more preferably between 4.75 and 10 and most preferably between 5.0 and 8.0.

As meant herein, the determination of the average degree of polymerization (’’AV- DP”) in compositions containing inulin is based on AOAC Official Method 997.08 (2013 version, AOAC International):

• As is known, this method first requires the determination of non-inulin related glucose and non-inulin related fructose in the composition: free glucose and fructose concentrations, as well as the concentrations of glucose and fructose deriving from sucrose, starch and/or maltodextrines present in the inulin- containing composition are determined.

An inulinase treatment of the inulin-containing composition will result in complete enzymatic hydrolysis of the inulin compounds into free glucose and free fructose.

Subtracting the earlier-determined non-inulin related concentrations of glucose and fructose from the overall fructose and glucose content determined after complete enzymatic hydrolysis of the inulin composition to be analyzed provides the concentrations, in particular weight-percentages, of inulin-related fructose (Fi) and inulin-related glucose (Gi).

If the inulin in the composition consists of GF _n compounds, AV-DP can be calculated via the formula as given in AOAC 997.08:

AV-DP = [ (Fi/Gi) + 1 ] (1 )

If however the inulin in the composition is an inulin product that had undergone a partial hydrolysis, for example by treatment with an endo-inulinase, it no longer consists essentially only of GFn compounds but also has a significant amount of Fm compounds. Formula (1 ) is then no longer sufficiently accurate and a correction is needed. AOAC 997.08 provides some approximations for the correction; for the purposes of the present invention, however, a different procedure is followed for the correction by working from the principle that AV-DP now consists of two contributions: a contribution from GFn compounds and a contribution from Fm compounds. Starting from Fi and Gi as determined above, the principle is:

• Fi must be reduced by fructose originating from Fm compounds; then, the contribution of GFn to AV-DP can be calculated via the principle of formula (1 ); and

• The contribution of F _m compounds to AV-DP must be determined separately. In doing this, it is assumed (as confirmed by current practice) that the presence and contribution of Fm-compounds whereby m is 10 or greater is so small that they can be ignored.

The following steps are taken:

• The amount of Fm-compounds with m= 2 to 9 (i.e. F2, F3, F4, Fs, Fe, F7, Fs and F9) is determined. o The method of determination is high-temperature capillary gas chromatography (HGC), as disclosed in Joye & Hoebregs, J. AOAC International, vol. 83, no. 4, 2000, pages 1020 to 1025. • Since AOAC method 997.08 calculates with free glucose and fructose molecules, which have been hydrolysed as compared to their state in inulin, the weights of the non-hydrolyzed compounds as determined via HGC are corrected for the hydrolysis.

• The sum of the - for hydrolysis corrected - weight fractions F2, F3, F4, Fs, Fe, F7, Fs and F9 is subtracted from Fi, thereby identifying the weight fraction of fructose units that are attributable to GF _n compounds.

• The calculation:

[ ( (Weight fraction of fructose units attributable to GF _n ) / Gi ) +1 ] (2) then yields an average DP of the GFn portion of the inulin product.

• The sum of the weight of Gi and the - also for hydrolysis corrected - weight of the fraction of fructose units that are attributable to GF _n compounds yields the weight of the fraction that consists of GF _n compounds. Using the result of formula (2), the weight of that fraction is re-calculated into moles of GFn.

• The - for hydrolysis corrected - corrected weights of the fractions of the F _m compounds are re-calculated into moles for each F _m compound separately.

• The total amount of moles of inulin is determined by adding the moles of GF _n to the moles of the various F _m compounds. Based on the total amount of moles of inulin, molar fractions of GFn and of the individual Fm compounds can be calculated.

• The molar fraction GF _n is multiplied by the result of formula (2) to yield the contribution of GF _n compounds to AV-DP.

• Each individual Fm molar fraction is multiplied by its degree of polymerization DP, thus establishing the contribution of each individual Fm fraction to AV-DP. The sum of the F _m -contributions is added to the contribution of GFn compounds to AV-DP, to yield AV-DP as meant in the context of the present invention for inulin products containing a significant amount of F _m compounds. In a preferred embodiment, the present inulin composition is prepared from chicory inulin, preferably from native chicory inulin, preferably said chicory inulin having a DP from 2 to 70. As is known, inulin from chicory is essentially linear.

The powder fondant according to another embodiment comprises the inulin in an amount of from 5 to 30 wt.%, based on the total weight of carbohydrates. More preferred embodiments contain an amount of inulin from 6 to 25 wt.%, even more preferably from 8 to 20 wt.%, such as 8.3 wt.%, 15 wt.% or 26.7 wt.%.

In another useful embodiment, the powder fondant comprises from 40 to 63 wt.% of sucrose, from 5 to 15 wt.% of glucose syrup, from 10 to 30 wt.% of starch and from 5 to 15 wt.% of inulin, based on the total weight of carbohydrates.

It is advantageous that the powder fondant comprises starch and inulin in a weight ratio of 5:1 to 1 :8.5, more preferably of 4:1 to 1 :5, even more preferably of 3:1 to 1 :1. Within these ratios the texture and taste performance can closely resemble the known full sugar fondant powders.

According to a useful embodiment of the invention, the powder fondant comprises a combined amount of glucose syrup, starch and inulin in a range of from 17 to 60 wt.%, more preferably of from 23 to 55 wt.%, even more preferably from 30 to 50 wt.%, such as 39 wt.%, based on the total weight of carbohydrates.

Starches are widely used in the food manufacturing industry for processing, and as food thickeners or stabilizers. Suitably, the starch in the powder fondant may include starches from any native source, wherein native indicates a starch in essentially the form as found in nature.

In a preferred embodiment, the origin of the starch is selected from the group consisting of rice, corn, pea, potato, wheat, tapioca and any combination of two or more thereof. Even more preferably the origin of the starch is selected from the group consisting of rice, potato, wheat, com and any combination of two or more thereof. Most preferably the starch is a rice starch. Rice starch in the fondant powder has as advantage that it is a bulky material that typically has no negative impact on the stability of the produced paste in the final product. Also the viscosity and color can remain similar; furthermore, rice is known to be essentially allergen- free.

In a useful embodiment of the powder fondant, the starch is present in an amount of from 10 to 30 wt.%, based on the total of weight carbohydrates, more preferably from 12 to 27 wt.%, even more preferably from 14 to 25 wt.%, such as 15 wt.% and 21 .3 wt.%.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, a powder fondant is provided comprising 40 to 68 wt.% of sucrose, 5 to 15 wt.% of glucose syrup, 10 to 30 wt.% of starch and 5 to 30 wt.% of inulin, based on the total weight of carbohydrates. A more preferred embodiment comprises 45 to 67 wt.% of sucrose, 6 to 13 wt.% of glucose syrup, 12 to 27 wt.% of starch and 6 to 25 wt.% of inulin, based on the total weight of carbohydrates. An even more preferred embodiment comprises 50 to 63 wt.% of sucrose, 7 to 10 wt.% of glucose syrup, 14 to 25 wt.% of starch and 8 to 20 wt.% of inulin, based on the total weight of carbohydrates.

In an embodiment of the invention, a powder fondant is provided having a combined content of sucrose, glucose syrup, starch and inulin in an amount of at least 90 wt.%, preferably at least 95 wt.%, more preferably at least 98 wt.%, expressed on total weight of the fondant powder.

The starch may be at least partly gelatinized. Processes for pregelatinizing starch are generally known. Starch gelatinization is a process of breaking down the intermolecular bonds of starch molecules in the presence of water and heat, allowing the hydrogen bonding sites (the hydroxyl hydrogen and oxygen) to engage more water. This process irreversibly dissolves the starch granule in water. Water may act as a plasticizer. The pregelatinized starch is generally dried before being packed and transported. Pregelatinized starch may readily be dissolved in cold water.

Pregelatinized starch may be derived from native starch, from chemically crosslinked starch, and from physically modified starch. The term physically modified starch includes starches that have been subjected to a heat/moisture treatment, to annealing, to thermal inhibition, and the like. As meant herein the term physically modified does not encompass pregelatinization.

Chemically modified and physically modified starches are known to provide a high process tolerance, which makes them suitable as food thickeners or stabilizers under more extreme process conditions.

In the process of starch gelatinization, water is first absorbed during heating in the amorphous space of the starch, which leads to swelling of the granule. Water then enters via amorphous regions into the tightly bound areas of double helical structures of amylopectin. At ambient temperatures these crystalline regions do not allow water to enter. Heat causes such regions to become diffuse, the amylose chains begin to dissolve, to separate into an amorphous form and the number and size of crystalline regions decreases. Under the microscope in polarized light starch loses its birefringence and its extinction cross.

Penetration of water thus increases the randomness in the starch granule structure and causes swelling; eventually amylose molecules leach into the surrounding water and the granule structure disintegrates.

The gelatinization temperature of starch depends upon plant type and the process conditions used. Some types of unmodified native starches start swelling at 55 °C, other types at 85 °C. The gelatinization temperature of modified starch depends on, for example, the degree of cross-linking, acid treatment, or acetylation.

Gelatinization can, as is known, be achieved in various ways, including on a drum dryer or in an extruder, making the starch cold-water-soluble. Drum drying is a method used for drying out liquids from raw materials with a drying drum. In the drum-drying process, ingredients are dried over rotating, high-capacity drums that produce sheets of drum-dried product. This product is then milled to a finished flake or powder form. Modem drum drying techniques result in dried ingredients which reconstitute immediately and retain much of their original flavor, color and nutritional value. Some advantages of drum drying include the ability to dry viscous foods which cannot be easily dried with other methods. A preferred embodiment provides a powder fondant wherein the starch is selected from the group consisting of native starch, pregelatinized starch, cross-linked starch, granular thermally inhibited starch, pregelatinized thermally inhibited starch, and any combination of two or more thereof.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the starch comprises a combination of native starch and pre-gelatinized starch or comprises a combination of modified starch and pre-gelatinized starch. When the powder fondant is used in applications, such as fondant paste, this embodiment may provide a prolonged shelf-life stability of the application, for example at a temperature of 7°C, and/or a good freeze-thaw stability of the application. A good freeze-thaw stability means that fondant paste prepared with the fondant powder according to this preferred embodiment remains stable during storage of at least 2 days after having been subjected to a freezing and subsequent thawing process step.

More advantageously, the ratio between native starch and pre-gelatinized starch is in the range of from 22:1 to 3:1 , more preferably from 10:1 to 3:1 , even more preferably from 8:1 to 4:1 ; or the ratio between modified starch and pre-gelatinized starch is in the range of from 22:1 to 3:1 , more preferably from 10:1 to 3:1 , even more preferably from 8:1 to 4:1 . The resulting fondant in the final product comprising the pre-gelatinized starch can have a fine quality to obtain a smooth, homogeneous paste as it can at least partly act as a viscosity regulator. It can have a further positive impact on the stability of the paste. The starch may bind released moisture, for example released from pastries with cream filling.

Yet another embodiment of the invention provides a powder fondant wherein the ratio between native starch and pre-gelatinized starch is in the range of from 8:1 to 3:1 , or the ratio between modified starch and pre-gelatinized starch is in the range of from 8:1 to 3:1 ; and wherein the inulin has an AV-DP in a range of from 5.0 to 15.0, more preferably of from 5.0 to 8.0.

Besides the basic components of the fondant, being sucrose, glucose syrup, starch and inulin, the powder fondant may comprise at least one ingredient other than sucrose, glucose syrup, starch and inulin. This ingredient may be added to the powder fondant for example for coloring, additional flavoring, or stability. Preferably, the powder fondant comprises at least one ingredient other than sucrose, glucose syrup, starch and inulin selected from the group consisting of natural aromas, natural colorants, natural sweeteners, stabilizers, emulsifiers and any combination of two or more thereof. Even more preferably, the powder fondant comprises at least one ingredient other than sucrose, glucose syrup, starch and inulin selected from the group consisting of fruit extracts, fruit concentrates, vegetable extracts, vegetable concentrates, spirulina extract, spirulina concentrate, acacia gum, locust bean gum, tragacanth, lecithin, glycerol monostearate and any combination of two or more thereof. The at least one ingredient other than sucrose, glucose syrup, starch and inulin may be present in the powder fondant in an amount of at most 10 wt.%, preferably at most 5 wt.%, more preferably at most 2 wt.%, expressed on total weight of the powder fondant.

Advantageously, the composition of the invention does not require the use of polyols at a level that requires warnings to be applied to the food product. Sugar alcohols or polyols may refer to, for example erythritol, galactitol, hydrogenated starch syrups, including maltitol and sorbitol syrups, inositols, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol and combinations thereof.

Advantageously a powder fondant according to an embodiment of the invention may be provided wherein all ingredients are considered to be natural, allowing the composition to be a so-called ‘clean label’ composition.

The disclosed invention and its embodiments is advantageous in that the amount of mono- and disaccharides of the known powder fondant is reduced. Indeed, compared to existing, high sucrose containing powder fondant, the combined content of mono- and disaccharides may be reduced by more than 20%, even by more than 25%, or even by more than 30%. The powder fondant according to the present invention may have a content of mono- and disaccharides that is reduced by more than 20%, even by more than 25%, or even by more than 30% compared to a powder fondant consisting of 90 wt.% sucrose and 10 wt.% glucose syrup.

Reduction of the combined content of mono- and disaccharides of the powder fondant according to the invention may be obtained while maintaining, when used in certain applications, substantially the same characteristics as those of existing, high sucrose containing powder fondant. Said characteristics may include, but are not limited to, a good gloss, good flow properties, a good texture, including stiffness and elasticity, as well as a comparable ease of use.

The invention also relates to a fondant paste comprising the powder fondant. The fondant paste is further comprising an ingredient selected from the group consisting of an aqueous solution, dairy butter, vegetable fats, vegetable oils and any combination of two or more thereof.

Examples of aqueous solutions are, but are not limited to, water, cow’s milk, dairy cream, plant-based milk such as soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk, and fruit juice such as orange juice, and combinations of two or more thereof. Preferably the aqueous solution is water. The term dairy butter may also encompass fractions of butter, i.e. olein fraction of butter or stearin fraction of butter or combinations thereof. Vegetable fats such as, but not limited to, cocoa butter, shea butter, palm fat, coconut fat, palm kernel fat, fractions of these fats, i.e. olein fraction, stearin fraction or mid fraction, or any combination of two or more thereof may also be used. These vegetable fats may have been hydrogenated or inter-esterified. Vegetable fats may be defined as having a melting point above 20°C. Vegetable oils such as, but not limited to, sunflower oil, high-oleic sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, soybean oil, or combinations of two or more thereof may also be used. Vegetable oils are defined as having a melting point below 20°C.

In some exemplary embodiments, water and/or butter and/or vegetable fats may be added to the fondant powder. If water is added, it can be used for example to glaze donuts, cakes or cookies. If butter and/or vegetable fats are added, the fondant paste might be used for filling chocolates or bonbons.

An embodiment of the fondant paste is characterized in that the amount of aqueous solution is in the range of 8 to 20 wt.% in relation to the total weight of the dry materials. In another embodiment, the total amount of fats is in the range of from 30 to 50 wt.% in relation to the total weight of the dry materials, preferably in the range of from 40 to 45 wt.%.

The present invention is thus also directed to the use of the powder fondant according to the invention and its embodiments and/or the fondant paste according to the invention for the preparation of a confectionary product. In a preferred embodiment, the confectionary product is selected from the group consisting of a sugar fondant, an icing, a topping, a cocoa-based filling, a chocolate-based filling, and any combination of two or more thereof.

The use according to a particular embodiment thereof is characterized in that the confectionary product is reduced in mono- and/or di-saccharides.

The use according to a preferred embodiment thereof is provided such that the confectionary product has a combined amount of mono- and di-saccharides that is reduced by at least 20%, preferably by at least 25%, or even more preferably by at least 30%.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of preparing the invented powder fondant, by grinding sucrose and glucose syrup, and adding inulin and starch.

In a preferred embodiment of the method, sucrose and glucose syrup are grinded up to a particle size distribution expressed as a D90 of at most 30 micron, more preferably in a range of from 10 to 30 micron, even more preferably from 12 to 25 micron, and most preferably from 15 to 20 micron.

Advantageously, the relative amounts used in the method for preparing the powder fondant are 40 to 68 wt.% of sucrose, 5 to 15 wt.% of glucose syrup, 10 to 30 wt.% of starch and 5 to 30 wt.% of inulin, based on the total weight of carbohydrates. Preferably, the mutual weight ratio of the starch and inulin is from 5:1 to 1 :8.5. It should be mentioned that all the preferred weight ranges and ratio’s that were disclosed in the context of the description of the powder fondant also apply to the method of preparing the powder fondant.

Preferably, the starch in the method for preparing the sugar reduced powder fondant is selected from rice, com, pea, potato, wheat, tapioca and/or canna starch, preferably rice or corn. Even more preferably, the starch is rice starch and/or gelatinized rice starch.

The following, non-limiting examples are now provided to illustrate the invention, without however being limited thereto.

EXAMPLES

Materials

The following materials were used in the following examples, unless stated otherwise:

- Sucrose: refined white sugar

- Glucose syrup: was sourced from wheat starch and had a DE of 21

- Native rice starch: Remy B7 (supplier: Beneo Remy), a native, indica-type rice starch

- Pregelatinized rice starch: Remyline XS-DR-P (supplier: Beneo Remy), a waxy-type pregelatinized rice starch

- Inulin (AV-DP: 5.2): Inulin HSI (supplier: Beneo Orafti)

- Inulin (AV-DP: 4.2): Orafti P95 (supplier: Beneo Orafti)

Evaluation methods

Flow at 38°C: Flow of the fondant paste was measured in a Bostwick

Consistometer. The distance (in cm) that a fondant paste flows within a time period of 60 seconds at a temperature of 38°C. It is a measure for the viscosity of the fondant paste.

- Evaluation of the fondant paste layer: The fondant pastes were piped as a thin layer onto an eclair i.e. a choux pastry, filled with pastry cream or custard . The fondant pasts were also evaluated by dipping a donut into the fondant paste. Consistency of the fondant layers were evaluated directly after application. The fondant layers were also evaluated after several days of storage at 7°C. Furthermore, the fondant layers were subjected to a freezing/ thawing treatment, and were subsequently evaluated 7 days after thawing. Aspects of consistency and gloss were evaluated.

Comparative examples 1-3 and Example 1

Powder fondants were prepared according to the recipes in table 1 . The recipe of Comparative Example 1 is a recipe for a conventional, existing, high sucrose containing powder fondant. Comparative Examples 2 and 3 are recipes wherein sucrose is replaced only by starch or only by inulin, and are thus examples not according to the present invention. Example 1 is a recipe of a powder fondant according to the invention, wherein the content of sucrose was reduced by replacing it by inulin and starch.

Table 1 : Powder fondant - Ingredients

Fondant pastes were produced using the powder fondants of Comparative examples 1-3 and Example 1 .The sugar reduced powder fondant according to the invention can be processed in the same way as the standard powder fondant, although the powder-water ratios may differ slightly to obtain the same viscosity. Hand-warm water was mixed with the fondant powders in a ratio as shown in table 2.

The obtained fondant pastes were evaluated as shown in Table 3. Table 2: Fondant paste - Recipe

Table 3: Fondant paste evaluation

Conclusion:

Reducing sucrose in known, high sucrose containing powder fondants (Comparative Example 1) by using either starch (Comparative Example 2) or inulin (Comparative Example 2), results in a powder fondant that performs poorly when used in a fondant paste. The resulting fondant paste does not have a good consistency and does not sticks well to the baked good but rather flows of the baked good.

Only when sucrose is replaced by a combination of starch and inulin, as is the case for Example 1 , a powder fondant is obtained that performs well when used in a fondant paste. Said fondant paste has a good consistency and is sticking nicely to the baked good. It has a somewhat elastic texture. A fondant paste based on the fondant powder according to Example 1 is suitable for application onto fresh baked goods.

Example 2-7 Powder fondants of Example 2 to 7 were prepared according to the recipes in table 4.

Table 4: Powder fondant - Ingredients

Fondant pastes were produced by mixing powder fondants of Examples 2 to 7 with hand-warm water in a ratio powder/water of 87/13.

The fondant pastes were piped as a thin layer onto an eclair. The fondant pasts were also evaluated by dipping a donut into the fondant paste. The obtained fondant pastes were evaluated as shown in Table 5.

Table 5: Fondant paste evaluation

Conclusion:

Example 2 to 7 demonstrate that reduction of sucrose in sucrose containing powder fondant can be achieved by a replacing the sucrose partly by starch and inulin. The fondant pastes obtained using the powder fondants of Example 2 to 7 show a good consistency. These fondant pastes therefore are suitable for application onto fresh baked goods.

Additionally, Examples 2 to 7 demonstrate that a combination of pregelatinized starch and native starch in the powder fondant recipe further results in a fondant paste that is stable after storage for several days at 7°C and after having been subjected to a freezing and subsequent thawing process step. Examples 4 to 7 further demonstrate that the ratio of native to pregelatinized starch in the powder fondant may further influence the stiffness/fluidity when applied in a fondant paste.

Likewise, Examples 2 and 3 also demonstrate that the type of inulin used, may further influence the stiffness/fluidity when applied in a fondant paste.

Examples 8-9

Powder fondants of Example 8 and 9 were prepared according to the recipes in table 6.

Table 6: Powder fondant - Ingredients Fondant pastes were produced by mixing powder fondants of Examples 8 and 9 with hand-warm water in a ratio powder/water of 87/13.

The obtained fondant pastes were evaluated as shown in Table 7. Table 7: Fondant paste evaluation

Nutritional properties of Comparative Example 1 and Example 4

The nutritional properties of the powder fondants of Comparative Example 1 and Example 4 is shown in table 8. The sugar content (i.e. the combined content of mono- and di-saccharides) in the powder fondants of Example 4 was reduced by 31% compared to the sugar content of Comparative Example 1 .

Table 8 : Powder fonfant - Nutritional properties

*Nutri-Score is a five-colour nutrition label (A=dark green - B=light green - C=yellow - D=orange - E=red) to simplify the nutritional rating system demonstrating the overall nutritional value of food products (consumer products). A calculation algorithm is used to determine the value of the label: the system awards 0 to 10 points for energy value and ingredients that should be limited in the diet, i.e.: saturated fatty acids, sugar and salt; and 0 to 5 points for beneficial ingredients whose consumption should be promoted. These are: fiber, protein, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and rapeseed oil.

Taste panel of Comparative Example 1 and Example 4

An internal taste panel was organized in which the panel members received the sugar reduced version of Example 1 and the conventional version of Example 1 , both in powder form. They had to prepare the pastes themselves according to the above recipe and to carry out the application on donuts. They were asked to rate the following three parameters on a scale from 1 to 5:

Gloss 1 : not glossy/dull - 5: glossy

Opacity of the fondant 1 : more transparent - 5: opaque

Stickiness 1 : dry surface - 5: sticky surface

The panel consisted of 29 persons. The average score for those three parameters are presented in Table 9.

Table 9: Scoring of fondant by taste panel

Conclusion:

The paste made from the sugar reduced powder fondant according to the invention is comparable with the paste made from the known standard powder fondant on opacity and on stickiness, and has nearly the same gloss. The sugar reduced powder fondant has an essentially identical performance as the standard powder fondant.