Field of Invention: This invention relates to the preparation of bodies of food materials to provide novel structures. These bodies will usually be in the form of granules, that is bodies having a major dimension up to about 1 cm, but larger bodies are not excluded. In particular, these food bodies are formed from water ices and are intended as components in frozen confections.

Background to the invention: Frozen confections are a popular foodstuff and can provide food energy with a cooling effect for the consumer. The frozen water-ice bodies of the present invention can be eaten as such or be incorporated in a frozen confection to provide volumes of water ice which give a refreshing effect. Frozen confections of the invention will usually contain milk proteins and the class includes ice cream, frozen yoghurt, sherbet, sorbet, ice milk and frozen custards. The usual form of protein will be animal milk but vegetable sources, eg soya milk, are also usable. There is no criticality in the source of the milk protein and it may be incorporated as liquid milk, cream, skimmed milk, milk powder and skimmed milk powder, as examples.

Providing refreshment by incorporating water ice in a frozen confection is usually difficult because any water ice body will be crunchy when formed at usual freezing temperatures.

Literature: Frozen confections, including water ices have been well characterised in the literature and general disclosures will be found in the text book "Ice Cream" by . S. Arbuckle (published by AVI of Westport Conn USA) in 4 editions and "Ices - The Definitive Guide" by Liddell &

Weir (published by Hodder & Stoughton of London 1993) .

GB 2 092 888 discloses the freezing of liquid food materials such as cream in order to enhance the keepability. The products are intended to be thawed before consumption.

Surprisingly it has been found that a water-ice solution can be frozen by a similar process thereby producing individual water-ice bodies which can easily be stored and which provide very interesting eating characteristics.

General description of the invention: The invention provides individual water ice bodies having a relatively low ice crystal size and a soft eating sensation. By "individual" we mean the body is formed separately while not in contact within other bodies, whether of the same or different composition. These bodies are prepared by forming a water ice solution, into a desired shape and then immersing the shape in a food compatible liquid at a temperature below -50°C, preferably below -70°C. An example of the liquid is liquid nitrogen. The desired shape may be a sphere and for this the water ice solution is dripped into a volume of low temperature liquid from a tube. The drops form as liquid spheres which solidify to the desired shape after falling into the low temperature liquid. The water ice solution may contain a proportion of ice crystals, for example up to about 20% by weight, so the final product is soft because of the majority of the ice being in small crystals, but contains some larger size crystals which can be appreciated in the mouth.

The water-ice solution will generally contain 1-50 wt% of solids. Solids contents of 15-50 wt% generally include the sugar containing water-ice solutions normally used for the preparation of lolly pops etc. Lower solid contents eg 1- 15 wt% however are also possible, for example for

compositions containing artificial sweeteners .

The water ice solution may contain low amounts of a fat containing material, eg milk, provided it does not interfere with the water crystallisation. However, generally the fat level will be less than 5 wt%, more preferred less than 1 wt%.

The individual water ice bodies obtained by the process according to the invention have a surprisingly soft and interesting texture. Moreover the small water-ice bodies make the product easy melting in the mouth. The freezing at low temperatures further leads to distinct individual particles which do not tend to stick together during storage at freezing temperatures.

Preferably the individual water-ice bodies have a mean particle size of less than 2 cm, more preferred less than 1.5 cm, most preferred less than 1 cm. Generally the individual water-ice bodies will have a mean particle size of more than 1 mm, more preferred more than 1.5 mm, most preferred more than 2 mm.

Preferably the water-ice bodies are spherical or elliptical.

The average ice-crystal size of the ice-crystals in the water-ice bodies is preferably less than 100 micron, more preferably below 80 micron. Preferably the particle size is more than 10 micron, more preferred more than 50 micron.

Conveniently the water-ice bodies of the invention can be packed in closed packages for example containing 50 to 500 g of water-ice bodies. Suitable packages include bags, plastic containers, boxes etc.

In another embodiment according to the invention the water-

ice bodies can be used as a component of frozen confectionery product. Preferably such a product contains at least 5 wt% of the water-ice bodies more preferred more than 10%. Levels up to 99 wt% may be possible, although generally for such products the level will be less than 75 wt% or even less than 50 wt%.

Suitable further components for such a combined frozen confection are for example a liquid ingredient such as a syrup or ice-cream.

If ice-cream is used in combination with the water-ice bodies of the invention the ratio of ice-cream to water-ice is preferably from 1:10 to 10:1 more preferably 1:5 to 5:1. The same ratios would apply if a liquid ingredient eg a syrup is used in combination or with the water-ice bodies.

In a specific process of the invention the water ice solution contains sufficient concentration of ice crystals to be self supporting. The use of a starting material of this type allows an extrude to retain its form while immersed in the freezing liquid. A partly frozen ice mixture containing from about 45% to about 75% by weight of separate ice crystals is suitable and a general description is given in EP 0201141 (Unilever) . A typical extrudate would have a circular section with a diameter of 5 mm and a length of 10 mm. An alternative construction will have the body formed in a layer which can be added to a frozen confection as a component.

Test Method

Ice crystal size: a thin water ice sample was examined using a cold stage (-20°C) microscope in a white spirit matrix. Polarising filters were used at xlOO magnification to obtain maximum contrast and a Zeiss particle size analyser used to obtain the average ice crystal size as

^D (3 , 0 ) ) ^•

Example I

One example of the invention will now be given by reference to accompanying diagrammatic drawing. Figure 1 shows a vertical partial section through an apparatus usable in the present method.

An insulated tank 1 having a base 38 cm square and a height of 48 cm had an archimedes screw 2 extending from the bottom of one side to the upper opposed edge. The screw 2 had a feed tube 6 at its upper end. A vertical tube 3, having a diameter at the bottom of 5 cm, was positioned over the lower end of the screw. The tank was filled with liquid nitrogen 4 and had a suitable apertured insulated cover 5.

A water ice solution having the composition below was prepared.

Ingredient Weight %

Sugars 21.5

Stabiliser (LBG) 0.4 Fruit solids 4.4

Citric acid 0.2

Colour 0.2

Water remainder

This composition had a solids content of 26.5%.

This solution was prepared by mixing the ingredients at ambient with stirring. Drops of this solution having a diameter about 5 mm were formed and allowed to fall down the vertical tube 3. These drops frozen rapidly in contact with the liquid nitrogen to form bodies containing ice crystals with a particle size distribution (D ₍₃₀₎ ) of less than 80 micron, ie about 55 micron.

The bodies were removed from the tank 1 by rotating the screw 2; the frozen bodies had fallen into the bottom turn. The bodies were collected outside the tank from feed tube 6 in a suitable hopper and then stored at about -35°C before being incorporated in an ice confection. When eaten the bodies were soft and gave a refreshing taste sensation from the melting ice.

Alternative collection means for the individual frozen bodies are i) to have a wire cage at the bottom of tank 1 which is removed as required and ii) to replace the archimedes tube with an inclined moving wire mesh.

Example II

Example I was repeated while replacing the sugars by 0.1 wt% of aspartame.