TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a chocolate product and a method for producing this chocolate product.

PRIOR ART

The ability to supply food products that have functionality beyond just a taste experience is highly desirable for food companies planning new product announcements. While this does not override the functionality of a food product, the ability to add a new aspect to the food can provide an additional function that stimulates interest in, as well as sales of, the product. Chocolate products provided with a message to give these products an extra experience or methods of producing such a chocolate product are known in the art.

WO2011086390 describes a confectionery product comprising a first and a second edible part. The second part has a pull-out item that is partially inside it and partially protruding. The product creates a sense of excitement in the consumer by removing the initially concealed pull-out item and, for example, discovering a message contained on this pull-out item. The message is located in WO'390 on a separate pull out item that is not associated with the rest of the confectionery product. The message can therefore be viewed here without having to bite into the product first.

USD444613 very briefly describes a decorative design for a hollow chocolate confectionery containing a message, as shown in the figures of USD'613. The figures show that it concerns a message on a paper medium that is loosely contained in the hollow chocolate confectionery.

GB2525667 describes an edible product with a break line that is not visible from the outside. This concept is applied to a chocolate praline with a notch for break lines along the inside. This break line is no longer visible once the praline has been filled.

EP3387912 describes a chocolate egg with a letter on the inside. This letter is obtained by working different layers that can have a different colour. There may also be an opening through which the drawing is visible before the egg is damaged. BE1025328 relates to a method for printing chocolate with edible ink comprising transferring a print of edible ink printed on a plasma-treated plastic film to chocolate. BE'328 only discusses a method of printing edible ink on chocolate and thus does not describe a chocolate product.

The present invention aims to find a solution for at least some of the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates in a first aspect to a partially hollow closed chocolate product provided with an initially hidden, readable and edible message on the inner surface.

Preferred forms of this chocolate product are described in the dependent claims 2 to 14. These preferred forms describe forms of the product, as well as features of the message and the flavour component.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a partially hollow closed chocolate product provided with an initially hidden message on the inner surface as described in claims 1 to 14.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a cross section of a cone-shaped chocolate product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows an overview of a cone-shaped chocolate product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view of a truncated cone shaped chocolate product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows a cross section of a cone-shaped chocolate product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an at least partially hollow closed chocolate product provided with an initially hidden readable and edible message on the inner surface. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such a chocolate product.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in the description of the invention, including technical and scientific terms, have the meaning as commonly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. For a better understanding of the description of the invention, the following terms are explained explicitly.

In this document, 'a' and 'the' refer to both the singular and the plural, unless the context presupposes otherwise. For example, 'a segment' means one or more segments.

The terms 'comprise', 'comprising', 'consist of', 'consisting of', 'provided with', 'have', 'having', 'include', 'including', 'contain', 'containing' are synonyms and are inclusive or open terms that indicate the presence of what follows, and which do not exclude or prevent the presence of other components, characteristics, elements, members, steps, as known from or disclosed in the prior art.

Quoting numerical intervals by endpoints comprises all integers, fractions and/or real numbers between the endpoints, these endpoints included.

In the context of the present invention, the term 'chocolate' is to be understood as a composition comprising cocoa butter, fat-free cocoa ingredients, sugars and / or sweeteners. Chocolate can comprise one or more vegetable fats and/or oils, milk powders, milk powder substitutes, cocoa powders, cocoa powder substitutes, emulsifiers, flavourings, sugars and/or sugar substitutes. In particular, the term 'chocolate' as used herein refers to chocolate as described in Directive 2000/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 June 2000 on cocoa and chocolate products for human consumption. Non-limiting examples of chocolate are: Black or dark chocolate, being a product obtained from cocoa mass, sugars, cocoa butter, lecithin and natural vanilla flavour, comprising at least 54% dry cocoa components;

Milk chocolate, being a product obtained from sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cocoa mass, lecithin and natural vanilla flavour, comprising at least 33% dry cocoa components; - White chocolate, being a product obtained from sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, lecithin and natural vanilla flavour, comprising at least 27% dry cocoa components.

In the context of the present invention, the term 'edible material' is to be understood as a composition suitable to be eaten and from which nutrients can be obtained through the human digestive tract.

In the context of the present invention, the term 'closed product' is to be understood in conjunction with the message, where this message is not initially visible but is covered by the product. Only when the product is broken up does the message become visible.

In a first aspect, the invention relates to a partially hollow closed chocolate product provided with an initially hidden message on the inner surface. A demarcation in terms of hollowness for the chocolate product is critical. A hollowness that is too low would, after biting, make it difficult to read the message, for example because the message also broke, it was not bitten in the correct place, and so on. A product that is too hollow does not satisfy the consumer, especially if it concerns a small product. Moreover, it is then difficult to add surprising elements, for example flavour elements, to the chocolate product.

During consumption of the chocolate product, the experience of consuming is an important aspect. Hiding a message that is not visible before a bite is taken from the product gives an extra incentive to the consumer to want to bite into this product and thus to buy it.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the chocolate product comprises a regular spatial body. A spatial body or figure is a three-dimensional object. Such an object can be described with three dimensions or measurements, being length, width and height. The shape of a body can range from simple to complex. A regular solid is a polyhedron whose side faces are congruent, uniform, regular polygons. In a regular polygon, all sides have the same length and all angles are equal. With regular polyhedra, all angles between the faces are equal. There are five regular polyhedra being a tetrahedron, a beam, a cube, an octahedron, a cone, a dodecahedron and an isocahedron. A spherical, cylindrical or egg-shaped body or half of these shapes is also possible. According to another embodiment of the invention, the chocolate product comprises an irregular spatial body. Besides regular, there are also semi-regular polyhedra or solids. A semi-regular polyhedron is a three-dimensional object that is made up of several regular polygons that completely surround a space.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the chocolate product comprises a preferably flat bottom. A flat bottom provides an ideal surface on which to apply the message. The message also remains best legible on a flat bottom.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the chocolate product comprises a conical shell. A cone is a spatial figure consisting of a circular disk, here called a flat bottom, and a curved plane, the shell or side, formed by all the line segments between the points of the circle and a fixed point, different from the centre of the circle and perpendicular to it, the top of the cone. The message must appear during the tasting of the product, so after at least one bite by the consumer. It is important that the consumer knows where to bite, so that the message is not immediately eaten before the consumer can read or view it. The shape of a cone provides a hint to the consumer to start the consumption of the chocolate product at the top of the product.

In another embodiment of the invention, the bottom is thicker than the shell. The bottom surface must be thick enough to allow a message to be applied thereto. This bottom should not break off during the first bite by the consumer of the chocolate product. Making the bottom thicker than the rest of the chocolate product will make it firmer. When the consumer bites into the product for the first time, the shell will easily break and the bottom will not. In this way, the message appears intact to the consumer. The flow properties of chocolate can be adjusted to achieve different thicknesses in the chocolate product. The flow properties of liquid chocolate are expressed in viscosity (Pascal second, Pa.s) and yield point (Pascal, Pa).

Viscosity, also known as viscousness, is a physical material property of a liquid or a gas. It is the property of a fluid that indicates the degree to which it resists deformation by shear stress, a stress that deforms the material (the chocolate in this case) without changing the volume of the material. The yield point is the force required to overcome the yield stress. The yield stress is the minimum shear stress required for a plastic fluid to flow. The flow properties of chocolate are usually measured with a rotary viscometer. At a certain temperature (viscosity and yield point are temperature dependent, among other things), the resistance that a rotating cylinder experiences in the chocolate is measured. The force required to get the cylinder to turn is the yield point. With a multi-point measurement of the viscosity, which is measured at multiple speeds, reliable and exchangeable data can be obtained. The yield point can also be calculated from this.

For the bottom surface on which the message is printed, a higher viscosity and yield point is desirable. Thus, the viscosity generally has a value between 1 and 20 Pa.s and the yield point generally has a value between 10 and 40 Pa. For the walls of the shell, which is easy to bite through, a lower viscosity and yield point is desirable. Thus, the viscosity generally has a value between 0.5 and 2.5 Pa.s and the yield point generally has a value between 0 and 20 Pa.

A lower viscosity can be obtained by adding certain components to the used composition of the chocolate. For example, components including cocoa butter, lecithin or polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) can be added. Cocoa butter is the fat naturally found in cocoa beans. The more fat, the lower the viscosity and yield point. Not only fat, but also emulsifiers can be used to adjust the flow properties; cocoa butter is namely one of the more expensive ingredients in chocolate. An addition of 0.1 to 0.3% of lecithin has the same viscosity-reducing effect as the addition of 1 to 3% cocoa butter. However, the yield point increases with higher additions. Lecithin is an emulsifier that binds the remaining moisture in the chocolate with the fat. Lecithin is often combined with PGPR, an emulsifier made from glycerol and fatty acids.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the message comprises at least one word. The message can include standard texts or personalised texts. It goes without saying that the shorter the message, the larger it can be placed on the bottom surface and the more legible it will be for the consumer.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the message comprises a figure. These figures can include, for example, logos, photos or illustrations or emoticons.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the message comprises different colours. The possibility to use different colours provides a greater possibility of variation in the range of chocolate products. According to another embodiment of the invention, the message comprises a contrasting colour. For example, the contrast between letters and their background is determinative for readability. If there is little or no difference in brightness, but only difference in colour, this can result in too little contrast for a colour blind person. A contrasting colour therefore ensures that the message is clearly visible against a chocolate background. For example, on a background of dark chocolate it is best to place a message with a light colour tone, while on a background of white chocolate it is best to place a message with a dark colour tone.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the message is printed or stamped. It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that different types of printing and stamping methods are suitable for applying a message to food products such as chocolate products. For example, there are printers that can print directly on chocolate products that have a maximum thickness of 8 cm. In each case, use is made of edible ink with food colouring. It goes without saying that the method by which the message is transferred to the chocolate product can vary according to the dimensions and shapes of the chocolate product.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the chocolate product comprises a flavour component completely surrounded by chocolate. This flavour component provides an extra taste experience for the consumer. For this, existing praline fillings can be selected, on the basis of their ingredients and taking into account the shelf life of these ingredients. To avoid oxidation of the flavour component, it is closed off from ambient air by means of a chocolate partition. This partition ensures that the flavour component is completely surrounded by chocolate. This also gives the advantage that the message on the bottom cannot be affected by this flavour component.

An important fact here is that the surrounding chocolate must not be too thin, otherwise fat bloom may occur due to migration of the flavour component through the chocolate. Fat bloom is a natural phenomenon that appears as white-gray bloom and will appear on any chocolate product over time. Certain factors speed up the process. Fat bloom in itself does not affect the taste of the chocolate, but it does not look attractive. There are three main reasons for the premature appearance of this chocolate imperfection: Fat bloom occurs if the chocolate has not been properly tempered. The chocolate will never turn into a hard, shiny and crunchy product and the fat bloom appears after a few hours;

- The most common cause of fat bloom is when the fat in a fat-based filling (e.g. pralines, marzipan or other nut-based fillings) migrates to the chocolate shell;

Fat bloom will appear much more quickly if your finished products are not kept in perfect storage conditions. A storage temperature that is too high or subject to temperature fluctuations speeds up the fat migration process considerably. This can be avoided by giving the chocolate a higher viscosity and yield point around the flavour component. For example, the viscosity in this case has a value between 1 and 20 Pa.s and the yield point generally has a value between 10 and 40 Pa.

It is important to note that when using this chocolate product, the eating process is phased. In a first step, the top is bitten off and consumed together with the flavour component. This produces a message which is observed. This message can enhance sensory perceptions, influence feelings, encourage actions, etc. In the second step of the eating process, the bottom surface is consumed with the remaining parts of the wall. Dividing up the eating process lengthens it, allowing more time to enjoy the chocolate product and enhancing the positive feelings.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a piece of differently coloured chocolate is present at the top of the cone-shaped chocolate product. This marking possibly gives an indication of the taste in the flavour compartment. This simplifies logistics and the sales process. Moreover, this creates a positive feeling for the users. Initially, the users search and try different markings, which allows the users to rate these markings and collect his preferred markings. This marking can optionally also be present elsewhere on the outside of the product or take other forms.

In a further aspect of the invention, it relates to a method for manufacturing a partially hollow closed chocolate product provided with an initially hidden message on the inner surface, comprising the following steps: melting and tempering chocolate;

- optionally forming a top from coloured chocolate;

- forming a shell, possibly at the coloured top, by moulding chocolate;

- applying a flavour component to the top of the shell;

- optionally sealing the flavour component with a chocolate partition; - forming the flat bottom by moulding chocolate; printing or stamping a message on the flat bottom; attaching the flat bottom to the shell with the message on the inside.

During tempering, the cocoa butter in the chocolate takes on a stable crystal-clear form. This guarantees a perfectly finished product with a satin gloss and firm to the bite. It also causes the chocolate to shrink as it cools, making it easier to unmould. Tempering brings chocolate to the correct working temperature while ensuring that the crystal structure of the cocoa butter in it remains stable. Tempering consists of 4 basic steps: melting a chocolate mixture at 50°C;

- cooling the mixture to crystallisation at a temperature of 32°C;

- a crystallisation step at 27°C;

- the final conversion of crystals between 29 and 31°C.

Tempering therefore ensures a chocolate that melts less quickly in the hands of the consumer, prevents the formation of sugar bloom, gives the chocolate a good colour, a shine, a better shelf life and makes it harder. Sugar bloom has several causes, but they all have to do with humidity. If the chocolate shell of a finished product is exposed to condensation, the sugar in it dissolves and recrystallises as a white, grainy texture on the shell surface once this water evaporates again. Avoiding contact between chocolate and moisture is very important to keep the chocolate products in perfect condition.

Moulding chocolate is a technique that is performed when making pralines, for example. This term means that a form or mould is provided with a thin layer of chocolate. The mould can be filled using a ladle or piping bag with chocolate. Then the form is turned upside down, so that only a thin layer remains. After this, the filling can be applied. The technique used comprises the following steps: melting and tempering chocolate; heating a chocolate mould with a heat gun to a temperature of 26 to 27°C (this must not become warmer than the tempered chocolate);

- filling the mould with tempered chocolate; Afterwards, tilt the mould and remove the excess chocolate from the top and sides of the mould;

- tap the mould firmly against a work surface to remove air bubbles from the chocolate; pour the chocolate back into the melter (boiler), but make sure that all sides and corners of the mould cavities are evenly covered with chocolate;

- again remove the excess chocolate on the top and sides of the mould; let the chocolate harden for 5 minutes: place the mould on a sheet of paper with the open side down and let the excess chocolate drain onto it (until the drained chocolate starts to harden); remove the excess chocolate one last time and let the chocolate harden for a few minutes in a refrigerator at 14 to 16°C. The chocolate shells are now ready to be filled with a flavour component. It is important to leave an opening depending on the desired diameter of the flat bottom. after filling with flavour component, this flavour component is preferably sealed with a layer of chocolate. after filling the shells, they can be closed with a substantially flat chocolate bottom part (or cover part) provided with a legible message on the inside of the chocolate product; if the bottom and shell are already hard, the edges can, among other things, still be heated to allow the moulds to melt together.

In what follows, the invention is described by way of non-limiting figures illustrating the invention, and which are not intended to and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a cross section of a cone-shaped chocolate product (1). This chocolate product (1) comprises a flat bottom (2) and a conical shell (3). The chocolate product (1) has a certain width (W) and height (HI). On the inside on the flat bottom (2) a message (8) is printed or stamped in an edible product such as an edible ink. This message (8) can include text or images in different colours. Preferably, the message (8) has a contrasting colour to make a clear difference from the colour of the chocolate. The flat bottom (2) has a thickness (D2) that is greater than the thickness of the shell (Dl). This prevents premature breaking of the bottom (2) on a first bite by the consumer, which would make the message (8) illegible. The shell (3) is at a certain angle (a) to the flat bottom (2). A flavour component (7) can be added to the chocolate product (1) to obtain extra flavour. This flavour component (7) is located in the top of the cone and is completely surrounded by chocolate, thus preventing oxidation of the flavour component (7). The complete surrounding of the flavour component (7) is obtained by providing a partition (4) of chocolate, of the same thickness as the shell (Dl), which forms a connection with the conical shell (3). The provision of a partition (4) creates two cavities in the chocolate product (1), a lower cavity (5) with a constant air composition and an upper cavity (6) containing the flavour component (7) which is sealed from the ambient air. The upper cavity (6) with the flavour component (7), enclosed by the cone shell (3) and the partition (4), has a height (H2). The partition (4) can also indicate the area between the flavour component (7) and the lower cavity (5). That is, it doesn't have to be a layer of chocolate.

Figure 2 shows an overview of a cone-shaped chocolate product (1) as described in Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view of a truncated cone shaped chocolate product according to an embodiment of the present invention. This chocolate product (1) comprises a flat bottom (2) and a conical shell (3) which is truncated at the top. A message (8) is printed or stamped on the inside on the flat bottom (2). This message (8) can comprise text or images in different colours. Preferably, the message (8) has a contrasting colour to make a clear difference from the colour of the chocolate. The flat bottom has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the shell. This prevents premature breaking of the bottom (2) on a first bite by the consumer, which would make the message (8) illegible. The shell (3) is at a certain angle (a) to the flat bottom (2). A flavour component (7) can be added to the chocolate product (1) to obtain extra flavour. This flavour component (7) is located in the top of the truncated cone and is completely surrounded by chocolate, thus preventing oxidation of the flavour component (7). Complete surrounding of the flavour component (7) is achieved by providing a chocolate partition (4) which forms a connection with the shell (3). The provision of a partition (4) creates two cavities in the chocolate product

(1), a lower cavity (5) with a constant air composition and an upper cavity (6) containing the flavour component (7) which is sealed from the ambient air.

Figure 4 shows a cone-shaped chocolate product according to an embodiment of the present invention. This chocolate product (1) comprises a flat bottom (2) and a conical shell (3). A message (8) is printed or stamped on the inside on the flat bottom

(2). This message (8) can include text or images in different colours. The flat bottom (2) has a thickness (D2) that is greater than the thickness of the wall (Dl). This prevents premature breaking of the bottom (2) on a first bite by the consumer, which would make the message (8) illegible. A flavour component (7) can be added to the chocolate product (1) to obtain extra flavour. This flavour component (7) is located in the top of the chocolate product and is completely surrounded by chocolate, thus preventing oxidation of the flavour component (7). In an upper cavity (6) is the flavour component (7) which is sealed from the ambient air. The upper cavity (6) with the flavour component (7) is enclosed by the walls (3) and the flat bottom (2) with the message (8) thereon. The area on which this message is readable is limited by the location of biting off. The minimum legible area after biting apart (9) can be determined on the basis of perpendiculars (L) from the bottom point of contact of the flavour component (7) with the wall (3) on the bottom (2). Through the outer edge of the partition (4), i.e. the tangent plane of the partition (4) with the wall (3), perpendiculars (L) must be constructed from the bottom surface (2). The surface obtained by intersecting these perpendiculars (L) with the bottom (2), at least largely contains the message (8). This guarantees good readability after biting apart. A coloured marking (10) is applied at the top of the conical wall (3). This marking gives an indication of the flavour inside the upper cavity (6). This simplifies logistics and sales and ensures higher customer satisfaction.

Features of the figures:

(1) Chocolate product

(2) Flat bottom

(3) Wall/shell

(4) Partition

(5) Lower cavity

(6) Upper cavity

(7) Flavour component

(8) Message

(9) Minimum legible part of the bottom

(10) Flavour indication

(B) Width of the chocolate product (HI) Height of the chocolate product

(H2) Height of a flavour component surrounded by chocolate in a cone-shaped chocolate product

(Dl) Wall thickness / shell thickness (D2) Bottom thickness (L) Perpendiculars

(a) Angle between the bottom and the wall/shell