CONFECTION LAYER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention pertains to yogurt products and, more particularly, to the making of a yogurt food product with one or more confection layers, such as one or more solid chocolate layers.

[0002] Yogurt is a refrigerated, cultured dairy product having a soft, creamy texture and commonly eaten with a spoon. Yogurt is sometimes sold packaged with one or more additional ingredients, such as fruit and granola, for example. The ingredients can be pre-mixed with the yogurt, or the ingredients can be packaged with the expectation that the consumer will mix them with the yogurt prior to or during consumption, as with fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt, for example. It is also known to include one or more confection pieces, such as chocolate, in a yogurt product. More specifically, it is known in the art to completely encapsulate a yogurt body with chocolate to establish bite-sized yogurt snack pieces. It is also known to apply a viscous chocolate topping upon yogurt within a container.

[0003] In general, it is quite easy to add pre-formed, solid chocolate chunks or pieces into yogurt However, introducing chocolate into a yogurt when the chocolate is in a liquid state creates various issues, including having the chocolate undesirably seep or penetrate into the yogurt body. In the past to avoid this seeping action, it has been proposed to freeze the entire yogurt body, assuring that the temperature of the yogurt was below the solidifying temperature of the chocolate. When this condition existed, the chocolate could be dripped, poured or otherwise introduced onto the yogurt without penetration. Unfortunately, such an arrangement is quite time consuming and therefore not really suitable for use in the mass production of such yogurt products.

[0004] Based on the above, regardless of these known yogurt products and associated methods of production, there is still seen to be a need in the art for a method of producing yogurt products including one or more solid confection layers which can be economically and efficiently implemented in connection with the mass production of the yogurt products. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention provides a method of making a yogurt food product including at least one thin confection layer upon a yogurt body in a container. More specifically, the invention involves at least partially filling the container with yogurt and then performing a crusting step in which a low temperature gaseous coolant, e.g., liquid nitrogen, is applied to the top or uppermost exposed layer of the yogurt in the container in order to harden, i.e., quickly cool and solidify, the uppermost layer into a thin crust yogurt layer. Thereafter, the confection, such as chocolate, is introduced, such as through a spraying operation, in a liquid or flowable state, onto the thin crust yogurt layer to form an intermediate yogurt product. The confection quickly cools down and solidifies before the yogurt crust layer softens, thereby avoiding penetration of the confection into the yogurt itself and forming a multi-layer yogurt product. Preferably, the confection layer is quite thin and can be easily cracked apart with a spoon used to consume the yogurt. [0006] A wide range of yogurt products can be made in accordance with the invention. For instance, the confection layer can be the upmost layer in the container, an intermediate layer in the overall yogurt body, or multiple spaced layers could be formed. In addition, prior to depositing the yogurt body into the container, one or more interior surfaces of the container can also be coated with the confection. These different variations can be employed alone or in select combinations to create a wide range of yogurt products.

[0007] Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to common parts in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a yogurt container with fruit on the bottom and a thin layer of chocolate on top produced in accordance with the invention; [0009] Figure 2A illustrates a first stage of a production process associated with the yogurt product of Figure 1; [0010] Figure 2B illustrates a second stage of the production process associated with the invention; [0011] Figure 2C illustrates a third stage of a production process associated with the invention; [0012] Figure 2D illustrates a fourth stage of a production process associated with the invention; [0013] Figure 2E illustrates a fifth stage of a production process associated with the invention; [0014] Figure 2F illustrates a sixth stage of a production process associated with the invention; [0015] Figure 3 A schematically illustrates one yogurt product which can be produced in accordance with the invention;

[0016] Figure 3B schematically illustrates another yogurt product which can be produced in accordance with the invention;

[0017] Figure 3C schematically illustrates a further yogurt product which can be produced in accordance with the invention; and

[0018] Figure 4 is a flow chart for the process of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention.

[0020] With initial reference to Figure 1, a yogurt product produced in accordance with the invention is generally indicated at 5. Yogurt product 5 includes a container 10 which is shown as transparent so that the contents of container 10 are at least partially visible. Still, container 10 can take various other forms, such as widely known in the art for yogurt containers, including translucent, partially transparent, partially translucent or even opaque containers. For purposes of the present invention, the term “translucent” covers the range between transparent and opaque. Preferably, container 10 is made from glass, or a plastic such as polypropylene.

[0021] In any case, container 10 includes a bottom wall or base 12, an annular sidewall 14 and an upper rim portion 16. Rim portion 16 defines an opening 18 for introducing and accessing the contents of container 10 as detailed below. As shown, the contents of container 10 include a lower mix-in 20, an intermediate yogurt body 25 and an upper confection layer 30. Preferably, mix-in 20 is a viscous liquid. In certain embodiments, mix-in 20 comprises fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, lemons or peaches, to establish a fruit-on-the-bottom type yogurt product. Certainly, other mix-ins could also be employed, such as coconut.

However, as will become more fully evident below, mix-in 20 is not required in accordance with the invention.

[0022] Yogurt body 25 can also take various forms in accordance with the invention. In one embodiment, yogurt body 25 may still need fermenting in container 10 to form the final yogurt in a pot-set method. As such, a yogurt culture would be included. Alternatively, yogurt body 25 can comprise already fermented yogurt. Certainly, a wide range of flavors and types of yogurts are known in the art and could be employed in connection with the invention. While the remaining discussion will focus on a dairy-based yogurt product, the present invention is not limited to such products. For purposes of the present invention, “yogurt” includes both cultured dairy-based and cultured plant-based dairy like products to be kept at chilled temperatures, including fermented milks, fresh cheese, cream cheese, mousses, jellified milk desserts, flavored custards, and the like. Cultured plant-based yogurt-type products can be made from almonds, cashews, coconuts or soy, for example. In such cases, a liquid plant-based product is used in place of a dairy product. [0023] In addition, a wide range of known confections could be used for confection layer 30. By way of example, chocolate is a preferred confection. However, other confections, such as caramel, could be employed. Important in connection with the invention is that the confection must be able to be rapidly converted from a liquid, or at least viscous state, to a solid state, or at least a semi-solid state, when cooled, while remaining in the solid or semi-solid state at temperatures from room temperature and below, so as to not penetrate the yogurt body 25.

With these features, confection layer 30 can be broken, as shown in Figure 1, into various pieces 31-33, such as by a consumer seeking to consume the contents of container 10 through the use of a spoon 37 after removing a sealing lid 42.

[0024] Figures 2A-2F will now be referenced in describing a process for producing intermediate and final yogurt products in accordance with the present invention. In general, the making of yogurt products in accordance this illustrated embodiment of the invention involves:

1) depositing a mix-in into an empty container; 2) depositing a yogurt body in the container;

3) creating a frozen crust layer on the yogurt body; and 4) applying a confection layer on the crust layer. Additional product production variations will be discussed further below with particular reference to other figures. At this point, it should at least be recognized that additional steps are involved in producing the yogurt-based food product including, for example, preparation of the mix-in and yogurt body, sealing of the container, packaging, and the like. As these additional steps are not the focus of the present invention and are known in the art, certain of these steps are not discussed, while others are discussed in only limited detail.

[0025] In Figures 2A-F, container 10 is shown being transported by a conveyor system, specifically, a conveyor belt 60. Figure 2B shows container 10 under a first depositor 65, such as an injection nozzle, which has introduced mix-in 20 to container 10. At this point, it should be recognized that not all yogurt products contain a mix-in, such as fruit on the bottom, such that the step represented in Figure 2B may be skipped. Next, container 10 proceeds beneath a second depositor 70, as shown in Figure 2C, wherein yogurt body 25 is introduced into container 10, with yogurt body 25 having an uppermost exposed surface or layer 72.

[0026] In accordance with the invention, the process proceeds to Figure 2D illustrating a crusting step wherein a third depositor 75 injects a low temperature gaseous coolant into container 10, cooling and solidifying the uppermost exposed layer 72 of yogurt body 25 into a yogurt crust layer 78. In accordance with the most preferred embodiment of the invention, liquid nitrogen is employed as the low temperature gaseous coolant.

[002η In the next stage represented in Figure 2E, a fourth depositor 80 is used to introduce a confection material 84 onto crust layer 78. In a preferred embodiment, confection material 84 is sprayed onto crust layer 78. Given the existence of solid crust layer 78, the spraying of confection material 84 does not penetrate or otherwise enter yogurt body 25. Although the exact thickness of confection layer 30 can vary, the thickness is generally between 0.5-3 mm, preferably 1 mm or less. In order to be sprayed, the confection material 84 is preferably in a liquid state. As crust layer 78 is extremely cold due to the application of the low temperature gaseous coolant, confection material 84 solidifies into confection layer 30 prior to the thawing of crust layer 78 (see Figure 2F). In accordance with a preferred embodiment mentioned above wherein the confection material 84 is chocolate, the chocolate has been pre- heated to approximately 45 °C so as to be in a liquid state when sprayed. Upon engaging crust layer 78, the chocolate rapidly solidifies to establish a thin layer of chocolate atop yogurt body 25, with the thin layer remaining after crust layer 78 disappears and being able to be easily cracked with spoon 37 during consumption of yogurt product 5.

[0028] Although the above described embodiments only mention providing one confection layer as the upmost layer in the container, the invention also encompasses providing intermediate and/or multiple confection layers. For instance, with initial reference to Figure 3 A, it can be seen that container 10 is provided with a lower yogurt body portion 95 and an intermediate confection layer 97 is formed thereon in the same manner disclosed above. Figure 3B shows another potential variation wherein container 10 is filled with a series of yogurt layers 104-109 successively covered by respective confection layers 113-117. A still further variation is represented in Figure 3C wherein the interior of container 10 is initially provided with a confection coating layer or shell 123, specifically a lower confection coating layer 126 upon base 12 and an upstanding coating layer 127 along sidewall 14, such as by pre-cooling container 10 and spraying chocolate therein, then yogurt body 25 is introduced, and finally an upper confection layer 131 is established in the manner detailed above. Certainly, other configurations could also be established, including combinations of these variations, angled confection layers created with the tilting of the container, shaped confection layers based on the configuration of the yogurt body, and the like. Regardless of the number, location or shape of the confection layer(s), it is should be noted that each confection layer 30, 97, 113-117 and 131 is created after establishing a crust layer from an uppermost exposed layer of the yogurt body.

[0029] Reference will now be made to Figure 4 which presents a general flow chart covering various method stages discussed above as associated with the invention. Step 140 refers to the optional stage of coating the bottom and/or side(s) of the container with a confection material as particularly discussed above with reference to Figure 3C. Adding a mix-in like fruit, as represented by Step 142, is also optional, such as when making a fruit-on-the-bottom style yogurt product. In all embodiments of the invention, Steps 144, 146, 148 and 150 are performed. In Step 144, the yogurt body is introduced into the container; in Step 146 the coolant is applied to the uppermost layer of the yogurt body to form a crust layer; in Step 148, the confectionary material is introduced; and, in Step 150, the confectionary material solidifies, followed by the crust layer completely thawing. If multiple layers are to be formed, such as shown in Figure 3B, steps 144-150 can be repeated a specified number of times. At optional Step 152, additives can be provided atop the solidified confection layer. For example, nuts, granola, or the like could be added, with the confection layer advantageously functioning as a moisture barrier between the additives and the yogurt body. Finally, Step 154 is shown wherein the final packaging is completed, including sealing the container, additional packaging of multiple containers and the like.

[0030] Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that the present invention provides a way to efficiently incorporate one or more confection layers as part of a yogurt-based food product, particularly in connection with the mass production of yogurt products. While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been set forth, it should be understood that various changes or modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.