EP-4739126-A1 - CHOCOLATE ALTERNATIVE PRODUCT AND METHOD OF PREPARING SAID

EP4739126A1EP 4739126 A1EP4739126 A1EP 4739126A1EP-4739126-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a chocolate alternative product comprising spent grains, edible fat and optionally sugar. The present invention also relates to a method of producing said chocolate alternative product and the use hereof.

Inventors

BOGENMANN, Maximillian Daniel
BACH, Christian Alexander Møller
ORLANDO, Matthew James

Assignees

Planter Box ApS

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20240704

Claims (15)

1. A chocolate alternative product comprising: i) dried and milled spent grains in an amount of 10% to 40% by weight, wherein the dried and milled spent grains are selected from the group consisting of brewer's spent grain and oat spent grain, and wherein the dried and milled spent grains have a moisture content of 12% by weight or less, ii) edible fat in an amount of 20% to 60% by weight, iii) sugar in an amount of 0% to 35% by weight and wherein the chocolate alternative product has a particle size of 40 micron or less.
2. The chocolate alternative product according to claim 1, wherein the ratio between the dried and milled spent grains and the edible fat is in the ratio of 1: 5 to 2: 1
3. The chocolate alternative product according to any of the claims 1 or 2, wherein the dried and milled brewer's spent grain comprises protein in an amount in the range of 15-25% by weight of dry matter.
4. The chocolate alternative product according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the chocolate alternative product comprises cacao husk in an amount in the range of to 2% to 35% by weight.
5. The chocolate alternative product according to any of the claims 1 or 4, wherein the edible fat is at least one selected from the group consisting of illipe fat, shea butter, palm oil, palm kernel oil, kokum butter, mango butter, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, coconut butter, mango kernel fat, olive oil, and fractionated and/or hydrogenated fat or oil thereof.
6. The chocolate alternative product according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the chocolate alternative product comprises blackened, dried and milled spent grains in an amount of 0.5 to 15% by weight.
7. The chocolate alternative product according to any of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the chocolate alternative product furthermore comprises one or more flavouring agents.
8. The chocolate alternative product according to any of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the chocolate alternative product furthermore comprises one or more emulsifier.
9. The chocolate alternative product according to any of the claims 1 to 8, wherein the chocolate alternative product does not comprise cocoa butter and/or cocoa mass.
10. A method of preparing a chocolate alternative product comprising the following steps: a) providing dried spent grains selected from the group consisting of brewers spent grain and oat spent grain, and wherein the dried spent grains have a moisture content of 12% by weight or less; b) milling the dried spent grains to a particle size in the range of 60 to 500 micron; c) melting an edible fat by heating the edible fat to a temperature above the melting point of the edible fat used; d) mixing the dried, and milled spent grains of step b), the melted edible fat of step c), optionally sugar and other ingredients, and conching the mixture to provide a homogenous mass, wherein the homogeneous mass comprises dried and milled spent grains in an amount of 10% to 40% by weight, edible fat in an amount of 20% to 60% by weight and sugar in an amount of 0% to 35% by weight and wherein the particle size of the homogenous mass is 40 micron or less; e) the homogenous mass of step d) is either used directly as a liquid chocolate alternative product or processed into a solid chocolate alternative product.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the ratio between the dried and milled spent grains and the melted edible fat is in the ratio of 1: 5 to 2: 1.
12. The method according to any of the claims 10 to 11, wherein the method in step d) further comprises addition of blackened, dried and milled spent grains in an amount of 0.5 to 15% by weight of the mixture.
13. The method according to any of the claims 10 to 12, wherein the method in step d) further comprises addition of cacao husk in an amount of 2% to 35% by weight of the mixture.
14. The method according to any of the claims 10 to 13, wherein the processing into a solid chocolate alternative product comprises one of the following steps: a) tempering and cooling b) directly cooling.
15. Use of the chocolate alternative product according to any of the claims 1 to 9 in a confectionary bar, a confectionary filling, a coating, a syrup, a cake, a cookie, a biscuit, a dessert mousse, a ganache, a doughnut, a bread or other baked item, a ice cream, a chocolate beverage, other liquid forms or in combination with chocolate products.

Description

Chocolate alternative product and method of preparing said Technical field of the invention The present invention relates to a chocolate alternative product made without cocoa mass and cocoa butter. In particular, the present invention relates to a chocolate alternative product that comprises spent grains, brewer's spent grain or oat spent grain, and edible fat. The present invention also relates to the method of preparing such chocolate alternative product and the use thereof. Background of the invention Chocolate is a confectionary that is consumed all over the world with pleasure. However, preparing chocolate is a complex process that first includes harvesting cacao pods, comprising cacao beans embedded in a moist, fibrous, white pulp, from cacao trees. These cacao trees require a tropical climate to grow. Then the cacao beans and pulp are fermented by exposure to oxygen. The fermentation breaks down the coat of the beans, kills germs and bacteria, and the fermentation is also crucial in developing the characteristic chocolate flavour of the beans. After fermentation, the cocoa beans (as they are called after fermentation), is dried to reduce the moisture content and avoid over-fermentation. After drying, the cocoa beans are roasted. Roasting cocoa beans is crucial in developing their flavour. It also loosens the outer shell of the bean (cacao husk), such that the cocoa bean can be separated into the bean kernel (cocoa nibs) and outer shell (cacao husk). The nibs are made of cocoa solids and cocoa butter and are ground or crushed (in a grinder) into a thick paste referred to as chocolate paste, chocolate mass, chocolate liquor or chocolate liquid. As the grinder continues to break down the nibs, the cocoa butter within the nibs begins to melt. The longer the chocolate is ground the smoother the liquor becomes. During the grinding, additional ingredients can be added depending on the desired flavour of the chocolate. The ingredients may for example be sugar, emulsifier, milk powder, additional cocoa butter and spices. The chocolate is then subjected to conching, tempering, forming and cooling. Besides from the chocolate process is a complicated and complex process and cacao trees are only grown in tropical climates, the cacao yield is also dwindling and the cacao prices are increasing due to the climate changes. For example, the climate changes are affecting the cacao yields and this will have an effect on the prices, amounts available, and the energy necessary to produce cacao and chocolate products. Further, the production of chocolate involves high carbon dioxide emission. For example, the long transportation result in high carbon dioxide emission. Hence, it is a desire to prepare an alternative to chocolate that has the same functional properties as chocolate along with a pleasant taste, i.e. similar flavour, texture, melting properties, snap when broken, strength, tempering properties, and shine/glossiness. Summary of the invention Thus, an object of the present invention relates to a chocolate alternative product prepared without the use of cocoa butter and cocoa mass, but with functional properties similar to chocolate, such as similar texture, melting properties, snap when broken, strength and glossiness. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to prepare a chocolate alternative product from by-products obtained from the production of other food products. The focus on avoiding food waste has increased over the past years and therefore the reuse of by-products from the preparation of various food products has increased. In addition, an object of the present invention is to overcome the problems described above in relation to chocolate production. Thus, one aspect of the invention relates to a chocolate alternative product comprising: i) dried and milled spent grains in an amount of 10% to 40% by weight, wherein the dried and milled spent grains are selected from the group consisting of brewer's spent grain and oat spent grain, and wherein the dried and milled spent grains have a moisture content of 12% by weight or less, ii) edible fat in an amount of 20% to 60% by weight, iii) sugar in an amount of 0% to 35% by weight and wherein the chocolate alternative product has a particle size of 40 micron or less. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preparing a chocolate alternative product comprising the following steps: a) providing dried, spent grains selected from the group consisting of brewers spent grain and oat spent grain, and wherein the dried spent grains have a moisture content of 12% by weight or less; b) milling the dried spent grains to a particle size in the range of 60 to 500 micron; c) melting an edible fat by heating the edible fat to a temperature above the melting point of the edible fat used; d) mixing the dried and milled spent grains of step b), the melted edible fat of step c), optionally sugar and other ingredients, and conching the mixture