Improved production of alcoholic food products

Abstract

The invention relates to alcohol-containing food products, in particular to ice-cream-type products and other soft or semi-soft solid food products containing high levels of alcohol, and improved processes for their preparation. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide improved processes for providing alcoholic food products that retain a creamy texture and favorable homogeneity, stability and viscosity over a wide range of temperatures commonly used during storage and serving. The invention further provides alcohol-containing food products characterized by particularly advantageous physical properties, nutritional values and palatability.

1 . An alcohol-containing cream-type food product, comprising 4-30% by weight protein, 30-48% by weight water, and 6-30% by weight ethyl alcohol, wherein the ratio between the total protein content to ethyl alcohol in said cream-type food product is 0.6 to 3 by weight, and wherein said product, following storage at a temperature between the range of −10° C. to −25° C., may be maintained for 0.5-2 hours at room temperature without apparent melting signs and without phase separation. 
     
     
         2 . The food product of  claim 1 , comprising less than 0.2% by weight stabilizers and/or emulsifiers. 
     
     
         3 . The food product of  claim 1 , comprising: 7-11% by weight fat, 4-30% by weight protein, 17-27% by weight carbohydrates, 15-20% by weight sugar, 30-48% by weight water, and 6-30% by weight ethyl alcohol, or comprising 6-15% ethyl alcohol by weight, 10-25% protein by weight and 30-40% water by weight. 
     
     
         4 . The food product of  claim 1 , wherein said product is an ice-cream-type product. 
     
     
         5 . The food product of  claim 4 , having a serving temperature of up to 8-16° C. 
     
     
         6 . The food product of  claim 1 , which retains a semi-solid cream form at room temperature, or which retains a soft-solid cream form at room temperature. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The food product of  claim 1 , wherein 60-85% of the total protein content of said product is whey protein, or wherein 75-95% of the total protein content of said product is whey protein. 
     
     
         9 . The food product of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio between whey protein to ethyl alcohol in said food product is 0.7 to 2.27 by weight. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The food product of  claim 1 , comprising 10-60% milk, 10-30% cream, 16-20% sugar, 6-15% alcohol, 10-25% whey protein powder, 0-3% flavoring agents and 0-1% stabilizers and/or emulsifiers, or characterized by viscosity of 4-14 Pa*sec when measured at room temperature using a constant shear rate at 100 sec −1  for 3-120 seconds. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A process for preparing an alcohol-containing cream-type food product comprising:
 a) preparing a cream-type product mix comprising at least 50% by weight water,   b) at a temperature within the range of 60-79° C., adding a protein composition, and mixing while maintaining the temperature within the range, such that the texture of the mix remains creamy, and   c) adding ethyl alcohol, and mixing while maintaining the temperature within the range of 4-60° C.,   wherein the cream-type food product comprises 30-48% by weight water, 6-30% by weight ethyl alcohol, and 4-30% by weight protein, wherein the ratio of protein to ethyl alcohol is at least 0.6 by weight.   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein step b is performed concomitantly with step c, or wherein said cream-type food product is an ice-cream-type product. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein said ice-cream-type product, following storage at storage at a temperature between the range of −10° C. to −25° C., may be maintained for 0.5-2 hours at room temperature without substantial melting and without phase separation, or wherein said product is an ice-cream-type product having a serving temperature of up to 8-16° C. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein said cream-type food product retains a semi-solid cream form at room temperature, or wherein said cream-type food product retains a soft-solid form at room temperature. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein said cream-type food product comprises 6-15% ethyl alcohol by weight and 10-25% protein by weight, or wherein said protein composition comprises at least 60% protein by weight and is in the form of dry powder. 
     
     
         20 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein said protein composition comprises at least 60% protein by weight and is in the form of dry powder and wherein said protein composition is comprised of dairy product solids. 
     
     
         23 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the protein composition added in step b comprises 65-95% of the total protein content of said product and wherein 60-85% of the total protein content of said product is whey protein. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the ratio between the total protein content to ethyl alcohol in said cream-type food product is 0.6 to 3 by weight, or wherein said food product comprises 7-11% by weight fat, 4-30% by weight protein, 30-48% by weight water, and 6-15% by weight ethyl alcohol. 
     
     
         27 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . An alcohol-containing cream-type food product prepared by the process of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         35 . A method for stabilizing a cream-type food product, comprising
 a) preparing a cream-type product mix comprising at least 50% by weight water,   b) at a temperature within the range of 40-79° C., adding a protein composition, and mixing while maintaining the temperature within the range, such that the texture of the mix remains creamy, and   c) adding ethyl alcohol and mixing while maintaining the temperature within the range of 4-60° C.,   to thereby enhance the resistance of said product to shear stress and/or enhance the freeze-thaw stability of said product,   
       wherein the cream-type food product comprises 30-48% by weight water, 6-30% by weight ethyl alcohol, and 4-30% by weight protein, wherein the ratio of protein to ethyl alcohol is at least 0.6 by weight. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein step c. is performed concomitantly with step b, or wherein said protein composition comprises at least 60% protein by weight and is in the form of dry powder. 
     
     
         37 - 45 . (canceled)