Aroma-enriched coffee products and process

Abstract

An aromatized instant coffee comprising the combination of aroma-enriched carrier and instant coffee. The product has an aroma intensity of at least 70,000 gas chromatograph counts, a pore factor of at least 0.9, and a retention factor of at least 0.80. Also part of the invention are preferred methods of applying aroma-enriched carrier to coffee products whose roast and ground coffee aroma is desired to be increased. An especially preferred method comprises adding aroma frost-enriched coffee oil in a dropwise addition manner to the coffee product. In a most preferred embodiment, dropwise addition is accomplished by injection, preferably by a syringe member, which is extended from the open end of a coffee container to near the bottom of the container and while the syringe is being pulled upward out of said container a predetermined amount of aroma-enriched coffee oil is injected into the product.

We claim: 
     
       1. An aromatized instant coffee product having an intense roast and ground coffee aroma, said product comprising the combination of a structurally compatible instant coffee having a pore factor of at least .Badd..[.0.9.]..Baddend. .Iadd.0.94 .Iaddend.and an aroma-enriched carrier, said product having an initial aroma intensity of at least .Badd..[.70,000.]..Baddend. .Iadd.165,000 .Iaddend.gas chromatograph counts.Iadd., and an aroma retention factor of 1.0.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       2. The product of claim 1 wherein the aroma intensity is within the range of .Badd..[.70,000.]..Baddend. .Iadd.165,000 .Iaddend.to 650,000 counts. 
     
     
       3. The product of claim 2 wherein the aroma-enriched carrier is coffee oil. 
     
     
       4. The product of claim 3 wherein the combination product of a structurally compatible instant coffee and aroma carrier comprises from 0.1 to 0.8 percent by weight of coffee oil. 
     
     
       5. The product of claim 4 comprising from 0.1 to 0.4 percent by weight of coffee oil. .[.6. The product of claim 4 wherein the product has an aroma 
     
     
        retention factor of 0.80 or greater..]. 7. An aromatized instant coffee product having an intense roast and ground coffee aroma which does not rapidly degrade or change in character upon exposure to air, said product comprising the combination of an instant coffee having a pore factor of at least .Badd..[.0.9.]..Baddend. .Iadd.0.94 .Iaddend.and an aroma-enriched carrier, said product having an initial aroma intensity of at least .Badd..[.70,000.]..Baddend. .Iadd.165,000 .Iaddend.gas chromatograph counts and an aroma retention factor of .Badd..[.0.80 or 
     
     
        greater.]..Baddend. .Iadd.1.0.Iaddend.. 8. The product of claim 7 wherein the aroma intensity is within the range of .Badd..[.70,000.]..Baddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.165,000 .Iaddend.to 650,000 counts. 9. The product of claim 8 
     
     
        wherein the aroma-enriched carrier is a triglyceride vegetable oil. 10. The product of claim 8 wherein the aroma-enriched carrier is propylene 
     
     
        glycol. 11. The product of claim 8 wherein the aroma-enriched carrier is 
     
     
        glycerine. 12. The product of claim 8 wherein the aroma-enriched carrier 
     
     
        is coffee oil. 13. The product of claim 12 wherein the aroma-enriched coffee oil comprises from 0.1 to 0.8 percent by weight of the product. 
     
     
            The product of claim 13 wherein the coffee oil comprises from 0.1 to 
     
     
        0.4 percent by weight of said product. 15. A method of making an aroma-enriched .Iadd.instant .Iaddend.coffee product, said method comprising adding to a structurally compatible coffee product having a pore factor of at least .Badd..[.0.9.]..Baddend. .Iadd.0.94.Iaddend., an aroma-enriched carrier, to provide a product having an initial aroma intensity of at least .Badd..[.70,000.]..Baddend. .Iadd.165,000 .Iaddend.gas chromatograph counts .Iadd.and an aroma retention factor of 1.0.Iaddend., said addition being in a manner which avoids significant increase in the aroma-enriched carrier surface exposure and contact with 
     
     
        air or other gases. 16. The process of claim 15 wherein the method of 
     
     
        addition is dropwise addition. 17. The method of claim 15 wherein the 
     
     
        method of addition is continuous flow. 18. The process of claim 17 wherein continuous flow addition is accomplished by inserting a syringe member into the open end of a packing container, said syringe extending from the open end of said container to near the bottom of said container, and while said syringe is being pulled upward out of said container, injecting in a continuous flow manner a predetermined amount of aroma-enriched coffee oil 
     
     
        into said coffee product. 19. The method of claim 15 wherein the method of addition is adding frozen aroma-enriched carrier to said coffee product. 
     
     
          . The method of claim 15 wherein the method of addition is spraying 
     
     
        while said product is in intimate contact with the spray device. 21. A method of applying aroma-enriched coffee oil to coffee products whose roast and ground coffee aroma is desired to be increased, said method comprising, adding in a dropwise addition manner, aroma-enriched coffee oil to the product to provide a product having initial aroma intensity of at least .Badd..[.70,000.]..Baddend. .Iadd.165,000 .Iaddend.gas 
     
     
        chromatograph counts. 22. The process of claim 21 wherein the aroma-enriched coffee oil is added to said coffee product after placing 
     
     
        said product in a packing container. 23. The process of claim 22 wherein the aroma-enriched oil is added by dropwise injection into the product. 
     
     
            The process of claim 23 wherein dropwise injection is accomplished by inserting a syringe member into the open end of a packing container, said syringe extending from the open end of said container to near the bottom of said container, and while said syringe is being pulled upward out of said container, injecting a predetermined amount of aroma-enriched coffee 
     
     
        oil into said coffee product. 25. The process of claim 24 wherein the aroma-enriched coffee oil is injected into the bottom two-thirds portion 
     
     
        of said coffee product. 26. The process of claim 24 wherein sealing of said container is accomplished within from one second to 2 minutes after 
     
     
        injection. 27. The process of claim 24 wherein the amount of aroma-enriched coffee oil injected is from 0.1 to 0.8 percent by weight of 
     
     
        said coffee product. 28. The process of claim 27 wherein the amount of 
     
     
        coffee oil is from 0.1 to 0.4 percent by weight of said product. 29. The process of claim 24 wherein the coffee product is spray-dried instant 
     
     
        coffee. 30. The process of claim 29 wherein said instant coffee is 
     
     
        agglomerated as well as spray dried. 31. The process of claim 24 wherein 
     
     
        said coffee product is freeze-dried instant coffee. 32. The process of claim 31 wherein said coffee product is agglomerated freeze-dried instant 
     
     
        coffee. 33. The process of claim 24 wherein said coffee product is a mixture of spray-dried and freeze-dried instant coffees. .[.34. The process of claim 24 wherein said coffee product is roast and ground 
     
     
        coffee..]. 35. The process of claim 24 wherein said coffee product is a 
     
     
        mixture of spray-dried agglomerated and freeze-dried instant coffees. 36. The process of claim 24 wherein the drops of aroma-enriched coffee oil added to said product are discrete droplets having a diameter of from 
     
     
        about 0.5 millimeters to 5.0 millimeters. 37. The process of claim 24 wherein the droplet diameter is from 1.0 millimeters to 3.0 millimeters. 
     
     
          . The process of claim 24 wherein the coffee product is an agglomerated flaked instant coffee. .[.39. A coffee product selected from the group consisting of roast and ground coffee and instant coffee, having a pore factor of at least 0.9, in combination with aroma-enriched coffee oil to increase its roast and ground coffee aroma, wherein said product has an initial aroma intensity of at least 70,000 gas chromatograph counts when said product is an instant coffee, and wherein said product has an initial aroma intensity of at least 165,000 gas chromatograph counts when said product is a roast and ground coffee product..]. .[.40. The coffee product of claim 39 wherein said product is an instant coffee product and has a gas chromatograph measured aroma of from 70,000 counts to 650,000 counts..]. .[.41. The coffee product of claim 39 wherein said product is a roast and ground coffee product and wherein the gas chromatograph measured aroma is from 210,000 counts to 1,000,000 counts..].