Capsule for coffee pod, has water disintegratable wall provided with hydrophobic coating on the inside

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is common in many countries to add milk or coffee milk to coffee. This usually involves a small amount, eg a 'splash'. A problem that arises here is that it is difficult to use a package with a large amount of milk or coffee milk because it is difficult to dose accurately from such a package. Furthermore, the contents of such a large package generally have a limited shelf life and in particular coffee milk is often already spoiled before the entire package has been consumed.

A solution to this problem has been on the market for years in the form of cups of coffee milk. These cups of coffee milk contain an amount of coffee milk that is sufficient for one cup of coffee. The user can open such a cup and add it to the coffee, after which the coffee still has to be stirred. A drawback of these cups lies in the fact that they are difficult to open and that splashes of coffee milk end up on clothing, for example, when opened. Furthermore, the empty cup remains as waste after use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors have found that the aforementioned disadvantages can be effectively overcome by incorporating a small amount of coffee milk or coffee milk concentrate into a capsule with a capsule wall that decomposes or becomes permeable when contacted with hot water and the inside of which is provided with a hydrophobic coating. In addition, the inventors recognize that other aqueous liquids than coffee milk (e.g. cognac, whiskey, aqueous aroma concentrates) can advantageously be included in such a capsule and can also be used in hot applications other than coffee (e.g. in soups, sauces, Irish cofee, etc.).

An essential element of the present capsule is the hydrophobic coating on the inside of the capsule wall. For the intended applications it is necessary that the contents of the capsule are released when it is brought into contact with a (hot) aqueous composition. In order to meet this requirement, a capsule wall is used which decomposes or becomes permeable when contacted with hot water. However, the materials that can be used to make a capsule wall with these properties (eg gelatin or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose) will dissolve over time in the presence of water. Applying a hydrophobic coating to the inside of the capsule wall prevents the liquid aqueous composition in the capsule from destabilizing this capsule wall. However, when the exterior of the capsule wall is contacted with a hot aqueous composition, it will destabilize and the contents of the capsule will be released quickly.

Surprisingly, it has been found that when the current capsule is filled with coffee milk and it is percolated together with ground coffee under pressure in a coffee maker (eg a Senseo® machine), a cup of coffee is obtained with a stable cream layer on it that is very similar to the characteristic foam layer of cappuccino. In this way, cappuccino-like coffee can therefore be obtained in a particularly simple manner.

Liquid-containing capsules are already known from the pharmaceutical industry. Often a non-aqueous liquid is used for this. However, capsules containing an aqueous composition have also been described. For example, capsules have been developed whose wall consists of a material that is somewhat resistant to water. However, compositions with a high water content cannot be used in such capsules. Furthermore, it is known from the pharmaceutical industry to fill capsules with an aqueous composition containing a high concentration of polyols, sugar and / or cyclodextrin, in order to prevent dissolving, eroding or breaking down the capsule wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the present invention relates to a liquid-containing capsule whose capsule wall decomposes or becomes permeable when contacted with hot water, which capsule has an internal volume of 0.3-8 ml filled with 0.3-8 ml of an aqueous liquid composition, and which capsule is characterized by the fact that the capsule wall is provided with a hydrophobic coating.

For the application in, for example, coffee, it is preferred that the capsule

0.5-2.5 ml of the aqueous liquid composition. Furthermore, preferably at least 80% by weight, more particularly 90% by weight, of the internal volume of the capsule is filled with the aqueous liquid composition.

The liquid-containing capsule according to the invention preferably contains only non-toxic materials and ingredients, ie in particular materials and ingredients suitable for use in foodstuffs. In addition, it is preferred not to use high concentrations of polyol, sugar and / or cyclodextrin. In particular, the liquid composition preferably contains no more than 20% by weight, more particularly no more than 12% by weight, of polyol, sugar or cyclodextrin. The term "sugar" here means both monosaccharides and disaccharides.

The capsules according to the present invention have the special property that on the one hand they rapidly decompose or become permeable in contact with hot water and on the other hand they are stable for a long time despite the fact that they contain a liquid composition with a considerable water content. Preferably, the liquid composition contains at least 30% by weight of water. More specifically, the liquid composition contains 39-89 wt% water. Most preferred is a liquid composition containing 50-85% by weight of water.

Particularly good results can be obtained with capsules according to the present invention which are characterized by the fact that the contents of the capsule are released within 20 seconds, preferably within 10 seconds after the capsule has been completely immersed in water at a temperature of 80 ° C.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a capsule containing fat. Such capsules can be used to give a creamy taste to, for example, coffee, sauce or soup. Preferably, the aqueous liquid composition contains 10-60 wt%, more in particular 20-50 wt%, of fat. The fat present in the liquid composition preferably consists of at least 50% by weight of milk fat. Most preferred is a liquid composition of which all fat consists of milk fat.

In order to ensure a rapid dispersion of the liquid aqueous composition, it is preferable to use a water-continuous composition as the liquid composition. Therefore, insofar as the aqueous composition also contains fat, an oil-in-water emulsion is preferred.

The aqueous liquid composition in the present capsule preferably contains 0.2-20 wt% protein, preferably 0.5-10 wt% protein. Examples of proteins that can be used advantageously are milk protein, egg protein, wheat protein and soy protein. Milk proteins are most preferred.

The present capsule is particularly suitable for receiving coffee milk, concentrated milk, cream, etc. Therefore, the liquid composition contained in the capsule preferably contains at least 80% by weight, more in particular at least 90% by weight, of milk components, based on dry weight.

As mentioned earlier, different types of aqueous liquid compositions can be used in the present capsule. For example, an alternative embodiment relates to a capsule containing an alcoholic beverage, such as, for example, cognac, whiskey, Grand Marnier, Tia Maria or rum.

In order to prevent the hydrophobic coating from slowly being incorporated into the liquid aqueous composition, it is preferable not to include components in the aqueous liquid composition that stimulate and / or accelerate this process. In particular, it is recommended not to use oil-in-water emulsifiers. Such emulsifiers usually have an HLB value of at least

6.

The capsule wall of the present capsule can, in principle, be made of any non-toxic material that can be used to make a cohesive capsule shape and that further decomposes in contact with hot water or otherwise becomes liquid-permeable. Particular preference is given to the use of gelatin and / or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, with gelatin being the most preferred.

The hydrophobic coating of the capsule preferably contains at least 80% by weight, more particularly at least 90% by weight, of one or more of the following hydrophobic components: triglycerides; diglycerides; hexa, hepta or octa esters of sucrose and fatty acids; waxes, alcohol esters and edible mineral oils. Of these hydrophobic components, triglycerides and / or waxes are particularly preferred.

The hydrophobic coating of the capsule preferably has a melting point well above room temperature. It has been found that the use of such a high-melting coating component has a beneficial effect on the stability of the capsule. The hydrophobic coating therefore preferably has a melting point of more than 25 ° C, more particularly of more than 30 ° C, and most preferably of more than 35 ° C. Particularly good results can be obtained by using butter oil or a fraction of butter oil as the hydrophobic coating.

The capsule according to the present invention can take a variety of shapes, such as spherical, disc-shaped, rod-shaped, etc. Particularly preferred is a spherical or disc-shaped capsule. Most preferred are capsules that have a disc shape. Such a disc-shaped capsule preferably has a diameter of 10-45 mm and a height of 2-12 mm, more in particular a diameter of 15-40 mm and a height of 4-10 mm.

The liquid-filled capsule of the present invention can be manufactured by known techniques by introducing the liquid into a space formed by two opposed deep-drawn layers pre-coated with the hydrophobic coating, and then layering these layers together to merge. Therefore, a capsule is preferred, the capsule wall of which consists of two halves fused together. Preferably, the two halves are identical in shape.

The capsule wall of the present capsule can be rigid, but it is also possible to use a deformable capsule wall. The use of a deformable capsule wall offers the advantage that the capsules break less quickly when exposed to shocks and / or pressure loads.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to the use of a capsule as described above in a hot edible or drinkable liquid. Examples of hot edible or drinkable liquids include: coffee, tea, chocolate milk, milk, soup and sauce. Of these liquids, hot coffee is particularly preferred.

The capsule according to the present invention is particularly suitable to be added to a cup of hot coffee so as to incorporate the liquid content of the capsule into the coffee. An important advantage of this application is the ease of use and the fact that no empty small packaging remains.

It is also possible to percolate the present capsule together with ground coffee with hot water, whereby coffee is obtained in one step with the liquid content of the capsule incorporated therein. Particularly if filter material is used during percolation, this method offers the advantage that any undissolved residues of the capsule wall do not end up in the coffee. The term “ground coffee” as used in this document refers to the product that can be obtained by grinding roasted coffee beans.

Various techniques are known for making coffee, which can advantageously use the present capsule. Such coffee brewing techniques use hot water percolation to extract the water-soluble and water-dispersible components from the ground coffee. Examples of coffee machines in which the capsules according to the invention can be used are: filter machines operating at atmospheric pressure, espresso machines usually operating at a pressure of 5-15 bar and coffee machines operating at a low pressure (eg 0.5-3 bar) such as the Severin® KA 5910, the Gustino® TKP3013 from Bosch® and the Senseo® from Philips®.

As previously reported, the inventors have surprisingly found that when the current capsules are filled with coffee milk, or a similar oil-in-water emulsion, and percolated together with ground coffee under pressure in a coffee maker, a cup of coffee is obtained with stable cream layer that closely resembles the characteristic foam layer of cappuccino. A particularly preferred variant of the present invention therefore relates to the use of an oil-in-water emulsion-containing capsule as described above in the preparation of coffee by percolation under pressure. The composition and properties of the preferred oil-in-water emulsions have already been indicated above. A particularly attractive cream layer can be obtained if the oil-in-water-containing emulsion is used in a coffee machine provided with a so-called 'kletterkamer', ie a space in which the percolation extract can be mixed with air, eg by the extract under the influence of gravity into a chamber before the extract leaves the appliance as coffee. An example of a suitable coffee maker with a kletter chamber is the Senseo® coffee maker.

Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a coffee bag comprising a closed casing with ground coffee therein, which casing is permeable to water but not permeable to the ground coffee, characterized in that the coffee bag further contains a capsule as described above. Such a coffee bag can be used in all kinds of coffee makers that use percolation with hot water. As soon as the coffee bag comes into contact with the hot water during percolation, the capsule will decompose or become permeable and the contents will be released. This ensures that the contents of the capsule mix with the hot coffee.

The present coffee bag is ideally suited for use in devices in which the bag is percolated under pressure, because coffee can then be obtained with a stable cream layer. As stated, this is especially true when the capsule containing coffee loot is used in a coffee maker in which percolation is carried out under pressure with hot water, with devices with a kletterkamer being particularly preferred.

The coffee bag according to the present invention is preferably suitable for making one or more cups of coffee. The quality of the coffee brewed with the aid of the present coffee bag depends in no small measure on the particle size of the ground coffee. Good results are obtained with the present coffee bag if the ground coffee present therein has a mass-weighted average particle size of 40-800 µm, preferably 10-600 µm.

In principle, the casing of the coffee bag can be made of any material which is permeable to water, but which does not allow the contents of the coffee bag to pass, which is further resistant to hot water and which does not contain any toxic components. Preferably, the sheath is made of a material selected from the group consisting of paper, textile ("wovens") and combinations thereof. Of these materials, paper, especially filter paper, is most preferred.

The advantages of the present invention are particularly evident in coffee bags suitable for making one or two cups of coffee. Therefore, the amount of ground coffee in the casing of the coffee bag is preferably between 4 and 20 grams, more particularly between 4 and 10 grams.

The quality of the ground coffee present in the coffee bag and of the capsule may decrease during storage as a result of oxidation and / or moisture absorption. In order to guarantee good storage stability, the coffee bag is preferably surrounded by a hermetically sealed package which is filled with an oxygen-depleted gas, preferably nitrogen.

The coffee bump casing preferably includes an upper layer and a lower layer which are joined together near the longitudinal edges. Particular preference is given to a casing comprising a disc-shaped top layer and a disc-shaped bottom layer, wherein the interconnected parts of the top layer and the bottom layer form an annular sealing seam.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of preparing hot coffee by percolating a coffee bag as described above with hot water. Preference is given to a method in which the percolation takes place at a pressure between 0.5 and 3 bar and at a temperature between 70 and 95 ° C, preferably between 75 and 90 ° C. Particular preference is given to a method in which leaching is carried out at a pressure of between 1.0 and 2.5 bar.

Particularly good results can be obtained with the present process if the percolation takes place by percolating with 2-10 mbs, preferably 3-6 mbs, hot water for 15-60 seconds. The total percolation time is equated with the time required to collect 80% of the supplied hot water as coffee. The rate of percolation is equal to the average percolation rate during this period.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Gelatin capsules of 1.5 ml capacity were provided with a hydrophobic coating in the form of butter oil.

The gelatin capsules used consisted of two sleeves each with a rounded end. Such capsules are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. The two halves of such capsule can be slid over each other and then form a sealed capsule.

The two sleeves of such a gelatin capsule were completely filled with melted butter oil. After 1 minute, the oil was poured from both sleeves, leaving a layer of butter oil on the inside of the sleeves. After 10 minutes, approximately 1.5 ml of coffee milk was then carefully poured into the filling sleeve and the sealing sleeve slid over the filling sleeve. The gap between the two capsules was closed using a sealant.

Capsules thus prepared were stored at 25 ° C for 1 week. At the end of this storage test, the capsules were found to be completely intact.

Two of these capsules were then taken up into a coffee bag which was further filled with 7 grams of ground coffee. With the help of a Senseo® device, a cup of coffee was made using this coffee bag. During the brewing process, the entire contents of the capsules were released and a cup of coffee was obtained with a stable cream layer of 15-17 mm thickness. This cream layer was very similar to the cappuccino cream layer. In addition, part of the coffee milk appeared to be included in the coffee, which also made it comparable in appearance and taste to cappuccino.

Example 2

Example 1 was repeated except that this time, melted coconut oil was used instead of butter oil. The results obtained were comparable.