Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
In a method for producing a conched candy by initially mixing and milling the ingredients of at least sugar and fat on roller mills to form a paste and subsequently conching the paste to a smooth candy with developed flavor, the improvement wherein the mixing and milling of the ingredients is by high speed shearing and mixing wherein the ingredients are subjected to shearing forces having an average shear component of 75° or greater to produce an essentially mechanically generated mixing temperature of about 120° C. or less and to produce a paste mixture having an average particle size of the ingredient therein of less than 120 microns in a mixing time of less than 5 minutes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
In a method for producing a conched candy by initially mixing and milling the ingredients of at least sugar and fat on roller mills to form a paste and subsequently conching the paste to a smooth candy with developed flavor, the improvement wherein the mixing and milling of the ingredients is by high speed shearing and mixing wherein the ingredients are subjected to shearing forces having an average shear component of 75° or greater to produce an essentially mechanically generated mixing temperature of about 120° C. or less and to produce a paste mixture having an average particle size of the ingredient therein of less than 120 microns in a mixing time of less than 5 minutes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the paste mixture is conched by high speed shearing and mixing, wherein the mixture is subjected to shearing forces having an average shear component of 75° or greater to produce an essentially mechanically generated conching temperature in the mixture of about 60° C. to about 160° C. in a conching time of 30 seconds or less and to reduce the average particle size of the ingredients to 75 microns or less.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the ingredients include at least one of cocoa powder, chocolate liquor, milk solids, cocoa butter and hard butter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the ingredients also include at least one of an emulsifier and flavors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the shear component is 87° or greater.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 5 wherein the mixing is carried out in a plurality of serial steps.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the shear component degree of the first step is less than the shear component degree of the last step.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 7 wherein the last shear component is 90°.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the average particle size of the non-fat ingredients which is passed to the mixing step is less than 900 microns but greater than 100 microns.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the mixing temperature is 110° C. or less.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the mixing temperature is 93° C. or less.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the mixing temperature is at least 50° C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the mixing time is 1 minute or less.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 13 wherein the mixing time is 30 seconds or less.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
9 words
The product produced by the process of claim 1.