Fixation of volatiles in extruded glass substrates

Claim 1

A method for fixing volatile flavorants in an extruded, glass, moisture-stable substrate at a level which is effective to impart flavor to a food composition comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a homogeneous mixture of a substrate and a volatile flavorant without any added moisture, said substrate being comprised of about 10% to about 30% by weight of a minor component, said minor component having a molecular weight of from 90 to 500 and consisting of water-soluble carbohydrates having a melting point of from about 80° C. to about 180° C., adipic acid, citric acid, malic acid and combinations thereof, and at least 70% by weight of water-soluble, polymeric, carbohydrate material which contains at least 95% polymeric carbohydrate material having a an average molecular weight above 1,000; (b) heating said homogeneous, dry-blended mixture within a screw extruder such that the temperature of the mixture in the extruder is above the glass transition temperature of the substrate and at or just above the melting point of the minor ingredient, such that the minor ingredient melts and the major component dissolves into the minor component to form a molten mass; and (c) extruding the molten mass through a diehead and cooling the extruded material to produce an amorphous, homogeneous, single-phase glass with entrapped volatile flavorant, said glass having a glass transition temperature above ambient temperature.

Claim 2

A method for fixing volatile flavorants in an extruded, glass, moisture-stable substrate at a level which is effective to impart flavor to a food composition comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a homogeneous mixture of a substrate and a volatile flavorant without any added moisture, said substrate being comprised of about 10% to about 30% by weight of a minor component, said minor component having a molecular weight of from 90 to 500 and consisting of water-soluble carbohydrates having a melting point of from about 80° C. to about 180° C., adipic acid, citric acid, malic acid and combinations thereof, and at least 70% by weight of water-soluble, polymeric, carbohydrate material which contains at least 95% polymeric carbohydrate material having a an average molecular weight above 1,000; (b) heating said homogeneous, dry-blended mixture within a screw extruder such that the temperature of the mixture in the extruder is above the glass transition temperature of the substrate and at or just above the melting point of the minor ingredient, such that the minor ingredient melts and the major component dissolves into the minor component to form a molten mass; and (c) extruding the molten mass through a diehead and cooling the extruded material to produce an amorphous, homogeneous, single-phase glass with entrapped volatile flavorant, said glass having a glass transition temperature above ambient temperature.