Cocoa-free chocolate
AssigneeNukoko Limited
InventorsRoss NEWTON, Kit TOMLINSON, David SALT, David GOPAULCHAN, Tristan DEW
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to non-cocoa or cocoa-free chocolate analogues and methods for making such analogues. The invention also extends to fermentation methods for producing cacao/cocoa-free chocolate analogues and to foodstuffs and cosmetics comprising such analogues.
Claims43
A method of producing a cacao bean-free chocolate analogue, the method comprising contacting a legume with at least one micro-organism under conditions suitable for the at least one micro-organism to ferment the legume to thereby form a cacao bean-free chocolate analogue comprising a microbially fermented legume.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the fermented legume is selected from a group of legumes consisting of:
- adzuki bean (Phaseolus angularis);
- alfalfa (Medicago sativa);
- bambara (vigna subterranean);
- black gram (vigna mungo);
- chickpea (Cicer arietinum);
- cowpea (vigna unguiculata);
- fava bean (Vicia faba);
- common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris);
- lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus);
- lentils (lens culinaris or Lens esculenta);
- lupins (lupinus albus, lupinus angustifolius, or lupinus luteus);
- moth bean (vigna aconitifolia);
- mung bean (vigna radiate);
- pea (Pisum sativum);
- pigeon pea (cajanus cajan);
- sesame (Sesamum indicum);
- scarlett runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus);
- soy (glycine max);
- and vetch (Vicia sativa).
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the fermented legume is selected from the group consisting of:
- fava bean (Vicia faba);
- white lupin (lupinus albus);
- pea (Pisum sativum);
- moth bean (vigna aconitifolia);
- Scarlett runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus);
- and sesame (Sesamum indicum).
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one micro-organism used for the fermentation is selected from a yeast and/or a bacterium.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the fermentation comprises substantially or only yeast, optionally wherein at least 70%, 80% or 90% of the micro-organisms in the fermentation comprise yeast cells.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the fermentation comprises substantially or only bacteria, optionally wherein at least 70%, 80% or 90% of the micro-organisms in the fermentation comprise bacterial cells.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the fermentation comprises yeast and bacteria, preferably wherein the ratio of yeast to bacterial cells is about 50:50, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60 yeast cells to bacterial cells, or 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60 bacterial cells to yeast cells.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method comprises growing the at least one micro-organism and the legume in growth media, optionally wherein the growth media comprises:
- (i) one or more saccharide selected from a group consisting of:
- sucrose;
- glucose;
- fructose;
- carboxymethyl cellulose high V;
- carboxymethyl cellulose low V;
- and/or pectin;
- (ii) one or more salt selected from a group consisting of:
- calcium lactate pentahydrate;
- magnesium sulfate heptahydrate;
- and manganese sulfate monohydrate;
- (iii) one or more protein hydrolysate, optional wherein the protein hydrolysate is peptone;
- (iv) yeast extract;
- (v) surfactant, optionally Tween 80;
- and/or
- (vi) citric acid.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the growth media has a pH of 2-5 or 3-4.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the fermentation comprises incubating yeast and bacteria at 24° C.-44° C. for at least 1 or 2 days.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the fermentation comprises incubating bacteria at 24° C.-50° C. for at least 1 or 2 days.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method comprises simultaneously fermenting the legume in the presence of yeast and bacteria.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the chocolate analogue has a pH of:
- (i) between about 4 and about 7, between about 4.3 and about 6.8, or between about 4.4 and about 6.7;
- (ii) between about 4.4 and about 6.3, between about 4.7 and about 5.9, or between about 4.7 and about 5.5;
- or
- (iii) between about 4.4 and about 5.5, between about 4.7 and about 5.2, or between about 4.8 and about 5.1.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method comprises drying the legume after fermentation, optionally wherein the legume is dried in an oven for one or more days at a temperature of about 21° C.-37° C.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the cacao bean-free chocolate analogue comprising fermented legume comprises or is converted into a paste.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the cacao bean-free chocolate analogue comprising fermented legume comprises or is converted into a powder.
A cacao bean-free chocolate analogue comprising a microbially and/or non-microbially fermented legume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.