Fortified confectionery delivery systems and methods of preparation thereof

A caramel confection comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of a fortifying component selected from the group consisting of a vitamin source, a mineral source, or a mixture thereof;

• from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising at least one reducing sugar and one non-reducing sugar, wherein the weight ratio of reducing sugar:non-reducing sugar is of from about 1:0.2 to 1:1 and wherein the caramel confection exhibits a water activity (Aw) of below about 0.65 and the caramel confection has substantially no crystals with a particle size greater than 35 microns.

A fruit flavored caramel confection comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 65 wt. % of a fortifying component including a vitamin source, a mineral source, or a mixture thereof;

• from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a fat;
• from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate wherein the carbohydrate comprises at least one reducing sugar and one non-reducing sugar and the weight ratio of the reducing sugar:non-reducing sugar is from about 1:0.2 to 1:1, and from about 0.1 wt. % to 2 wt. % of an encapsulated citric acid.

A caramel confection comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of a fortifying component selected from the group consisting of a vitamin source, a mineral source, or a mixture thereof;

• from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a fat;
• from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising from about 10 to 50 wt. % of an oligosaccharide, a polysaccharide or a mixture thereof and from about 50 to about 90% of a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, or a combination thereof and the carbohydrate comprises at least one reducing sugar and one non-reducing sugar and the weight ratio of the reducing sugar:non-reducing sugar is from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.

A process for preparing a caramel confection comprising cooking a confectionery comprising from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a fat;

• from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising at least one reducing sugar and one non-reducing sugar in a weight ratio of from about 1:0.2 to 1:1 of reducing sugar:non-reducing sugar, and from about 0 to about 10 wt. % of a protein to form a precooked mass;
• adding from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of a fortifying component selected from the group consisting of a vitamin source, a mineral source, or a mixture thereof, to the thus fanned precooked mass to form a fortified caramel confectionery product and cooling the fortified caramel confectionery product.

A caramel confection comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of calcium carbonate, vitamin D, and vitamin K from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of hydrogenated soybean oil;

• from about 0 to about 10 wt. % of sweetened condensed milk and from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising corn syrup and a non-reducing sugar, wherein the weight ratio of the corn syrup:non-reducing sugar is of from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.

A caramel confection comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of calcium carbonate, vitamin D, and vitamin K, from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a commercially available fat;

• from about 0 to about 10 wt. % of milk component and from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising corn syrup and a non-reducing sugar, wherein the weight ratio of the corn syrup:non-reducing sugar is of from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.

A caramel confection comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of calcium carbonate, vitamin D, and vitamin K, from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of cocoa butter;

• from about 0 to about 10 wt. % of non-fat milk and from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising corn syrup and a non-reducing sugar, wherein the weight ratio of the corn syrup:non-reducing sugar is of from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.

A confectionary delivery system comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of calcium carbonate, vitamin D, and vitamin K, from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of cocoa butter;

• from about 0 to about 10 wt. % of a non-fat milk and about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising corn syrup and a non-reducing sugar wherein the weight ratio of the reducing sugar:non-reducing sugar is from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.

A confectionery delivery system comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of a fortifying component selected from the group consisting of a vitamin source, a mineral source, or a mixture thereof;

• from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising at least one reducing sugar and one non-reducing sugar, wherein the weight ratio of reducing sugar:non-reducing sugar is from about 1:0.2 to 1:1 and wherein the confectionery delivery system exhibits a water activity (Aw) of below about 0.65 and the confectionery delivery system has substantially no crystals with a particle size greater than 35 microns.

A fruit flavored confectionery delivery system comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 65 wt. % of the fortifying component including a vitamin source, a mineral source, or a mixture thereof;

• from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a fat;
• from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate, wherein the carbohydrate comprises at least one reducing sugar and one non-reducing sugar and the weight ratio of the reducing sugar:non-reducing sugar is from about 1:0.2 to 1:1, and from about 0.1 wt. % to 2 wt. % of an encapsulated citric acid.

A confectionery delivery system comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of fortifying component selected from the group consisting of a vitamin source, a mineral source, or a mixture thereof, from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a fat;

• from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising from about 10 to 50 wt. % of an oligosaccharide, a polysaccharide or a mixture thereof and from about 50 to about 90 % of a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, or a combination thereof and the carbohydrate comprises at least one reducing sugar and one non-reducing sugar and the weight ratio of the reducing sugar:non-reducing sugar is from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.

A confectionery delivery system comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of calcium carbonate, vitamin D, and vitamin K, from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a hydrogenated soybean oil;

• from about 0 to about 10 wt. % of sweetened condensed milk and from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising corn syrup and a non-reducing sugar, wherein the weight ratio of the corn syrup:non-reducing sugar is from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.

A confectionery delivery system comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of calcium carbonate, vitamin D, and vitamin K, from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a commercially available fat;

• from about 0 to about 10 wt. % of a milk component and from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising corn syrup and a non-reducing sugar, wherein the weight ratio of the corn syrup:non-reducing sugar is from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.

A confectionery delivery system comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of calcium carbonate, vitamin D, and vitamin K, from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a cocoa butter, from about 0 to about 10 wt. % of non-fat milk and from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising corn syrup and a non-reducing sugar, wherein the weight ratio of the corn syrup:non-reducing sugar is from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.

A confectionery delivery system comprising from about 0.2 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of a fortifying component selected from the group consisting of a vitamin source, a mineral source, or a mixture thereof;

• from about 3 to about 18 wt. % of a fat;
• from about 0 to about 10 wt. % of a protein, a phytosterol, and from about 40 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a carbohydrate comprising at least one reducing sugar and at least one non-reducing sugar, wherein the weight ratio of the reducing sugar:non-reducing sugar ratio of from about 1:0.2 to 1:1.