Low sugar presweetened coated cereals and method of preparation
A ready to eat breakfast cereal is prepared by coating dried cereal base pieces with a low sugar sweetener such as a high conversion maltodextrin or low conversion corn syrup that includes a high potency sweetener. The low sugar coating has a sugars content of less than 10% yet provides taste, texture, appearance and bowl life that mimics presweetened RTE cereals having a sucrose based coating.
1. A method for preparing a pre-sweetened comestible, comprising the steps of:
A. providing a base of food pieces, wherein the base includes low sugar dried food pieces;
B. applying a low sugar coating composition as a coating or binder to the base in a weight ratio of base to coating composition ranging from about 100:5 to about 100:150 to provide a low sugar coated base, said coating composition cormprising:
80-99.9% by dry weight of a high conversion maltodextrin and/or low conversion corn syrup having a dextrose equivalent ranging from about 5 to less than 40 and an average degree of polymerization of at least 3;
0.01-2% by weight of at least one high potency sweetener;
a sugar(s) content of less than 10% by weight; and
about 1-15% by weight of a humectant, wherein the coating composition is applied in the form of a liquid slurry having a temperature ranging from about 95 to 150° C. and a moisture content ranging from about 5-10% by weight; and,
C. drying the low sugar coated base to a moisture content ranging from about 1-6% by weight, wherein the low sugar coated base includes at least one particulate, said particulate ranging in size from about 0.5 to 4 mm.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the drying step is practiced to form a loose aggregation of individual coated pieces.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the base includes at least one non cereal piece member.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the ratio of base to low sugar coating composition ranges from about 100:30 to about 100:50 (dry weight basis).
5. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the step of packaging the coated comestible in an imperforate moisture barrier packaging.
6. A sweetened dry coated comestible, comprising:
about 40% to 95% by weight of a base of food pieces; and
from about 5 to 60% by weight of a coating on at least a portion of the base pieces, said coating including:
from about 0.01 to 2% by weight of a high potency sweetener;
80-99.9% of a high conversion maltodextrin or low conversion corn syrup having a dextrose equivalence ranging from about 5-less than 40 and a degree of polymerization of at least 3; and
about 1-15% by weight of a humectant, wherein the coating is a glassy, non-sticky coating at room temperature.
7. The comestible of claim 6 wherein the at least a portion of the comestible base is a puffed R-T-E cereal base.
8. The comestible of claim 6 wherein the coating has a T g of at least 20° C.
9. The comestible of claim 6 wherein the coating additionally comprises a fruit flavor and an edible organic acid.
10. The comestible of claim 9 wherein the coating comprises about 0.001 to 0.0025% dry weight of an edible organic acid selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid and mixtures thereof.
11. The comestible of claim 8 in the form of a square or bar.