Preparation of a solid flavour composition, a composition, food comprising the composition and a flavour imparting method
A process of forming a reaction flavour solid composition, the process comprises the step of heating an aqueous slurry containing reaction flavour precursor compounds to form a reaction flavour, and concomitantly drying the slurry using microwave radiation to form a reaction flavour solid composition.
1 . A process of preparing a reaction flavour solid composition comprising the step of heating an aqueous slurry containing reaction flavour precursor compounds using microwave radiation to form a reaction flavour and concomitantly drying the slurry to form a reaction flavour solid composition, wherein the aqueous slurry is cast on a belt, which can be fed through a microwave oven disposed in the path of the belt and through which the belt moves, wherein the slurry is heated for a period of time ranging from 1 to 15 minutes, and wherein the slurry is heated to about 100° C. for a period of time to evaporate off most of the water, before heating the slurry to a temperature of up to 125° C.
2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the water content of the aqueous slurry is 10-50 wt % of the total weight of the slurry.
3 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the water content of the reaction flavour solid composition is 0.1 to 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the reaction flavour solid composition.
4 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the slurry is heated to a temperature of about 100° C. for a period of one to five minutes.
5 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the slurry is heated at ambient pressure or under a vacuum.
6 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the slurry is in the form of a film having a thickness between 0.1 and 5.0 cm.
7 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the slurry has a viscosity of 1,000 to 50,000 centipoise at room temperature.
8 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy input into the slurry is in the range of 3-100 kW.
9 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the slurry is free of carrier materials.
10 . A reaction flavour solid composition prepared by the process of claim 1 .
11 . A food or beverage comprising the reaction flavour solid composition as defined in claim 10 .
12 . A method of imparting flavour to a food or beverage, or of modifying or improving the flavour of a food or beverage, said method comprising the step of adding to said food or beverage the reaction flavour solid composition as defined in claim 10 .