Production of adherent spice or mixed spices for application to e.g. cheese, ham or bakery products, crushes spice to flowing form then adds thickener, sugar and emulsifier
The spice or mixed spices are freshly prepared. They are crushed to a flowable form. A dusting medium is finely distributed over the spices. It is based essentially on a thickener, sugar and emulsifier. A variant is described, in which an adherent, encapsulated coating mass is first distributed over the prepared spices, then the dusting medium is added. The coating mass is water-based. Following coating, it is dried to a given residual moisture content of up to 20%. The coating contains malto-dextrin, flour, soya lecithin, gum arabic and water. The coating weight is 11 % - 24 % of the spice coated. It is optionally a hardening fat, the coating being applied before complete hardening. It comprises 0.5 wt% to 2 wt% of the coated spice. The dusting medium amounts to 10 wt% to 22 wt% of the spice. A combination of thickeners is used, based on alginate or carrageenan, pectin or gelatine, flour or starch. The sugar is maltodextrin, a sugar alcohol, a mono-, di- or polysaccharide or a combination of them. The emulsifier is a protein, especially caseinate (casein). Gelatine is also included. The adherent spice is used to make food with a decorative layer, applied by scattering. This is achieved by dusting or sieving-on, e.g. on a conveyor. The food is a dough product, a hard cheese, cut cheese, a raw ham, salami or a cheese strand. Further salient features include moistening before scattering, especially with a protein- or other emulsifier. The food with its spice layer, is vacuum-packed in a film or foil. The spice may be coated, optionally selectively, and optionally using a primer, onto the inside of the packaging material, which may be tubular. This precedes contact with the food. The coated layer is decorative. An independent claim is included for the corresponding adherent spice or spice mixture.
