F3429/C FORM - 2 THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 of 1970) & The Patents Rules, 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See Section 10 and Rule 13) FROZEN CONFECTIONS HINDUSTAN UNILEVER LIMITED, a company incorporated under the Indian Companies Act, 1913 and having its registered office at Hindustan Lever House, 165/166, Backbay Reclamation, Mumbai -400 020, Maharashtra, India The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed F3429(C) -1 – Frozen Confections Technical Field of the invention The present invention relates to frozen confections such as ice cream, frozen yoghurt, 5 water ices, fruit ices, milk ices and the like. In particular, it relates to frozen confections having low sugar contents. Background Frozen confections normally contain relatively high amounts of sugar. Parents are 10 concerned about damage to their children's teeth as a result of consuming foods which contain sugars. Moreover, the incidence of obesity and the number of people considered overweight in countries where a so-called Western diet is adopted has drastically increased over the last decade. Since obesity and being overweight are generally known to be associated with a variety of diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, 15 hypertension and arteriosclerosis, this increase is a major health concern for the medical world and for individuals alike. Furthermore, being overweight is considered by the majority of the Western population as unattractive. This has led to an increasing interest by consumers in their health and has created a demand for products that help to reduce or control daily caloric intake. In particular, the importance of limiting the content of sugars 20 in a healthy diet has recently been highlighted by a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Committee (see "Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases" - Report of a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation, WHO Technical Report Series 916, WHO, Geneva, 2003). Simply reducing the sugar content of frozen confections results in products that are too 25 hard (because of the reduced freezing point depression) and insufficiently sweet-tasting. There have been previous attempts to formulate frozen confections having reduced sugar content whilst retaining their palatability. US 4,626,441 discloses dietetic frozen desserts which have essentially all the sugar present in conventional products replaced by an intense sweetener (e.g. aspartame) and a bullking agent (e.g. polydextrose). However, 30 the use of intense sweeteners can result in the product being perceived as unnatural by some consumers, and may also give rise to an artificial or even unpleasant taste and/or aftertaste. US 4,400,405 discloses frozen dietetic desserts having a sweetening system having fructose, sorbitol and corn syrup (36DE or lower). However some sugar alcohols, including sorbitol, have a cooling effect and can cause digestive discomfort in some 35 individuals. Thus, there remains a need for palatable frozen confections which contain F3429(C) -2- reduced amounts of sugars, but which do not have the disadvantages associated with previous attempts. Definitions 5 Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art (e.g. in frozen confectionery manufacture). Definitions and descriptions of various terms and techniques used in frozen confectionery manufacture are found in Ice Cream, 6th Edition, Robert T. Marshall, H. Douglas Goff and Richard W. Hartel (2003), Kluwer Academic/Plenum 10 Publishers. All percentages, unless otherwise stated, refer to the percentage by weight, with the exception of percentages cited in relation to the overrun. 15 Sugars As used herein the term "sugars" refers exclusively to digestible mono- and di-saccharides. The total sugar content of a frozen confection is thus the sum of all of the digestible mono- and di-saccharides present within the frozen confection, including any sugars from fruits and lactose from milk solids. 20 Complex saccharides As used herein, the term "complex saccharide" refers to oligosaccharides and polysaccharides with a degree of polymerisation (DP) of at least three. 25 Digestible and non-digestible saccharides Digestible saccharides are defined as those saccharides with a metabolisable energy content of at least 3 kcal (12.6 kJ) per g of saccharide. Digestible complex saccharides are usually derived from starch and/or comprise alpha glycosidic linkages. 30 Non-digestible saccharides are defined as those saccharides with a metabolisable energy content of less than 3 kcal (12.6 kJ) per g of saccharide. Common non-digestible complex saccharides are non-starch complex saccharides but others include resistant starches and non-digestible di-saccharides. F3429(C) -3- Relative sweetness As defined herein, relative sweetness, R, refers to the sweetness of a substance relative to the sweetness of an equivalent weight of sucrose (i.e. sucrose has a relative sweetness of 1). 5 Intense sweetener Intense sweeteners are defined herein as those sweeteners having a relative sweetness, R, of greater than 10. Intense sweeteners include: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, alitame, thaumatin, cyclamate, glycyrrhizin, stevioside, neohesperidine, sucralose, 10 monellin and neotame. The relative sweetness of these intense sweeteners is given in Table 1. Table 1 Intense Sweetener (i) Relative sweetness (Ri) Aspartame 200 Saccharin 400 Acesulfame K 200 Alitame 2,000 Thaumatin 2,000 Cyclamate 35 Glycyrrhizin 50 Stevioside 100 Neohesperidine 1,500 Sucralose 500 Monellin 2,000 Neotame 10,000 15 For a mixture of intense sweeteners, the relative sweetness, R, is defined by Equation 1: 20 wherein m, is the mass of intense sweetener i. Brief description of the invention We have found that frozen confections with low levels of sugars but with excellent palatability and texture can be formulated even without the use of intense sweeteners by F3429(C) -4- employing maltitol and / or xylitol, digestible complex saccharides and non-digestible complex saccharides in specific amounts. Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a frozen confection comprising (by weight of the confection): • less than 9 wt% total sugars; 5 • maltitol, xylitol or mixtures thereof in a total amount of from 2 to 15 wt%; • from 5 to 25 wt% digestible complex saccharides; • from 1 to 15 wt% non-digestible complex saccharides; and intense sweeteners in a total amount CT given by the following condition: CT99% pure. DE 28 corn (glucose) syrup was C*Dry™ GL 01924, supplied by Cerestar (France) and had a moisture content of 4 wt%. 5 On a dry basis it consisted of 14 wt% sugars (consisting of 3% glucose and 11% maltose) and 86 wt% digestible complex saccharides (consisting of 16.5% maltotriose and 69.5% higher saccharides). Inulin was Raftiline™ supplied by ORAFTI (Tienen, Belgium) and had a moisture content of 3.8 wt%. On a dry basis the inulin consisted of 92 wt% oligofructose and 8 wt% sugars (sucrose, fructose and glucose). Skimmed milk powder 10 contained 50 wt% lactose, 35 wt% protein and 1 wt% milk fat with the remainder being ash and moisture. The emulsifier was Grinsted Mono-Di HP 60 supplied by Danisco (Babard, Denmark) and contained 98 wt% saturated fatty acids. Nine different formulations were used: three different amounts of each of maltitol (2%, 15 6%, 10%) and inulin (2, 4.35, 6.7). The amount of DE28 corn syrup for each maltitol / inulin combination was chosen so that the ice creams all had the same ice content. The combinations are shown in Table 3, together with the amounts of digestible and non-digestible complex saccharides, and sugars present in each. The sugars come from the lactose in the skimmed milk powder and the mono- and disaccharides present in the corn 20 syrup and inulin. 25 F3429(C) -11- Table 3 Composition of each maltitol / inulin / DE 28 corn syrup combination. Example Maltitol Inulin DE28 Corn Syrup Digestiblecomplexsaccharides Non-digestiblecomplex saccharides Total Sugars 1 10.0 6.7 8.0 6.60 5.9 5.3 2 10.0 4.35 10.3 8.50 3.8 5.4 3 10.0 2.0 12.4 10.2 1.8 5.5 4 6.0 6.7 13.7 11.3 5.9 6.0 5 6.0 4.35 16.0 13.2 3.8 6.2 6 6.0 2.0 18.0 14.9 1.8 6.3 7 2.0 6.7 19.4 16.0 5.9 6.8 8 2.0 4.35 21.5 17.8 3.8 6.9 9 2.0 2.0 23.6 19.5 1.8 7.0 Comparative example A, a conventional ice cream, was also prepared, using the same base formulation, but with 11.5% sucrose and 11.66% DE 63 corn syrup instead of the 5 maltitol, DE 28 corn syrup and inulin. All ingredients except from the oil and emulsifier were combined in an agitated heated mix tank. The oil was warmed to around 60°C and then the emulsifier added to the liquid fat prior to pouring into the mix tank. Once all of the ingredients were blended together, 10 the mix was subjected to high shear mixing at a temperature of 65°C for 2 minutes. The mix was then passed through an homogeniser at 150 bar and 70°C and then subjected to pasteurisation at 83°C for 20 s before being rapidly cooled to 4°C by passing through a plate heat exchanger. The premix was then aged at 4°C for 5 hours in an agitated tank prior to freezing. 15 Each formulation was frozen using a typical ice cream freezer (scraped surface heat exchanger) operating with an open dasher (series 15), a mix flow rate of 150 litres / hour, an extrusion temperature of -7°C and an overrun of 100%. Directly from the freezer, the ice cream was filled into 250 ml cartons. The cartons were then hardened by blast freezing for 2 hours at -30°C before being transferred to a -25°C store for storage. 20 The ice creams (examples 1 to 9) were assessed by a trained sensory panel and compared with comparative example A. The panel consisted of 15 panellists who had been screened and selected for their sensory acuity. The panel had been trained in describing and objectively assessing the sensory attributes of a range of ice cream 25 products. The key sensory attributes considered were firmness in mouth and sweetness. -12- The day before panelling the blocks were cut into equally sized portions which were place into pots. The samples were then tempered to the serving temperature (-18°C) for 24 hours prior to panelling. The panellists consumed samples of each product. The test design was balanced for serving order of the samples, and each product was assessed 5 (blind) 3 times by each assessor. The firmness was assessed by pressing the sample between the tongue and palate. Samples were scored on a scale of 0 to 10 (where 0 is not firm / sweet and 10 is very firm / sweet). A series of data and panellist monitoring techniques were performed on the data output, and these indicated that a robust dataset had been obtained. The results are shown in Table 4. 10 Table 4 Sensory measurements Example Firmness Sweetness 1 6.3 4.6 2 6.1 4.6 3 5.9 4.4 4 6.7 4.2 5 7.0 4.2 6 6.8 4.2 7 7.5 3.7 8 7.3 3.7 9 7.9 3.8 Comparative A 4.7 5.9 All of the ice creams had acceptable taste and texture. Examples 1 to 9 were somewhat firmer and less sweet than the standard ice cream (comparative example A). The data 15 shows that firmness in mouth decreased and the sweetness increased with higher levels of maltitol. For a fixed maltitol level, the amount of inulin had little effect on sweetness or firmness. The highest maltitol levels (10%) were judged to give the best ice creams. These formulations had a surprisingly creamy and indulgent taste. Nonetheless all the examples were judged to be acceptable products. 20 Examples 10-18 - Water ices Example water ices according to the invention were also prepared using maltitol, DE 28 corn syrup and inulin. The water ices were prepared using the base formulation shown in Table 5. -13- Table 5 Water ice base formulation Ingredient Amount (wt %) Maltitol Given in table 6 Inulin Given in table 6 DE28 corn syrup Given in table 6 Locust Bean Gum 0.20 Citric acid 0.25 Water to 100 Again, nine different combinations were used: three different amounts of each of maltitol and inulin. The amount of DE28 corn syrup for each maltitol / inulin combination was 5 chosen so that the water ices all had the same ice content. The combinations are shown in Table 6, together with the amounts of digestible and non-digestible complex saccharides, and sugars present in each. The sugars come from the low molecular weight components present in the corn syrup and inulin. 10 Table 6 Composition of each maltitol / inulin / DE 28 corn syrup combination. Example Maltitol Inulin DE28 Corn Syrup Digestiblecomplexsaccharides Non-digestiblecomplex saccharides Total Sugars 10 10.0 6.7 11.0 9.1 5.9 2.0 11 10.0 4.35 13.0 10.7 3.8 2.1 12 10.0 2.0 15.0 12.4 1.8 2.2 13 6.0 6.7 16.5 13.6 5.9 2.7 14 6.0 4.35 18.5 15.3 3.8 2.8 15 6.0 2.0 20.5 16.9 1.8 2.9 16 2.0 6.7 22.0 18.2 5.9 3.5 17 2.0 4.35 24.0 19.8 3.8 3.6 18 2.0 2.0 26.0 21.5 1.8 3.7 Comparative example B, a conventional water ice was also prepared, using the same base formulation, but with 16.7% sucrose and 5.47% dextrose (glucose) instead of the maltitol, DE 28 corn syrup and inulin. 15 Water ice products in the form of ice lollies (approximately 100mls in volume) on sticks were prepared as follows. First the dry ingredients were mixed with hot water and stirred until they had completely dissolved. The mix was then pasteurized and placed in moulds. The moulds were immersed in a brine bath at -40°C to quiescently freeze the mix and 20 sticks were inserted. After the products had frozen, they were removed from the moulds and stored at -18°C before being subjected to sensory assessment. -14- The water ices (examples 10 to 18) were also assessed by a trained sensory panel and compared with the standard (comparative example B). The key sensory attributes considered were hardness (assessed by biting the end off with the front teeth) and sweetness. Samples were again scored on a scale of 0 to 10 (where 0 is not hard / sweet 5 and 10 is very hard / sweet). The results of the sensory analysis are shown in Table 7. Table 7 Sensory measurements Example Hardness Sweetness 10 3.5 5.4 11 4.1 5.1 12 4.9 4.5 13 3.6 4.7 14 5.6 4.2 15 6.0 4.0 16 5.8 3.4 17 6.7 3.0 18 7.4 2.9 Comparative B 1.8 7.5 All of the water ices had acceptable taste and texture. Examples 10 to 18 were somewhat 10 harder and less sweet than the standard water ice. The data show that hardness decreased and the sweetness increased with higher levels of maltitol. At any given maltitol level, increasing the amount of inulin made the water ices sweeter and less hard. The highest maltitol level in combination with the highest amount of inulin (example 10) was judged to be most similar to the standard water ice. Nonetheless all the examples 15 were judged to be acceptable products. Conclusions By carefully selecting the type and amounts of maltitol, digestible and non-digestible complex saccharides, ice creams and water ices with very low sugar contents and 20 acceptable sweetness and texture were obtained, without needing to use high intensity sweeteners. The various features of the embodiments of the present invention referred to in individual sections above apply, as appropriate, to other sections mutatis mutandis. Consequently 25 features specified in one section may be combined with features specified in other sections as appropriate. -15- All publications mentioned in the above specification are herein incorporated by reference. Various modifications and variations of the described methods and products of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Although the invention has been described in connection with 5 specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are apparent to those skilled in the relevant fields are intended to be within the scope of the following claims. -16- Claims 1. A frozen confection comprising (by weight of the confection) • less than 9 wt% total sugars; 5 • maltitol, xylitol or mixtures thereof in a total amount of from 2 to 15 wt%; • from 5 to 25 wt% digestible complex saccharides; • from 1 to 15 wt% non-digestible complex saccharides; and intense sweeteners in a total amount CT given by the following condition: CT