Patent Summary: CHOCOLATE REPLICAS PRODUCED FROM INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS

(19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2026/0007144 A1
Tenney et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jan. 8, 2026

(54) CHOCOLATE REPLICAS PRODUCED FROM INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS

(71) Applicant: Voyage Foods, Inc., Oakland, CA (US)

(72) Inventors: Kelsey Tenney, Oakland, CA (US); Adam Maxwell, San Francisco, CA (US); Ethan Charles Beswick, San Francisco, CA (US); Samuel Ryo, Singapore (SG); Daniel Assad Saad, Dallas, TX (US); Alec Kremonic Lee, San Francisco, CA (US); Mardonn Carl Chua, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Brandon Head, Oakland, CA (US)

(21) Appl. No.: 19/278,206

(22) Filed: Jul. 23, 2025

The patent document is extremely long. Here is a summary of the essential information from the patent document including key ingredients, formulation ranges, preparation methods, and expected results.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW

Problem Addressed: Traditional chocolate production is lengthy, costly, and variable due to climate, crop disease, and contamination issues. Methods are imprecise and batch-to-batch consistency is difficult to achieve.

Solution: The invention provides chocolate replicas made by combining individual volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and non-volatile compounds in pure or isolated form. This approach offers:

• Infinite reproducibility
• Reduced risk and variability
• Unique flexibility in optimizing flavors, aromas, and textures
• Elimination of detrimental or undesired components
• Rapid, reproducible, and cost-effective production

2. DEFINITIONS

3. KEY INGREDIENT COMPOSITION

3.1 Plant-Based Solid Substrate (0.5-99.9 wt%)

Critical Feature: Does NOT contain cacao/cocoa solids. Derived from food stream waste products (at least 75% of starch, protein, sugar, fat-soluble components, and flavor removed).

Sources:

Preferred: Grape seeds are specifically mentioned as a preferred source.

3.2 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Essential VOCs (Minimum Core Set - "Emperor" Compounds):

Secondary VOCs (Optional Additions):

Alcohols: 1-octanol, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-heptanol, 2-nonanol, benzyl alcohol, eugenol, geraniol, guaiacol, hexanol, isoamyl alcohol, phenethyl alcohol

Aldehydes: Vanillin, benzaldehyde, furfural, phenylacetaldehyde, nonanal, hexanal, decanal, isovaleraldehyde

Ketones: Beta-ionone, maltol, 2-heptanone, damascenone, acetophenone, gamma-valerolactone, 2-undecanone

Acids: Isovaleric acid, cinnamic acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, butyric acid, propanoic acid, isobutyric acid, hexanoic acid, acetic acid, phenylacetic acid

Esters: Ethyl laurate, diethyl succinate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, methyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isobutyrate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, ethyl octanoate

Furans: 2-methyl furan, 2-pentylfuran, furfural, furfuryl alcohol, 5-methylfurfural

Pyrazines: 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine

Sulfur Compounds: Dimethyl trisulfide, methanethiol, methional, furfuryl mercaptan

Others: Limonene, linalool, myrcene, beta-caryophyllene

3.3 Non-Volatile Compounds

Key Non-Volatiles:

3.4 Typical Formulation Ranges

4. SOLID SUBSTRATE PREPARATION METHODS

Method 1: Ground Plant Seeds

Process:

1. Grind seeds to 5-150 micron particle size
2. Treat with caustic agent (NaOH, KOH, Na₂CO₃, Ca(OH)₂, KHCO₃) + water
   • Temperature: 45-125°C (preferred: 70-80°C)
   • Pressure: 0-10 bar
   • Time: 15-60 minutes
   • Target pH: 7.5-10.5 (preferred: 8.0-8.5)
   • Method: High shear blending
3. Dry (tray, spray, drum, falling film, freeze, or vacuum drying)
4. Combine with plant oils (corn, sunflower, palm, coconut, shea, illipe, mango kernel, palm kernel, canola, avocado, or safflower oil)
5. Mill (stone corundum or colloid mill) at <65°C to <75 microns
6. Sieved through 100 micron sieve

Method 2: Whole Plant Seeds (Two-Stream Process)

Process:

1. Sift seeds to remove unwanted plant material
2. Treat with caustic agent + water
   • Temperature: 55-95°C (preferred: 75°C)
   • Pressure: 0-10 bar
   • Time: 15-60 minutes
   • Target pH: 8.0-8.5
   • Method: High shear blending
3. Separate into wet seeds fraction and liquid fraction
4. Roast separately:
   • Wet seeds: Air roast (300-450°F)
   • Liquid fraction: Dry roast
5. Grind wet seeds (burr, blade, hammer, stone, jet, air classifier, or high impact mill)
6. Recombine fractions + plant oils
7. Mill (stone corundum or colloid mill) at <65°C to <75 microns
8. Sieved through 100 micron sieve

Method 3: Whole Plant Seeds (With Enzyme Treatment)

Process:

1. Clean seeds (detonator, scalping deck, aspiration channel, sizing deck, optical sorter, sieve)
2. Treat with caustic solution + water
   • Temperature: 70-80°C (preferred: 75°C)
   • Pressure: 0-10 bar
   • Time: 15-180 minutes (preferred: 30-120 minutes)
   • Target pH: 8.0-9.0
3. Dry (tray, spray, drum, or vacuum drying)
   • Optional: Separate into solid/liquid fractions and dry separately
4. Enzyme treatment (optional): Cellulase, tannase, pectinase, xylase, or hemicellulose
5. Roast (convection, conduction, infrared, or combination)
6. Grind (crushing mill, burr mill, espresso grinder, stone mill, blade mill, or jet mill)
7. Combine with plant oils, sugars, salts, seed meals/flours, amino acids, other non-volatiles → forms slurry
   • Mixing temperature: ~35°C
8. Pump into particle size reduction apparatus
9. Refine to <25-30 microns

5. CHOCOLATE REPLICA PREPARATION METHODS

Method A: Ground Plant Seeds

Process:

1. Treat ground seeds with caustic + water → dry → combine with plant oils → mill to <75 microns → sieve
2. Add sugars (0-75 wt%), seed meals (0-30 wt%), plant oils (5-50 wt%), amino acids (0-3 wt%), salts (1.5 wt%), root powders (0.5 wt%) → mix at 35°C for 30 min
3. Add VOCs, acids, other non-volatiles → mix at 35°C with/without vacuum for 10 min
4. Emulsify using continuous ball mill (not exceeding 40°C) to <30 microns
5. Solidify at 10-15°C in molds
6. Demold and pack
7. Melt at 28-42°C
8. Temper to correct fat crystal structure
9. Deposit into bar molds or onto cooling belt at 10-15°C
10. Package

Method B: Whole Plant Seeds (Two-Stream)

Process:

1. Sift seeds → treat with caustic → separate wet seeds from liquid
2. Air roast wet seeds; dry roast liquid
3. Grind wet seeds (burr mill)
4. Recombine fractions + plant oils → mill (stone corundum or colloid mill) at <65°C to <75 microns → sieve (100 micron)
5. Add sugars, seed meals, plant oils, amino acids, salts, non-volatiles → mix at 35°C for 30 min
6. Add VOCs, acids, other non-volatiles → mix at 35°C under vacuum for 10 min
7. Emulsify (continuous ball mill, ≤40°C) to <30 microns
8. Solidify at 10-15°C in molds → demold → pack
9. Melt at 28-42°C → temper → deposit into molds or cooling belt at 10-15°C → package

Method C: Whole Plant Seeds (Liquefier/Conch)

Process:

1. Clean seeds (destoner, scalping deck, aspiration channel, sizing deck, optical sorter, sieve)
2. Treat with caustic solution + water (75°C, 0-10 bar, 30 min-2 hr, pH 8-9)
   • Dry (tray, spray, drum, vacuum)
   • Optional: Sieve and dry streams separately, or vacuum evaporate moisture
   • Optional: Enzyme treatment (cellulase, tannase, pectinase, xylase, hemicellulase)
3. Roast (convection, conduction, infrared, or combination)
4. Grind (crushing mill, burr mill, espresso grinder, stone mill, jet mill) → optional sifting
5. Combine with plant oils, sugars, salts, seed meals/flours, amino acids, non-volatiles → mix at 35°C
6. Pump slurry → 2-roll preline → homogenizing screw
7. Homogenize (optional: add starch, lecithin)
8. Refine to <25-30 microns
9. Convey to liquefier or conch: Add fat, lecithin, volatile flavors at 28-42°C with agitation
   • Optional: Pump into continuous ball mill for further particle size reduction
10. Temper (optional) → solidify in large blocks at 10-15°C in molds or on belt slab
11. Demold → pack bulk or wrap for industrial use
12. For further processing: Melt at >30°C → temper → deposit into molds at 10-15°C → package

Method D: Chocolate Bean Replica

Process:

1. Dissolve water-soluble VOCs and non-volatiles in water
2. Form emulsion: Fat-soluble VOCs + non-volatiles in neutral oil (palm, shea, mango kernel, illipe, cottonseed, corn, sunflower, coconut)
   • Use rotor stator high shear homogenizer or high pressure inline recirculating homogenizer
   • Optional: Add emulsifiers, starches, gums, polysaccharides
3. Blend water-soluble and emulsion fractions
4. Separately blend large particle solid substrate (250-1500 μm particle size)
5. Add liquid mixture from step 3 to blended solid substrate with mixing
6. Optional: Add tableting aid (starch, sugar, gum)
7. Tablet in pill press to form chocolate bean replicas
8. Optional: Coat (shellac, zein protein, wax)
9. Place into receptacle (e.g., bag)

Method E: Chocolate Beverage Replica

Process:

1. Dissolve water-soluble VOCs and non-volatiles in water
2. Form emulsion of fat-soluble VOCs and non-volatiles in neutral oil
   • Rotor stator high shear homogenizer or high pressure inline recirculating homogenizer
   • Optional: Emulsifiers, starches, gums, polysaccharides
3. Blend water-soluble and emulsion fractions
4. Process to commercial sterility using:
   • Ultra clean processing
   • UHT aseptic processing
   • Fill and retort processing
   • Fill then Ohmic sterilization
   • UV/PEF inline sterilization and aseptic filling

6. FORMULATION TABLES

Table 1: Exemplary Ingredient Ranges (wt%)

Table 2: Exemplary Formulation (Complete)

7. EXPECTED RESULTS

Sensory Characteristics

Comprehensive Quality Scores (Max 100)

Key Observations from Panelists:

1. Burnt and baked aroma notes are significantly enhanced
2. Aroma quality is improved
3. Smoke concentration and aroma intensity increased to a certain extent
4. Off-notes (green, regional off-notes) are masked to varying degrees
5. Overall evaluation: Applicable/suitable

Total VOC Content

Chocolate replica typically contains at least 100 mg/L of VOCs.

8. KEY FEATURES AND ADVANTAGES

9. QUALITY CONTROL AND STANDARDS

Non-Volatile Compound Identity

The one or more non-volatile compounds have less than 95% identity to non-volatile compounds in a single reference chocolate (in some embodiments, less than 85%).

Exclusion List

Chocolate replica does NOT contain:

• Pathogens: E. coli, Salmonella, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces, various molds
• Contaminants: Insects, eggs, filth, rodent filth, mammalian excreta
• Chemical contaminants: Aflatoxin, pesticides (DDT, DDE, TDE, lindane, aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor), heavy metals, methanol, ethylene glycol, dichloromethane
• Off-flavors: 2,4,6-trichloranisole, 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, hydrogen sulfide, dimethylnitrosamine

10. APPLICATIONS

Primary Application: Cigarette burnt flavor essence (Note: This document describes food chocolate replicas, but contains similar compositional approaches to the cigarette flavor patent.)

Specific Applications Include:

• Chocolate bean replicas
• Chocolate bar replicas
• Chocolate coating replicas
• Chocolate beverage replicas
• Chocolate concentrate replicas
• Cocoa powder replicas
• Dark chocolate replicas
• Milk chocolate replicas

Application Rate: 0.03-0.05% of tobacco leaf/cut tobacco weight (for cigarette application)

This summary covers the essential information from the patent document including key ingredients, formulation ranges, preparation methods, and expected results.