Production of CO sub(2) clathrate hydrate frozen desserts by flash freezing

CO sub(2) clathrate hydrate is a crystalline water-carbon dioxide structure that can enable novel, strongly carbonated frozen desserts. A CO sub(2) flash-freezing process has been developed to form CO sub(2) hydrates during freezing of a dessert mixture. In the process, liquid CO sub(2) and liquid dessert mixture are emulsified and then sprayed into a chamber in which the CO sub(2) flashes to a vapor causing the dessert mixture to freeze into a low-density powder. To ensure CO sub(2) hydrate formation it is important to avoid ice formation because ice to CO sub(2) hydrate conversion proceeds too slowly to occur during flash freezing. To avoid ice formation it is important to flash the emulsion to a pressure greater than 4.7 bars and disperse the mixture in fine droplets. In this work the key parameters of the process are described, which will enable development of commercial dispensers.