Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Product with added plural inorganic mineral or element...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-08
2001-06-05
Pratt, Helen (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Product with added plural inorganic mineral or element...
C426S573000, C426S577000, C426S578000, C426S580000, C426S590000, C426S654000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06242020
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to the fortification of foods and beverages, particularly those containing milk proteins, with calcium.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Milk is an important source of dietary calcium. Calcium, the most abundant mineral in body, is a major constituent of bone and teeth. This mineral also plays an important role in several physiological systems. Calcium is important for healthy bone and tooth development in the young and therefore an adequate intake is essential. Calcium status may also be a factor in the development of osteoporosis in elderly people.
Since the body does not produce minerals, it is totally dependent on an external supply of calcium, nutritional or supplementary. The importance of adequate calcium intake is recognized during the whole life of the human being. In 1994, the NIH Consensus Development Panel revised recommended daily allowances for calcium intake for each age group from 800-1200 mg per day to 1500 mg per day.
It has been suggested that calcium in association with caseins may improve absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Also it has been found that organic acids salts of calcium are more bioavailable in general than the inorganic salts. Calcium citrate has advantages over other calcium salts for use in fortified foods because of high bioavailability. For example, calcium citrate, as opposed to calcium in general, has only a marginal effect of interfering with the absorption of other minerals, especially iron. Also, long-term calcium supplementation with calcium citrate can reduce the risk of formation of kidney and urinary stones since citrate ions are inhibitors for crystallization of stone-forming calcium salts.
Addition of calcium to beverages, especially milk, can be very difficult. If slightly or completely insoluble sources of calcium are used, precipitation of the salts can occur especially if stabilizers are not used. If highly soluble sources of calcium (calcium chloride, etc.) are used, interation between the calcium and calcium sensitive ingredients, such as milk protein, can occur. These interactions can lead to coagulation of the ingredients during temperature treatment even at pasteurization temperature. In addition, the pH of some calcium salt systems may not be compatible with other ingredients or affects the flavor.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,701,329 and 4,851,243 disclose the use of tribasic calcium phosphate, carrageenan, and guar in calcium- and phosphorous-enriched milk. In this system, the use of stabilizing gums is necessary to prevent sedimentation of the insoluble calcium salt, which also increases the thickness of the milk.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,814 involves a process for preparing calcium enriched milk in which the milk is heat-treated prior to soluble calcium salt addition. This requires additional processing, and could also effect the quality of the milk. In addition, this method is limited to allowing only up to a 30 mg % increase in the calcium.
A series of patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,722,847, and 4,919,963 (and many subsequent patents), disclose the use of calcium citrate-malate complexes for the fortification of beverages, beverage concentrates, and as supplements. These systems are stable when the pH is kept below pH 5. For a number of beverages this pH would result in acidic flavors and instability of proteins, especially milk proteins. This problem is also encountered in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,871,554 and 5,500,232.
EP 0709033 discloses preparation of calcium-supplemented milk drinks through the use of minerals extracted from whey. Although this creates products with good flavor and stability the level of supplementation is limited to 40 mg %.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We have developed a complex comprising a calcium source and a negatively-charged emulsifier with or without an organic or inorganic acid or a salt thereof, which may be used to fortify beverages and foods, with improved palatability without affecting product quality.
According to the present invention, there is provided a complex formed by the interaction of a suitable calcium source, a negatively charged emulsifier with or without an organic or inorganic acid or a salt thereof.
The complexes work particularly well in systems that contain calcium-sensitive components, such as proteins.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The calcium source that is primarily used to create this complex can include calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, calcium nitrate, calcium lactate, calcium fumarate, calcium citrate, calcium acetate, calcium glycerophosphate or calcium oxide but is preferably calcium hydroxide. The use of an alkaline source, such as calcium hydroxide, advantageously neutralizes the pH of the complex. If a non-alkaline calcium source is used, then an alkaline agent must be added to neutralize the pH of the complex, of which any food grade alkaline agent can be utilized.
The negatively-charged emulsifiers that can be used to form the complex include but are not limited to citric acid esters of monoglycerides CITREM, (Danisco Ingredients, Inc., New Century, Kans.), stearoyl lactylate (sodium, calcium, or acid), enzyme modified lecithin, stearyl citrate, fatty acids and their salts, or diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides. CITREM is most preferred. The emulsifiers used are not limited to those of a single acyl or fatty acid component, such as on a specific carbon chain length or degree of unsaturation.
The emulsifier used is preferably hydrated, making the emulsifier more dispersable, and allowing easier exchange with cations. This can be accomplished by various means dependent on the type of emulsifier used, and are commonly known to those familiar with the art. For example, a common method of hydration is by heating a slurry of emulsifier and water to above 70° C. for a period of time (generally more than 10 min). Once hydrated, the emulsifier dispersion is cooled to near room temperature.
Any one of a number of acids can be used including organic acids such as citric, lactic, malic, fumarate, gluconic, succinic, tartaric, or ascorbic, or inorganic acids such as phosphoric. Salts of these acids that can be utilized include potassium, sodium, or calcium salts of the aforementioned acids. For this invention, the most preferred acid is citric acid.
Optionally, the complex may be dried and, if desired, stored before further use for fortification of a foodstuff.
The amounts needed to form the complex are not critical provided that sufficient amounts of each component are present. Simple mixing of the components is sufficient to form the complex. When an acid is not used in the complex, the weight ratio of calcium (from the calcium source) to surfactant should range from 1:10 to 10:1, and preferably from 2:1 to 1:2. When an acid is used in the complex, the weight ratio of acid to calcium should range from 5:1 to 1:5, and preferably from 2:1 to 1:2, while the weight ratio of calcium to surfactant can range from 100:1 to 1:5. The components are preferably dissolved in water to facilitate mixing and complex formation. The concentration of the solutions is preferably 1-5% by weight or greater. The person of ordinary skill in the art can readily determine convenient amounts to use for any particular application
The complex may conveniently be formed by the interaction of a suitable calcium source, a negatively charged emulsifier, with or without an organic or inorganic acid or a salt thereof. For example, the complex may be prepared by adding acid or a salt of an acid to the emulsifier with mixing, and then adding the calcium source.
When an alkaline calcium source such as calcium hydroxide is added, the pH of the system is neutralized. Alternately, a non-alkaline calcium source can be added, followed by the neutralization with alkaline agent. Any food grade alkaline agent may be used for neutralization including but not limited to sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate and potassium b
Jacobson Mark Randolph
Reddy Sekhar
Sher Alexander
Vadehra Dharam Vir
Wedral Elaine Regina
Nestec S.A.
Pratt Helen
Winston & Strawn
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