Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Plant material is basic ingredient other than extract,...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-20
2003-04-15
Pratt, Helen (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Plant material is basic ingredient other than extract,...
C426S518000, C426S519000, C426S611000, C426S804000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06548103
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a process for making low fat nut spreads, especially peanut spreads, having a high protein and high fiber content. More particularly, it relates to the use of oil substitutes to achieve fat reduction in the nut spreads, while maintaining the flavor and texture of full fat nut spreads.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional peanut and other nut butters or spreads comprise a mixture of solid nut particles, oil, flavorants (e.g., a sweetener such as sugar, high fructose corn syrup or honey, and salt), and stabilizer. Peanut butters typically comprise about 50% oil and about 50% solids. Peanut butter is a nutritious food that typically has a protein to fat ratio of about 0.5:1 and a fiber to fat ratio of about 0.1:1. Peanut butters comprising these levels of solids and oil have good texture, spreadability and flavor.
For some applications, however, it is desirable to have a peanut spread that comprises higher levels of solids. This may be the case, for example, when a high protein, high fiber and/or reduced fat nut spread is desired. Such nut spreads are desirable, for instance, for use as fillings in making nutritious snacks.
Nut spreads with high protein, high fiber and/or reduced fat are typically prepared by increasing the level of solid ingredients present in the final product relative to the level of oil. The ratio of solids to oil is greater than 1 in these products. Reduced fat peanut spreads, for example, typically comprise from about 58% to about 75% solids and from about 25% to about 42% oil, with a ratio of solids to oil of about 67/33, or about 2:1. Reduced fat peanut spreads typically have protein/fat and fiber/fat ratios of about 0.67:1 and about 0.17:1, respectively.
Unfortunately, increasing the level of solids in the nut spread relative to the level of oil can have deleterious effects on the quality of the nut spread. For example, increasing the level of solids in a nut spread can increase the viscosity of the spread such that the spread is undesirably stiff (e.g., non-fluid). Indeed, the nut spread's spreadability or fluidity is highly sensitive to the oil content of the nut spread; the lower the oil content, the harder the product is to spread. The addition of non-nut solids such as fiber further reduces the fluidity of the nut spread by creating a tri-modal particle size distribution for the finished nut spread (reduced fat nut spreads desirably have a mono-modal or bi-modal particle size distribution).
The texture of the nut spread is also adversely affected when the level of solids in the nut spread relative to the level of oil is increased. The texture of the nut spread is perceived as stickier since more effort is required to thin the peanut mass during mastication. Also, the larger particle size of the fiber particles creates an undesirable sensation of grittiness upon mastication of the nut spread. Furthermore, increasing the level of solids in a nut spread can adversely affect the flavor of the nut spread by diluting the peanut flavor.
Past attempts to provide nut spreads having desirable fluidity, smooth texture, and desirable flavor that comprise a high level of solids (e.g., greater than about 58%) have not been wholly successful. Efforts to reduce grittiness have resulted in high viscosity spreads. Moreover, attempts to reduce viscosity have resulted in nut spreads with less flavor compared to full fat peanut butters. Generally, the processes used to reduce viscosity are energy intensive; this can have a negative effect on flavor. A low temperature process taught by Wong et al. utilizes a roll milling operation to prepare defatted peanut solids for use in a low fat peanut spread. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,027, issued Jan. 7, 1992. Another process, taught by Walling et al., utilizes extrusion roasting or a combination of roll milling and high shear mixing to prepare defatted peanut solids that are combined with undefatted peanuts in the preparation of a low fat peanut spread. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,919, issued Jul. 27, 1993.
Attempts to reduce the fat and/or the caloric content of nut spreads have also been made where a major portion of the nut oil is replaced with a low calorie, low fat, or no calorie and no fat oil such as Salatrim®, Caprenin®, or olestra. In these spreads, the level of nut solids is substantially lower than in their full fat counterparts. As a result, these products have less flavor. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,737, issued Jan. 4, 2000, Meade teaches a nut spread having a maximum level of peanut solids of 34%. This amount is equivalent to that typically found in reduced fat peanut butter. For comparison, full fat peanut butter typically has about 45% peanut solids. As taught by Meade, a loss of spreadability and high in-line process viscosity occur when the nut solids level exceeds 29%.
The degree to which fat may be reduced in spreads taught by the art is limited because of the negative effect that fat reduction has on peanut flavor and texture. For example, the lowest fat content taught by Meade is 20%. Replacement of the nut oil with a low calorie or no fat oil such as olestra has been limited. This is because the simple replacement of the nut oil with olestra results in nut spreads that are low in flavor and have an undesirable texture characterized by a waxy mouthfeel, high viscosity, and increased stickiness perception. These negative effects are related to olestra's high viscosity, relative to nut oil, at ambient temperature.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a low fat nut spread that is high in protein and fiber, yet has the flavor and texture of a full fat nut butter or spread.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a low fat nut spread that is high in protein and fiber, yet has the flavor and texture of a full fat nut butter or spread. The nut spread has a protein to fat ratio of greater than about 0.68:1, preferably greater than about 1:1, and most preferably greater than about 2:1. The protein content of the nut spread is greater than about 15%, preferably from about 18% to about 35%. Preferably, at least about 75% of the protein is from the nut solids. The fiber to fat ratio of the nut spread is greater than about 0.18:1, preferably greater than about 0.5:1, more preferably greater than about 1:1, and most preferably greater than about 1.5:1. The nut spread comprises from about 5% to about 20% fiber. The nut spread comprises less than about 20% fat, yet has the desirable fluidity, texture, and flavor of full fat spreads.
Preferably, the nut spread comprises more than about 60%, more preferably more than about 65%, solids. The remainder of the nut spread comprises nut oil and oil substitute. In a preferred embodiment, the solids to total oil content ratio of the nut spread is about 72/28. The particle size distribution of the nut spread is mono-modal, with a D
50
of less than 15 microns, preferably less than 10 microns, and a D
90
of less than 35 microns, preferably less than 25 microns.
Furthermore, the nut spread has at least about ⅓ fewer calories, preferably about ½ fewer calories, than full fat peanut butter. The nut spread has about 400 calories or less, preferably from about 250 calories to about 400 calories, per 2 tablespoon (32 gram) serving. The nut spread can be used as a filling in nutritious snack products.
The present invention also relates to a process for making the nut spread. The process comprises the steps of:
(a) preparing a protein containing oil suspension;
(b) preparing a sugar containing oil suspension; and
(c) combining the protein containing oil suspension and the sugar containing oil suspension to form the nut spread.
The “protein containing oil suspension” comprises high amounts of protein and fiber. The “sugar containing oil suspension” comprises high amounts of sugar. Combining the nut spread ingredients via the formation and mixing of these two separate suspensions reduces mixing complexity and intensity, thus minimizing nut spread flavor loss.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A. Definitions
Sackenheim Richard Joseph
Siu Susana R. Waimin
Wong Vincent York-Leung
Jones Melody A.
Pratt Helen
Roof Carl J.
The Procter & Gamble Co.
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