Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Fat or oil is basic ingredient other than butter in emulsion...
Reexamination Certificate
1996-11-04
2001-05-29
Paden, Carolyn (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Fat or oil is basic ingredient other than butter in emulsion...
C554S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238723
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an edible vegetable fat, substantially free of trans unsaturated fatty acid residues, to margarine fat comprising the fat and to edible fat spreads prepared with the margarine fat.
2. The Related Art
Edible fat spreads are products such as shortening, butter, margarine, halvarine, very low fat spreads, e.g. comprising only 20% fat and the like. Usually such products comprise a continuous fat phase in which the fat of the fat phase comprises liquid oil as well as a network of fat crystals which gives structure to the product. Such products do not need to contain an aqueous phase, but often they do and mostly the aqueous phase is present as a dispersed phase, distributed as small droplets in the continuous fat phase. However, fat spreads may also have a continuous aqueous phase. In such case, the fat phase may constitute a dispersed phase distributed finely in the continuous aqueous phase, or it may constitute a second continuous phase. If the spread comprises a continuous aqueous phase it typically includes hydrocolloids, i.e. gelling and/or thickening agents which contribute to the plasticity of the product.
Recent publications have stated that trans unsaturated fatty acid residues have an effect on blood cholesterol levels resembling that of saturated fatty acids (SAFA). This findings have created a consumer demand for products in which the content of trans fatty acid residues is at least considerably reduced, but preferably zero.
Suppliers of edible fat spreads responded rapidly to this new demand and reformulated existing products and introduced new ones in order to provide products having reduced levels of trans unsaturated fatty acid residues or even substantially trans-free products. Spreads without trans unsaturated fatty acid residues have been available for decades. Such spreads are rather soft products which need a chilled storage and which consistency is not appreciated by many consumers. The notably trans-free so-called health spreads therefore have served a relatively small market segment since the early sixties. Until recently, the majority of the vegetable spreads still contained a substantial amount of trans unsaturated fatty acid residues. Particularly for the firmer products, e.g. those meant for cooking and baking, the trans content could be as high as 40-50% of the fat, and even more.
The recent change-over to low or zero trans spreads has caused various problems such as increased brittleness, a poorer melt down behaviour in the mouth, a less good flavour release and serious structural defects, particularly graininess. As an effect of the changed fat composition some of the constituting fat has appeared to crystallize as coarse grains, which are unacceptable for a spread which ought to possess a smooth appearance and mouthfeel.
Further problems occurred in the manufacturing plants. The low or zero trans margarine fats tend to crystallize more slowly, which not only made the fats less plastic and more brittle, but also reduced the throughput of the spread production lines. This was necessary for allowing the spread more time to get a firm enough consistency. Obvious consequences were capacity losses, extra investments and increased costs for labour and energy.
Subsequently products have been developed with clearly improved sensorically perceivable product properties. But for such improvements generally the use of fat fractionation is required, which is a quite expensive processing technique,
The influence of fat composition on the blood lipids profile, one of the main risk indicators for cardiovascular diseases, is expressed by the Keys Number (KN):
KN=C
12−C16
+trans−
0.5
PUFA,
wherein “C12-C16” indicates the percentage (related to total fat) of saturated fatty acid residues with 12 to 16 carbon atoms, “trans” is the percentage of fatty acid residues containing one or more trans unsaturated double bonds and “PUFA” indicates the percentage of fatty acid residues containing 2 or more double bonds which should be all in the cis-configuration.
The earlier mentioned health spreads typically have a negative Keys Number, which means that they will typically have a beneficial effect on the blood lipids profile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We have now found a substantially trans-free fat with a relatively low KN and with improved properties, particularly an acceptable firmness. It does not need to be fractionated, neither does it have a tendency to develop graininess and it crystallizes relatively fast. Spread products containing this fat are more plastic and less brittle than products prepared with low trans fats known from the prior art.
Accordingly, the invention provides an edible vegetable fat, substantially free of trans unsaturated fatty acid residues and which is suitable for the preparation of a spread. The fat consists of an interesterified mixture of 30-90% high lauric rapeseed oil and 10-70% of an oil A which contains at least 40% saturated fatty acid residues of which saturated fatty acid residues at least 80% are C16-C18 fatty acid residues and at most 60% are C16 fatty acid residues. The mixture preferably comprises 40-80% of high lauric rapeseed oil, which preferably is unhydrogenated.
The high lauric rapeseed oil preferably comprises 20-75%, more preferably 30-65% of lauric acid residues.
The oil A preferably comprises at least 60%, more preferably 80-100% of saturated fatty acid residues, of which preferably at most 40%, more preferably 0-30% are C16 fatty acid residues.
The invention further provides a margarine fat containing 0-10% trans unsaturated fatty acid residues of which fat 20-100% consists of the present fat, optionally up to 80% liquid oil and optionally up to 40% of another fat B.
The invention also comprises an edible fat spread comprising a fat phase and an optional aqueous phase. The triglyceride part of the fat phase consists essentially of the present margarine fat.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Throughout this specification, the terms “oil” and “fat” are used interchangeably, where oil generally denotes a fat in its liquid condition. Liquid oil means edible triglyceride oil which is free of solid fat at 20° C. and preferably still at 15° C. With fat are meant triglycerides, either as directly obtained from a natural source (single fat), or as the product of a process such as interesterification or blending.
Parts, percentages and proportions are expressed by weight unless indicated otherwise. Percentages fatty acid residues are indicated with respect to the total amount of fatty acid residues of the fat.
The solid fat content of a fat is indicated by N-values which can be measured according to Fette, Seifen, Anstrichmittel 80, 180-186, (1978). The necessary stabilisation is carried out by heating to 80° C., keeping at a temperature of at least 60° C. for at least 10 minutes, keeping for 60 minutes at 0° C. and keeping for 30 minutes at the measuring temperature.
Substantially free of trans unsaturated fatty cid residues means a content of less than 3%, preferably less than 1% trans unsaturated fatty acid residues. The fatty acid composition of a fat is measured by GLC analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) as described in e.g. EP 78568. The trans content of fat is measured as described in JAOCS 54, (1977), 208 as elaidic acid content. Margarine fat is the term used for the fat which forms the basis of the fat phase with which a spread is prepared. The margarine fat usually consists of a solid component, the hardstock, which gives the structure to the fat, and a liquid component, often vegetable oils.
Conventional rapeseed oil does not contain lauric acid residues in measurable amounts. Biotechnological developments have delivered varieties of rapeseed oil with elevated contents of lauric acid residues. WO 92/20236 gives examples of transformed Brassica plants, of which the seeds contain oil having lauric acid residue contents ranging from 12 to 51 mole %. Later developed oils contain even more lauric acid residues.
The high lauric ra
Sassen Cornelis Laurentius
Wesdorp Leendert Hendrik
Honig Milton L.
Paden Carolyn
Van den Bergh Foodś Co., division of Conopco, Inc.
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