Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Carbohydrate containing
Statutory Invention Registration
1996-12-03
2004-01-06
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3641)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Carbohydrate containing
C426S573000
Statutory Invention Registration
active
H0002095
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a food additive comprising inulin and colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose. More particularly, this invention relates to a composition and process for making a composition which may be used as a substitute for fat in foods.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The amount of fat, particularly saturated fat, in foods has been linked to potentially unhealthy effects, for example atherosclerosis. Consumers now seek out foods with a reduced fat content or fat-free foods to avoid what is believed to be adverse effects of the fat-containing food.
In response to the desire for foods with low or no fat content, various foods are now on the market which are lower in fat content or in which the fat content has been eliminated. These foods, although lower in fat, require consumers to compromise on the taste and texture of the food in order to benefit from such lower fat-containing foods.
Inulin is a naturally occurring material which-may be obtained industrially from chicory root. Inulin has been used as a fat substitute in foods, and gives the necessary fat-like texture to foods. When inulin is added, as a fat substitute, to a food, the inulin gels slowly, and requires a solid content that is excessive. Additionally, the inulin may be incorporated into certain foods with processing difficulties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,869 teaches a fat mimetic for use in foods which includes a maltodextrin or acid modified starch, a branched chain amylopectin, and, as a texturizing agent, inulin. Microreticulated microcrystalline cellulose is also added to the formulation in order to reduce the sweetness which, the patent teaches, occurs in a non-fat spreadable margarine product and squeezable margarine product which contain inulin at levels above about 23%.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,671 is directed to a reduced fat, oil or sugar food, and drink. The patent teaches using a polyfructan as a substitute for such oils, fats and sugars. The patent also teaches that the polyfructan composition has a creamy taste and texture equivalent to that of fats and oils. The '671 patent teaches a fructose polymer having a beta-2,1 bond as a whole or partial substitute for the fats or oils. The '671 patent also teaches the use of gelation materials, thickening agents, and low calorie sugars.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,512 relates to a fat-replacement ingredient which is an oligofructose such as inulin, irisin and lycorisin. The '512 patent teaches that oligofructoses of the inulin type, are composed mainly of beta-2,1 bonds, and are used as fat or oil substitutes in food production. The '512 patent further teaches that preferred oligofructoses are low calorie polysaccharides of the inulin type.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,556 is directed to a creamy composition which may comprise inulin, a liquid and other components such as salts, carbohydrates, proteins and gums. The creamy composition may be added to a food product as a fat substitute. Instead of being added to a food product as a creamy composition, the composition of the '556 patent may be dried and added to a food product as a dry powder provided the food product is sufficiently liquid to hydrate the dry powder.
“
Use ofinulin as a Natural Texture Modifier
”; R. F. Silva, Cereal Foods World; 41 (10), pages 792-794 (Oct. 1996), discloses that inulin juice is concentrated and spray-dried to yield a powder having 96% of dry matter.
“
Innovative food products with inulin and oligofructose
”; Franck-Frippiat, A.; 1st Orafti Research Conference; pages 182-185 (more than one year ago) discloses the diffusion of inulin in hot water followed by refining and spray-drying.
A product brochure directed to Raftiline® and Raftilose® inulin and oligofructose, published by Orafti, “. . . a daughter company of Raffinerie Tirlemontoise.” (more than one year ago) discloses on page 2 thereof that inulin is extracted from a vegetable source with hot water, purified and spray-dried to a powder. The degree of polymerization of the inulin powder is dependent upon the purification process used prior to spray-drying.
None of the references teach or suggest a fat substitute which comprises inulin and colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose or a process for preparing such a fat substitute.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly, this invention contemplates a composition comprising rod-like colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose particles with lamellar inulin particles.
This invention also contemplates a process for preparing an inulin-colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose composition comprising dissolving or slurrying the inulin in water, adding colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose wet cake to the solution or dispersion, shearing the dispersion of inulin and cellulose to obtain a uniform dispersion, and either forming a paste or spray drying the uniform dispersion having a solids content of at least about 15%.
The spray-dried inulin-colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose compositions of this invention, enhance the performance of the inulin by forming a unique composition of two shapes of particles which are interspersed with one another.
When the composition of this invention is an interspersed composition, the colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose particles cannot be separated from the inulin particles by ordinary physical means such as centrifugation and the like.
An interspersed composition may be prepared by mixing an inulin slurry or solution with a colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose wetcake and subjecting the mixture to shearing or attriting or comilling such as in a colloidal mill.
Shearing involves applying opposing forces to the inulin/colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose wetcake mixture. The opposing forces are close together and application of a shearing force results in a stronger physical attraction or interaction between the inulin particles and the colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose particles.
Attrition is a reduction of the particle size to bring about interspersion.
When the composition is added to a food, as a fat substitute, the addition results in a food which contains a significantly reduced amount of inulin to achieve an improved texture, excellent eating quality, longer shelf life and greater stability than a food which contains inulin alone as received from an inulin manufacturer.
The above benefits are also obtained when the composition is a paste such as will result from adding attrited colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose wetcake to inulin, which may not necessarily have been spray-dried, and shearing the mixture as well as to a composition which is a powder.
In order to achieve all or some of the above benefits, the inventive composition has a number of different aspects:
If inulin, as received from the manufacturer, whether already spray-dried or not, is spray-dried at a solids content of at least 15%, the resultant product, when added to a food may be added to a food in a lesser amount than inulin as received from the manufacturer and will result in an improved viscosity, gel strength, improved texture, good mouthfeel, excellent eating quality, smoothness and the like.
If attrited colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose wetcake is added to spray-dried inulin and the mixture sheared, a paste is formed which has an improved rheology and texture.
If attrited colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose is sheared with inulin as received from the manufacturer a paste may be formed which has an improved texture and rheology.
If colloidal hydrolyzed cellulose wetcake is added to inulin, the mixture sheared, dispersed, homogenized and spray-dried, when the resultant powder is reconstituted in the food or reconstituted prior to addition to the food and used in a food, the food will have an improved texture and rheology.
The particular inventive composition which is used, and its manner of preparation will depend, to a large extent, on the ultimate use of the composition and the type of food with which it is to be used.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Unless specified otherwise, as used in the specification and claims, all percentages given are percent by weight.
The composition of this invention comprises rod-like colloidal
Baker Patrick
Felton Aileen B.
FMC Corporation
Jordan Charles T.
Monroe Bruce M.
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