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
1999-12-17
2002-03-26
Weier, Anthony J. (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,...
C426S601000, C426S611000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06361817
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention has to do with reduced calorie nut butter compositions. More particularly, the invention relates to peanut spreads which are prepared by employing certain fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin compositions as a roasting medium and otherwise. The compositions of the invention have the flavor, texture and organoleptic character of full-calorie nut butter products. The compositions do not exhibit undesirable gastrointestinal side effects such as intolerance and passive leakage through the anal sphincter. Additionally, the nut butter products do not require stabilizers which are necessary for conventional peanut butters, and reduced calorie nut butter compositions known in the art.
2. Description of the Related Art
Peanut butter is a high protein nutritious food but its consumption is believed to be limited by segments of the population who are reducing their caloric intake. Peanut spreads having reduced calories are desirable to consumers but it has been difficult for formulators to maintain the flavor, texture and organoleptic character of full-calorie nut butter products.
European Patent Application No. 89 201590.0 describes a reduced calorie peanut butter made by replacing at least 10% by weight of the peanut oil with medium chain triglycerides. The texture and viscosity are said to be on parity with a full fat peanut butter, but there is little fat or caloric reduction because medium chain triglycerides contain about 90% of the calories of peanut oil triglycerides (8-9 calories per gram).
A reduced calorie nut butter paste is made according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,192 by combining a partially defatted nut flour with a low calorie triglyceride, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,197. The textural quality of this product is said to be on parity with a full fat ground nut paste which is not representative of a full fat peanut butter. Stabilizers, such as vegetable oils with polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, may be present in this nut butter product. The caloric reduction attained with this nut butter product would be minimal because the only ingredient replaced is a 9 calories per gram peanut oil and the triglyceride oil used as a replacement has 5 calories per gram. Thus, the beneficial calorie reduction of the invention is not demonstrated in the reduced calorie nut butter paste made according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,192.
Nut butter products comprising low and zero calorie oils such as sucrose polyesters of long chain fatty acids, polyol polyesters of fatty acids and mixed triglycerides made from medium and long chain saturated and/or unsaturated fatty acids as an oil component are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,919. These nut butter compositions, generally, require stabilizers, and/or crystal modifiers.
Conventional nut butters and other nut butter compositions known in the art generally require stabilizers, which are usually triglycerides that are solid at room temperature. Examples of stabilizers customarily used with peanut butters are hydrogenated rapeseed oil, or other hydrogenated triglycerides having a high proportion of C
20
and C
22
fatty acids. Stabilizers solidify the nut butter in specific crystalline states and keeps the oil from separating from the composition. Separation of oil from the composition affects the organoleptic properties of the nut butter and has a negative impact on the marketability of nut butter compositions. Thus, in conventional nut butters and other known nut butter compositions, stabilizers are necessary, however, the need for stabilizers results in added costs to make the composition, additional process steps and additional caloric content of the nut butter compositions.
Reduced calorie food compositions containing fat-type organoleptic ingredients are known wherein an esterified epoxide-extended polyol is employed as a full or partial replacement for vegetable oils and fats. Fat substitutes of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,613 to White et al. (referred to herein as “White” and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). However, suitable substances of this type and methods of using them have not previously been identified for use in nut butter compositions.
Applications of the assignee of the invention involving the replacement of conventional fat in comestible products with fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin compositions are currently pending. These applications involve the use of fatty-acid esterified propoxylated glycerin compositions in milk products, Reduced Calorie Reconstituted Milk and Milk Products, Ser. No. 08/572,277 filed on Dec. 13, 1995 and spoonable dressings, Freezable Low-Calorie Spoonable Dressings and Method for Their Production, Ser. No. 09/262,221, filed on Mar. 4, 1999.
Applicants now have found means to identify and employ certain fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin compositions for use as a roasting medium, or otherwise, to prepare nut butters having reduced calories, excellent flavor, texture and organoleptic characteristics and which still provide high protein and nutrition. In addition, these nut butters possess the desirable characteristic that stabilizers are unnecessary in their formulation as a result of the properties resulting from the selection of a fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin composition. The fat component of these compositions do not separate, thus no stabilizers are necessary, and thereby allowing for further calorie reduction. The reduced calorie content resulting from the absence of stabilizers in the composition is in addition to the significant calorie reduction achieved through use of the fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin compositions.
While the present specification makes reference to nut butters and specifically to peanuts and peanut spreads, it is understood that the principles of the invention apply to nuts and seeds other than peanuts, such as cashews, almonds, walnuts, filberts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and the like. All percentages and ratios set forth herein are on a weight/weight basis unless specifically designated otherwise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A reduced calorie nut butter, particularly a peanut spread, having up to about 40% reduced calorie content, compared to conventional nut butter compositions, is produced by using defatted or partially defatted nuts and/or nut flour in a fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin composition. The content of the fatty acid -esterified propoxylated glycerin composition in the reduced calorie nut butter is up to about 30%, ideally from about 15% to about 30%, of the total composition. The caloric reduction is approximately equal to the 9 calories per gram content of fats used in conventional nut butters that are replaced by the fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin. The nut butter also comprises natural and/or artificial sweeteners, carbohydrate solids, salt, flavorants and other additives such as nut chunks and flavored candies and bits. The nut butter, however, neither requires nor contains stabilizers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin compositions (sometimes referred to herein as “EPG” in the singular form and as “EPGs” in the plural form) are made by incorporating propylene oxide (sometimes referred to herein as “oxypropylene” or “PO”) groups into a typical triglyceride fat as described in White. The average number of PO groups which are incorporated into a triglyceride is called the propoxylation number. The melting point and other characteristics of the composition can be modified by varying the number of oxypropylene groups, the fatty acid carbon chain length and the level of unsaturation.
It is discovered that EPG compositions having an iodine value less than or equal to about 10 and an average number of fatty acid acyl group carbons per number of PO groups (referred to herein as the “FACN:PO Ratio”) of between about 7 to about 15, more preferably between about 9 and about 13 and m
Golebiowski Jacenty W.
Sekula Bernard Charles
BestFoods
Norris & McLaughlin & Marcus
Weier Anthony J.
LandOfFree
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