Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Fermentation processes – Of isolated seed – bean or nut – or material derived therefrom
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-02
2004-03-02
Hendricks, Keith (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Fermentation processes
Of isolated seed, bean or nut, or material derived therefrom
C426S028000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06699517
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to fermented products based on plant raw materials.
It is known to use plant raw materials, in particular cereals, as substitutes or supplements for raw materials of milk origin in the manufacture of fermented food products, with the aim of combining the beneficial properties of these plant products with those of lactic ferments.
For example, application EP 0,622,024 describes a product intended for early childhood feeding, consisting of 95% of yoghurt and 5% of a cereals meal mixture (oats, rice and wheat) and of soy extract, pasteurized beforehand and then fermented with
Bifidobacterium infantis
and optionally
Streptococcus thermophilus
, to a pH of about 4.6 to 4.7. It is indicated that this fermented supplement improves the nutritional value and the digestibility of the yoghurt, while providing nutrients which are essential for the growth of young children in a directly assimilable form, and that, in addition, the presence of the soy extract promotes the fermentative activity of
Bifidobacterium infantis
, and improves its viability. However, this document gives no precise information on the storage life of the fermented supplement or on that of the finished product (supplement+yoghurt), or on the effective rate of survival of the bacteria in the fermented supplement or in the final product.
Application EP 0,568,530 describes a product prepared from oat bran, mixed with water and gelatinized by a heat treatment at 100° C. for 20 min, and then fermented with lactic acid bacteria. The final product obtained is rich in fibre (&bgr;-glucans), obtained from the oat bran, and contains live lactobacilli (10
5
to 10
8
CFU/g). This document also indicates that the product obtained can be stored for more than 2 weeks; the lactic acid content increases during storage.
Application EP 0,415,941 describes a liquid product intended for enteral feeding by tube, or for the preparation of a health drink. This product is prepared from oat flour hydrolysed with an &agr;-amylase and a &bgr;-glucanase, optionally supplemented with soy flour in order to supplement it with proteins and fats, and then fermented by lactobacilli, in particular
Lactobacillus reuterii
. The liquid product obtained contains viable lactobacilli, and preserves its properties for about 8 days.
The main problem posed in the manufacture of this type of product is to reconcile, during the manufacture, packaging and storage, the longest possible survival of the lactic ferments, and the preservation of the organoleptic qualities of the product. For example, the post-acidification described in application EP 0,568,530, which reflects the viability of the lactobacilli, can constitute a disadvantage insofar as it causes a modification of the taste of the product, which modification is not necessarily liked by consumers.
The aim of the present invention is the production of food products based on raw materials of plant origin fermented by lactic acid bacteria, which are capable of preserving, after packaging and storage, both a high level of viability of the lactic ferments, and intact organoleptic qualities.
The inventors have observed that some lactic ferments, such as
Streptococcus thermophilus
, exhibit, when they are used to ferment raw materials of plant origin, a reduced post-acidification while retaining sufficient growth and viability. These ferments are therefore particularly suitable for the production of food products possessing the above-defined properties. The inventors have also observed that the use, as raw material of plant origin, of a mixture based on soy milk and a cereal hydrolysate by at least one amylase, and/or almond milk, provided a substrate which is particularly favourable for good growth of these ferments, and made it possible to carry out the fermentation under optimum conditions.
The subject of the present invention is a method for producing a food product by lactic acid fermentation of raw materials of plant origin, which method is characterized in that it comprises:
the preparation of a mixture comprising:
a) soy milk, and
b) a hydrolysate of at least one cereal by at least one amylase, and/or almond milk,
the fermentation of the mixture with a lactic ferment comprising at least one strain of
Streptococcus thermophilus.
Soy milk which can be used for carrying out the method in accordance with the present invention is for example the preparation known by the name of “tonyu” obtained from whole soy beans, and which is the subject of an AFNOR standard (NF V 29-001). Briefly, to obtain the tonyu, the soy beans are shelled and then mixed with water and ground in the hot state (>85° C.). The ground product is separated after settling out so as to separate the solid residue, called “okara”, from the soy milk which constitutes the tonyu. The tonyu is then sterilized and then cooled to 40° C.
The cereal hydrolysate used to carry out the method in accordance with the present invention is obtained, for example, from a flour or from cereal flakes, which are hydrolysed, in a manner known per se, with at least one amylase, preferably with a &bgr;-amylase and an &agr;-amylase. If it is desired to obtain a final product rich in fibres, it is possible to use a hydrolysate obtained from whole cereal flakes or flour. It is possible to advantageously use a rice, barley, wheat or oat hydrolysate, or a mixture thereof. In particular, the use of an oat hydrolysate makes it possible to obtain a product with a higher &bgr;-glucan content. By way of example, an oat hydrolysate which can be used in the context of the present invention is described in application PCT WO 95/07628.
For the sake of convenience, the cereal hydrolysate may be provided in powdered form; it is possible, in this case, to either add it directly to the soy milk, or to reconstitute, prior to the mixing with the soy milk, a liquid hydrolysate (also called hereinafter “hydrolysed cereal juice”), preferably comprising between 5 and 20% by weight of dry matter, by the addition of an appropriate quantity of water.
All or some of the hydrolysed cereal juice may be replaced with almond milk.
The use of the soy milk/constituent b) mixture ensures excellent fermentation conditions which allow the formation of a regular network between the molecules of the various constituents of the product, and confer on it a smooth and homogeneous texture.
Advantageously, to obtain a final product which is optimal both from the point of view of the organoleptic qualities and of the texture, the soy milk/constituent b) mixture comprises between 2.5% and 9%, and preferably about 5% (by weight) of dry matter obtained from the soy milk. The latter proportions give a raw material having contents of macronutrients (proteins, lipids and carbohydrates) which are equivalent to those of semi-skimmed milk.
If desired, it is possible to add to the mixture texturing agents, among those conventionally used in the manufacture of food products, in particular fermented dairy products. For example, starch may be used, in proportions of 2 to 3% by weight.
It is also possible to add one or more antioxidants, for example vitamin E, in order to prevent the oxidation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids present in the raw materials. If it is desired to increase the fibre content of the product, it is also possible to add, at this stage, dietary fibres, for example fructooligosaccharides (FOS).
After incorporation of the various constituents, the mixture is kept stirring (in general for 30 min to 1 hour), in order to rehydrate the components provided in solid form, and then sterilized (for example 130° C. for 2 to 20 s). It is possible to replace the sterilization step by a pasteurization heat treatment (for example at 95° C., for 5 min to 10 min) or by ultrahigh-temperature sterilization by direct injection of steam into the product (for example at 135° C., for 3 s).
Prior to the inoculation with the lactic ferments, the mixture is cooled to a temperature of about 25° C. to 45° C.
It is then inoculated with an inoculum of lactic acid bacteria, at an initial bact
Boufassa Corinne
Tourancheau Myriam
Compagnie Gervais Danone
Hendricks Keith
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
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