Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Dormant ferment containing product – or live microorganism...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-15
2003-04-08
Hendricks, Keith (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Dormant ferment containing product, or live microorganism...
C424S093450
Reexamination Certificate
active
06544568
ABSTRACT:
The present invention generally relates to a functional food/health food which comprises both a probiotic and a prebiotic component, to intermediates thereof, to a method for its production and to its use.
Probiotics are live microbial food supplements which beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance. Nowadays, a number of different bacteria are used as probiotics. In human foods, the bacteria are mainly incorporated into fermented milk products such as yogurts. To be effective, a probiotic must survive for the lifetime of the product. This is why the majority of probiotic food products, like fermented milk products, have a short shelf life.
Prebiotics are non-living, non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria, including probiotic bacteria, in the colon, with the effect of improving the host's health.
The present invention foresees a functional food/health food with a long shelf life at non-refrigerated temperatures which comprises both probiotics and prebiotics (also referred to herein as “symbiotic”). What is claimed is a baked good comprising a non-baked fat-based composition and a baked part, characterised in that the fat-based composition is essentially water-free and comprises live lyophilized lactic bacteria and in that the baked part comprises one or more non-digestible fibre-like substances.
One of the advantages of the baked good of the invention is that the non-digestible fibre-like substance is added to the baked part. This allows an effective amount of non-digestible fibre-like substance to be added to the product without technical problems such as problems with the texture of the fat-based composition and without unduly influencing the taste and appearance of the product. An effective amount of non-digestible fibre-like substance is an amount which provides the desired fibre-like function in the body, i.e. a daily dosage of 2 to 15 g of non-digestible fibre-like substance.
To show good survivability in the baked good, the bacteria are lyophilized and formulated into an essentially water-free environment. Preferably the water activity (A
w
) of the fat-based composition is less than 0.6, particularly preferred it is in the range of 0.2 to 0.6, more particularly preferred it is between 0.35 and 0.45.
It was found by the present inventors that shortenings with a melting point higher than 30° C. are optimal carriers of lactic bacteria, when long term storage at non-refrigerated temperatures is required. In particular it has been found that, even though an initial loss of viability of a factor of 100 is found, following the initial loss, a stabilization of the viability of the bacteria is achieved, even at temperatures exceeding 30° C. Accordingly, the fat-based composition comprises preferably a type of shortening with a melting point higher than 30° C. Examples of such shortenings are palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, peanut butter or other vegetable butters, butter, margarine, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and/or vegetable oils, alone or mixed, whereby palm oil is preferred.
Typically, the fat-based composition contains 10 to 40 wt % of shortening, preferably 25 to 35 wt % based on the total weight of the fat-based composition.
Suitable lactic bacteria are selected from the genera Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus, whereby they are preferably employed in form of a mix of more than one lactic bacteria type. Preferred lactic bacteria belong to the species
Streptococcus thermophilus
and/or
Lactobacillus acidophilus
. Preferably, at least one member of each of these two species is used in the fat-based composition of the invention. Members of the species
Streptococcus thermophilus
and
Lactobacillus acidophilus
are particularly resistant against hydrochloric acid, which is an indication for good survival in the stomach. Particularly preferred lactic bacteria according to the invention are the strains
Streptococcus thermophilus
ATCC 19258 and
Lactobacillus acidophilus
ATCC 314 (ATCC—American Type Culture Collection, 12301 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, Md. 20852, USA). Other lactic bacteria strains which can be used according to the invention include
Bifidobacterium longum
ATCC 15707
, Lactobacillus casei
ATCC 25180
, Bifidobacterium bifidum
ATCC 11863
, Bifidobacterium infantis
ATCC 15697
, Lactobacillus plantarum
ATCC 8014 and
Lactobacillus delbrueckii
subsp.
bulgaricus
ATCC 7994.
Typically, the fat-based composition contains 1 to 10 wt % of lyophilized bacteria, preferably 4 to 6 wt % based on the total weight of the fat-based composition. The concentration of lactic bacteria typically lies in the range of 10
6
to 10
12
CFUs/g of fat-based composition, preferably it lies in the range of 10
7
to 0.5×10
12
, more preferably in the range of 10
9
to 10
11
, particularly preferred in the range of 0.5×10
10
to 1.5×10
10
CFUs/g, more particularly preferred is about 10
10
CFUs/g.
The fat-based composition typically contains of one or more of the following ingredients in addition to the lactic bacteria and the shortening:
sucrose, dextrose, fructose, dried honey, dried fruits sugars, oligosaccharides, vegetable fibers, full cream or skimmed milk powder, milk proteins, vegetable starch, flour or protein, cocoa powder, nuts, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, lecithin, salt, flavors, colors.
Preferably, the fat-based composition contains 50 to 89 wt % of one or more of the additional ingredients listed in the previous paragraph, particularly 59 to 71 wt % based on the total weight of the fat-based composition.
The fat-based composition may be a filling and/or a coating of the baked part. Preferably it is a filling.
A preferred fat-based composition comprises in addition to the lactic bacteria as set out above sugar, palm oil, skim milk powder and a flavoring agent.
The baked good according to the invention may be a cream sandwich biscuit, a tartlet or pastry, etc. Preferably it is a cream sandwich biscuit.
Suitable non-digestible fibre-like substances include oligosaccharides such as fructo-oligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides, soy-oligosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides and isomalto-oligosaccharides, whereby fructo-oligosaccharides (with less than 5 sugars) and/or xylo-oligosaccharides are preferred.
Typically, the baked part contains 10 to 30 wt % of non-digestible fibre-like substances, preferably 15 to 25 wt % based on the total weight of the baked part.
Apart from the non-digestible fibre-like substances the baked part typically comprises one or more of the following ingredients: wheat flour, vegetable starch, flour or protein, shortening, sugars, full cream or skimmed milk powders, milk protein, leavening agents, salt, flavours, fruits, cocoa, chocolate, nuts, water, etc.
Typically, the baked part contains 70 to 90 wt % of one or more of the additional ingredients set out in the preceding paragraph, preferably 75 to 85 wt % based on the total weight of the baked part.
The weight ratio in the baked good of the invention of the baked part to the fat-based composition lies typically between 9:1 to 6:4, preferably 8:2 to 6:3.
The baked good of the invention provides a daily dosage of 2 to 15 g, preferably 3 to 10 g, particularly preferred about 5 g of the non-digestible fibre-like substance. The daily ration of lactic bacteria is from of 5×10
8
to 1×10
12
CFU (colony forming units), preferably 1×10
9
to 5×10
11
CFU, particularly preferred about 10
11
CFU of lactic bacteria.
The baked good of the invention preferably has a shelf life of at least six months at room temperature (18-22° C.). Unlike known products containing lactic bacteria, the baked good of the invention does not need to be stored refrigerated.
The invention further provides a fat-based composition comprising live lyophilized lactic bacteria in a concentration of 10
6
to 10
12
, preferably 10
7
to 0.5×10
12
, more
De Simone Claudio
La Droitte Philippe
Hendricks Keith
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
VSL Pharmaceuticals Inc.
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