WO2024061625A1

WO2024061625A1 - Oil-in-water emulsified food composition comprising beetroot juice

Info

Publication number: WO2024061625A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/074415
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christiaan Michaël BEINDORFF; Alessia ERMACORA; Donaldus Wilhelmus Hendricus MERKX
Original assignee: Unilever Ip Holdings B.V.; Conopco, Inc., D/B/A Unilever
Priority date: 2022-09-23
Filing date: 2023-09-06
Publication date: 2024-03-28

Abstract

Oil-in-water emulsified food composition comprising vegetable oil, water, emulsifier, juice from red beetroot having a level of betanin below 0.01 wt%, wherein the food composition has a pH of from 2 to 5.

Description

OIL-IN-WATER EMULSIFIED FOOD COMPOSITION COMPRISING BEETROOT JUICE

The present invention relates to an oil-in-water emulsified food composition, a process of making the food composition and to the use of beetroot juice to reduce oil oxidation in a water- in-oil-emulsified food composition.

Background

Oil-in-water emulsified food compositions are popular as sauces such as salad dressings, mayonnaises and mayonnaise-like variants that comprise for example a low oil level or an emulsifier different than egg yolk. Such compositions are homogenous mixtures of oil droplets in a continuous water phase, wherein an emulsifier, often egg yolk, prevents the oil droplets from coalescing. Coalescence of oil droplets results in phase separation of the emulsion, referred to as instability of the emulsions. Such oil-in-water emulsified compositions may comprise low or high levels of oil, up to levels of 85wt%.

A problem observed in these oil-in-water emulsified food compositions is oxidation of the oil. Addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a known remedy against this oxidation, but its presence is not desired by many consumers, who desire a product with as few as ‘chemical’ ingredients as possible and prefer reduction or even absence of EDTA.

Oil oxidation is a phenomenon that is not well understood. Although several compounds have been described as ‘anti-oxidants’ in the literature, the effectiveness of such an ‘antioxidant’ appears to depend heavily on the environment wherein it is present and the material that needs to be protected against oxidation. For example, a compound used in in vivo situations, as a or food supplement, to reduce for example the impact of free radicals on sub-cellular molecules and structures to reduce the risk of cancer, is not automatically effective as antioxidant in a mayonnaise to reduce the oxidation of vegetable oil. In this context, reference is made to a review paper of Ghorbani Gorji et al., Trends in Food Science & Technology 56 (2016) 88-102) wherein for example the well-known antioxidant vitamin c is indicated as having no effect on reduction of oil oxidation in mayonnaise, because the oil is present in an emulsion with water. In fact, the specific emulsion environment renders it a pro-oxidant. Also, the pH of the composition appears to influence the effectivity of potential anti-oxidant compounds. The risk and impact of oil oxidation may in particular be pronounced in industrially prepared oil-in-water emulsions, because of the very small droplet size of below 10 micron and the concomitant high surface area. It therefore remains an unpredictable approach to find a suitable antioxidant compound that can replace as much as possible of the EDTA in oil-in- water emulsified compositions, such as dressings like mayonnaise.

An additional complication in this respect is that the desired oil-in-water emulsions typically have a light color, for example light yellow to off-white or white, to resemble the color of traditional dressing compositions such as mayonnaise. The influence of the antioxidantproviding ingredients on the color of the oil-in-water emulsion therefore should be as little as possible, and preferably not noticeable by the human eye, compared to an equivalent composition using EDTA. In addition, the mouthfeel of the dressing, preferably the mayonnaise, preferably is not affected, and the oil in water emulsion preferably has a smooth, e.g. not a sandy or grainy, texture, similar to that of a traditional dressings emulsion, such as mayonnaise. The compositions of the present invention preferably do not show a specific off- taste as a consequence of the use of the anti-oxidant-providing ingredient.

The prior art describes attempts to reduce or replace EDTA in mayonnaise.

WO2018/189709 describes the use of reduced grape juice, including grape balsamic vinegar, as antioxidant ingredient, to reduce the level of EDTA in oil-in-water emulsified food compositions.

WO2019/057407 describes oil-in-water emulsions comprising vinegars. It was described that some chemically defined vinegars had high anti-oxidative effect in an oil-in-water emulsified food composition, and could replace EDTA to a significant extent.

WO2019/057474 describes an oil-in-water emulsion that contains apple cider vinegar that meets specific marker compounds. Such vinegars appeared successful in inhibiting oil oxidation in the context of oil-in-water emulsions to a significant extent.

Rykos et al. (2016), Food Science and Human Wellness 5 (2016) 191-198, describes the use of particulate freeze-dried and milled red beetroot material from a heated beetroot, as antioxidant in mayonnaise for 4 weeks at 4 °C. Betalain color compounds are indicated here as the effective anti-oxidative compounds, and a heating regime is applied to protect their integrity. The resulting mayonnaise is coloured purple.

The inventors of the present invention found that the material used in Rykos et al. is in practice not applicable in industrial oil-in-water emulsions, since a smooth mouthfeel is desired and purple off-colour is not acceptable in a commercial mayonnaise. Moreover, an antioxidant effect is desired that is more robust than 4 weeks at 4°C.

Although these documents do describe ingredients with anti-oxidative effect in oil-in-water emulsified food compositions, a need remains for an oil-in-water emulsified food composition wherein the amount of EDTA can be as low as possible, preferably wherein EDTA can be absent, because of the presence of an antioxidant ingredient that is perceived as natural by consumers in the context of an oil-in-water-emulsified food compositions and wherein the colour is similar to the naked eye as the colour of an equivalent emulsion that is stabilised against oxidation with EDTA. Preferably the mouthfeel is similar to that of an equivalent oil in water emulsion using EDTA.

Summary of the invention

Surprisingly, this challenge was met, in a first aspect, by an oil-in water emulsified food composition according to the invention. Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention relates to an oil-in-water emulsified food composition comprising:

• from 3 to 87 wt% of vegetable oil,

• water,

• emulsifier,

• red beetroot juice, wherein the food composition has a pH of from 2 to 5, wherein the amount of betanin is below 0.001 wt%.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a process to provide an oil-in-water emulsion, the process comprising the steps of: a) Providing a mixture comprising

• 3 to 87 wt% of vegetable oil,

• water,

• emulsifier,

• red beetroot juice, having a betanin level of below 0.01 wt%, b) Homogenizing, to result in an oil-in-water emulsion, wherein the food composition has a pH of from 2 to 5. In a further aspect, the present invention relates to the use of red beetroot juice, having a betanin concentration of below 0.01 wt%, to at least partially replace EDTA in an oil-in-water emulsified food composition comprising from 3 to 87 wt% of vegetable oil, preferably to achieve at least 50%, preferably at least 75% of the antioxidative effect as obtained by 75 ppm EDTA in an equivalent composition.

Detailed description of the invention

All percentages, unless otherwise stated, refer to the percentage by weight (wt%).

“Weight ratio” means that the concentration of a first (class of) compound(s) is divided by the concentration of a second (class of) compound(s), and multiplied by 100 in order to arrive at a percentage.

“Spoonable” means that a composition is semi-solid but not free-flowing on a time scale typical for eating a meal, meaning not free-flowing within a time period of an hour. A sample of such substance is able to be dipped with a spoon from a container containing the composition. Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amounts or ratios of material or conditions of reaction, physical properties of materials and/or use are to be understood as modified by the word “about”.

Features described in the context of one aspect of the invention can be applied in another aspect of the invention.

Unless otherwise specified, numerical ranges expressed in the format "from x to y" are understood to include x and y. In specifying any range of values or amounts, any particular upper value or amount can be associated with any particular lower value or amount.

Emulsion

The composition of the invention is in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion. Examples of oil-in- water emulsions encompassed by the present invention include emulsified sauces, such as mayonnaise, and dressings, such as salad dressings and vinaigrettes. Preferably, the food composition is an emulsified sauce or dressing, preferably a mayonnaise or salad dressing and most preferably is a mayonnaise. Generally, a mayonnaise is spoonable, while a salad dressing is pourable.

Mayonnaise is generally known as a thick, creamy sauce that can be used as a condiment with other foods. Mayonnaise is a stable water-continuous emulsion of typically vegetable oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice. In many countries the term mayonnaise may only be used in case the emulsion conforms to the “standard of identity”, which defines the composition of a mayonnaise. For example, the standard of identity may define a minimum oil level, and a minimum egg yolk amount. Mayonnaise-like products, e.g. having oil levels lower than defined in a standard of identity or not containing egg yolk, are considered to be mayonnaises in the context of the present invention. This kind of products may contain thickeners like starch to stabilise the aqueous phase. Mayonnaises may vary in colour, and are generally white, cream-coloured, or pale yellow. The texture may range from light creamy to thick. Generally, mayonnaise is spoonable. In the context of the present invention “mayonnaise” includes such mayonnaise and ‘mayonnaise-like’ emulsions with vegetable oil levels ranging from 5% to 85% by weight of the product. Mayonnaises in the context of the present invention do not necessarily need to conform to a standard of identity in any country.

Oil

The oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to the invention comprises vegetable oil. Vegetable oil is preferably present in an amount of from 5 to 85 wt%, preferably 10 to 85 wt%, preferably of from 13 to 82 wt%, even more preferably of from 65 to 82 wt%, most preferably of from 70 to 80 wt%, based on the weight of the food composition.

Vegetable oil is known in the art, and include oils derived from e.g. plants, such as from for example nuts or seeds from plants. In the context of this invention, ‘vegetable oil’ also includes oil from algae. Preferred oils for use in the context of this invention are vegetable oils which are liquid at 20 °C, preferably, which are liquid at 5°C. Preferably the oil comprises an oil selected from the group consisting of sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil, soybean oil, and combinations of these oils. Most preferred, the oil is soybean oil or rapeseed oil.

Water

The composition of the invention comprises water. The total amount of water in the composition is preferably of from 12 to 95 wt%, preferably of from 14 to 90 wt%. It can be preferred that water is present in a total amount of from 15 to 85 wt%, preferably in an amount of from 15 to 33 wt%, or even more preferably 17 to 25 wt%. Preferably the total amount of water is at least 14 wt%, more preferably at least 15% by weight, even more preferably at least 17%. It may be preferred that the amount of water is at least 20 wt%, e.g. if relatively low oil levels are preferred. Preferably, the concentration of total water is maximally 95 wt%, more preferably at most 90 wt%, even more preferably at most 85 wt%, more preferably at most 33 wt% or more preferred at most 25 wt%. Any combination of ranges using these mentioned end points are considered to be part of the invention as well. “Total amount of water” includes water originating from water-containing ingredients. Emulsifier

Preferably the composition of the invention comprises an oil-in-water emulsifier. The emulsifier is preferably present in an amount of from 0.01 to 15 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 12 wt%, based on the weight of the oil-in-water emulsion. The emulsifier serves to disperse oil droplets in the continuous aqueous phase of an oil-in-water emulsion. The emulsifier preferably has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of from 8 to 15, more preferably of from 10 to 14 and even more preferably of from 11 to 13. The Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) of an emulsifier is a measure of the degree to which it is hydrophilic or lipophilic. The HLB value is a parameter which is describing the solubility of the surfactant. The HLB value is described by Griffin in 1950 as a measure of the hydrophilicity or lipophilicity of nonionic surfactants. It can be determined experimentally by the phenol titration method of Marszall; see "Parfumerie, Kosmetik", Vol. 60, 1979, pp. 444-448; and Rompp, Chemistry Lexicon, 8th Edition 1983, p. 1750.

Preferably the emulsifier comprises an oil-in-water emulsifier originating from egg, preferably from egg yolk. Preferably the composition comprises egg yolk, more preferably is egg yolk. This suitably serves as an ingredient which also provides the oil-in-water emulsifier. The presence of egg yolk may be beneficial for taste, emulsification and/or stability of the oil droplets in the composition of the invention. Egg yolk contains phospholipids, which act as emulsifier for the oil droplets.

Preferably the concentration of egg yolk in the composition of the invention ranges from 1% to 10% by weight of the composition, more preferred from 2% to 8% by weight of the composition, even more preferably from 2.5% to 6% by weight of the composition. The egg yolk may be added as egg yolk component, meaning largely without egg white. Alternatively, the composition may also contain whole egg, containing both egg white and egg yolk. The total amount of egg yolk in the composition of the invention includes egg yolk that may be present as part of whole egg. Preferably the concentration of phospholipids, preferably originating from egg yolk, ranges from 0.08% to 0.8% by weight, preferably from 0.2% to 0.5% by weight of the food composition.

Alternatively, or in addition to the egg-derived emulsifier, the composition of the invention may comprise an oil-in-water emulsifier that does not originate from egg or egg yolk. Such non-egg derived emulsifier may be derived from dairy, such as preferably whey protein or casein. Preferably the oil-in-water emulsifier is from plant or botanical origin, and may be used native or modified. In this way a vegan oil-in-water emulsion can be created without ingredients from animal origin. Preferably the oil-in-water emulsifier comprises starch sodium octenyl succinate (European food additive E1450). This emulsifier is available commercially as for example N-creamer 46, ex Ingredion Inc. (Westchester, IL, USA).

It can also be preferred that the emulsifier is a plant-based emulsifier, such as a plant protein. Preferably plant protein is present in the composition in an amount of from 0.3 to 5 wt%, based on the weight of the composition. Preferably, the amount of plant protein is of between 0.5 and 2.5 wt%, preferably of between 0.7 and 1.5 wt%, based on the weight of the composition. An amount for example may be preferred of more than 0.5 wt%. An amount may be preferred of less than 1.1 wt%, based on the weight of the composition.

The plant protein is preferably selected from the group consisting of pulse protein, oil seed protein, potato protein and mixtures thereof. Preferably the plant protein is pulse or potato protein. Pulse is the family of Fabaceae. Pulse protein is preferably selected from the group consisting of pea protein, lentil protein, chickpea protein, lupin protein, faba bean protein, soy protein and mixtures thereof. Pulse protein is preferably present in a total amount of from 0.01 to 2 wt%, more preferably in an amount of from 0.03 to 1.5 wt%, based on the weight of the oil in water emulsion. More preferably, the plant protein is selected from the group consisting of potato protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, lentil protein, soy protein and mixtures thereof. It can however be preferred that the composition does not comprise soy protein. Preferably pulse protein is selected from the group consisting of pea protein, lentil protein, chickpea protein and mixtures thereof. More preferably the pulse protein is selected from the group consisting of pea protein, lentil protein and mixtures thereof. Most preferred, the pulse protein is pea protein (pisum sativum).

Oil seed protein is preferably selected from the group consisting of rape seed protein, canola protein and mixtures thereof, preferably is rape seed protein.

Even more preferably, the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of pea protein, chickpea protein, lentil protein, egg yolk and mixtures thereof.

The food composition of the invention preferably comprises an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of egg yolk, dairy protein, botanical protein (including plant and algae) and mixtures thereof. More preferably, the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of phospholipid, whey protein, casein, algae protein, legume protein, OSA starch and mixtures thereof. Proteinaceous emulsifier such as whey protein, casein, algae protein, legume protein are preferably present in a total amount of from 0.01 to 2 wt%, more preferably in an amount of from 0.03 to 1.5 wt%, based on the weight of the oil in water emulsion.

Beetroot juice

The food composition of the invention requires the presence of the juice of red beetroot. Juice of beet of the cultivar Conditiva, in particular of red beetroot, having a betanin content of below 0.01 wt%, showed an unexpected capacity to reduce oxidation of vegetable oil droplets in an oil-in-water emulsion. In its untreated form, red beetroot juice is unsuitable to be used in oil in water emulsions without providing a strong off-color. Surprisingly, in the present invention the white/off-white color of an oil-in-water emulsion, like a mayonnaise or mayonnaise-like product is not affected. For example, the emulsion does not color pink or purple, as one perhaps would expect. The mouthfeel is similar to that of a conventional oil-in-water emulsion like a commercial mayonnaise.

Beetroot is one of several cultivated varieties of Beta vulgaris, that includes the Altissima Group (sugar beet), Flavescens Group (Swiss chard), Cicla Group (spinach beet or chard), Conditiva Group (beetroot or garden beet, the root vegetable that is most typically associated with the word 'beet’), Crassa Group (mangelwurzel). The juice applied in the present invention accordingly is juice from the root of red beetroot, i.e. the red beet of the B.vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group, also known as subsp. ruba. Red beetroot is a well-known plant, and the root of the plant, which is typically colored dark red, is commonly used as a vegetable. In the present invention, beetroot juice refers to juice extracted from the root of the red beetroot of the B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group. Red beetroot is to be distinguished from the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. Altissima). Sugar beet is a common source for preparing sugar and is not the beetroot that is used in the present invention. Sugar, e.g. as refined from sugar beets, can be fermented into alcohol, which in turn can be fermented into vinegar. Such vinegar is well-known as spirit vinegar.

A compound typically found in beets (Beta vulgaris family) (e.g. red beetroot) is betaine (trimethylglycine). It therefore typically can be found in beet juice, such as from beetroot (B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group). Accordingly, the concentration of betain in the beetroot juice used in this invention is preferably higher than 0.5 mg/g., preferably 0.5 to 3.5 mg/g and more preferably of between 0.9 and 3.5 mg/g, based on the weight of the red beetroot juice. The concentration of betaine in the emulsified food composition (i.e. based on weight of the food composition) is preferably higher than 0.003 mg/g. preferably higher than 0.005 mg/g, more preferably higher than 0.008 mg/g, and even more preferably higher than 0.01 mg/g. The concentration in the food composition is preferably lower than 0.7 mg/g, more preferably lower than 0.4 mg/g, even more preferably lower than 0.2 mg/g. The concentration in the food composition is preferably of between 0.003 and 0.7 mg/g, more preferably of between 0.005 and 0.4 mg/g, and most preferably of between 0.01 and 0.2 mg/g. The juice preferably comprises DNA of beet of B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group. The emulsified food composition preferably comprises DNA of beet of B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group preferably of red beetroot.

The use of red beetroot having anti-oxidant properties in mayonnaise is known. For example, a mayonnaise has been described comprising beetroot material that was obtained after heating of the beetroot, followed by freeze-drying the red beetroot and milling it. Such compositions were show to provide a purple off-color and described as having a sandy mouthfeel. This makes such material not suitable to be exploited commercially in an oil-in- water emulsified food composition such as a mayonnaise. In addition, the process to obtain this material is not commercially feasible, as it includes freeze-drying which is energy intensive and costly.

In the present invention, it was surprisingly found that a juice prepared from red beetroot wherein the juice is heated did not provide a pink or purple off-color upon application in an oil- in-water emulsion, but surprisingly showed an unexpected capacity to significantly reduce oxidation of vegetable oil droplets in the oil-in-water emulsion, even at an oil droplet size D3,3 of below 10 micron, as industrially applied. In this manner an industrially manufactured oil-in- water emulsion could be provided that was both unaffected in color compared to an equivalent composition not comprising the beetroot juice but comprising EDTA, while still providing a shelf live stability of preferably at least 6 months at room temperature, and a mouthfeel similar to conventional equivalent emulsions.

Color

As set out above, it is desired that the antioxidant providing ingredient, i.e. the red beetroot juice as applied in the composition according to the invention, does not provide an off-color, such as a pink or purple color or hue, to the oil-in-water emulsion, preferably as judged by the naked eye. Color can be measured as known in the art according to a CIE L*a*b* scale. In particular, compositions are preferred having a L*a*b* color value of the beetroot juice, wherein the L* value of the red beetroot juice is higher than 0, preferably from 0 to 65, more preferably is from 2 to 45. The b* value is preferably more than 0, preferably of from 0 to 65, even more preferably of from 2 to 45. Such L* values and b* values, preferably the combination of such L* and b* values of the red beetroot juice provide food compositions according to the invention, especially mayonnaise compositions, which most resemble, with respect to color, the food compositions without the red beetroot juice. The a* value is preferably more than 0, preferably from 5 to 45 and more preferably of from 10 to 40.

L* for oil-in-water emulsions according to the invention is preferably of from 50 to 95, preferably of from 70 to 95, even more preferably of from 80 to 95, most preferably of from 85 to 95. The difference in color AE between the color of a composition with and without the red beetroot juice is calculated as follows AE* = SQRT(AL.*² + Aa*² + Ab*²). The difference in color AE between a composition with and without the red beetroot juice, calculated as AE* = SQRT(AL*² + Aa*² + Ab*²) is preferably of from 0 to 10 and most preferably of from 0 to 7. A value of from 1 to 6 may be preferred. These maximum differences in color AE are especially desired and preferred if the product is a mayonnaise or a salad dressing but are not limited to these types of food product.

When red beetroot juice is extracted from the red beetroot, the liquid has a characteristic dark red color. The red color in beetroot is caused by betalains, a group of color compounds that includes for example betacyanins, of which betanin is an example and can function as a proxy. In the present invention, their presence is not desired, as this provides an off-color, e.g. purple or pink color to the oil-in-water emulsion. Surprisingly, it was found by the inventors, that by heating the beetroot juice, the red color disappeared to such an extent, that it could be used as an antioxidant in oil-in-water emulsified food compositions. Indeed, beetroot juice as such is not suitable and provides significant pink off-color to an oil-in-water emulsion. Accordingly, the amount of betanin in the beetroot juice is preferably below 0.01 wt%, e.g. from 0 to 0.01 wt%, preferably below 0.005 wt%, e.g. from 0 to 0.005 wt%, based on the weight of the beetroot juice, preferably betanin is absent (0 wt%). The concentration of betanin in the oil-in-water emulsion is below 0.001 wt%, e.g. from 0 to 0.001 wt%, more preferably below 0.0005 wt%, e.g. from 0 to 0.0005 wt%, even more preferably below 0.0001 wt%, e.g. from 0 to 0.0001 wt%, and preferably betanin is absent (0 wt%), based on the weight of the composition.

Amount

The oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to the invention preferably comprises from 0.5 to 20 wt% of beetroot juice i.e. prepared from root of B.vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group. Preferably, the emulsion comprises from 0.5 to 10 wt%, even more preferably of from 0.8 to 5 wt%, even more preferably of from 1 to 3 wt%, based on the weight of the oil-in-water emulsion. The beetroot juice is preferably not concentrated. Increased sugar levels may possibly affect the color during heating.

Acid and pH

Preferably the composition of the invention has a total titratable acidity ranging from 0.03% to 3% by weight expressed as acetic acid, preferably from 0.05% to 2% by weight, preferably from 0.1% to 1% by weight. Acetic acid is preferably present in an amount of more than 50 wt%, more preferably more than 80 wt%, even more preferably more than 90 wt%, even more preferably more than 95 wt% based on the weight of the total amount of acid in the composition.

In case a concentration of an acid is provided, then this concentration refers to total concentration of the acid and its corresponding salt.

Amounts of the mentioned compounds such as betaine, betanin, can for example be determined by NMR analysis, as known in the art, and specified in the example section herein.

Other ingredients

Typically, and as preferred in this invention, the red beetroot juice does not comprise waterinsoluble particulates. Such particulates may provide a sandy mouthfeel which is not desired. It may be preferred that beetroot juice is free from particles with a size of higher than 500 micron, preferably free from particles with a size of higher than 200 micron, more preferably free from particles with a size of higher than 100 micron, even more preferably free from particles with a size of higher than 50 micron, even more preferably free from particles with a size of higher than 10 micron. Preferably, the emulsified composition of the invention is free from such beetroot originating particles. It may also be preferred, that the composition of the invention contains additionally other ingredients than already specifically mentioned in here. For example, it may be preferred, that the composition contains plant material in the form of herbs and/or spices. In case such ingredients are present in the composition, then generally their total concentration is at least 0.1% by weight, and preferably maximally 10% by weight, preferably maximally 5% by weight.

The composition of the invention may comprise sugar. High levels are not desired. Sugar may be present in an amount of from 0.1 to 15 wt%, preferably of from 0.3 to 12 wt%, even more preferably of from 0.4 to 10 wt%, most preferably of from 0.5 to 8 wt%, based on the weight of the composition.

Total alkaline metal salt, preferably sodium chloride, may be present in an amount of from 0.1 to 5 wt%, preferably from 0.15 to 4 wt%, or more preferably of from 0.2 to 3 wt%, based on the weight of the composition.

The food composition of the invention may comprise a thickener. It may be preferred that the food composition comprises a thickener such as a hydrocolloid thickener. Therefore, the food composition may preferably comprise starch or gum or mixtures thereof. A preferred gum is xanthan gum. The composition may comprise starch (not being OSA starch) in an amount of from 0.1 to 8 wt%, preferably of from 0.2 to 7 wt%, more preferably of from 0.5 to 6 wt%, or even from 0.5 to 5 wt% can be preferred, based on the weight of the food product. It is preferred, that when starch or gum is present, the oil content is between 5 and 72 wt%, preferably of between 8 and 70 wt%, preferably of between 10 and 60 wt% based on the weight of the food product.

The amount of EDTA which commonly is present in oil-in-water emulsified compositions can be strongly reduced in compositions according to the invention. Hence, preferably the composition comprises EDTA at a concentration lower than 0.008 wt%, preferably from 0 to 0.007 % by weight, preferably lower than 0.005% by weight, preferably from 0 to 0.005 wt%, preferably lower than 0.002% by weight, preferably from 0 to 0.002 wt% preferably lower than 0.001% by weight, preferably from 0 to 0.001 wt% of the composition. Most preferred EDTA is absent from the composition.

The composition may comprise mustard, e.g. as a flavour compound. Mustard may be present for example in an amount of from 0.5 to 10 wt%, more preferably 1 to 9 wt%, even more preferably 2 to 8 wt%, even more preferably of from 3 to 7 wt%. Accordingly, it may be preferred that the food product of the invention comprises allyl isothiocyanate (AITC).

The rheological properties of the composition can be expressed in Stevens Value (in grams) and/or as elastic property. The Stevens Value (in grams), the consistency, is preferably of between 10 and 400 g, even more preferred between 50 g and 400 g, more preferably of between 100 and 200g, and even more preferably of between 100 g and 150 g, as measured at 20 °C. Especially for mayonnaise and mayonnaise -like compositions, the Steven value is preferably from 50 to 400 g, preferably of from 50 to 200, even more preferably 100 to 200 g, or even 100 to 150 g, as measured at 20 °C. This is preferably assessed some time, e.g. a week, or 2 weeks, after production, when products are stabilized and typically on the shelf.

The consistency of the composition of the invention is preferably a consistency which is recognised by the consumer as the consistency of a mayonnaise, a sauce or of a salad dressing, preferably of a mayonnaise or a salad dressing, most preferably of a mayonnaise. The consistency of the compositions of the present invention can be described by their storage modulus G', measured at 1 Hz and 20°C, which is preferably within the range of 100- 3500 Pa, more preferably in the range of 300-2000 Pa, most preferably in the range of 400- 1500 Pa.

Process

The compositions of the invention can be prepared by any method commonly known for industrially preparing oil-in-water emulsions. Preferably, by using such method, an oil-in-water emulsion is prepared, wherein the oil droplets have a surface weighted mean diameter D3,3 of less than 10 micrometer (see M. Alderliesten, Particle & Particle Systems Characterization 8 (1991) 237-241 ; for definitions of average diameters). The droplet size can be measured for example with the technique of Van Duynhoven Eur. J. Lipid Sci Technol. 109, 2007, p 1095- 1103.

Accordingly, in a second aspect the present invention provides a method for making an emulsified food composition according to the first aspect of the invention. Preferred compounds and amounts indicated in the first aspect of the invention apply for this aspect as well. The method comprises the steps of: a) Providing a mixture comprising:

• vegetable oil,

• water,

• juice from red beetroot, wherein the concentration of betanin is below 0.01 wt%, b) Homogenizing to result in an oil-in-water emulsion.

In the context of the second aspect of the invention, water is preferably added (i.e. as ingredient) in step b) of the process in an amount of from 6 to 94 wt%, preferably of from 6 to 90 wt%, based on the weight of the resulting food composition. It can be preferred that water is added in a total amount of from 6 to 85 wt%, preferably in an amount of from 7 to 33 wt%, even more preferably of from 8 to 25 wt%, or even of from 8 to 20 wt%. Preferably the amount of added water is at least 6 wt%, more preferably at least 7% by weight, even more preferably at least 8%. It may be even preferably that the amount is at least 10 wt%, e.g. in case of relatively lower oil products. Preferably the amount of water added is maximally 95 wt%, more preferably at most 90 wt%, even more preferably at most 85 wt%, more preferably at most 80 wt%, even more preferably at most 33 wt%, and more preferably at most 25 wt%, based on the weight of the resulting food composition. It may be preferred that the water is added in an amount of at most 20 wt%. Any combination of ranges using these mentioned end points are considered to be part of the invention as well.

Acid can be added to the composition as such or, preferably, in the form of vinegar. Vinegar is preferably added, and preferably present in the composition, in an amount of from 1 to 20 wt%, based on the weight of the composition.

It may be preferred, that the process comprises the steps of preparing an oil phase, comprising the vegetable oil and the emulsifier and the preparation of a water phase, comprising water. The beetroot juice can preferably be added to the water phase. As described above, the amount of beetroot juice added is preferably of from 0.5 to 20, more preferably of from 0.5 to 10 wt% and most preferably of from 0.9 to 5 wt%, based on the weight of the resulting composition. In case the juice would be added in dried, e.g. spray dried, form, the skilled person understands that the amounts are to be re-calculated to compensate for the water. Amounts on dry wt. however can be preferably 0.1 to 5, preferably 0.15 to 4, even more preferably 0.2 to 3 even more preferably 0.25 to 2 wt% based on the wt of the composition. Vinegar, if used, is preferably added to the water phase as well.

The red beetroot juice as used in the invention is suitably produced by cleaning and peeling the roots of red beetroot, comminuting them, removing the juice from the preferably comminuted root by a process that preferably involves pressing or centrifuging, as known in the art. The resulting juice may be filtered or sieved to remove any sand or plant particles, as conventional in juice production. Red beetroot juice can be commercially purchased, e.g. from Ertebrand, Germany.

The red beetroot juice according to the invention should not discolorise the resulting oil-in- water emulsified food composition as judged by the human eye, but on the other hand, should provide an antioxidant effect that allows significant, preferably 100% reduction of EDTA in the resulting composition. Counterintuitively, heating of the juice surprisingly resulted in a juice that was optimal in terms of antioxidative effect and color compliance in oil-in-water emulsified compositions. No off-color is observed, and betanin level of the juice was effectively reduced below 0.01 wt%. The process may comprise the step of providing beetroot juice and heating it, preferably to a temperature of between 90 and 140 °C, preferably 105 to 125°C, even more preferably 115 and 125°C. Heating is preferably carried out for a period of between 5 minutes and 3 hours, preferably 20 minutes and 2.5 hours, preferably 25 minutes to 2 hour. The skilled person will understand that the lower temperatures are preferably combined with the longer time periods and the higher temperatures preferably with the shorter time periods. This is suitably achieved by heating the red beetroot juice to a temperature of between 90 and 105 °C, preferably of between 95 and 105 °C for 1 to 4 hours, preferably for 1 to 3 hours; or from 105 to 115 °C for 30 min to 3 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 2.5 hours; or from 115 to 125°C for 25 minutes to 2 hours; or for 125 to 140°C for 5 minutes to 1 hour, preferably 10 minutes to 30 minutes. Preferably, heating is applied according to the following regime: 105 to 115 °C: 30 minutes to 3 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, or 115 to 125 °C: 20 minutes to 2.5 hours, preferably 25 minutes to 2 hours, or 125 to 140 °C: 5 minutes to 1 hour, preferably 10 to 30 minutes. More preferred, heating is applied according to the following regime: 105 to 115 °C: 30 minutes to 3 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, or 115 to 125 °C: 20 minutes to 2.5 hours, preferably 25 minutes to 2 hours. Even more preferred, heating is applied according to the following regime: 115 to 125 °C: 20 minutes to 2.5 hours, preferably 25 minutes to 2 hours. Most preferred, heating is applied according to the following regime: 115 to 125 °C: 25 minutes to 2 hours. This step is carried out before step a), as the skilled person will understand, and in step a), the added red beetroot juice then is the red beetroot juice resulting from this previous step. Heating may be carried out under pressure, such as for example in an auto clave, to obtain temperatures above the atmospheric boiling point, as the skilled person will understand.

Preferably, homogenizing of the mixture of step a) is carried out till the oil droplets have a surface weighted mean diameter D3,3 of less than 10 micrometer. This can suitably be done for example by a colloid mill, rotor-stator homogeniser, or high pressure homogenisator, as known in the art.

Emulsifier and other ingredients described above in the context of the first aspect of the invention, are added in amounts as described there, based on the weight of the resulting emulsified food composition.

Preferably, the process of the invention comprises the steps of: a) Providing a mixture comprising: • vegetable oil,

• water,

• red beetroot juice, wherein the concentration of betanin is below 0.01 wt%, b) Homogenizing to result in an oil-in-water emulsion with a droplet size D3,3 of below

10 micron, wherein vegetable oil is added in an amount of from 3 to 87 wt%, based on the weight of the resulting composition, wherein red beetroot juice is added in an amount of from 0.5 to 20 wt%, based on the weight of the resulting composition.

According to this process, an emulsified food composition can be manufactured showing the advantages as desired, in particular, an emulsified food composition can be obtained, that shows an unexpected antioxidant effect while the color and mouthfeel are not affected. Preferably, the color and mouthfeel are similar as those in an equivalent composition free of red beetroot juice and using EDTA, as judged by the naked eye and by mouth. The composition is preferably free of grainy or sandy mouthfeel. Accordingly, the invention further relates to an oil-in-water emulsified food composition obtainable, preferably obtained, by the process of the invention.

Use

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to the use of red beetroot juice (from root of B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group), having a betanin concentration of below 0.1 mg/g, to at least partially replace EDTA in an oil-in-water emulsified food composition comprising from 3 to 87 wt% of vegetable oil. Preferably, the present invention relates to the use of beetroot juice (from root of B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group) having a betanin level of below 0.01 wt%, to achieve at least 50%, preferably at least 75%, even more preferably at least 80 %, even more preferably at least 90 % of the antioxidative effect as obtained by 75 ppm EDTA in an equivalent composition. It is preferred for example that said beetroot juice having a betanin level of below 0.01 wt% is used to replace from 75 to 100%, preferably 80 to 95%, more preferably 85 to 95 % of the antioxidative effect as obtained by 75 ppm EDTA in an equivalent composition. This is for example derived from the time that an amount of oxygen is present in the headspace of a jar after a specific time period, such as set out in the methods part below. Such effect is preferably reached with the use of 0.5 to 20 wt%, preferably of from 0.5 to 10 wt%, even more preferably of from 0.8 to 5 wt% of the red beetroot juice, based on the weight of the oil-in-water emulsion. The invention will now be exemplified by the following, non-limiting examples:

EXAMPLES

The invention is illustrated with the following non-limiting examples.

Raw Materials

• Water: demineralised water.

• Rapeseed oil ex Cargill (Amsterdam, The Netherlands).

• Sugar: sucrose white sugar W4 ex Suiker Unie (Oud Gastel, Netherlands).

• Salt: NaCI suprasel ex Akzo Nobel (Amersfoort, Netherlands).

• EDTA: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, calcium disodium complex, dehydrate;

Dissolvine E-CA-10 ex Akzo Nobel (Amersfoort, Netherlands).

• Egg yolk: ex Bouwhuis Enthoven (Raalte, the Netherlands); contains 92% egg yolk and 8% kitchen salt.

• Vinegar spirit 12% ex Kuhne (Hamburg, Germany)

• Red beetroot juice: Erntebrand, Germany

• Balsamic vinegar 1 Acetum SPA, Italy.

• Balsamic vinegar 2: Coop, g’woon Balsamico di Modena. Filtered @10kDa.

• Balsamic vinegar 3: Coop, g’woon Balsamico di Modena, dosed at 0.2 wt%.

• Raspberry vinegar: Foodelicious, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

• Apple cider vinegar 1 : Balsamic apple vinegar ex Vinagrerias Riojanas (Logroho, La

Rioja, Spain).

• Apple cider vinegar 2: Apple cider vinegar ex Wijnimport Van der Steen BV, Vught, the Netherlands.

• Plum vinegar, and Tomato vinegar: Pdddr Ole und Essige, Vertrieb uber Arteriomed GmbH, Grevenbroich, Germany.

• Acetic acid solution 50%: Prepared in house, consisting of a 50:50 v/v% solution of acetic acid glacial (VWR, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and demineralised water.

All materials were obtained from the Netherlands unless stated otherwise.

Methods

Accelerated shelf-life test to follow lipid oxidation.

Vegetable oil is subjected to conditions which promote oxidation, without requiring the typical shelf life of 4 to 9 months of mayonnaise. Oxidation experiments are carried out during a period up to generally about 30 days, in some experiments up to 80 days, to follow the oxidation of the vegetable oil in oil-in-water emulsions.

Emulsion samples with various compositions are prepared (as described in the examples below) and 1g of each sample is filled in a capped glass vial (20mL volume) and kept in a temperature controlled oven at 50°C.

The oxidation of triglycerides occurs in several steps, in which the first step is the most important. This first step is the lag phase, which is the phase where there is not much oxidation, and after this phase the oxidation starts to accelerate. This means that the amount of oxidation products rapidly starts to increase. The longer the lag phase, the slower the oxidation process, and the better the result.

Oxygen concentration in headspace

To follow oxidation of fatty acids in emulsions in the experiments, the oxygen concentration is measured in the headspace of closed jars in which emulsions are stored to follow oxidation. The lower this concentration, the more oxygen is consumed for oxidation processes. The oxygen content is determined by taking a sample of gas from the headspace with a needle through a septum in the closed lid of the jar. The oxygen concentration in the sample is determined by gas analyser.

Texture measurements

The consistency of compositions according to the present invention can be measured using Stevens value or elastic modulus, which can be measured as follows:

Thickness - Stevens value: the Stevens value is determined at 20°C by using a Stevens LFRA Texture Analyser (ex Brookfield Viscometers Ltd., UK) with a maximum load/measuring range of 1000 grams, and applying a penetration test of 25mm using a grid, at 2mm per second penetration rate, in a cup having a diameter of 65mm, that contains the emulsion; wherein the grid comprises square openings of approximately 3x3mm, is made up of wire with a thickness of approximately 1mm, and has a diameter of 40mm. One end of a shaft is connected to the probe of the texture analyser, while the other end is connected to the middle of the grid. The grid is positioned on the flat upper surface of the emulsion in the cup. Upon starting the penetration test, the grid is slowly pushed downward into the emulsion by the texture analyser. The final force exerted on the probe is recorded, giving the Stevens value in gram. A drawing of the grid is given in Figure 5. The grid is made from stainless steel, and has 76 holes, each hole having a surface area of approximately 3x3 mm.

Consistency, elastic modulus. These compositions are viscoelastic materials that exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation. Viscous and elastic behaviour of materials can be measured by various instruments, of which a state of the art rheometer is a suitable instrument for the present compositions. Viscous and elastic properties by rheometer can be obtained by various methods. Oscillation measurements are suitable to characterize the compositions described in the present invention. In oscillation measurements, the elastic property is commonly characterized by the storage modulus G’ and the viscous property by the loss modulus G”. Both moduli are only valid in the linear deformation area, as known in the art.

Measurement protocol:

The AR 2000 EX rheometer (TA-lnstruments) is a suitable state of the art rheometer used for the analysis of the compositions of the present invention. A 4 cm steel plate geometry with 1 mm gap is a suitable geometry. Other instrument settings are known by skilled in the art operators.

Colour measurement of the beetroot juice

With the UltraScan VIS spectrophotometer from HunterLab (https://www.hunterlab.com/solutions/color-measurement/ultra-scan-vis) the transmission of the juice was measured. With the EasyMatch QC (version 4.83) software, the transmission is transferred into L* (lightness), a* (green/red) and b* (blue/yellow) values to determine the colour. The measured juices were not diluted before analysis.

Colour measurement of the emulsion

To assess the effect of the treated juice on the color of the mayonnaise compositions, the L*a*b* values were measured of the juice or the mayonnaise compositions using a Hunterlab LabScan XE colorimeter. The color was expressed as L*a*b values, wherein L* indicates the lightness (L* = 0 yields black and L* = 100 indicates diffuse white), a* the green/red coordinate and b* is the yellow/blue coordinate, as known in the art. The difference in color AE of the mayonnaise with and without beetroot vinegar is calculated as AE* = SQRT(AL.*² + Aa*² + Ab*²). Color of an emulsion is preferably assessed some weeks after production, when emulsified products are stabilized and typically on the shelf. Betaine by ¹H NMR

Quantitative analysis of betain in juices and food emulsions carried out spectroscopically (¹H- NMR). inegars were measured as such for the NMR analysis. Food emulsions were first frozen and thawed to stimulate phase separation and were subsequently centrifuged at 17.000 x g for 5 min. The water layer was used for the NMR analysis.

200 mg of sample (juice or water layer) was weighed and added with 3 ml of D2O. 600 pl of such sample mixture was added with 100 pl of CSI (Chemical Shift Indicator) solution (consisting of 10.90 mg of 3-(trimethylsilyl)propionic-2,2,3,3-d4 acid, sodium salt, 2.30 mg of difluorotrimethyl-silanyl-methyl)phosphonic acid and 30 ml of D2O), 100 pl of EDTA-di2 solution, and 300 pl of 0.2 M phosphate buffer. The sample mixture was homogenised and centrifuged at 15000 g for 10 minutes. 650 pl of the supernatant was transferred into 5-mm NMR tubes for analysis. 1 D ¹H NMR spectra were recorded with a noesygpprld pulse sequence on a Bruker Avance III 600 NMR spectrometer, equipped with a 5-mm cryo-probe. The probe was tuned to detect ¹H resonances at 600.25 MHz. The internal probe temperature was set to 298K. 128 scans were collected in 57K data points with a relaxation delay of 10 seconds, an acquisition time of 4 seconds and a mixing time of 100 ms. Low power water suppression (16 Hz) was applied for 0.99 seconds. The data were processed in Topspin software version 3.5 pl 1 (Bruker BioSpin GmbH, Rheinstetten, Germany). An exponential window function was applied to the free induction decay (FID) with a line-broadening factor of 0.15 Hz prior to the Fourier transformation. Manual phase correction and baseline correction was applied to all spectra. The spectra were referenced against the methyl signal of 3- (trimethylsilyl)propionic-2,2,3,3-d4 acid, sodium salt (d 0.0 ppm). The trimethylglycine (betaine) peak at 3.3 ppm was used for the quantification.

Methods - Betanin by LC-MS

Liquid chromatography High Resolution Accurate Mass Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRAM) analysis was achieved using an UltiMate 3000 RS chromatography system (Dionex, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). LC separation was performed using HSS 018 column (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.7 pm; Waters, Etten-Leur, The Netherlands) with the following gradient of water (acidified with 0.025% TFA) and AON: 0-1 min, 0.1% AON; 1-12.5 min, 0.5-40% AON linear; 12.5-15 min, 40-100% AON linear; 15.5-17.5 min, 100% AON isocratic. The flow rate was set to 0.35 mL/min, the column temperature was 40 °C, the temperature of the autosampler was 5 °C, and the injection volume was 5 pL. The LC was connected to a Q-Exactive Plus™ Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap™ mass spectrometer (Thermo Fischer Scientific, MA, USA). To facilitate the ionization, a solution of acetic and propanol (50/50 v/v) was added post column via a syringe pump using a flow rate of 50 pl/min. The electrospray ion source operated in positive mode with the following parameters: the capillary temperature was 320 °C, the heater temperature was 350 °C, the sheath gas was set to 50 arbitrary units, the auxiliary gas was set to 12.5 arbitrary units.

The mass spectrometer was set to operate in full scan/data-dependant MS2 mode. Spectra were acquired at a resolution of 70.000 in the range from m/z 250 to 1500. For identification, the top five ions were acquired at a resolution of 17.500, with an isolation window of 2 m/z using the dynamic exclusion list set to 10 s. Calibration was achieved using Pierce™ Positive and Negative Ion Calibration Solution (Thermo Fischer). Data acquisition and processing was carried out using XcaliburTM 3. Betanin eluted after 5 minutes, with a m/z of 551.15.

Example 1 - Mayonnaises containing red beetroot juice

Mayonnaise was prepared according to the following recipes. Mayonnaise contained red beetroot juice that was heated (sample #3). Control compositions contained unheated beetroot juice (sample #2), spirit vinegar (sample #1) or EDTA (sample 4). The juice was heated for 90 minutes at 121 °C, using an autoclave. This juice was also used in the other examples.

Table 1 Compositions of mayonnaises containing different antioxidants.

The mayonnaises were prepared at bench scale (0.4 kg emulsion). The aqueous phase was obtained by mixing water, egg, sucrose, salt and flavours.

Subsequently oil was slowly added to the aqueous phase, while mixing with a high shear mixer (Silverson). The oil was added in about 10 minutes, while the mixing speed was slowly increased from about 1600 to about 7200 rpm. After the oil had been homogenised, and the emulsion had become smooth, vinegar and beetroot juice was slowly added while the mixer was kept at 7200 rpm. The compositions had a pH of 3.8. Oil drop size D3,3 is below 10 micron.

Table 2 Visual assessment of mayonnaises

Oxygen concentration in the headspace during storage trial of mayonnaises at 50°C was determined, to see the influence of the heated juice (see Figure 1). Mayonnaise containing spirit vinegar (#1) shows a rapid decrease of oxygen concentration in the headspace, indicating that oxidation of oil is most rapid in these mayonnaises. The mayonnaise with nonheated red beetroot juice (#2) shows a much slower decrease of oxygen concentration, but the mayonnaise shows a strong pink off-colour. The mayonnaise with heated beetroot juice (#3) shows an anti-oxidant effect that is stronger than that of sample #3, and no off-colour. A mayonnaise containing 75 ppm EDTA was used as a reference, which is an amount as commercially used. The colour of the mayonnaises was off-white and similar to a commercial mayonnaise. This experiment shows that heating of red beetroot juice not only renders this antioxidant vegetable material suitable for use in a white oil-in-water emulsion, but also provides a stronger antioxidant effect than non-heated beetroot juice, which is counterintuitive, as antioxidant effects of beetroot are ascribed to the red colour molecules. The mouthfeel was the same for all tested mayonnaises and was smooth similar to a commercial mayonnaise.

Example 2 - Mayonnaises containing balsamic vinegars vs. red beetroot juice

Balsamic vinegars have been described as the strongest known antioxidative vinegars used in mayonnaises. Their disadvantage is their intense dark colour, which provides off-colour to oil- in-water emulsions like mayonnaise, which are typically white, and thereby compromise their use herein. In example 2, the antioxidative effect and the colour is compared for mayonnaises comprising several balsamic vinegars and heated red beetroot juice. Mayonnaises were prepared according to the following recipes, containing various types of balsamic vinegar. The pH of the samples was 3.8.

Table 3 Compositions of mayonnaises containing different balsamic vinegars and heated red beetroot juice.

These mayonnaises were prepared as in example 1. These mayonnaises were analysed for their oxidation behaviour and colour.

Table 4 Colour analysis of mayonnaises from Table 3.

Oxygen concentration in headspace during storage trial of mayonnaises at 50°C was determined, to see the influence of the vinegars (see Figure 2). Mayonnaise #5 containing spirit vinegar shows a rapid decrease of oxygen concentration in the headspace, indicating that oxidation of oil is most rapid in this mayonnaise. The mayonnaise #9 with heated red beetroot juice showed the slowest decrease of oxygen concentration. Balsamic vinegar 1 (mayonnaise #6) showed a significantly lower antioxidative effect than heated red beetroot juice. Moreover, the colour of the mayonnaise was not acceptable. A second balsamic vinegar showed a slightly lower antioxidant effect than the heated red beetroot vinegar (#9), but again its colour was not acceptable, with strong off colour (data not shown). With this balsamic, it was tried to make mayonnaise with an acceptable colour. Filtering the balsamic vinegar (/.e. balsamic vinegar 2, sample #7), as described in WO2018/189709, resulted in a mayonnaise with acceptable colour. However, the antioxidant effect was below that of heated red beetroot juice and a filtering step is commercially not attractive, if feasible at all in view of the high viscosity and costs. Reducing the concentration of balsamic vinegar 2 (bals, vinegar 3, sample #8) to achieve an acceptable colour resulted in a mayonnaise with acceptable color, but no antioxidant effect was observed anymore. This Example shows that heated beetroot juice provides a natural antioxidant ingredient that can be used in white/off white oil in water emulsions without providing off-color and proved a better and more efficient anti-oxidant alternative than balsamic vinegar. Example 3 - Mayonnaises containing red beetroot juice vs. fruit and vegetable vinegars WO2019/057474 describes vinegars with strong antioxidative effect in mayonnaises. In example 3, the antioxidative effect and the colour is compared for mayonnaises comprising the fruit and vegetable vinegars that performed best in WO2019/057474 versus heated red beetroot juice. Mayonnaises were prepared according to the following recipes, containing various types of vinegar. pH (3.8) was adjusted with acetic acid or spirit vinegar.

Table 5 Compositions of mayonnaises containing different fruit vinegars and heated red beetroot juice.

From Figure 3, it becomes clear that heated red beetroot juice (sample #11) strongly outperformed tomato (sample 14), plum (sample #12) and raspberry vinegar (sample #13). Red beetroot vinegar showed the slowest decrease of oxygen concentration. Sample #10 is a negative control containing spirt vinegar. All mayonnaise samples showed the off-white colour of commercial mayonnaise.

Example 4 - Beet root juice vs. apple cider vinegar

WO2019/057474 describes specific apple cider vinegars with high antioxidant capacity in oil water emulsions. Heated red beetroot juice was compared to apple cider vinegar 1 and 3. Table 6 Compositions of mayonnaises containing different vinegars and heated beetroot juice.

The mayonnaises were prepared as in Example 1. The compositions had a pH of 3.8. These mayonnaises were analysed for antioxidative effect and colour. Results are depicted in figure 5. Apple cider vinegar 2 and spirit vinegar showed a rapid reduction in oxygen. Apple cider vinegar 1 , showed a much slower reduction of oxygen compared to the spirit vinegar control and compared to apple cider vinegar 2. Heated red beetroot juice showed a significantly stronger antioxidative effect and reduction of oxygen was about 3.5 times slower.

Table 7 Visual assessment of samples in example 6

Example 5 - Betain, Betanin

Spirit vinegar, non-heated red beetroot juice and heated red beetroot juice were tested for the presence of betain, a compound characteristic for beet. Results are indicated in table 8. Spirit vinegar, which is prepared from sugar and not from beet juice does not contain betain. Additionally, the presence of betanin was assessed, a red color present in red beetroot. The compound was not present in spirit vinegar but was present in non-heated beetroot juice. In line with the invention, the heating of red beetroot juice decreases the red color. Indeed, beetroot juice shows an off-color in mayonnaise. Heated beetroot juice did not show betanin. Betain and betanin was assessed using NMR analysis

Table 8 assessment for betain and betanin in the vinegar/juice

Table 9 visual assessment for betain and betanin in mayonnaise

Claims

1. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition comprising:

• From 3 to 87 wt% of vegetable oil,

• water,

• emulsifier,

• juice from red beetroot, wherein the food composition has a pH of from 2 to 5, wherein the amount of betanin is below 0.001 wt%.

2. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to claim 1, wherein the amount of beetroot juice is from 0.5 to 20 wt%, preferably 0.5 to 10 wt%, even more preferably from 0.9 to 5 wt%.

3. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the amount of betanin in the juice is below 0.01 , preferably below 0.005 wt%.

4. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein concentration of betanin in the food composition is below 0.0005 wt%, preferably below 0.0001 wt%.

5. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the concentration of ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid, EDTA, is lower than 0.007 wt%, preferably lower than 0.005 wt%, preferably lower than 0.002 wt%, based on the weight of the food composition, preferably wherein EDTA is absent from the food composition.

6. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of egg-derived emulsifier, dairy protein, botanical protein, OSA starch and mixtures thereof.

7. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the composition comprises betaine, preferably in an amount of more than 0.003 mg/g, based on the weight of the food composition.

8. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the L* color value according to a Cl E L*a*b* scale for the oil-in-water emulsion is of from 50 to 95, preferably of from 70 to 95, even more preferably of from 80 to 95, most preferably of from 85 to 95, or wherein the difference in color AE between a composition with and without the red beetroot juice, calculated as AE* = SQRT(AL.*² + Aa*² + Ab*²) is of from 0 to 10.

9. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the food composition is free of particulate matter with a size above 500 micrometer, preferably free of particulate matter with a size of above 200 micrometer, preferably free of particulate matter with a size above 100 micrometer, preferably free of particulate matter with a size above 50 micrometer, preferably free of particulate matter with a size above 10 micrometer.

10. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the oil droplets have an average particle size D3,3 of less than 10 micrometer.

11. Oil-in-water emulsified food composition, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the food composition is a mayonnaise or a salad dressing, preferably a mayonnaise.

12. Process to provide an oil-in-water emulsion, the process the steps of: a) Providing a mixture comprising

• vegetable oil,

• water,

• juice from red beetroot, the juice having a betanin level of below 0.01 wt%,

• emulsifier, b) Homogenizing to result in an oil-in-water emulsion.

13. Process according to claim 11 , wherein the juice is added in an amount of from 0.5 to 20 wt%, preferably 0.5 to 10 wt%, even more preferably 0.9 to 5 wt%, based on the weight of the resulting food composition.

14. Process according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the process comprises the step of heating juice from red beetroot, between 90 and 140 °C for a period of between 5 minutes and 3 hours to obtain said juice having a betanin level of below 0.01 wt%. Use of beetroot juice from red beetroot, having a betanin level of below 0.01 wt%, in an oil-in-water emulsion comprising 3 to 87 wt% vegetable oil, to achieve at least 50%, preferably at least 75% of the antioxidative effect as obtained by 75 ppm EDTA in an equivalent composition.