CZ279064B6 - Cream and/or fat substituting foodstuff ingredient, process for preparing thereof and a foodstuff product, particularly a frozen dessert containing such ingredient - Google Patents

Abstract

New frozen whipped dessert foodstuffs have fat and/or oil partially or totally replaced by a macrocolliod. The macrocolloid comprises non-aggregated particles of denatured protein of mean dia. in the dry state of 0.1-2.0 microns. Less than 2% of the particles exceed 3.0 microns dia. and the particles are mainly spheroidal (800x optical microscopy). Pref. the macrocolloid replaces dairy fat. It replaces over 50% (100% of the fat and/or oil). The foodstuff is an analog of ice cream contg. under 1% fat. The protein is denatured dairy whey protein, egg albumen, soy or bovine serum albumin. The foodstuff has at least 1x10 power 8 (9-12) particles per cc having dia. 0.5-2.5 microns. It contains less than 1% fat. The desserts are pred. from a premix of 5-20% protein, (25-100% of which is heat coagulable), by heat pasteurisation and high shear conditions. Cream substitute, sauces icing, cream pie fillings, spread and dips are new.

Description

The invention relates to a food ingredient replacing cream and / or fat, to a process for its preparation and to a food product, in particular a frozen dessert containing such ingredient. One of the most important aspects of the present invention is considered to be frozen desserts of the type such as ice cream and the like frozen products which have a reduced fat content or are non-fat but nevertheless have the organoleptic properties of the whole fat products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Frozen dessert is a genetic term referring to a wide range of products such as cream ice cream, frozen creams, milk ice cream, sherbet, water ice cream, frozen dairy confectionery, frozen confectionery products, dietary frozen desserts, Mellorin and non-dairy desserts whose identity is as defined by US Government Federal Standards of Identity. Frozen desserts for which no federal standards exist include frozen puddings, mousses and frozen cocktails. For milk frozen desserts, the standard specifies a minimum milk fat and / or milk solids content. For example, cream ice cream must not contain less than 10% milk fat and 20% total milk solids, consisting of milk fat and non-fat milk solids (MSNF), milk ice must contain 2 to 7% milk fat, and at least 11% of total milk solids; and the sherbet must contain 1 to 2% milk fat and 2 to 5% total milk solids (see Redfern RS and Arbuckle WS, Ice Cream Technology Manual, 4th edition 1985, Redfern and e Assoc. Ltd., Raleigh, North Carolina, USA) , which is cited to illustrate the prior art).

Creamy ice cream and other whipped frozen desserts are in fact quite complicated foams consisting of air bubbles surrounded by a frozen emulsion in which ice crystals and spherical globules of solidified fat are stored in the non-frozen water phase. The estimation of the size of the coarsely dispersed structural constituents of cream ice cream varies. For ice crystal size, a diameter in the range of 20 to 60 μιη is given, with individual crystals spaced approximately 7 μιη apart; for air cell sizes, the range is 10 to 175 μιη, with individual cells spaced about 125 μιη apart; the spherical solidified fat particles are said to have a size in the range of 0.2 to 2.0 μιη and their agglomerates envelop the trapped air cells (see Fundametals of Dairy Chemistry, 2nd edition, 1983, by Webb BH et al., Avi Publishing Company) , Westport, Connecticut, USA, pp. 896-913, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

It is well known that the fat content of frozen milk desserts plays an important role not only in the consistency and structure of the product, but also in the case of taste properties. The fineness of the creamy ice cream structure is essentially inversely proportional to the mean size

Ice crystal particles. In virtually all frozen desserts, an increased milk fat content results in a decrease in ice crystal size and distance between the crystals. Despite the expensive and high energy content inherent in milk fat and the susceptibility of milk fat to oxidation, which leads to a deterioration in taste, and despite the tendency to deteriorate in whipping due to butter formation, broad ice cream products are generally widely preferred. before milk ice cream, sherbets, etc. premium grade ice creams are indeed mainly characterized by having a higher milk fat content than the standard (15-18%) content and are recognized as having a better taste, mildness, improved consistency and texture compared to standard ice creams, and frozen desserts with lower fat content.

Although attempts have already been made to develop frozen desserts in which part or all of the milk fat content normally present in them is replaced by a non-fatty substance, none of the resulting products has achieved substantial success as a substitute for whole cream or milk ice cream. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,510,166, which relates to an ice cream composition which is proposed to replace starch gel as a fat substitute, and U.S. Patent Nos. 4,421,778 and 4,552,773, relating to whipped crystalline fat tending food products with a tendency to the beta phase. Other examples include GB Patent No. 915,389 and US Patent Nos. 3,510,316, 3,556,813, 4,400,405 and 4,631,196.

Therefore, there is a long-standing need to develop frozen, low-fat or low-fat dessert products that exhibit the physical and organoleptic properties of whole fat frozen dairy desserts. Ideally, such products would equate to or exceed the standard frozen whipped dessert products at nutritional value, but at a reduced energy content. In addition, there is a need to develop a fat or cream substitute that can be produced and stored and used in the manufacture of various low or zero fat food products, including frozen whipped desserts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a food additive replacing cream and / or fat comprising non-aggregated spheroid particles of denatured protein consisting of a casein core and an outer shell of denatured egg white protein having a size distribution in the range of 0.1 to 2.0 μιη wherein less than 2% of the number of particles exceeds 3.0 μιη by size.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of making the food additive comprising heating 25-99, preferably 60-99 parts by weight of egg white protein and up to 75 parts by weight of non-aggregated casein micelle source, to at least the egg white protein denaturation temperature. preferably to a temperature in the range of 80 to 125 ° C, at a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 under shear conditions of at least 5,000 s ^-1 , preferably 5,000 to 7,500 s ^-1 , until macrocolloid particles are formed with a size of 0.1 to 3.0 μιη.

-2GB 279064 B6

Yet another object of the invention is a food product comprising fat and / or cream, characterized in that at least a portion of the fat and / or cream contained therein is replaced by a food additive as defined above.

Finally, the invention relates to a frozen ice cream dessert comprising a sweetener, at least one stabilizer, a flavoring system and a non-fat solid milk component, comprising an amount of a food ingredient as defined above in an amount such that 3 to 5.4 parts by weight fat.

The above objects of the invention, which are also included in the appended claims, represent the results of product and process optimization. To illustrate all the details, the following description is drawn in a somewhat broader way. These additional data may also be valuable to the skilled person.

According to one aspect, the invention relates to whipped or fat-free whipped frozen products in which part or preferably all of the milk fat, vegetable fat or oil, usually present in such products, is replaced by a protein macrocolloid containing denatured protein particles. The products of the invention exhibit the physical and organoleptic properties of whole fat products, although they do not contain, or contain only a reduced amount of droplets or globular particles of fat or oil, which are known to play a key role in air cell formation and development and maintenance of low mean ice crystals. in frozen whipped desserts. The possibility of partially or totally replacing fats or oils with protein macrocolloid substances makes it possible to obtain highly desirable products with a reduced energy content but a very high content of nutrients due to the presence of an additional protein. The production of frozen dessert products according to the invention requires no equipment or work operations other than those commonly used in the production of frozen desserts, and in all cases the protein macrocolloid can be added to the dessert mixes as a direct substitute for milk fat or vegetable fats. or oils.

Accordingly, the invention relates to improved frozen whipped dessert foods which are improved by partially or totally replacing fat in their premixes with a macrocolloid consisting of substantially non-aggregated particles containing denatured protein having a mean diameter distribution in the dry state particles in the range of about 0.1 μιη to about 2.0 μιη, with less than about 2% of the total number of particles having a diameter in excess of 3.0 μιη, and most of these particles generally have a spheroid shape when viewed with a standard light microscope at 800x magnification. These particles in the hydrated state form the above-mentioned macrocolloid, which has a very fine organoleptic character, similar to that of emulsions. Preferred products of the invention include frozen whipped desserts analogous to products that normally contain milk fat in which the fat is completely replaced by a protein macrocolloid. These are, for example, cream ice cream products having the physical properties and organoleptic character of select cream ice cream but containing less than about 1% fat.

-3GB 279064 B6

Of the proteinaceous macrocolloids that can be used according to the invention, presently preferred are macrocolloids derived from non-denatured, substantially soluble proteins derived from animal, plant or microbial sources, with milk whey being the most preferred protein source currently, egg white and soya and bovine serum albumin. Examples of desired macrocolloids include those disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,734,287 to Singer et al., And U.S. Patent Application No. 127,955, filed Dec. 2, 1987, as a continuation-in-part application to this patent. . Macrocolloid products suitable for use in the practice of the present invention are conveniently prepared using the apparatus described in parallel, pending U.S. Patent No. 127,710, filed December 2, 1987 (Singer et al., Fluid Processing Equipment), but generally any apparatus capable of regulating the heat of the starting protein solution and processing it with high shear to produce the resulting macrocolloid can be used for their preparation. If milk whey is to be used as the starting material for the production of the protein macrocolloid for use in the frozen desserts of the invention and if it is desired to reduce the cholesterol and lipid content of the starting protein material, the milk whey may be subjected to a pre-treatment as described in U.S. Patent No. 127,402, filed December 2, 1987 (Singer et al., Methods for Extracting Cholesterol and Lipids).

Another aspect of the invention is novel methods for producing whipped frozen desserts with reduced energy content, in particular dairy dessert products such as cream ice cream, milk ice cream, sherbet and the like, wherein the fat and / or oil typically used in such products is: it replaces the preformed protein macrocolloid described above. Preferably, at least 50% of the fat and / or oil is replaced and most preferably all of the fat and / or oil is replaced, leaving only the fat remaining in the product as a component of standard flavorings such as cocoa or other fat containing ingredients such as yolk solids in frozen egg creams.

Another aspect of the present invention are methods for preparing whipped, frozen, energy-reduced dessert products which comprise making non-fat or substantially non-fat premixes comprising a source of heat-coagulable protein such as egg white, whey protein, soy protein and the like. by heat treatment (e.g. pasteurization) and mixing using relatively high shear forces prior to freezing, the denatured protein particles are formed in situ in the mixture and the resulting particles function as a substitute for globular fatty and / or oily particles in the resulting frozen dessert product. The premixtures produced according to the invention are characterized by a protein content ranging from about 5 to about 20% and preferably from about 7.5 to about 12.5%, with about 25 to 100, preferably about 50% of the total protein content being formed by a thermally coagulable protein. The best quality end products are obtained by continuously pasteurizing at high temperatures and correspondingly shortened times (e.g., 20-25 seconds at 80 ° C).

-4GB 279064 B6

Whether the frozen whipped dessert products of the invention are obtained by directly adding a macrocolloid substance or by forming the protein particles in situ in a premix, these products preferably contain denatured protein particles having a size in the range of about 0.01 to about 3.0 and preferably from about 0.1 to about 2.5 μη (particle diameter), the particle diameter ranges from about 0.5 to about 2.5 μη be present in an amount of at least 1 _x oo x 10 particles based on 1 cm of final product. It is generally preferred that the content of these particles be in the range of 1 x 10 ⁸ to 1 x 10 ¹² in 1 cm ³ , or even higher. Most preferred is a content above 1 x 10 ^{9 of} these particles which allows the resulting products to faithfully mimic the full-fat products in terms of creaminess, fineness and overall texture.

Accordingly, the present invention also relates to a process for producing fat-free or substantially fat-free premixes for frozen whipped desserts containing 5 to 20% protein, with 25 to 100% of the total protein content being a coagulable protein comprising pasteurization of these premixes heat and high shear mixing to form a population of at least 1 x 10 ⁸ denatured protein particles with a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 µιη per cm ^{3 of} this premix. The premixes thus obtained, after final processing in conventional ice cream machines operating on the principle of mixing and freezing, provide products similar to cream ice cream having the structural properties of whole cream ice cream, milk ice cream and the like.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of making a food ingredient, referred to as a cream substitute, from a coagulable protein such as egg white and a nucleating agent such as casein micelles by heating egg white and casein micelles under shear conditions to form a non-aggregated composite of macrocolloid particles. denatured protein, wherein the particles have a substantially spheroid shape and a mean particle size distribution that is capable of giving an organoleptic character similar to that of an emulsion when ingested, i.e. having a diameter in the range of about 0.1 μη to about 3.0 μιη wherein less than about 2% of the total particle number has a diameter greater than 3.0 μη. These protein particles form in the hydrated state a macrocolloid with a very fine organoleptic character resembling an emulsion, i.e. provide the same sensation in the mouth as fat or cream. When these particles are seen in cross-section, they show that they contain a nucleating agent core and a coagulable protein sheath. Food additives based on a coagulable protein and a nucleating agent are used as substitutes for fat or cream in the preparation of whipped, fat-free or reduced-fat frozen desserts. In addition, it can be used as a substitute for cream in the preparation of other fat-free or reduced-fat food products such as sauces, cream desserts, creams, spreads, foams and toppings.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and exemplary embodiments.

-5GB 279064 B6

The following is a brief explanation of the drawings.

Figures 1 and 1A show a flow chart of the process of the invention applicable to the manufacture of egg white cream and casein micelle substitutes.

FIG. 2 is an electron micrograph showing egg white macro-colloid and casein micelle particles, most of which have a casein micelle core and an outer sheath of denatured egg white protein.

Fig. 3 is an electron micrograph showing the egg white and casein micelle-based macrocolloid particles produced by the in-situ process to produce the frozen whipped dessert described below.

and

Fig. 4 is an electron micrograph of a cream ice cream analogue product containing an egg white protein and kaine micelle macrocolloid in place of whole cream.

Figure 5 shows an electron micrograph of super-premium ice cream.

All photomicrographs were taken at 32500x magnification and contain a reference standard of 1 μιη.

In the context of the invention, it has been found that protein water-dispersible macrocolloids which can be produced from various protein materials and which have a hydrated state of a mild organoleptic nature, similar to that of emulsions, can serve as a substitute for fat and / or oil in whipped frozen dessert products. like creamy ice cream. Protein water-dispersible macrocolloids consist of substantially non-aggregated denatured protein-containing particles having a dry particle size distribution in the range of about 0.1 μιη to about 2.0 μιη, with less than about 2% of the total number of particles it has a diameter exceeding 3.0 μιη and most of these particles have a generally spheroid shape when viewed with a standard light microscope at 800X magnification.

Macrocolloid materials can be prepared by the controlled denaturation of a wide variety of protein starting materials that are substantially water-soluble and substantially undenatured prior to processing.

The organoleptic properties which are particularly desirable from the macrocolloid materials used according to the invention depend in particular on the size and shape of the macrocolloid particles.

In particular, it has been found that dispersions of larger denatured protein coagulates (i.e., dispersions in which the particles have a diameter greater than about 3 microns after drying) produce an undesirable chalky feeling in the mouth. This cretaceous character can be identified as a less obvious variant of the crunchy sandy mouthfeel caused by the known thermally denatured proteins (particle diameter 15 to 175 μιη). It appears that as the number of protein coagulate particles with a larger diameter (the largest dimension) increases, the number of particles of protein coagulate seems to increase

If the particle size is greater than about 2 to 3 μιη, the sharply defined sensing threshold is exceeded.

The shape of the particles is also important. Fibrous particles typically greater than about 5 microns in length and typically less than about 1 microns in diameter provide pastes that are fine but expandable; the greater the force between the tongue and the palate, the greater the feeling of being a solid. The resulting impression is different from a cream product. As the fibers become shorter and closer to the spherical shape, this character disappears.

Further, particles that are generally spheroidal tend to provide an organoleptic sensation of a finer product, more closely related to that caused by emulsions. For products in which a higher proportion of spheroid macrocolloid particles is present or in which the macrocolloid particles have a more perfect spheroid shape, a slightly higher proportion of particles with a diameter greater than about 2 μιη may be tolerated without damaging the organoleptic nature of the macrocolloid mixture. As already indicated, rod-shaped particles with a diameter greater than about 1 μιη tend to give a chalk-like or powdery sensation in the mouth.

Particles of about 0.1 μιη contribute to the greasy sensation in the mouth, which may be detrimental when viewed as the dominant tactile (tactile) property. Since the perceived transition between the emulsion-type feeling and the greasy feeling is much more permissive in the mouth than the transition between the emulsion-type feeling and the chalky feeling, a larger proportion of particles of the order of 0.1 μπι may be present in the macrocolloids used according to the invention. Assuming that the mean particle size is not less than 0.1 μιη, the emulsion character is therefore dominant, despite the fact that the distribution itself comprises a substantial proportion of individual particles having a diameter smaller than 1 μιη.

Proteins useful in the preparation of macrocolloids include substances from such diverse and diverse sources as plant oil whey, mammalian milk, blood serum and bird eggs. Preferably, proteins which are globular in their native state are used in the methods of the invention. In view of the traditional distribution of proteins, useful proteins include those that are soluble in aqueous solvent systems and are comprised of simple, conjugated proteins and derivatized proteins. Suitable single proteins are albumins, globulins and glutelins. Suitable conjugated proteins are nucleoproteins, glycoproteins and mucoproteins (also collectively referred to as glucoproteins); phosphoproteins (sometimes classified as single proteins); chromoproteins, lecithoproteins and lipoproteins. Thermally coagulable derivatized proteins are also suitable.

Simple proteins that are not suitable include albuminoids (also known as scleroproteins), such as elastins, keratins, collagens, and fibroins, all of which are insoluble in their natural state. Protamines and histones are not thermally coagulable and are therefore not suitable as raw materials for hot denaturation processing.

Among the conjugated proteins, those that are both soluble and thermally coagulable are suitable. Similarly, derivatized for

Theories (i.e., products of various proteoclastic or denaturing processes) of any origin, which are soluble and thermally coagulable, are also useful raw materials, unless, by reason of their derivatization, they are, from the outset, intolerant of the desired organoleptic properties in the final product. invention. However, many proteins, metaproteins (also known as infraproteins), coagulated proteins, proteoses, peptones, and peptides (also known as polypeptides) lack one or both of these unconditionally necessary properties.

The preferred protein for use in the present invention may vary depending on considerations such as cost, flavor associated with the protein, the type of impurities that accompany it, and other components present in the protein source. Preferred proteins include globular proteins such as bovine serum albumin, egg white protein and soy protein, with milk whey and egg white proteins being particularly preferred. Sources of proteins that can undergo processing often include various impurities. When the proteins useful in the invention are naturally associated with insoluble components, the particles of these components should be less than 3.0 μη, or it should be possible to remove them before processing or to reduce them to a size smaller than that limit during treatment.

The solution of the selected specific protein is processed for a relatively short time under relatively specific shear conditions and pH. Depending on the type of protein selected, the yield of the desired products can be optimized by the presence of specific amounts of polyhydroxy compounds (e.g. sugars), anti-aggregating agents and other optional ingredients in the feedstock. The macrocolloids are produced in a controlled thermal denaturation process using high shear forces to prevent the formation of larger amounts of large protein aggregates. The denaturing process is preferably carried out at a pH lower than the middle of the isoelectric curve of the selected protein, and preferably at a pH that is one unit lower than the middle of the isoelectric curve. The process can be carried out at lower pH values, while respecting the requirement that the pH value during processing must not be so low as to cause acid degradation of the protein. In addition, the pH should normally not be less than about 3. As described below, the pH can be operated above the center of the isoelectric curve if the substance to be treated contains a nucleating agent during denaturation.

The precise temperature and shear stress conditions of the preparation of the macrocolloids are selected according to conventional practice and the duration of action is chosen to be sufficient to produce denatured protein macrocolloid particles having a diameter greater than about 0.1 µm, avoiding the formation of any higher Amounts of aggregates of sintered protein particles greater than 2 μιη. Preferred shear conditions for processing the protein solution are best determined by determining the excess particle size.

Determination of the particle size provides a measure of the organoleptic quality of the products of the invention.

-8EN 279064 B6

One of the simplest and fastest techniques available to those skilled in the art is the preparation of microscopic preparations that can be obtained in analogous ways to clinical blood preparations. In this method, a suitably diluted dispersed mecrocolloid is first prepared, which is preferably adjusted to a pH of between 6.5 and 7. High-speed magnetic stirring, ultrasonic stirring, or other homogenization is performed to completely disperse possible weakly associated particles which are optionally contained between individual macrocolloid particles. Then, a small amount (eg 8 μΐ) of the diluted neutralized dispersion is applied to a microscope slide of the type often used in biological studies and the preparation is allowed to dry. The sample is observed in a known manner at a known magnification using a guided eyepiece. The dispersed macrocolloid particles of the sample are visually compared to the fiber mesh of the eyepiece to obtain a good estimate of the statistical presence of oversized particles or aggregates in the total population of particles.

An alternative means for analyzing the particle size distribution is an image analysis computer, for example Quantimet ® ^R ^ 720, available from Cambridge Institute, UK.

Another means for this analysis is a Microtrac ( ^R ) size analyzer. General aspects of this technique are described in an article entitled Particle Size Analysis and Characterization Using Laser Light Scattering Applications, JW Stitley et al., Food Product Development, December 1976.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure, sedimentation techniques may also be used to determine particle size. It should be appreciated, however, that gravimetric techniques must take into account the protective colloidal effects of, for example, any additives that may have been used in the above-described thermal denaturation process. One example of gravimetric determination of the percentage of excess protein aggregates is summarized below:

1. Prepare a macrocolloid dispersion according to the invention at a concentration of 5% by weight and neutralize to a pH in the range of 6.5 to 7;

2. To a neutralized 5% macrocolloid dispersion, a 1: 4 weight ratio corn starch syrup having a high fructose content of 1.351 g, cm ^-3 , pH 3.3 and a total nitrogen content of 0.006% and a dry matter content of about 71% is added;

3. Homogenize the mixture to disperse the free associations between the macrocolloid particles;

4. Centrifuge the mixture at 478 times gravity for 20 minutes at about 15 ° C. Oversized protein aggregates, i.e. particles having a diameter substantially greater than 2 μπι, can be expressed as a percentage of the weight of protein contained in the centrifuged pellet and the weight of protein contained in the macrocolloid dispersion prior to centrifugation.

These assays are applicable to both macrocolloid dispersions and protein materials suitable as starting materials for the production of these macrocolloids. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, particle size analysis devices based on capacitance measurement, such as the well-known Coulter-Counter ™ analyzers, are not suitable for the purposes of the present invention, since the macrocolloid particles carry charge at certain pH values, unless the macrocolloid is diluted with a salt (sodium chloride) solution of sufficient concentration to overcome or drown the natural charge of the macrocolloid particles.

However, in a preferred method for producing macrocolloids, the aqueous protein solution is subjected to high temperature for a very short time at a shear rate of 7500 to 1000 s ^-1 or higher. Sufficient shear stress is achieved, for example, by means of a Varall single-gallon (3.8 L) mixer equipped with a miniaturized Henschel mixer (e.g., 1 liter volume), at a speed of> z - 1 rims of 5000 min.

A preferred treatment temperature is in the range of about 80 ^° C to about 120 ° C with a treatment time in the range of about 3 seconds to about 15 minutes or longer, with a preferred treatment time of about 10 seconds to about 2 minutes. At lower temperatures, the required processing times are longer. Thus, at 80 ° C, a processing time of up to 15 minutes is required, while at 90 to 95 ° C this is only about 5 minutes. In contrast, when the treatment is carried out at 120 ° C, a treatment time of only about 3 seconds is sufficient. High processing temperatures are accompanied by increased heat transfer rates. Where the nature of the processing equipment permits, it is therefore preferred to process at a high heat transfer rate and a high denaturation temperature for a very short period of time. It should be noted, however, that at temperatures above 120 ° C with a correspondingly reduced product residence time, the resulting macrocolloid is thinner and may be less desirable.

In the process for producing macrocolloids, aqueous protein solutions having a protein concentration in the range of about 10 to about 20% by weight are used, with solutions having a protein concentration of about 15 to 18% by weight being most preferred. Protein concentrations below about 10% by weight tend to give rise to stretched masses. The stretchable masses remain stably dispersed and have undesirable organoleptic properties. Solutions containing protein at a substantially higher concentration than about 20% by weight are often extremely viscous and in this case applying the desired shear rates to the protein solution is not feasible.

Suitable protein solutions may further comprise up to 100 parts by weight (based on the protein) or greater of a polyhydroxy compound, preferably a mono- or disaccharide. These compounds may be a natural component of the starting protein substances (for example, lactose, present in sweet milk whey protein concentrates), or may be added to the solutions before

BGB denaturation. Preferred polyhydroxy compounds include reducing sugars such as lactose, glucose, fructose and meltose, with lactose being particularly preferred. Suitable non-reducing sugars include sucrose and lactitol.

It is believed that the high level of shear stress useful in this processing prevents the formation of large aggregates of denatured protein during the denaturing process. To facilitate the production of the desired products, aggregation-preventing agents may optionally be added to the aqueous solutions. The aggregation preventing agent is selected or adjusted so that it does not change the pH of the mixture to a value outside the optimal processing range. Suitable anti-aggregation agents include hydrated anionic substances such as xanthan gum (which is typically added in an amount of 0.1 to 1.0% based on the weight of the protein concentrate), date esters (0.5 to 2.0 % by weight based on protein concentrate, although these tend to give the final product a flavor) and lecithin (1-10% by weight based on protein concentrate). Other suitable aggregation inhibiting agents include calcium carrageenan, alginate and steroyl lactylate.

Another aggregate-preventing chemical which can be used according to the invention are maltodextrins produced by enzymatic or acid hydrolysis of starch. Preferred concentrations of these compounds are in the range of from 10 to 50% by weight based on the protein concentrate. These substances are believed to conserve proteins, much like a high fructose syrup, although the efficacy of fructose syrup is not as high in this regard as that of maltodextrins. These aggregate-preventing agents are carbohydrates and are therefore a source of energy, a factor that may counteract their choice in the production of energy-reduced foods.

Another suitable aggregation inhibiting agent useful in the present invention are plant resins of the pectin type. Citrus pectin is preferred in fruit flavored end products, while in end products such as vanilla cream ice cream analogues, pectins from sources other than citrus, such as apple pectin, are preferred. Care should also be taken that calcium-containing (dairy) end-products or cream substitute products are used as anti-aggregating agents such as pectins which do not gel in the presence of calcium.

Hydrated lecithin and hydrated xanthan gum can be exemplified as different anti-aggregating agents exhibit different effects. Both of these substances cause a sensation which is perceived as oily in the mouth of the resulting products. However, a slightly larger average particle size is achieved with lecithin, which is a somewhat less potent anti-aggregating agent. The macrocolloid particles produced using the xanthan antiplatelet agent provide smaller and smoother particles. Both of the above agents have a whitening effect on the resulting product by helping to form a more uniformly dispersed system, thereby increasing the scattering effect for light, which is perceived as whiteness. Useful properties have also been found with combinations of antiplatelet agents. In the manufacture of food ingredients, they replace cream, based on egg white

According to the invention, it is preferred to use a combination of pectin and lecithin as anti-aggregating agents.

Other optional ingredients such as salts and components of the final product, such as suitable flavors, colorants and stabilizers, may be present in or added to the solution without adverse consequences. In many cases (i.e., when the nature of the additive and its effect on the protein solution allows it), it may be particularly desirable to add these end product components to the protein solution in order to avoid the need for additional pasteurization that would otherwise be required after denaturing treatment.

Optionally, the starting proteinaceous materials may be subjected to a pretreatment to remove cholesterol, fat, and other impurities that may impart flavors to the macrocolloid product. One such procedure involves an extraction step wherein the proteinaceous material is contacted with a food grade solvent, preferably ethanol, in the presence of a suitable food grade acid. The proteinaceous material is then subjected to several washing and filtration steps to obtain the extracted protein product.

Examples of suitable solvents include lower alkanols, hexane and the like, with ethanol being particularly preferred. Examples of suitable food grade pure acids include mineral acids such as phosphoric acid and food grade organic acids such as acetic, citric, lactic and malic, with citric acid being particularly preferred.

The extraction process is particularly useful for removing cholesterol and fat from protein sources such as protein whey concentrate. In a preferred extraction process for optimal fat and cholesterol removal, the whey protein concentrate is extracted at 52 ° C for six hours with a mixture of 90 to 97% alcohol (preferably about 90% ethanol), 3 to 10% (preferably about 9%) and about 0.01 to 0.20% acid (preferably about 0.084% citric acid). In an alternative treatment that provides a product with excellent taste and processability characteristics, the whey protein concentrate is extracted at 40 ° C for four hours with a mixture of ethanol, water and citric acid. The concentration of ethanol is 94.95%, water 5.0% and citric acid 0.05%. In such extraction procedures, the starting whey protein concentrate containing, for example, 4.0% fat and 0.15% cholesterol can be processed to a product containing less than 2% fat and less than 0.0 2% cholesterol.

After the thermal denaturation process is completed, the product may optionally be subjected to homogenization. Homogenization treatment is particularly useful when the products are diluted (i.e., when the protein concentration is low) and / or neutralized, as is the case, for example, with coffee additives to make it whiten. This treatment is useful for breaking relatively loose connections between particles that sometimes occur during processing. Macrocolloids that are associated with each other (ie usually in pairs or triplets) are not aggregated (ie, sintered into particles with significantly larger

However, they are perceived in the mouth as if they were solid composite particles which cannot be distinguished from the aggregates in terms of organoleptic properties. By homogenization treatment, the particle associates are separated into individual macrocolloid particles having the desired organoleptic properties in terms of mouthfeel. The homogenization treatment of the low concentration macrocolloid dilute products (e.g. coffee bleaching additives) is preferably carried out at a pH of about 6 to 7. At such pH values, the distribution of electric charges on the surface of the macrocolloid helps to maintain a uniform dispersion of macrocolloids in the aqueous environment. To this end, any of the established homogenization techniques known in the art may be used, but care must be taken not to expose the macrocolloid particles to such a high temperature that they could aggregate into larger particles.

The particle size measurement provides a measure of the organoleptic quality of the products of the invention. One of the simplest and fastest methods is to prepare an optical preparation in a manner analogous to the preparation of clinical blood preparations. In this method, a 10 g sample of the pasty food is weighed into a Waring blender and 190 g of distilled water is added to form a 5% solution. The solution was then mixed for 2 minutes at high speed and then adjusted to pH 6.75 to 7.0. The sample is then blended at high speed with a magnetic stirrer and sonicated for 1 minute using a Braunsonic Model 2000 Sonicator, Burlingame, California, USA. During this procedure, all weak associations that may have occurred between the individual particles of the macrocolloid will break. Then the solution is diluted with additional deionized water to a concentration of from 0.25 to 0.50%, depending on the particle concentration. This solution is then placed in an ultrasonic bath (Branson 2200 Ultrasonic Bath, Shelton, CN) for 1 minute immediately prior to preparation.

Shake the solution by hand for 10 seconds and then place 20 μΐ of the sample so treated in the center of a microscope slide, which is then placed in a Corning centrifuge. The slide is rotated as soon as the sample has been placed on it. Once the preparation is dry, usually within about 30 seconds, it is ready for microscopic evaluation.

The sample is viewed with a Zeiss Axiom Microscope equipped with a halogen light source (Zeiss Thornwood, NY), a Dage MTI video camera (Michigan City, IN) and camera control using a 50X objective and a total magnification ranging from 1000 to 1600 times magnification. The system is only capable of performing quantitative analysis for particles with a diameter greater than about 0.25 μπι. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, all particle size statistical measurements in this description refer to particles with a major dimension greater than 0.25 μπι. However, the observer may observe particles of about 0.10 to about 0.25 μη and their presence is monitored regularly. A large number of patches (15 to 25) are subjected to examination for subjective evaluation of the overall homogeneity or heterogeneity of the sample in terms of particle size and shape. After qualitative evaluation of the sample, a field that appears representative of the whole sample is selected. His image is then projected onto a black and white TV monitor

-13GB 279064 B6 with high resolution (Lenco, Jackson, MO) for quantitative analysis.

The image on the TV monitor is first digitized and then transferred from the TV monitor to the computer monitor. During this degree of digitization / transmission, the image quality deteriorates somewhat, with the side effect that some of the particles that have been separated on the original image are fused together and are therefore not a representative image of the actual particles. These seemingly fused particles are then carefully edited by comparing the original image (on the television monitor) and the new image (on the computer monitor).

Approximately 250 ± 50 particles are usually measured in a single cell. The number of plots shall be used for the measurement to include 500 particles. First, the number of particles and their corresponding length and width are determined in the image. From these data, two additional variables, the equivalent spherical mean (E.S. mean) and volume (E.S. volume), are calculated according to the following formulas:

ES Diameter = (B x L ^{2) 1/3}

ES volume = 4/3 π B ² L where B stands for width a

L particle length.

After determining the ES diameter and volume for the total particle distribution in the image, the numerical mean ES diameter (D _n ) and the volume mean ES diameter (D _v ) are calculated. D _n is the number average particle diameter, which is calculated by summing the diameters of all particles in the distribution divided by the total number of particles. D _v (volumetric mean particle diameter) weighs all particles in relation to their volume and thus provides information on where the mean diameter lies based on considering their volume or implicitly their mass. The maximum diameter (D _max ) is simply the diameter of the largest particle present in the microscope field. These data can be plotted graphically in the form of a histogram, with the ES diameter plotted on the x-axis as a function of particle number and particle volume. From these data, it is also possible to directly determine the percentage of particles with a diameter above 2 μιη and the maximum particle diameter.

Another aspect of the invention is a process for producing the above spheroidal particles by coagulation and denaturation of an easily coagulable protein (preferably a protein that coagulates at 85 ° C or below), such as egg white protein (EWP), bovine serum albumin (BSA), or a fat-free whey protein in the presence of a nucleating agent. In doing so, the coagulable protein denatures around and surrounds the nucleating agent, resulting in spheroid particles having a core-shell configuration in which the nucleus is a nucleating agent and the shell is formed of a denatured coagulable protein. The core (nucleating agent) may occupy less than about 90% of the volume of the resulting spheroid particle and usually occupies less than about

B6% of the volume of this particle. The remainder of the particle is a denatured protein, for example, a denatured egg white protein.

It has been found that when a protein is denatured in the presence of a nucleating agent, particles can be formed at near neutral pH, i.e., above the middle point of the isoelectric curve of the protein. Coagulable proteins that can be denatured to macrocolloid particles include easily coagulable proteins, such as egg white protein or bovine sera protein. The sweet whey protein concentrate does not form a core-shell configuration with the nucleating agent (casein micella), since the whey protein has a higher coagulation temperature.

As the nucleating agent (NA), any organic or inorganic substance in the form of microparticles whose size is smaller than the desired size of the resulting protein macrocolloid particles to be used as fat or cream substitutes is suitable. Usually, the nucleating agent particles also have a spheroidal shape, although this shape is not critical, especially when the nucleating agent is to constitute less than about 25% of the final particle size of the macrocolloid fat replacer. The nucleating agent serves as a nucleus, inducing the formation of a coating around the particle, for example from egg white protein.

Suitable nucleating agents include casein micelles, microcrystalline cellulose, silica, reduced iron, zein, and water insoluble proteins. The nucleating agent is in a colloidal form and includes, for example, colloidal iron, colloidal zein, colloidal proteins, and colloidal sublimed silica. Mixtures of different nucleating agents may also be used. A preferred nucleating agent is micellar casein.

The egg white protein is a preferred coagulable protein for the preparation of core-shell particles. The egg white protein and nucleating agent (EWP / NA) particles of the invention are prepared by treating the egg white protein in the presence of the nucleating agent at the elevated temperature and shear stress conditions described above to form macrocolloid protein particles that can be used as a substitute for fat or cream. The midpoint of the isoelectric curve of the egg white protein lies at a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, but the pH of the denaturing medium can be increased above the pH corresponding to that point up to about 6 to 7, preferably about 6.2 to 6. , 6. The total protein content of the composition to be treated is generally between about 5 to about 20% by weight. If desired, polyhydroxy compounds (lactose) and anti-aggregating agents are also used.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the spheroid protein particles are produced from a combination of egg white protein and a source of substantially non-aggregated or native casein micelles as nucleating agent. These egg white protein and casein micelle particles (EWP / CM) are produced by heating a mixture of egg white protein and a casein micelle source under the shear stress conditions described above. In contrast to the case where the macrocolloid particles are formed from an egg white protein in the absence of a nucleating agent (see Example 3,

Furthermore, EWP / CM protein particles may be produced at a pH above the center of the isoelectric curve of the egg white protein (see Examples 6 and 7 below).

Casein micelles, which is currently the preferred nucleating agent, are naturally occurring spheroid-shaped protein particles contained in mammalian milk. These particles usually have a diameter of 0.1 to 0.4 μιη. Any source of casein micelles may be used in the practice of the present invention, but cow's milk is preferred because the casein micelles are present in a high concentration therein. Particular preference is given to skimmed milk, condensed skimmed milk and ultrafiltered skimmed milk, since these species contain a reduced amount of fat, which is desirable in the production of fat substitutes or cream.

The total protein content of the reaction mixture subjected to heat and shear treatment to produce EWP / CM particles is usually in the range of about 5 to about 20% by weight. However, neither the total protein content nor the ratio of egg white protein to casein micelle protein are of critical importance. The egg white typically contributes about 25 to 99% of the total protein content, and casein micelles may contribute to the total protein content of the remaining 1 to about 75%, preferably about 1 to about 40%. Concentrated egg white and a concentrated source of casein micelles are expediently used. Therefore, preferred sources of egg white are lyophilized egg white and ultrafiltered egg white, and preferred sources of casein micelles are condensed skim milk and ultrafiltered skim milk.

The EWP / CM type protein particles are preferably prepared in the presence of a polyhydroxy compound and an aggregate-preventing agent, both of which have been described above. Preferably, the polyhydroxy compound component is a combination of sucrose and lactose (from condensed skim milk as a source) and the particle aggregation preventing agent component is a combination of lecithin and pectin. Food grade acids can be used to adjust the pH and water can be used to adjust the concentration of the components. When used to form-EWP / CM protein particles of ultrafiltered egg white and condensed skim milk, a typical reaction mixture comprises the following components:

an ultrafiltered egg white protein of 40 to 60% by weight (which is 8 to 12% by weight of the protein, based on the total mixture); condensed skim milk 10 to 33% by weight (which provides protein in an amount of 1 to 4% by weight based on the whole composition); cane sugar or corn starch sugar 0 to 10% by weight; pectin of vegetable origin 0 to 0.5% by weight; lecithin 0 to 1.0% by weight; food grade acid 0 to 0.3% by weight (to adjust the pH to 6 to 7); and water up to 100% by weight.

A preferred embodiment of the process for preparing the EWP / CM type protein particles, which are a fat substitute according to the invention, is illustrated by the flow diagrams of Figures 1 and IA. The conditions of time, temperature, pressure and pH in each of the stages A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and U (see the degrees indicated by these letters in the circle in Fig. 1 and IA) are shown in the following tables. In grades A and D a sensory evaluation is performed.

-16GB 279064 B6

Degree AND (B) C time (min) 70 to 90 10 to 30 2 to 10 temperature (° C) 37.8 to 60.0 21.1 to 32.2 21.1 to 32.2 pressure (MPa) 0.1 0.1 0.1 PH 6 to 7.0 6.5 to 7.5 6.0 to 7.0

degree D E F temperature (° C) 21.1 to 32.2 21.1 to 42.2 48.9 to 82.3 pressure (MPa) 0.1 0.41 to 0.55 - pH 6 to 7 6 to 7 6 to 7 flow rate (kg / h) 40.9 54.5 54.5

degree G H AND temperature (“C) 80 to 88 80 to 88 1.7 to 4.4 pressure (MPa) - - 0.27 to 0.41 pH 6 to 7 6 to 7 6 to 7 flow rate (kg / h) 54.5 54.5 54.5

In this embodiment, the sugar and resin, which are used as anti-aggregating agents such as pectin or guar, are dry blended in a conventional mixer.

Even to form premix A. The pasteurized liquid egg white is subjected to ultrafiltration in a conventional ultrafiltration device 3, which is preferably equipped with a polysulfone membrane having a nominal permeability limit, given a molecular weight of about 10,000. This gives a concentrated egg white (pre-product B) with protein concentrations of 15 to 25% by weight. The lecithin is hydrated in purified water (reverse osmosis) in a well stirred tank under vacuum in a vacuum mixer 5 to form premix C. A dilute solution of a food grade acid such as lactic acid or citric acid in purified water (premix D) is also prepared.

Premix A is hydrated in purified water using a mixer 2 that is either flow-through or discontinuous and allows high shear stress. The pre-product B and the condensed skim milk are added to the hydrated premix A in the hygienically conditioned batch tank 4, adjusting the protein concentration to the desired level, i.e. 10 to 20% of the total protein. Then premix D is added to the batch tank to adjust the pH to a value in the range of 6.0 to 7.0, preferably 6.2 to 6.6. Then premix C is added to the batch tank to form a finished solution

II protein, which is prepared for heat treatment under shear conditions to prepare EWP / CM protein particles useful as a food substitute for fat or cream.

The final protein solution 11 is vented in a hygienically vented vent 6 to minimize the amount of dispersed and dissolved oxygen. The heat and shear treatment process may be carried out in a single heat and shear treatment device, but is preferably performed in two units using a preheater 2 and a heat treatment device 8.

-17GB 279064 B6 and high shear processing. The preheater 7 is used to raise the temperature of the finished protein solution to 48-77 ^° C and preferably 60-74 ° C so that the temperature increase in the heat treatment and high shear treatment apparatus 8 reaches a temperature suitable for pasteurization, i.e. 80 to 86 ° C as prescribed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) J. The substance coming out of the heat exchanger device 8 and at the same time the high shear treatment device is cooled in a conventional heat exchanger 10 to a temperature of 1.5 to 4.5 ° C within a few minutes. The resulting macrocolloid product, composed of EWP / CM particles, is suitable as a food substitute for fat or cream. The above-described process for producing EWP / CM type protein particles is preferably carried out in the vicinity of the food product manufacturing unit, wherein the produced protein cream substitute can be fed directly to the food product manufacturing line. Alternatively, if the resultant material is to be shipped or stored for future use, a holding line 9 is inserted into the production unit between the shear stress treatment apparatus 8 and the cooler 10 so that the product can pass through the holding tube 9 for a time sufficient to pasteurize the substitute. cream based on EWP / CM particles. After pasteurization, the product is cooled and kept at a temperature of 1.5 to 4.5 ° C.

When using the apparatus described in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent No. 127,710 as the high shear heat exchanger 8, the blade speed in the range of about 3000 to 10,000 and preferably about 5000 to 7500 is sufficient to obtain a product having consistency and taste of thick cream (fat) and gives it a mouthfeel.

Based on the evaluation of electron micrographs it can be stated that protein particles of the EWP / CM type are predominantly composed of particles having an inner core of casein micelle and an outer sheath of denatured egg white protein. A minor portion of the protein particles are denatured egg white protein particles and agglomerated casein micelle particles. In some cases, more than one casein micelle may be present in the coagulated protein particle.

The EWP / CM protein particles shown in Figure 2 comprise a core of one or more casein micellar particles 23 (visible as dark bodies within the particles) and a denatured egg white protein envelope 25 (visible as the lighter outer part of the particles) . The EWP / CM protein particles shown in Figure 2 were prepared using essentially the same procedure described in Example 7 below.

Figure 3 shows EWP / CM protein particles 31 prepared in-situ according to the procedures described in Example 6. Note that in Figure 3 the denatured egg white protein (EWP) envelope 35 usually occupies a smaller a portion of the total particle volume, relative to casein micelles 33, than that of the EWP particle shells in Figure 2.

The core / shell configuration characteristic of protein particles is better evident from Figure 4, which is a photomicrograph of frozen dessert made using a cream substitute.

According to Example 7, the core 41 of the casein micelle is well visible in the various particles, while the lighter, lower density portion is the shell 43 of these particles, which is of denatured EWP. Also shown in Fig. 4 are casein micelles 45 having no egg white protein (EWP) envelope.

Giant. 2 to 4 can be compared to FIG. 5, which shows an electron micrograph of a selection of cream ice cream (containing 16% butter fat). In Figure 5, the relatively large white circles represent globular fat particles and the small dark bodies 53 are casein micelles.

EWP / CM protein particles form a macrocolloid, which is useful as a fat or cream substitute, suitable as a food ingredient for frozen desserts, as well as for whipped mousses, sauces, soaks, cake fillings, toppings and similar food products normally containing cream . The cream in these food products is replaced by an EWP / CM type macrocolloid such that the recipe used is simply replaced by the macrocolloid directly in the cream production process. Usually, a cream substitute based on EWP / CM replaces whole cream in a weight ratio (in the wet state) of about 1: 1. This means that about 1 gram of protein replaces about 3 grams of fat or cream, since a cream substitute based on EWP / CM it contains water, polyhydroxy compounds, anti-aggregation agents and other additives. The optimum amount of EWP / CM based cream substitute to be used in a particular food application can be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art based on conventional sensory evaluations.

In order to achieve a fat or cream-like sensation in the mouth, the EWP / CM-based protein particles should typically have a diameter of from about 0.1 to about 3 µmη and preferably have a mean diameter of about 0.5 to about 0.5 µm. 2,5 μη. In frozen food products, the EWP / CM-based particles should be present in an amount of at least 1 x 10 ⁸ particles per cm ^{3 of the} resulting food product. The preferred particle content should be in the range of 1 x 10 ⁸ to 1 x 10 ¹² particles per cm ³ , or even higher.

Examples

The following examples relate to preferred methods and procedures for preparing macrocolloids for the purposes of this invention. Example 1 relates to a preferred method for producing a whey-based macrocolloid substance. Example 2 relates to the production of a macrocolloid from serum albumin from bovine blood. Example 3 discloses the production of a macrocolloid from egg white albumin, while Example 4 relates to the use of soy protein for the production of macrocolloid substances. Example 5 relates to the preparation of ice cream-like frozen desserts, in which macrocolloid products such as those described in Examples 1-4 are added to the ice-cream premixes instead of the commonly used milk fat component. Example 6 relates to cream-like products ice cream made from premixes, in which case the heat-coagulable protein is added to the premix, and the denatured protein particles are formed in a suitable number and with a suitable in-sieve size range in the premix

-19GB 279064 B6 during pasteurization and mixing. Example 7 relates to a preferred process for the preparation of the egg white and casein micelle cream substitute of the invention. Example 8 relates to a frozen dessert containing a cream substitute according to Example 7 instead of whole cream. Example 9 shows a study to optimize the use of the product of Example 7 in the production of cream-type products.

The examples are illustrative only and do not limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Example 1

Whey protein concentrate is used as the protein source and is subjected to extraction to remove fat and cholesterol prior to denaturation. To do this, 181 kg of absolute ethanol (lot # 16468x, 16995x, Aaper Alcohol with Chemical Co., Shelbyville, KY) were charged to the reactor. Then water (8.58 kg) and 10% citric acid solution (954 g, Miles, Elkhart, IN) were added and the solution was stirred for two minutes. The pH of the resulting solution is measured to confirm that it is 5.0 ± 0.5.

63.5 kg of WPC-50 whey protein concentrate (batch 6302-2, Fildgate, Litchfield, MI) are then added to the reactor and the reactor is sealed. Water vapor is then introduced into the reactor duplicator jacket and the temperature in the reactor is maintained at 40-42 ° C for 4 hours. The protein suspension is removed from the reactor and filtered on an endless belt filter, allowing the thickness of the filter cake to reach 2.5 cm. The weight of the obtained filter cake is 116 kg. 127 kg of 95% ethanol are charged to the reactor and the cake is added to the reactor and the resulting slurry is stirred for 20 minutes. The slurry was discharged from the reactor and filtered in the same manner as described above, and the separated cake was transferred back to the reactor to which 127 kg of 95% ethanol was added. The suspension is stirred for 20 ^; minutes and then filtered to remove as much liquid as possible from the filter cake. The large filter cake weighs 104.5 kg.

The wet filter cake is placed on a tray at a uniform thickness of about 2.5 cm or less. The material is dried under reduced pressure for 12 hours at 45 ° C ± 1 ° C to give 51.5 kg of whey protein concentrate (WPC), which corresponds to a yield of 80.9%. If it is assumed that approximately 3.5 kg of substance has been lost in the oven, the calculated percentage of volatiles in the initial wet cake is 47.4%.

The resulting substance contains 56.91% protein and has a solubility of 93% (solubility measurement was performed by the method described above). The protein is then used to produce a blend that contains, in addition to the protein, lecithin (Lecigran F, Riceland, Little Rock, AR), 37% food grade hydrochloric acid (JT Baker, Phillipsburg, NJ), xanthan (Keltrol T, Kelco, San Diego, CA) and water.

-20GB 279064 B6

Table 1

Whey protein blend ingredient content (% by weight) weight (g)

WPC-50 lecithin hydrochloric acid xanthan water -.....

34,500

690,00

0,932

1,590

0.186

18.64

31.80

62,792

3.72

1255,00

100.00

2000,00

The ingredients of the blend listed in Table 1 above are loaded into a high shear mixer which also acts as a deaerator (Kady Milli, Scarborough, ME) in the following order: water, hydrochloric acid, lecithin, xanthan and whey protein concentrate. The mixture is dehumidified, taking care to minimize the conversion of mechanical energy to heat before the mixture is introduced into the processing apparatus described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 127,710. placed in a processing vessel, the vessel is closed and the temperature recorder is started. Turn on the motor and the blade speed was set at 5080 min ^-1. After a few seconds, a liquid of 100 ° C begins to circulate through the duplicator jacket of the vessel. The product reaches a temperature of 122 ° C in 4.3 minutes, at which point the heating liquid is forced out with a stream of cold water to cool the product to 40 ° C in 2 minutes.

The product obtained as described above was tested to evaluate organoleptic and physical properties. The product has a soft and creamy consistency. 64% of the protein is converted to macrocolloid particles and 0% of the particles have dimensions exceeding 3 μιη. The spherical particles have a volume median diameter (D _v ) of 0.99 μιη, a number median diameter (D _n ) of 0.78 μιη and a maximum diameter (in inax) of 1.50 μιη.

Example 2

In this example, bovine serum albumin (BSA) is used to produce the protein macrocolloid product. Bovine Albumin, Fraction V, is obtained from U.S. Pat. Biochemical Corp. (Cleveland, Ohio). The substance consists of a lyophilized powder with a protein content of 97% and a solubility of 99%, as determined by solubility testing by the method described above. The starting mixture contains, in addition to this protein, lecithin (Lecigran F, Riceland, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA), 37% food grade hydrochloric acid (JTBaker, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA), Xanthan (Keltrol T, Kelco, San Diego, California) , USA), lactose (alpha-lactose monohydrate, Sigma St. Louis, Missouri, USA) and water.

-21EN 279064 B6

Table 2

Mixture based on bovine serum albumin

component content (% by weight) navážka (G) BSA 13,080 121.64 lecithin 2,100 19.53 Hydrochloric acid 0.770 7.16 xanthan 0.200 1.86 lactose 7,560 70.31 water 76,290 709.50

100.00 930.00

The mixture, as defined in Table 3, is prepared in a high shear mixer which also acts as a deaerator (Kady Milí, Scarborough, Maine, USA). The xanthan resin is pre-hydrated. The ingredients were placed in the mixer in the following order: water, hydrochloric acid, lecithin, xanthan, lactose and BSA and the mixture was vented prior to introduction into the treatment apparatus as in Example 1. The premix of pH 4.19 was placed in the treatment vessel the vessel is sealed and the temperature recorder is started, the motor turns on and the blade speed was set at 5080 min ^-1. After a few seconds, a liquid of 80 ° C begins to circulate through the duplicator jacket of the vessel. The product reaches a temperature of 126 ° C in 4.8 minutes, at which point the heating liquid is forced out with a stream of cold water to cool the product to 40 ° C in 2 minutes.

The shear rate of the processing equipment used is reflected in a difference of 46 ° C between the product temperature and the temperature of the heating liquid. The additional heat comes from the conversion of mechanical energy to heat at a rate of 380 J / s.

The product obtained as described above was tested to evaluate organoleptic and physical properties. The product has a thick consistency, similar to that of a macrocolloid, made from whey protein concentrate, and a high lubricity cream structure. 71% of the protein was converted to macrocolloid particles. The particles are predominantly spheroidal in shape, although a certain amount of rod-like and fibrous particles remain in the product. Rods and fibers of dimensions exceeding 3 μιη constitute 2,25% of the particles (by number). When the sticks and fibers are excluded from the microscopic image analysis, the spheroidal particle diameters can be calculated as follows: volume mean diameter (D _v ) 1.03 μιη, numerical mean diameter (D _n ) 0.66 μιη and maximum diameter (D _max ) 1.7 5 μ.

Example 3

In this example, egg white is used to produce the protein macrocolloid product. It has been found that the desired product can be obtained by combining fresh egg white and spray dried egg white. Fresh egg white with nor

Separately, on the day of preparation of the premix from eggs, it is separated from the local supplier. This protein was determined to contain 98% soluble protein, but the protein concentration was less than 10%. Due to the initial protein concentration, the processing of egg white alone results in a dense mass of denatured protein product. The spray dried egg was obtained from Henningsen Foods (White Pains, New York, USA) (type P-110 dried egg white) and contains at least 80% protein. The solubility of the protein in powdered egg white powder is only 83%, and processing of the protein itself may produce an unacceptably high number of oversized particles. In order to avoid the limitations resulting from the use of these substances alone, the fresh egg white and the spray dried egg white are mixed to give a suitable egg white protein source.

Lecithin, xanthan, hydrochloric acid and lactose, which are used in the preparation of the starting mixture,

3, were obtained from the vendors mentioned in the example Table 3 Mixture on egg based egg white component content navážka (% by weight) (G) freshly egg whites 70.21 1168.92 egg Dried egg whites seying 13.44 223.72 lecithin 2.97 49.54 xanthan 0.30 4.95 Hydrochloric acid 2.37 39.43 lactose 10.71 178.35 100.00 1664.91

In a high shear mixer, the ingredients are introduced in the amounts listed in Table 3, in the following order: fresh whites, lecithin, xanthan, lactose, spray dried egg whites and hydrochloric acid, and the mixture is mixed and dehumidified. The resulting premix with a pH of 3.6 is introduced into the processing device according to example 1. The processing was carried out at a bath temperature of 80 ° C and lasts for 4.33 minutes at a paddle speed of 5080 min ^-1. The maximum product temperature is 125 ° C.

The product obtained above is thick and creamy. 88.9% of the protein was converted to macrocolloid particles that have a strong tendency to form free aggregates. The particle size analysis shows that the particle size lies within the desired range, with D _v being 1.22 μπι and 4% of the particles larger than 2 μπι. Essentially all particles are spheroidal.

-23GB 279064 B6

Example 4

In this example, a soy protein is used to produce the protein macrocolloid product. The soy protein obtained from Ralston Purina (SN 1631-32-1, St. Louis, Missouri, USA) contains 61.4% protein and its solubility, as determined above, is 81%. Lecithin, xanthan, hydrochloric acid and lactose come from the suppliers listed in Example 1 and are used in the amounts shown in Table 4 below.

Table 4

Soy protein mixture

component content (% by weight) navážka (G) soy protein 22,036 99.16 lecithin 3,000 13.50 xanthan 0.100 0.45 Hydrochloric acid 2,196 9.88 lactose 10,800 48.60 water 61,868 278.41

100.00 450.00

Water, hydrochloric acid, lecithin, xanthan, lactose and soy protein are added sequentially to the high shear mixer and mixed and vented. The resulting premix, having a pH of 3.74, was fed into the processing apparatus of FIG. 1. The bath temperature was maintained at 110 ° C. The heating time is 4.30 minutes - Ί at the rotation speed set to 5080 min. The maximum temperature reached by the product is 119 ° C.

During cooking, the product develops a light brown color. The product is soft, creamy and dense, with the typical soybean flavor of soy products. 71% of the protein is converted to macrocolloid particles. The particle size analysis shows that the particles have a size within the desired range, with D _v being 1.46 μη and 2.5 μπι. Essentially all particles are spheroidal.

Example 5

A frozen cream ice cream dessert is made using a whey macrocolloid product. The manufacturing process is as follows: 63.56 kg of WPC-50 whey protein concentrate (Fieldgate brand, First District Assoc., Litchfield, MN 55355, batch 6302-2) is subjected to extraction as described in Example 1. 53, 12 kg of extracted protein. The extracted whey concentrate is soluble to 97.6% (as determined by the solubility method described above). It has a protein content of 56.7%, a fat content of 1.9% and a cholesterol content of 53.1 mg / 100 g.

-24GB 279064 B6

The whey protein concentrate processed by extraction is thoroughly mixed in a lecithin mixer (Lecigran F, Riceland, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA), 37% food hydrochloric acid (JT Baker, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA), xanthan (Keltrol T (Kelco, San Diego, California, USA) and water in the amounts shown in Table 5 to give a protein premix of pH 4.28.

Table 5

Whey protein mixture

component content (% by weight) navážka (G) WPC-50 34,500 21,928 lecithin 0,932 0.592 Hydrochloric acid 1,595 1,014 xanthan 0.186 0,118 water 62,787 39,908 100.00 63,560

The protein premix is vented and fed at a rate of about 25 kg per hour to a pair of votator-wiped surface heat exchangers (7.62 x 30.5 cm) (Chemetron Corp., Louisville, Kentucky, USA) operating at 980 rpm. min ^-1 . The product is introduced into the first heat exchanger at a temperature of about 16 ° C and the temperature is gradually raised to about 88 ° C, after which the product is passed through a line to the second heat exchanger where it is cooled to about 21 ° C. The apparatus is operated for about 3 hours and 20 minutes, taking samples at various intervals for analysis. Macrocolloid samples are subjected to particle size analysis and other types of analysis. The test results are shown in Table 6 below. Viscosity is determined with a cone and plate viscometer (Haake, Saddlebrook, New Jersey, USA).

Table 6

pattern number time (h: min) product temperature (° C) flow rate (kg / h) Viscosity (mPa.s) _Ο η (μΐη) ϋ _ν (μιη) Djnax () comment 1 0:00 83.4 25 227 0.70 1.06 1.75 2 0:03 3 0:11 4 0:30 5 0:33 84 25 6 1:00 84.5 25 246 0.74 1.05 2.00 7 1:02 8 1:10 9 1:39 86.2 25 407 0.76 1,22 2.00

1:41

1:49

-25GB 279064 B6

Table 6 - continued

pattern number time (h: min) product temperature (° C) flow rate (kg / h) Viscosity (mPa.s) _ϋ η (μιη) ϋ _ν (μιη) ^D max (μτη) notes 12 2:18 87.8 25 283 0.78 1.14 2.00 13 2:44 87.8 39 266 0.85 1.30 2.50 14 2:47 15 Dec 3:01 92.8 39 278 0.73 1.16 2.00 low quality 16 3:15 17 3:20 86.2 25 258 0.79 1.30 2.00

The macrocolloid protein product made from whey as Sample No. 7 is then used to make a frozen cream ice cream dessert. The cream ice cream recipe includes 2200 g of whey macrocolloid product as a substitute for whole cream. Otherwise, this recipe includes condensed skimmed milk (30% dry matter), sucrose (Bakers Special), stabilizer (Fans Freeze 1065, Celanese Corp. Louisville, Kentucky, USA), sodium hydroxide solution and water.

The individual components listed in Table 7 are mixed in this order. The sucrose is dry blended with the stabilizer and added to a mixture of water (1976.7 g) and condensed skimmed milk and mixed using high shear forces to form a sucrose containing stabilizer and milk solids. The whey macrocolloid is diluted with water (550 g) and then mixed with a dilute mixture of sodium hydroxide and water (110 g) under high shear mixing conditions to form neutralized macrocolloid cream. The resulting mixture is obtained by adding the macrocolloid cream to a component consisting of a combination of sucrose, stabilizer and milk solids.

Table 7

Recipe for production of creamy ice cream

component content (% by weight) navážka (G) sucrose 19.60 2 156 stabilizer 0.40 44 condensed centrifuged milk 25.86 2 844.6 water 17.97 1,876.7 whey macrocolloid 20,00 2 200 water 5.00 550 hydroxide solution sodium (10%) 1.17 128.7 water 10.00 1 100

The mixture is preheated to 57.3 ° C in a shepherd (APV plate heat exchanger, APV, Tonawanda, New York, USA) and then homogenized and heated.

Pasteurized at 68.4 ° C for 6 minutes, then cooled to 11 ° C and aged overnight before freezing. The creamy ice cream mixture is then flavored with lyophilized strawberry slices and a strawberry and vanilla flavor to form the resulting strawberry ice cream mixture. The ingredients are mixed by hand in the amounts indicated in Table 8.

Table 8

Recipe for strawberry cream ice cream

component content (% by weight) navážka (G) mixture for making ice cream 98.23 4 400 strawberry flavor 0.20 8.8 vanilla flavor 0.10 4.4 lyophilized slices of strawberries 1.47 66.0 100.00 4 479.2

The cooled mixture is placed in an automatic ice cream maker (Coldelite, New Jersey, USA) and cooled for about 20 minutes, after which the product at about -8 ° C is drained.

Two lots of cream-type strawberry ice cream are obtained, totaling 11 liters. Ice cream has a creamy, not icy texture. The product is compared to two commercially available cream ice creams. Unidentified samples are compared by a panel of 60 untrained persons. Two brands of select strawberry cream ice cream containing about 14% to 16% milk fat are used as comparative products. In terms of structure, the overall impression of these products was roughly comparable, while there was no significant difference in significance level of a = 0.05 (as can be seen from the results in Table 9) when comparing creaminess, fineness and consistency.

Table 9

Comparing the structure of strawberry creamy ice cream product of example (n = 26) first brand of ice cream product of example (n = 27) second brand of ice cream (n = 26) overall impression 6,7 7,7 6,7 (9 = peak) creaminess (5 = too creamy) 3.3 3.0 2.9

7.1

3.0

-27GB 279064 B6

Table 9 - Continued product of example (n = 26) first brand of ice cream product of example (n = 27) second brand of ice cream (n = 26) fineness

(5 = ultra fine) 3.9 3.9 3.6 3.9 consistency (5 = too thick) 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.8

Three top quality vanilla cream ice cream and one standard quality vanilla ice cream (brand, sold in convenience stores) are subjected to comparative analysis with vanilla cream ice cream prepared essentially according to Example 5 using a whey macrocolloid as a complete replacement for milk fat. The results of the comparative analysis are shown in Table 10 below.

Table 10

- Approximate analysis of frozen desserts (content on

100 grams of product)

sample protein Italy (9) humidity Italy (9) fat Italy (9) ash Italy (9) fiber Italy (9) carbohydrates Italy (9) energy content (kJ) 1. selective cream ice cream No. 1 4.1 57.5 17.0 0.8 <0.1 20.6 1,055 2. selective cream ice-cream No. 2 4.6 55.1 15.9 1.0 <0.1 23.4 1,068 3. selective cream ice cream No. 3 2.8 59.3 15.4 0.7 <0.1 21.8 0.992 4. cream of standard quality 3.0 62.4 9.8 0.8 <0.1 24.0 0,821 5. the product of Example 5 7.1 66.5 0.5 1,2 <0.1 24.7 0.553

Example 6

The process of the invention produces a frozen chocolate cream ice cream dessert by the process of producing denatured protein particles in situ in a premix prepared according to the recipe shown in Table 11 below.

-28GB 279064 B6

Table 11

component content (% by weight) protein (% by weight) And liquid egg white 40,000 4,056 B condensed skimmed milk (30.15% solution) 26,250 2,862 C sugar 16,000 - D water 7,940 - E nonfat dry milk 3,700 1,338 F liquid egg yolk 0,900 - G citric acid (10% solution) 1,800 - H Frodex 36 (corn starch syrup solids) 1,230 - I Keltose / alginate / 0.250 - Carob resin 0,080 - K cocoa (Gerkin's Sienna) 0.875 - L Cocoa (Bensdorp Royal Durch) 0.875 - M vanilla 0,080 - N creamy flavor (Naarden) 0.020 -

100,000

8,256

A dry blend of components E, H and I and sugar (component C) is produced. The condensed skimmed milk B and water D are placed in a Liquivertor mixer and the dry blend and other dry components E, J, K and L are added with stirring to dissolve and disperse all components. Egg yolk F is then added with continuous stirring. When all components are well dissolved, liquid white A is added and, after stirring briefly, a solution of citric acid G is added in an amount sufficient to achieve a pH of the resulting mixture of 6.2 to 6.5. After checking and, if necessary, adjusting the pH as necessary, stirring is stopped.

The premix thus produced is then subjected to high temperature pasteurization (HTST). This treatment is carried out under stirring and using high shear forces by two alternative processes. About one third of the mixture was first heated in a heat exchanger with an eccentric Votator and scraping walls (7.62 x 30.48 cm) which operates at the speed of 450 min ^-1. Upon reaching a temperature of approximately 60 ° C, the mixture is transferred to the continuously operating apparatus shown in Fig. 2 of the parallel patent application.

-29GB 279064 B6

Pat. No. 127,710, in which the paddle speed set at approximately 5000 min ^-1. After reaching a temperature of about 82.3 ° C, the mixture is passed through an insulated metal holding tube with an external diameter of 12.7 mm (1/2) and an internal diameter of 9.5 mm (3/8), in which the mixture is maintained at a temperature of about 80 ° C. ° C, the mean residence time of the mixture in the tube being set to about 20 seconds. Cooling the mixture after pasteurization is carried out during passage through the first heat exchanger (7.62 x 30.48 cm) and having an eccentric Votator wiping surface which runs at around 1000 rpm ^'1. Here the temperature is lowered from 80 ° C to 27 ° C. Then the mixture is led to the heat exchanger (7.62 x 30.48 cm) with concentric Votator and scraping walls operating at a speed of approximately 300 rpm ^'1. Here the temperature drops to approximately

13 ° C. Flavors M and N are then added and after aging, the flavored mixture is frozen in a conventional ice cream freezer. Preferably, a freezer unit with a high mixing capacity and a high freezing capacity is used.

About two-thirds of the premix is subjected to high shear stress treatment, using heat exchangers with votarot alone and wiping the walls. Specifically, the mixture is processed in a 7.62 cm by 30.48 cm Votator apparatus with an eccentric (eccentric Votator) at speeds from 100 to 1100 min ^"1, so that the temperature rose to about 82.3 DEG C. Then the mixture is led retaining tube described above allowing a residence time at 80 ° C on average of 20 to 22 seconds. During the passage of the second device with eccentric Votator which operates at speeds from 1000 to 1100 min ^-1, the temperature of the mixture is lowered to about 60 DEG C. Final product temperature decrease to ca.

4.4 ° C is carried out with a concentric Votator apparatus operating at a speed of 300 rpm ^'1. Further processing of the mixture is carried out in the same manner as described above.

The products produced by the two shear processes described above using high shear stress are subjected to a sensory evaluation. The product of the first sensory evaluation and the product obtained by the first alternative process are preferred with respect to its softness, creaminess and consistency.

In the manufacture of the frozen dessert products according to the invention, fat-free or substantially fat-free premixtures are produced which are rich in coagulated protein. These premixes contain up to 20% by weight of protein, of which 25 to 100% are in the form of a heat-coagulable protein. The formulation of Table 11 provides, for example, a premix containing 8.256% protein by weight. Of this protein, 4.20%, based on premix, is a non-heat-coagulable protein (thickened skim milk protein and nonfat milk powder), and 4.056%, based on premix, is a heat-coagulable protein (liquid egg whites) .

Analysis of a cream-analogue product for the presence of denatured protein particles shall be carried out by determining the number of particles having a diameter in the range 0,1 to 3,0 μπι which would occupy a volume of 1 cm ³ . Product sample analysis is performed using a Horiba particle size analyzer (Mo

-30EN 279064 B6 del CHAPTER 700, Horiba, Ltd., Miyanohigashi Kisshoin Minami-Ku, Kyoto, Japan) to determine the relative abundance of all particles (in the range of 0.1 to 3 μιη) for different size ranges of 0 , 1 μιη. The results are shown in Table 12.

Table 12 <X X o

Calculated number of particles occupying a volume of 1 cm according to different particle size o

size range (μιη) number of particles per 1 cm

0.0 - o, i 1.53 X 10 ¹⁶ 0.1 - 0.2 5.66 X 10 ¹⁴ 0.2 - 0.3 1,22 X 10 ¹⁴ 0.3 - 0.4 4.45 X 10 ¹³ 0.4 - 0.5 2.09 X 10 ¹³ 0.5 - 0.6 1.15 X 10 ¹³ 0.6 - 0.7 6.95 X 10 ¹² 0.7 - 0.8 4.53 X 10 ¹² 0.8 - 0.9 3.11 X 10 ¹² 0.9 - 1.0 2.23 X 10 ¹² 1.0 - 1.1 1.65 X 10 ¹² 1.1 - 1,2 1,25 X 10 ¹² 1,2 - 1.3 9.80 X 10 ¹¹ 1.3 - 1.4 7.76 X 10 ¹¹ 1.4 - 1.5 6.26 X 10 ¹¹ 1.5 - 1.6 5.13 X 10 ¹¹ 1.6 - 1.7 4.25 X 10 ¹¹ 1.7 - 1,8 3.56 X 10 ¹¹ 1,8 - 1.9 3.02 X 10 ¹¹ 1.9 - 2,0 2.57 X 10 ¹¹ 2,0 - 2.1 2.22 X 10 ¹¹ 2.1 - 2.2 1.92 X 10 ¹¹ 2.2 - 2.3 1.67 X 10 ¹¹ 2.3 - 2.4 1.47 X 10 ¹¹ 2.4 - 2.5 1.30 X 10 ¹¹ 2, .5 - 2.6 1.15 X 10 ¹¹ 2.6 - 2.7 1.03 X 10 ¹¹ 2.7 - 2.8 9.18 X 10 ¹⁰ 2.8 - 2.9 8.25 X 10 ¹⁰ 2.9 - 3.0 7.44 X 10 ¹⁰

-31GB 279064 B6

Product samples were also subjected to ultracentrifugation analysis (Model No. L8-70M, Beckman Instruments, Inc., Palo Alto, California, USA). The samples are diluted with water to a 20% dispersion. The dispersions were shaken by hand and then sonicated for 30 seconds at a 100 W sonicator power to uniformly disperse the diluted samples. The diluted samples were centrifuged at a speed of 25,000 min ^{- 1} · · for 25 minutes at 22 ° C using an SW 28 rotor then measured volume of supernatant. The volume occupied by the particles is determined by subtracting the supernatant volume from the original volume. From this value, the percentage of the original undiluted sample occupied by the particles is determined. For each given sample, the number of particles in any particular size range can be determined by multiplying the values given in Table 12 by the percentage of particle size distribution and the percentage of sample taken by all particles as determined by ultracentrifugation.

As already mentioned, a characteristic feature of the frozen dessert products according to the invention is that they contain, in 1 cm ^3, more than ox 10 of denatured protein particles having a diameter in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 μη. A preferred content of these particles in 1 cm of product is in the range of 1 x 10 ⁹ to 1 x 10 ¹² .

Electron microscopy analysis of the particles produced in this example (see Fig. 3) shows that many particles have a core / shell conformation, wherein the egg white protein shell forms a thinner layer in this case than the particles produced according to the example 7.

Example 7

The following ingredients are used in the preparation of the egg white and casein micelle based cream substitute for cream:

Table 13

component amount (% by weight) note Ultrafiltered egg contributes 9,35% egg whites (17% protein) 55.00 the total weight of the mixture concentrated centrifuged contributes 2,50% milk (11% protein) 22.65 the total weight of the mixture lecithin 0.30 sugar 5.00 pectin 0.35 to adjust the pH to 6.6 citric acid 0.17 water 16.53

100.00

-32GB 279064 B6

Stage A: Preliminary Preparations

The sugar and pectin (premix A) are mixed dry. The pasteurized liquid egg whites are subjected to ultrafiltration in a Dorr-Oliver Series S ultrafiltration system with a polysulfone membrane. The obtained ultrafiltered egg whites have a protein content of 17% (pre-product B). The lecithin is hydrated with water, purified by reverse osmosis in a vertical mixer with a Stephan® R & apos ^; VCM 12 R &apos; A dilute solution of citric acid in water, purified by reverse osmosis (premix D), is then prepared.

Step B: Production of the charge

1 and 1A. The mixture of sugar and pectin (premix A) is hydrated with water, purified by reverse osmosis in a high shear mixer TRI-BLENDER ( ^R ). Sufficient ultrafiltered egg whites (pre-product B) and concentrated skim milk are added to the hydrated sugar-pectin mixture in the cleaned batch tank to achieve the desired final protein concentration indicated above. Sufficient dilute citric acid (premix D) is added to the mixture to adjust the pH of the mixture to 6.6. Hydrated lecithin (premix C) is added to the batch to complete the charge. The charge is de-aired ^{in the} D-16 VERSATOr ( ^r ) venting device to remove dispersed and dissolved oxygen.

Step C: Heat treatment

The batch is pumped into a series of heat treatment units in which the batch is preheated to a temperature of 49 to 71 ° C prior to the actual heat treatment. Thereafter, the batch is passed through a hygienically compliant connecting pipe to a fluidized-bed plant according to the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser.

December 2, 1987, at a rate of 54.5 kg / h at 80-88 ° C. The blade rotation speed of this device is set to 5000 to _ Ί

7500 min to produce a microparticle product consisting of egg white protein and casein micelles (EWP / CM) with the desired creamy consistency. The average residence time in the apparatus is about 30 seconds. The resulting egg white fat and casein micelle substitutes are immediately used (without intermediate storage) for the production of frozen dairy dessert. Upon completion of the production of frozen dessert, a holding tube for pasteurization of the egg white and casein micelle fat substitute is attached to the apparatus. Pasteurization is carried out according to FDA guidelines, i.e. at a temperature of 81-88 ° C for 25 seconds. Then, the pasteurized fat replacer is cooled to -1 to +4.5 ° C and stored at this temperature until next use.

Example 8

The egg white protein and casein micelle fat substitutes produced according to Example 7 are used as ingredients to replace whole cream in the preparation of frozen vanilla flavor cream desserts. Frozen dessert is evaluated for its creamy texture and overall acceptability,

-33GB 279064 B6 Consumer Panel. Separate consumer groups also evaluate three commercially available vanilla cream ice cream brands. The mean endpoints relating to the creaminess (creaminess, richness and smoothness) of the resulting frozen desserts according to the invention in all cases fall within the range of classification values given to commercially available products, both initially and after five days of storage at several temperature cycles .

Example 9

A study will be conducted to find the optimal amount of egg white protein and casein micelle fat substitute needed in frozen desserts to simulate the structure of select cream ice cream containing about 16% milk fat (butter). The best frozen dessert produced has the main ingredient content given in Table 14.

Table 14 component content (% by weight) protein total sucrose fat substitute EWP / CM of Example 7

9.72

11.4

31.84 ^{* x x} constitutes 38.8% of the total protein.

based on the propro-simulant of fat per micelle of Example 7, about 32% by weight, it is obvious in the art that

Obviously, the optimal amount of egg, egg white and casein pickles of select creamy ice cream is a woman for a frozen dessert. The optimum amount of egg white protein and casein micelle fat substitute for a given application will vary depending upon several factors such as the type of food product, the desired creaminess, the protein content of the egg white protein casein micelle substitute, the particle size microparticulate protein, possible presence of anti-aggregating agents, polyhydroxy compounds, etc. The preferred composition can be determined for each category of food product by conventional sensory experiments.

A typical recipe for the production of frozen cream ice cream desserts using egg white protein and casein micelle fat substitutes according to Example 7 will contain the ingredients listed in Table 15.

-34GB 279064 B6

Table 15 component content (% by weight) range of preferred fat substitute based on EWP / CM

according to Example 7 25-40 31.8 ultrafiltered skim milk (4x) 25-40 36.6 milk solids fat free 0-3 1.6 sugar 8-20 10.0 egg yolks 0-2 0.9 stabilizers 0-1 0.4 corn starch syrup dry matter 0-10 8 starch 0-1 0 flavors * as required 1.1 water residue residue

^x Flavors may comprise full fat cream or a fat as a carrier for flavorings or liposoluble.

The improved whipped frozen dessert products of the invention described above in an illustrative example of creamy ice cream products show, as is apparent, the physical and organoleptic character of the whole fat products at a substantially lower energy content and higher nutritional value (i.e. higher protein content). While the above recipes include, by way of illustration, sucrose as a sweetener, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous high-sweetening alternative sweeteners such as aspartame, alitam, acesulfame K, and acesulfame K can be used to substitute sucrose. sucralose (optionally together with suitable sweeteners).

Similarly, although in the above-mentioned illustrative recipes for the production of creamy ice cream products all milk fat is replaced by a protein macrocolloid, it goes without saying that the high quality products of the invention also include frozen desserts in which only a part (e.g. 50%) or oil, which is usually added. Similarly, although the invention is illustrated in the preparation of creamy ice cream products, the invention can also be advantageously applied to the preparation of other whipped, frozen or low-fat frozen desserts (ie containing less than 1% fat) such as milk ice cream, sherbet and the like, and for making toppings, spreading creams, sauces, soaking creams, whipped mousses, cream desserts and similar food products that normally contain cream.

-35GB 279064 B6

The foregoing examples are illustrative only, and do not limit the scope of the invention in any way. Numerous variations and modifications to the practice of the invention will naturally occur to those skilled in the art, however, unless they depart from the scope defined by the following subject matter of the invention, they remain within its scope.

Claims (7)

PATENT CLAIMS A food additive replacing cream and / or fat, comprising non-aggregated spheroid particles of denatured protein consisting of a casein core and an outer shell of denatured egg white protein having a size distribution ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 μιη, with less than 2% of the particle size exceeding 3.0 μιη. Food additive according to claim 1, characterized in that the egg white protein is derived from ultrafiltered egg white. Food additive according to claim 1, characterized in that the casein is derived from condensed skimmed milk or ultrafiltered skimmed milk. 4. A food additive according to claim 1 comprising a polyhydroxy compound, an aggregate preventing agent, and a food acid. Food additive according to claim 4, characterized in that it contains as the polyhydroxy compound cane sugar, maize-starch, lactose or a mixture thereof, as a pectin, lecithin, xanthan resin, guar resin, date esters, carrageenan, alginate, maltodextrins, calciumsteroylactylate or mixtures thereof, and as food acid lactic acid or citric acid. Food additive according to claim 5, characterized in that it contains a mixture of sucrose and lactose as a polyhydroxy compound, a pectin and lecithin mixture as an aggregate-inhibiting agent and citric acid as a food acid. The method of producing a food additive according to claims 1 to 6, wherein 25 to 99, preferably 60 to 99 parts by weight of egg white protein and up to 75 parts by weight of the source of non-aggregated casein micelles are heated to at least the egg white protein denaturation temperature. , preferably to a temperature in the range of from 80 to 125 ° C, at a pH of 6.0 to 7.0, under shear conditions of at least 5,000 s ^-1 , preferably 5,000 to 7,500 s ^-1 , until they are formed macrocolloid particles of 0.1 to 3.0 μιη size. -36GB 279064 B6 The method of claim 7, wherein the polyhydroxy compound is present in at least about 100 parts by weight of the protein and up to about 10% by weight of the aggregate-preventing agent. Food product containing fat and / or cream, characterized in that at least a portion of the fat and / or cream contained therein is replaced by a food additive according to claims 1 to 6. Food product according to claim 9, characterized in that all fat and / or cream is replaced therein. .Food by fat. The product of claim 9 being an ice cream analogue and containing less than 1% .Food a product according to claim 9, characterized by that is made up of sauce. .Food a product according to claim 9, characterized by that is made up of frosting. .Food a product according to claim 9, characterized by that it is made of a creamy filling. .Food a product according to claim 9, characterized by that is made of spread. .Food a product according to claim 9, characterized is characterized by the fact that it is formed by a dipping glaze. A frozen ice cream dessert comprising a sweetener, at least one stabilizer, a flavoring system, and a non-fat solid milk component, comprising the food ingredient of claims 1 to 6 in an amount such that 3 to 5 parts by weight of the ingredient is replaced by 3 to 5 , 4 parts by weight of fat. Frozen dessert according to claim 17, characterized in that 1 part by weight of the ingredient is replaced by 3 parts by weight of fat. Frozen dessert according to claim 17, characterized in that 1 part by weight of the ingredient is replaced by 4.25 parts by weight of fat.