DE102013018497A1 - Process for the preparation of dehydrated food and plant products and plant products thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A process is proposed for the preparation of dehydrated, free-flowing foods and plant products, in particular, stable and aromatic herbal preparations, comprising the following steps: introduction of fresh or frozen vegetable starting material into an aqueous, carbohydrate-containing carrier solution, the carrier being maltodextrin and / or a mixture of dextrinated Carbohydrate and vegetable starch comprises (1) • formation of a homogeneous suspension of vegetable material and carrier (2) • comminution (3), while encapsulation to form a thin film (27) • freezing of the homogeneous mass in the form of Pellos (22, 22a, 22b, 22c) • Drying to obtain a dried, encapsulated plant product (4) with a vacuum dryer • Breaking and crushing the dried plant product into a flowable plant product with long shelf life (5)

Description

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of dehydrated foods and plant products, in particular, preservable and aromatic herbal preparations.

State of the art

Products of the food industry such as herbs, aromatic plants and fruits and vegetables are not always available as fresh produce for seasonal reasons and often have a short shelf life. However, such plant products can not only be used fresh, but also be used as dried or treated food ingredients.

Especially for fresh plants with leaves or aromatic herbs, it is difficult to preserve and preserve the properties of these plants, their taste and aroma components, over a longer shelf life.

In order to avoid that in particular aromatic products such as herbs and aromatic plants suffer color and taste losses during storage, some methods are known. In order to preserve the color, the taste, the aroma and the overall nature and also the appearance of herbs, no harmful chemical additives or the like should be used. be used.

Methods are known for preserving by the removal of moisture (drying) or the concentration of herb solids in order to reduce the possibility of microbial growth and thus impairment of the raw material. By drying herbs without protective matrix, they lose their herbicidal active ingredients in the drying process as well as during storage. As the essential oils are fragile and little color-stable. This often leads to disintegration or pulverization of the herbs during transport and, especially when exposed to light, to fading during storage and thus to loss of taste.

Other known methods for preserving herbs include salting or soaking in a brine solution as well as solar or oven dehydration. However, the additives used themselves are flavor carriers and therefore change the taste profile of the fresh herbs, which leads to limitations in their use.

Other known methods to reduce the loss of volatile herbal taste, aroma and color during dehydration are, for example, freeze drying and vacuum drying.

The known dehydration processes often lead to a deterioration in the quality of the fresh herbs. In particular, the color, taste, aroma and overall appearance of the fresh herbs deteriorate. In addition, dehydrated herbs are exposed to oxidation during storage and are often discolored or turn brown. This leads to a further loss of fresh herbal taste. Anti-oxidants are used to minimize the oxidation process of dehydrated herbs during storage. Known is the addition of color-stabilizing substances such as antioxidants, mineral salts, proteins or flavor enhancers (glutamate, sugar, yeast, caseinates) or acidity regulators. However, the addition of such chemical substances may in turn significantly affect the taste of the herbs. These additives, especially the frequently used table salt, are hygroscopic, which leads to encapsulated raw materials when moisture ingress during storage in addition to unattractive color changes to clumping and thus the loss of flowability.

The dehydration by hot air or by insertion destroys the appearance and color of the herbs, as their cells are damaged and this leads to an enzyme-like browning of the herb. Preservation by air drying at elevated temperatures also causes the loss of volatile flavor components.

Other known processes for preserving herbs such as pasteurization or sterilization by means of steam blanching lead mainly to the high temperatures during the heat treatment to a deterioration in the appearance of color losses and loss of taste.

Also known are methods for introducing fresh green herbs into a carbohydrate carrier in combination with a dehydrating food ingredient such as salt or sugar in conventional (air) drying.

The GB 2,114,865 A discloses the treatment of dry food products for stabilization by heating in the presence of a carrier, such as e.g. Salt, proteins and high molecular weight carbohydrates. This herbs are z. B. by blanching with a boiling 50% solution of sucrose. The The final product contains 15 to 20% parsley, otherwise water and sugar.

Because of the high sugar loading, long drying times are required which cause dulling, caking and surface hardening as well as deterioration of taste and appearance.

The EP 1 733 630 discloses a method of drying a herbal product comprising embedding frozen herbs with the addition of an electrolyte of a carbohydrate comprising sodium chloride and / or potassium chloride in the dry state; Producing a homogeneous mass of a water-soluble carrier without monosodium glutamate and thereby obtaining a homogeneously mixed with the carrier, frozen product, which is then heated to dryness. The carrier may additionally contain a yeast extract and / or monophosphates.

A disadvantage of this method is that the flavor profile deviates blatantly from the fresh raw material. It dominates an atypical salty-brühiger or sweet taste impression. Because of this and the hard texture of the final result, the herbal products are little or not suitable for direct consumption.

The WO 2011/007109 describes a process for drying a plant product, in particular herbal raw materials, with a dry carrier mixture without additives such as monosodium glutamate and with a reduced salt content by partial replacement with potassium-containing salt substitute in the carrier formulation.

However, potassium-containing mineral salts have a bitter aftertaste, especially at higher doses.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a method that allows a dry food preparation based on plants with a long shelf life even under the action of light with fresh and authentic taste profile, the color and vital substances are largely retained.

Disclosure of the invention

A process is proposed for the preparation of dehydrated foods and plant products, in particular of long-lasting and aromatic herbal preparations, and the plant products thereof, by means of a seal and subsequent vacuum drying.

The starting materials from organic raw materials such as herbs, vegetables, fruits, roots, spices, especially from fresh or frozen herbs, with appropriate carriers, comprising a taste-neutral, soluble carbohydrate mixture prepared by hydrolysis of vegetable starch, or a mixture of tasteless, hydrolyzed and cold swelling vegetable starches, introduced into an aqueous carrier solution in the absence of air and homogeneously mixed. The carrier substances of the carrier solution in particular comprise the carrier maltodextrin and / or a carrier mixture of wheat endtrin with potato starch.

The starting materials are embedded or encapsulated or sealed by the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the starting materials are introduced into the aqueous, carbohydrate-containing carrier solution and formed a homogeneous mixture of starting materials and carrier solution, crushed while avoiding access of air in the aqueous suspension and then gently dried and thereby encapsulated.

• – Zerkleinerung des Pflanzenausgangsstoffes in der in Wasser vollständig dispergierten und vollständig gelösten Kohlenhydratmatrix als Trägerstoff unter Vermeidung von Luftzutritt
• – Transparente Umhüllung des zerkleinerten Pflanzenausgangsstoffes mit einem filmbildenden Kohlenhydrat bei Umgebungstemperatur
• – optional Einfrosten der Pflanzenstoff-Trägerstoff-Suspension in Form von Pellos bei ca. –35 bis –40°C durch Schockfrosten), insbesondere zur anschließenden Zwischenlagerung bei ca. –20°C
• – Schonende Trocknung unter Vakuum (ca. 10–100 mbar, max. 70°C im Produkt) und dadurch minimale thermische Belastung und eine bestmögliche Vermeidung von Oxidationsreaktionen im Produkt
• – Zerkleinerung zu einem rieselfähigen Produkt variabler Korngröße von 1–5 mm.

The basic features of the process are:

• - Shredding of the plant source substance in the completely dispersed in water and completely dissolved carbohydrate matrix as a carrier while avoiding access of air
• Transparent enclosure of the comminuted plant source with a film-forming carbohydrate at ambient temperature
• - Optional freezing of the phytochemical-carrier suspension in the form of Pellos at about -35 to -40 ° C by shock freezing), in particular for subsequent intermediate storage at about -20 ° C.
• - Gentle drying under vacuum (about 10-100 mbar, max 70 ° C in the product) and thus minimal thermal load and the best possible avoidance of oxidation reactions in the product
• - Crushing into a free-flowing product of variable grain size of 1-5 mm.

The starting materials of vegetable material are, for example, edible, aroma-containing, green, chlorophyll-containing plant parts such as leaves and stems, but also fruits, flowers, tubers and roots of herb and spice plants, or carotenoid and anthocyanin-containing flowers and seeds of vegetables or fruits. The proportion of vegetable starting material to the carrier before drying, for example, 50-60%. After drying, the vegetable content, depending on the dry matter content and the effectiveness of the ingredients of the plants is 12-45%.

Suitable herbs include basil, parsley, oregano, dill, coriander, thyme, sage and similar herbs. But also plants such as peppers or parts thereof can be processed by the method according to the invention.

Particularly, but not limited to, the following edible vegetable raw materials can be used for the process according to the invention:

a) herbs

• - Fresh herbs, directly from the field, chilled or frozen Parsley, chives, basil, dill, oregano, thyme, mint, green garlic, wild garlic, cress; Thaikräuter such. B. sweet basil, coriander, lime leaves, lemongrass
• - mixtures of herbs z. B. "Herbs of Provence" or "Italian herbs"

b) vegetables

• - Vegetable purees, fresh and / or frozen (eg paprika, pumpkin, cabbage, spinach, peas)
• - vegetable concentrates (45-75 brix), e.g. Carrots, celery, leeks, onions, beetroot)
• - Mixtures of concentrates and mixtures of concentrates and purees

c) fruits

• - Fruit purees, fresh and / or frozen purees (mango, peach, raspberry)
• - Fruit concentrates (45-75 Brix) (Acerola cherry, grape, apple, lemon, blueberry, currant)
• - Mixtures of concentrates and mixtures of concentrates and purees

d) roots

• - Fresh roots z. Ginger, galangal, horseradish, garlic, roots of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), e.g. B. Radix, Rhemanie

e) spices

• - Whole spices z. Cloves, cinnamon, (red / green / black) pepper,
• - Extracted or boiled spices

As starting materials it is also possible to use concentrates, for example spices or natural flavorings. In the process according to the invention, high proportions of the starting materials are obtained in the dry end product, the plant product.

For the encapsulation process, it is advantageous to work with raw materials or starting materials, for example herbs, as high a dry substance as possible, since then they also have higher herbal proportions in the plant product.

The carrier carbohydrate is preferably a taste-neutral hydrolyzed vegetable starch, in particular a dextrinated non-sweet-tasting carbohydrate such as maltodextrin, with a low degree of dextrination of> DE 6 and <DE 10. The maltodextrin used is rapidly dispersed in an aqueous system and completely dissolved prior to the raw material addition , As an alternative or additional carrier is a mixture of cold-swelling starch z. Potato starch and a short-chain dextrin obtained by acid treatment with high soluble fiber content (> 80%), which was obtained from wheat or corn starch.

The best encapsulation properties for thin film formation on the starting materials are maltodextrins; Pure starch, on the other hand, does not adhere well to the surface of the herb. When soluble fiber is used, greater protection is achieved by reducing the size of the herbs in the carrier matrix. Starch and fiber used together produce visually appealing green plant products with color retention and high herbal content of up to 30%. With maltodextrin in dry product just over 20% herbal TS (dry matter) can be achieved.

By varying the carrier matrix, ie the mixture of maltodextrin, wheat dextrin and potato starch, the herbal solids content in the dry plant product and the solubility of the sealed plant substances can be adjusted. With maltodextrin or wheat dextrin alone, parsley, for example, which has 13% dry matter, achieves an herbal dry matter content in the encapsulated plant product of> 20% after the process has been carried out. With a mixture of starch and wheat extract, the proportion of herbs in the final product, the plant product, can be increased by 50%. The proportion of herbal in the plant product is dependent on the one hand on the saturation solubility of the carrier in water at room temperature and on the other hand on the amount of herb or its dry matter, which can be dispersed in the aqueous carrier matrix. The highest dry matter content after drying, which also guarantees a good encapsulation, is obtained with a mixture of soluble dextrin and starch in the ratio of 3: 1.

The carrier used also has an influence on the bulk density of dry plant products. Herbs encapsulated with pure starch are very light (bulk weight <200 g / l); Herbs that are processed with maltodextrin are with 400-450 g / l significantly heavier. A mixture of starch and wheat dextrin is significantly lower at 300 g / l.

The hardness of the resulting plant products also changes with the carrier. With maltodextrin are obtained quite hard plant products, which can be easily crushed, with pure starch, however, very soft. The wheat dextrin and the mixture of starch and wheat extract are in the middle and lead to plant products of medium strength. The homogeneity of the plant products is good even with 28% dry herb solids. Regardless of the vehicle, the plant products have a silky sheen which is most pronounced when maltodextrin is used.

• – einfache, kostengünstige Zusammensetzung aus einem oder mehreren kommerziell verfügbaren Rohstoffen
• – klare Löslichkeit in Wasser bei Raumtemperatur ohne deutlichen Viskositätsaufbau
• – fließ-/pumpfähiges Zwischenprodukt (Viskosität der Rezeptur variabel)
• – Dünnschichtfilm bildend beim Trocknen mit neutralem Geschmack
• – kein Zusatz von Salz, Geschmacksverstärker MSG oder Zucker (Saccharose)
• – Verwendung von deklarationsfreundlichen Zutaten: keine chemisch modifizierten, sondern native, vorverkleisterte Stärken, Maltodextrine, durch Hydrolyse aus Mais oder Kartoffel hergestellt
• – dextrinierte kurzkettige Stärken (Deklaration: Stärke oder Ballaststoff)
• – keine bis wenig hygroskopische Eigenschaften und geringe Verklumpungsneigung in trockenem Zustand

The carbohydrate carrier mixture for encapsulation has the following properties in the embodiment according to the invention:

• - Simple, inexpensive composition of one or more commercially available raw materials
• - clear solubility in water at room temperature without significant increase in viscosity
• - Flowable / pumpable intermediate product (viscosity of the recipe variable)
• - Thin film film forming during drying with a neutral taste
• - no added salt, flavor enhancer MSG or sugar (sucrose)
• - Use of declarable ingredients: no chemically modified, but native, pre-gelatinized starches, maltodextrins, made by hydrolysis from corn or potato
• - dextrinated short-chain starches (declaration: starch or fiber)
• - No to few hygroscopic properties and low tendency to agglomerate in a dry state

The vegetable starting materials are in the liquid carrier suspension with suitable devices, for. As a cutter with a chopper, preferably in the absence of air, mixed and quickly crushed.

The resulting viscous mass is dried under mild conditions at temperatures between 60-80 ° C at reduced pressure (about 10 to 100 mbar). The dried plant product can then be broken by means of a grinder to a particle size of about 1-5 mm.

Enzymatic browning reactions in the comminution of the plant matrix, caused by z. As phenol oxidases, are largely prevented in carrying out the inventive method. This is achieved by rapid processing and comminution of the completely immersed raw material in the carrier solution at the lowest possible temperature, the enzyme activity is only stopped, but the enzymes are not irreversibly destroyed.

By the method described here, a significant part of the biological activity remains z. B. the vitamin effect. Thus, in the dry herb preparations prepared according to the invention, for example. B. in chives or parsley still up to 50% and more of the initial content of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) compared to the fresh produce detectable.

In addition, the particularly gentle processing and the good protective function of the embedding matrix in the encapsulation of a heat-sensitive yoghurt culture of Lactobacillus acidophilus with a viable count of 10 ⁷ / g were confirmed. A relatively high proportion of lactobacilli survived the process, with the total bacterial count in the maltodextrin-encapsulated cell culture being reduced by two orders of magnitude.

The developed process can be used, for example, to produce dry, encapsulated and storage-stable herb products reproducibly from frozen herbs. The dry herbal products are characterized by brilliant appearance, a green color, good rehydration in water, insolubility in the lipophilic phase and the aromatic, authentic taste of the fresh herb. The herbal products can therefore by targeted embedding in commercially available, polymeric carbohydrate carrier (native starches, hydrolyzed starches, maltodextrins) with gentle drying with variable properties (bulk density, hardness, herbal content) with the best possible retention of bioactivity (indicators enzymes, vitamin C) getting produced.

The process according to the invention has the advantage that the typical fresh aroma or the taste is released from the plant particles only shortly before consumption, that is, when the encapsulation is broken, for. B. when ground in a spice mill, or this is dissolved by pouring hot water. Also, the plant products are consumable directly as a snack, as they have a crumbly, crispy, porous, crisp texture and a balanced herbal-typical, tasteless sensory profile.

By means of the method according to the invention, almost completely encapsulated preparations of the plant particles are produced by a thin (about 1/10 mm) thin-film, in particular maltodextrin film.

The plant products have a long shelf life of at least 24 months when stored dry at room temperature and are also without light protection in contrast to z. B. freeze-dried herbs storage stable, as could be clearly demonstrated by irradiation tests in a light station as well as when left under natural light.

Experiments with a light station, in which samples are irradiated over a period of 2-4 weeks with a light source whose emission spectrum corresponds to that of lighting tubes in the food trade, show the color retention. Herbal patterns made by the method of the invention do not change their rich green color during this period of irradiation, while commercially dried herbs, but especially freeze-dried ones, fade and almost completely lose their dull green.

The resulting plant product has a water content of about 2-4%, a share of the vegetable raw material of about 12 to 45%, in herbs of 20-30% and a carbohydrate content of 45-85% and contains no further additives.

The plant products of plant particles with the casing according to the invention, as described for the herbs, makes it possible to preserve almost all vegetables, fruits, spices or roots with their naturally fresh and authentic taste for a long time. The plant products can be produced as ready-to-sell products or semi-finished products.

The plant products prepared from plant particles according to the invention also have a positive health aspect for the holistic view of the human organism. By preserving health-promoting ingredients such as antioxidant substances z. As vitamin C or carotenoids, they can also be used for preventive protection in z. B. dietary supplements use.

The encapsulation of the invention, the plant products are largely protected from oxidative changes z. B. Oxidation of fat-soluble substances.

The plant products produced according to the invention have a multiplicity of protected ingredients. These are in detail:

I) Secondary plant compounds

I, 1) dyes

• Carotenoids: hydrocarbon carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, etc.) in the colors yellow and red
• - oxygenated carotenoids, xanthophylls z. B. Astaxanthin, from green-colored vegetables and herbs
• - Polyphenols (flavonoids, anthocyanins) from dark red, purple vegetables and fruits
• - Chlorophylls
• - Betalaine (betacyane, betaxanthine) in beetroot, yellow dyes

I, 2) flavorings and natural flavorings

• Glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables, e.g. B. kohlrabi, watercress, Brussels sprouts
• - Sulfides: Sulfur-containing compounds, eg. B. Garlic, leek, chives, onion
• - terpenes: volatile compounds, e.g. As lemon in citrus fruits, menthol in peppermint

II) nutritionally valuable substances

Vitamins, minerals, trace elements and fiber

The plant product according to the invention thus also has living forces, namely the etheric forces from nature, in the physical sense. The process according to the invention can also be applied to starting materials other than those mentioned under a) to h). Examples include processed vegetables, aromatic roasting substances. Examples are roasted / roasted vegetables (peppers, tomatoes, carrots), with roast / toast flavor.

Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the invention are the following description of the figures, the drawings and the claims removed.

Embodiments of the solution according to the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

1 shows a schematic sequence of the method,

2 to 6 show the production of a plant product, wherein

2 represents the preparation of a carrier solution,

3 shows the formation of a homogeneous mixture,

4 represents the shredding of plants with a cutter,

5 the drying shows,

6 represents the crushing of the dried product,

7 shows a light station for experimental purposes,

8th shows a Pellogießform with individual shapes for filling the mass to be frozen,

8a a pello with rounded corners,

8b a pello in a cylindrical shape,

8c a pello in tablet form,

9 The structure of a sealed carrot shows as well

9a a section from 9 represents.

• 1. Herstellung einer kohlenhydrathaltigen Trägerstofflösung aus Wasser und Trägerstoff Maltodextrin. Alternativ kann eine Mischung aus Dextrin und Stärke als Trägerstoff eingesetzt werden. Das Maltodextrin ist eine geschmacksneutrale hydrolysierte Stärke, die aus Mais oder Kartoffel gewonnen wird und einen niedrigen Dextrinierungsgrad von > DE 6 und < DE 10 aufweist, und wobei das Dextrin ein kurzkettiges Dextrin mit hohem löslichem Ballaststoffgehalt (> 80%) ist, das aus Weizen oder aus Mais gewonnen wird und die Stärke eine kaltquellende Kartoffelstärke ist.
• 2. Bildung einer homogenen Mischung aus pflanzlichem Ausgangsstoff und Trägerstofflösung
• 3. Zerkleinerung unter Luftabwesenheit mit einem Kutter mit einer Zerhackvorrichtung und anschließend optional Schockfrosten der viskosen Mischung in Form von Pellos oder in jeder anderen geeigneten Form
• 4. Trocknung zur Erzielung eines getrockneten, verkapselten Pflanzenerzeugnisses bei Temperaturen zwischen 60–80°C bei reduziertem Druck zwischen 10 bis 100 mbar mit einem Vakuumtrockner
• 5. Brechen und Zerkleinern des getrockneten Pflanzenerzeugnisses auf eine Korngröße von ca. 1–5 mm zur Erzeugung eines rieselfähigen Pflanzenproduktes.

In 1 a schematic sequence of the method is shown. In this case, a process for the preparation of dehydrated food and plant products, especially durable and aromatic herbal preparations, carried out with the following steps:

• 1. Preparation of a carbohydrate-containing carrier solution of water and carrier maltodextrin. Alternatively, a mixture of dextrin and starch may be used as the carrier. The maltodextrin is a tasteless hydrolyzed starch derived from corn or potato with a low degree of dextrination of> DE 6 and <DE 10 and dextrin being a short chain high soluble fiber (> 80%) dextrin derived from wheat or is derived from corn and the starch is a cold-swelling potato starch.
• 2. Formation of a homogeneous mixture of vegetable starting material and carrier solution
• 3. Crushing in the absence of air with a cutter with a chopper and then optionally shock freezing the viscous mixture in the form of Pellos or in any other suitable form
• 4. drying to obtain a dried, encapsulated plant product at temperatures between 60-80 ° C at reduced pressure between 10 to 100 mbar with a vacuum dryer
• 5. breaking and crushing the dried plant product to a particle size of about 1-5 mm to produce a flowable plant product.

2 to 6 show the production of a plant product, wherein

2 the preparation of a carrier solution 6 represents. This is water 7 submitted and a carrier 8th while stirring with a mixer 9 homogeneously incorporated. The preparation of the carrier solution 6 done in a cutter 10 ,

3 shows the formation of a homogeneous mixture in the cutter 10 , where fresh or frozen vegetable source 11 in the carrier solution 6 is introduced. This is a homogeneous mixture of carrier solution 6 and vegetable source 11 formed until all plant parts of the plant source material 11 with carrier solution 6 are covered.

4 provides the crushing of the vegetable source material 11 in the cutter 10 In this case, the crushing by means of a chopper 12 , in particular a chopping knife, until the plant parts of the vegetable starting material 11 have a size of about 1-5 mm. In addition there is a scraper 13 for use.

5 sets the drying in a vacuum dryer 14 under reduced pressure at a maximum product temperature of 75 ° C and a pressure of 35 mbar. This produces a dried mass 15 ,

6 shows the crushing of the dried mass 15 in a grinder 16 with rubbing wings 17 , The dried mass 15 is doing in the grinder 16 gently broken and crushed to a particle size of 1-5 mm.

7 shows a light station 18 for experimental purposes. The light station 18 is used to perform a Lichtstresstexts for rapid quality assessment of dried plants. As a light source 19 For example, an Osram-Dulux Brik EL 11 W, designation: Dulux SIE w / 840. The illuminated area 20 is 21 × 29.5 cm in size (DIN-A4). The distance of the plant product surface to the light source 19 is 20 cm.

The colors of the dried plants or plant products are photographed with a digital microscope before the light test.

The dried plants become flat on the whole surface in a shell 21 distributed and exposed for 7 to 14 days 24 hours. After Half of the exposure days, the plant product is mixed and re-distributed flat and further exposed.

The dried plants or plant products can also be filled in small PE bags, so that several samples can be measured at once. These PE bags filled flat with dried plant parts are rotated halfway through the exposure days.

Color changes are already clearly visible with the eyes. To assess and evaluate the light stability and thus the quality of the dried plants and plant products takes place for adjustment after the exposure time again recording with a digital microscope.

8th represents a Pellogießform 23 in which the carrier-plant mixture for shaping and freezing the Pellos 22 , which can be filled, the numerous individual forms 24 for producing a variety of pellos 22 having. The pello 22 has a shape similar to an ice cube. It is rectangular and has the dimensions about 4 × 2 × 1 cm / L × W × H. The Pello 22 weighs about 7 g. It can be made in any other suitable size and shape.

After the mixing and comminution process in the cutter, in which the plants were homogeneously mixed and comminuted in the carrier water solution, they can optionally into the individual forms 24 the Pellogießform 23 filled and then deep-frozen.

This method is particularly suitable for working with fresh plant raw material, because the plants are comminuted fresh after harvesting after a washing process in the carrier solution and can be frozen immediately. The drying can then be better planned industrially, because the plant products are always available immediately when the need for fresh dried goods is present. This ensures that the company that produces the plant products always works with very fresh and already protected in a matrix plants.

8a shows a pello with rounded corners 22a .

8b a pello in a cylindrical shape 22b .

8c a pello in tablet form c.

The Pellos 22 . 22a . 22b . 22c can be put into any suitable form. They are frozen at temperatures of about -35 to -40 ° C, in particular flash-frozen, and then stored at about -20 ° C.

9 represents the structure of a sealed carrot 25 with a carrot dry substance of 45%. The illustration shown gives the sealed carrot 25 under the microscope with an approx. 32x magnification again. The sealed carrot 25 is made from carrot juice concentrate (65 Brix) and maltodextrin from maize with DE 6.

9a shows a section of the sealed carrot 25 according to 9 in a microscopic view at approx. 120x magnification. Here are the embedded plant parts, including the sealed carrot 25 , as a polygonal fragment 26 represented a glassy appearance through the formed thin film 27 having. The thin film 27 forms the surface of the polygonal, in particular disc-shaped fragments 26 , By the formation of the thin film 27 the plant products have a glassy luster. When consumed directly the plant products have a "crisp" character.

In an exemplary experimental arrangement for carrying out the method according to the invention is the carrier 8th (Maltodextrin or a mixture of potato starch and corn dextrin) in water 7 suspended at room temperature with stirring and completely dissolved. In this little viscous mass, for example, is still a frozen frozen herb 11 mixed in and by chopper 12 crushed for a short time. The still cold, now viscous but still pumpable mass is filled in drying trays and in a vacuum dryer 14 dried. The dried mass 15 is used on small to medium grain size with a grinder 16 ground and bottled.

The plant source materials 11 are preferably selected from a group of:

a) herbs

• - Fresh herbs, directly from the field, chilled or frozen Parsley, chives, basil, dill, oregano, thyme, mint, green garlic, wild garlic, cress; Thaikräuter such. B. sweet basil, coriander, lime leaves, lemongrass
• - mixtures of herbs z. B. "Herbs of Provence" or "Italian herbs"

b) vegetables

• - Vegetable purees, fresh and / or frozen (eg paprika, pumpkin, cabbage, spinach, peas)
• - vegetable concentrates (45-75 brix), e.g. Carrots, celery, leeks, onions, beetroot)
• - Mixtures of concentrates and mixtures of concentrates and purees

c) fruits

• - Fruit purees, fresh and / or frozen purees (mango, peach, raspberry)
• - Fruit concentrates (45-75 Brix) (Acerola cherry, grape, apple, lemon, blueberry, currant)
• - Mixtures of concentrates and mixtures of concentrates and purees

d) roots

• - Fresh roots z. Ginger, galangal, horseradish, garlic, roots of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), e.g. B. Radix, Rhemanie

e) spices

• - Whole spices z. Cloves, cinnamon, (red / green / black) pepper,
• - Extracted or boiled spices

As starting materials and concentrates can be used, for example, spices or natural flavorings. In the process according to the invention, high proportions of the starting materials are obtained in the dry end product, the plant product.

In the following, the starting materials listed under a) to e) are used 11 Exemplary embodiments II) to IV) for producing the seal with a thin-film film 27 described in detail.

I.I) For a) production of a sealed herb, here example basil, from frozen herbs with the carrier maltodextrin; Technical approach.

• Carrier: As a carrier 8th For example, maltodextrin derived from maize dextrose unit (DE) 6 is used.
• Type of herb: basil 11 sliced 2-5 mm, deep frozen, approx. 11% dry matter
• Recipe: 2450 g of water 7 , 2200 g maltodextrin 8, 5100 g basil 11 frozen deep.

The recipe of the approach has before drying 4 a dry matter content of about 28%.

Mixing: At room temperature, in a cutter 10 the water 7 presented at a temperature of 20-40 ° C and the dry portion, carbohydrate carrier added with mixing. The cutter 10 will be closed. This is followed by a slow mixing ½ minute. This is followed by mixing 1% minutes at 1500 revolutions / minute with the chopper blade 12 until a homogeneous, clear, lump-free mixture is obtained. Then the frozen herbs are added at -5 to -10 ° C, mixed slowly and then chopped in the mixture for about 1½ to 3 minutes until the herbs are about 1.5 to 3 mm in size.

Filling in forms and freezing: The resulting herb-carbohydrate mixture is immediately in forms 24 for the production of so-called Pellos 22 15 × 12 pieces with a length × width × height = 4 × 2 × 1 cm, filled with a weight of 7 g / piece and deep-frozen at -20 ° C, similar to ice cube molds.

Drying: Drying takes place in a vacuum dryer 14 either batchwise or continuously in a vacuum belt dryer.

Drying with a vacuum dryer:

The frozen Pellos 22 can in the vacuum dryer 14 be dried. In each case, in about 4-6 aluminum trays with a dimension of about 20 × 30 cm each 600 to 800 g frozen Pellos 22 filled with a filling height of about 2 cm, this corresponds to 9.3 to 14 kg / m ² . The drying takes place at 60 to 75 ° C plate temperature, at 15 to 35 mbar for about 12 to 15 hours. The temperature in the plant product is a maximum of 70 ° C.

The herb-carrier mixture can also be dried immediately after mixing without intermediate freezing. The mixture is thereby from the cutter 10 In aluminum trays filled with a filling height of about 1-2 cm and dried at 60 to 75 ° C plate temperature at 15 to 35 mbar for about 12 to 15 hours.

Drying with a vacuum belt dryer / pilot test:

Drying with the vacuum belt dryer allows the herb-carrier mixture to be dried by a suitable dosing system directly from the cutter 10 can be applied to the vacuum belt. Drying can also be done from the pre-made Pellos 22 respectively. The vacuum drying takes place under 15-35 mbar at a product temperature of max. 70 ° C. The period of time for 150 g of vegetable product is about 50 minutes.

crushing

The porous mass formed during the drying is roughly crushed and then at room temperature by means of a grinder 16 ground to a grain size of 1-5 mm.

Characterization of maltodextrin encapsulated herb basil

• Color / Gloss: medium to dark green, clear shine
• Hardness: porous, crushable with spoon
• Bulk weight: 400 g / l (vacuum-oven dried)
• Herbal TS in the trading base: 20%

The dried herb preparation can be filled into a spice jar, in a preferred application in a spice mill. Only during the comminution by the fine grinding the authentic flavor, or after introduction into water by dissolving the encapsulation, the typical taste of the herb is released.

For the method according to the invention described above also freshly harvested herbs can be used immediately after washing in the cutter 10 be introduced into the above-mentioned water-carbohydrate mixture and processed. This requires fast and prompt post-harvest processing.

The fresher the herbs are harvested and processed, the more authentic the taste and the green color can be preserved in the encapsulated plant produce. This is especially true for aroma-intensive herbs or those with high essential oil contents z. As mediterranean herbs, herbs of the Thai cuisine, but also for those who quickly brown when crushing, such as marjoram, basil and peppermint.

Using maltodextrin as a carrier 8th Herbal products are obtained with a herbal dry matter content of about 20%, using the mixture of wheat or corn dextrin with potato starch, up to 28% herb content can be achieved in the dry product. This corresponds to 2-3 times the herbal TS compared to fresh produce.

I.II) For a)) Preparation of a sealed herb, here example basil, from frozen herbs with the carriers corn dextrin and cold-swelling potato starch, Technikumsansatz.

• Carriers: As carriers 8th are used corn dextrin with high soluble fiber content of> 80% and cold-swelling potato starch.
• Type of herb: basil cut 2-5 mm, deep frozen, approx. 11% dry matter
• Recipe: 3700 g water, 1130 g corn dextrin, 370 g potato starch, 4800 g basil (deep-frozen).

The recipe of the approach has a dry matter content of about 20% before drying.

The further steps, such as mixing, filling in molds for freezing, drying and comminution are carried out as described under I.I).

Characterization of the corn dextrin and potato starch encapsulated herb basil

• Color / Gloss: medium to dark green, light shine
• Hardness: medium hard, porous, easily crushable with a spoon
• Bulk weight: 300 g / l (vacuum-oven dried)
• Herbal TS in the trading base: 26%

I.III) To b) and c) Preparation of sealed puree vegetables and fruits, here example vegetable paprika, from frozen paprika with carrier maltodextrin; technical approach

• Carrier: As a carrier 8th Maltodextrin from maize, DE 6, is used
• Vegetable variety: sweet pepper 10 × 10 × 10 mm diced, frozen, about 6% dry matter

• Rezeptur: 9000 g Paprika tief gefroren, 1500 g Maltodextrin DE 6

Since most fruits and vegetables have a high proportion of water, no water-carrier mixture must be prepared for the inventive method in advance. The carrier is stirred directly in the cutter into the thawed raw material mash.

• Recipe: 9000 g paprika deeply frozen, 1500 g maltodextrin DE 6

The recipe of the approach has a dry matter content of about 20% before drying.

Mixing: In a cutter 10 peppers and maltodextrin are filled. The cutter 10 will be closed. This is followed by slow mixing for about 1 minute. Thereafter, a mixing takes place for about 1½ minutes at 1500 revolutions / minute with the chopper blade 12 until the maltodextrin is complete dissolved and a homogeneous mixture of paprika and maltodextrin is formed and the pepper pieces have a particle size of 2.5-4 mm. By applying the vacuum to the cutter 10 Now about 10-20% water can be evaporated before drying, which leads to shorter drying times, because it can be dried with a higher dry matter.

The further steps, such as filling in molds or filling in aluminum trays, the drying immediately following (ie without intermediate freezing) and the crushing carried out as under I.I). described.

Characterization of the maltodextrin encapsulated vegetable variety paprika

• Color / shine: light-dark red, clear shine
• Hardness: hard, porous, crushable with a spoon due to stronger pressure
• Bulk weight: 350 g / l% (vacuum-oven dried)
• Paprika TS: depending on the dry matter of the pepper: 28-35%

The plant products from frozen raw materials, whole vegetables or fruits, vegetable and fruit puree or even fresh raw materials are soft, medium hard or very hard. They have an intense taste by preserving the flavorings including the ingredients in the fibers. They have authentic colors by preserving the dyes. The plant products are delayed in cold water, quickly dispersible in hot water and stable to boiling and storage-stable for up to 3 and more years. They additionally have prebiotic properties due to cell wall components, are not hygroscopic, are free-flowing and can be easily metered and can be ground in a spice mill or comminuted with a mortar in a grater dish.

I.IV) To b) and c) for the production of sealed vegetables and fruits from concentrates, here example carrot, with carrier maltodextrin; Technikumsanatz.

• Carriers: As a carrier 8th Maltodextrin from maize is used with DE 6.
• Vegetable variety: carrot as carrot concentrate with 65 Brix (dry matter)
• Formulation: 3000 g water, 3000 g maltodextrin, 4000 g carrot concentrate

The formulation of the pilot plant mixture has a dry matter content of approx. 55% before drying.

Mixing: At room temperature, in a cutter 10 the water 7 presented at a temperature of 20-40 ° C and the carrier 8th added with mixing. The cutter 10 will be closed. Thereafter, a mixing of 1½-3 minutes at 1500 revolutions / minute with the chopping knife 12 until a homogeneous, clear, lump-free mixture is obtained. Then the carrot concentrate 11 added, slowly mixed for about ½ minute and chopped 1½-3 minutes until a homogeneous mixture of concentrate and carrier-water mixture is formed.

The further steps, filling in forms or filling in aluminum trays, the drying immediately following (ie without intermediate freezing) and the crushing as described under I.I).

Characterization of maltodextrin-encapsulated carrots

• Color / shine: deep orange, bright, very shiny
• Hardness: medium soft, very porous, very easily mashed with a spoon
• Bulk weight: 370 g / l% (vacuum-oven dried)
• Herbal TS in the trading base: 45%

The plant product mentioned above produced according to the invention has the beautiful orange color of the starting concentrate and is protected by the encapsulation from fading of the color, but also from oxidative changes, which usually leads to a so-called floral violet note in dried carrot products on prolonged storage.

Commercially prepared vegetable or fruit concentrates usually have a concentration of 45 to 70 brix and are highly viscous.

The sealed plant products produced from the concentrates have a fruit or vegetable content of> 45%, are also highly concentrated and, like flavors, can be used in all suitable food preparations for seasoning and refining. Due to the high proportion of bioactive substances, they are also suitable as an attractive, tasty food supplement. They are soluble as an instant product in cold and hot water and are therefore suitable for drinks. The plant products have a soft to medium-hard consistency. They have an intense flavor by the preservation of the flavorings, authentic colors by preserving the dyes, are clearly soluble without fiber fractions, storage stability up to 3 or more years, have a low water activity with an aw value of 0.2 to 0.25 , are free-flowing and easy to dose.

IV) On d), e) Production of sealed plant products from root vegetables, here example garlic

• Carriers: As a carrier 8th Maltodextrin from maize is used with DE 6.
• Vegetable variety: whole cloves of garlic, deep frozen goods, about 30% dry matter
• Formulation: 4000 g of water, 4000 g of maltodextrin, 4000 g of garlic cloves deep frozen.

The formulation of the pilot plant mixture has a dry matter content of approx. 45% before drying.

Mixing: At room temperature, in a cutter 10 the water 7 presented at a temperature of 20-40 ° C and the carrier added with mixing. The cutter 10 will be closed. Thereafter, a mixing of 1½-3 minutes at 1500 revolutions / minute with the chopping knife 12 until a homogeneous, clear, lump-free mixture is obtained. Then the frozen garlic cloves are added, slowly mixed for about ½ minute and chopped for 1½-3 minutes until the garlic cloves have a particle size of 2-4 mm.

Roots such. Garlic, horseradish or ginger react very quickly with oxygen as soon as they are cut. In the inventive production of plant products from garlic, but also horseradish and ginger, the roots are preferably added without comminution in the suspension. With ginger it is possible to dry with or without peel. If peeled, it must be placed in the liquid carrier matrix immediately after peeling. The further steps, filling in forms or filling in aluminum trays, the drying directly following or following with interstitialized goods and crushing as described under I.I). described.

Characterization of maltodextrin encapsulated garlic cloves

• Color / Gloss: ivory, light shine
• Hardness: medium hard, porous, crushable with spoon
• Bulk weight: 480 g / l% (vacuum-oven dried)
• Herbal TS in the trading base: 20%

The vegetable product produced with garlic according to the invention develops its typical fresh character, caused by enzymatically liberated allylsulfides only after dissolution of the encapsulation in the preparation.

The sealed plant products produced from roots, but also grasses, contain a high proportion of active ingredients, have a strong flavor and can be used as seasoning and health promoting agents. They usually have a plant content of 15-25%, the high carrier content is the safe encapsulation of just such strong-acting ingredients. The plant products are delayed in cold water, quickly dispersible in hot water and stable to boiling and storage-stable for up to 3 and more years. They are not hygroscopic, they are pourable and easy to dose. They can be ground in a spice mill or crushed with a mortar in a grater bowl.

The stabilization of the ingredients need not be guaranteed by the formulation of flavor enhancers MSG, salt and sugar. The use of a suitable maltodextrin in the right proportion to the raw material and the gentle conditions during mixing and drying are sufficient to ensure that virtually all ingredients are authentically retained. In contrast to the products according to the prior art, the products produced according to the invention are composed differently. The prior art products have a high salt-sugar or MSG content of over 80% of the dry product. The content of vegetables and herbs is only about 7-13%.

The plant products produced according to the invention, however, taste of the embedded plant source material and not salty or sweet. The vegetable or fruit content is about 25 to 35%. This allows an intense taste even at low dosage.

The setting of the properties with respect to the solubility can be adjusted depending on the desired field of application.

• – weiche, in Heiß- und Kaltwasser leicht lösliche Pflanzenerzeugnisse
• – harte, in Heiß- und Kaltwasser verzögert lösliche Pflanzenerzeugnisse
• – sehr harte, erst durch den Kochprozess lösliche Pflanzenerzeugnisse

With frozen plant raw materials or purees are produced as needed:

• - Soft, easily soluble in hot and cold water plant products
• - Hard, in hot and cold water delayed soluble plant products
• - very hard, only by the cooking process soluble plant products

These colorful fruit and vegetable plant products are particularly suitable for use in soups, casseroles, salad dressings, desserts or for garnishing dishes.

The drying times mentioned in the exemplary embodiments may vary, depending on whether they are laboratory tests, large-scale experiments or the like. and whether vacuum 14 or vacuum belt dryers are used.

All in the description, the following claims and the drawings illustrated features may be essential to the invention both individually and in any combination.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Preparation of a carbohydrate-containing carrier solution

2

Formation of a homogeneous mixture

3

Crushing under absence of air

4

Drying with a vacuum dryer

5

Crushing to produce a free-flowing plant product

6

Vehicle solution

7

water

8th

excipient

9

mixer

10

cutter

11

vegetable sources

12

Zerhackmesser

13

scraper

14

vacuum dryer

15

dried mass

16

grater

17

rub wings

18

light station

19

light source

20

area

21

Bowl

22

Pello rectangular shape

22a

Pello rectangular shape with rounded corners

22b

Pello cylindrical shape

22c

Pello tablet form

23

Pellogießform

24

Pello single-shaped for filling

25

sealed carrot

26

disc

27

thin film

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• GB 2114865A [0012]
• EP 1733630 [0014]
• WO 2011/007109 [0016]

Claims (20)

Process for the preparation of dehydrated, free-flowing plant products, in particular preservable and aromatic herbal, vegetable and fruit preparations, comprising the following steps: (1) introduction of vegetable raw material ( 11 ) into an aqueous, carbohydrate-containing carrier solution ( 6 ), where the carrier ( 8th ) a taste-neutral, soluble carbohydrate mixture prepared by hydrolysis of vegetable starch, and / or a mixture of taste-neutral, hydrolyzed and cold-swelling vegetable starches, while avoiding air access • (2) formation of a homogeneous suspension of vegetable starting material ( 11 ) and carrier solution ( 6 ) (3) comminution to a viscous mixture, while transparent encapsulation of the comminuted plant raw material ( 11 ) with the carbohydrate mixture or the strengths of the carrier solution ( 6 ) to form a thin film ( 27 ) on the surface of the vegetable source ( 11 ) (4) drying with a vacuum dryer ( 14 ) A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the comminuted viscous homogeneous mixture ( 3 ) from vegetable source material ( 11 ), comprising a thin film ( 27 ), in forms ( 24 ), deep-frozen and thus Pellos ( 22 . 22a . 22b . 22c ) be formed. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that after drying ( 4 ) the plant product is comminuted ( 5 ). Method according to one of claims 1 or 3, characterized in that the dried plant product is broken ( 5 ) or ground to a grain size of about 1-5 mm. Method according to one of the preceding claims, that the drying ( 4 ) at reduced atmospheric pressure between 10 to 100 mbar, in particular at a pressure of 15 to 35 mbar. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that a carbohydrate of the carrier solution ( 6 ) is selected from the substance group of vegetable hydrolysed starches of varying degrees of hydrolyzation, or a mixture thereof with pre-cooked, cold-swelling starch, wherein the hydrolysed starch comprises oligomeric carbohydrate units, in particular dextrins or maltodextrin. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the carrier solution ( 6 ) Maltodextrin with a low degree of dextrination of DE 6-10 or a carrier mixture of indigestible wheat or maize dextrin, having a high soluble fiber content, with cold-swelling potato starch in the weight ratio 2: 1 to 6: 1, in particular in the weight ratio of 3: 1. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the proportion of the vegetable starting material ( 11 ) in the carrier solution ( 6 ) Is 50-60%. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vegetable starting material ( 11 ) is selected from the following list: a) Herbs - Fresh herbs, directly from the field, chilled or frozen (parsley, chives, basil, dill, oregano, thyme, mint, green garlic, wild garlic, cress, thai herbs such as (sweet basil, coriander, Lime leaves, lemongrass) - Blends of herbs ("Provencal herbs" or "Italian herbs") b) Vegetables - vegetable purees, fresh and / or frozen (peppers, squash, cabbage, spinach, peas) - Vegetable concentrates (45-75 Brix) , (Carrots, celery, leeks, onions, beetroot) - Mixtures of concentrates and mixtures of concentrates and purees c) Fruits - Fruit purees, fresh and / or frozen purees (mango, peach, raspberry) - Fruit concentrates (45-75 Brix) (Acerola cherry, grape, apple, lemon, blueberry, currant) - Mixtures of concentrates and mixtures of concentrates and purees d) Roots - Fresh roots (ginger, galanga, horseradish, Knobla Also, roots of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine, Radix, Rhemanie) e) Spices - Whole Spices (cloves, cinnamon, (red / green / black) pepper) - Extracted or boiled spices Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that the aqueous suspension of vegetable starting materials ( 11 ) and the carrier ( 8th ) while avoiding access of air, the comminution ( 3 ) of vegetable sources ( 11 ) with a cutter ( 10 ), comprising a chopper device ( 12 ), the cutter ( 10 ) especially as a vacuum cutter ( 10 ) is trained. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drying ( 4 ) at temperatures between 60-80 ° C, in particular at temperatures between 65-75 ° C, takes place. Plant product, produced according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the plant product is a plant source material ( 11 ), comprising a thin film ( 27 ) for encapsulation. Plant product according to claim 12, characterized in that the thin film ( 27 ) from a taste-neutral, soluble carbohydrate mixture prepared by hydrolysis of vegetable starch, in particular maltodextrin, and / or a mixture of tasteless, hydrolyzed and cold-swelling vegetable starches, in particular dextrin from maize or wheat with high soluble fiber content and cold-swelling potato starch formed is. Plant product according to one of Claims 12 to 13, characterized in that it contains polygonal fragments ( 26 ) and a glassy appearance through the formed thin film ( 27 ) having. Plant product according to one of Claims 12 to 14, characterized in that it is in the form of a pello ( 22 . 22a . 22b . 22c ) is trained. Plant product according to one of Claims 12 to 15, characterized in that the plant product contains a proportion by weight of vegetable raw material ( 11 ) of 12-45%, and in particular when using herbs as a vegetable source, a proportion by weight of the herbs ( 11 ) of 20-30%. Plant product according to one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that it has a water content of 2-4%, therein biologically active enzyme detectable and vitamin C is contained and that it is insoluble in a fat or oil-containing phase. Plant product according to one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that it has a crumbly, friable, porous texture and is suitable with or without additives for direct consumption as a snack. Use of the plant product according to any one of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that it is used as a biovitalstoffhaltigen dietary supplement. Application of the method according to one of claims 1 to 11 in processed vegetables and aromatic roasting substances.

Images