FR2649299A1 - Food products reconstituted in gel form and process for preparing them - Google Patents

Abstract

Food product reconstituted in gel form, essentially consisting of a calcium alginate binder with which a purée of a natural food product is mixed, characterised in that the said purée consists of coarse particles of the natural product 2 to 10 mm in size, or results from the degradation of the structure of the whole natural product through a sieve with a mesh of between 2 and 10 mm. According to another characteristic of the present invention, the reconstituted food product further contains an addition of 1 to 5% by weight of achenes, pips or powder from cellulosic food fibres.

Description

 The present invention relates to reconstituted food products in the form of gels, pieces of said reconstituted food products obtained by decomposing the gel, as well as processes for the preparation of said products.

 Reconstituted food products are intended to mimic natural food products. In general, these gels are broken down into small pieces. These pieces can then be incorporated as would be pieces of natural fruit, in desserts such as pies, custards, ice cream, pastries or dairy products such as yogurts.

 Various processes are known, in particular in patent specifications GB I 369 198 and FR 2 608 G17, for reconstituting fruit from an extract or a fruit concentrate which has been mixed with a gelling product containing in particular an alginate.

 Traditionally, these reconstituted fruits are obtained from an extract of natural fruit pulp that is mixed with a sodium alginate which gels in the presence of a calcium compound.

 Alginates are polysaccharides composed of guluronic acid units or mannuronic acid units. The different qualities of alginate result from the relations between these two units. Gelling in the presence of calcium results from a Ca-bonding between the polysaccharide chains, the structure resulting from this bridging being a rigid macromolecule. The gel formed is a non-reversible gel.

 It is necessary to provide in the gel preparation mixture, an acid whose function is to cause the release of calcium ions of the calcium compound contained in the mixture, by dissociating the calcium salt. In general, citric acid is used. However, other food acids known to those skilled in the art can be used. However, increasing the amount of acid decreases the setting time of the gel and increases the rigidity of the gel. This is why the action of the acid is generally tempered by a sequestering agent which makes it possible to control the setting time of the gel and acts by competition with the alginate with respect to the calcium ions Cl2 +. An edible calcium complexing agent is usually used: sodium citrate.

 Of course, a certain amount of water is needed to obtain a fluid alginate solution that can be used easily. Various preservatives and additives (dyes, flavors) may also be present.

 The texture of fruits reconstituted by the constituents mentioned above can be modified according to the choice and the concentration of the ingredients involved in the formation of the gel. Nevertheless, we find that, whatever the variations made, the organoleptic sensation remains very far from that of a natural fruit. In particular, a rubbery texture that is too regular is obtained. This drawback hampers the development of the use of reconstituted fruits in the preparation of fruit intended for the dairy industry or the pastry or ice cream industry.

 The object of the present invention is therefore to provide improved reconstituted fruits which overcome these disadvantages. According to the present invention, it was sought to create break points in the gel to obtain irregular gel fragments in the mouth during chewing, these fragments themselves containing break points that weaken the remaining pieces. It was nevertheless necessary that the fragments obtained by chewing remain firm, regular and well identifiable in the mouth. In general, attempts have been made to artificially create break points in the gel to mimic the organoleptic sensation felt when eating a piece of natural fruit.

 According to the invention, these breaking points in the gel are created by using a puree of natural food product whose size of the particles constituting the puree is between 2 and 10 mm, generally between 3 and 6 mm.

 More specifically, the fruit puree used according to the invention is constituted, where appropriate, by grinding and degrading whole natural products, passing, where appropriate, the ground mixture obtained through a sieve whose mesh size is inclusive between 2 and 10 mm, generally 3 and 6 mm.

 The subject of the present invention is therefore a reconstituted food product in the form of a gel, consisting essentially of a puree of a natural food product bound by a calcium alginate binder, characterized in that the said puree consists of coarse particles of the product. natural size of 2 to 10 mm, or results from the degradation of structure of the entire natural product through a sieve mesh of between 2 and 10 mm, generally 3 and 6 mm.

 In the prior processes, in fact, pulp or purees whose particle size did not exceed 1.5 mm were used.

 According to another essential characteristic of the present invention, achenes or pips or cellulose-based powdered food fibers whose particle size is advantageously between 400 and 1205% are advantageously added to the mash of natural food products.

 The amount of additions of achenes or seeds or cellulosic dietary fiber powder depends on the desired texture, but is generally between 1 and 5% by weight.

 In some cases, for certain food products, the adjustment of the size of the particles constituting the food puree in question is sufficient if said particles are large enough to create these break points and to mimic the natural product. The addition of achenes or pips or cellulosic dietary fiber is therefore not essential.

 As fibers, achenes or pips, advantageously but not necessarily used those of the food product that is to be reconstituted. However, it may be achenes or pips from a natural food product other than the one to be reconstituted and which consists of mash, that is to say another fruit or even of a vegetable.

 The achenes or pips can be used as is or ground according to the texture of the desired end product.

 Similarly, for the dietary fiber used, preferably those from the product to be reconstituted, but not necessarily. For example, whatever the food product to be reconstituted, it will be possible to use dietary fiber of peas or beets.

 The present invention is particularly suitable for reconstituting fruits, for example kiwi fruit but also strawberries, apricots, cherries. However, it is possible to reconstitute vegetables or various products from a puree, chocolate or caramel.

 Gels obtained by conventional methods from fruit pulps are characterized by a common texture. The difference between the reconstituted fruits is finally obtained only by the scent of the fruit.

The method according to the invention, by acting on the creation of break points, makes it possible to adapt the texture according to the fruit to be reconstituted.

 The subject of the present invention is also a method for preparing a reconstituted food product according to the invention, characterized in that the puree of the natural food product and, where appropriate, the alkenes, seeds or fibers are mixed with alginate. and calcium salt leading to gel in situ crosslinking.

In one embodiment, one mixes
0.5 to 2% by weight of a sodium alginate,
0.15 to 0.5% by weight of a calcium salt, such as
calcium phosphate,
25 to 60% by weight of puree of natural food product,
- if necessary 1 to 5% by weight of achenes, pips and / or
fibers,
- 0.5 to 1.5% by weight of citric acid and / or glucono delta
lactone
0.3 to 1% by weight of sequestering agent such as citrate of
sodium,
0 to 25% by weight of sugar,
20 to 40% by weight of water,
0.02 to 0.1% by weight of sodium phosphate buffer,
0 to 2% by weight of additives such as preservative, flavor,
dye.

Preferably, a first mixture A is carried out with
- puree of natural food product,
- where appropriate, achenes, seeds or fibers,
citric acid and / or glucono delta lactone,
sodium citrate, and
various additives, then a second mixture B is made with
alginate,
- sugars,
- calcium salt,
- water, and
sodium phosphate (as a buffer), and then mixing the two mixtures A and B.

 It has indeed been observed that by respecting the process mentioned above, an ideal setting time and a final gel texture were obtained.

The resulting gel is just firm enough to be cut into cubes as required for later use. These cubes are broken down into smaller pieces.

 The sodium alginate used is preferably a high molecular weight alginate of the order of 100,000, with a ratio of mannuronic acid / guloronic acid of 0.4 to 0.8.

 The type of alginate chosen is important insofar as an alginate with a high rate of guluronic acid gives gels too firm and brittle with syneresis, while the alginates with too high a rate of mannuronic acid gives gels too weak and difficult to work .

 In the case of sugar, its presence is particularly desirable for reconstituting fruit, an average brix of 15% is generally appropriate. The sugar also contributes to the dispersion of the alginate and makes the gel less brittle. In the case of vegetables, sugar is not essential.

 When the reconstituted food product is to be incorporated into a dairy product such as yoghurt, a reaction may occur with the calcium present in the yogurt resulting in hardening of the reconstituted fruit pieces. Instead of or in combination with the acid such as citric acid which liberates the Ca ++ ions, the glucono delta lactone can be used which liberates the H ions gradually over time, thus allowing for easier mixing. The gel obtained is less firm than with citric acid alone.

 In some cases, strong syneresis may occur after a period of time which may be difficult to remove (during storage, water may be released). Although this has no effect on the desired texture, the disadvantage can be reduced by employing thickening hydrocolloids such as a thickening gum of the depolymerized guar or pregelatinized starch or the like in an amount of 3 to 5%. .

 Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent in light of the detailed examples which follow.

Reconstitution process
First, two premixes A and B are produced.

 Premix A is obtained by mixing fruit puree, flavors, colorants, citric acid, sodium citrate and sodium sorbate.

 Premix B consists of alginate, calcium salt, sugar and water. The sodium alginate used provided by KELCO is of the Manugel DMB type.

 In premix A, citric acid and sodium citrate are previously dissolved in a minimum of water and incorporated into the fruit + additive mixture (optionally).

 For carrying out the premix B, a mixture of alginate and sucrose is first produced. The calcium salt is then dissolved in all the water. The resulting solution is poured into glucose. The mixture is stirred very vigorously and the solution is added to the mixture of alginate and sucrose.

The two premixes A and B are then added.
time before caking is about 1 min 30 seconds.

By adding Glucono-Delta-Lactone (CDL) used as
acidifying, increasing the setting time.

When the gel is formed, it is firm enough to be
cube.

The manufacture of coarse puree is a mechanical process
which consists of grinding whole fruits through a sieve. By varying the
mesh size, purées of desired particle size are obtained.

EXAMPLE 1: Manufacture of reconstituted strawberries
Strawberry: (soft, rough, fragile fruit)

<tb> INGREDIENTS <SEP>%
<tb><SEP> Alginate <SEP> DMB <SEP> 0.85
<tb><SEP> Salt <SEP> of <SEP> calcium <SEP> CaHPO4 <SEP> 0.3
<tb><SEP> Salt <SEP> of <SEP> sodium <SEP> Na2HPQ4 <SEP> | <SEP> 0.07
<tb><SEP> Sugar <SEP> (Sucrose) <SEP> 4.00
<tb><SEP> Glucose <SEP> 11.00
<tb><SEP> Mashed <SEP> of <SEP> fruits <SEP> 48,00
<tb><SEP> Akene <SEP> 2.00
<tb><SEP><SEP> citric acid <SEP> 0,8
<tb><SEP> Citrate <SEP> of <SEP> sodium <SEP> | <SEP> 0.65
<tb><SEP> Sorbate <SEP> of <SEP> potassium <SEP> (preservative <SEP> 0.8
<tb><SEP> Dye <SEP> 0.2
<tb><SEP> Aroma <SEP> 1.02
<tb><SEP> Water <SEP> 29,31
<Tb>
For the manufacture of a kilogram of reconstituted fruit
Mixture A
a) 480 g strawberry puree (3 mm particle size)
b) mixed with 20 g of achenes of strawberries in solution with
20%,
c) mixed with 8 g of potassium sorbate (preserving
vateur)
d) 8g anhydrous citric acid with 6.5g sodium citrate are
dissolved in 50 ml of water.

 e) mixing d) with a), b), c) + 10.2 g aroma.

Mixture B:
a) 8.5 g dry sodium alginate with 10 g
sucrose, e
b) 3 g of calcium phosphate (CaHPO4) with 0.7 g of
sodium phosphate dissolved in 50 ml of water,
c) 110 g glucose + 193.1 g of water,
d) mixing b) in c),
e) mixing a) in d) with a high speed mixer.

AB mix
- A is mixed in B using a large mixer
speed (2 minutes),
- pour the mixture into a mold and let stand
(2 hours).

EXAMPLE 2 Manufacture of reconstituted apricots
Apricot: (firm, smooth fruit)

<tb><SEP> INGREDIENTS
<tb> Alginate <SEP> DMB <SEP> 0.85
<tb> Salt <SEP> of <SEP> calcium <SEP> CaHPO4 <SEP> 0.3
<tb> Salt <SEP> of <SEP> sodium <SEP> Na2HPO4 <SEP> 0.07
<tb> Sucrose <SEP> 4.00
<tb> Glucose <SEP> 11,00
<tb> Mashed potatoes <SEP> of <SEP> fruits <SEP> 49,00
<tb> Powder <SEP> of <SEP> fiber <SEP> of <SEP> pea <SEP> pm <SEP> 1.00
<tb><SEP> citric acid <SEP> 0,8
<tb> Citrate <SEP> of <SEP> sodium <SEP> 0.65
<tb> Sorbate <SEP> of <SEP> potassium <SEP> (preservative) <SEP> 0.8
<tb> Aroma <SEP> 0.56
<tb> Water <SEP> 30.97
<Tb>
For the manufacture of a kilogram of reconstituted fruit
Mixture A ::
a) 490 g apricot puree (particle size 2 mm), are mixed
with 10 g of pea fiber (600 μm),
b) mixed with 8 g of potassium sorbate (in solution with
YO) (conservative),
c) 8 g anhydrous citric acid with 6.5 g sodium citrate,
are dissolved in 50 ml of water,
d) mixing c) with a), b) + 5.6 aroma.

Mixture B:
a) 8.5 g sodium alginate are dry blended with 40 g of
sucrose,
b) 3 g of calcium phosphate (CaHPO4) with 0.7 g of
sodium phosphate are dissolved in 50 ml of water,
c) 110 g glucose + 209.7 g water,
d) mixing b) in c),
e) mixing a) in d) with a mixer with a large
speed.

AB mix
- A is mixed in B using a large mixer
speed (2 minutes),
- pour the mixture into a mold and let stand
(2 hours).

EXAMPLE 3: Manufacture of reconstituted cherries
Cherry: (Fruit rich in juice)

<tb><SEP> INGREDIENTS <SEP>%
<tb> Alginate <SEP> DMB <SEP> 0.95
<tb> Salt <SEP> of <SEP> calcium <SEP> CaHPO4 <SEP> G, 31 <SEP>
<tb> Salt <SEP> of <SEP> sodium <SEP> Na2HPO4 <SEP> | <SEP> 0.07 <SEP>
<tb> Sucrose <SEP> 4.00
<tb><SEP> Glucose <SEP> 11.00
<tb><SEP> Mashed <SEP> of <SEP> fruits <SEP> coarse <SEP> -6 <SEP> mm- <SEP> 50.00
<tb><SEP><SEP> citric acid <SEP> 0,8
<tb><SEP> Citrate <SEP> of <SEP> sodium <SEP> | <SEP> 0.65
<tb><SEP> Sorbate <SEP> of <SEP> potassium <SEP> (preservative) <SEP> 0.8
<tb><SEP> Aroma <SEP> 0.6
<tb><SEP> Colorant <SEP> 0.55
<tb><SEP> Water <SEP> 30,27
<Tb>
The manufacturing process is similar to that detailed in Examples 1 and 2.

For the manufacture of 1 kg of reconstituted fruit
Mixture A:
a) 500 g of coarse cherry puree (about 6 mm). We
mix with this puree:
(b) 8 g of potassium sorbate (20% solution),
(c) 8 g of anhydrous citric acid
+ 6.5 g of sodium citrate dissolved in
(d) in 50 ml of water, mix (c), (b) and (a),
e) + the added additives if necessary.

Mixture B:
a) 9.5 g of sodium alginate are dry blended with 40 g
of sucrose,
(b) 3.1 of caHPO4 and 0.7 g of sodium phosphate are
solution in 50 ml of water,
c) 110 g of glucose and 202.7 of water,
d) mixing b) in c),
e) mixing a) in d) with a mixer with a large
speed.

Mixture A - B:
- A is mixed in B using a large mixer
speed (about 2 min),
- pour the mixture into a mold and let stand
2 hours.

EXAMPLE 4: Manufacture of reconstituted kiwifruit
Kiwi: (Firm fruit, very fragile)

<tb><SEP> INGREDIENTS
<tb> Alginate <SEP> DMB <SEP> 0.8
<tb> Salt <SEP> of <SEP> calcium <SEP> CaHPO4 <SEP> 0.28
<tb> Salt <SEP> of <SEP> sodium <SEP> Na2H <SEP> PO4 <SEP> 0.07
<tb> Sucrose <SEP> 4.00
<tb> Glucose <SEP> 11,00
<tb> Mashed potatoes <SEP> of <SEP> fruits <SEP> 48,00
<tb> Akène <SEP> 2.00
<tb><SEP> citric acid <SEP> 0,8
<tb> Citrate <SEP> of <SEP> sodium <SEP> 0.65
<tb> Sorbate <SEP> of <SEP> potassium <SEP> (preservative) <SEP> 0.8
<tb> Aroma <SEP> 0.18
<tb> Colorant <SEP> 0.25
<tb> Water <SEP> 31.17
<Tb>
The manufacturing process is similar to that detailed in Examples 1 and 2.

Mixture A:
a) 480 g of Kiwi puree (3 mm granulomethane)
mixed with 20 g of kiwi achenes,
b) 8 g of potassium sorbate (in solution with
20%),
c) mixing c), b) and a),
d) additives are added as appropriate.

MelanRe B
a) 8 g of sodium alginate are dry blended with 40 g of
sucrose,
b) 2.8 g of CaHPO4 and 0.7 g of sodium phosphate are put
in solution in 50 ml of water,
c) 110 g of glucose and 211.7 g of water,
d) mixing b in c,
e) then mixed a) in d) with a mixer
great speed.

Mixture A - B
- A is mixed in B using a large mixer
speed (2 min),
- pour the mixture into a mold and let stand
2 hours.

EXAMPLE 5 Comparison of Organoleptic Impressions Between a Gel
conventional and a gel manufactured according to the invention
Strawberry and kiwi
The added achenes mask the impression of elasticity of the gel and roughen the face of the cubes appropriately.

Apricot
The artificial addition of pea fibers "breaks" the uniformity of the gel. The impression of natural fruit is well made. After mastification, the broken gel has irregular shapes with fibers taken in the mass.

Cherry
The use of coarse purees guarantees a minimum amount of fiber in the mouth during the mastification which gives a sensation very close to the natural fruit.

Claims (12)

 1. Food product reconstituted in gel form, consisting essentially of a mash of a natural food product bound by a calcium alginate binder, characterized in that said puree consists of coarse particles of the natural product of size from 2 to 10 mm, or results from the degradation of structure of the whole natural product through a sieve of mesh between 2 and 10 mm.  2. Reconstituted food product according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an addition of 1 to 5% by weight of achenes, seeds or cellulose fiber food powder.  3. Reconstituted food product according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the particle size or sieve mesh are 3 to 6 mm.  4. Reconstituted food product according to claim 2, characterized in that the achenes, seeds or cellulosic dietary fiber are those or those of said natural food product.  5. Reconstituted food product according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the cellulosic food fiber powder has a particle size ranging between 400 and 1200 p.  Reconstituted food product according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the natural food product is a fruit, a vegetable or chocolate.  Reconstituted food product according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the natural food product is strawberry, apricot, kiwi or cherry.  8. Process for the preparation of a food product according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mashing of the natural food product and, where appropriate, said alkenes, seeds or fibers with alginate, and a salt are mixed together. of calcium leading to crosslinking in situ in gel form.  9. Process for the preparation of a reconstituted food product according to claim 8, characterized in that mixing  0.5 to 2% by weight of a sodium alginate,  0.15 to 0.5% by weight of a calcium salt, such as  calcium phosphate,  25 to 60% by weight of puree of natural food product,  I to 5% by weight of achenes, pips and / or fibers,  - Q5 to 1.5% by weight of citric acid and / or glucono delta  lactone  0.30 to 1% by weight of sequestering agent such as citrate of  sodium,  0 to 25% by weight of sugar,  20 to 40% by weight of water,  0.02 to 0.1% by weight of sodium phosphate buffer,  0 to 2% by weight of additives such as preservative, flavor,  dye.  10. Process according to one of Claims 8 to 9, characterized in that a first premix A is carried out with  - puree of natural food product,  - achenes, seeds or fibers,  citric acid and / or glucono delta lactone,  sodium citrate, and  various additives, then a second premix B is made with  alginate,  - sugars,  - calcium salt,  - water, and  sodium phosphate buffer. and mixing the two premixes.  11. Method according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the alginate has a mannuronic acid / guloronic acid ratio of 0.4 to 0.8.  12. Pieces of reconstituted food products obtained by decomposing a gel according to one of the preceding claims.