FR2847770A3 - THICKENING COMPOSITION FOR SAUCES AND THE LIKE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a concentrated liquid composition which is stable to storage and is based on starch. It is produced by suspending starch in an aqueous base containing at least one agent which lowers water activity. application: obtaining a fluid thickening agent, which can be divided into portions, stable in storage without pasteurization and / or pH adjustment.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of

  thickeners or food binders, especially thickeners or fluid or liquid food binders.

  The present invention relates to a food-stable thickening agent composition which is stable in storage, fluid and can be divided into portions, containing non-gelatinized starch.

  The texture, smoothness as well as the viscosity of food products, such as sauces, soups and juices in casseroles such as, for example, a garrot, are very important organoleptic characteristics for this type of dishes.

  The smoothness of a sauce and a juice is conventionally obtained by a combination of fat and polysaccharides, such as starch. Cream and butter are often used to impart a creamy, body character, while flour gives viscosity to the mixture. However, the preparation of creamy sauces, such as béchamel is laborious. Indeed, it includes several stages such as the preparation of a roux, that is to say the heating of the flour in the fat until obtaining the desired color, then the addition of a liquid, then homogenization and long cooking of the mixture obtained in order to produce a smooth texture and also degelatinize the starch granules. This is a long and laborious procedure.

  Regarding the bonding and thickening of sauces, it is known in the culinary field to add two 30 tablespoons of flour, to disperse it in the cold liquid phase, to bring the mixture to the boil and to simmer the mixture in order to '' generate viscosity and smoothness. Some ready-to-use binders and thickeners are available on the market. They are mainly in the form of a powdered or granulated product consisting of non-gelatinized and / or pregelatinized starch agglomerated alone or with maltodextrins, a fatty substance and optionally emulsifiers; These products are not always easy to dissolve and often lead to lumps in the pan. In addition, due to their fat content, these products are not always well received by the consumer due to nutritional problems and good physical condition.

  Mixtures of dry foods containing starch are easily produced and placed on the market, while being stable against degradation. In order to obtain the desired end product or benefit, the prescribed formulation must be followed. In addition, if the consumer wishes to add an additional amount of thickener while simmering the thickened sauce, there may be a problem of lump formation.

  Alternatively, directly consumable aqueous starch-based thickeners are convenient but are susceptible to changes by degradation (microbial, enzymatic, chemical or physical alteration). In order to preserve the storage stability of such a product, pasteurization is necessary; this step of the process increases the cost and also the complexity of production. In addition, once the container containing the product has been opened, its storage stability is no longer guaranteed. The convenience of such a product is not ideal because it sticks to the spoon when it is divided into portions. In addition, if it is desired to add twice the product to a dish, it is necessary to use another clean spoon to avoid introducing sauce into the pot. Furthermore, in order to guarantee good storage stability, once the container has been opened, these compositions must contain chemical preservatives which are not well perceived by consumers.

  The document EP 0 012 465 describes aqueous concentrates pasteurized in hermetically sealed containers.

  In order to minimize the swelling of the starch during pasteurization, the osmotic pressure of the composition is increased to achieve a water activity (a,) of 0.77 to 0.92 using a series suitable compounds, such as salts, glycerol, glucose and protein hydrolysates. The hermetically sealed disposable containers (portions) are stored at room temperature until consumption. The concentrates are packed in a single-use container to avoid the problem of stability after opening the package. EP 0 970 619 describes concentrates stable at room temperature which give by dilution with an aqueous liquid, a sauce, finished soup or a finished juice. Microbial stability is obtained in this case mainly by a pH equal to or less than 4. Since cooking salt is also added in a proportion of 1% 20 to 8%, the concomitant decrease in water activity also allows '' slightly increase the microbial stability of the concentrate. The water activity of the examples provided in document EP 0 970 619 is in the range from 0.96 to 0.98 at a concentration of cooking salt of 5%.

  Another product has been described in document US 349 104. In contrast to the above examples using hot-swelling starches (called cooked starches, for example natural starches), document US 3 949 104 describes a formulation in which cold swellable granular starches (eg chemically swollen starches) are dispersed in an aqueous dispersion system containing a swelling inhibitor. In this way, the concentrate does not thicken before being added to an amount of water sufficient to dissipate the inhibitory effect of the dispersion medium.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a concentrated binder / thickener composition which is convenient and easy to use, which is easy to produce, stable in storage without preservative, in the packaged state or after opening and which can allow the reconstitution of a thick or creamy food product or for the thickening of liquid food products in a simple, rapid and progressive manner.

  It has now been unexpectedly found by the present inventors that a new type of concentrated composition based on dispersible and fluid starch, dispersible in hot / cold liquid with minimal or no lump formation, usable as a base for a sauce or as a thickener / binder in food, which can be obtained by suspending starch in an aqueous base containing at least one agent lowering the water activity a, so that the Water activity of the product allows a stability of conservation without pasteurization and / or adjustment of the pH while preserving the fluidity of this product.

  Consequently, a first objective of the present invention consists in providing a concentrated fluid composition which is stable during storage, comprising starch dispersed in an aqueous base, the aqueous base containing at least one dissolved agent which lowers the water activity. aw, which reduces the value of a to less than 0.7, preferably less than 0.65.

  The term "storage stability" means herein that the product can be stored at room temperature in a container for several months and that, during this period of time, the container can be repeatedly opened to take up a portion. aliquot without microbiological deterioration of the product. The starch which can be used in the composition according to the present invention can be any food starch consisting of natural starch or modified starches. The suitable starch can be chosen from the group comprising potato starch, mas starch, wheat starch and rice starch, used alone or in combination. The starch can be in natural or modified form, whether it is physically or chemically modified. It is preferable that the starch present in the composition of the present invention is in the non-swollen state, since, if it is in the swollen state, it will have a too thick consistency which could prevent it from being obtained. 'optimal flowability as well as the ability to pour and handle and, of course, the convenience of the composition. However, it is conceivable that a small part of the starch, i.e. less than about 5%, preferably less than about 2%, is in the swollen state, depending on the amount of water, of the lowering agent a, and the type of packaging used. Thus, the rest - or all - of the starch in the composition will swell by heating the product in which it is used, simultaneously or after dilution of the concentrated composition. In the present invention, the aqueous base which can be used as a suspension medium for starch contains at least one dissolved agent lowering a, chosen from the group comprising sugars, sugar derivatives, such as polyols, salts inorganic, salts and salts of organic acids.

  A suitable agent lowering a, may be sorbitol 30 since it has the combined advantages of high solubility, high water-binding capacity leading to a value of a, low and also of suitable viscosity in order to maintain the composition of the present invention in the fluid state.

  Suitable additional a-lowering agents can be selected from the group consisting of potassium acetate, phosphoric acid and its salts.

  Cooking salt, NaCl, can be used in the present composition for its contribution to the activity of lowering a, and for its flavor properties in the case of culinary applications, for example.

  The term "fluid" means that the viscosity of the composition according to the present invention is less than approximately 1500 Pa.s, advantageously less than approximately 1000 Pa.s and more advantageously less than approximately 500 Pa.s, at a rate of shear between about 1 and 100 s-1, at a temperature of about 250C. It can be noted that the composition according to the present invention is characterized by a non-Newtonian behavior, which means that the viscosity decreases when the applied shear rate is increased.

  The composition of the present invention can thus be poured or taken with a spoon to allow easy distribution into portions. Advantageously, the viscosity of the composition according to the present invention can be adjusted in order to present this composition in a squeezable packaging, such as a squeezable bottle, equipped with a reclosing stopper, for example. This allows the product to be packaged in containers, bottles and tubes, for example. The package used to package the composition can be a reusable package (which can be opened and closed) or a disposable package for delivering a dose of composition suitable for thickening a portion of a dish, for example.

  The viscosity of the composition in accordance with the present invention can be evaluated by measuring the flow curve using a Physica 35 MCR 300 rotary viscometer, with a plate (geometry of the plate 25 mm and interval of 1 mm), at a rate of specified shear and temperature.

  In addition, the aqueous base may also include a soluble food grade thickener such as xanthan gum or guar gum in an amount of up to 5%. Its purpose is to avoid possible sedimentation of the starch in suspension when the product is relatively fluid.

  It has been noted that the system that the complex system 10 according to the composition of the present invention comprises starch granules suspended in the aqueous phase, the consistency of which remains sufficiently weak to allow an easy distribution into portions, nevertheless without any starch sedimentation.

  As general composition, the composition in accordance with the present invention comprises approximately 10% to 55% of water, preferably approximately from 15% to 30%, approximately 5% to 50% of sorbitol, preferably approximately 10% to 40 %; about 0% to 20% of cooking salt, preferably about 2.5% to 17%; About 0% to 5% of a gum such as xanthan gum or guar gum, preferably about 0% to 0.5%; and about 10% to 50% starch, preferably 15% to 40%.

  The composition can also be supplemented with compounds such as proteins, amino acids and various raw materials for foodstuffs, such as yeast and other extracts, flavorings, etc., used to produce soups and sauces.

  Although the composition according to the present invention can be used without any flavoring in order to provide a basic white sauce by dilution or to thicken an already flavored broth base, for example, the present composition can also be mixed with different agents. flavorings so as to produce concentrates such that, when dispersed and heated in hot liquids, these concentrates produce ready-to-eat thickened soups and sauces. These agents can be known substances such as herbs, spices, oils or wine for example. Furthermore, in order to impart a specific flavor to the present composition, preparation flavors or synthetic flavoring agents which are natural or identical to natural agents can be added to the composition in accordance with the present invention.

  Suitable flavorings and flavorings can be, for example, mushroom, tomato, cheese, meat or ham flavors. In addition, an extract or a powder of vegetable and meat can be added to the present composition and, for example, extracts or powder of onion, carrot, celery, tomato, beef, pork, etc. can also be added to the composition. It is interesting to note that the composition of the present invention does not contain fat, although it is capable of developing oiliness by dilution in a hot liquid base. However, the addition of a food grade fat to the composition of the present invention, even if it is not preferred, can also be carried out in order to impart an additional taste sensation to the final sauce obtained. A suitable fat can be of vegetable or animal origin, whether it is totally or partially hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated fat. These fats can consist of oil, fat, butter or any suitable food grade fat.

  The "aqueous base" of the composition according to the present invention may preferably be pure water, but any suitable aqueous liquid such as milk, cream or other milk derivatives can be used in order to give the product a creamy or milky appearance and taste. Alternatively, suitable food grade bleaches, such as coffee bleaches or titanium oxide can be added. For a culinary application such as the use in a juice, the present composition can also be colored with any coloring or flavoring agent of food quality such as caramel or aromas of preparation, for example.

  The thickening agent composition according to the present invention can be made into a sauce, sauce base or soup just by diluting it with water or any aqueous liquid, whether cold or hot , such as milk, wine, broth or juice, for example. It is necessary to carry out a gentle agitation as well as a slight boiling or to simmer slightly in order to obtain the exact homogeneous consistency.

  The composition according to the present invention can be prepared by a conventional mixing process step known in the field of food technology. For example, water or an aqueous base is introduced into a container equipped with a powerful mixer, which is then activated during the entire preparation procedure. Then a selected amount of gum can be added if desired in the case of a low viscosity composition as indicated above, and stirring is continued for a time of about 5-10 min; then the dispersion obtained is heated to a temperature in the range of 40 to 60C. A premix containing the selected amounts of a reducing agent, such as salts, sugar or a sugar derivative, and any flavoring ingredients suitable for a sauce or soup is then added. Once these constituents are dissolved, the starch is finally introduced into the container and the stirring is continued for a period of approximately 2 to 15 min to obtain the final product which can then be packaged in containers (cans , tubes, flasks, 35 jars, etc.) according to the usual procedures in this field. It was unexpectedly noted that the viscosity of the composition of the present invention shows a slight increase followed by stabilization at its final value within two to six days of its production. Consequently, for the characterization of the viscosity, the viscosities mentioned correspond to those of the stabilized composition for which the evolution of the viscosity is relatively stable and is fixed at its final value, i.e. the value of viscosity which will be manifest in the use of the product which will be acquired and used by the consumer.

  The present invention is illustrated in the present specification by way of examples.

EXAMPLES

  Example 1 Table 1 shows a first embodiment of a liquid thickener concentrate according to the present invention. This thickener has a water activity of 0.632 and a pH of 6.6 after mixing. By dispersing an amount of 60 g to 80 g per liter of this thickening agent with a whisk in hot water or a cooking preparation base and simmering for 1 min, a thickness suitable for a creamy sauce is obtained. Table 1. Example 1 of a fluid thickener concentrate Raw material% Sorbitol 43.4 Potato starch 32.0 Cremalys 516 Water 17.9 Cooking salt 3.0 Potassium acetate 3.6 Xanthan 0.1 The fluidity of the thickeners of the present invention was characterized by measuring the flow curve using a Physica MCR 300 rotary viscometer, with a tray-tray geometry (25 mm in diameter and 1 mm 5 apart), at 250C. The values presented are averages of at least two measurements. The viscosity was measured after 5 days of storage at room temperature.

  The fluidity of the embodiments presented here has therefore been characterized by part of the flow curve (instead of a single viscosity measurement at a specific shear rate). Consequently, Table 2 presents the flow curve for Example 1 for shear rates between 1.0 s-1 and 100 s-. Table 2. Flow curve for Example 1 Shear rate Viscosity [1 / s] [Pa s] 1.0 43.0 5.0 24.3 10.0 19.8 50.0 11.9 100 .0 9.25 The water activity of the binder concentrate is equal to 0.647 and the pH of this concentrate is equal to 6.8. By dispersing an amount of 60 g to 100 g of this thickener per liter of hot liquid and simmering for 20 minutes, a thickness suitable for a sauce is obtained.

Example 2

  Table 3 Raw material% Sorbitol 35.3 Cremalys 516 39.4 Water 17.7 Potassium acetate 4.1 Cooking salt 3.4 Xanthan gum 0.1 The flow curve of Example 2 after 6 days of 5 storage at room temperature is shown on the

table 4.

  Table 4 Flow curve Viscosity [1 / s] [Pa-s] 1.0 907.0 5.0 351.0 10.0 186.0 50.0 42.0 100.0 22.3

Example 3

  Table 5 shows an example of a liquid binder concentrate containing whole milk cream. This thickener can be used in the preparation of creamy soups and sauces. In this case, the water activity was 0.626 and the pH was 7.55. The flow curve 15 of this embodiment is presented in Table 6 (measurement after 6 days of storage). The corresponding flow curve can be read on the

table 6.

  Table 5. Example 3, based on whole milk cream Raw material% Starch Cremalys 516 33.0 Sorbitol 31.7 Whole cream 16.2 Water 8.6 Disodium hydrogen phosphate 3.7 Potassium acetate 3.7 Cooking salt 3 .0 Xanthan gum 0.1 Table 6. Flow curve for Example 3 Shear rate Viscosity [1 / s] [Pa.s] 1.0 278.0 5.0 107.0 10.0 67 , 1 50.0 22.3 100.0 11.6 Alternatively, a commercial bleach for coffee can be used in place of whole milk cream in the production of the thickener. Table 7 presents a corresponding example using the bleaching agent Ediffet N 77 SH from MEGGLE GmbH, Megglestrasse, 10 D-83512 Wasserburg / Inn, Germany. The water activity of the product is equal to 0.666 and the pH is equal to 7.5.

Example 4

Table 7

  Raw material% Cremalys 516 33.2 Sorbitol 32.0 Water 20.9 Potassium acetate 3.7 Disodium hydrogen phosphate 3.7 Edifett N 77 SH 3.3 Cooking salt 3.1 Xanthan gum 0.1 Table 8. Curve flow rate at 25 C for Example 4 Shear rate Viscosity [1 / s] [Pa.s] 1.0 115.0 5.0 65.1 10.0 48.5 50.0 24.9 100 .0 20.1

Example 5

  Table 9 shows an example of a thickening agent containing cooked starch derived from mas starch by chemical modification. Colfo 67 starch is a commercial product of National Starch & Chemical.

  The water activity of the concentrated thickener is 0.664 and its pH is 6.75. Table 10 shows the corresponding flow curve after 4 days of storage at room temperature.

  Table 9. Example 5 Raw material% Sorbitol 37.7 Colfo 67 36.4 Water 18.9 Potassium acetate 3.8 Cooking salt 3.1 Xanthan 0.1 Table 10. Flow curve for Example 5 Shear rate Viscosity [1 / s] [Pa-s] 1.0 66.0 5.0 52.9 10.0 45.1 50.0 18.0 100.0 12.2

Example 6

  Table 11 shows the composition of such a juice concentrate. The first mixture used in the formulation consisted of commercially available ingredients and contained salt up to an aw value of 0.662. The pH in this case was 5.2.

  Table 11. Example 6. Juice concentrate Raw material% Juice in the form of 16.25 dry premix Cremalys 516 36.30 Water 20.00 Sorbitol 27.30 Xanthan 0.15 The flow curve for Example 6 after 6 days of storage at room temperature is shown in Table 12.

  Table 12. Flow curve at 25 C for Example 6 Shear rate Viscosity [1 / s] [Pa.s] 1.0 407.0 5.0 15.0 10.0 95.5 50.0 37, 3 100.0 25.3 It goes without saying that the present invention has only been described by way of explanation, but by no means limiting, and that numerous modifications can be made without going beyond its ambit.

Claims (8)

  1. Concentrated fluid composition which is stable during storage, characterized in that it comprises starch dispersed in an aqueous base, the aqueous base containing at least one dissolved agent lowering the water activity a ,, which reduces the value of a, to a value less than 0.7.   2. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the starch is in the non-swollen state.   3. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the lowering agent a, is chosen from the group comprising sugars, sugar derivatives such as polyols, inorganic salts, salts of organic acids or one of their associations.   4. Composition according to claim 3, characterized in that the lowering agent a, is chosen from the group comprising an acetate, phosphoric acid and its salts.   5. Composition according to claim 3, characterized in that the lowering agent a, is sorbitol. 6. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a viscosity of less than 100 Pa.s, preferably less than approximately 25,500 Pa.s, at a shear rate in the range of approximately 1 to 100 s'1, at a temperature of around 25 C.   7. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises up to 5% of a food grade thickener.   8. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises approximately 10% to 55% of water, preferably approximately 15 to 30%; about 5% to 50% of sorbitol, preferably about 10 to 40%; about 0% to 20% of cooking salt, preferably about 2.5 to 17%; about 0% to 5% of a gum such as xanthan gum or guar gum, preferably about 0.1 to about 0.5%; and about 10% to 50% starch, preferably about 15 to 40%.