GB1559064A - Butter-like food product - Google Patents

Description

(54) BUTTER-LWE FOOD PRODUCT (71) We, SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE S.A., a Swiss body corporate of Vevey, Switzerland, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to a process for the production of an edible product of the butter type.

This invention is an improvement in or modification of the invention of the parent Specification No. 1,525,315 which is concerned with a process for the production of an edible product of the butter or margarine type.

The process according to the parent specification comprises thoroughly mixing a medium containing fats (as hereinafter defined), and an aqueous medium having a viscosity of from 2000 to 20,000 centipoises, as measured at a temperature between 20 and 30"C, at a temperature in the range from 15 to 450C, resulting directly in the formation of an emulsion of the water-in-oil type which represents the edible product of the butter or margarine type.

It is known that butter oil is an animal fat fairly rich in cholesterol.

It is generally accepted that the cholesterol content of lactic fat is a contributory factor in arterioschlerosis and the cardiovascular disorders resulting therefrom.

It is therefore desirable to reduce the cholesterol content of the fatty phase of a food product of the butter type.

It has been found that most of the cholesterol present in butter oil can be eliminated whilst at the same time avoiding separation of the triglycerides.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of an edible product of the butter type according to the parent Specification No. 1,525,315, wherein the medium containing fats (as herein defined), contains a fraction of lactic fat, the cholesterol content of said medium having been reduced by molecular distillation.

As used herein, the term "medium containing fats" means a fatty medium consisting entirely or mostly of fats aside from a little water or water containing salts, advantageously fats having a melting point below or equal to 350C, so as to obtain a product which always has the unctuous and melting properties of a butter or margarine.

The lactic fat is separated from whole milk by subjecting cream to centrifuging or evaporation in vacuo. The fat obtained is preferably substantially anhydrous, i.e. it contains less than 0.1% of water.

According to the invention, the anhydrous fat is subjected to molecular distillation in any suitable apparatus, such as a falling-film evaporator or a centrifugal rotating-disc evaporator.

The sample is kept in a dwell tank at 50 to 600C, preferably in a nitrogen atmosphere, and then introduced into the apparatus at 50 to 600 C. The apparatus comprises a first stage which is kept at a temperature of from 70 to 900C and in which a vacuum of from 0.5 to 1 Torr prevails. The vacuum is generated'by a vane pump coupled with a trap, for example an isopropanol trap. In this first stage, the fat is subjected to degassing during which it is freed from its most volatile constituents, particularly nitrogen and residual water. In a second stage, in which a vacuum of from 0.0005 to 0.005 Torr prevails, most of the unsaponifiable fraction containing the sterols, particularly cholesterol, is separated from the fat. In this part of the apparatus, the evaporation surface is heated to 160--2300C whilst the condensation surface is cooled to 45--55"C on the evaporation surface.

The powerful vacuum is generated by a vane pump coupled with an oil diffusion pump used with a trap, for example an isopropanol trap.

The unsaponifiable fraction containing the cholesterol is continuously removed. It represents from 2 to 5% by weight of the initial fat. The fat substantially free from cholesterol is collected at the bottom of the apparatus. In cases where a falling-film evaporator for example is used, the fat substantially free from cholesterol is collected at the bottom and at the periphery of the apparatus, whilst the unsaponifiable fraction is removed at the centre.

In the process according to the invention, it is important to maintain the temperature of the heated surface and to control the throughput in such a way that the fat does not undergo any deterioration capable of giving it a cooked taste, nor is there any loss of triglycerides. It has been found that a throughput of from 0.5 to 8 kglh enables satisfactory results to be obtained.

Although all the cholesterol can be eliminated from the fat, it is preferred to adjust the working conditions in such a way that a reduction of from 70 to 90O of the initial cholesterol level is obtained in order to maintain the aromatic qualities.

The fat thus treated may be mixed with other lactic or vegetable fats and other ingredients in small quantities, such as colorants, flavourings, antioxidants, preservatives. vitamins, etc. It forms all or part of the medium containing fats used in the production of the edible product of the butter type according to the parent Specification No. 1,525,315, the aqueous medium being in addition as defined in that application.

The following non-limiting Examples show how the invention may be carried out. The percentages and quantities quoted are by weight, unless otherwise stated.

EXAMPLE 1.

The molecular distillation of butter oil is carried out in a Leyhold DK10 twostage falling-film evaporator having an active heat-exchange surface of 0.1 m2 and a rotatlonal speed of from 25 to 2000 r.p.m., the temperature of the sample on entry being from 50 to 600C the temperature in the first stage being from 70 to 90"C and the vacuum in the first stage being from 0.5 to 1 Torr.

Different distillation conditions in the second stage produced the following results: Temperature of the heated surface("C) 172 180 200 220 220 Condenser temperature (OC) 52 48 51 49 55 Vacuum (Torr) 0.002 0.001 0.0005 0.001 0.003 Throughput (kg/h) 1.9 3.1 4.5 5.2 7.8 Reduction in the cholesterol level in O of the initial cholesterol level 71.4 79.5 81.3 83.4 91.6 In every case, the weight of fat collected represents from 95 to 98gd of the starting material. Accordingly, there has been virtually no loss of triglycerides.

EXAMPLES 2 TO 5.

An aqueous medium containing the ingredients mentioned below is prepared and then pasteurised for 2 seconds at 1500C. It is then degassed by expansion in vacuo at 500C, followed by cooling to 250C by means of a scraped-surface exchanger. A medium containing fats such as indicated below is also prepared and, in variant A, is then pasteurised at 80 C. In variant B, this medium is pasteurised or sterilised by the injection of steam at 125 to 140 C.

Each of the two mediums is cooled to 25 C in scraped-surface exchangers, after which they are continuously mixed in another scraped-surface exchanger in proportions corresponding to the end product which it is desired to obtain as indicated hereinafter. The end produet is immediately packaged in hermetic containers and then stored in a refrigerator.

Examples 2 and 4: the aqueous medium used is obtained by mixing at 70 C 43 kg of water, 3.5 kg of acid casein, 2.9 kg of calcium caseinate, 100 g of cooking salt, 200 g of sodium citrate and 80 g of sorbic acid, followed by neutralisation to pH 7.3 with sodium carboante; viscosity 3,800 centipoises, as measured at 20 C.

Examples 3 and 5: the aqueous medium is obtained in the same way as above, except that the acid casein (3.5 kg) and the calcium caseinate (2.9 kg) are replaced by sodium caseinate (9.5 kg).

In every case, the products obtained have the texture of butter. They are stable and keep for 3 months without difficulty in a refrigerator.

Similar products with a more pronounced butter note are obtained by adding 500 ppm of a butter flavouring to the butter oil.

Aqueous Pasteurisation Mixing medium Medium containing fats or sterilisation proportions % Fats in the Example (M1) (M2) variant (M1/M2) end product 2 see text butter oil distilled in A 1.5 40 accordance with Ex. 1 3 see text butter oil distilled in B, 135 C, 10 s 1.5 40 accordance with Ex. 1 sterilisation 70% oleic fraction of butter oil obtained by dry pressing at 15 C 30% 4 see text butter oil distilled in B, 125 C, 2 s 1 50 accordance with Ex. 1 pasteurisation 655 soya oil 35% 5 see text butter oil distilled in A 1.2 45 accordance with Ex. 1 70% corn oil 30%

Claims (6)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A process for the production of an edible product of the butter type according to the parent Specification No. 1,525,315, wherein the medium containing fats (as hereinbefore defined) contains a fraction of lactic fat, the cholesterol content of said medium having been reduced by molecular distillation.

2. A process as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the molecular distillation is carried out under a vacuum of from 0.0005 to 0.005 Torr at a temperature of from 160 to 230"C on the evaporation surface.

3. A process as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the molecular distillation is carried out at a throughput of material of from 0.5 to 8 kg/h.

4. A process as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the cholesterol content of the fraction of lactic fat is reduced by 70 to 90%.

5. A process for the production of an edible product of the butter type substantially as described with particular reference to any of Examples 2 to 5.

6. An edible product of the butter type when produced by a process as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5.