GB1604363A - Process for the production of an alimentary fat - Google Patents

Description

(54) PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN ALIMENTARY FAT (71) We, VEB KOMBINAT IMPULSA, a corporation organised under the laws of the German Democratic Republic, 15/16 Rudolf-Breitscheid-Strasse, Artern, German Democratic Republic, 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:- The invention relates to a process for the production of a stable, spreadable, waterimpervious foodstuff.

In a butter maker a water-in-fat-emulsion is formed from a fat-in-water-emulsion, i.e., butter-curd from cream, by mechanical working, the buttermilk being separated off.

In the procedure of conversion of the fatin-water-emulsion into the water-in-fatemulsion a special intermediate structure occurs, that is to say a special intermediate structure is formed from the fat-in-wateremulsion by addition of mechanical energy, before the transition to the formation of a water-in-fat-emulsion is achieved. This special intermediate structure is a stable, low-calorie product which can be supplied for use without further processing.

The disadvantage of this product is an unfavourable structure and thus poor spreadability. By reason of an unfavourable fine distribution of water in the structure it inclines to water permeability.

Furthermore various processes are known for producing low-calorie alimentary fats with a continuous fat phase and a dispersed aqueous phase from fat-in-wateremulsion.

The processes are based upon the production of low-calorie alimentary fats with the use of emulsifiers and stabilisers, and include a plurality of process steps, cooling or shock chilling being stated as an essential process step.

These processes are energy-intensive and are additionally made more expensive by the use of stabilisers and emulsifiers. Furthermore in this process in some cases the temperature of the raw materials has to be brought above the clarification melting point, in which case the subsequent shock chilling for the realisation of the phase reversal must take place with exclusion of air.

Apart from the increased costs, this requirement makes additional special demands of the technical equipment.

Moreover processes are known in which firstly a part of the aqueous phase with a fat content of 0.3-2% is separated off, which leads to a reduction of the yield. In this process it is attempted subsequently to work water into the product, after separation of the aqueous phase. Without additional aids, water contents of 40% at maximum are possible, while complete binding of water is not achieved in the case of water contents as low as 30% or above. If a stable binding of water is to be achieved with this process, then water-binding extra additives are necessary which make the process expensive and lead to sensorial influences.

It is the aim of the invention to exclude the listed disadvantages of known apparatuses and by the use of continuously working apparatuses known per se to produce a stable, spreadable, water-impervious foodstuff, preferably on the basis of milk fat, retaining the characteristics sensorial qualities of the alimentary fat.

By means of the invention it is possible to produce a stable, water-impervious, spreadable alimentary fat preferably on the basis of milk fat, without the use of additives, without separation of a fat-containing aqueous phase, without cooling or shock chilling and without exclusion of air, retaining the characteristic sensorial qualities of the alimentary fat.

According to the invention we provide a process for the production of a stable, spreadable, water-impervious foodstuff, in which mechanical energy is supplied to a fat-in-water-emulsion of milk fat with or without additives, in an apparatus until a conversion of the fat-in-water emulsion into a mixture of butter granules and buttermilk takes place, characterised in that the mixture of butter granules and buttermilk is not separated but is subjected to continued mechanical energy whereby the aqueous phase is incorporated into a stable waterin-fat phase, and the mechanical energy supply is interrupted only when a complete stable binding of the water to the fat has taken place.

The mechanical supply of energy is interrupted only when a complete binding of water to the fat phase has taken place, so that a water-impervious spreadable alimentary fat is produced the percentage composition of which corresponds to that of the starting product. The technical and economic effects of the invention consist in that the process permits the producing of alimentary fats, while retaining the consumption customs, without the use of additional substances and binding agents and without energy-intensive cooling or shock chilling. Due to the possibility of producing the product sought by the processing according to the invention in one process step in an apparatus known per se it is possible to produce with low costs and without losses. The invention is to be explained hereinafter by several examples of execution.

Example 1 Freshly separated and heated cream is adjusted in its percentage composition to the desired composition of the end product and brought to processing temperature of 8-20"C. This cream is worked mechanically in the beater cylinder of a buttermaking machine so that the stable, spreadable, water-impervious alimentary fat is obtained at the exit of the beater cylinder.

Example 2 The cream used according to Example 1 is soured and/or salted and processed according to Example 1.

Example 3 The cream used according to Examples I and 2 is worked in centrifugal circulating pumps, in which the delivery action is reduced many times in favour of mechanical working, so that the stable, spreadable, water-impervious, alimentary fat is obtained at the exit of the apparatus.

Example 4 Freshly separated high-percentage cream with fat content above 60% is adjusted with water for the purpose of reducing the dry water content in the end product to the desired percentage composition of the end product, and processed according to Examples 1-3.

We are aware of prior proposals to "overwork" butter e.g. F. H. McDowell, N.Z. University Press (1953) pages 445 et seq. In this method the starting product, i.e. cream, is supplied with mechanical energy until its structure has been converted into a mixture of butter granules and buttermilk. At this point, the buttermilk is separated from the butter granules. The forementioned publication then refers to a further "overworking" of the butter granules. By this overuorking the butter granules are kneaded which is usual in the butter-making process and which does not alter the structure but merely improves the consistency of the butter substance. This overworking of the butter is not comparable to the conversion taking place in the method to which the present invention relates, since the purpose of the latter is not to improve the consistency of a butter substance but to produce a butter with a new structure.

In order to achieve this object use is made of a device for the supply of mechanical energy to the mixture of buttermilk and butter granules.

The fat-in-water-emulsion (cream) phase changes into the water-in-fat-emulsion phase which is surrounded by buttermilk (butter granules in buttermilk). The supply of further energy to the mixture introduces more water into the butter granules. This process is continued until the whole quantity of buttermilk is bound. The water (the buttermilk) is not removed. The solution provided by the invention thus not only changes the consistency of the butter substance, as in the existing publication, but results in a change in the structure. It provides a product with a relatively low fat content. It is a particularly important fact that the percentage composition of the product is pre-determined by the initial product (cream). No fat losses thus occur.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Process for the production of a stable, spreadable, water-impervious foodstuff, in which mechanical energy is supplied to a fat-in-water-emulsion of milk fat with or without additives, in an apparatus until a conversion of the fat-in-water-emulsion into a mixture of butter granules and buttermilk takes place, characterised in that the mixture of butter granules and buttermilk is not separated but is subjected to continued mechanical energy whereby the aqueous phase is incorporated into a stable waterin-fat phase, and the mechanical energy supply is interrupted only when a complete stable binding of water to the fat has taken place.

2. Process as claimed in claim 1, substantially as described with reference to any one of the Examples 1-3.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (2)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. mechanical energy whereby the aqueous phase is incorporated into a stable waterin-fat phase, and the mechanical energy supply is interrupted only when a complete stable binding of the water to the fat has taken place. The mechanical supply of energy is interrupted only when a complete binding of water to the fat phase has taken place, so that a water-impervious spreadable alimentary fat is produced the percentage composition of which corresponds to that of the starting product. The technical and economic effects of the invention consist in that the process permits the producing of alimentary fats, while retaining the consumption customs, without the use of additional substances and binding agents and without energy-intensive cooling or shock chilling. Due to the possibility of producing the product sought by the processing according to the invention in one process step in an apparatus known per se it is possible to produce with low costs and without losses. The invention is to be explained hereinafter by several examples of execution. Example 1 Freshly separated and heated cream is adjusted in its percentage composition to the desired composition of the end product and brought to processing temperature of 8-20"C. This cream is worked mechanically in the beater cylinder of a buttermaking machine so that the stable, spreadable, water-impervious alimentary fat is obtained at the exit of the beater cylinder. Example 2 The cream used according to Example 1 is soured and/or salted and processed according to Example 1. Example 3 The cream used according to Examples I and 2 is worked in centrifugal circulating pumps, in which the delivery action is reduced many times in favour of mechanical working, so that the stable, spreadable, water-impervious, alimentary fat is obtained at the exit of the apparatus. Example 4 Freshly separated high-percentage cream with fat content above 60% is adjusted with water for the purpose of reducing the dry water content in the end product to the desired percentage composition of the end product, and processed according to Examples 1-3. We are aware of prior proposals to "overwork" butter e.g. F. H. McDowell, N.Z. University Press (1953) pages 445 et seq. In this method the starting product, i.e. cream, is supplied with mechanical energy until its structure has been converted into a mixture of butter granules and buttermilk. At this point, the buttermilk is separated from the butter granules. The forementioned publication then refers to a further "overworking" of the butter granules. By this overuorking the butter granules are kneaded which is usual in the butter-making process and which does not alter the structure but merely improves the consistency of the butter substance. This overworking of the butter is not comparable to the conversion taking place in the method to which the present invention relates, since the purpose of the latter is not to improve the consistency of a butter substance but to produce a butter with a new structure. In order to achieve this object use is made of a device for the supply of mechanical energy to the mixture of buttermilk and butter granules. The fat-in-water-emulsion (cream) phase changes into the water-in-fat-emulsion phase which is surrounded by buttermilk (butter granules in buttermilk). The supply of further energy to the mixture introduces more water into the butter granules. This process is continued until the whole quantity of buttermilk is bound. The water (the buttermilk) is not removed. The solution provided by the invention thus not only changes the consistency of the butter substance, as in the existing publication, but results in a change in the structure. It provides a product with a relatively low fat content. It is a particularly important fact that the percentage composition of the product is pre-determined by the initial product (cream). No fat losses thus occur. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Process for the production of a stable, spreadable, water-impervious foodstuff, in which mechanical energy is supplied to a fat-in-water-emulsion of milk fat with or without additives, in an apparatus until a conversion of the fat-in-water-emulsion into a mixture of butter granules and buttermilk takes place, characterised in that the mixture of butter granules and buttermilk is not separated but is subjected to continued mechanical energy whereby the aqueous phase is incorporated into a stable waterin-fat phase, and the mechanical energy supply is interrupted only when a complete stable binding of water to the fat has taken place.

2. Process as claimed in claim 1, substantially as described with reference to any one of the Examples 1-3.