GB2265073A

GB2265073A - Process for producing encapsulated foodstuff

Info

Publication number: GB2265073A
Application number: GB9309858A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshio Tanaka
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-03-23
Filing date: 1993-05-13
Publication date: 1993-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-13
Also published as: IT9021668A1; KR930007475B1; CH680333A5; AU630739B2; HK67294A; IL95535A; JPH0832233B2; GB9309858D0; IT1243437B; AU6255290A; IL95535A0; FR2663204B1; FR2663204A1; JPH03272663A; GB2265073B; IT9021668A0; KR910016259A

Description

1 1 TROCESS FOR PRODUCING ENCAPSULATED FOODSTUM' 2265073 The present

invention relates to a process for producing a Chlorella- containing foodstuff.

Chlorella is a genus of single cell algae which grow in fresh water. The cells contain protein in a large amount and can be used to promote the growth of animals or microorganisms, to flavour foods and to remove foreign odour from foods. A hot water extract of Chlorella algae has a wide range of applications, because it has such grqwth promoting and flavouring effects and is liquid.

Various products utilizing Chlorella algae have been developed. Typical of them are products made by blending a dry powder of Chlorella algae with a garlic powder and inolding the blend into a tablet; noodles and processed marine products containing a hot water extract of Chlorella algae used as a flavouring component and a quality improving agent during production thereof; and health food products made by incorporating a dry powder or hot water extract of Chlorella algae into vegetable edible fatty oilg and encapsulating the resulting material into a gelatin capsule.

In many cases, however, known Chlorella products can be difficult to produce and suffer the disadvantage that the effective ingredients of Chlorella algae are not necessarily retained in a stable manner. When making a health food product using Chlorella algae in combination with other medicinal starting materials, it is important to stably and effectively retain the medicinal ingredients of individual starting materials.

The invention seeks to provide a process for producing a foodstuff or health product using Chlorella algae in which the effective ingredients of Chlorella algae and other medicinal starting materials are stably retained. Accordingly the invention provides a process for producing Chlorella-containing foodstuff which comprises: - (A)(i) preparing a dry powder by adding a a concentrated exudate of hot water extract of Chlorella algae and a concentrated exudate of a hot water fungal extract to a clathration material, blending and drying; or (ii) preparing dry powders by separately adding concentrated exudates as defined under (i) to separate aliquots of a clathration material, blending and drying; (B) homogeneously mixing the dry powder(s) from step (A) with (i) an exudate or dry powder of a tonic medicinal vegetable or (ii) a slurry obtained by grinding a tonic medicinal vegetable and Chlorella algae in the optional presence of vitamin E oil, and an edible fatty oil to provide an oil-suspension; and (C) encapsulating the oil-suspension to provide a soft capsuled foodstuff.

The process of the present invention is capable of producing a product containing effective ingredients of Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetables stably retained and preserved therein. Further, the product has a 3 peculiar property in that the soft capsule cannot be swelled, even if it contains an exudate of a tonic medicinal vegetable having a relatively large content of moisture, because it contains a large amount of an edible fatty oil having a cholesterol reducing effect and each of the ingredients is homogeneously dispersed.

The Chlorella-containing fatty oil foodstuff produced in accordance with the invention can be-eaten by itself as a health food, or can be used as a flavouring element for foods or as a cooking material for oily foods such as vegetable frices. It can be utilised when camping or as an emergency ration since it is readily portable.

In the present invention, an edible fatty oil is suitably used in a relatively large amount with respect to the other starting materials, namely the concentrated exudate of a hot water extract of Chlorella algae, the concentrated exudate of a hot water extract of fungi and the exudate, dry powder or slurry of tonic medicinal vegetable, so that the soft capsule is not subjected to a change, such as swelling or dissolution by moisture present in the other starting materials, which might cause the capsule to break. In this way also the product can be made suitable for use in cooking and particularly in frying.

The hot water extract of the Chlorella algae may suitably be produced by subjecting an aqueous suspension of fresh Chlorella algae from an aerobic mass cultivation under light to a heat treatment at a temperature of so to 1000C, - 4 say for 15 to 20 minutes, followed by fractionation of the algae. Typical of the Chlorella algae are single cell algae growing in fresh water such as Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella ellipsoidea and Senedesmus.

The hot water extract of Chlorella algae contains effective polysaccharides such as N-1, 3 glucan and acidic rhamnan. Alternatively, the hot water extract of Chlorella algae may be produced by adding water to Chlorella algae p6wder in an amount about four times more than such powder, and. subjecting the mixture to a heat treatment at a temperature of 50 to 1200C, say for about one hour or more and then to a slow extraction treatment.

The hot water fungal extract may be a hot water extract of fungus body, dry fungi or fungus body powder.

For example, use may be made of a hot water-extract produced by adding water to fungus body powder in an amount four times more than such powder and subjecting the mixture to a prolonged heat treatment at a temperature of 45 to 1200C, preferably for 5 t o 7 hours. The word "fungi or fungus" refers, for example, to a polypore, kawaratake, shiitake and other edible mushrooms.

The tonic medicinal vegetable used may be any medicinal vegetable which has a nutritive tonic effect, but_ especially preferred are garlic, ginseng, aloe, ume (Japanese spicot), prickly shrub of the family Aradiaceae, and adlay. The tonic medicinal vegetable may be used in the form of the vegetable itself, an exudate or dry powder. The word "exudate" refers to leached liquids resulting from leaching of a tonic medicinal vegetable by a usual method and slurry-like exudates resulting from grinding in a colloid mill, and the word "dry powder" refers to a powder resulting from a pretreatment of a vegetable, followed by hot air drying, freeze drying or spray drying, or a powder resulting from drying an exudate.

Each of the hot water extracts of the Chlorella algae and fungi can be independently concentrated into a slurry-like concentrated exudate in a concentrator, and the exudates can then be blended in a blender, preferably under a humidified and depressurised condition, together with a clathration material, preferably a cyclodextrin, to form a clathrate blend. The blend is dried to provide a dry powder (A)(i).

Alternatively separate dry powders (A)(ii) are prepared in a similar manner. It is preferred that the or each clathrate blend is used in a pulverised form obtained by drying in a dryer to the extent of a defined moisture content, followed by pulverisation.

The tonic medicinal vegetable preferably is used in the form of a slurrylike exudate resulting from grinding each vegetable or its exudate powder in the optional presence of vitamin E oil in a colloid mill. In the case of (B)(ii) a slurry is prepared by grinding a vegetable and Chlorella algae in the optional presence of vitamin E oil.

Edible oils which may be used include peanut oil, sesame oil, wheat germ oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, beeswax, and other edible fatty oils. These oils may be used singly or as mixtures of two or more of them. When mixtures of the edible oils are used it is preferred that they are used in the form of an oil emulsified material produced by heating a mixture of edible oils, optionally adding a heated and dissolved soybean lecithin thereto, and stirring and mixing the mixture by a homomixer and cooling it to room temperature.

To mix the effective ingredient containing materials of Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetables homogeneously with the edible fatty oil, the dry powder(s) of the clathrate blend(s), the exudate, dry powder or slurry of the tonic medicinal vegetable and the edible fatty oil may be homogeneously stirred and mixed in a mixer. The sequence in which the individual starting materials are mixed is not particularly limited, but when the material containing the tonic medicinal vegetable is an exudate, it is preferred that the exudate is homogeneously mixed with the edible fatty oil and the resulting suspension is then mixed with the dry powder(s) of the clathrate blend(s). When the material containing the tonic medicinal vegetable is a dry powder, it is preferred that the dry powder is mixed with the dry powder(s) of the clathrate blend(s) and then the resulting mixture is homogeneously mixed with the edible fatty oil. When a slurry-like starting material resulting from grinding of the tonic medicinal vegetable and - 7 Chlorella algae is used it preferably is homogeneously mixed with the edible fatty oil in the presence of a vitamin E oil and then the dry powder(s) of the clathrate blend(s) is/are homogeneously mixed with the resulting suspension in the oil. Concurrent homogeneous mixing of the various starting materials may also be employed.

Thus-obtained starting mixture is then passed through a proper mesh strainer and degassed in a-deaerator, following which the resulting mixture is encapsulated into a soft capsule such as a soft gelatin capsule.

When the exudate of the tonic medicinal vegetable is a leached liquid, it can be also used as a spray-dried material, but this is expensive, because water is present in a large amount in the leached liquid. Therefore, it is preferred that with or without dry powders of Chlorella algae and/or tonic medicinal vegetable added, the leached liquid is adsorbed to an edible powder such as laptose or starch and the resulting material is powdered. The edible powder such as lactose or starch is used in order to absorb water in the leached liquid and has no adverse effect on the soft capsule, but serves merely as a bulking filler and an excipient.

It should be noted that the proportion of each effective ingredient derived from Chlorella algae, fungi and tonic medicinal vegetable relative to the edible fatty oil is not particularly limited.

The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of Examples. Example 1 Water 300 1 was mixed with a powder of light cultured Chlorella 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

Separately, 400 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of dried kawaratake, and the resulting mixture was subject to an extraction of effective ingredients is a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate. A clathration material, cyclodextrin 9.5 kg, was added to these concentrated exudates, and the resulting mixture was subjected to clathration blending in a blender. The blend was dried in a drier and pulverised in a pulveriser to provide a starting mixed exudate material. 20 A mixture-of 8.5 kg of a dry powder of ginseng and 8.5 kg of an exudate powder of odorless garlic was ground together with 15 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloid mill to provide 32 kg of a slurry-like exudate starting material. The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were added to 210 kg of peanut oil containing 15 kg of soybean lecithin added thereto, and the resulting - 9 mixture was stirred and mixed to provide a material to be encapsulated. The resulting oil-suspension was encapsulated with soft gelatin to provide an encapsulated product. Example 2 Water 300 1 was mixed with a powder of light cultured Chlorella 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrate-d about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

Separately 400 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of dried s'hiitake, and the resulting mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 20 tines in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate. A clathration material, cyclodextrin 9.5-kg, was added to these concentrated exudates, and the resulting mixture was subjected to clathration blending in a blender." 20 The blendwas dried in a drier and pulverised in a pulveriser to provide a starting mixed exudate material. A mixture of 9.5 kg of an exudate of garlic and 9.5. kg of an exudate powder of adlay was ground together with 20 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloid mill to provide 39 kg of a slurry-like starting exudate material.

The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were mixed with an oil-emulsified material -10 resulting from addition of soybean lecithin to a heated mixture of sesame oil and peanut oil to provide a homogeneous mixture which was then degassed in a deaerator. The resulting oil-suspension was encapsulated with soft 5 gelatin to provide an encapsulated product. Example 3 Water 300 1 was mixed with a powder of a light cultured Chlorella 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

Separately, 400 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of dried kawaratake, and the resulting mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

A clathration material, cyclodextrin 4.5 kg, was added to each of these concentrated exudates, and each resulting mixture was subjected to a clathration blending in a blender. Then, each blend was dried in a drier and pulverised in a pulveriser to provide individual starting exudate materials.

A mixture of 8.5 kg of a dry powder of ginseng and 8.5 kg of an exudate powder of odorless garlic was ground together with 15 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloid - 11 mill to provide 32 kg of a slurry-like exudate starting material.

The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were added to 210 kg of peanut oil containing 15 kg of soybean lecithin added thereto, and the resulting mixture was stirred and mixed to provide a material to be encapsulated. The resulting oil-suspension was encapsulated with soft gelatin to provide an encapsulated product. Example 4 Water 300 1 was mixed with a powder of light cultured Chlorella 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. Then, the resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

Separately, 400 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of dried shiitake, and the resulting mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 2d times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

A clathration material, cyclodextrin 4.5 kg, was added to each of these concentrated exudates, and each resulting mixture was subjected to a clathration blending in a blender.

Then, each blend was dried in a drier and pulverised in a pulveriser to provide individual starting - 12 exudate materials.

A mixture of 9.5 kg of an exudate of garlic and 9.5 kg of an exudate powder of adlay was ground together with 20 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloid mill to provide 5 39 kg of a slurry-like starting exudate material.

The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were mixed with an oil-emulsified material resulting from addition of soybean lecithin to a-heated mixture of sesame oil and peanut oil to provide a _ homogeneous mixture which was then degassed in a deaerator. The resulting oil-suspension was encapsulated with soft gelatin to provide an encapsulated product. Example 5 Water 300 1 was mixed with a powder of light cultured Chlorella 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. Then, the resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

Separately, 400 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of dried kawaratake, and the resulting mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like 25 concentrated exudate.

A clathration material, cyclodextrin 9.5 kg, was added to these concentrated exudates, and while being warned and depressurised, the resulting mixture was subjected to a clathration blending in a blender. Then, the blend was dried in a drier and then pulverised in a pulveriser to provide 14 kg of a starting mixed-exudate material.

A mixture of 8.5 kg of a dry powder of ginseng, 8.5 kg of an exudate powder of odorless garlic, 15 kg of prickly shrub of the family Aradiaceae and 90 kg of a photo synthesized Chlorella powder was ground together-with 15 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloid mill to provide 142 kg of a slurry-like starting exudate material.

The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were added to 210 kg of an oil-emulsified starting material formed by mixing 28 kg of peanut oil with 15 kg of soybean lecithin in a homomixer and adding 167 kg of safflower oil, and the resulting mixture was homogeneously stirred and mixed to provide 366 kg of an oil suspension. Then, the oil suspension was degassed in a deaerator and then encapsulated with soft gelatin to provide a Chlorella-containing fatty oil encapsulated product.

Example 6

Water 300 1 was mixed with a powder of light cultured Chlorella 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. Then, the resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like starting concentrated exudate material.

Separately, 400 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of - 14 dried shiitake and 10 kg of kawaratake, and the resulting mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide 5 a slurry-like starting concentrated exudate material.

A clathration material, cyclodextrin 10.5 kg, was C added to these concentrated exudates, and the resulting mixture was subjected to a clathration blending i-n a blender while being warmed and depressurised. Then, the blend was dried in a drier and pulverised in a pulveriser to provide 16 kg of a starting mixed exudate material.

Further, a mixture of 130 kg of photo-synthesized Chlorella powder, 9.5 kg of an exudate of garlic, 9.5 kg of an exudate powder of adlay and 10.5 kg of prickly shrub of the family Aradiaceae was ground little by little together with 25 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloid mill to provide 184.5 kg of a slurry- like starting exudate material.

The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were homogeneously mixed with 184 kg of a viscous oil mixture, i.e. an oil-emulsified starting material resulting from heating and mixing of 28 kg of sesame oil, 28 kg of purified peanut oil, 18 kg of safflower oil afid 18 kg of soybean lecithin using a homomixer. Then,_ the mixture was degassed in a deaerator. 384.5 kg of the resulting oil-suspension was encapsulated with soft gelatin to provide Chlorella-containing fatty oil food product.

- is - Example 7

Water 300 1 was mixed with a powder of light cultured Chlorella 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. Then, the resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

Separately, 400 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of dried kawaratake, and the resulting mixture was suljected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like concentrated exudate.

A clathration material, cyclodextrin 4.5 kg, was added to the former of these concentrated exudates, and cyclodextrin 5 kg was added to the latter of these concentrated exudates, and while being warmed and_ depressurised, each of the resulting mixtures was subjected to clathration blending in a blender. Then, the blends werb dried in a drier and then pulverised in a pulveriser to provide 6.5 kg and 7.5 kg of the respective starting exudate materials.

A mixture of 8.5 kg of a dry powder of ginseng, 8.5_ kg of an exudate powder of odorless garlic, 15 kg of prickly shrub of the family Aradiaceae and 90 kg of a photosynthesized Chlorella powder was ground together with 20 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloid mill to provide 142 kg of a slurrylike starting exudate material.

The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were added to 210 kg of an oil-emulsified starting material formed by mixing 28 kg of peanut oil with 15 kg of soybean lecithin in a homomixer and adding 167 kg of safflower oil, and the resulting mixture was homogeneously stirred and mixed to provide 366 kg of an oil suspension. The oil suspension was degassed in a deaerator and then encapsulated with soft gelatin to provide a Chlorella-containing fatty oil encapsulated product. Example 8 Water 300 1 was mixed with a powder of light synthesised Chlorella 30 kg, and the mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. Then, the resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like starting concentrated exudate material.

Separately, 450 1 of water was mixed with 25 kg of dried shiitake and 10 kg of kawaratake, and the resulting mixture was subjected to an extraction of effective ingredients in a hot water extractor. The resulting extract was concentrated about 20 times in a concentrator to provide a slurry-like starting concentrated exudate material.

A clathration material, cyclodextrin 5.5 kg, was added to the former of these concentrated exudates, and cyclodextrin 5 kg was added to the latter of these concentrated exudates, and each resulting mixture was subjected to clathration blending in a blender while being - 17 warmed and depressurised. Then, each blend was dried in a drier and pulverised in a pulveriser to provide 7.5 kg and 8 kg of the respective starting exudate materials.

Further, a mixture of 130 kg of photo-synthesized Chlorella powder, 9.5 kg of an exudate of garlic, 9.5 kg of an exudate powder of adlay and 10.5 kg of prickly shrub of the family Aradiaceae was ground little by little together with 25 kg of a natural vitamin E oil in a colloi7d mill to provide 184.5 kg of a slurry-like starting exudate. inaterial.

The individual starting materials produced in the above manner were homogeneously mixed with 226 kg of a viscous oil mixture, i.e. an oil-emulsified starting material resulting from heating and mixing of 28 kg of sesame oil, 28 kg of purified peanut oil, 110 kg of safflower oil, 42 kg of purified beeswax and 18 kg of soybean lecithin using a homomixer. Then, the mixture was degassed in a deaerator. 426 kg of the resulting_oilsuspension was encapsulated with soft gelatin to provide an intended Chlorella-containing fatty oil encapsulated food product.

Claims

- 18 CLAIMS 1. A process for producing a Chlorella-containing foodstuff

which comprises:

(A) preparing dry powders by separately adding a concentrated exudate of hot water extract of Chlorella algae and a concentrated exudate of a hot water fungal extract to separate aliquots of a clathration material, blending and drying; - (B) homogeneously mixing the dry powders froifi step (A) with, as tonic medicinal vegetable, at least one of garlic, genseng, aloe, ume (Japanese spicot). prickly shrub of the family Aradiaceae and adlay and Chlorella algae in the presence of vitamin E oil, and an edible fatty oil to provide an oil-suspension; and (C) encapsulating the oil-suspension to provide a soft capsuled foodstuff.
2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the - clathration material is a cyclodextrin.
3. A process according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the fungal extract is derived from at least one of kawaratake, polypore and shiitake.
4. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the blending is carried out under a humidified and depressurized condition.
5. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the edible fatty oil is at least one of peanut oil, sesame oil, wheat germ oil, rapeseed oil, 1 - 19 peanut oil, sesame oil, wheat germ oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, safflower oil and beeswax.
6. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the edible fatty oil contains a lecithin.
7. A process according to claim 1 substantially as described in Example 1 or 2.
8. An encapsulated foodstuff when produced in accordance with a process as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.