GB2548553A

GB2548553A - Reduced sugar glazes and methods of making them

Info

Publication number: GB2548553A
Application number: GB1604444.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: H Avashia Sanjiv; April Hsu Chia-Hua; A Medhekar Rohit
Original assignee: Tate and Lyle Ingredients Americas LLC
Current assignee: Primary Products Ingredients Americas LLC
Priority date: 2016-03-16
Filing date: 2016-03-16
Publication date: 2017-09-27
Also published as: GB201604444D0

Abstract

A method of applying a glaze to an orally consumable substrate includes a) coating the substrate with an aqueous oligosaccharide syrup that 1) has from 75% to 79% percent dry solids (DS); and 2) if adjusted to 80% DS, has a viscosity less than 1500 Poise at 20°C; and b) drying the coated substrate to form the glaze. An aqueous oligosaccharide syrup is provided, having a DS in a range from 75% to 79% a viscosity in a range from 800 to 1500 poise at 20°C. Preferably the glaze has a saccharide distribution of DP1 1-4%; DP2 10-15%; DP3 9/13%, DP4 7-11%, DP5 6-10%, DP6 13-19%; DP7 12-17%; DP8 4-7%; DP9 3-7%; DP10 2-6%; DP11 7-15%; DP11+ 0-4%, the total equaling 100%. The glaze is non-opaque with no visually detectable haze. The glaze can be applied by spraying at a temperature range of 105 to 115ºC. The high solids content means that only a brief period of drying is required. The glaze is based on a low sweetness oligosaccharide syrup that has minimal effect on the taste profile of the products coated with it. The syrup may be used to bakery products, dry cereal or potato chips.

Description

REDUCED SUGAR GLAZES AND METHODS OF MAKING THEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to glaze coatings for consumable products for food, animal feed, animal health and nutrition, and pharmaceutical applications, and compositions and methods for applying such glazes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A variety of corn syrups are available to form glazes for snack products. A typical high DE (Dextrose Equivalent) corn syrup is easy to apply by spraying, but the sweetness inherent in high DE corn syrup alters the product taste and limits flavour selection. Conversely, low DE corn syrups are much less sweet and therefore don't impact taste profiles, but their high viscosities make them very challenging to spray.

And although the viscosity of a low DE corn syrup can be reduced by diluting with water, thereby making spraying feasible, the added water results in a need for extended oven drying to achieve desirable moisture levels in the glazed snacks. Thus, there is a need to provide a low sweetness glaze and method for spraying it at a relatively high solids content.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some aspects, the invention provides a method of applying a glaze to an orally consumable substrate includes a) coating the substrate with an aqueous oligosaccharide syrup that 1) has a DS in a range from 75% to 79%; and 2) if adjusted to 80% DS, has a viscosity less than 1500 poise at 20°C; and b) drying the coated substrate to form the glaze. The glaze is non-opaque and has no detectable haze upon visual inspection.

In some aspects, the invention provides an aqueous oligosaccharide syrup having a DS in a range from 75% to 79% a viscosity in a range from 800 to 1500 poise at 20°C.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 shows the effect of drying time in a forced air oven on the moisture content of plain potato chips sprayed with an oligosaccharide syrup at 110°C according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The term, "DPN", as used herein, refers to the degree of polymerization, where N is the number of monomeric units (i.e., glucose or dextrose units) in the saccharide, thus DPN reflects the composition of the saccharide. For example, DPI is a monosaccharide; DP2 is a disaccharide; DP1+2 is the total of mono- and di-saccharides; DP3-11 is the total of DP3 to DP11; and DP11+ is the total of saccharides containing more than 11 monomeric units per molecule. DPN is expressed as a weight percent of an individual saccharide on a total saccharide dry weight basis. The term, "DS", as used herein, refers to the percent dry solids of a substance as determined using the computer program, Refractive Index Dry Substance (RI-DS), Standard Analytical Method E-54, Corn Refiners Association, 6th Edition, 1977, E-54, pp. 1-11.

The term "sugar", as used herein, refers to mono- and/or di-saccharides.

The term, "syrup", as used herein, refers to aqueous solutions of saccharides.

The term, "viscosity", as used herein, is measured using a concentric cylinder rheometer under the conditions described in the Examples. All percentages herein are on a weight basis unless clearly indicated otherwise.

The invention provides an edible glaze, and a method of forming it on an orally consumable substrate, such as a food, animal feed, animal health and nutrition, pharmaceutical form, or other orally consumable item. The glaze is based on a lowsweetness oligosaccharide syrup, and therefore has a minimal effect on the taste profile of products coated with it. The low sweetness can be maintained as-is, or increased if desired by adding conventional sweeteners. And the glaze can conveniently be applied by spraying a high-solids aqueous solution followed by brief drying with a forced air oven or other means, such as a radiant oven or convection oven. The resulting glaze has an unusual texture, making possible new flavor/texture combinations in products employing it. The glaze is very crispy under ambient conditions, for example 20°C and 30% relative humidity, yet becomes pliable and sticky at elevated temperatures such that it can adhere seasonings and condiments.

The glaze of the present invention may, for example, be utilized to provide a moisture barrier in various foods. The glaze, optionally in admixture with one or more additional food ingredients, may be applied as a coating or layer on a food product which, once dried, helps to retard the transmission of water into or out of the food product. For instance, a sweet topping such as a glaze or frosting comprising the oligosaccharide syrup may be formed on a surface of a baked good such as a doughnut, snack bar, cookie, a dry cereal (in the form of flakes, biscuits, or clusters, for example) or the like.

The dried sweet topping acts as a moisture barrier, whereby the resulting food product has improved shelf life and exhibits a reduced tendency for the outer surface of the sweet topping to become sticky (tacky) over time. The dried sweet topping can also hinder the penetration of external moisture into the food product, thereby permitting the food product to maintain a desired level of crispness or crunchiness over a prolonged period of time when immersed in an aqueous environment. In some cases, a layer comprising the glaze is present within a food product, such that it is interposed between two other layers (one of which contains moisture, the other being lower in moisture content). The glaze-containing layer helps to slow down or prevent migration of moisture from the higher-moisture layer to the lower-moisture layer. This serves to maintain the crispiness/crunchiness of the lower-moisture layer as the food product is stored. Exemplary glazes provide a moisture barrier to a coated product, such that moisture uptake of the product at 20°C and 30% relative humidity is in a range from 0.01 to 0.10 g/m2/day of exposed surface, and preferably from 0.01 to 0.05 g/m2/day. The thickness of the glaze will typically be in a range from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm.

Oligosaccharide Svrup for Making Glazes

The oligosaccharide syrup comprises an aqueous solution of saccharides having controlled DP. It can be made by a process of comprising contacting a starch or starchy material with a first alpha amylase enzyme in an aqueous medium for a time effective to hydrolyze the starch or starchy material to provide a reaction product having a saccharide distribution having a DPI + DP2 content of about 10% to about 25%, a DP3-11 content of about 70% to about 90%, and a DP11+ content of 0% to about 15%, wherein the first alpha amylase enzyme is a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid having at least 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more, or complete (100%) sequence identity to GenBank Accession No. AF504065 or an amino acid sequence comprising an enzymatically active fragment of said polypeptide. Suitable methods and compositions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2013/0197104, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The starch used in the above process may be a corn starch, and the starchy material may be from corn.

The DP11+ content of the reaction product obtained may be from 0-5%. The saccharides may have a DP4 content of at least about 35%. The saccharides may have a DP4 content of at least about 35% and a content of less than about 6% with respect to each of DP5 to DP10.

The reaction product obtained by the above-mentioned method may have a viscosity of less than about 1500 poise at 20°C when the reaction product is adjusted, if necessary, to a dry solids content of 80%.

The above-mentioned method may include a step wherein the starch or starchy material is additionally contacted with a maltotetraogenic alpha amylase (i.e., contacted with a maltotetraogenic alpha amylase as well as the first alpha amylase enzyme).

The process of making the oligosaccharide syrup may be carried out using at least two heating stages, wherein in a first heating stage the aqueous slurry of starch or starchy material and first alpha enzyme is heated at a relatively high temperature (e.g., 100°C or greater) for a relatively short period of time, and then in a second heating stage the aqueous slurry is heated at a lower temperature than in the first heating stage (e.g., 80°C to 95°C) for a longer period of time than in the first heating stage. It will often be advantageous to carry out the first heating stage under conditions effective to gelatinize or at least partially solubilize the starch. For example, after combining with the first alpha amylase enzyme, the slurry may be first subjected to a cooking step wherein high shear is applied to the starch while the slurry is heated to a relatively high temperature (e.g., about 90°C or more or about 95°C or more or about 100°C or more or about 105°C or more, but typically not greater than about 115°C) for a comparatively short period of time (e.g., about 2 to about 20 minutes).

The high shear cooking step may be carried under pressure, i.e., at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. For example, a pressure of at least about 5 kg/cm2 (e.g., about 8 to about 11 kg/cm2) may be utilized. Generally, such high shear conditions are selected to be effective to gelatinize (at least partially solubilize) the starch. Jet cooking techniques may be used, wherein the slurry is mixed with steam at high temperature and pressure (i.e., superatmospheric pressure) while passing through a narrow orifice. The amount of steam may be controlled such that complete steam condensation is achieved or, alternatively, the amount of steam may be in excess. The steam pressure may be from about 5 bar to about 8 bar (absolute), for example. The intense turbulence resulting from the near-instantaneous heating of the starch and the passage of steam through the jet cooker promotes the rupture and dissolution of starch granules. The viscosity of the slurry is lowered due to the mechanical shearing of the high molecular weight starch chains. The starch slurry may thereby be gelatinized and thinned.

For example, the slurry may be pumped through a steam jet having a narrow orifice in a jet cooking step to quickly raise the temperature to between about 100°C and about 115°C (e.g., from about 104°C to about 108°C or from about 107°C to about 110°C). The starch is immediately gelatinized and, due to the presence of the first alpha amylase, partially depolymerized through random hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds by the enzyme to a fluid mass which is easily pumped. In some cases, the starch slurry, after being passed through the steam jet, may be resident in a tail line for a period of from about 5 to about 8 minutes. The fluid mass may then be transferred to a vessel, such as a stirred tank, wherein reaction of the starch with the first alpha amylase enzyme may be continued at a second, somewhat lower temperature (e.g., about 80-95°C) until the desired saccharide distribution is achieved. In some cases, the temperature of the fluid mass is maintained above 90°C during the second heating step in order to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Typically, the pH of the fluid mass is not adjusted or changed before proceeding with the second heating step. In such second heating step, high shear conditions and above-atmospheric pressures typically are not utilized.

For example, the fluid mass may be stirred or otherwise mixed or agitated under low shear conditions and atmospheric (ambient) pressure. Generally speaking, increased reaction times will result in a higher degree of depolymerization, providing a lower content of DP11+ saccharides and thereby reducing the viscosity of the resulting oligosaccharide syrup. The alpha amylase treatment thus may be carried out for an amount of time effective to provide a DP11+ content of, in various embodiments of the invention, not greater than 15%, not greater than 10%, not greater than 5%, not greater than 4%, not greater than 3%, not greater than 2%, not greater than 1%, or approximately 0%. However, it will also generally be desirable to halt the depolymerization before the mono- and di-saccharide content becomes unacceptably high. For example, the enzyme hydrolysis reaction may be stopped when the DP1+2 content reaches 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%. 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, or 25%. The reaction time in the second heating step will typically be about 1.5 to about 5 hours or about 2 to about 4 hours or about 3 hours.

In some cases, the reaction product and oligosaccharide syrup obtained have the following saccharide distribution: DPI 1-4%; DP2 10-15%; DP3 9-13%; DP4 7-11%; DP5 6-10%; DP6 13-19%; DP7 12-17%; DP8 4-7%; DP9 3-7%; DP10 2-6%; DP11 7-15%; DP11+ 0-4%, the total equaling 100%.

In some cases, the reaction product and oligosaccharide syrup obtained have the following saccharide distribution: DPI 2-6%; DP2 12-16%; DP3 12-16%; DP4 38-46%; DP5-DP10 1-6% each; DP11 2-10%; DP11+ 0-2%.

The polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of the saccharides present in the reaction product and oligosaccharide syrup is typically relatively low, e.g., not more than about 2 or not more than about 1.8 or not more than about 1.6.

The saccharide distribution may be monitored on a periodic basis using methods known in the art and further hydrolysis stopped by inactivating the enzyme by, for example, adding an amount of acid effective to lower the pH of the aqueous medium to a level where the enzyme is no longer active (e.g., a pH of from about 3 to about 4).

Also afforded by the present invention is a food, animal feed, animal health and nutrition, or pharmaceutical product comprising the aforementioned oligosaccharide syrup(s) and at least one food, animal feed, animal health and nutrition, or pharmaceutical ingredient.

The reaction product thereby obtained may be subjected to one or more further purification or processing steps to provide an oligosaccharide syrup suitable for use as a food, beverage, animal feed, or animal health and nutrition ingredient.

After deactivation of the enzyme by acidification, the reaction product is filtered and subjected to carbon treatment and/or ion exchange prior to being concentrated by evaporation to provide a final oligosaccharide syrup having the desired dry solids content.

In some cases, the oligosaccharide syrup may exhibit the following viscosity profile: 70% DS: about 12 to about 22 poise at 20°C, about 5 to about 10 poise at 30°C; 75% DS: about 80 to about 110 poise at 20°C, about 30 to about 40 poise at 30°C; 80% DS: about 1000 to about 1500 poise at 20°C, about 250 to about 400 poise at 30°C; 82% DS: about 4000 to about 8000 poise at 20°C, about 1000 to about 1600 poise at 30°C.

Other Glaze Ingredients

The oligosaccharide syrups described above may be used alone to form the glaze of the invention, or additional components may optionally be included in the liquid glazeforming composition. For example, the sweetness of the oligosaccharide syrup may be increased if so desired by combining the oligosaccharide syrup with one or more high intensity sweeteners of either natural or synthetic origin. Natural high intensity sweeteners include, for example, mogrosides and steviol glycosides (stevia). Illustrative synthetic high intensity sweeteners include sucralose, saccharin, cydamate, acesulfame potassium, neotame, aspartame, and the like. In some cases, a high intensity sweetener is combined with the oligosaccharide syrup in an amount to impart a perceived level of sweetness comparable to that of a conventional corn syrup having a relatively high content of mono- and di-saccharides. Other exemplary additives may include vitamins, preservatives, preservatives, pH adjusting agents, colorants, flavorants, fragrances, and triglycerides. Soluble or insoluble flavoring components may be included in some embodiments.

Nonetheless, certain components may be excluded from the oligosaccharide syrup used to form the glaze. As used herein, "excluded" means that the amount of the excluded material constitutes at most 2%, or at most 1%, or at most 0.5%, or at most 0.1% by weight of the glaze on a dry solids basis. Materials that may be excluded include any one or more of the following, in any combination: emulsifiers, surfactants, foaming agents, undissolved sucrose, undissolved liquids, undissolved solids, natural starches, modified starches, lipophilic starches, and non-saccharide sweeteners. Typically, particles of undissolved solids and undissolved liquids, said particles being less than 1 mm in diameter or less than 1 mm in one or more of length, width or thickness, are excluded from the oligosaccharide syrup used to form the glaze.

To ensure that the glaze is clear, transparent, non-hazy and non-opaque, liquid and/or solid particles may be excluded from the solid glaze if they are less than 1 mm, or less than 0.5 mm, or less than 0.1 mm in diameter or in one or more of length, width or thickness. In some embodiments, the glaze has no detectable haze upon visual inspection.

The liquid glaze-forming composition can be used to coat a wide variety of consumable articles, including various food products that typically have a sugar coating or icing. Typically, such food products are in solid (dry) form and are grain-based. These products include, but are not limited to, all types of ready to eat cereal (including flaked cereals, puffed cereals, cereal clusters and extruded cereals); granola type products and so called trail mixes; energy bars and granola bars; baked goods such as cookies, cakes, pies, crackers, pastries and muffins; frozen dairy products such as ice cream cakes and ice cream novelties; candies and other confections; and nuts. For example, the glaze composition may be used to adhere cereal particles together to form cereal clusters having a shiny, glossy appearance.

Method of Forming the Glaze

The liquid glaze-forming composition can be applied in the form of a slurry or solution that is sprayed through a spray nozzle to coat the consumable article. Or, the composition may be tumbled, extruded, brushed, knife-coated or roller-coated onto a surface of the consumable article. The composition may be heated to a temperature above room temperature during application to improve the flow or other characteristics of the composition. The thickness, coverage and pattern of the applied glaze may each be varied as desired to meet consumer preferences or manufacturer needs. For example, the glaze may fully or only partially cover the surface of the consumable article. The applied coating may be dried to remove sufficient moisture to provide a solid, adherent glaze on the consumable article. For example, the layer of glaze composition on the consumable article may be dried to a moisture content of 5% by weight or less. Drying may be facilitated or accelerated by any conventional technique, such as heating or induced air flow.

Prior to drying, a particulate material can be applied to the consumable article, on top of the layer of the glaze-forming composition. Upon drying, the glaze adheres the particulate material to the substrate. Exemplary particulate materials include sprinkles, seasonings, and other toppings.

In some cases, the components of the glaze-forming composition are selected such that the dry glaze on the coated article is of low tack at room temperature. Thus, the coated article is not lifted off of a clean glass plate upon pressing a clean finger onto the product at 20°C and 30% relative humidity for one second and then lifting, using a pressing force of 50 gram-force. Or, the test may be performed at 100 gram-force or 200 gram-force, indicating still lower levels of tack.

In an exemplary process for forming the glaze, the oligosaccharide syrup is sprayed onto the desired substrate (food, nutritional composition, etc.) at a temperature of at least 85°C, or at least 90°C, or at least 95°C, or at least 100°C, or at least 105°C, or at least 107°C. The temperature will typically be at most 120°C, or at most 115°C, or at most 113°C or at most 110°C. The solids content of the oligosaccharide syrup will typically be at least 74% DS, or at least 75%, 76% or 77% DS. It will typically be at most 83% DS, or at most 82%, or 81%, or 79% DS. For example, the spraying may be performed with an oligosaccharide syrup of 75% to 79% DS, at a temperature from 107°C to 113°C, using a syrup having a viscosity less than 1500 poise at 20°C, or less than 1400 poise, or less than 1300 poise. Typically, the viscosity will be at least 800 poise, or at least 900 poise, or at least 1000 poise. In some embodiments, the foregoing viscosity values describe the syrup upon having first been adjusted to 80% DS.

The sprayed product will typically be further dried by a forced air oven or conveyer drying or a convection, radiant or infrared oven until the product is no longer tacky. For example, a forced air oven at 200°F to 450°F may suitably be used for 2 to 20 minutes or 0.5 to 5 minutes, respectively. For example, an initial 8-16% moisture content can be reduced to less than 2% by using a forced air oven at 200°F for 9 minutes.

The inventors have found that, rather surprisingly, the sprayability of the oligosaccharide syrup was quite good despite the high DS.

As an alternative to spraying, the glaze may be applied by immersing the product to be coated in the oligosaccharide syrup at a solids level less than 65%, or less than 60%, 55%, or 50%. The coated product will then typically be dried to less than 5% moisture content.

EXAMPLES

The DPN distribution of an oligosaccharide syrup prepared as described herein was determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Samples were diluted to approximately 5% solids with Milli-Q water and filtered through a 0.45 pm filter. Twenty microliters of sample was injected. The separation was accomplished using a Bio-Rad HPX 42A column, a styrene divinyl benzene resin based column in the silver form coupled with a refractive index detector. Quantitation was done using area percent with no response factors, since the refractive index responses for all of the saccharides are expected to be very similar.

Viscosity measurements were performed on a TA Instruments AR-2000 Rheometer M-117 at a shear rate of 50.00 s"1 under the following conditions:

Geometry name Cone Cyl DIN 28mm diameter

Geometry notes Standard DIN concentric cylinders

Geometry material Aluminum

Stator inner radius 15.00 mm

Rotor outer radius 14.00 mm

Cylinder immersed height 42.00 mm gap 5920 pm

Gap offset 0 pm

Geometry inertia 3.798 pN.m.s2

Gap temperature compensation 0 pm/°C

Gap temperature compensation enabled No Shear rate factor 14.52

Shear stress factor 18090 1/m3

Measurement system factor 1246 1/m3

Fluid density factor 2.413E-10 m5

Normal force factor 1.000 1/m2

Backoff distance 1.10E5 pm

Approximate sample volume 19.60 ml.

Table 1 shows the viscosity of the oligosaccharide syrup at different temperatures and different DS contents, compared with the viscosities of various conventional corn syrups of different DE values. SWEETOSE 4300, STALEY 200, AND STALEY 1300 are available commercially from Tate 8i Lyle.

Table 1

The viscosity and handling of the oligosaccharide syrup labeled Experimental Syrup MFS were similar to those of a 42 DE corn syrup at the same DS value and to those of a 63 DE corn syrup at a commercial DS value of 82%. FIG. 1 shows the effect of drying time in a forced air oven on the moisture content of plain potato chips sprayed with 81 Brix (undiluted, 82% DS) oligosaccharide syrup at 110°C, demonstrating that moisture removal was rapid. Based on trials, suitable exemplary conditions for spraying the oligosaccharide syrup are 77% DS at 110°C. Table 2 shows moisture content data on plain potato chips sprayed with that syrup and then dried. It was found that, if the oligosaccharide syrup was allowed to lose significant moisture while being heated, spraying was no longer possible, even at 110°C.

Table 2

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of applying a glaze to an orally consumable substrate, comprising a) coating the substrate with an aqueous oligosaccharide syrup that 1) has a DS in a range from 75% to 79%; and 2) if adjusted to 80% DS, has a viscosity less than 1500 poise at 20°C; and b) drying the coated substrate to form the glaze; wherein the glaze is non-opaque and has no detectable haze upon visual inspection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous oligosaccharide contains at most 2% by weight on a dry basis of undissolved solid and liquid particles less than 1 mm in diameter or less than 1 mm in one or more of length, width or thickness.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the coating is performed by spraying at a temperature in a range from 105°C to 115°C.

4. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the aqueous oligosaccharide syrup has the following saccharide distribution: DPI 1-4%; DP2 10-15%; DP3 9-13%; DP4 7-11%; DP5 6-10%; DP6 13-19%; DP7 12-17%; DP8 4-7%; DP9 3-7%; DP10 2-6%; DP11 7-15%; DP11+ 0-4%, the total equaling 100%.

5. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising, between steps a) and b), depositing a solid particulate material on the coated substrate, wherein upon completing step b) the glaze adheres the particulate material to the substrate.

6. An orally consumable product comprising a glazed substrate produced according to the method of any preceding claim.

7. An aqueous oligosaccharide syrup having 1) a DS in a range from 75% to 79%; and 2) a viscosity in a range from 800 to 1500 poise at 20°C.

8. The aqueous oligosaccharide syrup of claim 7, wherein the viscosity is in a range from 900 to 1400 poise.

9. The aqueous oligosaccharide syrup of claim 7, wherein the viscosity is in a range from 1000 to 1300 poise.

10. The aqueous oligosaccharide syrup of any one of claims 7-9, having the following saccharide distribution: DPI 1-4%; DP2 10-15%; DP3 9-13%; DP4 7-11%; DP5 6-10%; DP6 13-19%; DP7 12-17%; DP8 4-7%; DP9 3-7%; DP10 2-6%; DP11 7-15%; DP11+ 0-4%, the total equaling 100%.