IE20140199A1 - Structured honey products - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a structured honey composition comprising a gelling agent and honey, wherein at least 10% of the composition is honey and wherein the gelling agent is not and does not include pectin.

Description

STRUCTURED HONEY PRODUCTS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention creates unique honey products to be used as ingredients in the food 5 processing industry and as condiments in the food service industry as well as delivery platforms for human and veterinary medicinal and herbal compounds. More particularly, the present invention provides a unique structured honey product which facilitates the use of honey as a versatile texture and flavour ingredient in a range of baked and frozen foods as well as a range of food service applications focused mainly on beverage flavouring and 10 garnishing.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a structured honey composition in various forms and with varying properties for human and animal consumption as a visually and texturally enhanced ingredient, condiment and garnish to extend the utility of honey in 15 finished products such as fresh and frozen baked pastries, viennoisserie, hot cereals, frozen pies and other frozen desserts, yoghurt packs and other dairy products, chocolate confectionery and hot or cold non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages in the food ingredient and food service sectors of the economy. The creation of a structured honey composition allows discreet flavor, texture and appearance experiences in consumer products using 20 honey as a natural food and sweetener for the first time. As a drug delivery platform the invention capitalizes on animals’ attraction to the natural sweet taste of honey combined with a user friendly form which permits entrainment and encapsulation of the desired compound to be delivered.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Liquid honey is ubiquitous in modern and historical societies as a natural food, a natural energy source and a natural sweetener. In its natural liquid state honey has been used in all of those capacities as well as being used as a medicinal ingredient, or medicine in its own right. Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties as well as trace amounts of 30 nutrients and minerals. While it is an extremely stable, apparently simple food, comprised of glucose and fructose primarily, it has proven to be an extremely complex and fragile food to handle from the perspective of the processed food industry. Its use in over the counter medications is currently restricted to small quantities primarily as a flavour ingredient.

The processed food industry relies primarily on formulations that use dry ingredients or materials that behave as dry ingredients. These are amalgamated or blended in dry form, then added to non-adhering liquids; water or oil, to form the final batch formulations. Alternatively, some formulations may add the dry ingredients sequentially to a base liquid to allow intermediate process steps such as heat activation or sterilization to occur before other more heat sensitive ingredients are added. In its natural liquid form, honey’s significant utility is as a flavour, added as a liquid late in the process because it is subsumed, disappearing in the product formulations. Liquid honey is very difficult ingredient to handle because of its viscosity and its adherence to all surfaces. The difficulty applies equally to processed food, garnish and condiment production and production of medications.

This functional limitation on honey has severely limited its utility in commercial food recipes, thereby severely limiting its value added in processed foods. It has therefore been marginalized by the more flexible utility of refined sugars which can be made to take on a range of solid and liquid forms, flavour combinations, textures and other properties.

Many attempts have been made to produce more user friendly forms of honey for the processed food industry. All attempts thus far have produced significantly limited results with structural and compositional failings in the products. The outcomes have ranged from the damage or destruction of the honey compared to its natural liquid state, to the use of refined sugar to create products, using only a few per cent (e.g. 3%) liquid honey for flavour.

The attempts to produce a more diversely useful honey product have been based on a number of established technologies which, when applied to honey, identified its fragility. Pulse drying is a technique used successfully with other low moisture products where the exposure to a very high temperature for a very short duration has the effect of flash evaporating free water. Honey, when exposed to this process, experiences a caramelization effect where basic sugars are changed from exposure to heat. Flavour and sweetness are negatively and permanently impacted. Conformational changes also yield a difficult to use, sometimes highly hygroscopic crystal. Also the very important secondary health benefits of natural liquid honey are permanently lost.

Freeze drying is another process used to liberate free water from certain food products. Familiar consumer applications are freeze dried coffee crystals and potato flakes. Freeze drying is similar to pulse drying in that extreme temperature is being used to liberate what is described as free water from a product to reduce it to a solid state with very low moisture content. The resulting honey product has similar property defects as described above. Honey is susceptible to temperature extremes at both ends of the spectrum.

Further attempts to create a solid or dry honey product by adding bulking ingredients to either absorb or adsorb the free water produce equally unusable sticky masses with significant losses in texture, palatability, appearance and utility to both consumers and food manufacturers alike.

The literature cites one process for the dehydration of honey which claims not to damage the properties of the resulting solid produced. The solid honey produced by this method does not have any of the functional properties produced by this invention. Neither the process described in said literature nor the finished product resulting from said process bear any resemblance to structures or processes described in this invention.

The inventors have identified that the description of honey as having up to 18% free water is not to be interpreted as in other descriptions of free water within products where the water may exist discreetly from the material being dried and may be either flash evaporated, or bound by the addition of hydrophilic binding agents. Regarding natural liquid honey in its totality, the 18% water is integral to the product's stability as a viscous liquid and to maintaining its anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties. What the literature describes as free water, exists within the matrix of liquid honey. This is proven in the globally consistent descriptions of liquid honey as containing 15% to 18% free water.

Previously described reductive processes and recipes designed to liberate this free water have not achieved full technical or commercial success. The limiting factors have been irreversible damage to the honey or failure to produce a product with significant range of utility to the food ingredient and food service sectors, both of which have been searching for a more natural alternative to refined sugars. Consumer and veterinary medicinal products have not been developed using a structured honey form as a delivery platform. A structured honey solution has been sought after, but never adequately produced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the disadvantages of prior art honey-containing products.

Accordingly, from one aspect, the present invention provides a structured honey composition comprising a gelling agent, water and honey, wherein at least 10 % by weight of the composition is honey and wherein the gelling agent is not and does not include pectin.

The use of pectin is to be avoided as this gelling agent would not give an appropriate melting temperature and would result in the product properties being difficult to control with batch to batch variations in quality.

The structured honey composition according to the invention has properties suited to diverse sectors of food production, food service and medication delivery It is especially suitable for use as a food ingredient, garnish or condiment.

The structured honey composition is preferably in the form of spheres, cubes, sheets or combinations thereof. However, this list is not exhaustive and the honey compositions according to the invention may be of any shape including random 3D shapes, for example 3D shapes produced by extrusion processes or mold deposition processes.

The structured, e.g. spherical, honey compositions have a range of melting points to allow for their use in hot and cold non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages where they are suitable for use as both a top garnish and natural sweetener, e.g. on frothed coffees and chocolate drinks.

When in the form of spherical honey compositions, the spheres preferably have a diameter of from approximately 2 mm to approximately 10 mm, particularly preferably 6-8 mm, e.g. 4 mm. The spheres may have a solid or liquid centre. The spheres are capable of sitting suspended on scalded dairy foams before sinking or being stirred into solution. Sphere size can be adjusted to match various sizes of roe, like trout eggs which usually range from 3.5 mm to 4.5 mm in diameter.

The structured, e.g. spherical, honey compositions are also suitable for use as recipe ingredients and/or garnishes in cold flavoured alcoholic beverages like martinis or summer punches and in warm alcoholic beverages such as liqueur coffee.

The structured, e.g. spherical, honey compositions are freeze stable and thaw stable. This allows for their use as a flavouring or garnish on frozen thaw-to-serve desserts like cheese cakes and individual portion tarts. The structured, e.g. spherical, honey compositions also make an excellent pastry top glaze for frozen-to-bake fruit pies.

The structured honey compositions according to the invention, e.g. in the form of spheres, cubes and sheets, have bake stable properties and are ideally suited to the creation of new honey-containing pastries and Danishes. A bake stable method to deliver honey in a versatile form which will survive the manufacture, baking and distribution to point of sale providing the consumer with an attractive product choice is provided that addresses a demand for the perceived healthier honey products.

The structured honey compositions according to the invention, e g. in the form of spheres, cubes and sheets, are suitable for use in confectionery chocolate bars to create discrete, recognizable honey components in the final product structure, allowing these products to evolve for the first time from honey flavoured product to a honey-based product.

The structured honey compositions according to the invention provide a consumer-friendly delivery vector for various human and veterinary medications. Palatability of honey ensures full consumption while the sphere provides both manufacturer and consumer a user friendly delivery platform.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a structured honey composition, eg. a sphere, wherein the structured honey composition is in the form of a garnish similar in size and shape to a caviar or roe sphere.

A preferred process according to the invention produces a sphere of honey in a homogenous matrix of gelling agent other than pectin, e.g hydrocolloid, and natural glucose and fructose sugars from the honey source.

In a further embodiment, there is provided a method for creating individual honey composition portions in various forms such as shaped portion sizes of sheets for enrobing or application in pastry creation or middle layers of cakes. Due to their stability in baking, the sphere and sheet forms provide previously unavailable honey layering capability in cakes as well as honey-based pastries.

The structured honey composition is suitable for use in yoghurt packages as a flavouring and/or garnish where compotes and other such structured and textured additions are kept in an adjoining receptacle to the yoghurt. The structured honey composition provides visible discrete golden shapes, e.g. spheres, of texture and flavour within the yoghurt similar to the visibility and mouth feel provided by other fruit compositions and dry granular compositions.

The structured honey composition is suitable for use as a garnish for retail frozen ice cream compositions for various formats such as sundaes, cones, milkshakes and other frozen dairy drinks.

The structured honey composition, e.g. sphere or sheet, enables honey to be included as a discreet ingredient in confectionery chocolate bars and high end individual pieces where appearance, mouth feel and flavour are critical to customer perception of the composition.

Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The description and figures are not intended to limit the invention to the exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In a particularly preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a stable, homogenous, malleable honey composition, e.g. a sphere.

The inventors have recognized the structural matrix of liquid honey and have created compatible matrices of hydrocolloids to combine with liquid honey in varying concentrations and or combinations to produce a range of products with properties suited to diverse sectors of food production, food service and medication delivery. The hydrated hydrocolloid solution blends with the entrained water in liquid honey to form a matrix of hydrocolloids and natural sugars to produce a range of structured forms of varying textures and brittleness.

Preferably the honey is natural honey, preferably filtered natural honey.

Preferably, the concentration of honey in the honey compositions according to the invention ranges from approximately 10% to approximately 90% by weight, particularly from 50% to 75% by weight, e.g. 52% by weight. In a preferred embodiment, the composition comprises at least 50% honey. In an alternative embodiment, the composition contains less than 50% honey. Products containing 50% honey or more are generally referred to as honey-based products, whereby products containing less than 50% honey are generally referred to as honey-containing products.

The structured honey composition melts in hot beverages. By hot beverages is meant beverages with minimum temperatures of 60 °C and maximum temperatures of 100 °C. The honey composition first sits on scorched dairy foams or other high surface tension bubble structures as a garnish and melts on contact with the hot fluid below by slowly breaking through the foam or by being stirred, releasing the honey and its attendant flavours.

The gelling agent is preferably selected from among agar, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum gel (LBG), guar gum, gum Arabic, gelatin, gellan gum, alginate and combinations thereof. If required to induce gelation, counterions are preferably used when preparing the composition.

Particularly preferably, the gelling agent is selected from among agar, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum gel (LBG), gelatin and combinations thereof.

If the structured honey composition is to be used as a pastry garnish, the composition preferably comprises agar as the gelling agent. If the structured honey composition is to be used as confectionary, frozen dessert garnish or a yoghurt adjunct the composition preferably comprises gelatin or a combination of xanthan gum and locust bean gum as the gelling agent. If the structured honey composition is to be used as a coffee garnish, the composition preferably comprises carrageenan as the gelling agent.

Agar gels are very clear and brittle. Due to the high melting temperature these gels are suitable for bakery application where the gel will melt during baking and will reset on cooling with minimum run-off or sinking into the bakery component.

When agar is the gelling agent, the concentration used is preferably 0.5 to 1.5 % by weight of the structured honey composition, e.g. 1.0% by weight of the structured honey composition. Preferably, agar derived from Gracilaria is used. However, agar derived from other algae may alternatively be used.

The carageenan family, which includes iota- and kappa-carageenans, is a family of linear sulphated polysaccharides produced from red algae. The repeating disaccharide unit in kappa-carrageenan is [beta]-D-galactose-4-sulphate and 3,6-anhydro-[alpha]-D-galactose, while that in iota-carrageenan is [beta]-D-galactose-4-sulphate and 3,6-anhydro-[alpha]-Dgalactose-2-sulphate. Both kappa- and iota-carageenans are suitable for use in food preparations. The carageenans are conventionally used as stabilisers, emulsifiers, gelling agents and fat replacers. Both iota and kappa carageenans form salt- or cold-setting reversible gels in an aqueous environment. Coil-helix transition and aggregation of helices form the gel network.

Preferably, the honey composition further comprises counterions to induce gelation of the hydrocolloid. Kappa-carrageenan has binding sites for specific monovalent cations, resulting in gel formation with decreasing shear and elastic moduli in the order Cs<+»K<+>»Na<+»Li<+>. The use of water-soluble potassium, rubidium, or caesium compounds, particularly potassium compounds, and particularly naturally occurring compounds (e.g. salts) is preferred when kappa-carrageenan is used according to the invention, e.g. at concentrations of from 10 to 100% of the weight of the kappa-carrageenan, more especially 50 to 80% by weight of the weight of the kappa-carrageenan. The use of water-soluble calcium, strontium, barium, iron or aluminium compounds, especially calcium compounds, and particularly naturally occurring compounds (e.g. salts) is preferred when iota-carrageenan is used according to the invention, e.g. at concentrations of from 10 to 80% of the weight of the iota-carrageenan, more especially 40 to 80% by weight of the weight of the iota-carrageenan.

The gelling agents used according to the invention will typically have weight average molecular weights of 5 kDa to 2 MDa, preferably 10 kDa to 1 MDa, most preferably 100 kDa to 900 kDa, particularly 200 to 800 kDa. They will typically be used at concentrations of 0.5 to 1.2 % wt, preferably 0.6 to 1.0 % wt., particularly 0.7 to 0.9 % wt.

When carrageenan is the gelling agent, the concentration used is preferably 0.5 to 1.5 % by weight of the structured honey composition, e.g. 1.0% by weight of the structured honey composition.

Locust bean gum is preferably used with kappa-carrageenan for enhancement and modification of gel strength and texture.

When locust bean gum is the gelling agent, the concentration used is preferably 0.25 to 1.0 % by weight of the structured honey composition, e.g 0.5% wt.

In a preferred embodiment the gelling agent is a mixture of kappa carrageenan and LBG, preferably at a concentration of from 0.6 to 1.4% by weight of the structured honey composition, e.g. 0.9%wt. In this embodiment the gelling counterion potassium chloride is preferably used as a gelling initiator, preferably at a concentration of 0.1% wt. The most preferred ratios of kappa carrageenan to LBG vary from 1:3 to 3:1, although satisfactory gels can be prepared outside this range Xanthan gum is preferably used with LBG at a ratio of 1:1. The reaction is pH dependent with the strongest gels being formed at pH 8. Since this pH is too alkaline for honey, the composition is preferably formulated with a pH of ca. 6.

When xanthan gum is the gelling agent, the concentration used is preferably 0.25 to 1.0 % by weight of the structured honey composition, e.g. 0.5% wt.

In a preferred embodiment the gelling agent is a mixture of xanthan gum and LBG, preferably at a concentration of from 0.5 to 1.5% by weight of the structured honey composition, e g. 0.9% wt.

The gelatins used as gelling agents in the honey composition according to the invention may be produced from the collagen of any mammal or the collagen of any aquatic species. Classic gelatin gels are ideally suited to this technology. High bloom gelatin is preferred to obtain optimal rheological properties coupled with excellent flavour release and colour.

The gelatin will typically be present in the aqueous phase at a concentration of 0.1 to 25 % wt., preferably 2 to 10% wt., particularly 0 8 to 2.5% wt., e.g. 1.0% by weight of the structured honey composition.

The gellan gum is selected from among high-acyl (HA) gellan gum and low-acyl (LA) gellan gum.

Aside from the gelling agent and water and any required gelling initiator, i.e. counterion, other physiologically tolerable materials may be present in the honey composition, e g. stabilizers, preservatives (e.g. citric acid), pH modifiers, viscosity modifiers, sweeteners, fillers, vitamins (e.g. vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folacin, panthotenic acid), minerals, aromas, flavours, colours, physiologically active agents, etc. Other vitamins which may be present in the honey composition are vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin K. Vitamins may classify as a drug substances of the type for which regulatory approval as a drug is required in for example the US or the European Union. The structured honey composition may comprise vitamins in water-soluble or water dispersible forms. The antioxidant vitamins C, E, A, and beta-carotene, vitamin B12, vitamin D, folic acid, thiamin, and riboflavin, among others, may provide added nutrient to the structured honey composition. A skilled person can easily select an appropriate amount of vitamins to be added.

Preservatives, such as potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate or the like, are preferably added at levels sufficient to provide shelf stability to the composition. The preservative may be present in the structured honey composition in any suitable amount, with minimal effective amounts being preferred, e.g. 0.1% by weight of the composition. Potassium sorbate, for example, may be present in the composition in an amount of about 0.1 g/kg to about 1 g/kg. A skilled person can easily select a preservative and use level for use in accordance with the present invention.

The honey composition preferably has a gelling temperature in the range of 10 to 60 °C, more preferably 15 to 50 °C, and a melting temperature in the range of from 20 to 100 °C, more preferably 25 to 60 °C, especially 32 to 50 °C.

The pH of the honey composition is preferably in the range of from about 3.4 to 6.1, e.g. 3.9. Sodium or potassium citrate is preferably used to regulate the pH. Citric acid can also be used to obtain the required pH.

The present inventors have created a structured honey composition which has been found to increase the diversity of application of honey compared to its original individual usage as a condiment. This delivers real commercial benefits to food manufacturers as well as healthier product development options to producers and consumers wishing to avoid or reduce refined sugar consumption.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the honey composition comprises natural, filtered honey, water, hydrocolloids and stabilizers and is in the form of visually appealing golden spheres with pleasant mouth feel and a strongly recognizable honey flavour. The complexity of honey flavour in the invention is opened by virtue of the dilution and use of non-flavourmasking hydrocolloids. This provides a full suite of positive gustatory properties.

The composition retains noticeable honey properties in colour and flavour while appearing in various solid form sizes, depending on application. The composition preferably further comprises additional flavours and colours to allow for diversification of product lines and targeting specific palates.

In a further embodiment, the honey composition comprises a bioactive ingredient, mineral or supplement. Such a composition may be used to deliver a bioactive ingredient, mineral or supplement to a human in sufficient quantity to achieve a desired effect, such as the gastrointestinal health or delivery of an oral medication where palatability and flavour will ensure complete consumption. Such a composition may also be used to deliver a bioactive ingredient, mineral or supplement to an animal in sufficient quantity to achieve a desired effect, such as the gastrointestinal health or delivery of an oral medication where risk of injury exists with conventional pill hand delivery, for example as commonly experienced with cats.

Preferred bioactive ingredients include proteolytic enzymes, antioxidants, insulin, IGF-I, IGF2, or EGF. Especially preferred bioactive ingredients are selected from among alpha- 1proteinase inhibitor, alkaline phosphatase, angiogenin, antithrombin III, chitinase, extracellular superoxide dismutase, Factor VIII, Factor LX, Factor X, fibrinogen, glucocerebrosidase, glutamate decarboxylase, human serum albumin, myelin basic protein, lactoferrin, lactoglobulin, lysozyme, lactalbumin, proinsulin, soluble CD4, component and complexes of soluble CD4, tissue plasminogen activator and a variant thereof, combinations thereof and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. This list is not exhaustive and other bioactive ingredients which may be present in the composition include vitamins, supplements and other over-the-counter compounds.

Preferably, the honey composition displays mimetic properties drawing the consumer to associate the product with other highly acceptable food types.

Mimetic property”, as used herein, describes a property wherein the structured honey composition mimics a natural stimulus to trigger a memory response associated with highly valued food types, rendering it more appealing to the consumer. The mimetic property may be a texture provided by the product shape, e.g. a sphere. The mimetic property may, for example, comprise a reaction with receptors on the tongue to convince the consumer of the textural sensation of the associated food, and the possible presence of protein or fat textures similar to caviar or tapioca in the structured honey composition.

The structured honey composition comprising various combinations of the stated ingredients may be used as a delivery platform to deliver one or more bioactive ingredients to the consumer. In this application, the structured honey composition is intended for consumption by children over 5 years of age or adults to deliver vitamins, supplements or other over-thecounter compounds.

The structured honey composition allows the near universal animal attraction to honey to be used as a delivery mechanism for a whole range of oral treatments improving the ease of administration and full dose delivery because the animal is naturally drawn to consume honey. Thus in a preferred embodiment, the structured honey composition may be used as a delivery platform to deliver one or more bioactive ingredients to an animal. In this application, the structured honey composition is intended for consumption by the animal to deliver vitamins, supplements or other medications such as, but not limited to deworming, flea and tick medication in companion animals and treated baits to be consumed by animals in the wild.

In the past, attempts to encourage consumption in animals have involved adding flavour additives to beverage and food compositions. This works well for humans since humans are taste driven, having in excess of 10,000 taste buds in the mouth. However, animals respond differently to flavours liked by humans. Artificial flavour in particular appears to be insufficient to attract cats and dogs. It has been reported that cat tongues have fewer than 500 taste buds. It is also known that a dog's senses of taste and smell are closely linked. It is possible that dogs have one sixth the number of taste buds of humans. Smell plays a more important role in identifying food preferences. Dogs can detect bitter, sweet, salty, and sour tastes. Both animals will naturally eat honey.

The structured honey composition thus functions as an “attractant to encourage consumption by an animal. It is a naturally occurring food substance that animals are drawn to. The structured honey composition differs from an artificial flavouring because it works on a number of levels simultaneously. The structured honey composition works with the animal's existing behaviour, taste and scent patterns and preferences. The structured honey composition possesses an odour, to engage the primary sense of smell of the animal, and a natural flavour, to work as a reinforcement to consume at the point of tasting, In one embodiment, the structured honey composition further comprises a mimetic component or property wherein tongue receptors are encouraged to respond to a stimulus other than the natural trigger to provide an appealing sensation. The mimetic component thus mimics a natural stimulus. The mimetic may react with receptors on the tongue to convince the animal of the presence of proteins, or fats in the structured honey composition for example. Such a sensation increases the appeal of the product. The optimal triple sensory application of the attractant, and the absence of unnatural flavours from artificial flavours, convinces the animal to believe its senses and encourages consumption.

It has been shown that cats have developed taste sensitivity to proteins and certain amino acids (Boudreau, J.C and T.D. White. Flavour chemistry of carnivore taste systems; In: Bullard.R.W. (editor). Flavor chemistry of animal foods. American Chemical Society Symposium, Series no. 67, Washington, DC; 1978. p. 102-128.). In a preferred embodiment, the structured honey composition thus comprises a mimetic component or property which reacts on receptors of the tongue to trigger a response mimicking the presence of proteins or amino acids in the composition.

The mimetic component may also provide a desirable texture to the structured honey composition. Pet food companies expend significant effort to create specific unique shapes to their dry foods as part of the identifying characteristics to set cat preference for a specific brand. When humans consume low fat products, for example, a great deal of effort has gone into recreating the texture or “mouthfeel of the full fat product. The texture of the honey composition, e.g. sphere, encourages chewing.

The structured honey composition provides a composition with synergistic effects. The honey composition encourages consumption compared to other artificially flavoured products on the market. The structured honey composition can be combined with natural attractants to further enhance animal responses to it. The structured honey composition can be used to effectively deliver bioactive ingredients to the animal. The animal then gets the combined benefit of increased water intake and bioactive effects from the ingredients. Any suitable bioactive ingredients may be delivered, such as plant extracts, enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins, and medications, to name a few. In a wild bait scenario, chemical neutering and poisoning can be achieved very efficiently.

A wide range of proteolytic enzymes are available that can be delivered to an animal using the structured honey composition of the invention. Proteolytic enzymes aid in the breakdown of proteins, can reduce Gl inflammation by enhancing the natural anti-inflammatory properties in the gut, and can reduce putrefaction in the gut from indigestible protein sources, such as bone, hoof and hair. Certain proteolytic enzymes also produce compounds when digested known to aid in healing joint injuries.

Two exemplary enzymes, papain and bromelain, contribute to protein break down and uptake through attachment to receptors in the upper Gl tract. Less undigested protein means less putrefaction, odour and inflammation. An enzyme may be added to the composition at any suitable concentration. Preferably, the enzyme concentration, e.g. concentration of papain and/or bromelain, in the honey composition ranges from about 0.1 to 5 g/kg.

Antioxidants may be used in conjunction with any of the above ingredients for general palliative effects well documented in the literature. Antioxidants may be added to the composition in any suitable amount. The structured honey invention provides a synergistic benefit in product development because of the antioxidant properties present in natural honey. For example, an antioxidant, such as but not limited to beta-carotene, may be present at a concentration of about 0.01 g/kg to about 5 g/kg in the composition.

Bioactive ingredients may be carefully selected to ensure no negative physical effects on the animal, such as diarrhoea, and use levels may be selected which minimize any possibility of over administration of a particular ingredient. Bioactive ingredients may also be selected on the basis of having no known toxic effect on animals based on available literature Documentation of sensitivity or adverse effect in the literature for any targeted animal population may result in automatic exclusion of a candidate ingredient.

In a preferred embodiment, food colourings and dyes, while able to be included, are avoided. The food colouring and dyes serve no purpose other than superficial cosmetic appeal to consumers, eg. pet-owning consumers, and there is much literature citing consumer sensitivity to many products in this category. Moreover, food colourings and dyes may subtly affect flavour. If desired for marketing purposes, an artificial colourant could be added to a structured honey composition, but is not preferred. Natural flavours and colour sources from natural fruit and vegetable sources are preferred so product perception and performance are not compromised.

In a preferred embodiment, the structured honey composition is substantially free of masking or bulking agents that provide little to no nutrient value to the consumer, including ingredients added as manufacturing process aids or cost control alternatives in many processed foods. An exemplary bulking agent is maltodextrin.

The structured honey composition may be packaged in any suitable container, such as a resealable plastic bottle, glass bottle, blister and foil portion packs or suitable bulk commercial packaging, and may be labelled for human or non-human consumption depending on the targeted market sector. The structured honey composition may be provided to a customer in any desired quantity and is suitable for use by food manufacturers, food service companies, the consuming public. In companion animal applications, individual pet owners, veterinary hospitals, animal shelters, farms, and zoos, among many others will make use of products based on structured honey compositions.

The skilled person will be able to formulate a wide variety of finished food product compositions based on the teachings set forth herein, without the use of inventive ingenuity. Modifications and variations to the structured honey compositions taught herein, particularly with regard to the optional bioactive ingredients, are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

The structured honey composition according to the invention gives honey the versatility of refined sugar. The structured honey composition can be used among other applications for example as a flavouring, flavor enhancer, garnish and texture provider.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the invention provides a structured honey composition consisting of 52% honey, 0.1% potassium sorbate or potassium chloride, 0.1% sodium benzoate, 0.5 -1.6% gelling agent other than pectin, citric acid, citrate salt (e.g. sodium citrate, potassium citrate etc.) and water.

The present invention also provides a method for the production of a structured honey composition for various uses as a food ingredient, garnish and/or condiment.

A preferred method for making the honey composition comprises the following steps: (i) Warm the honey, preferably to a temperature in the range of from about 35°C to about 60°C, e.g. ca. 50°C; (ii) Pulverise the at least one hydrocolloid and optionally mix with other powdered ingredients, e.g. stabilizers, preservatives etc; (iii) Disperse the dry mix in water using a high speed stirrer or high shear mixer; (iv) Heat this solution to a temperature in the range of from about 70°C to about 90°C, e.g. ca 85°C and pasteurise for a period in the range of from about 15 minutes to about 40 minutes, e.g. ca 30 minutes, with occasional stirring; (v) Check the pH of the gelling agent solution and adjust to the same pH as the honey; (vi) Mix the gelling agent solution and the warm honey together carefully to ensure that air entrapment is kept to a minimum; and (vii) either pour the resulting solution into containers and allow to set or drip the solution into vegetable oil held at about 0 to 20 °C, preferably 5 °C.

A syringe, spinning disc or multiple nozzles can be used to drip the solution into the oil. Preferably, the honey solution is dripped in to the vegetable oil from a height of about 8 cm.

The resulting honey products are spheres which are preferably harvested by sieving and rinsed to remove excess oil. Preferably, the honey spheres are allowed to cool in the vegetable oil, e.g. for approximately 4 minutes, prior to being removed.

The temperature at which the gelling agent phase and the honey set can vary according to the gelling agent used. For example, an agar recipe will set at ca. 60°C so the two phases should be mixed above this temperature. A carrageenan system should be mixed at ca. 50°C; a xanthan gum/locust bean gum system at ca. 50°C and a gelatin system at ca. 35°C.

The vegetable oil is preferably low viscosity antioxidant vegetable oil which can be reused as biofuel stock.

The resulting honey composition is similar in mouth feel to tapioca or caviar while providing a very identifiable honey flavour.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only.

Examples Example 1: Carraqeenan/LBG honey composition A general formulation of a carrageenan/LBG honey composition according to the invention is as follows: Ingredient % Honey 52.00 Kappa Carrageenan 0.50 Locust Bean Gum (LBG) 0.35 Potassium Chloride 0.10 Preservative qs Citric acid qs Water to 100 TOTAL 100.00 qs = quantum satis, as much as required Process to make carrageenan/LBG honey spheres: (i) Warm the honey to ca.50°C; (ii) Dry mix the other powdered ingredients including any preservatives; (iii) Disperse the dry mix in the cold process water using a high speed stirrer; (iv) Heat this solution to ca 90°C and pasteurise for ca. 30 minutes with occasional stirring; (v) Check the pH and adjust to the same pH as the honey using citric acid; (vi) Mix the water solution and the warm honey together carefully to ensure that air entrapment is kept to a minimum; and (vii) Allow to set.

Example 2: Xanthan gum /locust bean gum honey product Ingredient % range Honey 52 00 Xanthan Gum 0.3-0.8 Locust bean Gum 0.3-0.8 Sodium Benzoate 0.1 Potassium Sorbate 0.1 Citric acid qs Citrate (sodium, potassium etc) qs Water To 100.00 TOTAL 100.00 i) The honey was held in heated water bath at 30°C; ii) Xanthan gum and locust bean gum were added in a one to one ratio to achieve 1% use level in final product solution; iii) The hydrocolloids and other ingredients were dispersed in cold water and heated to 85 °C stirring to dissolve and activate. Activation took 5-6 minutes; iv) The temperature was raised to 90°C for 3 minutes to pasteurize the xanthan/locust bean gum solution; v) The honey temperature was raised to 60°C to kill yeast spores. However this process step should not be necessary with store bought honey as it likely will already have been done; vi) The xanthan/locust bean gum solution was combined with the honey (temperature reached 55°C when blended); vii) The honey solution was placed into a syringe and droplets were dripped into low viscosity vegetable oil at 5°C from approximately 8 cm height and allowed to cool for 4 minutes for initial sphere formation; viii) The resulting xanthan gum /locust bean gum honey spheres had a diameter of 2 to 6 mm and were harvested by sieving.

As the vegetable oil is a processing aid rather than an ingredient, it was only present on the sphere surface in trace amounts once these were removed from the oil. Excess oil was removed by rinsing the spheres.

Example 3: Agar honey product Ingredient % range Honey 52.00 Agar 0.5-1.5 Sodium Benzoate 0.1 Potassium Sorbate 0.1 Citric acid qs Citrate (sodium, potassium etc) qs Water To 100 Process to make non-spherical agar honey products: (i) Warm the honey to about 35 to 60°C; (ii) Dry mix the xanthan gum and locust bean gum with the sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate; (iii) Disperse the dry mix in water using a high speed stirrer; (iv) Heat this solution to 90°C and pasteurise for 15 to 40 minutes with occasional stirring. This process affords time and temperature for the hydrocolloid to dissolve and the solution to pasteurise; (v) Check the pH of the aqueous solution and adjust to the same pH as the honey using sodium or potassium citrate and/or citric acid; (vi) Mix the aqueous solution and the warm honey together carefully to ensure that air entrapment is kept to a minimum; (vii) Pour into containers and allow to set.

Example 4: Carrageenan honey product Ingredient % range Honey 52.00 Carrageenan 0.5-1.2 Locust Bean Gum 0-1.2 Sodium Benzoate 0.1 Potassium Sorbate 0.1 Citric acid qs Citrate (sodium, potassium etc) qs Water To 100 TOTAL 100.00 Spherical and non-spherical carrageenan/LBG honey products can be made as per the 15 methods in Examples 1 to 3.

Example 5: Gelatin honey product Ingredient % range Honey 52 High Bloom Gelatin 0.8-1.6 Sodium Benzoate 0.1 Potassium Sorbate 0.1 Citric acid qs Citrate (sodium, potassium etc) qs Water To 100 TOTAL 100.00 Spherical and non-spherical gelatin honey products can be made as per the methods in Examples 1 to 3.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details as herein described, which are given by way of example only, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

Claims (12)

CLAIMS:

1. A structured honey composition comprising a gelling agent, water and honey, wherein at least 10% of the composition is honey and wherein the gelling agent is not and does not include pectin.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the gelling agent is a hydrocolloid.

3. The composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the structured honey composition is in the form of a sphere, preferably wherein the sphere has a diameter similar to that of roe.

4. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the composition further comprises one or more vitamins.

5. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the concentration of honey in the composition is in the range of from about 50% to about 90%, preferably in the range of from about 51% to about 75%, e.g. 52%

6. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composition further comprises one or more stabilisers and/or preservatives, preferably sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate.

7. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pH of the composition is in the range of 3.4 to 6.1, e.g. 3.9.

8. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composition further comprises a bioactive agent, preferably a proteolytic enzyme.

9. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composition further comprises a mimetic component.

10. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gelling agent is selected from among agar, carrageenan, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, high bloom gelatin or a mixture thereof.

11. A method for making a structured honey composition as claimed in any preceding claim, said method comprising the following steps: (i) Warm the desired amount of honey; (ii) Pulverise the desired amount of gelling agent and any desired optional ingredients and mix together; (iii) Disperse the powdered mix in water to form an aqueous solution; (iv) Heat and pasteurise this solution; (v) Adjust the pH of the aqueous solution to the same pH as the honey; (vi) Mix the aqueous solution and the warm honey together carefully to ensure that air entrapment is kept to a minimum; and (vii) Allow to set.

12. A structured honey composition substantially as herein described.