IE883670L

IE883670L - "sweetening agent"

Info

Publication number: IE883670L
Application number: IE883670A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Verilink Corp
Priority date: 1987-12-10
Filing date: 1988-12-09
Publication date: 1989-06-10
Also published as: FI885721A; EP0319984A3; DE3839869A1; GR3004497T3; PT89204A; FI94210C; NO172721B; AU612738B2; DE3839869C2; DE3869356D1; CA1325134C; NO172721C; IE60953B1; DK175279B1; EP0319984B1; NO885467L; JPH01211468A; NO885467D0; DK689288A; EP0319984A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a sweetener having improved sucrose-like taste containing a) at least one synthetic sweetener and b) at least one aroma-free concentrated fruit preparation having a dry matter content of 60 to 80 DEG Brix, and to a dried product prepared therefrom and a process for its preparation. Such a sweetener and dried product are suitable both domestically and in industrial food manufacture, e.g. for sweetening liquid foods, dairy products and ice cream products. [EP0319984A2]

Description

60953 1 Sweetening Agent / i This invention relates to a sweetening agent having an improved saccharose-like flavor, a dry product made therefrom, a method of producing same and the use thereof.

For dietary or medical purposes, synthetic sweeteners of low nutritional 5 value are increasingly used instead of sugar for reducing the calorie intake. Apart from saccharin and cyclamate which have been known for a long time, aspartame (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester) and acesulfame K (potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-^(3H)-one-2,2-dioxide) are the only synthetic sweeteners 20 of importance. In contrast to sugar substitutes such as fructose, xylite, sorbitol and mannitol, they are no energy sources and therefore increasingly used in low-calorie food.

An important criterion of these sweeteners is the sweetening power which in comparison with saccharose is substantially greater. IS Saccharins and cyclamates, however, have the disadvantage that they leave a bitter aftertaste in the mouth. Although aspartame tastes very good, it has a limited stability. Acesulfame K is not quite as sweet as aspartame, but has a longer shelf life.

As is described in vGerman Patent 25 60 54U, attempts were already made to 20 eliminate these disadvantageous properties by mixing sweeteners with each other. Mixtures of sweeteners are especially used for the reason that the sweet flavor is often synergistically increased therein, whereby in comparison with pure sweeteners a certain ' amount of sweetener can be saved. 2 Another reason for using mixtures of sweeteners is that some of the known sweeteners develop their_sweetness on the tongue very late whilst others leave a sweet taste very early, with the latter, however, also disappearing very soon. This disadvantage can be largely offset by admixing sweeteners of a longer lasting sweetness or also through mixing with natural sugars, if desired.

A method of improving the flavor of acesulfame K in household preparations is known from German Patent Application 33 31 517 wherein prior tc use acesulfame K is evenly mixed with other substances and used 10 in the form of this mixture. Amino acids or mixtures of amino acids, preferably glycine and glutamic acid or monosodium glutamate, are used for mixing.

Furthermore, German Patent 25 60 5^ and German Patent Application 25 56 109 disclose » sweetened foodstuffs and modified sweeteners respectively 25 which contain aspartame,optionally mixed with saccharin, a cyclamate or saccharose, as well as aluminium potassium sulfate and/or naringine naringenine-5-rhamnosido glucoside as flavor modifiers in amounts effective to modify the lasting sweet aftertaste of the above-mentioned sweetener.

German Patent Application 3^ 22 247 discloses a method of preparing a carrier fc sweeteners wherein a special monosaccharide or disaccharide is reacted with an aqueous saccharose solution to form a gluco-oligosaccharide mixture.

Japanese Patent 59-154 956 discloses a sweeting agent consisting of ace-25 sulfame K and fructose.

Hence, all sweetener mixtures that have so far been known relate to mixtures of synthetic sweeteners having defined chemical compounds. 3 German Patent Application 12 55 467 discloses a method of producings a colorles: sweetening agent by comminuting pomaceous fruit, heating the mash, separating, cleaning and concentrating the juice.

/ ✓ German Patent Application 24 56 926 relates to a sweetener preparation which 5 contains aspartame as the synthetic sweetener enclosed in a matrix forming material. So-called fusion agents which may also be juice crystals are used as the matrix forming material. A sweetening agent having an improved saccharose-like flavor is here not obtained.

It is desirable that especially the saccharose likeness of the 10 flavor of sweetener mixtures be further improved because the sweet flavor of saccharose has become the standard against which the sweetness of all sweeteners is judged.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a sweetening agent and a dry product made therefrom with an improved saccharose-15 like flavor and to indicate a method of producing same.

This object is attained by a sweetening agent of the above-mentioned kind which contains a) at least one synthetic sweetener, and b) at least one dearomatized and concentrated fruit preparation of 60 to 80° Brix. 2Q The dry product of the invention contains such a sweetening agent and at least one carrier material. r ) ( Component a) in the sweetening agent of the invention is preferably aspartame, acesulfame K, sodium cyclamate or saccharin. One or more of these sweeteners may be used for mixing with component b). Preferred is however the use of a mixture consisting of two sweeteners, with a mixture of aspartame and acesulfame K being especially preferred.

One or more dearomatized and concentrated fruit preparations can also be used as component b). The fruit preparations can be made from both light-colored and dark-colored fruits. Fruit preparations made from light-colored fruits, especially apple, pear, grape, lemon, apricot, pineapple and orange, are expediently used. Mixtures of two fruit preparations, e.g. mixtures of pear and pineapple or grape and orange, are especially suited. These fruit preparations must have 60 to 80° Brix.

The fruit preparations are obtained by clarifying juice concentrates, e.g. through filtration, by dearomatizing them through vacuum evaporation and by concentrating same, if desired, through ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis. A corresponding treatment of the resultant concentrates on ion exchangers adjusts the acid content thereof to the desired value; if necessary, the concentrates are additionally adjusted to the desired dry solids content. The total amount of acid, determined as titer (according to ml 1N-K0H per 10 g fruit preparation) is expediently in the range of 0.01 to 6 ml 1N-K0H per 10 g fruit preparation.

The amount of components a) and b) in the sweetening agent of the invention depends on the respectively intended purpose of the mixture. 0.3 to 10.0% by wt. of component a) are preferably used, especially preferred are 1.0 to 6.0% by wt.; when a mixture of two sweeteners is used, the amount of the individual components can respectively be in the range of 0.15 to 5.0% by wt. The amount of component b) is preferably at 40.0 to 98.0% by wt., based on the agent.

✓ The addition of maltol to the sweetening agent is preferred 5 because it further intensifies the saccharose-like flavor of the sweetening agent of the invention. Maltol is preferably used in an amount of 0.005 to 1.0% by wt., based on the agent, with an amount of 0.025 to 1.0% by wt. being especially preferred.

When the sweetening agent of the invention is used for sweetening 10 liquid food, especially beverages, it may also contain water and other additions such as ascorbic acid. The amount of ascorbic acid is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 0.2% by wt.

Surprisingly enough, it has been found that the sweetening agent of the invention has a considerably improved saccharose-like 2^ flavor in comparison with known mixtures of sweeteners. Since it synergistically intensifies the sweet flavor in the mixture consisting of synthetic sweeteners and natural fruit preparation, the amount of synthetic sweeteners can be considerably reduced because the fruit preparation enhances the sweetness of the 20 synthetic sweeteners by far better than known mixtures of sweeteners.

It is for instance sufficient to add 0.5 to 1.8% by wt. of the sweetening agent of the invention to foodstuffs to attain a saccharose-like sweetness.

The sweetening agent of the invention and the dry product made 25 therefrom are especially suited for sweetening liquid food such as beverages, or dairy products such as milk products with a fat content of 0.3 to 10%, e.g. fruit yoghurt or fruit butter- r milk, or ice-cream products. t 6 The sweetening agent of the invention can be used in liquid and solid form. The dry product can be obtained from the liquid mixture by common techniques, such as spray drying and/or vacuum drying and/or drum drying and/or freeze drying, using suitable 5 carrier materials such as maltodextrin or lactose. The dry product of the invention preferably contains 20 to 40% by wt. of the sweetening agent, 30% by wt. being especially preferred, and 60 to 80% by wt. of the carrier material, 70% by wt. being especially preferred.

The dry product of the invention can then be used in powder form, in granular form, e.g. as sweetener of low bulk density for sprinkling purposes, or in tablet form after pressing.

When tablets are made, the dry product of the invention which contains the mixture of sweetening agent and carrier material 15 may have added thereto at least one further synthetic sweetener, e.g. a mixture of aspartame and acesulfame K, as well as various adjuvants such as pressing adjuvants, e.g. corn starch, sorbitol or vegetable fats, or suitable expanding agents such as tartaric acid or sodium bicarbonate, for accelerating the dissolution. 20 Such a tablet preferably contains 10 to 40% by wt. of the mixture consisting of sweetening agent and carrier material, 20 to 30% by wt. being especially preferred, and 10 to 40% by wt. of the added synthetic sweetener, 20 to 30% by wt. being especially preferred. t To make granules, e.g. sweeteners for sprinkling purposes, at least one further sweetener can also be added to the dry product of the invention. The obtained product preferably contains 10 to 30% by wt. of the mixture consisting of sweetening agent and carrier material, 15 to 25% by wt. being especially preferred, and 0.1 to SO 5.0% by wt. of the added synthetic sweetener, 0.4 to 3% by wt. being especially preferred.

The sweetening agent of the invention and the dry product of the invention are suited as products for the food industry and as products which are directly used for domestic purposes.

To give the sweetening agent of the invention a good solubility, stability and microbiological stability, the titer of the agent should preferably be in the range of 0.01 to 6 ml 1N-K0H/10 g mixture, and the pH in the range of 2.8 to 4.5.

For the production of the sweetening agent the powdery synthetic sweetener, which hasopt;'"ona^^Deen mixed with maltol and/or ascorbic acid, is dispersed and dissolved in the fruit preparation used according to the invention. The liquid dispersion is subsequently pasteurized with the sweeteners being entirely dissolved and the corresponding microbiological stability being attained, and the product is dried, if desired.

A carrier material is added to the above solution to make the dry product. The res"ltant product can then be granulated in the customary way,optionally after drying or can be pressed after drying to form tablets.

The following examples will explain the invention.

Example 1 0.8 g aspartame and 0.8 g acesulfame K are mixed in powder form with 0.1% by wt. of ascorbic acid and 100 ml drinking water are added thereto. 95 g of a fruit preparation consisting of pear and pineapple juice (mixing ratio 1:1) are added thereto, the fruit preparation having been obtained by filtration, dearomatization and concentration to 65° Brix. 8 The mixture is dispersed and pasteurized. The product obtained has a pH of 4.0 and a titer of 4 ml 1N-K0H/10 g sweetening agent.

Example 2 1 g aspartame and 1.5 g acesulfame K are dispersed in 5 g water. The dispersion is stirred into 92.5 g of a fruit preparation which consists of apple and pear juice (mixing ratio 1:1) and has been obtained by filtration, dearomatization and concentration to 75° Brix. The dispersion is subsequently pasteurized and dissolved. The resultant sweetener solution has a pH of 2.8 and a titer of 6.0 ml 1N-KOH/10 g sweetening agent.

Example 3 a.) 1.5% aspartame and 6% acesulfame K, b.) 0.5% aspartame and 6% acesulfame K, c.) 1.2% aspartame, 1.2% acesulfame K and 4.8% sodium cyclamate are dispersed in x g water (x = 100 g - sweeteners - fruit preparation) and stirred into 85 g of a fruit preparation which consists of apple and lemon juice and has been adjusted by filtration, dearomatization, deacidification and concentration to 75° Brix. The dispersion is subsequently pasteurized with the sweeteners being dissolved. The resultant solution has a pH of 3.^ and a titer of 0.9 ml 1N-KQH/10g sweetening agent.

Example 4 a.) 0.45% aspartame and 0.45% acesulfame K, b.) 0.3% aspartame and 0.3% acesulfame K and 0.35% saccharin are dispersed in x g water (x = 100 g - sweeteners -fruit preparation) and stirred into 60 g of a fruit preparation which consists of grape and pear juice (mixing ratio 2:1) and has been adjusted by filtration, dearomatization, deacidification and concentration to 75° Brix.

The disperson is subsequently pasteurized with the sweeteners dissolving. The resultant sweetener solution has a pH of 4.2 and a titer of 0.3 ml 1N-K0H/10 g sweetening agent.

Example 5 0.8 g aspartame and 0.8 g acesulfame K are mixed in powder form with 0.05% by wt. of ascorbic acid and suspended in 3-3% by wt. of water. 0.05% by wt. of maltol and 95 g of a fruit preparation consisting of pear and pineapple juice (mixing ratio 2:1) are added thereto, the fruit preparation having been obtained by filtration, dearomatization and concentration to 65° Brix.

The mixture is dispersed and pasteurized. The product obtained has a pH of 4.0 and a titer of 4 ml 1N-K0H/10 g sweetening agent.

Claims

1. A sweetening agent having an improved saccharose-like flavor, comprising a) at least one synthetic sweetener, and b) at least one dearomatized and concentrated fruit preparation of 60 to 80° Brix.

2. A sweetening agent according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an acid concentration, determined as titer, of 0.01 to 6 ml 1N-KOH/10 g mixture and a pH of 2.8 to 4.5.

3. A sweetening agent according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it also comprises maltol.

4. A sweetening agent according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that component a) is aspartame, acesulfame K, sodium cyclamate or saccharin.

5. A sweetening agent according to claim 4, characterized in that component a) is a mixture of aspartame and acesulfame K.

6. A sweetening agent according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that component b) was made from a light-colored fruit.

7. A sweetening agent according to claim 6, characterized in that said light-colored fruit is apple, pear, grape, lemon, apricot, pineapple or orange or a mixture thereof. 11

8. A sweetening agent according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it contains 0.3 to 10.0% by w£. of component a).

9. A sweetening agent according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it contains 40.0 to 98% by wt. of component b).

10. A sweetening agent according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it contains 0.005 to 0.1% by wt. of maltol.

11. A sweetejiing agent according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it further comprises ascorbic acid.

12. A sweetening agent according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it is present as a dry product.

13. A dry product comprising a sweeting agent according to any of claims 1 to 11 and at least one carrier material.

14. A dry product according to claim 13, characterized in that it contains 20 to 40% by wt. of the sweetening agent and 60 to 80% by wt. of the carrier material.

15. A dry product according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that it is present in tablet form, granular form or powder form.

16. A dry product according to claim 15, characterized in that in tablet form it further comprises at least one synthetic sweetener and/or at least one pressing adjuvant and/or an expanding agent.

17. A dry product according to claim 16, characterized in that it contains 10 to 40% by wt. of the mixture of sweetening agent and carrier material and 10 to 40% by wt. of synthetic sweetener. 12

18. A dry product according to claim 15, characterized in that in granular form it further comprises at least one synthetic sweetener.

19- A dry product according to claim 18, characterized in that it contains 10 to 30% by wt. of the mixture of sweetening agent and carrier material and 0.1 to 5.0% by wt. of synthetic sweetener.

20. A method of producing the sweetening agent according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that at least one powdery synthetic sweetener,optionally maltol and/or ascorbic acid, is dispersed in at least one dearomatized and concentrated fruit preparation of 60 to 80° Brix, and the dispersion is pasteurized with dissolution of the components.

21. A method according to claim 20, characterized in that the resultant solution is dried.

22. A method of producing the dry product according to any of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that the sweetening agent produced according to the method of claim 20. is mi xed with a carrier material and either dried and then optionally pressed to form tablets^ or optionally dried and optionally granulated in the customary way.

23. Use of the sweetening agent according to any of claims 1 to 12 and of the dry product according to any of claims 13 to 19 for domestic purposes or for industrial food preparation, e.g. for sweetening liquid food , especially beverages, as well as dairy products and ice-cream products.

24. A sweetening agent whenever produced by a method as claimed in claim 20. as defined in Claim 1

25. A sweetening agentysubstantially as hereinbefore described by way of Example. Dated this 9th day of December, 1988. BY:- T0MKINS & CO., Applicants' Agents, (Signed) 5, Dartmouth Road, DUBLIN 6.