NL8303367A - Food stabilised against microbial decay - contains dextrose and fructose, at least equal sugar and water content and smaller fat content (BE 27.7.78) - Google Patents

Abstract

Food stabilised against microbial decay contains 15-45% water, sugar in wt. ratio sugar water 1-2:1, 2.5-30% fat and small but effective quantities of salts, emulsifiers, stabilisers and flavouring agents. The fat quantity is smaller than the water quantity. The dissolved material content leads to water activity 0.8-0.9. Dextrose and fructose make up >=50 wt.% of total sugar content. the compsn. contains at least one of fructose and dextrose components and unsatd. fats. The prod. can be spooned at -12 degrees C. The fats pref. consist of unsaturated and saturated fats in ratio 0.38-0. 74:1. The foods have a flexible consistency, can be stored at deep freeze temps. but are easily handled and used on removing from freezer, without thawing. Stabilisation allows storage at room temp. Foods stabilise include oil-in-water emulsions, e.g. butter-creams, whipped cream, milk mixes, coffee creamers; filled ro coated pastries; sauces, puddings, gravies, spreads, pancake syrup, ice-cream, soup concentrates, beverage concentrates, meat-fish-, fruit and vegetable prods.

Description

»> VO 4880

Title: Microbiologically stable nutrient concentrate.

The invention relates to a microbiologically stable food preparation consisting of a mixture of water, sugar and flavoring agent, with the proviso that the sugar is present in an amount by weight which is at least equal to the amount by weight of water and the total content of dissolved material such is that the product has a water activity of about 0.8-0.9.

Such a nutritional preparation is known from US patent 3,958,033.

These known nutritional preparations are stable o / w-10 emulsions, using very specific emulsifiers, such as sodium stearoyl fumarate and sodium stearoyl 2-lactylate. They are not subject to microbial attack due to the high sugar content (which reduces the water activity to about 0.8) and they do not contain any protein. They are used, among other things, as 15 whippable dessert toppings and whiteners for coffee drinks.

A drawback of these known food preparations is that, although resistant to microbial attack (including also attack by yeasts and molds), they do not have an unlimited shelf life (for example, up to a year). Although this objection is solved by storing the preparations at frozen temperatures (-12 ° C to -20 ° C), the products are not immediately ready for use when they are removed from the freezer and must first be thawed (which is what the generally takes several hours).

There was therefore a need for a product which is both microbiologically stable and which remains liquid at a temperature of -12 ° C.

The microbiologically stable nutritional composition according to the invention is now characterized in that the composition is a beverage concentrate, the water content is 35-45%, the sugar 30 is present in an amount approx. amount of water, the sugar is 75-100% fructose plus glucose and the fructose content is approx. 10-30% based on the total sugar content.

The nutritional preparations according to the invention remain liquid (pourable) at temperatures of about -12 ° C and are immediately usable when removed from the freezer, being one - ♦ * - '·. ·> · /

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-2- ♦ i additionally, once returned to room temperature, remain microbiologically stable for 12-72 hours. Furthermore, the preparations stored for a reasonable time at room temperature show no symptoms of rancidity, caramelization (Maillard reaction) or denaturation.

The beverage concentrate according to the invention can for instance be an orange concentrate or tea concentrate, because it contains orange oil or tea extract as a component.

The sugar component preferably includes a fructose glucose syrup.

10 All amounts in the following description are by weight unless otherwise stated. In the examples, the amounts quoted are based on a 100 basis. Percentages are based on the total weight of the composition unless otherwise stated.

The spoonability requirement refers to the texture or flexibility (smoothness) of the product and to the property of being able to be consumed when the product has frozen temperature. The property of being spoonable, as used in this description, means that the product yields a satisfactory value when tested with a standard penetrometer and / or with a standard flow test, as described in further detail. Pourable products have a greater fluidity and they are tested for their flow properties.

The spoonable products of the invention yielded penetrometer values greater than about 3 mm, and when they are also pourable, the products yielded a flow value of about 20 mm.

30 cm / min and greater for the first 15 min after being taken out of the freezer. These values are of great significance when compared to those of standard frozen products currently on the market.

Freezing and melting points of a number of products were determined using a Perkin-Elmer Scanning Calorimeter 1B.

Since this calorimeter is a dynamic measuring instrument, 35 definitions used for static systems were established for this probing system. The measurements were taken under conditions where the temperature was varied at 10 ° C / min. During the Λ: - - 'i 7' J '*' -3- c cooling cycle, the temperature at which the maximum change in heat occurs was defined as the freezing point and vice versa, during the heating cycle, the maximum was defined as the melting point (Smp.) .

The values obtained are not intended for connection with points measured according to other standard methods, but they correspond proportionally to each other according to this system. Thus, the determined freezing point for water was -26 ° C and the melting point was 5.0 ° C.

The products according to the invention have always proved to be very important to deviate from those according to commercial recipes and from water itself; the freezing and melting points had reductions of from 0.8 to more than 55.6 ° C.

The flow properties measuring device was made of stainless steel and consisted essentially of a container measuring 35.6 cm x 30.5 cm with a movable floor part of the same%.

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-4- * Dimensions for vertical and angle adjustment. The floorboard was equipped with a spirit level and protractor, while the leading edge was provided with a wire support to hold the vessel containing the sample.

The following method was used to obtain the flow data: Samples were placed in graduated 600 cm 2 cylinders and frozen at -15.0 ° C for at least 24 hours. The frozen samples were taken from the freezer, immediately placed on the floorboard in a horizontal (0 °) position, and the exiting liquid was collected in graduated cylinders, measuring the volume at intervals. Temperatures were monitored using a Honeywell recorder. The temperatures of the samples in the freezer ranged from -15.6 to -13.9 ° C over a 4 week period, but did not vary more than 0.6 ° C over a period of 8 hours, while the temperature in the freezer varied from -15.0 to -9.4 ° C each time the door was opened. Room temperature varied approx. 1.1 ° C at an average of 22.2 ° C, while the temperature of the samples in the original container rose from 10.6 to 7.8 ° C over the 15 min period. have been removed from the freezer.

The penetrometer test used and the device used are standard. The penetrometer is manufactured by Labline Instrument Co., Inc., Chicago, Illinois. The instrument measures the penetration into the sample from the tip of an ebonite cone weighing 12 g, height 38.1 mm and diameter 38.1 mm at the base.

The inverted cone is carried by a free-sliding position weighing 48 g. For all measurements, the sample was placed in a freezer at -21.7 ° C, then taken out of the freezer and tested immediately.

The products according to the invention have a freeze / thaw storage stability. The products were stored in a supermarket type freezer unit (as briefly referred to as a freezer unit) with a cycle of six per day between refrigeration to freeze the product and heating to thaw the unit. Under these conditions, the products remained acceptable and usable.

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The whipped products were examined as follows. Samples 3 were placed in 3.8 dm containers for 3 0 days at -17.8 ° C, then brought to 4.4 ° C and maintained at this temperature for 2 days. The product was tested and the cycle was repeated. The products withstood at least two such cycles and were thus considered freeze / thaw stable.

The beverage concentrates were judged for their tactile sensing properties, i.e., how they feel in the mouth and phase separation.

To the class of water-soluble non-sugar solids, which - /

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-6- may be added / include certain inorganic salts / used in amounts compatible with the taste of the final product, eg sodium chloride and potassium chloride.

Diols and polyols, propylene glycol, sorbitol, glycerol and the like, which have a different function, namely that of antifungal agent and / or texturizing agent for the soluble solids (or dissolved materials) can be added further.

The relative weight amount of these water-soluble solids with respect to the moisture content of the total product, as they are incorporated into the product during its preparation and prior to packaging, determines the final action of the solids to provide it. required bacteriostatic effect. The content of water-soluble solids can be varied as can the content of the originally absorbed moisture within the aforementioned limits.

However, when varying these levels, the ratio between the water-soluble solids in solution and the water should be adjusted to obtain the desired osmotic pressure.

Foods with a high sugar content tend to brown non-enzymatically. This phenomenon is caused by complex reactions between the amino groups of proteins and the keto groups of sugars and is known as the Maillard reaction. This non-enzymatic browning leads to an undesired darkening of the food as well as undesirable odors and flavors. These reactions can also reduce the nutritional value of the foods. Sugars such as glucose are known to be useful at levels less than sucrose to achieve an equivalent bacteriostatic effect, but they are reducing saccharides subject to the unwanted reactions of the Maillard type. Fructose is even more susceptible to browning. However, this reaction and other oxidative reactions are progressively retarded as the temperature is lowered from room temperature through refrigerator temperatures to freezer temperatures. Because the preparations according to the invention are generally stored at refrigerator temperatures and freezer temperatures, the high contents of glucose and fructose are therefore no problem.

Sugars useful according to the invention include

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The monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides and their degradation products; for example pentoses, including aldopentoses, methyl pentoses, keptopentoses, such as xylose and arabinose; a deoxyaldose such as rhamnose, hexoses and reducing saccharides such as aldohexoses such as glucose, galactose and mannose; the ketohexoses, such as fructose and sorbose; disaccharides, such as lactose and maltose; non-reducing disaccharides such as a saccharode and other polysaccharides such as dextrin and raffinose; and hydrolysed starches containing oligosaccharides as components. For example, commercially available invert sugar mixtures containing glucose and levulose, as well as maltoses and corn syrup solids, are used. The sugars should have a low molecular weight so as to have a large effect on the osmotic pressure of the sugar solution. Top grade alcohols can replace some of the sugars used according to the invention and are therefore covered by this term, i.e. about 0.5 to 5% of the recipes may consist of a polyvalent alcohol such as glycerol and the like.

The nutritional preparations according to the invention may still contain an antifungal agent in an amount sufficient to prevent the growth of yeasts and molds. Sorbate salts, such as, for example, potassium sorbate, as well as sorbic acid can be used individually or in combination. Propylene glycol, which can be used alone or in conjunction with other wetting agents, such as sorbitol, to soften the product can also serve as an antifungal. The amount of the antifungal agent is selected to give the desired results and to be present in a minor amount, about 0.1% or more, depending on the agent chosen and the special product composition, although even smaller amounts of the order of 50 ppm can be used in the case of some antifungals, such as pimarcin. Potassium sorbate dissolved in water can be sprayed on the surface of the food or the food can be dipped in the solution; other antifungals are suitable to be applied to the surface in this manner, e.g. esters vein para-35 legs (p-hydroxybenzoate), such as propyl and methyl paraben (methyl p-hydroxybenzoate). Cellophane and other food wrappers can be spray-coated with a sorbic acid solution, but impregnation or powdering with sorbic acid or potassium A-7-J-7-8 sorbate is preferred. Antifungals which can be commonly used, are benzoic acid, sodium benzoates, propionic acid, sodium and calcium propionate, sorbic acid, potassium and calcium sorbate, propylene glycol, diethyl pyrocarbonate and menadione sodium bisulfite (Vitamin K).

Other ingredients known to those skilled in the art may also be added to impart a characteristic effect of the compositions of the invention. Typical examples of such ingredients are flavoring agents, coloring agents, vitamins, minerals, etc. Suitable flavoring agents can be used to give the product the taste and aroma of vanilla, cream, chocolate, coffee, maple syrup, spices, mint, butter, caramel, fruit or other flavors. and give smells. In addition, certain polyols, such as sorbitol and mannitol, can be used to modify the feel of the product in the mouth. Furthermore, use can be made of other additives, such as phosphates and the like, because of their known functions. Different types of components used are described below.

Highly unsaturated fats are safflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil and sunflower oil. These include fats, 20 having an iodine value of at least about 50, which include the partially hydrogenated fats and the more unsaturated fats having an iodine value greater than about 100. These fats are recommended for dietetic reasons.

The saturated fats include the hydrogenated oil products from coconut, cottonseed, corn, soybeans, ground nuts,

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olives, etc. Fats with a melting point of 32.2 - 34.4 ° C are preferred, i.e. the melting point should be lower due to body temperature.

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The fructose-glucose syrup ("Isosweet") useful according to the invention contains 29% water and 71% sugars (50% glucose, 42% fructose, 1.5% maltose, 1.5% isomaltose and 5% higher saccharides).

A concentrated fructose glucose syrup contains 23.5% water and the 5 residue consists of 55% fructose and 45% glucose. A fructose concentrate is an aqueous syrup with 80% sugar, 90% of which is fructose and the rest is glucose.

The invention is further elucidated by means of the following 2 examples.

Example I

Orange juice and chilled tea concentrates were prepared, which maintained their flux at freezing temperatures and were microbiologically stable. These products have overcome the difficulties of removing solid concentrates from cans and dispersing them in water.

An orange juice concentrate was prepared as follows:

Ingredients Quantity (1) glucose 37.00 (2) fructose glucose syrup 33.00 20 (3) citric acid 0.20 (4) orange oil 0.15 (5) water 29.65 100.00 25 The water (5) was heated to 71.1 ° C and maintained at this temperature while adding glucose (1) with mixing.

The syrup (2), the citric acid (3) and the orange oil (4) were then combined with the resulting mixture with mixing.

The concentrate was placed in a freezer and then examined for its fluidity properties, yielding the following results: no flow after 1 minute: 125 cm 3 3 3 after 3 minutes; 145 cm after 5 min .; 230 cm after 10 min. And 245 cm after 15 min. A known commercial orange juice concentrate ("Awake") was still solid even after 15 min. And had a flow of less dam 1 cm.

If the above recipe was changed by replacing the syrup with an equal amount by weight of glucose, the product after freezing yielded a flow of 0 after 10 min and of 15 cm after 15 min.

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The concentrate of the above recipe yields an orange juice drink when mixed with an equal amount of water.

Example II

A chilled tea concentrate was prepared from the following ingredients:

Ingredients Quantity (1) glucose 37.00 (2) fructose glucose syrup 33.00 10 (3) citric acid 0.03 (4) lemon oil 0.27 (1 drop) (5) tea infusion 29.70 100.00 15 The product was prepared by boiling 325 g of water and allowing the tea (5 sachets of 25 g) to steep for 3-4 min to obtain the tea infusion (5). The tea infusion was brought to 71.1 ° C and the glucose (1) was added. Then the syrup (2), the citric acid (3) and the lemon (4) were added with mixing.

The product was frozen and tested for flow properties to give the following results: 475 3 3 3 cm after 1 min, 500 cm after 3 min and 525 cm after 5 min. A known commercial tea concentrate ("Nestea When reconstituted "), when frozen, yielded a flow of less than 5 cm. After 15 min." If the syrup was replaced with an equal amount of glucose, the syrup would not flow after 15 min. .

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Claims (4)

1. Microbiologically stable food preparation consisting of a mixture of water, sugar and flavoring agent, it being understood that the sugar is present in an amount by weight which is at least equal to the amount by weight of water and the total content of dissolved material is such that the product has a water activity of about 0.8-0.9, characterized in that the preparation is a beverage concentrate, the amount of water is 35-45%, the sugar is present in an amount, about 1, 2- 1.8 times the amount of water, the sugar is 75-100% fructose plus glucose and the fructose content is about 10-30% based on the total sugar content. Preparation according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains a tea extract. 3. A composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains an orange extract or aroma. Preparation according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the sugar component comprises a fructose glucose syrup. 0 V \ t - -