RU2800797C2 - Non-dairy food composition and method of its preparation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: non-dairy food composition.

SUBSTANCE: non-dairy food composition contains particles of an emulsion gel dispersed in a crystalline lipid, the emulsion gel containing a combination of dietary fibre, vegetable protein, lipid and calcium. At the same time, the composition does not contain additives containing modified starches, hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, whitening agents, plasticizers and anti-caking agents. Moreover, the crystallized lipid is present in the dispersed phase in an amount of from 30 to 95 wt%, and the emulsion gel is present in the dispersed phase in an amount of from 5 to 70 wt%. At the same time, the emulsion gel contains from about 0.5 to 30 wt% potato fibres, from about 2 to 15 wt% pea protein isolate, from about 5 to 30 wt% lipid and from about 0.5 to 5 wt% calcium, and the lipid contains sunflower oil with a high content of oleic acid and/or shea butter stearin.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to obtain a composition with a reduced content of unsaturated fats without deteriorating the appearance of the product. The non-dairy food composition is used as an animal fat substitute to mimic the appearance and texture of adipose tissue, as well as to achieve a pleasant mouthfeel and texture in meat analogues.

5 cl, 2 dwg, 3 tbl, 3 ex

Description

Prerequisites for the creation of the invention

There is an increasing trend in the supply of non-dairy products. The single biggest factor driving consumers to choose non-dairy products is the changing perception among millennials who think non-dairy products are better for them. Their perception of health and sustainability (including animal health and environmental impact) is a major motivator for their choice to limit dairy consumption. Nowadays, non-dairy meat alternatives are becoming extremely popular not only among vegans and vegetarians, but also among “non-strict vegetarians” who do not eat plant-based diets regularly due to the negative connotations associated with meat products, especially processed meats, regarding environmental issues and health. Many existing methods produce textured meat replicas that do not mimic the nutritional properties, texture, appearance, taste and/or mouthfeel of real meat products. Thus, these food products are generally unattractive and unpleasant to consumers. In meats and/or processed meats such as ground meats, hamburgers, and sausage meats, the post-cooking fat not only provides mouthfeel through melting and juiciness, but also improves texture characteristics. The fat in meat is elastic in texture, slightly slippery, and has a soft texture after being cooked at elevated temperatures. Currently, vegetable fats and oils are used in the production of meat analogues to ensure their juiciness at serving temperatures; however, these products fail to replicate the appearance and unique texture of adipose tissue.

Document WO 2016/150834 relates to a method for producing a meat analogue food product having the appearance and texture of meat, and also relates to a meat analogue food product obtained using this method. WO 2003/007729 describes an extrusion process for obtaining a retextured food product from a protein source (animal and/or vegetable). The fat content of the product was achieved by mixing the fatty ingredients with lecithins or caseinates together with protein, fibers and starches and with plenty of water before kneading the mixture to form a spreadable food product which is successively subjected to the heating, gelling and shaping steps. However, meat has a carbohydrate content of 0 to 0.5% by weight, and therefore compositions of meat analogs with high amounts of carbohydrates, such as starches, are not perceived to have the same nutritional value as meat. Additional higher amounts of carbohydrates such as starches cause a negative perceived mouthfeel in consumers. In addition, they are perceived as having an unpleasant taste and aroma of cereals. WO 2012/158023 describes an extrusion process for converting vegetable protein compositions such as soy protein into a fibrous meat-like structure. The method describes that the exit temperature during extrusion is above the boiling point of water, and this leads to the formation of an open structure into which an infusion liquid can be introduced to achieve the desired fat content. However, this infusion technology means an additional processing step and consumers may perceive the product as too oily.

There is a strong need for a method for producing a meat analogue food product that has the appearance, texture and taste of meat. Additionally, there is a need to produce a meat analog food product that has the appearance, texture and taste of meat, with the desired amount of oil, fat, or a combination thereof in the resulting composition.

The aim of the present invention is to improve the state of the art and provide better solutions for making a non-dairy, cholesterol-free, low-saturated fat food composition for food compositions, in particular animal fat substitutes for meat analogs, that provide good taste and are made from natural ingredients. In addition, solutions that do not require the use of additives such as gelling agents, thickeners, emulsifiers and thickeners would be advantageous.

Statement of the Invention

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a non-dairy food composition comprising particles of an emulsion gel dispersed in a crystalline lipid; moreover, the emulsion gel contains a combination of dietary fiber; vegetable protein, lipid and calcium; and while the composition does not contain additives. In one embodiment, the crystallized lipid contains saturated fatty acids containing 12-24 carbon atoms, present in an amount of at least 35 wt.% (of total fat content). The crystallized lipid is present in the continuous phase in an amount in the range of 30 to 95% by weight, and the emulsion gel is present in the continuous phase in an amount in the range of 5 to 70% by weight.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to the use of the composition described above for the preparation of meat analogues or aerated food compositions or puff pastry.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for producing a non-dairy composition comprising the following steps:

(a) obtaining particles of an emulsion gel, including the following steps:

(i) dry blending dietary fiber, calcium and vegetable protein at room temperature;

(ii) adding water under shear until a homogeneous mixture is obtained;

(iii) adding lipids to the above mixture and emulsifying under high shear forces;

(iv) adjusting the pH of the emulsion obtained in step (iii) to 4-6, followed by heating the emulsion to a temperature in the range of 80-90°C;

(v) curing the emulsion obtained in step (iv) by cooling to a temperature in the range of 10-25°C to obtain a solid emulsified gel;

(vi) grinding the solid emulsified gel into smaller particles; And

(b) dispersing the crushed emulsion gel obtained in step (a), comprising the following steps:

(vii) adding the molten lipid to the particulate emulsion gel to form a continuous phase;

(viii) stirring the above mixture until the lipid added in step (vii) is partially crystallized so that the mixture can be shaped or optionally aerated;

(ix) keeping the dispersed emulsion gel particles refrigerated at 4-6°C for further hardening.

Brief description of the figures

In FIG. 1a is a schematic representation of emulsion gel particles dispersed in crystallized fat.

In FIG. 1b shows flakes of an emulsion gel matrix dispersed in crystallized fat (Formulation C).

In FIG. 2a shows a uncooked vegan hamburger in which Recipe C cereal (shown in FIG. 1b) is included as a meat fat substitute.

In FIG. 2b shows a cooked vegan burger recipe C.

Detailed description of the invention

The compositions described herein may not contain any element that is not specifically described herein. Thus, a description of an embodiment using the term "comprising" includes a description of embodiments "consisting essentially of", "consisting of", and "comprising" these components. Similarly, the methods described herein may not include any step that is not specifically described herein. Thus, a description of an embodiment using the term "comprising" includes a description of embodiments "consisting essentially of", "consisting of", and "comprising" the steps indicated. Any embodiment described herein may be combined with any other embodiment described herein, unless expressly and explicitly stated otherwise.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms and any abbreviations in this document have the common meaning understood by the average specialist in the field of application of the invention. While any compositions, methods, articles, or other means or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice of the present invention, preferred compositions, methods, articles, or other means or materials are described herein.

The term "wt.%", as used throughout the text of the description, refers to% of the total weight of the final product. Unless otherwise indicated, the final composition included water. The formulations in the examples are illustrative of how a person skilled in the art should understand the term "wt.%".

The terms "food product", "food product" and "food composition" mean a product or composition that is intended for ingestion by an animal, including a human, and provides that animal or human with at least one nutrient. The present description is not limited to a specific animal.

The term "meat analog" is also referred to as meat alternative, meat substitute, fake meat, fake meat, imitation meat, or (where applicable) vegetarian meat or vegan meat. The term "meat analogue" should be understood as a non-meat food product without the use of other animal products such as dairy products. Therefore, animal protein is completely absent. The animal protein is animal meat protein and/or milk protein. A meat analog food product is a composition that is completely free of meat (i.e., skeletal tissue and non-skeletal muscles of mammals, fish, and birds) and organ meats (i.e., unprocessed clean carcass parts of slaughtered mammals, birds, or fish, other than meat). The imitation meat consumer market includes vegetarians, vegans, non-vegetarians seeking to reduce meat consumption for health or ethical reasons, and people who adhere to religious dietary norms.

The term "additive free" refers to compositions free of modified starches, hydrocolloids (e.g., carrageenans, xanthan gum, gellan gum, locust bean gum, alginates, guar gum, karaya gum, gum arabic, konjac gum, agar agar, gelatin ); emulsifiers (eg lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR)); whitening agents (eg titanium dioxide); plasticizers (eg glycerol); anti-caking agents (eg silica).

The term "dietary fiber" refers to a plant ingredient that is not completely digested by enzymes in the human intestinal system. The term may include a fiber-enriched plant fraction derived from vegetables, seeds, fruits, nuts, and legumes. Dietary fibers may include cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, β-glucans, gums, mucylates, and lignin. In one embodiment, the dietary fiber is a potato fiber fraction with a soluble polysaccharide fraction greater than 50%, containing pectins as the main polysaccharide component of the soluble fraction, and may contain residual starch and protein. In one embodiment, the plant source is potato pulp and skin fragments. In one embodiment of the present invention, dietary fiber contains a soluble polysaccharide fraction of more than 50 wt.%, and the soluble polysaccharide fraction contains at least 50 wt.% pectin.

A water-based solution containing 5 wt.% dietary fiber at 20 °C exhibits the following viscoelastic properties:

• shear thinning performance with zero shear rate viscosity above 8 Pa s and

• G' (dynamic modulus) above 65 Pa and G'' (loss modulus) below 25 Pa at 1 Hz.

In one embodiment, dietary fiber at 5 wt% in an aqueous solution at 20° C. exhibits the following viscoelastic properties: 1) shear thinning characteristics with a zero shear viscosity above 8 Pa s and 2) G' (dynamic modulus) above 65 Pa and G'' (loss modulus) below 25 Pa at 1 Hz.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the amount of dietary fiber used in obtaining non-dairy composition is in the range from 0.5 to 30 wt.%. In one embodiment, the dietary fiber is potato fiber present in an amount in the range of 0.5 to 15% by weight.

The term "vegetable protein" includes "vegetable protein isolates" or "vegetable protein concentrates" or a combination thereof and refers to any source of protein from vegetables, seeds, nuts, algae, legumes.

As used herein, the term "vegetable protein concentrate" refers to plant material with a protein content of from about 65 wt.% to less than about 90 wt.% vegetable protein. The vegetable protein concentrate also contains vegetable fibers, typically from about 3.5% to about 20% by weight.

As used herein, the term "vegetable protein isolate" refers to plant material with a protein content of at least about 80 wt.% vegetable protein on a dry matter basis.

Vegetable protein includes a vegetable protein concentrate or vegetable protein isolate, such as pea protein, corn protein (for example, ground corn or corn gluten), wheat protein (for example, ground wheat or wheat gluten, in particular live wheat gluten), potato protein , protein from legumes, in particular soy protein (for example, soy flour, soy concentrate or soy isolate), rice protein (for example, milled rice or rice gluten), barley protein, algae protein, canola protein, or combinations thereof. Preferably the vegetable protein is wheat gluten, more preferably the vegetable protein is a mixture of soy protein and wheat gluten, more preferably the vegetable protein is soy protein.

In one embodiment, the vegetable protein is a pea protein isolate with a protein fraction of at least 50% by weight. In one embodiment, the vegetable protein is a pea protein isolate with a protein fraction of at least 80 wt%.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the amount of pea protein isolate used in the preparation of the non-dairy composition is in the range of 2 to 15% by weight.

The term "lipid" refers to oil, fat, and combinations of oil and fat, in particular triglycerides. The term "lipid" also includes oils derived from vegetables, seeds, nuts, and algae. In a preferred embodiment, the oil is selected from the group consisting of sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, olive oil, moringa oil, algal oil, safflower oil, corn oil, rice bran oil, sesame oils, hazelnut oils, avocado oils, almond oils, walnut oils, or combinations thereof, including high oleic acid variants of the above oils. In one embodiment, the lipid is a high oleic vegetable oil containing at least 65 wt% monounsaturated fatty acid and less than 10 wt% polyunsaturated fatty acid and exhibits a solid fat content of less than 5 wt%. at 0°C, with an unsaturated fatty acid containing 18 C atoms or more than 18 C atoms. The term "lipid" can also refer to hard fats with a saturated fatty acid content of more than 20 wt.%, for example, stearin fractions and middle fractions of palm (as fruits , and kernels), shea, cocoa, coconut, cottonseed, moringa and seaweed. In one embodiment, the solid fat may be the stearic fraction of shea butter.

The term "crystallized lipid" refers to an oil or fat, or combinations thereof, such that the solid fat content at 20° C. is greater than 20% by weight. In one embodiment of the present invention, the crystallized lipid is shea butter stearin present in an amount of at least 50% by weight in the continuous phase.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the amount of lipid used in the preparation of the emulsion gel for the non-dairy composition is in the range of 5 to 30% by weight.

The term "calcium" refers to calcium salts such as calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, calcium phosphate, calcium glycerophosphate, and the like. and their mixtures. In one embodiment, the calcium is a calcium phosphate salt. The amount of calcium is in the range from 0.5 to 5 wt.%, which is used to obtain an emulsion gel.

The term "citrus fruit juice concentrate" includes lemon juice, grapefruit, orange, berries, lime, and combinations thereof. The term also includes the purified form. In one embodiment, "citrus fruit juice concentrate" is concentrated juice from citrus fruits selected from the group consisting of lemon, grapefruit, orange, lime, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the citrus fruit juice concentrate is lime juice in the range of 0 to 5% by weight, which is used to form an emulsion gel.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the emulsion gel contains from 0.5 to 30 wt.% dietary fiber, from 2 to 15 wt.% vegetable protein and from 5 to 30 wt.% lipid; moreover, the emulsion gel does not include additives containing modified starches, hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, creaming agents, plasticizers and anti-caking agents. In another embodiment, the composition described herein contains dietary fiber having at least 50 wt.% soluble polysaccharide fraction based on total dietary fiber. In another embodiment, this soluble fraction is pectin.

In one embodiment, the non-dairy composition is used to make meat analogs. For example, in FIG. 2A shows the inclusion of such a non-dairy composition in a burger patty. In one embodiment, the non-dairy composition is used to prepare aerated food compositions by a process comprising the steps of preparing an emulsion gel particle, comprising the steps of: mixing dietary fiber and vegetable protein at room temperature; adding water under shear until a homogeneous mixture is obtained; adding lipids to the above mixture and emulsifying under high shear forces; bringing the pH level of the emulsion obtained in the above stage to a value of 4–6, followed by heating the emulsion to a temperature in the range of 80–90°C; curing the emulsion obtained in the above step by cooling to a temperature in the range of 10-25°C to obtain a solid emulsified gel; grinding the solid emulsified gel into smaller fragments; and dispersing the crushed emulsion gel obtained in step (a), comprising the following steps: adding molten lipid to form a dispersed phase; stirring the above mixture until the lipid added in step (vii) is partially crystallized so that the mixture can be aerated to obtain an aerated product. In one embodiment, aeration is achieved by whipping, with the crystallized lipid stabilizing the air bubbles.

In another embodiment, the non-dairy composition is used to make puff pastry by incorporating the non-dairy composition in layers between the dough layers, followed by baking the puff pastry.

Examples

Example 1a. Getting particles of emulsion gel

The following emulsion gels (Formulation A and Formulation B) were prepared using a double-jacketed Stephan lab mixer equipped with a cutting blade as described in Table 1. First, the powder ingredients were weighed and dry-blended. Then, water was slowly added to the powder mixtures and mixed at high shear forces (in the sample T = 20°C / t = 5–10 min) in a Stephan mixer. High oleic acid (HOSO) sunflower oil was then added at low shear (in the sample T = 20°C / t = 10–15 min) to obtain an emulsion gel structure in which the dispersed HOSO droplets were stabilized within a fiber-protein network . Then the samples were heated (in the sample T = 85°C), mixing at high shear forces, until a uniform texture was achieved. Finally, the emulsions were cooled to a temperature of 10–25°C, which resulted in the formation of an emulsion gel matrix.

Table 1

Ingredients Formulation A (wt%) Formulation B (wt%) Sunflower oil with a high content of oleic acid 18 15 potato fiber 13 9 Pea Protein Isolate 4 3 calcium phosphate 3 2 Salt 1 1 Water 61 70 total 100 100

Example 1b. Dispersion of emulsion gel particles in lipids

Table 2 shows the composition of emulsion gel particles dispersed with various levels of fat (formulation C and formulation D). First, the emulsion gel described in Example 1a was crushed in a Stephan mixer using a cutting blade to obtain smaller fragments. Then, an additional amount of melted fat, shea butter stearin was added with a uniform dispersion of the gel particles under high shear mixing until the fat dispersion partially crystallized. Finally, the dispersed gel particles were shaped into the desired shape and stored refrigerated (4–6°C, preferably overnight) for further solidification. In FIG. 1a is a schematic representation of an emulsion gel matrix dispersed in crystallized fat. After hardening, the samples were cut into smaller flakes for further use (Fig. 1B).

table 2

Ingredients Formulation C (wt%) Formulation D (wt%) Illexao HS90 51 thirty Recipe A 49 — Recipe B — 70 total 100 100 Total Fat 60 41 NLC 32.5 19.5

Example 2: Making Vegan Burgers

Table 3 shows a vegan burger recipe containing coconut fat flakes (formulation E) and fat-dispersed emulsion gel flakes (formulation F). A vegan burger containing coconut fat flakes was used as a comparative example. Flakes of a fat-dispersed emulsion gel were prepared as described in the previous example (Formulation C). The vegan burger recipe F of the present invention contained approximately 62% less SFA than recipe E.

For burger patties, the textured soy protein fragments were first hydrated with water, and then the dried ingredients (ie, methylcellulose, salt, flavor, color powder) were added and blended until smooth. Coconut fat flakes and fat-dispersed emulsion gel flakes were then added to the rest of the ingredients, and patties were formed. For Formulation E, the temperature of the burger mix was kept at about 15°C so that the coconut fat flakes would not melt during cooking. The patties were chilled overnight, then cooked for 12 minutes (both sides inclusive) in a hot pan. In FIG. 2a and 2b show a raw and cooked vegan burger recipe F containing fat-dispersed emulsion gel flakes, respectively. Both patties made with recipes E and F were comparable in appearance, however the burger patty recipe F was reduced in fat and SFA.

Table 3

Ingredients Formulation E (wt%) Formulation F (wt%) Water 62.3 62.3 textured soy protein 23.3 23.3 Natural Powder Color 0.3 0.3 Powder flavoring additive 0.4 0.4 Salt 0.8 0.8 Methylcellulose 1.9 1.9 Maltodextrin 2.0 2.0 canola oil 3.0 3.0 Coconut fat flakes 6.0 — Fat-Dispersed Emulsion Gel Flakes (Formulation C) — 6.0 total 100 100 Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) ~ 5.8* ~ 2.2

* The SFA content of the coconut fat flakes used in this example was 94g/100g fat

Claims (5)

1. Non-dairy food composition containing particles of an emulsion gel dispersed in a crystallized lipid; moreover, the emulsion gel contains a combination of dietary fiber; vegetable protein, lipid and calcium; and the composition does not contain additives containing modified starches, hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, creaming agents, plasticizers and anti-caking agents, while the crystallized lipid is present in the dispersed phase in an amount in the range from 30 to 95 wt.%, and the emulsion gel is present in the dispersed phase in an amount in the range from 5 to 70 wt.%, and moreover, the emulsion gel contains from about 0.5 to 30 wt.% potato fibers, from about 2 to 15 wt.% pea protein isolate, from about 5 to 30 wt.% lipid and from about 0.5 to 5 wt.% calcium, and the lipid contains sunflower oil with a high content of oleic acid and/or shea butter stearin. 2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the dietary fiber at 5 wt% in aqueous solution at 20° C. exhibits the following viscoelastic properties: 1) shear thinning characteristics with a zero shear viscosity above 8 Pa.s and 2) G' (dynamic modulus of elasticity) above 65 Pa and G'' (loss modulus) below 25 Pa at a frequency of 1 Hz. 3. The composition according to claim 2, in which the dietary fiber contains a soluble polysaccharide fraction of more than 50 wt.% of the total amount of dietary fiber, and the amount is in the range from 0.5 to 15 wt.%. 4. The composition according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, additionally containing a citrus fruit juice concentrate. 5. The composition according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4, additionally containing spices, herbs, dried vegetables, fruits, flavoring salts and sugars.