WO1996000509A1

WO1996000509A1 - Polydextrose and food additive mixture

Info

Publication number: WO1996000509A1
Application number: PCT/IB1995/000376
Authority: WO
Inventors: James M. Anderson; Stuart A. S. Craig; Christopher A. Macri
Original assignee: Cultor Ltd.
Priority date: 1994-06-29
Filing date: 1995-05-18
Publication date: 1996-01-11
Also published as: TW279790B; ZA955345B; CA2200196A1; IL114269A0; EP0771152A1; CN1167427A; AU2350895A

Abstract

A mixture of polydextrose and a food additive is claimed, the said mixture comprising: a solid, highly homogeneous, micro dispersed mixture comprising 70 to 99.99 % polydextrose and 0.01 to 30 % of a food additive capable of significantly improving the moisture absorption and mouthfeel characteristics of polydextrose, wherein said food additive is a polysaccharide, protein, hydrolyzed protein, alkali metal bicarbonate, water-soluble emulsifier, water-disbursable emulsifier or shellac. A method to produce such a mixture is to co-evaporate from water or alcohol the composition described.

Description

POLYDEXTROSE AND FOOD ADDITIVE MIXTURE Background of the Invention This invention relates to polydextrose, particularly to mixtures of polydextrose and food additives, methods of making such mixtures and food compositions containing such mixtures.

Polydextrose is a low-calorie food ingredient typically used as a bulking agent to replace higher caloric food ingredients (e.g., sugars, fats) in food compositions. In general, polydextrose is a randomly bonded condensation polymer of dextrose and polycarboxylic acids (e.g., citric acid). There are a variety of polydextroses and these different polydextrose modifications can have different properties as food additives. Some of these polydextroses are described in commonly assigned U.S. patents 3,766,165; 3,876,794; 4,622,233; 4,948,596 and 4,956,458 the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, commonly assigned U.S. application serial no. 07/957,648 teaches fat-coated polydextrose the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Finally, European Patent Application EPO380248 teaches a modified polydextrose having from 0.1 to 0.3 mol% of bound citric acid and a method of preparation of the modified polydextrose, European Patent Application EP0473333 teaches a modified polydextrose having less than 0.01 mol% of bound citric acid and a method of preparation of the modified polydextrose and published PCT/US92/00017 application discloses polydextrose having substantially no "reducing end groups".

The use of polydextrose has been disclosed in various food products in EPO Patent Publication No. 0438912 and U.S. Patents no. 4,802,924, 4,528,206 and 5,009,900. Also, PCT/US91/09631 discloses the use of polydextrose co-formulated with other ingredients to improve the taste and texture of polydextrose as a chewing gum additive. In PCT/US91/09631 the co-drying of polydextrose and sugars or alditols to produce a chewing gum additive is described. Co-drying is described as "methods of co-crystallization and co-precipitation of polydextrose with other sugars and alditols, as well as co-drying by encapsulation, agglomeration, and absorption with other sugars and alditols". Particular examples include co-dried Litesse^® (a variety of polydextrose) and sucrose in a 1 :1 ratio (i.e., Ex.67) and a dried and ground melt of dextrose and Litesse^® in a 1 :1 ratio (i.e., Ex. 78). .

-2-

Although there already exists a variety of polydextroses and food compositions containing polydextrose there is a continuing search in the field of polydextrose for methods of improving the taste and texture of polydextrose used as a food additive.

Summary of the Invention This invention is directed to a solid, highly homogeneous, micro-dispersed mixture of polydextrose and a food additive having significantly improved moisture absorption and mouthfeel characteristics. Significantly improved moisture absorption characteristics is defined as a 20% increase in moisture absorption according to a test described herein. The food additive is a polysaccharide, protein, hydrolyzed protein, alkali metal bicarbonate, water-soluble emulsifier, water disbursable emulsifier, or shellac. This polydextrose mixture may be prepared by co-evaporation.

Another aspect of this invention is a mixture of polydextrose and certain food additives that modify the moisture absorption of polydextrose resulting in improved handling, food formulation, and mouthfeel characteristics of polydextrose. The mixture is a solid, highly homogeneous, micro-dispersed mixture comprising about 70% to about 99.99% polydextrose and about 0.01% to about 30% xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, tamarind seed gum, gellan gum, gum ghatti, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, gelatin, hydrolyzed collagen, egg white, alkali metal caseinate, whey protein, soy protein, zein, shellac, alkali metal bicarbonate, lecithin or DATEM. Preferably the mixture is co-evaporated from water and particularly preferred food additives are xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, calfskin gelatin, porcine gelatin or sodium bicarbonate.

Another aspect of this invention is a method for producing the above described polydextrose mixture by co-evaporating polydextrose and the desired food additive from water or ethanol.

Yet another aspect of this invention is a foodstuff including the above described polydextrose mixture.

The term DATEM as used herein is defined as diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides. This invention makes a significant contribution to the field of polydextrose technology by providing mixtures of polydextrose and certain food additives that approximate a molecular level mixture resulting in improved characteristics of polydextrose (e.g., mouthfeel and moisture absorption characteristics). Other features and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claims which describe the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention Any polydextrose that in combination with the below described additives provides the advantages (e.g., mouthfeel and moisture absorption characteristics) described herein may be used in this invention and it is intended that all such forms are within the scope of the term polydextrose as used herein. As described in the Background Art section there are a variety of polydextrose forms. Generally, polydextrose comprises highly branched polymeric chains of dextrose wherein the linkage 1 to 6 predominates, and having a number average molecular weight between about 1 ,500 and 18,000.

Polydextrose is prepared by polymerizing dextrose, optionally with added polyols, in the presence of polycarboxylic acids according to methods earlier disclosed by Rennhard in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,766,165 and 3,876,794. In particular, polydextrose may be made by anhydrous melt polymerization using edible acids (e.g., mineral acids, carboxylic acids, polycarboxylic acids, citric acid) as catalysts and if desired, polyols (e.g., sorbitol) as chain terminating agents. Preferably the polydextrose starting material of this invention is made by melting dextrose containing about 0.5 to 3 mol percent of citric acid and about 5% to about 15% sorbitol at a temperature below its decomposition point, maintaining said molten mixture at a temperature of about 140°C to about 295° C and at a reduced pressure in the substantial absence of water until substantial polymerization occurs and simultaneously removing water formed during said polymerization.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that dextrose suitable as raw materials can be obtained from a variety of sources, including, for example, acid or enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of naturally-occurring glucose polymers. Thus, for example, dextrose can be obtained by hydrolysis of cellulose or starch. It will be further apparent that unpurified preparations such as starch hydrolyzates, if they contain high levels of dextrose, will be suitable as raw materials. In general, polydextrose is available from Pfizer Inc. New York, New York. The original polydextrose was called polydextrose A. Polydextrose K is similar to polydextrose A except that potassium carbonate was used to neutralize citric acid resulting in improved taste. A further version of polydextrose, known as Litesse^® brand polydextrose is also available from Pfizer Inc. In Litesse^® the amount of bound citric acid is significantly reduced resulting in improved taste.

Any food additive that in combination with the above described polydextrose provides the advantages (e.g., mouthfeel and moisture absorption characteristics) described herein may be used in this invention. Typically, food ingredients that have shown utility in improving the mouthfeel characteristics of polydextrose according to this invention fall into three general groups: polymeric ingredients such as polysaccharides and proteins, alkali metal bicarbonates, and water soluble/disbursable emulsifiers.

In general, many polysaccharides can be employed in the manner described herein, however, the level of mouthfeel improvement varies with the physical properties and concentration of the polysaccharide employed. It has been found for example that polysaccharides that tend to form tender, more elastic gels in water solution are more effective at improving mouthfeel characteristics than polysaccharides that form brittle gels. Additionally, mouthfeel improvement can vary in effectiveness based on the physical properties and concentration of the protein used (such as gelatin). For example, the bloom number (a correlation with the average molecular weight) of a gelatin or hydrolyzed collagen can have a significant effect on the mouthfeel properties when blended with polydextrose as exemplified herein. While not intending to be bound by theory, it is believed the addition of alkali metal bicarbonates may serve two purposes when employed according to this invention: neutralization of trace acidity and reaction in the mouth to increase the overall solubility of the polydextrose blend.

While not intending to be bound by theory, it is believed the use of water soluble/disbursable emulsifiers such as lecithin or DATEM may serve to improve the incorporation of saliva into the polydextrose solid blend.

Generally, high molecular weight carbohydrates (although there are some exceptions such as cellulose, agar and sodium alginate) such as xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, tamarind seed gum, gum ghatti, gum karaya, gum tragacanth and gellan gum are food additives that may be used in this invention.

A variety of water soluble proteins may also be used in this invention such as gelatins (e.g., calfskin, porcine, hydrolyzed collagen), egg white, sodium caseinate, whey protein, and soy protein. Alcohol and alcohol/water soluble proteins such as zein, or resins such as shellac may also be used in this invention.

In addition, a variety of other additives may also be used in this invention such as sodium bicarbonate, lecithin and DATEM. The mixtures of this invention comprise about 70% (by weight of the mixture) to about 99.99% of polydextrose and about 0.01% to about 30% of a food additive described above. The mixtures of this invention also include two or more of the above- described food additives in conjunction with polydextrose. It is preferred that about 0.1% to about 2% of xanthan gum additive is used in combination with about 98% to about 99.9% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 0.1 % to about 2% of guar gum additive is used in combination with about 98% to about 99.9% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 0.1% to about 5% of carrageenan additive is used in combination with about 95% to about 99.9% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 0.1% to about 1.5% of locust bean gum additive is used in combination with about 98.5% to about 99.9% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 0.5% to about 2% of tamarind seed gum additive is used in combination with about 98% to about 99.5% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 0.01 % to about 2.0% of gellan gum additive is used in combination with about 98% to about 99.99% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 0.1 % to about 2% of gum ghatti, gum karaya or gum tragacanth additive is used in combination with about 98% to about 99.9% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 1 % to about 30%, and most preferably about 5% to about 20%, of calfskin gelatin additive (having a bloom from about 150 to about 250) is used in combination with about 70% to about 99% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 1.0% to about 30%, and most preferably about 6% to about 15%, of porcine gelatin additive (having a bloom from about 100 to about 150) is used in combination with about 70% to about 99% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 1.0% to about 30%, and most preferably about 6% to about 15%, of hydrolyzed collagen additive is used in combination with about 70% to about 99% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 1.0% to about 10% of egg white additive is used in combination with about 90% to about 99% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 1 % to about 10% of sodium caseinate additive is used in combination with about 90% to about 99% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 5% to about 15% of whey protein additive is used in combination with about 85% to about 95% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 2% to about 15% of soy protein additive is used in combination with about 85% to about 98% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 5% to about 20% of shellac additive is used in combination with about 80% to about 95% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 2.5% to about 20% of zein additive is used in combination with about 80% to about 97.5% of polydextrose.

It is preferred that about 0.1% to about 5% of sodium bicarbonate additive is used in combination with about 95% to about 99.9% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 0.1% to about 1.5% of lecithin additive is used in combination with about 98.5% to about 99.9% of polydextrose. It is preferred that about 0.1% to about 1.5% of DATEM additive is used in combination with about 98.5% to about 99.9% of polydextrose.

Significantly, the mixtures of this invention are solid, highly homogenous, intimate, micro-dispersed mixtures. As such, they are differentiated from mere dry blends of the components in that they approximate molecular-level mixtures. By a molecular-level mixture is meant a mixture wherein the different components are substantially uniformly intermixed at the molecular level such as would occur from the drying of non-crystallizable components from a solution (e.g., formation of a glass). It is believed that some mixtures, particularly those with components that do not crystallize, may be uniformly intermixed at the molecular level, however it is also believed that some mixtures may have molecular level areas of segregation, particularly those mixtures that have components that crystallize. However such mixtures are still differentiated from mixtures obtained by simple dry mixing.

In addition, the mixtures of this invention have significantly improved moisture absorption characteristics. By "significantly improved moisture absorption characteristics" is meant at least a 20% increase in moisture absorption when held for 24 hours under the test conditions defined in Example 2 herein.

The polydextrose mixtures of this invention may be prepared by any method that provides the mixtures described above. For example, the polydextrose and food additive(s) may be dissolved in a suitable solvent and then dried.

Typically, water is used as the solvent (since food additives are being prepared) however there are other solvents such as ethanol, ethylene glycol or glycerol that may also be used. Preferably the polydextrose and food additive(s) are dissolved in water typically about 10 to about 70% by weight of the total mixture, by vigorous mixing, with optional heating, typically for about 10 to about 30 minutes at 25 to 50° C, for sufficient time to achieve the desired mixtures of this invention (following drying) and then dried by, for example, rotary evaporation, lyophilization, drum drying or simple evaporation. In the case of sparingly water soluble food ingredients such as zein or shellac, ethyl alcohol may comprise 50-70% of the solvent phase. If necessary, following drying the mixture may be ground to the desired particle size. Typically it is preferred to dry the mixture at a temperature of about 50° C to about 100°C. The benefits of the mixtures of this invention may be determined by their percent moisture gained at 75 percent humidity compared to a control. The following TABLE 1 demonstrates the advantages of exemplary mixtures of this invention in comparison to a polydextrose control. TABLE 1

% MOISTURE GAINED AT 75% HUMIDITY

Time 1% Locust 6% 225 .5% Litesse (min.) Bean Gum Bloom Gelatin Carrageenan ®

Control

0 0 0 0 0

10 -0.67 0.85 1.64 -0.34

20 0.57 0.49 0.79 0.57

40 1.14 1.02 1.23 0.93

60 1.52 1.52 1.69 1.34

90 2.32 2.29 2.52 1.98

120 3.09 3.24 2.94 2.41

240 5.21 5.7 4.87 4.02

360 5.89 6.23 5.75 4.04

1380 7.76 8.34 7.45 5.54

The homogeneous polydextrose mixtures of this invention are particularly adapted for use as low caloric food bulking additives. They may be used in a variety of foodstuffs, for example as confections, baked goods, frostings and fillings. In addition, they are particularly useful in combination with sweetening agents as dry low calorie sweetener compositions. Preferred sweetening agents include alitame, aspartame, acesulfame and saccharin. In either the foodstuffs or sweetener compositions any amount of the polydextrose mixtures of this invention may be used that provides the desired food properties such as texture, sweetness, caloric level etc. The mixtures of this invention can be generally used in the same applications where polydextrose alone can be used. Applications requiring the use of dry polydextrose can especially benefit from the use of the polydextrose described herein. These applications include but are not limited to those where powdered or granular sugar is be wholly or partially replaced with dry polydextrose such as in chocolate, frostings, and fillings. In such applications, where it is intended to replace granular sugar with polydextrose to obtain a caloric reduction, the use of the mixtures of this invention serve to improve the mouthfeel properties (e.g., dissolution, moisture absorption) of the food over examples were polydextrose-alone is used as the sugar substitute. One example would be the replacement of powdered sucrose to obtain caloric reduction in a vanilla creme cookie filling (^"35 wt.% typical sucrose replacement). Replacement of this much powdered sucrose with polydextrose alone would result in a filling that is perceptibly slower to dissolve and tackier in the mouth than equal replacement with the molecular-level blends of this invention.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments shown and described herein, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this novel concept as defined by the following claims.

TABLE 2

MATERIALS USED IN EXAMPLES

Ingredient Brand Name Company Location

Pectin Genu Hercules Middletown, NY

Gelatin Calfskin Hormel Austin, MN

Dried Egg Whites Henningsen White Plains, NY

Sodium Caseinate Amco American Casein Company Burlington, NJ

Whey Protein Calpro 75 Calpro Ingredients Corona, CA

Soy Protein Supro 620 Protein Technologies International Zwaanhofweg, Belgium

10 Maltodextrin Maltrin M040 Grain Processing Corporation Muscataine, IA

I

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Xylitol Xylitab American Xyrofin Inc Schaumbury, IL I

Emulsifier Centromix Central Soya Fort Wayne, IN

Emulsifier Panodan Grindsted Industrial Airport, KS

Xanthan gum lnsta*Thick Zumbro/IFP, Inc Hayfield, MN

15 Gellan gum KelcoGel Keico Division of Merck & Co. Inc Rahway, NJ

Sodium Alginate Keltone HV Keico Division of Merck & Co. Inc Rahway, NJ

Hydroxypropyl cellulose Klucel Aqualon Wilmington, DE

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Methocel Dow Chemical Midland, Ml

Agar Purified grade Fisher Scientific Company Fairlawn, NJ

20 Konjac Flour Nutricol Marine Colloids Inc - division of Philadelphia, PA FMC Corporation

TABLE 2 (Cont'd)

MATERIALS USED IN EXAMPLES

Ingredient Brand Name Company Location

Carageenan Gelcarin GP 359 Marine Colloids Inc - division of Philadelphia, PA FMC Corporation

Carageenan Seakem CM 514 Marine Colloids Inc - division of Philadelphia, PA FMC Corporation

Gum Karaya Karaya B TIC Gums, Inc. Belcamp, MD

Gum Ghatti Ghatti #1 Powder TIC Gums, Inc. Belcamp, MD

Tragacanth gum Tragacanth C TIC Gums, Inc. Belcamp, MD

Locust Bean gum TIC Gums, Inc. Belcamp, MD o

10 Guar gum Cosmedia Guar Henkel Corp. LaGrange, IL I

Sucrose 10-X Domino Sugar Corporation New York, NY

Tamarind seed gum Food Maid TA Shikibo Ltd. Japan

Microcrystalline cellulose Avicel FMC Corporation Philadelphia, PA

Sodium Bicarbonate Fisher Scientific Company Fairlawn, NJ

15

Example 1

A. Six grams of calfskin gelatin (Hormel, 225 bloom) was dissolved in 250 ml warm water (deionized) with stirring. Ninety four grams of polydextrose (Pfizer Litesse^®) was then slowly added with vigorous stirring to the gelatin solution. The mixture was maintained at 40°C with stirring until the Litesse^® completely dissolved. The resultant solution was then rotary evaporated to remove all but residual moisture (i.e., 97-99% water removal). The light yellow solid (Litesse^® gelatin mixture) was then milled to a powder of less than 300 microns diameter.

B. In a comparative example, the above procedures were substantially repeated except that one hundred grams of Litesse^® was substituted for the gelatin and Litesse^® of Example 1A.

EXAMPLE 2 A comparative moisture gain experiment was carried out on the materials described in Examples 1A and 1 B. In this experiment, 10 five gram samples of the materials described in Example 1A and 1 B were weighed into separate cups (20 cups total). The sample cups were then placed into a nominal 75% relative humidity controlled humidity chamber maintained at 31 °C (dry bulb temperature) and 26-27° C (wet bulb temperature). Sample cups (one each from Example 1A and 1 B) were withdrawn from the humidity chamber at predetermined time intervals, capped to prevent further moisture variation, and weighed to determine moisture gain. Percent moisture pickup is tabulated versus time in the humidity chamber (see TABLE 1 above). As can be seen from TABLE 1 , the addition of gelatin to Litesse^® (Example 1A) has served to increase the rate of moisture pickup with time as compared to the Litesse^® control (Example 1B). EXAMPLE 3

A comparative sensory evaluation was carried out on the materials prepared in Example 1A and 1 B. In this test, one to two gram samples of the powders were separately placed in the mouth and the sensory properties and rate of their dissolution were compared. The oral dissolution of the Litesse^® control (Example 1 B) was conspicuous by a significant level of tackification, gumminess, and tooth compaction (i.e., adherence to the indentations of the molars) during the early stages of dissolution. The Litesse^® control eventually completely dissolved. In contrast, when placed into the mouth, the gelatin-Litesse^® sample (Example

1A) dissolved significantly more rapidly (mostly on the tongue) and did not form a substantially tacky mass, thus largely reducing the level of observed tooth compaction.

Complete dissolution of the sample of Example 1A occurred perceptibly faster than the Litesse^® control sample.

EXAMPLE 4 The procedures of Example 1 A were substantially repeated except that X grams of 225 bloom calfskin gelatin (Hormel) and Y grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried (refer to following table). Example X (Gelatin in grams) Y (Litesse^® in grams)

4A 8.0 92.0

4B 10.0 90.0

4C 12.5 87.5

4D 20.0 80.0 The resulting gelatin-Litesse^® products (4A through 4C) exhibited increased rates of moisture pickup (when tested as in Example 2). Additionally, the products 4A through 4D exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 5 The procedures of Example 1 A were substantially repeated except that X grams of 200 bloom calfskin gelatin (Hormel) and Y grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried (refer to following table).

Example X (Gelatin in grams) Y (Litesse^® in grams)

5A 6.0 94.0 5B 12.5 87.5

5C 20.0 80.0

The products 5A through 5C exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 6 The procedures of Example 1 A were substantially repeated except that X grams of 250 bloom calfskin gelatin (Hormel) and Y grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried (refer to following table). Example X (Gelatin in grams) Y (Litesse^® in grams)

6A 6.0 94.0

6B 12.5 87.5

6C 20.0 80.0 One resulting gelatin-Litesse^® product (Example 6C) exhibited increased rate of moisture pickup (when tested as in Example 2). Additionally, the products 6A through 60 exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 7 The procedures of Example 1 A were substantially repeated except that X grams of food protein Y, and Z grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried (refer to following table). Example X (Grams protein) Y (Protein) Z (Litesse^® in grams)

7A 5.0 Egg white solids (Henningsen) 95.0

7B 5.0 Sodium caseinate (Amco) 95.0

70 10.0 Whey protein (Calpro 75) 90.0

7D 10.0 Soy protein (Supro 620) 90.0

The egg white solids-Litesse^® product (Example 7A) exhibited an increased rate of moisture pickup (when tested as in Example 2). The products 7A through 7D exhibited slightly improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 8 The procedures of Example 1 A were substantially repeated except that X grams of carbohydrate Y, and Z grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried (refer to following table).

Example X (Grams carbohy.) Y (Carbohydrate) Z (Litesse^® in grams)

8A 20.0 Maltodextrin (Maltrin) 80.0

8B 10.0 Xylitol (Xylitab) 90.0

The products 8A and 8B exhibited neither improvement in solubility or decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 9 The procedures of Example 1 A were substantially repeated except that X grams of emulsifier Y and Z grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried (refer to following table). Example X (Grams emulsif.) Y (Emulsifier) Z (Litesse^® in grams)

9A 1.0 Centromix (lecithin, Central Soya) 99.0

9B 1.0 Panodan (Grindsted) 99.0

The products 9A and 9B exhibited slightly improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 10 One gram of food-grade xanthan (lnsta*thick, Zumbro/IFP Inc.) was dried- blended with ninety nine grams of polydextrose (Pfizer Litesse^®) and then slowly added with vigorous stirring to 250 ml of warm deionized water. The mixture was maintained at 40° C with stirring until the solids completely dissolved. The resultant solution was then rotary evaporated to remove all but residual moisture (i.e., 97-99% water removal). The light yellow solid (xanthan-Litesse^®) was then milled to a powder of less than 300 microns diameter.

The resulting xanthan-Litesse^® product exhibited an increased rate of moisture pickup (when tested as in Example 2). Additionally, the product exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 11 The procedures of Example 10 were substantially repeated except that X grams of food-grade xanthan (lnsta*thick, Zumbro/IFP Inc.) and Y grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried (refer to following table).

Example X (Xanthan in grams) Y (Litesse^® in grams)

11A 0.5 99.5

11 B 1.5 98.5 The resulting xanthan-infused Litesse^® products (11 A and 11b) exhibited increased rates of moisture pickup (when tested as in Example 2). Additionally, the products 11A and 11 B exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 12 The procedures of Example 10 were substantially repeated except that X grams of food-grade carrageenan (Gelcarin GP 359, Marine Colloids Inc.) and Y grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried (refer to following table). xamp >le X (Carrageenan in grams) Y (Litesse^® in grams)

12A 0.5 99.5

12B 1.0 99.0

12C 1.5 98.5

12D 2.0 98.0

One resulting carrageenan-Litesse^® products (12A) exhibited an increased rate of moisture pickup (when tested as in EExample 2). Additionally, the products 12A through 12D exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3). EXAMPLE 13

The procedures of Example 10 were substantially repeated except that one gram of food-grade locust bean gum (TIC Gums) and ninety nine grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried.

The resulting locust bean gum-Litesse^® product exhibited an increased rate of moisture pickup (when tested as in Example 2). Additionally, this product exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 14 The procedures of Example 10 were substantially repeated except that one gram of guar gum (Henkel Corp.) and ninety nine grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried.

The resulting guar gum-Litesse^® product exhibited an increased rate of moisture pickup (when tested as in Example 2). Additionally, this product exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 15 The procedures of Example 10 were substantially repeated except that 1.5 grams of tamarind seed gum (FoodMaid TA, Shikibo Ltd, Japan) and 98.5 grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried. This product exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 16 Litesse^® is infused with multiple biopolymers by substantially repeating Example 1A except that more than one biopolymer was dissolved in deionized water, followed by addition and dissolution of Litesse^® and subsequent drying and milling (xanthan and carrageenan were dried blended with the Litesse^® prior to addition to water). The following TABLE 3 summarizes representative multiple biopolymer-Litesse^® examples.

in The resulting products (16A through 16G) exhibited improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 17 The procedure of Example 10 was substantially repeated except that 1.0 g of gellan gum (Keico Division, Merck, Rahway, NJ) and 99.0 g of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried.

The resulting gellan gum-Litesse^® exhibited somewhat improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 18 The procedure of Example 10 was substantially repeated except that 0.1 g of gellan gum and 99.9 g of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried. The resulting gellan gum-Litesse^® exhibited somewhat improved solubility and decreased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 19 The procedure of Example 10 was substantially repeated except that X grams of food-grade polysaccharide Y and Z grams of Litesse^® were dissolved in deionized water and then dried (refer to following table).

Example X (in grams) Y (Polysaccharide) Z (Litesse^® in grams)

19A 0.6 Sodium alginate 99.4 1 199BB 0 0..11 Hydroxypropyl cellulose 99.9

190 0.1 Hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose 99.9

19D 1.0 Agar 99.0

19E 1.0 Konjac flour 99.0

The products 19A through 19E exhibited poorer solubility and increased tackiness when dissolved in the mouth as compared to Example 1A and 1 B (when tested as in Example 3).

EXAMPLE 20 In a comparative example, 12.5 g of powdered 225 bloom calfskin gelatin was thoroughly dry blended with 87.5 g of powdered Litesse^®. The mouthfeel properties of this dry blend was compared to the coevaporated blend of Example 4C (tested as in Example 3). The mouthfeel properties of this dry blended sample as prepared in this example were inferior to the corresponding co-evaporated sample (4C). -19-

EXAMPLE 21 In a comparative example, a portion of the gelatin/Litesse^® dry blend of Example 20 was milled to a particle size of less than 75 microns diameter. The mouthfeel properties of this milled blend were compared to the co-evaporated blend of Example 40 and the dry blend of Example 20 (tested as in Example 3). The mouthfeel properties of the milled dry blended sample as prepared in this example were inferior to the corresponding co-evaporated and larger particle size samples.

EXAMPLE 22 The procedure of Example 20 was essentially repeated except that X grams of powdered biopolymer Y was dry blended with Z grams of Litesse^®.

Example X (in grams) Y (Biopolymer) Z (Litesse^® in grams)

22A 6.0 225 bl. calfskin gelatin 94.0

22B 1.0 Guar gum 99.0

22C 1.5 Xanthan gum 98.5 The mouthfeel properties of the milled blends (Examples 22A, 22B, 22C) were compared to the corresponding co-evaporated blends (Examples 1A, 14, 10), (tested as in Example 3). The mouthfeel dissolution properties of the dry blends were inferior to the corresponding co-evaporated samples.

Claims

1. A mixture of polydextrose and a food additive comprising: a solid, highly homogeneous, micro-dispersed mixture comprising about 70% to about 99.99% polydextrose and about 0.01 % to about 30% of a food additive capable of significantly improving the moisture absorption and mouthfeel characteristics of polydextrose, wherein said food additive is a polysaccharide, protein, hydrolyzed protein, alkali metal bicarbonate, water-soluble emulsifier, water- disbursable emulsifier or shellac.

2. A mixture of polydextrose and a food additive comprising: a solid, highly homogeneous, micro-dispersed mixture comprising about 70% to about 99.99% polydextrose and about 0.01% to about 30% xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, tamarind seed gum, gellan gum, gum ghatti, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, gelatin, hydrolyzed collagen, egg white, alkali metal caseinate, whey protein, shellac, soy protein, zein, alkali metal bicarbonate, lecithin or datem.

3. The mixture as recited in claim 2 wherein the mixture is co-evaporated from water.

4. The mixture as recited in claim 3 wherein the food additive is xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, calfskin gelatin, porcine gelatin or sodium bicarbonate.

5. The mixture as recited in claim 4 wherein about 1% to about 2% xanthan gum, about 1 % to about 2% guar gum, about 0.1% to about 5% carrageenan, about 1% to about 30% calfskin gelatin, about 1% to about 30% porcine gelatin or about 0.1% to about 5% sodium bicarbonate is used.

6. The mixture as recited in claim 5 wherein guar gum or calfskin gelatin is used.

7. The mixture as recited in claim 6 wherein guar gum is used.

8. The mixture as recited in claim 6 wherein calfskin gelatin is used.

9. A method for producing a polydextrose mixture comprising: co-evaporating from water or ethanol about 70% to about 99.99% polydextrose and about 0.01 % to about 30% of a food additive capable of significantly improving the moisture absorption and mouthfeel characteristics of polydextrose, wherein said food additive is a polysaccharide, protein, hydrolyzed protein, alkali metal bicarbonate, water-soluble emulsifier, water-disbursable emulsifier or shellac.

10. A method for producing a polydextrose mixture comprising: co-evaporating from water or ethanol about 70% to about 99.9% polydextrose and about 0.1% to about 30% xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, tamarind seed gum, gellan gum, gum ghatti, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, gelatin, hydrolyzed collagen, egg white, alkali metal caseinate, whey protein, shellac, soy protein, zein, alkali metal bicarbonate, lecithin or datem.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the food additive is xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, calfskin gelatin, porcine gelatin or sodium bicarbonate.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein about 0.1% to about 2% xanthan gum, about 1% to about 2% guar gum, about 0.1 % to about 5% carrageenan, about 1% to about 30% calfskin gelatin, about 1 % to about 30% porcine gelatin or about 0.1% to about 5% sodium bicarbonate is used.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein guar gum or calfskin gelatin is used.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein guar gum is used.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein calfskin gelatin is used.

16. A foodstuff comprising a polydextrose mixture of claim 2.