WO2016124652A1 - Cereal matrix comprising at least one nutrient and/or another functional substance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a cereal matrix comprising at least one nutrient and/or one or several other functional substances, said matrix being produced by a direct compression technique.

Description

 CEREAL MATRIX COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE NUTRIENT AND / OR ONE

OTHER FUNCTIONAL SUBSTANCE

The present invention relates to a cereal matrix comprising at least one nutrient and / or another functional substance, developed for manufacturing in industrial conditions.

 The preservation of phyto-elements and certain nutrients in products such as cereal food supplements is very complicated, because the cooking processes partially or strongly degrade these compounds.

 The present invention responds perfectly to this problem by developing, via a technique of direct compression of a powder base, a cereal matrix to which one or more nutrients and / or another functional substance which has been added to it will have been added. can respond to health issues.

A healthy diet is supposed to provide balanced nutrition meeting the recommended daily intakes. However due to a particular lifestyle or for other reasons, a large part of the population is not in this ideal situation and vitamins, minerals or other nutritional substances may be lacking to the body. . The modern diet is more and more medicalized. Faced with the anxiety caused by the loss of traditional benchmarks, food decisions, which were articulated around symbolic or gastronomic reasons, are now often also taken for medical reasons. If the idea that food can be a lever of health is not new, 80% of French consumers think that the consumption of food "health food" can have a significant impact on their health. In order to meet this growing need of society and to combine pleasure and well-being, the development of functionalized food products is clearly increasing in developed countries. This evolution is accompanied by the development of standards for product safety. There are four categories of products developed in the consumer market.

 Dietary products: these are dietary supplements that contain dietary ingredients such as vitamins and enzymes;

 Functional foods: that contain ingredients that have physiological and nutritional benefits;

 ADDFMS, Dietetic Foods for Special Medical Purposes, belong to the category of DADAP (food for special food). They are products that meet the special nutritional needs of people whose assimilation process or metabolism is disrupted;

 Dietary supplements: products isolated or purified from foods sold in drug form, and which are usually not associated with food. These products are supposed to provide a physiological benefit for optimal health.

 All these functionalized food products can therefore be very useful in avoiding certain deficiencies.

A food supplement is a foodstuff whose purpose is to provide a supplement of nutrients or functional substances having a nutritional or physiological effect missing or insufficient in the normal diet of an individual. The functional food product is a concentrated source that is sold in isolation. Food supplements and functional foods consist of a mixture of one or more active compounds such as plant extracts, vitamins, minerals or other substances, optionally supplemented with excipients. They are sold in the form of solid, powdery or liquid doses, namely the forms of presentation such as capsules, lozenges, tablets, pills and other similar forms, as well as sachets of powder, ampoules of liquid, bottles with a dropper and other similar forms of liquid or powder preparations intended to be taken in measured units of a small quantity. Food supplements and functional foods are therefore presented as drugs while a European directive of 2002 is very clear, food supplements are part of food. Their presentation in another form would be preferable because indeed, a majority of the population rejects the absorption of drug forms. Food supplements and functional foods are used in a variety of applications such as nutrition, slimming, digestion, beauty, cardiovascular, menopause, memory, for example.

 Furthermore, food products combining taste pleasure and health would be considered a real benefit, for example in the form of a product type cereal that can be likened to a biscuit and thus having the typical organoleptic characteristics of such a product such as crispness and toasted and toasted flavor for example.

 It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a food product having both the health and nutritional benefits of dietary supplements as well as the organoleptic characteristics allowing the consumer more to assimilate them to pleasure foods than to a treatment. therapeutic or profilaxic.

In the particular case of cereal products that may represent biscuits, cookies, breakfast cereals, or cereal bars, for example, the cooking step required for their manufacturing process irretrievably leads to the degradation of most of the nutritional nutrients that could have been produced. to be added to the basic preparation. As well as traditional biscuits or cookies involving baking in an oven at around 200 ° C, breakfast-type cereal products or cereal bars involving a baking-extruding step in a double extruder cooker or single sleeve at temperatures of the order of 180 ° C; the heat treatments imposed on the initial mixture denature the added functional nutritional ingredients. Certain plant extracts, such as certain vitamins, and especially vitamin C are destroyed by heat from 60 ° C; from 100 ° C some mineral salts are no longer assimilated by the body. In the manufacture of cereal products, it is not uncommon for the cooking stage to reach 200 ° C, the addition of all these nutritive and / or therapeutic substances is therefore incompatible with a conventional technique for manufacturing cereal products or biscuit.

 This heating / cooking step, although deleterious with respect to a number of nutrients, is essential in several organoleptic terms. On the one hand, it involves the denaturation of proteins and the gelatinization of starch, both of which contribute to the creation of a network within the finished product. In addition, the Maillard reactions between the proteins and the reducing sugars of the initial mixture contribute to conferring pleasant toasted, toasted or caramelized aromas and a brown color, all goods typical of cooked cereal products. Caramelization of sugars finally gives a pleasant taste and contributes to the crispness of the finished product. The cooking also makes it possible to dry the final product which has, after cooking and cooling, a moisture content compatible with its long-term preservation.

 It is to meet this need for a food product having organoleptic attributes of pleasure and combining advantageous nutritional virtues while conferring ease of use that the inventors have developed the present invention.

Thus, according to a first embodiment of the invention, the final product is in the form of a cereal matrix. It is a new generation of functional food where the cereal matrix is a support that justifies or even improves the actions for the organism, that is to say which is a good asset driver and allows good assimilation in the body. It is innovative in the manufacturing process allowing to bring a high concentration of nutrients, plant extracts, pre and probiotics, digestive enzymes. But also that brings a touch of pleasure to the consumption compared to the classic food supplements.

 The innovative technological response implemented by the inventors consists in compacting / compressing after cooking a cereal powder, obtained by grinding a cooked cereal / biscuit product, to which at least one nutrient and / or a functional substance has been added. A cereal matrix has been formulated to obtain the best organoleptic quality possible but also be the best support for nutrients and / or functional substances such as natural active ingredients of vegetable origin for example.

 This cereal powder is adapted to be compacted / compressed. The compression of the powder allows its densification and the formulation of a compact having sufficient mechanical strength to be manipulated and give a crisp and crispness similar to those of cookies or conventional cookies. Thus, the inventors have shown that a compression phase of a cooked cereal powder makes it possible to integrate at least one nutrient and / or a functional substance, such as, for example, plant extracts, vitamins and / or mineral salts which have been partially degraded during the ordinary cooking of a cereal product.

 The use of a powder obtained from the grinding of biscuits or cooked cereal products makes it possible to give the final compressed product the tastes, flavors and aromas characteristic of these products such as toasted, roasted or toasted.

Compression, in particular direct compression, of the cereal powder makes it possible to obtain the cereal matrix according to the invention having textural characteristics, taste and rheology like those of a biscuit such as crunchy, crunchy, crispy.

 The 'generic functional' claims under Article 13 (1) of the EC Regulation concerning nutrition and health claims concern the role of a nutrient or other substance in the growth, development and functions of the body; psychological and behavioral functions; weight loss and weight control, satiety or reduction of the energy value of the diet. They do not concern development or child health or the reduction of the risk of disease.

 In a first embodiment, the present invention relates to a cereal matrix obtained by direct compression of a mixture comprising biscuit powder and at least one ingredient selected from nutrients and functional substances.

 In an embodiment according to the first embodiment, the cereal matrix is characterized in that the mixture comprises biscuit powder, at least one nutrient and at least one functional substance.

 According to one of the preceding embodiments of the invention, the cereal matrix is characterized in that the ingredient selected from the nutrients is selected from the group consisting of vitamins, minerals, trace elements or mixtures thereof.

In another embodiment of the invention according to the first or second embodiments, the cereal matrix is characterized in that the ingredient chosen from the functional substances is chosen from the group consisting of phytoelements, prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, fermentation products, peptides or mixtures thereof. The invention also relates to a cereal matrix according to one of the preceding embodiments characterized in that the rate of the amount of water of the mixture for direct compression is between 2 and 5% by weight of the total mixture.

 In a particular embodiment of the cereal matrix according to one of the preceding embodiments, the mixture for direct compression further comprises a binding agent.

 According to the previous embodiment, the binding agent is chosen from the group consisting of polyols, starch, lactose and cellulose.

 In particular, in one embodiment of the cereal matrix according to the invention, the binder is sorbitol.

 According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cereal matrix according to one of the preceding embodiments is characterized in that the particle size of the biscuit powder is between 100 and 5000 μιτι, particularly between 200 and 4000 μιτι, more particularly between 800 and 2000 μιτι, or even more particularly between 200 and 700 μιτι.

 In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the cereal matrix according to one of the preceding embodiments is characterized in that the ingredient chosen from the functional substances is chosen from acerola, goji and melissa and their mixtures.

 In another embodiment of the invention, the cereal matrix according to one of the preceding embodiments is characterized in that the ingredient selected from the nutrients is selected from zinc, magnesium, vitamin B1, vitamin B6 and mixtures thereof.

 The invention also relates in another embodiment, a cereal matrix according to one of the preceding embodiments characterized in that the mixture comprises biscuit powder, lemon balm, vitamin B1, vitamin B6 and magnesium.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cereal matrix according to one of the previous embodiment characterized in that the mixture comprises biscuit powder, lemon balm, vitamin B1, vitamin B6 and magnesium for use in the treatment of sleep disorders or anxiety.

 The present invention also relates to a cereal matrix according to one of the preceding embodiments characterized in that the mixture comprises biscuit powder, acerola, wolfberry, zinc and optionally yeast extract.

 Finally, in a particular embodiment, the present invention relates to a cereal matrix according to one of the preceding embodiments characterized in that the mixture comprises biscuit powder of acerola, wolfberry, zinc and optionally of yeast extract for use in the treatment of immunity disorders or for enhancing immunity.

 The invention finally relates to a method for manufacturing a cereal matrix, in particular a cereal matrix according to any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising the following steps:

 - provide a biscuit powder,

 - mixing the biscuit powder with at least one ingredient selected from nutrients and functional substances,

- Direct compression of the powder mixture.

 For the purposes of the present invention, the term "nutrient" means compounds that will contribute to the regulation of metabolism. A nutrient may be selected from the group comprising vitamins, mineral elements such as mineral salts, trace elements for example. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "functional substance" or "nutritional element" means phytoelements (extracts derived from plants or algae), pre- and probiotics, enzymes, products derived from fermentations, yeast extracts. peptides, for example.

According to a mode of the invention, the cereal matrix can include at least one nutrient selected from the group consisting of vitamins, mineral elements such as mineral salts and trace elements.

 According to one embodiment of the invention, the cereal matrix may also comprise at least one functional substance selected from the group consisting of phytoelements, prebiotics, probiotics, enzymes, peptides and products derived from fermentation, or their mixture. The phytoelement may be selected from the group consisting of wolfberry, acerola, lemon balm, jujube, hops, chamomile fever, turmeric, ginkgo, ginseng, rhodiola, sea buckthorn, astragalus echinacea, elderberry, linden or eleutherococcus, used alone or as a mixture. In a preferred embodiment, the phyto-element (s) included in the cereal matrix according to the invention may be chosen from wolfberry, lemon balm and acerola, used alone or as a mixture.

 In a still preferred manner, the phytoelement included in the cereal matrix according to the invention is lemon balm.

 In another equally preferred way, the phytoelement included in the cereal matrix according to the invention comprises wolfberry and acerola or mixtures thereof.

Goji or goji berry is the commercial name of the common wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) berry. It is in the form of a small orange berry, elongated with slightly sweet flavor, it is often marketed in dried form or in the form of juice. Relatively rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements, the berry is also a relatively consistent source of antioxidants with a very high proportion of carotenoids but also with four polysaccharides, considered as the active compounds responsible for the beneficial effects. Goji berries contain 18 kinds of amino acids. They contain the eight essential amino acids, including tryptophan and isoleucine, 21 trace elements, from zinc to iron, including copper, selenium and phosphorus. They contain a large amount of beta carotene, calcium proteins, vitamins including Bl, B2, B6, C and E and beta sitosterols with anti-inflammatory properties. Gogi could strengthen immune defenses, lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, improve calcium absorption and relieve the liver.

 Acerola (Malpighia punicifolia) is a tree whose fruit is called cherry from Barbados or cherry from the West Indies because it looks a lot like cherry. Acerola is a remarkable natural source of vitamin C. the fruit of acerola is edible, tart. Sensitive to heat, their conservation requires great precautions. The fruit of acerola contains 20 to 30 times more vitamin C than orange. It is also rich in vitamins B6, Bl and vitamin A, as well as flavonoids and minerals, such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. This fruit also contains antioxidant factors, including flavonoids and anthocyanins. Acerola extracts are used for their toning, stimulating and anti-infectious properties. Their richness in minerals brings remineralizing properties. Their high concentration of ascorbic acid or vitamin C, vitamin E, flavonoids, anthocyanins and carotenoids gives these fruits antioxidant and stimulating properties for the production of collagen. The fruits can be consumed in the form of juice. These fruits are used against diarrhea and liver disorders.

The lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herb of the Lamiaceae family. It is also called lemon balm. Lemon balm has small, oval, embossed and serrated leaves that exhale a sweet, lemony scent when crumpled. The stems and leaves are used as a tonic and mild stimulant. The taste is astringent and the aroma is light. Alcohol is obtained by distillation of its fresh leaves, it is melissa water, it has antispasmodic properties. Lemon balm can also be consumed as herbal tea. This plant is naturally melliferous. It has been appreciated for a long time for its properties digestive and infused it offers a soothing herbal tea. Moreover, it contains an essence that is a nervous tonic. The polyphenols of melissa are antiviral: against the herpes that produces whitish vesicles, an infusion applied regularly on the lesions eliminates eruptions in a few days and reduces the frequency of appearance. The main constituents of the lemon balm leaves are the essential oil containing monoterpene aldehydes with lemon scent, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives also called "lamiaceae tannins", the main one being rosmarinic acid, hydroxycoumarinic derivatives such as esculetin, flavonoids and triterpenic acids. Melissa is most often used for its soothing and relaxing virtues. In fact, it regulates nerve impulses, which has a beneficial effect on tachycardia, but also reduces spasms of the stomach and colon, it also has antifungal properties. In infusion, lemon balm has a slightly sedative effect, and further promotes sweating, which is why it is often recommended in cases of insomnia.

 Other plants or plant extracts may be active on sleep disorders and included in a cereal matrix according to the invention, such as jujube and hops. Jujube or Chinese date is a small fruit produced by the common jujube (Ziziphus jujuba). The interesting parts of the jujube dietally or medicinally are the fruit, the seed and to a lesser extent the leaves and roots. The jujube fruit contains one or two seeds or kernels. The seed contains several groups of active substances on the functioning of the central nervous system and mainly on sleep, as its duration. The most active compounds: jujubosides and alkaloids (sanjoinine or frangufoline, nuciferine, zizyphusin, and cochlaurine) have a sedative action. Sanjoinin A seems to be the most interesting substance for its sedative and calming power.

Hops or climbing hops (Humulus lupulus) is a perennial climbing herbaceous plant. These are the flowers of the plants named females also strobiles or cones that are sought after for their bitter and aromatic principles. Strobiles of hops are recommended to fight agitation, anxiety and sleep disorders.

 Two plants known for their activity on intestinal disorders are particularly interesting in the context of the present invention, namely chamomile fever and turmeric. The matricaires are annuals belonging to the Asteraceae family. Very used in infusion, chamomile fever due to its high concentration of mucilage is very effective against digestive disorders. In fact, it soothes the irritations of the gastric and intestinal mucosa, and is therefore useful for abdominal pains, indigestion, inflammations of the digestive tract, gastritis, spasms and painful periods. Turmeric is a perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plant of the genus Turmeric of the family Zingiberaceae. Turmeric is known for its antioxidant properties, it helps the body fight against stress and maintain the effectiveness of natural defenses. It is probably the most potent natural anti-inflammatory identified to date. The active ingredient of turmeric, curcumin is an effective chemopreventive agent, as in colorectal cancer, for example.

Other plants also have a real interest for the invention include Ginkgo, Ginseng, Rhodiola ... The Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) or the tree with forty crowns or silver apricot, is the only tree species representative of the Ginkgoaceae family. Its leaves contain a very important variety of pharmacologically important substances, including flavonoids, terpenes, sesquiterpene lactones, ginkgolides and bilobalides. Most research on the effects of ginkgo is done with an extract called EGb 761, which contains 24% w / w flavone glycosides and 6% w / w lactone terpenes. The effects of Ginko on the body are numerous, among the observed effects, one can note an antioxidant activity, an increase of the blood flow notably cerebral, a potentiation of the neurotransmitters, and a modulation of the metabolism of the glucose.

 Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a perennial plant that belongs to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae. About 10 species of ginseng are cultivated around the world. The best known species are Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer and Panax quinquefolium. It is the root that is famous for its pharmaceutical properties. Ginseng must be grown for at least 6 years for the rhizome to mature and acquire all its qualities. Ginseng contains ginsenosides, triterpenoids, including protopanaxadiol, the triterpene sapogenin with damaran skeleton. Multiple beneficial effects have been demonstrated experimentally, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects through ginsenosides. Ginseng may increase the synthesis of NO by the vessel wall, contributing to muscle fiber loosening. Ginseng is primarily a stimulant of the nervous, physical and intellectual system and increases physical resistance. Ginseng is an adaptogenic plant, that is to say a plant increasing the ability of our body to adapt to different stress, regardless of their origins.

Rhodiola rosea or the pink orpine is a plant species of the family Crassulaceae. Rhodiola rosea is a medicinal herb par excellence for all states of deep depression, acute and chronic stress and unhealthy anxiety by acting on several neurotransmitters and hormones including serotonin and dopamine. Rhodiola is classified as adaptogen. Rhodiola rosea contains compounds that would contribute to its effects, including the class of rosavins: rosavins, rosarines and rosins. Some studies have suggested that the most active compounds would be rhodiolosides and tyrosol, with other inactive compounds when administered alone, but showing a synergistic effect when the rhodioloside, rosavin, rosarine and rosin are combined.

 Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is a species of dioecious, thorny shrub. Fruits, acids and astringents are edible in the form of jam, compote, jelly or sorbet. Sea buckthorn juice is highly recommended in herbal medicine thanks to its high content of vitamins A, C and E. Its vitamin C concentration is 5 times higher than that of kiwi and 30 times higher than that of orange. Sea buckthorn has several medicinal, deworming, tonic, astringent, anti-infectious and anti-sclerotic applications, particularly against skin burns and wounds.

 Astragals are plants of the family Fabaceae belonging to the genus Astragalus. The root is used in herbal tea or soup. The plant boosts energy, increases the number of stem cells to fight infections, helps heal wounds, chronic respiratory infections, inflammation. TA-65 is an isolate extracted from the dried root, supposed to have a similar action to telomerase.

 Echinacea is a genus of plant that includes 11 taxa, belonging to the Asteraceae family. Echinacea has been attributed the ability to strengthen the defenses of the immune system. Depending on the species used, medicinal beverages can be prepared from the stem, flower or root. The effects are attributable to phenolic compounds, such as chicoric and caftaric acids or echinacoside, and finally other chemical elements may be important, the alkamides and the polysaccharides.

 Elderberry or Sambucus nigra L. belongs to the family of

Adoxaceae. The different organs of elderberry: bark, roots, stems, flowers, leaves and fruits are traditionally used in fields as diverse as medicine, food and the manufacture of tools or toys. Elderberry has therapeutic properties, improves urinary elimination, facilitates digestion, presents anti-inflammatory and sudorific effects. As a dietary supplement, elderberry would help reduce the effects of the flu. In clinical practice, it has been shown to be active in bucco-pharyngeal irritation.

 The bigleaf lime (Tilia platyphyllos Scop.) Is a tree of the family Tiliaceae or Malvaceae. Linden honeys are appreciated, dried flowers are used as herbal tea alone or as a mixture. The leaves are emollient, the flowers in mild infusion are sedative but in infusion too long and strong, they can cause insomnia. The sapwood is choleretic, diuretic and antispasmodic.

 Eleutherococcus is a forest plant belonging to the family Araliaceae. The used parts of the plant are the root and more rarely the leaves. Eleutherococcus improves sports performance, treats herpes, reduces fatigue and stimulates the immune system.

 Algae, about fifty species of wild or cultivated edible seaweed are used for human food. Real "vegetables of the sea", the algae are composed of 70 to 90% of water, they are rich in minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron) in trace elements, vitamins (A, C and E). They are also rich in fiber and contain, unlike terrestrial plants, proteins complete with all the essential amino acids. Preliminary research suggests that some algae have anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Their high fiber content is favorable to intestinal transit. At the regulatory level, dietary algae are considered new foods. Since the 10/02/2014, 24 algae are authorized for consumption in France (8 brown algae, 11 red algae, 2 green algae and 3 micro-algae).

In a preferred manner, these phytoelements are used in the form of powder added to the cereal powder obtained by grinding a cooked cereal / biscuit product, in particular a biscuit. Alternatively, the phytoelement (s) can also be used in the form of a concentrated liquid extract which will have little effect on the moisture content of the cereal powder and will not affect the ability of the cereal powder to directly compress into a cereal 'invention.

 The amount of nutrient and / or functional substance - preferably in the form of powder - included in the cereal matrix according to the invention may be between 1 and 10% by weight, particularly between 2 and 8%, more particularly between 3 and 7%, more particularly between 5 and 7%, relative to the total weight of the cereal matrix.

 Other elements than the phytoelements can be included in the cereal matrix, and are considered as functional substances according to the present invention, such as, for example, phytoelements, prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, peptides, products derived from fermentations for example.

 In a particular embodiment, the cereal matrix according to the invention further comprises at least one functional substance. This functional substance may be chosen from the group comprising phytoelements, prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, peptides, products derived from fermentations used alone or as a mixture.

 In a particular embodiment, the cereal matrix according to the invention comprises at least one nutrient chosen from the group comprising vitamins, mineral elements such as mineral salts, trace elements and at least one functional substance chosen from the group. including prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, peptides, products derived from fermentations.

Prebiotics escape digestion in the small intestine and are potential substrates for hydrolysis and fermentation by intestinal bacteria. Oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides, oligomers fructose, polysaccharides or inulin.

 Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when ingested in sufficient quantities, have positive health effects beyond traditional nutritional effects. Among the bacteria and yeasts, mention may be made of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium longum, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces-boulardii.

 The peptides may comprise hydrolysates of milk proteins, of soya, of whey, for example. Lactium®, which is a hydrolyzate of milk protein and which has relaxing properties for reducing and regulating stress-related disorders, may be mentioned more particularly. Alpha-casozepine is also a peptide consisting of 10 amino acids derived from the tryptic hydrolysis of bovine casein. It has anxiolytic properties.

 According to a mode of the invention, the cereal matrix according to the invention can comprise one or more nutrients, selected from the group comprising vitamins, mineral salts and trace elements, or mixtures thereof.

Vitamins are organic substances, without their own energy value, which are necessary for the body and which man can not synthesize in sufficient quantity. They must therefore be provided by the food. Thirteen substances meet this definition, there are 9 water-soluble vitamins: B1, B2, B5, B6, PP or B3, B9, B12, C, H or B8 and four fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K1. Vitamin A (retinol or carotenoids), vitamin E and vitamin C are the 3 major antioxidant vitamins. Vitamin A is present only in foods of animal origin. Nevertheless, some plants contain provitamins A, ie substances that the body is able to transform into vitamin A. It is essential for the vision and the growth of the bronchi, the intestines or the skin. Vitamin A is also involved in immune mechanisms. Antioxidant substances counteract the effects of free radicals by moderating their damage, restoring cell damage, eliminating waste and inhibiting oxidation. When free radicals are in excess in the body, they can promote cellular aging. These antioxidant vitamins have the capacity to control the production of free radicals resulting from the metabolism of oxygen, and whose overproduction is responsible for many disorders, including cardiovascular, immunity, cancer, cutaneous, accelerated aging, neurodegenerative diseases etc. In particular, vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant, soluble in water. Humans rely on external sources of vitamin C to meet their vitamin C requirements. Thus, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, or their mixture is a source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is necessary for vessel synthesis blood and muscle. It promotes the absorption of iron in food and intervenes in several hormonal mechanisms. It also plays a role in the elimination of toxic substances. Vitamin C deficiency can decrease resistance to infections. Vitamin E is also a well known antioxidant. Vitamin E can work synergistically with vitamin C to protect vital cell function against normal oxidants. Alpha-tocopheryl acetate, trimethyltocopheryl acetate and / or vitamin E succinate are sources of vitamin E. The latter has a particularly important protective effect vis-à-vis the cells of the body. It plays an important role in the mechanisms of procreation and is involved in the synthesis of red blood cells.

Vitamin D is referred to as a fat-soluble vitamin, although it is primarily a hormone synthesized in the human body from a derivative of cholesterol under the action of UVB light radiation. It exists in 2 forms, D2 (ergocalciferol) or D3 (cholecalciferol). These 2 molecules are 9, 10-secosteroids. Vitamin D is involved in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus by the intestines, as well as in their reabsorption by the kidneys, it is a real hormone. On the other hand, it influences more than 200 genes, which explains its undisputed importance until recently in many diseases including arthritis, psoriasis-related skin disorders, diabetes, some cancers and even dementia.

 Vitamin B is a group of water-soluble vitamins that play an important role in cell metabolism, among which we can find:

 vitamin B1 or thiamine, which is the cofactor of the pyruvate decarboxylase complex;

 Vitamin B2 or riboflavin which is the precursor of flavin adenine dinucleotide;

 Vitamin B3 (PP) or nicotinamide which is the precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide;

 Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid which is the precursor and constituent of coenzyme A;

- Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine which is the coenzyme of reactions related to the metabolism of amino acids and proteins;

 Vitamin B8 (H) or biotin, which is the coenzyme of metabolism reactions of fatty acids, carbohydrates and amino acids;

 Vitamin B9 or folic acid and vitamin B12 or cyanocobalamin, which are co-factors with S-adenosylmethionine.

 B vitamins often work together for the benefit of body health. They increase the metabolism, help maintain healthy skin and healthy muscles, improve the immune system, improve the nervous system and delay the cognitive disorders of Alzheimer's disease, promote cell growth and their divisions, they fight the symptoms caused by excessive stress.

It is generally accepted that a diverse diet brings the necessary vitamins. It may no longer be the same in case of poor diet, drug treatment or diseases that decrease absorption or increasing needs up to vitamin deficiencies.

 In a particular embodiment, the cereal matrix according to the invention comprises at least one vitamin selected from the group consisting of vitamins B1, B6 and C and mixtures thereof. More particularly, it will be vitamins B1 and B6.

 Mineral salts and trace elements are normally supplied in sufficient quantity by a varied and balanced diet. They are indispensable to our health.

 The minerals included in the cereal matrix according to the invention may be selected from iron, zinc, selenium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum and mixtures thereof. Mineral salts are substances derived from rocks that enter into the composition of organisms and are present in animal and plant foods. They come in ionic form, we distinguish the major mineral elements, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur and trace elements such as aluminum, arsenic, boron, chlorine, chromium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, silicon, selenium, vanadium, zinc.

 In a particular embodiment, the mineral will be selected from the group consisting of zinc, magnesium and mixtures thereof.

Iron is one of the essential minerals for the proper functioning of the body. It has a fundamental role in the formation of hemoglobin contained in red blood cells, in the constitution of myoglobin contained in the muscles and in that of many enzymes essential to the functioning of the body. Its deficiency is frequent throughout the world, it results in anemia, accompanied by a reduction of the physical and intellectual capacity, a decreased resistance to infections.

 Zinc plays an antioxidant role as a cofactor for enzymes that participate directly in the defense against oxidants. It therefore contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system. Zinc oxide, zinc gluconate, zinc citrate, zinc acetate, zinc chloride, zinc lactate or zinc sulphate may be used alone or as a mixture in the cereal matrix according to the present invention. invention.

 Selenium also plays an antioxidant role as a cofactor of enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase, which directly contributes to the defense against oxidants.

 Chromium is a trace element that is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, it promotes the action of insulin. It is also involved in the metabolism of lipids and in that of cholesterol, it helps to reduce its concentration. Chromium also plays a role in the metabolism of nucleic acids.

 Manganese is a trace element essential for the effectiveness of vitamin B1. It is also involved in certain metalloproteins such as superoxide dismutase. It acts as a cofactor for many enzymes. It is also an essential metal for the synthesis of enzymes involved in the fight against oxidative stress and which prevent damage caused by free radicals.

 Molybdenum occurs at many levels as a component of certain enzymes, including xanthine oxidase. It plays a role in bone growth and tooth structure. It has a favorable action on the metabolism of iron. Molybdenum is also involved in the detoxification of the body and is involved in the synthesis of uric acid.

Magnesium has multiple biological roles. It is used for the formation of bones and teeth with calcium and phosphorus. It has an effect on the transmission of nerve impulses, it promotes brain plasticity and avoids the decline of memory. It therefore contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system. It also contributes to the mechanisms of immune defenses. In the present invention, the magnesium is preferentially in the form of magnesium oxide.

 The mineral salts preferentially incorporated in the cereal matrix according to the invention are zinc and / or magnesium.

 According to a mode of the invention, the cereal matrix comprises at least one nutrient and / or at least one other functional substance. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cereal matrix comprises at least one nutrient and at least one other functional substance. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cereal matrix comprises as functional substance a phyto-element. According to an equally preferred embodiment of the invention, the cooked cereal matrix comprises as functional substance a phyto-element and yeast extracts.

 In a particular embodiment, the cereal matrix according to the invention comprises at least one nutrient selected from the group consisting of vitamins B1 and B6, magnesium, and melissa and their mixture.

 This composition is particularly suitable for combating stress, anxiety disorders and / or improving sleep.

 According to another embodiment of the invention which is just as preferred, the cereal matrix comprises as nutrient zinc and as functional substances of acerola, gogi and optionally yeast extracts. This composition is particularly suitable for strengthening the immune system and in the treatment of immunity disorders or for strengthening immunity.

 An object of the invention relates to a cereal matrix comprising at least one nutrient and / or a functional substance obtained by a direct compression process.

For the purposes of the present invention, the term "cereal matrix" means a product in the form of a plate, wafer or tablet of rectangular or square parallelepiped geometry, or even ovoid, for example, consisting of agglomerated / compressed granular or powdered ingredients comprising proteins, simple and complex carbohydrates, fat and optionally dairy materials, and salt, for example.

 According to the present invention, the biscuit powder, or cooked cereal powder, makes it possible to obtain a final product in the form of a biscuit-like tablet by a direct compression process.

 The biscuit powder that can be used in direct compression to obtain a cereal matrix according to the invention is a powder obtained from the grinding of biscuits made using traditional biscuit and bakery techniques. These are typically biscuits made from a dough comprising flour, sugar and fat, optionally supplemented with egg products and / or dairy products as well as lifting agents.

 The various ingredients of the biscuit dough can be kneaded according to traditional techniques to obtain a dough that can be put to rest with rolling or forming.

 Rolling is the process of flattening the dough into a sheet that is shaped by die cutting or die-cutting.

 The shapes of raw biscuits are then fired in an oven at a temperature between 180 and 300 ° C, particularly between 220 and 260 ° C for varying periods of time depending on the thickness and composition of the dough.

 The baking step allows the various protein crosslinking reactions, starch gelatinization, caramelization of sugars, Maillard reactions, aeration and emergence of the dough as well as evaporation of the water up to 5 hours. at a moisture content of the biscuits cooked, after sweating, between 1.5 and 5% by weight, particularly between 2 and 4% by weight.

The biscuits can then be milled on any type of apparatus allowing a reduction into a powder whose granulometry allows the direct compression into a matrix cereal according to the invention in which nutrient and / or functional ingredients have been added and thus retain all their qualities due to the absence of heat treatment likely to denature.

 The powder thus obtained having a particle size of between 200 μιτι and 5000 μιτι, particularly between 200 and 4000 μιτι, more particularly between 800 and 2000 μιτι, or even more particularly between 200 and 700 μιτι and containing the nutrient (s) and functional ingredients, may be subjected to a direct compression step.

 This direct compression can be achieved using machines available in the industry and used for the manufacture of pharmaceutical tablets or tablets for dishwashers for example. Thus, alternative machines or rotary machines are known. The alternative machines are mechanically built on the model of the hammer. The distribution set of the powder is mobile, which is fixed, it is the set punches-matrix. The rotary presses are mechanically built on a model where the compression is softer since it is done both by the upper punch and the lower punch. The grain distribution system, that is to say the hoof, is fixed. What is mobile is the set of dies and punch sets that moves horizontally. Their rate is much higher than that of alternative compressors.

 The pressures used during the compression of cereal powders, or biscuit powder, in order to obtain the cereal matrix according to the invention may be between 50 and 300 MPa, particularly between 70 and 200 MPa, more particularly between 90 and 300 MPa. and 150 MPa.

The cereal dies according to the present invention thus have an appearance similar to that of biscuits, although smoother because of the compression and a breaking strength compatible both with their consumption by consumers and their handling for the purposes. packing and transport. It is indeed necessary that the breaking strength is sufficient to prevent the product according to the invention crumbling at the slightest shock or handling, but it is also necessary that the product is not too hard to be crunched and consumed easily.

 Thus, the breaking strength of a cereal matrix according to the invention, of dimensions 4 cm long, 3.5 cm wide and 5 mm thick may be between 0.05 and 1 MPa, particularly between 0 , 1 and 1 MPa, more particularly between 0.15 and 0.8 MPa, as measured by a diametric rupture test in uniaxial compression on an Instron texture measuring machine. Alternatively, a test may also consist of subjecting the compressed cereal matrix to increasing pressure until it is crushed using a Durometer consisting of two jaws facing each other, one moving towards the other which is fixed; and we can measure the value corresponding to the break

 Unlike cakes, cookies usually have a crunchier, crispy or crunchy texture. The biscuits exist under a great variety of composition and form: dry, sweet, salty, shortbread, puff pastry, fermented, soft, filled, hundreds of products exist.

 We can mention the biscuit spoon, the boudoir, the cookie, the crepe lace, the financial, the florentin, the galette, the Breton cake, the puck, the shortbread, the waffle, the wafer, the tongue of cat, the palm tree, the biscuit "to taste", the small butter, the tile, the biscuit "pastry cook", the speculos, the meringue, the macaroon, the rock, etc.

Flour is the main ingredient in biscuits, including soft wheat flour, which is the ingredient in almost all recipes. The quality of the flour plays a role for low hydration or low-fat formulations. The fat gives the texture of the dough, it affects the colors and flavors. The eggs bring lightness and a golden hue to the recipes. Sugar contributes to taste and aroma but also to texture and the milk binds the dough, it can also affect the friability or the fudge of the biscuits. Finally other ingredients may also be present such as chocolate, vanilla, fruits that can be dried, candied, jam, spices, not to mention water.

 We can differentiate white flours, whole flours that keep the whole grain with its bran and germ.

 Wheat flour is the most widely used flour, but also rye flour, barley flour, spelled flour, spelled flour, oat flour, corn flour, kamut flour, rice flour, chestnut flour, cassava flour, soy flour, chickpea flour, lentil flour, broken pea flour, buckwheat flour, wheat flour coconut, hemp flour, quinoa flour, millet flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour, lupine flour.

 The flour preferentially contained in the biscuits intended to provide the powder for direct compression of the cereal matrix according to the invention is wheat flour.

 If the flour is obtained by grinding a cereal or legume, the starch is the starch extracted from the plant. Starch products include corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch. We can not completely replace flour with starch in biscuits but we can substitute some of the flour with starch to make them more soft and light.

Fats are the second constituent of most biscuit formulas, the fats used are most often of plant origin, we find coconut oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil, oil sunflower, soybean oil, peanut oil, olive oil, there are also margarines that are emulsions of vegetable fat with water or milk. Butter can also be used but more rarely because of its cost. The fat preferably incorporated into the biscuit formulas in the context of the present invention is palm oil.

Sugar is the third element of the formula. Sucrose added in the crystalline state is the most used sugar, isomalt, glucose syrups, mixture of glucose, maltose and dextrins resulting from the hydrolysis of starch. Other sweetening products such as honey, dextrose (or glucose) and fructose syrups (a mixture of glucose and fructose obtained by isomerization of glucose), sorbitol, maltitol, vanilla sugar, vanillin sugar, maple sugar, sparkling sugar are also used. Sugars can be presented in different types. We find the whole sugar which is an unrefined sugar, totally provided with its molasses, crystallized then dehydrated. White sugar must contain more than 99.8% of crystallized sucrose, it is what is commonly called crystal sugar or semolina, beet sugar is naturally white, while cane sugar naturally has a color that is from blond to brown. Half-white sugar must contain more than 99.6% sucrose. Brown sugar is a crystallized sugar from cane juice containing about 95% sucrose. Icing sugar is a powdered sugar or impalpable sugar consisting of white sugar crystals ground into a very fine powder. The sugar in pieces is obtained by pressure molding sugar crystals remoistened with steam. Candy sugar is obtained by slow crystallization of a syrup. The brown sugar is either raw sugar from the cane, beet sugar having undergone at least 2 cooking cycles, or white sugar colored with caramel. The blond sugar comes from organic farming, it is an unrefined sugar which was removed some of the molasses then crystallized and dried. The vergeoise is a soft sugar from an annealed beet syrup. Pearl sugar corresponds to a precise state of heat-resistant sintered beet sugar. Gelling sugar is a crystallized sugar supplemented with a gelling agent (pectin, carrageenan, etc.) and citric acid. Finally, invert sugar is an aqueous solution of sucrose partially inverted by hydrolysis.

 The sugar preferentially contained in the cereal matrix according to the invention may be a mixture of sugars consisting of icing sugar, brown sugar and sorbitol syrup.

 Eggs according to proportions bring more or less texture. They are available in different forms, liquid or powder. The functional properties of certain molecules present in eggs vary according to whether they are whole or not. For the whole egg, we find an aromatic function, coloring, anti-crystallizing coagulant. For the yellow an emulsifying function is sought and for the white a foaming function.

 Cocoa, fruit extract called cocoa pod can be used in different forms. Cocoa mass or cocoa mass or cocoa liquor is defined as cocoa beans that are shelled, roasted and crushed by a mechanical process and not deprived of any part of their fat content. Cocoa butter is the fat obtained by hydraulic pressure of the dough obtained from the beans and dehulled. Cocoa cakes, the materials of the defatted cocoa mass, obtained by hydraulic pressing and converted into powder by mechanical spraying, are mainly used in the manufacture of cocoa powder or cocoa. biscuits used in the context of the present invention.

 The caramel, made of sugar having lost its water of crystallization, can be added to decorate or perfume the biscuits. The caramel results from the melting of sugar crystals. Depending on the temperature and the progress of cooking, there are different types of caramel.

Vanilla can also be incorporated in biscuit recipes according to the invention. Vanilla is a spice made from the fruit of certain lianascent orchids Tropical. This product comes in the form of black and shiny sticks commonly called "vanilla bean". Natural vanilla develops a complex fragrance consisting of several hundred different aromatic compounds. Among these, it is the vanillin molecule that forms and dominantly characterizes the aroma of vanilla.

 Dried fruits, which are fruits with a high dry matter content, less than 5% water compared to 30% to 50% for fresh fruit, can also be added to the biscuit production. These are almonds, hazelnuts, chilean hazelnuts, walnuts, coconuts, pecans, cashews, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, pistachios, peanuts . These fruits are shelled, pruned in the form of slivers, grains or powders. Dried fruits that are dehydrated fresh fruits may also be present in the biscuit formulas according to the invention. We can mention, apricot, citrus (in the form of bark), pineapple, banana, cranberry, cherry, date, fig, ginger (which is a root), kiwi, mango, melon, papaya, peach, plum, prune, blueberry, pear, apple, grape, currants, tomato.

 Emulsifiers may be added, mention may be made of powdered or fluid lecithin, glycerol monostearate, sucrose esters, monoglycerides and monoglyceride esters.

Texturizing agents, gelling agents, thickeners, binders can also be added, we speak of additives, according to the latest regulations for bakery products, there are, the additives of group 1, group 2 (quantum dyes satis), Group 3 (dyes with combined maximum limit) and the following additives: E160b (annatto, bixin, norbixin), E160d (licopene), E220-228 (sulphites), E338-452 (phosphoric acid, phosphates, diphosphates, triphosphates and polyphosphates ), E392 (rosemary extract), E405 (alginate) propane-1.2-diol), E432-436 (polysorbates), E473-474 (sucrose esters of fatty acids, sucroglycerides), Ε475 (polyglycerol esters of fatty acids), E477 'propane-1,2diol esters of fatty acids ), E481-482 (stearoyl-2-lactylates), E483 (stearyl tartrate), E491-495 (sorbitan esters).

 Antioxidants can also be incorporated, the main natural antioxidants are beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, polyphenols, lycopene. These include flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. An antioxidant preferentially incorporated into the cereal matrix according to the invention is rosemary extract.

 Batch powders (acids and bases) and salts may also be added, such as ascorbic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, cream of tartar, calcium chloride, calcium lactate, sodium, monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate.

 The general method for obtaining a cereal matrix according to the invention consists of a succession of steps:

 a preparation of the biscuit dough;

 molding the dough in a rotary;

 baking the dough;

 grinding of the products obtained;

- the mixture of the cereal powder with the nutrient (s) and / or one or more other functional substances and possibly the addition of dietary adjuvants; the compression ;

 packaging.

 The preparation of the dough is traditional, with the ingredients already mentioned. Example 1 discloses a basic recipe for compactable cereal product powder. Example 2 shows the interest of certain ingredients on compaction.

The molding of the dough is done by rotating or rolling. The press is chosen for easily crumbled sanded pasta, to obtain finished products like tartlets and topped. The presses have the particularity of having a cylinder with formats in which the pressurized paste will be housed to form the format drawing. The advantage of a press is that you can write on the cereal product, make a drawing on the top and give it the shape you want. The shaping of the dough is done in hollow molds mounted on the cylinder. The rolling is chosen for rolled pastes, bound pastes that can spread, to obtain finished products type filled or crackers. The dough is rolled between narrower and narrower rolls, then the dough is cut with a cylinder.

 The cooking curve of the biscuits makes it possible to play on the moisture content at the heart of the product and ultimately on the moisture content of the powder. In parallel, obtaining a sufficient coloration of the ends or the surface of the product to provide taste and color is desired. For this, it is also possible to optimize the shape of the impression, the formulation (coloring ingredients) and the cooking curve.

Regarding the biscuit manufacturing process, a certain molding speed makes it possible to have a precise spacing between the products, which influences the flow in the oven and therefore the cooking. In industrial cases, rotary trolley furnaces can be found for small-scale productions, but in most cases they are tunnel kilns, with moving support mats, this is the case in the present invention. . Depending on the furnace, different technologies can be used. There are convection ovens (hot air movement), conduction furnaces (transfer by contact, via the support). Radiant heat transfer occurs mainly in direct heat furnaces, where the flame is located in the same enclosure as the product. It intervenes partially in all other cases, the walls of furnaces always returning energy to the product. Furnaces using a mixture of these different technologies also exist and are increasingly used. Tunnel ovens are always mixed by default because the scrolling of the support gives always a minimum of convection effect, in addition to radiation and conduction. It is considered that there are generally three phases in the baking of a cereal matrix according to the invention. These three phases allow:

- the lifting of the product, and the creation of its structure and its form;

 cooking in the sense of evaporation of water and physicochemical transformation;

 the end of the evaporation of the water and the coloring of the product.

 The cooking curves will therefore be established based on the objectives to be achieved on these three phases.

 The grinding stage comes after the manufacture of biscuits. Alternatively, it may also be possible to provide commercially purchased cookies from the moment the powder made therefrom allows for direct compression in the form of a cereal matrix according to the present invention.

 It is possible at this stage of manufacture of the cereal matrices according to the invention to add binders to the powder before compression. Example 5 shows that the addition of binders such as sorbitol or cellulose improves the compression Their role is to bind together particles that can not be under the sole action of pressure. They allow the formation of an organized structure that promotes the cohesion of the particles between them. Their presence reduces the compression force. They are used either in the dry state, or in solution.

 Among the binding agents, mention may be made of sorbitol, modified or unmodified starches, lactose, cellulose, silicified microcrystalline cellulose or not, wheat fibers, oat fibers, bamboo fibers, etc.

 According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a binder is added before compression. The preferred binder for this invention is sorbitol.

Incorporating the nutrient (s) and / or one or more other functional substances into the matrix cereal is done by means of a mixing operation. Several types of mixers can be used: tri-axis mixers, planetary mixer, Turbula® mixer. Mixing properties such as homogeneity and fluidity depend on process parameters such as the way in which ingredients are incorporated and the mixing speed. According to the cereal matrices and the substances incorporated, several formulations have been characterized.

 Compression of the cereal matrix is the next step of the process according to the present invention.

 The compression of the biscuit powder allows its densification and the formation of a compact matrix having sufficient mechanical strength to be manipulated but also to obtain a pleasant texture to the tasting.

 The mixture of cereal matrix and nutrient powders and / or with one or more other functional substances is intended to be compressed. The mechanical behavior of the formulation and its compressibility were characterized using an instrumented uniaxial press.

 The main steps of the compression process are the filling of the matrix, the actual compression or load, the discharge or withdrawal of the punch and the ejection.

 The filling of the matrix is usually done automatically and requires a good fluidity of the powder. The powder is poured into the matrix and a shoe comes to shave the powder. The flow of the powder is ensured by the combined effect of gravity and vibration of the shoe. However, cohesive powders that do not flow well must be avoided and the flow properties must be ensured in order to pass the industrial production stage with high rates.

The compression step makes it possible to densify the powder by pressures applied by the punches. The compression process is translated into different phases: phase of deaeration and rearrangement of the particles, phase of deformation of the particles to increase the points of contact which give resistance to the compact, phase of discharge where the compact undergoes an elastic rebound (which can often be a source of cleavage according to the properties of the powders) and finally, an ejection phase which consists in extracting the compact from the tool.

 Depending on the particle size and the amount of air present in the pore volume, the compaction process can be complex. In particular, the evacuation of the gas phase is necessary before the compaction which brings cohesion. Several compression cycles can then be considered for the success of the compaction process such as deaeration followed by compression followed by the maintenance of the load, then an elastic discharge and ejection.

 Compressibility is the ability of the powder to shrink under the effect of pressure. The compactibility is the ability of the powder to form a compact cohesion compact by densification.

 The pressure applied to obtain cereal matrices according to the invention may be between 50 and 150 MPa, particularly between 60 and 120 MPa, more particularly between 75 and 100 MPa, more particularly around 90 MPa.

 All powders are not compactable and sometimes require the addition of strong binders. The study of the compactibility of biscuit powders, or cooked cereal powders, or mixtures "cereal powders and nutriment and / or other functional substance" has been the subject of several formulations with additions of binders allowing the optimization of the properties functional (resistance, crunchiness, textures, taste ...) to compressed cereal matrices.

In the production environment, the quality of the compacted cereal matrix is judged at first sight on its appearance and the presence or absence of cracks. This cereal matrix must have sufficient strength which ensures on the one hand subsequent manipulations, such as packaging, storage, transport and on the other hand properties of uses. Under these conditions, the product must have mechanical properties avoiding fragmentation or friability. Many tests on the parameters of the process (compression force, compact density, compression speed, ...), on the formulation with the addition of binders and texturants have allowed to understand the impact of these parameters on the manufacture of the cereal matrix.

 To carry out these tests, a data analysis methodology based on the measurements obtained using an instrumented press made it possible to follow the development of the compressive stress during the compression. In particular, the transmission of axial and radial stresses in the powder bed, the powder-tool friction, etc. The choice of binders for the "powder matrix cereal" formulations was guided by these analyzes. These stress measurements in the powder bed are supplemented by densities measurements in the compact and at the end of the compression. Other properties such as springback during discharge and compact ejection are also analyzed.

 The mechanical strength of compressed cereal matrices is a property that quantifies the resistance between the solid bridges formed by the particles. This property makes it possible to measure the mechanical strength of the compact and its ability to be handled, transported or appreciated during consumption (crispness and softness at the same time). It is the result of the direct compression process and the formulation (choice of ingredients and possible binders). The characterization of the mechanical strength is done by diametric rupture tests.

The behavior of the powders generally depends on the parameters of the compression process such as the maximum pressure, the compression speed but also the shape of the punch, flat, concave or any other shape, or the height-to-diameter ratio of the compact. A characterization of the properties of the cereal matrices compressed according to these different parameters is therefore important. This step helps to appreciate the possible effects on compressed cereal matrices when moving from the laboratory to production where the rates are high. It also makes it possible to anticipate the shape of the punch of the production, because the design of the product must be optimized according to the ability of the powder to the compression.

 The following examples illustrate the invention without limiting its scope.

 Example 1 Composition of a Cereal Matrix Powder Which Can Be Compacted

 A cookie dough is made using the following ingredients:

 - wheat flour: 55-70%

 icing sugar 5-15%

 brown sugar 5-15%

 sorbitol syrup 5-10%

 palm: 5-7%

 - 0-3% liquid caramel

 - salt 0.5-0.7%

 antioxidant up to 0.02%

 The dough is formed in the form of cookies which are baked at a temperature of 220 ° C and 260 ° C for 7 minutes.

 The humidity of the cooled biscuits is of the order of 3%.

The study recipes were used to develop compacted cereal matrices under industrial conditions. The cereal matrices with a section of about 1100 mm ² are shaped using an alternative press that can apply a maximum force of 80 kN, a compression stress of 75 MPa. The mass of cereal matrices of an ovoid leaf shape, 40 mm and 35 mm in size is 7.5 g. the density of the compressed cereal matrices formed is estimated at 78.5%.

 The resistance of the samples after compression: 0.46 ± 0.06 MPa.

The same recipe with only icing sugar is also valid and gives similar results, the resistance of the samples after compression: 0.46 ± 0.04 MPa. Example 2: Ingredient promoting compression

 A cookie dough recipe containing 8 ingredients was successfully compacted but due to the high number of ingredients it was difficult to study the effect of each of them on the compaction. The objective of this step was to simplify the recipe "filled" and add one by one additional ingredients that can help compaction to distinguish the effect of each.

 Thus 6 tests were carried out:

 1 / recipe classic biscuit rather low fat (8 ingredients), control; flour, glucose syrup, icing sugar, palm, salt, baking powders (3 different); 2 / same type of recipe but simplified (4 ingredients), flour, icing sugar, palm and salt;

 3 / trial recipe 2 with crystal and non-ice sugar;

4 / test 2 recipe with whey additionally;

 5 / recipe of test 2 with sorbitol in addition;

 6 / recipe of test 2 with cocoa additionally.

The different ingredients were chosen for the following reasons: two types of sugar, ice and crystal were tested because their granulometry is different, the icing sugar being finer than the crystal, there is a possible influence on the final granulometry of the powder. Lactose is a highly used excipient in pharmacy for tablets. Sorbitol is also widely used in pharmacy, it is presented in syrup or powder. Cocoa seems interesting to test because of its composition and its naturally antioxidant properties.

Results of diametric rupture forces

These diametric fracture forces reflect the quality of the cereal matrices according to the invention. It is concluded that the best recipe is that containing sorbitol, cocoa is also a particularly interesting ingredient. In addition to the role of binder, cocoa brings a very special and typical flavor to the crunch.

 The effect of the cocoa was further evaluated with the recipe of Example 1. The recipe without cocoa makes it possible to obtain a resistance of 0.26 MPa (11.3 mm diameter punch and a direct compressive force implemented by 90 MPa). The recipe with cocoa (7-8%) shows a superior resistance of 0.37 MPa (11.3mm diameter punch and a direct compression force of 90 MPa).

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, cocoa is added before compression. Other sugar syrups were tested at the same content as sorbitol, such as glucose syrup, fructose syrup and invert sugar syrup. These sugars also give correct results after compression.

 Finally, the addition of wheat starch also makes it possible to have a better resistance:

 recipe of Example 1 (without wheat starch), the resistance is 0.26 MPa (punch diameter 11.3 mm and a direct compressive force implemented of 90 MPa),

 recipe of Example 1 with wheat starch, the resistance is then 0.29 (11.3 mm diameter punch and a direct compression force of 90 MPa). Example 3: Effect of cooking on compression

 Two different firings were tested to evaluate their effect on compression.

 The simplified recipe is the same as in Example 1. The breaking force is evaluated in the same way as in Example 1.

Recipes Moisture (%) Breaking Strength

 (MPa)

 Simplified recipe

with sorbitol with

cooking at a

 3.9 0.30 temperature included

between 220 and 260 ° C

(during 6 minutes)

 Simplified recipe

with sorbitol with

cooking at a

 1.9 0.18 temperature included

between 230 and 315 ° C

(during 6 minutes) The effect of baking on compaction can be clearly seen because for a product with twice the humidity, the breaking force is almost as strong.

 The inventors have discovered that to have a cohesive cookie powder in compression, a moisture between 3 and 4% within the biscuit powder is particularly suitable. A lower value tends to decrease the hardness of the crunch while a higher value gives a moist crunch in the mouth. Moisture thus favors the densification of the compressed cereal matrices resulting in a better hardness after compression.

 The coloration of the biscuit is therefore a parameter to be taken into account during cooking to reach this moisture. Indeed, to have such humidity, it is necessary to cook less, or less powerfully or less long and thus we obtain a white biscuit that is not attractive.

Example 4: Effect of grinding on compression

 The mill used in this example is a microcut (MCH20K) which is based on a helical cutting system. The biscuits are conveyed using a worm to the cutting system. At this stage there is already a pre-grinding. The system consists of a crown, the stator and a cutting head rotor. The cutting head turns and scrapes the biscuits on the crown. The space between the branches of the crown defines the fineness of grinding. Two types of crowns were tested, a crown of 0.7 mm and a crown of 3 mm. The size of the crowns defines the particle size of the biscuit powder. But for the same recipe, larger and more heterogeneous particles promote the cohesion of the powders and brings crunch in the mouth.

Distribution of the grain size according to the type of grinding, the measurements are made by laser granulometry. Dx10 Dx50 Dx50 Recipe

 (μΓπ) (μΓπ) (μΓπ)

 Base with cocoa

 37 237 666 ground to 0.7 mm

 Base with cocoa

 120 1050 2300 ground to 3 mm

The basic recipe is the same as in Example 1. The breaking force is evaluated in the same way as in Example 2.

 Dx10: 10% of the particles are of equal or smaller sizes, Dx50: 50% of the particles are of equal or smaller sizes, Dx90: 90% of the particles are of equal or smaller sizes.

 Influence of grain size on the hardness of compressed cereal matrices:

It is clear that the larger grains allow better compression.

 Thus, the strength of the basic recipe (Example 1) with cocoa milled to 0.7 mm is 0.37 ± 0.02 MPa (punch of 11.3 mm diameter and shaped at 270 MPa) , the same recipe always with cocoa but milled to 3 mm has a resistance of 0.66 ± 0.06 MPa (punch of 11.3 mm diameter and shaped to 270 MPa.

The size of the grinding therefore has an influence on the strength of the compressed cereal matrix. Example 5 Mixture of binders with the cereal powder before compression

 The basic recipe is the same as in Example 1. The breaking force is evaluated in the same way as in Example 1.

The difference between sorbitol 1 and 2 is granulometry.

Sorbitol 1:

minimum 15% <0.1 mm / 30-55%> 0.2 mm / 1%> 0.425 mm;

Sorbitol 2:

 20% <0.315 mm / 75% <0.1 mm.

 The addition of sorbitol powder before compression, mixed with the grain powder brings very good results.

Resistance in (MPa)

Recipe for compression at

 90 MPa to 20 mm

Base 0.42

 Base with 5% cellulose added

 0, 61

 microcrystalline

 Base with 5% cellulose added

 0, 67

silicified microcrystalline It is clear that the addition of cellulose promotes hardness of the products obtained.

Example 6: Compression of powders

 The compression tests are performed in uniaxial compression on an Instron® instrumented press for the measurement of a compressive force and the displacement of the punch as a function of time. The mechanical strength of the compressed cereal matrices is evaluated (in MPa) by a diametric rupture test on compressed cereal matrices obtained with the maximum compressive stress. An example of a relationship between the mechanical strength of compressed cereal matrices as a function of the applied compressive force is shown in Figure 1.

Two compression matrices of different sizes are used. A volume matrix of 2 cm ³ and 1 cm ² section (diameter of 11.3 mm) allowing the compression of about 500 mg of powder mixture and a volume matrix of 18 cm ³ and section 3.1 cm ² (diameter 20 mm) allowing the compression of about 2000 mg of powder mixture.

 The correlation of the mechanical strength as a function of the density of the compact shows that knowledge of the density of the compact makes it possible to deduce its resistance, independently of the compression tool. An example of the influence of the size of compressed cereal matrices on density and strength is shown in Figure 2.

 FIG. 2A shows the density of the compressed M-T mixture matrices as a function of the compression stress and the diameter of the matrix.

 FIG. 2B shows the resistance of the compressed M-T mixture matrices as a function of their relative density.

Compression tests carried out under these conditions show that the incorporation of phytoelements into the biscuit powder can improve the compressibility, in particular by a supply of moisture by the phytoelements. Grain matrices compressed with phytoelements (diameter 11.3 mm) obtained at the maximum pressure of compression are then denser and more resistant.

It is clear that the addition of phytoelements increases the density and the resistance.

 The mechanical strength of the cereal matrices can be improved by the addition of binders. Figure 3 shows the strength of the compressed cereal matrices as a function of the rate and nature of the binders. FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the strength of the compressed cereal matrices as a function of the sorbitol content (98.5% D-sorbitol). A resistance of 0.82 MPa is obtained with a 6% sorbitol content for a biscuit recipe compressed at 90 MPa in a 20 mm matrix.

Recipes from the previous study were used to develop compressed cereal matrices under industrial conditions. The compact section of about 1100 mm ² are shaped using an alternative press that can apply a maximum force of 80 kN, a compressive stress of 75 MPa. The mass of compressed cereal matrices of an ovoid leaf shape, 40 mm and 35 mm in size is 7.5 g. The density of the compressed cereal matrices formed is estimated at 78.5%. Example 7: Storage of phytoelements incorporated in a compacted cereal matrix

 In order to study the conservation of phytoelements in compacted biscuits, accelerated aging tests were carried out. A first accelerated aging test over 3 months makes it possible to estimate the stability of the compounds over one year and a second one over 6 months makes it possible to estimate the stability over 2 years.

 Two different ages were evaluated, an oxidative aging which makes it possible to evaluate the oxidation of phytoelements and fats present in the cereal material and a hygrometric aging which measures the water recovery of the cereal matrix. For oxidative aging the biscuits are packed in two in a hermetic bag and placed in an oven at 27 ° C and with 50% relative humidity. For hygrometric aging, the biscuits are also packaged in pairs in a hermetic bag but they are placed in an oven at 30 ° C and 90% relative humidity.

Three recipes were tested:

Recipe 1:

 cookie powder: 93-95%

 - linden: 3-4%

 lemon balm: 2-3%

 - zinc: 0.45-0.65%

 - Vitamin B6: 0.001-0.002%

Recipe 2:

 biscuit powder: 96-98%

 Vitamin C provided by Acerola: 0.08-0.16%

 - goji powder: 0.3-0.5%

 Yeast beta glucans: 1-2%

- magnesium: 0.007-0.009% Recipe 3:

 biscuit powder: 98-99%

 Vitamin C provided by Acerola: 0.04-0.08%

 goji powder: 0.15-0.25%

 - Yeast beta glucans: 0.5-1%

 - magnesium: 0.0035-0.0045%.

On recipe 1, the following compounds were analyzed:

 linden by quantification of total flavonoids in HPLC - melissa by quantification of rosmarinic acid in HPLC vitamin B6 by HPLC

 zinc by spectrometry

corresponds to the date of manufacture

All compounds are in the desired amount after 1 year of aging and are stable over time.

 On recipes 2 and 3, the following compounds were analyzed:

 Vitamin C provided by Acerola in HPLC: dosage of L-ascorbic acid

 magnesium by spectrometry.

Vitamin C (mg / 100g) Magnesium (mg / 100g)

T0 T = lan T0 T = lan

Recipe 2 139 123 25 25

Recipe 3 55 48.3 20 22 Vitamin C and magnesium are fairly stable over time since their content hardly moves at 1 year of aging. The amount of vitamin C remained in accordance with the desired content at 1 year. The magnesium content is higher than the quantity dosed in the 2 recipes but this is due to the matrix which already contains a high content of magnesium and certain phytoelements which also provide magnesium (wolfberry and yeast).

Claims

claims

A cereal matrix obtained by direct compression of a mixture comprising biscuit powder and at least one ingredient selected from nutrients and functional substances.

2. cereal matrix according to claim 1, characterized in that the mixture comprises biscuit powder, at least one nutrient and at least one functional substance.

3. cereal matrix according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the ingredient selected from the nutrients is selected from the group consisting of vitamins, minerals, trace elements or mixtures thereof.

4. cereal matrix according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the ingredient selected from the functional substances is selected from the group consisting of phytoelements, prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, products from fermentation, the peptides or their mixtures.

5. cereal matrix according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the amount of water of the mixture for direct compression is between 2% and 5% by weight of the total mixture.

6. cereal matrix according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the mixture for direct compression further comprises a binding agent.

Cereal matrix according to Claim 6, characterized in that the binding agent is sorbitol.

8. cereal matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the particle size of the biscuit powder is between 100 μιτι and 5000 μιτι, particularly between 800 μιτι and 2000 μιτι, or even more particularly between 200 μιτι and 700 μιτι .

9. cereal matrix according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ingredient selected from the functional substances is selected from acerola, wolfberry and lemon balm and mixtures thereof.

10. cereal matrix according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the ingredient selected from the nutrients is selected zinc, magnesium, vitamin B1, vitamin B6 and mixtures thereof.

11. cereal matrix according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the mixture comprises biscuit powder, lemon balm, vitamin B1, vitamin B6 and magnesium.

The cereal matrix of claim 11 for use in the treatment of sleep disorders or anxiety.

13. cereal matrix according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the mixture comprises biscuit powder, acerola, wolfberry, zinc and optionally yeast extract.

A cereal matrix according to claim 13 for use in the treatment of immunity disorders or for enhancing immunity.

15. A method of manufacturing a cereal matrix comprising the following steps:

 - provide a biscuit powder,

 - mixing the biscuit powder with at least one ingredient selected from nutrients and functional substances,

 - Direct compression of the powder mixture.