WO2021250443A1

WO2021250443A1 - Spreadable, low-sodium fat-based products and method for producing same

Info

Publication number: WO2021250443A1
Application number: PCT/IB2020/055424
Authority: WO
Inventors: Angela Liliana LATORRE VELÁSQUEZ; Mónica Viviana ROJAS CORREDOR
Original assignee: Team Foods Colombia S.A.
Priority date: 2020-06-09
Filing date: 2020-06-09
Publication date: 2021-12-16
Also published as: MX2022002333A; CO2022002435A2

Abstract

The present application relates to spreadable, margarine-type products with a fat content of between 58% and 70%, which use natural flavouring techniques together with crystallisation processes to reduce the sodium content by between 40% and 50% with respect to the equivalent product not reduced in sodium, without affecting the salty taste perception of the product.

Description

SPREADABLE FATTY PRODUCTS REDUCED IN SODIUM AND METHODS OF OBTAINING THE SAME

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

The prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases is a priority for current public health, as these diseases appear more and more frequently and at younger ages. These diseases are related to demographic and epidemiological transition processes, sedentary lifestyle, tobacco consumption and poor eating habits.

Among these diseases are cardiovascular diseases, in which the increase in blood pressure (arterial hypertension) constitutes an important metabolic risk factor, which can cause cerebrovascular accidents, kidney failure, and even death.

One of the main causes of high blood pressure is related to high sodium intake in the diet. For this reason, reducing the amount of table salt in the basic foods of the family basket is of vital importance as a measure to reduce the incidence of this condition. Additionally, and considering the high costs of drug therapies for this type of disease and that being chronic diseases require continuous management, a better regulation of the salt content in food to reduce its consumption turns out to be the most cost-effective strategy. for the prevention and management of arterial hypertension.

Faced with this public health problem, the world health organization recommends consuming less than 5g of salt per person per day, for which nations must develop salt reduction programs based on the reformulation of foods and meals, awareness of the population through educational campaigns and changes in the environment regarding the consumption of salt. Thus, and with respect to the reformulation of foods and meals, research in the field of food directs one of its branches towards the search for alternatives that allow meeting acceptable levels of sodium intake in the diet.

This is how the oil and fat industry has developed a wide variety of products with reduced amounts of salt in their composition, among which are vegetable oils, shortenings, margarines, spreads, among others, the latter being of great interest due to its high demand by the consumer.

In the state of the art there are technologies to reduce the amount of salt in said products, such as the replacement of sodium salt, among which the replacement of sodium chloride by substitute salts such as potassium chloride, magnesium salts stand out. , phosphates, acidulants, flavor enhancers, among others.

However, when using such substitutes to reduce the salt content in the product, the manufacturer must consider the final organoleptic characteristics of the product reduced in salt, so that these are similar to those of the product not reduced in salt. Among these characteristics, it should be considered that the perception of salt is similar to that of the original product, and that a similar consistency is also maintained.

In this way, and in particular for space products, document WO2010094839 is in the state of the art, which discloses processes to improve the organoleptic properties of reduced sodium space dairy products containing a sterol and / or stanol ester and / or at least one biologically active peptide, and have a sodium content between 40% and 60% lower than that in commercial products. In this application, such a reduction is achieved by replacing sodium with other minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, of which a much higher concentration is needed; However, these minerals accentuate the defects in the flavor and texture of the product generated by other components of the same, such as asters of sterol / stanol or biologically active peptides. Therefore, this application proposes a method to mitigate said taste and texture defects through the use of fatty milk components and non-fat milk solids.

Likewise, document US20120156330 teaches low sodium space margarines with a reduced amount of trans fats and probiotics, where low sodium sea salt is used. The use of low sodium sea salt allows the amount of sodium in the composition to be lowered by up to 90%.

For its part, document US20100047391 reveals a method to prepare a reduced sodium dairy product, for example cheese, where yeast extract is used that comprises at least 30% of 5'-ribonucleotides as 5'-GMP and 5ΊMR as a replacement. of the salt or sodium chloride substitute salt masking agent, wherein said ribonucleotides fulfill the function of masking possible unpleasant flavors of the composition and improving the perception of the salt.

Furthermore, document US20120213906 teaches the obtaining of processed cheeses or cheese products processed as spreads with a reduced sodium content, in which emulsified salts are used for their production. This emulsion system comprises potassium salts and / or functionalized milk protein sources for emulsification, such as a reduced calcium milk protein concentrate.

Taking into account all the above, and in view of the fact that the development of substitutes for sodium salts revolves around alternative salts with ions other than sodium, which give the products an unpleasant taste and which can also alter their texture, there is the need to develop products reduced in sodium, such as spreads or margarines, that use different alternatives to those already known to reduce the amount of sodium in the product and that confer organoleptic characteristics similar to those of the product not reduced in sodium. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates to food products that have a reduced sodium content and at the same time retain the perception of salty taste compared to the non-reduced product.

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INVENTION

The present application presents spreadable products with a fat content between 58% and 70%, which are reduced in sodium to a percentage between 40% and 50% with respect to the equivalent product not reduced in sodium.

Said reduction is achieved by using flavor enhancing ingredients, in particular natural ingredients, in combination with the W / O type emulsion structuring technique, which is achieved through the use of milk solids, the definition of the lipid mixture and the crystallization process of said emulsions. To obtain the emulsions, margarine processing units (MPU) are used which, together with the particular selection of ingredients and their respective proportions, will determine the functional and sensory properties of the final product.

The spray product of the present invention avoids the use of substitute salts such as potassium chloride, magnesium salts, phosphates, so it does not make it necessary to use masking agents that hide the unpleasant flavors provided by said substitute salts.

In addition, with the spreadable product of the present application, it is possible to go from a sodium intake of between 135 - 115 mg and up to 56 mg in a 14 g portion of product, which contributes to the need to reduce sodium consumption and therefore, the impact it has on non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Likewise, the spreadable product of the present application, despite being reduced in sodium, generates a perception of salty taste similar to that of the unreduced product and an adequate texture, thus maintaining consumer acceptance of the spreadable product of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The figures listed below are part of the present application and present information related to the invention defined in the present application.

Figure 1 presents the fat solids profile of the spatial products of the invention with respect to temperature.

Figure 2 presents the sensory profiles of the exemplified spatial products compared to the non-sodium reduced product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Taking into account the foregoing, the object of the present application and the surprising technical advantages achieved by the inventor, the essential characteristics, although not limiting, of the spreadable product reduced in sodium of the present application are described below and in detail.

Thus, the present invention defines a spreadable product that comprises a mixture of fats, at least one derivative of milk, an emulsifying agent, at least one flavor enhancer, and sodium chloride in a reduced amount, which does not exceed 1, 4% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

The fat blend in the spreadable product of the invention comprises one or more refined, bleached and deodorized vegetable oils from different sources. The vegetable oils used in the spreadable product of the present invention are selected from, among others, sunflower oil, medium and high oleic sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, rapeseed oil. high oleic, soybean oil, high oleic soybean oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm olein, palm stearin, palm kernel olein, or other fractions of palm or palm kernel oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, walnut oil, refined olive oil, pure olive oil, virgin olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, and olive pomace oil. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the vegetable oils used are sunflower oil, soybean oil, cane oil, and / or palm oil and their fractions. Optionally, these oils have been subjected to transformation processes, such as total hydrogenation processes, interesterification processes, among others, in order to confer properties to said fats that are favorable for obtaining the spreadable product with desirable organoleptic properties. .

The sodium sodium chloride used in the spray product of the present invention comes from, among others, common salt or sea salt.

For its part, the milk derivative can be, but is not limited to, milk solids. In a particular embodiment, the milk solids are selected from, among others, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey, or any mixture thereof. In a more particular embodiment, the milk solids are skim milk powder.

The emulsifying agent comprises fatty acid monoglycerides, fatty acid diglycerides, fatty acid triglycerides, or any mixture thereof. The fatty acids of said monoglycerides, diglycerides and triglycerides can be saturated or unsaturated fatty acids derived from palm, sunflower, cañola and / or soybean oil. In other embodiments of the invention, the emulsifying agent further comprises polyglycerol esters of polycondensed castor oil fatty acids (PGPR).

Flavors and flavor enhancers can be of natural or artificial origin. Flavor enhancers, also known as salty flavor enhancers are selected from yeast extract, hydrolyzed yeast extract, guanylic acid, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide, vinegar, maltodextrin, salty flavors of beef, celery, cheese, cold cuts, fish, pork, shellfish, chicken, or mixtures thereof. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flavor enhancers are selected from maltodextrin, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, disodium 5'-ribonucleotide, and mixtures thereof.

In a general embodiment of the invention, the spreadable product comprising a mixture of fats in an amount of about 50% to about 70% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product, at least one milk derivative in an amount of about 0 , 2% to approximately 3.0% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product, emulsifier in an amount of approximately 0.3% to approximately 1.5% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product, flavor enhancers at a amount from about 0.05% to about 0.2% by weight relative to the total weight of the product and sodium chloride to an amount of less than about 1.4% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the fat mixture is in an amount of approximately 58% to approximately 70% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product. In an even more particular embodiment, the fat mixture is in an amount of approximately 58% to approximately 68.4% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the milk derivative is in an amount of approximately 0.2% to approximately 3.0% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product. In a more particular embodiment, the milk derivative is in an amount of from about 0.4% to about 1.8% by weight relative to the total weight of the product. In an even more particular embodiment, the milk derivative is in an amount of approximately 0.45% to approximately 1.5% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product. In another particular embodiment, the milk derivative comprises up to 3% by weight of fat. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the emulsifier is in an amount of from about 0.3% to about 1.5% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product. In a more particular embodiment, the emulsifier is in an amount of approximately 0.55% to approximately 1% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the flavor enhancer is in an amount of approximately 0.05% to approximately 0.2% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product. In a more particular embodiment, the flavor enhancer is in an amount of from about 0.08% to about 0.15% by weight relative to the total weight of the product. In a more particular embodiment, the flavor enhancer is in an amount of approximately 0.1% to approximately 0.12% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product.

The spreadable product of the present invention comprises sodium chloride in an amount of about 0.5% to about 1.4% by weight relative to the total weight of the product. In a preferred embodiment, sodium chloride is present in an amount of from about 1% to about 1.4% by weight relative to the total weight of the product. In a more preferred embodiment, the sodium chloride is in an amount of from about 1.25% to about 1.4% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product.

The spreadable product of the invention further comprises water, which is in an amount of from about 24.9% to about 49.4% by weight relative to the weight of the final product. In a preferred embodiment, the water content is in an amount from about 26% to about 40% by weight relative to the weight of the final product. In a more preferred embodiment, the water content is in an amount from about 28.5% to about 38.5% by weight relative to the weight of the final product. Furthermore, the spreadable product of the present invention may comprise at least one preservative, at least one flavoring agent, at least one colorant, at least one pH regulating agent, at least one chelating agent, and / or at least one vitamin.

The preservatives used in the spreadable product of the present invention can be of natural or artificial origin. Said preservatives are selected from the group consisting of potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, natural fruit extracts, or mixtures thereof. The preservative (s) are present in an amount of approximately 0% to approximately 0.5% by weight relative to the weight of the final product, and preferably in an amount of approximately 0.1% by weight relative to the weight of the final product. The maximum dose must be in correspondence with the associated regulations.

The flavoring or flavoring agents used in the spreadable product of the present invention can be natural flavors, artificial flavors, or natural-identical flavors. Said flavoring agents are selected from the group consisting of milk flavor, butter flavor, fat flavor, fruit flavors, vanilla, herb or spice flavors, or any mixture thereof. The flavoring agent (s) are present in an amount of approximately 0.01% to approximately 0.2% by weight relative to the weight of the final product, and preferably in an amount of approximately 0.03% to approximately 0.15%. by weight relative to the weight of the final product.

The colorants used in the spreadable product of the present invention are selected from the group consisting of annatto (or annatto), turmeric, beta-carotene, or any mixture thereof. The colorant (s) are present in an amount of from about 0% to about 0.05% by weight relative to the weight of the final product, and preferably in an amount of from about 0.01% by weight relative to the weight of the final product.

The pH regulating agents can be any chemical product capable of modifying or maintaining the pH of food, which can be inorganic or organic neutralizes. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the agent pH regulator is citric acid. The pH regulating agent (s) are found in an amount of approximately 0% to approximately 0.1% by weight relative to the weight of the final product, and preferably in an amount of approximately 0.04% to 0.05% by weight. with respect to the weight of the final product.

Chelating agents can be any chemical compound capable of sequestering metals. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the chelating agent is EDTA. The chelating agent (s) are found in an amount of from about 0% to about 0.05% by weight relative to the weight of the final product, and preferably in an amount of from about 0.01% by weight relative to the weight of the final product. .

Vitamins can be water-soluble or fat-soluble. These vitamins are selected from the group consisting of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, any vitamin of the B complex, or mixtures thereof. The vitamin (s) are found in an amount of from about 0% to about 0.1% by weight with respect to the weight of the final product, and preferably in an amount of from 0.04% to about 0.05% by weight with respect to the final product weight. The dose of these vitamins is subject to the individual purity level and the nutrient declarations that are to be made, where at least, the dose must guarantee that the product can be considered a Good Source of Vitamin, according to the regulations that apply in the country where it is marketed.

To obtain the spreadable product of the present invention, margarine processing units (MPU) are used, for which the emulsion must be prepared in advance and requires: an aqueous phase, which comprises water, sodium chloride, preservatives, water-soluble flavors and milk derivative; and an oil phase, comprising the mixture of fats, colorants, fat-soluble flavors, and emulsifiers. The distribution and proportions described above for each of the ingredients of the composition contribute to obtaining the final product with the desired organoleptic characteristics.

Thus, the flavor agents are distributed in the emulsion both in the water-soluble phase and in the fat-soluble phase to generate uniformity in the perception of flavors. For its part, the flavor enhancer is incorporated into the water-soluble phase together with the sodium chloride. In this way, when the product is consumed, the fat crystals melt, releasing fat-soluble flavors in the mouth, and the drops of the aqueous phase are exposed, generating the release of the substances contained there, which together results in a taste experience that gives the perception of similarity in the salty taste.

On the other hand, emulsifiers make it possible to create the necessary interaction to produce the emulsion between the two phases, in such a way that the necessary crystallization process can be carried out to obtain the final product with the desired characteristics.

In this way, the crystallization process that occurs in the MPU is based on the supercooling of the emulsion, a subsequent nucleation and crystal formation. In this process, the size of the nuclei and subsequent crystals depends on the cooling rate, the chemical structure of the fatty bases present in the formulation, and the presence of other substances.

The importance of the crystallization process and the conditions defined in the MPU lies in achieving the adequate crystallization that allows obtaining the required texture and plasticity. The crystallization of fats is complex because, when it is composed of a wide range of fatty acid species of different chain length, degree of unsaturation and spatial orientation, it generates a phenomenon known as polymorphism, which consists in that the same molecule can crystallize in different ways depending on the processing conditions. For the formulation of spreads or margarines, a mixture of fat sources is defined, which can be of natural origin or processed (for example, by interesterification or total hydrogenation), which will mark the crystallization pattern and a large part of the functionality of the product. . Therefore, said mixture is decisive for the spreadability experience on a biscuit, bread, or other food products, in addition to the melting profile in the mouth, generation of fatty residuals, temperature stability, product hardness at different conditions of storage, among others.

Therefore, the conditions in the emulsion formation process and in the crystallization process will define the final characteristics of the product.

These conditions also influence the water drop size, which will depend on the emulsifying system, the mechanical work (agitation) that is exerted on the emulsion and, consequently, will impact the perception of flavor, since ingredients are found in the aqueous phase. that provide and complement the taste experience, such as salt, flavor enhancer and water-soluble flavors. Therefore, it is established that the droplet size obtained in the emulsion of the spreads reported in this invention must have a size distribution such that approximately 97% have a size less than 20 microns to obtain the expected sensory effects.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLES

Example 1. Illustrative examples of margarine-type spreadable products of the invention

In accordance with the embodiments described throughout this document, the applicant develops Formulations 1 to 4, which are defined in Tables 1 to 4 below: Table 1. Percentage composition of Formulation 1

Table 2. Percentage composition of Formulation 2

Table 3. Percentage composition of Formulation 3

Table 4. Percentage composition of Formulation 4 of the spreadable product of the invention

Salty taste: mixture of maltodextrin, disodium 5'-ribonucleotide and medium chain triglycerides, where the disodium 5'-ribonucleotide corresponds to 10% of said mixture.

With the compositions presented above, a reduction of up to 50% of the sodium intake is achieved, in view of the fact that the amount of salt is reduced from 2.5% in commercial products to 1.25% in the formulations presented here.

Both the compositions taught above and the margarine crystallization conditions chosen to obtain spatial products with organoleptic properties that are acceptable to the consumer, such as a salty perception similar to that of the product not reduced in sodium and the texture.

Example 2. Evaluation of solids content in exemplary products of the invention

To determine the fat solids content profile of the spreadable product of the invention, the solids content was measured at different temperatures, obtaining the results shown in tables 5 and 6, figure 1.

Table 5. Fat solids content as a function of temperature for the mixtures of the fats of formulas 1, 2 and 4

Table 6. Fat solids content as a function of the temperature of the fat mixture of formula 3

From these results, it is understood that the aerospace products of the invention have the ability to melt adequately in the consumer's mouth, thereby achieving an acceptable salty taste perception.

Example 3. Sensory study for exemplary products of the invention

To validate the perception of salt of the space products of the invention of example 1, sensory tests were carried out in which the similarity in the perception of salty taste was evidenced. In addition, an odor, flavor and residual flavor profile test was carried out, with a descriptive profile in appearance and color, following the NTC 3929: 1996 methodology. The results obtained are reported in Figure 2.

From these results, it is evident that the recreational products of the invention are characterized by presenting notes of butter, dairy, essence, butyric, fat and serosity in the odor, flavor and residual flavor descriptors. In appearance, the samples appear creamy, homogeneous, smooth and without foreign particles.

Based on all the results obtained from the studies carried out on the formulations of Example 1 of the present application, it can be concluded that, in terms of flavor profile, the developed reduced sodium sprinkle has a "salt" flavor descriptor very close to the one that does not has the reduction of sodium, thanks to the balance in formulation and methodology issues involved in the technology used in this development.

Claims

1. A margarine-type spreadable product comprising:

- mixture of fats in an amount of approximately 50% to approximately 70% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product,

- at least one milk derivative in an amount from about 0.2% to about 3.0% by weight relative to the total weight of the product,

- emulsifier in an amount from about 0.3% to about 1.5% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product,

- at least one flavor enhancer in an amount of about 0.05% to about 0.2% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product,

sodium chloride in an amount of from about 0.05% to about 1.4% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product, and

- water in an amount of from about 24.9% to about 49.4% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

The spreadable product of claim 1, comprising fat blend in an amount of from about 58% to about 68.4% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

The spreadable product of claim 1 or 2, comprising at least one milk derivative in an amount of from about 0.45% to about 1.5% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

4. The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 3, comprising an emulsifier in an amount of about 0.55% to about 1% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

5. The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 4, comprising at least one flavor enhancer in an amount of about 0.1% to about 0.12% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

6. The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 5, comprising sodium chloride in an amount from about 1.25% to about 1.4% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

7. The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fat blend comprises one or more oils of vegetable origin.

The spreadable product of claim 7, wherein the one or more oils of vegetable origin are selected from sunflower oil, medium and high oleic sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, high oleic ragwort oil, oil soybean, high oleic soybean oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm olein, palm stearin, palm kernel olein, or other fractions of palm or palm kernel oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, oil avocado, coconut oil, walnut oil, refined olive oil, pure olive oil, virgin olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, and olive pomace oil.

The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one milk derivative is selected from whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey, or any mixture thereof.

The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the emulsifier is selected from fatty acid monoglycerides, fatty acid diglycerides, fatty acid triglycerides, or any mixture thereof.

The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 10, further comprising at least one preservative.

12. The spreadable product of claim 11, wherein the at least one preservative is in an amount of from about 0% to about 0.5% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

The spreadable product of claim 11 or 12, wherein the at least one preservative is selected from potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, natural fruit extracts, or mixtures thereof.

The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 13, further comprising at least one colorant.

15. The spreadable product of claim 14, wherein the at least one colorant is in an amount of from about 0% to about 0.05% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

16. The spreadable product of claim 14 or 15, wherein the at least one colorant is selected from annatto, turmeric, beta-carotene, or any mixture thereof.

17. The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 16, further comprising at least one flavoring agent.

18. The spreadable product of claim 17, wherein the at least one flavoring agent is in an amount of from about 0.01% to about 0.2% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

19. The spreadable product of claim 17 or 18, wherein the at least one flavoring agent is selected from milk flavor, butter flavor, or any mixture thereof.

20. The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 19, further comprising at least one vitamin.

21. The spreadable product of claim 20, wherein the at least one vitamin is in an amount of from about 0% to about 0.1% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

22. The spreadable product of claim 20 or 21, wherein the at least one vitamin may be a water-soluble vitamin or a fat-soluble vitamin.

23. The spreadable product of any of claims 1 to 22, further comprising a pH regulating agent and / or a chelating agent.

24. The spreadable product of claim 23, wherein the at least one pH regulating agent is in an amount of approximately 0.04% to approximately 0.05% by weight with respect to the total weight of the product, the at least a chelating agent is found in an amount of approximately 0.01% by weight relative to the total weight of the product.

25. The spreadable product of claim 23 or 24, wherein the pH regulating agent is citric acid and the chelating agent is EDTA.