WO2023117292A1

WO2023117292A1 - Plant-derived iron-fortifying agent

Info

Publication number: WO2023117292A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/083128
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francesco Donsi; Krassimir Petkov Velikov
Original assignee: Unilever Ip Holdings B.V.; Conopco, Inc., D/B/A Unilever
Priority date: 2021-12-24
Filing date: 2022-11-24
Publication date: 2023-06-29

Abstract

Disclosed is a plant-derived iron fortifying agent in particulate form, comprising iron in an amount of at least 40 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent, and wherein at least 50% by volume of the fortifying agent has an apparent diameter of less than 500 μm.

Description

PLANT-DERIVED IRON-FORTIFYING AGENT

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a plant-derived iron fortifying agent in particulate form, food products comprising the agent and processes for manufacturing the agent.

Background of the invention

Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world and is a public health problem in almost all countries. Iron deficiency is the result of a longterm negative iron balance; in its more severe stages, iron deficiency causes anaemia. Anaemia is defined as a low blood haemoglobin concentration. Haemoglobin cut-off values that indicate anaemia vary with physiological status (e.g. age, sex) and have been defined for various population groups by WHO.

Iron fortification of food is a methodology utilised worldwide to address iron deficiency.

Technically, iron is the most challenging micronutrient to add to foods, because the iron compounds that have the best bioavailability tend to be those that interact most strongly with food constituents to produce undesirable organoleptic changes. When selecting a suitable iron compound as a food fortificant, the overall objective is to find the one that has the greatest bioavailability, yet at the same time does not cause unacceptable changes to the sensory properties (i.e. taste, colour, texture) of the food vehicle.

A wide variety of iron compounds are currently used as food fortificants. These can be broadly divided into three categories:

• water soluble;

• poorly water soluble but soluble in dilute acid;

• water insoluble and poorly soluble in dilute acid.

Being highly soluble in gastric juices, the water-soluble iron compounds have the highest relative bioavailability of all iron fortificants. However, water soluble iron compounds are also the most likely to have adverse effects on the organoleptic qualities of foods, in particular, on the colour and flavour. Unwanted colour changes typically include a green or bluish colouration in cereals, a greying of chocolate and cocoa, and darkening of salt to yellow or red/brown. During prolonged storage, the presence of fortificant iron in oil containing foods can cause rancidity and subsequent off flavours. Ferrous sulfate is the most frequently used water-soluble iron fortificant. Other water- soluble iron compounds that have been used for iron fortification are ferrous gluconate, ferrous lactate, ferrous bisglycinate, ferric ammonium citrate and sodium iron EDTA.

Ferrous sulfate and ferrous fumarate are available commercially in encapsulated form and are currently used in dry infant formulas and in infant cereals, predominantly in industrialised countries. The main purpose of encapsulation is to separate the iron from the other food components, thereby mitigating sensory changes. When developing encapsulated iron fortificants, it is important to select a coating that provides an adequate balance between stability and bioavailability. Iron compounds are usually encapsulated with hydrogenated vegetable oils, but mono- and diglycerides and ethyl cellulose, have also been used.

Even in relatively dry foodstuffs such as savoury concentrates, the presence of iron can cause undesirable changes in the organoleptic properties, including appearance and/or negatively influence storage stability. Thus previous strategies have been devised to effectively fortify food products.

WO 2010/086192 A (Unilever PLC et al) discloses a dry savoury food concentrate comprising: a) from 30 percent wt. to 70 percent wt. of NaCI; b) from 0.05 percent wt. to 2 percent wt of an iron ion selected from the group consisting of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ and mixtures thereof, which iron ion is derived from an added iron compound which is dissolvable in an aqueous solution, c) from 0.35 percent wt. to 7.0 percent wt of an acid compound selected from the group consisting of citric acid, ascorbic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid and mixtures thereof, all weight percent based on the weight of the total dry savoury food concentrate, and wherein the ratio of acid ions to iron ions on molecular level is between 1 :1 and 10:1 , and wherein the concentrate is a concentrate selected from the group of concentrates consisting of a bouillon concentrate, a soup concentrate, a sauce concentrate and a gravy concentrate.

WO 2014/135387 A (Unilever PLC et al) discloses a savoury food concentrate comprising sodium chloride, glutamate, an iron salt, and further non-iron phosphate salt. WO 2017/108351 A (Unilever PLC et al) discloses a savoury concentrate containing: • 30-80 weight percent of salt particles, including at least 0.002 weight percent of iron- containing salt particles comprising: 0.03-30 mole percent of iron cation selected from Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺ and combinations thereof; 10-49.97 mole percent of non-iron cations selected from Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, NH⁴⁺ and combinations thereof; 16-70.2 mole percent of Cl’; 0-30 mole percent of anions selected from SC ²’, citrate, fumarate and combinations thereof; • at least 3 weight percent of taste imparting components selected from glutamate, sugars, pieces of plant material and combinations thereof; • 0-30 weight percent of oil; and • 0-10 weight percent water.

It is evident that most currently available technologies rely on the use of synthetic salts of iron with inorganic (e.g. sulphate, pyrophosphate) or organic ions (e.g. fumarate). Although some natural materials have also been suggested for use as nutrient sources for use in health food formulations.

K.S. Muthamma Milan et al. (“Enhancement of digestive enzymatic activity by cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) and role of spent cumin as a bionutrient”, Food Chemistry 110 (2008) 678-683) discloses that phytase treatment of spent cumin in the presence of citric acid increases iron and zinc bioavailability. Thus, the spent cumin can find potential use in various health food formulations, showing improved digestibility and a good nutrient composition.

S. Abu Jadayil etal. (“Bioavailability of iron from four different local food plants in Jordan”, Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 54 (1999) 285-294) discloses an investigation of the bioavailability of iron from black cumin seeds, milk thistle seeds, sesame seeds and thyme leaves in the diet of rats.

H.F. Al-Sayyed et al. (“A Possible Effect of Thyme (Origanum syriacum L.) Tannins on Its Iron Bioavailability in Rats” J. Saudi Soc. For Food and Nutrition, vol 2, no. 2 (2007) 1-17) discloses an investigation into the bioavailability of iron from different levels of sun- dried thyme in the diet of rats.

The present inventors have recognised a need for a new agent for iron-fortification of foodstuffs which as good iron bioavailability, is simple to produce, can deliver iron along with other nutrients and/or which can be used in low amounts to avoid changing the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs.

Summary of the invention

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a plant-derived iron fortifying agent in particulate form, comprising iron in an amount of at least 40 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent, and wherein at least 50% by volume of the fortifying agent has an apparent diameter of less than 500 pm.

The present inventors have found that by carefully selecting plant materials that have a high iron content and comminuting them to a high degree (as indicated by a small apparent diameter), iron-fortifying agents can be provided which have good iron bioavailability, are simple to produce, can deliver iron along with other nutrients and/or which can be used in low amounts to avoid changing the organoleptic properties of foodstuffs.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a food product comprising the plant- derived iron fortifying agent of the first aspect.

In a still further aspect, the present invention provides a use of the plant-derived iron fortifying agent of the first aspect for fortifying a food product with iron.

In a yet further aspect, the present invention provides a process for manufacturing the plant-derived iron fortifying agent of the first aspect wherein the process comprises comminuting plant material in a mechanical cell disruption step.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows the particle size distribution of dried thyme that has been cold processed after various comminution steps.

Figure 2 shows the particle size distribution of dried thyme that has been hot processed after various comminution steps. Figure 3 shows the amount of extractable iron per kg of dried thyme which has been hot processed (white bars) or cold processed (hatched bars) after various comminution steps.

Detailed description

The present invention provides a plant-derived iron fortifying agent in particulate form, comprising iron in an amount of at least 40 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent, and wherein at least 50% by volume of the fortifying agent has an apparent diameter of less than 500 pm.

Certain plant materials have naturally high levels of iron, although the exact amount may vary by season, age of plant, quality of soil etc. Typical values for many plant materials are publicly available (see, for example, FoodData Central of the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE at https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/ndb/nutrients/index) and examples are given in Table 1.

TABLE 1

Thus it is referred that the agent is derived from one or more of thyme, basil, spearmint, marjoram, seaweed, cumin, turmeric, parsley and dill. More preferably the agent is derived from one or more of thyme, basil, spearmint, marjoram, seaweed and cumin. More preferably still the agent is derived from one or more of thyme, basil, spearmint, and marjoram. Even more preferably the agent is derived from one or more of thyme and basil. Most preferably the agent comprises or consists of thyme. The composition of the iron-fortifying agent can be determined by using conventional methods for elemental analysis such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and/or inductively coupled plasma (ICP) techniques: ICP-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), ICP-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Energy- Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), or combination of them. EDXS is preferably used to determine the composition of the agent.

Preferably the plant material that the agent is derived from comprises at least one nutrient in addition to the iron. In particular it is referred that the agent comprises at least one of an antioxidant (such as a polyphenol), a vitamin, and a mineral other than iron.

Various parts of a plant may be used to derive the material, including one or more of leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and roots. The plant parts used will typically be selected to be those that contain the highest amount of iron. Conveniently, the plant parts may be waste products from commercial herb and spice production. Where the material is thyme, it is preferred that the agent is derived from leaves and/or stems.

In certain embodiments it may be preferable that the plant-derived iron fortifying agent has been subjected to at least one decolourization and/or flavour-removal process to further reduce its effect on the organoleptic properties of any foodstuff that it is used to fortify. Care should be taken in any such processes to ensure that iron is not removed in addition to the colour and/or flavour.

Whatever the origin, the plant material from which the agent is derived is selected to ensure that the agent comprises iron in an amount of at least 40 mg per 100 gram dry weight, preferably the amount of iron is at least 60 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent, more preferably, at least 80 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent, more preferably still at least 90 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent, and most preferably from 100 mg to 200 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent.

The present inventers have found that the amount of bioavailable iron in the fortifying agent can be greatly increased by disrupting the cells of the plant material from which it is derived. A clear indication of cell disruption has been found to be the particle size of the agent. In particular, at least 50% by volume of the fortifying agent has an apparent diameter of less than 500 pm, more preferably at least 75% and most preferably 90 to 100%. Particularly good bioavailability is found if at least 50% by volume of the fortifying agent has an apparent diameter of less than 100 pm, more preferably at least 75% and most preferably 90 to 100%. Where plant material is present that has a diameter of greater than 1 mm, this is not to be considered as part of the agent, even if the agent is derived from the same material.

By “apparent diameter” is meant the particle size as measured by laser light scattering of an aqueous dispersion of the agent using a static light scattering instrument such as a Mastersizer™ 2000 from Malvern Panalytical.

The bioavailability of iron in the agent is linked to the amount of iron that is extractable from the agent under acid conditions (i.e. similar to the gastric environment). As used herein “extractable iron” refers to the amount of iron solubilized by incubating a mixture of 1 ml of 1 % w/w suspension of the agent in deionised water and 9 ml of HCI solution (0.1 M) for 1 hour at 21 °C.

Preferably the iron fortifying agent has an extractable iron content of at least 150 mg iron per kilogram dry weight of the agent, more preferably at least 175 mg iron per kilogram dry weight of the agent, even more preferably at least 200 mg iron per kilogram dry weight of the agent, and most preferably from 250 to 1000 mg per kilogram.

The iron-fortifying agent can be produced in any convenient way but typically the process for manufacturing the plant-derived iron fortifying agent comprises comminuting plant material. In particular, it is preferred that the plant material from which the agent is derived is comminuted in a mechanical cell disruption step. Suitable mechanical cell disruption methods include one or more of bead milling, cryo-milling, microfluidization, high pressure homogenisation and ultrasonication. Most preferred is high pressure homogenisation. High pressure homogenisation preferably comprises passing an aqueous dispersion of the plant material through a homogeniser valve at a pressure of at least 25 MPa, more preferably at least 50 MPa, more preferably still at least 100 MPa and most preferably at a pressure in the range of from 125 to 400 MPa. The dispersion may be passed through the homogeniser one or multiple times. Preferably the dispersion is passed through the homogeniser from two to four times.

Surprisingly, the present inventors have found that cold-processing an aqueous dispersion of plant material with cell disruption technology is more efficient than hot- processing. Thus it is preferred that the temperature of the plant material during comminution is kept below 90 °C, more preferably below 75 °C and most preferably communition is performed at a temperature of from 5 to 50 °C.

Preferably the iron-fortifying agent is dried following comminution. More preferably the agent is dried to a moisture content of less than 20% by weight of the agent, most preferably to a moisture content of from 0.1 to 10% by weight of the agent. Drying the agent ensures it is storage stable for long periods and allows it to be dosed efficiently into food products.

As used herein, the term “food product” means foodstuffs for human consumption (including but not limited to spreads, dressings, seasonings, bouillons, soups, sauces, frozen foods, dairy products, confectionery, ice cream, side dishes, dietary supplements, premixes intended to be frozen and consumed as ice cream or frozen confectionery), and beverages (including drinks, tea), that are ingested and assimilated to produce energy, stimulate growth, and/or maintain life. This definition also includes edible unit dose formats, ready to use meals, meal solutions, including any precursors (including concentrates) and components for the same.

Preferred forms of the food product are tea beverages, fruit or vegetable beverages, cereal-based beverages, protein-based beverages, dressings, frozen confections, savoury products and dietary supplements. More preferred are tea beverages, cerealbased beverages, dressings, frozen confections, savoury products and dietary supplements

As used herein “tea beverages” means beverages that contain tea and/or herbal infusions, and precursors for the same including tea and/or herbs in infusion packages (such as tea bags), loose leaf tea and tea-based powders such as milk tea powders. The term “tea” refers to material from the leaves and/or stem of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and/or Camellia sinensis var. assamica.

As used herein “fruit or vegetable beverages” means beverages that contain fruit and/or vegetables, and precursors for the same including powders.

As used herein, “cereal-based beverages” means beverages that contain cereal material and precursors for the same including powders. By “cereal material” is meant material derived from a cereal plant, especially a cereal plant selected from one or more of wheat, barley, rye, maize, rice, sorghum, millet and oats.

As used herein “protein-based beverages” means beverages that contain dairy or/and plant proteins or sources of these such as protein isolates, protein concentrates, and flours, and precursors for the same including powders.

As used herein the term “dressings” means food products for serving with other meal components or for mixing with salad, and includes mayonnaise and light mayonnaise at all fat levels, cold sauces, ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, and vinaigrettes.

As used herein “frozen confections” means food products that are generally served for consumption in frozen form, and that usually contain water and sugar, and may contain dairy ingredients, oils and/or fats, fruit, fruit juice, fruit extracts, flavours, and other ingredients like nuts and chocolate; and includes ice cream, frozen dairy desserts, sorbets, water-ices, slushes, frozen drinks, non-dairy ice cream analogues, premixes, intermediaries and final products associated with the same. The term also encompasses composite frozen confections that include components for such as chocolate, and wafers.

As used herein “savoury products” means food products that generally contain table salt at a level of at least 0.5 wt% in a prepared product or are formulated to provide an equivalent salty taste, and include bouillons, seasonings, meal makers, hot and cold soups, sauces, gravies, meals and sides, cooking aids and concentrates (such as cubes or powders) for preparing any of the foregoing. As used herein, “dietary supplement” refers to a product containing one or more vitamins, minerals, herbs, enzymes, amino acids, or other ingredients, that is taken orally to supplement the diet of an individual. Typical forms of a dietary supplement include pills, lozenges, tablets or the like.

As used herein “concentrate” refers to a dry composition (i.e. comprising no more than 20% water by weight of the concentrate) that can be used in the preparation of a foodstuff, or can be added to meal components as a seasoning, or which is suitable or direct consumption as a dietary supplement.

The food product of the present invention may be a savoury concentrate and can suitably be used in the preparation of e.g. sauces, soups, gravies etc., or it can be added to meal components as a seasoning. Sauces and seasonings have several advantages as vehicles for iron fortification. They are traditionally part of the daily diet in most countries, widely consumed, reach vulnerable populations, and can be added to all kinds of foods.

The food product of the present invention may be a beverage precursor, suitable for combination with water, milk or other edible liquid to prepare a beverage.

The food product of the present invention offers the advantage that the iron contained therein is natural, plant-derived, readily ingestible and preferably highly bioavailable. Furthermore, at least in some embodiments, the iron-containing agent contained in the food product does not give rise to unacceptable colour changes. An additional or alternative advantage of the present invention is that, where the agents comprise additional nutrients other than iron, the food product can be used as a vehicle not only for iron fortification but also fortification with those other nutrients.

The amount of the iron-fortifying agent in the food product will vary depending on the amount of iron in the agent, the size of a single serving of the food product and the recommended daily allowance of iron for the person consuming the food product. One unit of the food product typically contains at least 0.01 mmol, more preferably from 0.02 to 0.2 mmol and most preferably 0.025 to 0.1 mmol of iron. Here the term “unit” refers to the amount of food product that is provided in a single packaging unit and/or serving. In case multiple packaging units are packaged together (e.g. a plurality of wrapped bouillon blocks in a single box), the term “unit” refers to the amount of food product contained in the smallest packaging unit.

Preferably, the food product comprises the iron-fortifying agent in an amount of at least 0.002% by weight of the food product, more preferably at least 0.005% by weight, most preferably from 0.01% to 5% by weight.

Where the food product is a concentrate, the concentrate preferably comprises from 0.1 to 70% of the iron-fortifying agent by weight of the concentrate, more preferably from 1 to 50% and most preferably from 2 to 30%.

The food product typically comprises taste- imparting components. Taste-imparting components are preferably selected from amino acids, sugars, pieces of plant material (other than the iron-fortifying agent) and combinations thereof. Where the food product is a concentrate, the taste-imparting components are preferably contained in the concentrate in a concentration of at least 3% by weight of the concentrate, preferably 5% by weight of the concentrate, more preferably in a concentration of at least 10% and most preferably in a concentration of from 12 to 50%.

The present inventors have recognized a particular challenge for fortifying concentrates with iron which arises because of their concentrated nature and the micronutrient amounts of iron required for safe fortification. The challenge is the precise dosing of iron- containing agents. It is very difficult to mix homogenously the required small amount of particles in concentrates which are typically very heterogeneous in size and composition. Because of the use of plant-derived agents for iron fortification in the present invention, the particles are bulkier (i.e. have a larger mass and volume per unit of iron) than synthetic iron salts without containing any binders or additives. It is therefore relatively easy to precisely does the particles used in the present invention owing to the larger contents than are typically used. Thus the concentrate of the present invention is typically easier to manufacture in a consistent manner than previous iron-fortified concentrates.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, and especially where the concentrate is a savoury concentrate, the concentrate comprises at least 0.5% amino acids by weight of the concentrate. More preferably, the concentrate comprises from 1 to 35% amino acids, most preferably 5 to 30% amino acids. The amino acids can be selected from one or more taste-imparting amino acid or salt thereof. Particularly preferred are one or more amino acids selected from alanine, aspartate, glutamate, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, theanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, and valine. Especially preferred is glutamate owing to its ability to impart a umami taste.

The pieces of plant material are preferably in the form of leaves, slices, florets, dices or other pieces. The concentrate preferably comprises 0 to 30%, more preferably 0.1 to 20% and even more preferably 1 to 10% by weight of the concentrate of the pieces of plant material (other than the agent). Preferably the pieces are pieces of plants selected from vegetables, herbs, spices and combinations thereof. Examples of sources of plant material include parsley, dill, basil, chamomile, chives, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, ginger, leek, garlic, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, tea, tomato, courgette, asparagus, bell pepper, egg plant, cucumber, carrot and coconut flesh. Where the concentrate is a beverage precursor, the plant material may be tea material. Where the concentrate is a beverage precursor comprising tea material, the concentrate preferably comprises at least 50% tea material by weight of the concentrate, more preferably at least 70% and most preferably from 90 to 99%.

The sugars that can be used as taste-imparting component are preferably selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides and combinations thereof. More preferably the sugars are selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose and mixtures thereof. More preferably still the sugars are selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose and mixtures thereof. Most preferably the sugars comprise sucrose. The sugars may be included in the concentrate in substantially refined form and/or may be present as part of more complex ingredients of the concentrate such as, for example, cereal materials, maltodextrins, glucose syrups, milk powders and the like.

Preferably the concentrate comprises the sugars in an amount of from 1 to 50% by weight of the concentrate, more preferably from 2 to 40%, more preferably still from 3 to 30% and most preferably from 4 to 20%. The term “fat” as used herein refers to fatty acid glycerol ester selected from triglycerides, diglycerides, monoglycerides, phosphoglycerides and combinations thereof.

The concentrate of the present invention preferably contains at least 1% fat by weight of the concentrate. More preferably, the concentrate contains 3 to 40% fat, most preferably 5 to 35% fat. The fat contained in the concentrate may be liquid, semi solid or solid. Preferably, the fat contained in food concentrate has a solid fat content at 20°C (N20) of from 0 to 95%. Even more preferably, the fat has a N20 of at least 10% and most preferably the fat has a N20 of 25 to 90%. The solid fat content of the fat can suitably be determined using the method described in Animal and vegetable fats and oils -- Determination of solid fat content by pulsed NMR -- Part 1 : Direct method - ISO 8292- 1 :2008.

Preferably the fat comprises palm oil, palm kernel oil, fractionated palm oil, palm oil stearin, fully hydrogenated palm oil, shea oil, shea butter, shea oil stearin, coconut fat, cacao butter, tallow, chicken fat, butter fat, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, linseed oil, olive oil or combinations of two or more thereof.

The concentrate of the present invention preferably comprises at least 1% polysaccharide by weight of the concentrate. More preferably, the concentrate contains 3 to 60% polysaccharide, most preferably 5 to 50% polysaccharide The polysaccharide may be a substantially refined polysaccharide such as a gum (e.g. guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, tara gum, gellan and mixtures thereof) and/or starch. Additionally or alternatively the polysaccharide may be part of a complex ingredient of the concentrate such as, for example, flour.

The concentrates of the present invention are dry, wherein “dry” means that they comprise no more than 20% water by weight of the concentrate. The water content of the concentrate preferably does not exceed 10% by weight of the concentrate, more preferably does not exceed 8% and even more preferably the water content is from 0.01 to 6% by weight of the concentrate. The water activity (at 20 °C) of the concentrate is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 0.6. More preferably, the water activity is in the range of 0.15 to 0.4, most preferably in the range of 0.1 to 0.2.

The water content of the concentrate and of the iron-fortifying agent, unless indicated otherwise, is determined by oven drying, e.g. using an Ecocell™ drying oven without the continuous air function at 90 °C (3 days).

The concentrate preferably comprises a table salt. By “table salt” is meant salt comprising NaCI, KCI and mixtures thereof, most preferred is NaCI. Preferably, the amount of table salt in the concentrate is at least 3% by weight of the concentrate, more preferably at least 5%, even more preferably at least 8%, still more preferably at least 10%, yet more preferably at least 15%, and even still more preferably at least 20%. Preferably, the amount of table salt is at most 70% by weight of the concentrate, more preferably at most 60%, even more preferably at most 50%, and still more preferably at most 40%. Preferably, the amount of NaCI in the savoury concentrate is at least 3% by weight of the concentrate, more preferably at least 5%, even more preferably at least 10%, still more preferably at least 15% and preferably at most 60%, more preferably at most 55%, and still more preferably at most 50%.

Where the concentrate is a savoury concentrate, the polysaccharide in the concentrate preferably comprise a starch component selected from native (ungelatinised) starch, pregelatinised starch, maltodextrin, modified starch and combinations thereof. The starch component is preferably present in the savoury concentrate in a concentration of 3 to 50% by weight of the concentrate, more preferably of 4 to 30% and most preferably of 5 to 25%. The starch component is preferably selected from native starch, maltodextrin, pregelatinised starch and combinations thereof. Even more preferably, the starch is selected from native starch, pregelatinised starch and combinations thereof. Most preferably, the starch component is native starch. The starch component typically has a mass weighted mean diameter in the range of 5-200 pm, more preferably of 10- 100 pm, most preferably of 12-60 pm.

In a preferred embodiment, the savoury concentrate comprises:

- 5 to 30% fat by weight of the concentrate; and - 35 to 75% of total inorganic salt by weight of the concentrate.

The inorganic salt preferably comprises, consists essentially of or consists of table salt.

In an alternative embodiment, the savoury concentrate may be formulated to provide a savoury taste without containing substantial amounts of table salt. Thus in a preferred embodiment the savoury concentrate comprises:

- 10 to 35% fat by weight of the concentrate;

- 10 to 50% ungelatinised starch by weight of the concentrate;

- 10 to 50% by weight of the concentrate of an oligosaccharide-containing material selected from dry glucose syrup, maltodextrin and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments the concentrate may be a beverage precursor. Preferred are teabeverage precursors or cereal-based beverage precursors. Particularly preferred are precursors of cereal-based beverages as cereal-based beverages have good opacity and strong flavour that forms a robust base for masking any organoleptic effects of the iron-fortifying agent. The preferred beverage precursors comprise 20 to 80% cereal material by weight of the concentrate. The material may be flour, starch, extract or a mixture thereof. In a preferred embodiment, at least part of the cereal material is malted. Especially preferred is malted wheat, barley or a mixture thereof. Cereal material typically contributes a significant amount of polysaccharide to the concentrate and so the beverage precursor may contain at least 10% polysaccharide by weight of the concentrate, preferably at least 20% and most preferably 30 to 60% polysaccharide by weight of the concentrate.

Generally the concentrate can come in several forms or shapes: typical forms are free- flowing powders, granulates, shaped concentrates and pastes.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment the concentrate of the present invention is a shaped article, notably a shaped solid article. Examples of shaped solid articles include concentrates in the form of cubes, tablets or granules.

The shaped article preferably has a mass in the range of 1 to 50 g, more preferably in the range of 2.5 to 30 g and most preferably of 3.2 to 24 g. The shaped concentrate article can suitably be provided in different forms. Preferably, the article is provided in the form of a cuboid, more preferably in the form of a rectangular cuboid and most preferably in the form of a cube.

The concentrate of the present invention preferably is a packaged concentrate. Where the concentrate is a savoury concentrate in the form of a shaped article, it is preferred that the article is packaged in a wrapper.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a process for manufacturing the concentrate. The process comprises the steps of:

(i) preparing a mixture comprising the iron-fortifying agent and the tasteimparting components; and

(ii) packaging the mixture.

Especially for savoury concentrates, the process preferably includes the addition of fat to the mixture in step (i). Other components that may suitably be added during step (i) include thickening agents, colouring and combinations thereof.

Especially for beverage precursors, the process preferably includes the addition of cereal material to the mixture in step (i). Other components that may suitably be added during step (i) include protein isolates, milk solids, cocoa powder, flavourings, food acids, colours, anti-caking agents, vitamins and combinations thereof.

Especially for dietary supplements, the process preferably includes the addition of one or more vitamins to the mixture in step (i). Other components that may suitably be added during step (i) include gelling agents, falvourings, food acids, colours and combinations thereof.

Preferably the mixture is shaped prior to packaging. The concentrate is preferably shaped by allowing the concentrate to solidify in a mould or by pressing the concentrate into a predefined shape (e.g. by extrusion or tabletting). The shaping preferably comprises a technique selected from the group consisting of compression, extrusion, roller compacting, granulation, agglomeration and combinations thereof. The invention also relates to a method for preparing a food product comprising dissolving and/or dispersing the food concentrate in an aqueous medium. Where the concentrate is a savoury concentrate, the food product is a bouillon, a soup, a sauce, a gravy or a seasoned dish. Where the concentrate is a beverage precursor, the food product is a beverage. Typically the aqueous medium will be hot (greater than 60 °C) water but in some instances may be a semi-finished dish comprising water and other ingredients, or may be another aqueous liquid such as milk.

The food concentrate is preferably dissolved and/or dispersed in the aqueous medium in a weight ratio of concentrate to aqueous medium of from 1 :2000 to 1 :4, more preferably from 1 :1000 to 1 :5 and most preferably 1 :500 to 1 :7.

As used herein the term “comprising” encompasses the terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of”. Where the term “comprising” is used, the listed steps or options need not be exhaustive. Except in the examples and comparative experiments, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers are to be understood as modified by the word “about”. As used herein, the indefinite article “a” or “an” and its corresponding definite article “the” means at least one, or one or more, unless specified otherwise.

Unless otherwise specified, numerical ranges expressed in the format "from x to y" are understood to include x and y. In specifying any range of values or amounts, any particular upper value or amount can be associated with any particular lower value or amount. All percentages and ratios contained herein are calculated by weight unless otherwise indicated.

The various features of the present invention referred to in individual sections above apply, as appropriate, to other sections mutatis mutandis. Consequently features specified for the food product may be combined with features specified for the process and vice versa.

The following examples are intended to illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the invention to those examples perse. Examples

All materials used in the Examples are obtained from commercial sources in the Netherlands.

Example 1

This example demonstrates preparation and properties of plant-derived iron fortifying agents and their properties.

Materials

Dried thyme (leaves) was obtained from a market in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Communition

The dried thyme was processed according to a cold processing or to a hot processing procedure.

For the cold processing procedure, the dried thyme was dispersed in room-temperature (21°C) deionised (M illi-Q™) water at a final concentration of 1% by weight. After storage at room temperature for 1 hour, the dispersion was processed in a pre-milling stage by a high shear mixer (Silverson™) at 7000 rpm for 10 minutes. Immediately afterwards, the pre-milled thyme suspension was treated by high pressure homogenization (Panda™ Plus, Niro Soavi) at 50 MPa for a single pass, to cause the disruption of larger aggregates. The pressure was then increased to 150 MPa, and 4 additional passes were carried out in the high pressure homogenizer, to deliver maximum cell disruption.

For hot processing, the only difference with the cold processing procedure, was that the dried thyme was dispersed in boiling deionised water, where it was maintained at boiling point for 30 minutes. After cooling for 30 minutes, the pre-milling by high shear mixer and milling by high pressure homogenization were carried out as in the cold processing procedure.

For storage and further use as a food ingredient, the dispersions can be dried to produce particles of dried comminuted thyme. Particle size measurement

Particle size measurements were carried out on the thyme suspensions at different stages of processing using a Malvern™ Mastersizer 2000. As refractive index for milled thyme leaves (disperse phase), a value of 1.5 was assumed. For the continuous phase, the water properties were used. Measurements were carried out at 25 °C.

Extractable iron measurement

Iron was extracted by adding to 1 ml of a thyme suspension to 9 ml of HCI solution (0.1 M) and incubating the resulting mixture for 1 hour at room temperature prior to analysis.

The suspension was centrifuged (5 min at 10000 rpm in an Eppendorf™ centrifuge) to obtain the supernatant for the determination of extractable iron through a modified ferrozine assay. Fe(ll) ions form a magenta coloured solution with ferrozine that yields a maximum absorbance at 562 nm. The ferrozine reagent (5.00 10^-4 M) was prepared by dissolving 25.6 mg ferrozine monosodium salt (of 3-[2-pyridyl]-5,6-bis[4 phenylsulfonic acid]-1 ,2,4-triazine) in 100 ml deionised water. The ammonium acetate buffer was prepared by dissolving 38.54g of ammonium acetate in 30 ml deionized water, and then adjusting to pH 9.5 by adding ammonium hydroxide solution (28-30% NH₄OH). The reductant solution consisted of 10 wt% ascorbic acid in deionised water.

All readings were performed with a IIVIKON XL UV-Vis spectrophotometer (SECOMAM™, France), set to 562 nm wavelength, which was calibrated using a ferrous stock solution (0.002 M), prepared from ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4.7H2O), and a ferric stock solution (0.002 M) from ferric chloride hexahydrate (FeC .6H2O).

The supernatant of the extracted thyme samples (50 pl) were dispersed in 1.0 ml deionised water, where 0.1 ml of 10% ascorbic acid solution was added, and incubated at 25 °C for 10 min. Subsequently, 0.1 mL ferrozine reagent was added, mixed, then 0.1 mL ammonium acetate buffer was added and mixed. The samples are left to stand for 10 min at 25 °C for full color development, and absorbance is read at 562 nm and converted to iron concentration based on the calibration.

Results

Figure 1 shows the particle size distribution for the cold-processed thyme dispersion at various stages of the process. The curve labelled 1 is the size distribution for the dispersion after the high shear mixing step. The curve labelled 2 is the size distribution for the dispersion after the single pass through the high pressure homogenizer at 50 MPa. The curve labelled 3 is the size distribution for the dispersion at the end of the process.

Figure 2 shows the particle size distribution for the hot-processed thyme dispersion at various stages of the process. The curve labelled 1 is the size distribution for the dispersion after the high shear mixing step. The curve labelled 2 is the size distribution for the dispersion after the single pass through the high pressure homogenizer at 50 MPa. The curve labelled 3 is the size distribution for the dispersion at the end of the process.

It is apparent from Figures 1 and 2 that the effect of high shear processing (curve 1) is limited, and a significant fraction of the particles have a size above 500 pm. However, some differences can be observed already between cold and hot processing, with different distributions in the two cases. These differences become even more evident when comparing cold and hot processing procedures during high pressure homogenisation for 1 pass at 50 MPa (curve 2) and for 4 additional passes at 150 MPa (curve 3). Cold-processed samples (figure 1) exhibit, in particular, a more rapid reduction of the larger sizes of the distribution, and already after 1 pass at 50 MPa (curve 2), almost all of the population exhibits a size below 500 pm. In contrast, for the hot-processed sample (figure 2), after 1 pass at 50 MPa (curve 2), a significant population remains with a size above 500 pm.

Further increasing the intensity of the high-pressure processing (curves 3) reduces but does not offset the differences between hot and cold processing in terms of particle size distribution, with the hot processed sample (figure 2) having a higher proportion of particles with sizes above 100 pm that the cold processed sample (figure 1).

Figure 3 shows the results of the extractable iron (mg per kg of thyme by dry weight) at various stages of the process. The bars labelled A are the extractable iron values for the uncomminuted thyme dispersion. The bars labelled B are the extractable iron values for the thyme dispersions after the high shear mixing step. The bars labelled C are the extractable iron values for the thyme dispersions after the single pass through the high pressure homogenizer at 50 MPa. The bars labelled D are the extractable iron values for the thyme dispersions at the end of the process. White bars are for hot-processed samples and the hatched bars are for cold-processed samples.

The results reported in figure 3 show that the extractable iron of the dried thyme used in the experiments is about 40 mg/kg (hatched bar A). Boiling increases this value to about 100 mg/kg (white bar A). However, the effect of boiling (hot processing) is overcome by the pre-milling with both cold (hatched bar B) and hot processed samples (white bar B) having an extractable iron of 165-170 mg/kg.

The results in figure 3 demonstrate that cold processing represents a more effective pretreatment for thyme leaves than hot processing, in terms of response to the mechanical cell disruption technology. Without being bound by theory, the hot processing may likely soften the plant tissue, making the fluid mechanical stresses exerted during high pressure homogenization less disruptive. As a consequence, after a single pass at 50 MPa, extractable iron in cold processed samples (hatched bar C) is about 270 mg/kg, whereas it is about 150 mg/kg in hot processed samples (white bar C). For the four additional passes at 150 MPa the cold processed thyme (hatched bar D) had an extractable iron of about 310 mg/kg, whereas for hot processed thyme (white bar D) it is about 240 mg/kg.

The above results clearly demonstrate that mechanical cell disruption which leads to reduction of particle sizes below 500 nm, results in high levels of extractable iron and that further reductions increase the effect.

Example 2

A fortified seasoning cube composition and a comparative composition (without iron- fortifying agent) are given in Table 2 where all amounts are % by weight. The amount of iron-fortifying agent (dried comminuted thyme from Example 1), m, is selected to deliver 1 mg iron in each 4 g seasoning cube and depends on the exact iron content of the iron- fortifying agent. The weight % of NaCI in the cube is adjusted to balance the amount of iron-fortifying agent. TABLE 2

Preparation of seasoning cubes - Weigh all the materials, with the exception of the fat and the thyme together in a plastic jar and mix with a mixer (Kenwood Chef Premier KMC650) for 1 minute at speed setting 4. Add the fat in liquid form (heat to melt if necessary) to the mixture, after which the mixture is mixed for 1 minute at speed setting 6. Add the thyme and mix for a further 1 minute at speed setting 6. Transfer a 4 g portions of this mixture to the pressing block of an Instron press (Instron 5567) and press the cube at 5 kN. This procedure is repeated for each cube.

Example 3

A fortified low-sodium bouillon cube composition and a comparative composition (without iron) are given in Table 3 where all amounts are % by weight. The amount of iron- fortifying agent from Example 1 (comminuted thyme), n, is selected to deliver 1 mg iron in each 8 g seasoning cube and depends on the exact composition of the iron-fortifying aget. The weight % of native starch in the cube is adjusted to balance the amount of iron- fortifying agent. TABLE 3

The compositions are prepared by combining sucrose, soybean oil, and colourants in a vessel with a mixer and mixing for 1 minute at 30 rpm. Subsequently tapioca starch, maltodextrin and other dry ingredients are added, and the mixture is mixed for 30 seconds at 60 rpm. Then the palm oil is liquified by heating, subsequently partly precrystallised in a votator, and added to the mixture. Finally the dried herbs and spices and vegetables and flavours, along with the thyme are added. The mixture is mixed for 3 minutes at 60 rpm. The resulting paste is extruded on paper packaging material, and subsequently mechanically wrapped into single bouillon cubes. The cubes are pasty, and have a weight of about 8 gram.

Example 4

A fortified cereal-based beverage precursor is prepared from a powder of malted barley, wheat flour, milk solids, sucrose, wheat gluten, table salt, soy protein isolate, acidity regulators and vitamins. To the powder is added an amount of iron-fortifying agent from Example 1 (dried comminuted thyme) selected to deliver 2.1 mg iron in each 20 g serving of the powder. The iron-fortifying agent particles are mixed into the powder to give a visibly homogenous mixture. To prepare an iron-fortified beverage, 20 g of the beverage precursor is stirred into 200 ml of hot milk. Example 5

Gummy dietary supplement lozenges are prepared by dispersing dried comminuted thyme from Example 1 (sufficient to deliver 1 mg iron in each 2 g lozenge) into a hot base solution of glucose syrup, beet sugar, gelatin, lactic acid, plant-derived colourant, flavours, pectin and multi-vitamins/minerals. The hot base is then poured into moulds and allowed to cool and set before demoulding as individual lozenges.

Claims

25 Claims

1. A plant-derived iron fortifying agent in particulate form, comprising iron in an amount of at least 40 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent, and wherein at least 50% by volume of the fortifying agent has an apparent diameter of less than 500 pm.

2. The plant-derived iron fortifying agent as claimed in claim 1 wherein the agent is derived from one or more of thyme, basil, spearmint, marjoram, seaweed, cumin, turmeric, parsley and dill.

3. The plant-derived iron fortifying agent as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the amount of iron is at least 60 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent.

4. The plant-derived iron fortifying agent as claimed in claim 3 wherein the amount of iron is at least 80 mg per 100 gram dry weight of the agent.

5. The plant-derived iron fortifying agent as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least 50% by volume of the fortifying agent has an apparent diameter of less than 100 pm.

6. The plant-derived iron fortifying agent as claimed in any one of the preceding claims having an extractable iron content of at least 150 mg iron per kilogram dry weight of the agent.

7. The plant-derived iron fortifying agent as claimed in claim 6 wherein the extractable iron content is at least 200 mg iron per kilogram dry weight of the agent.

8. The plant-derived iron fortifying agent as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the agent has been subjected to at least one decolourization and/or flavour removal process.

9. A food product comprising the plant-derived iron fortifying agent as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8. The food product as claimed in claim 9, wherein the food product is a tea beverage, a cereal-based beverage, a dressing, a frozen confection, a savoury product or a dietary supplement. The food product as claimed claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the food product is a concentrate. The food product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the food product is a savoury concentrate, a tea beverage precursor, a cereal-based beverage precursor or a dietary supplement. The food product as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12 wherein the food product is packaged and/or portioned in a unit comprising from 0.01 mmol to 0.2 mmol of iron. A process for manufacturing the plant-derived iron fortifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the process comprises comminuting plant material in a mechanical cell disruption step. The process as claimed in claim 14 wherein the mechanical cell disruption step comprises subjecting the plant material to one or more of bead milling, cryo-milling, microfluidization, high pressure homogenisation and ultrasonication.