BAKING POWDER COMPRISING YEAST EXTRACT

Field of the invention

This invention relates to a novel baking powder composition. The invention furthermore relates to a novel method to produce baked products using the baking powder composition according to the invention.

Background of the invention

Baking powder are mixtures of substances intended for leavening of baked goods which release carbon dioxide during dough-making and baking and comprise at least: a carbon dioxide carrier and one or more leavening agents. The carbon dioxide carrier provides the carbon dioxide. The leavening agent causes the release of the carbon dioxide.

Examples of used carbon dioxide carriers are sodium bicarbonate, ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate and potassium carbonate. The use of carbon dioxide carriers can result in an off-flavour. For example in Chemical Leavening Agents, 2 ^nd Edition (2001 ), Chemische Fabrik Budenheim, Universitatsdruckerei und Verlag H. Schmidt Mainz, is indicated that sodium bicarbonate can cause off-flavour when used in certain amounts. Examples of leavening agents are for example tartaric acid, citric acid, acid sodium, potassium and calcium salts of tartaric acid and citric acid, orthophosphoric acid, and pyrophosphoric acid, calcium lactate and calcium sulfate or a mixture of any of them. The preferred leavening agent also depends on the baked product. In Chemical Leavening Agents, 2 ^nd Edition, Chemische Fabrik Budenheim guidance is given to the person skilled in the art as to which (combination of) leavening agent(s) is preferably used for which type of baked product. In this book, it is shown that sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP) can be used for most types of doughs or batters.

The use of the leavening agents however can cause an off-flavour, which is undesirable. For example in Chemical Leavening Agents, 2 ^nd Edition, Chemische Fabrik Budenheim, is indicated that sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP) can cause off-flavour in certain amounts.

Therefore there is a need for novel baking powder compositions, not inducing off- taste in the application, for example when used in larger amounts.

It is the objective of the present invention to provide a novel baking powder composition not inducing off-taste to baked products, thereby enabling the use of a larger amount of baking powder.

Description of the invention

In a first aspect, invention relates to a baking powder composition comprising: a) a carbon dioxide carrier; and b) a leavening agent; and c) a yeast extract. wherein the yeast extract comprises at least 30% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter of the yeast extract. The advantage of the composition of the first aspect is that it can be very efficiently used as a baking powder whereby no off-taste is induced in the baked products.

Suitable carbon dioxide carriers are for example: sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate or a mixture of any of them. Preferably, sodium bicarbonate is used.

Suitable leavening agents are for example: tartaric acid, citric acid, acid sodium salts of tartaric acid, acid sodium salts of citric acid, potassium salts of tartaric acid, potassium salts of citric acid, calcium salts of tartaric acid, calcium salts of citric acid, orthophosphoric acid and pyrophosphoric acid, sodium acid pyrophosphate, calcium lactate, sodium aluminum phosphate acid, calcium sulfate or a mixture of any of them.

In a preferred embodiment, the composition comprises a yeast extract which comprises at least 34% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter. Preferably, the yeast extract comprises at least 38% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides, preferably at least 40% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides, preferably at least 42% w/w 5'- ribonucleotides on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter. Preferably, the yeast extract comprises at least 44% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides, preferably at least 46% w/w 5'- ribonucleotides, preferably at least 48% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter. More preferably a yeast extract is used comprising at least 50% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter. In an even more preferred embodiment, the yeast extract comprises between 35% w/w and 45% w/w 5'- ribonucleotides.

The relative amounts of the carbon dioxide carrier, leavening agent and the yeast extract in the composition of the invention may easily be determined by the person

skilled in the art and will, in general depend on which carbon dioxide carrier and leavening agent are used and for which application. The concentration of the yeast extract in the composition of the invention will depend on the effective amount of the yeast extract needed to prevent the formation of the off-taste to baked products caused by the carbon dioxide carrier and/or leavening agent. Furthermore, for a given application, the composition of the invention may comprise less of a yeast extract with a higher 5'-ribonucleotide content. The composition of the invention comprises a yeast extract with at least 30% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter. Using yeast extract with less than 30 % w/w 5'-ribonucleotides may result in a baked product with (brothy) off-taste and/or off-flavour.

In the context of the present invention, the term ^'-ribonucleotides" refers to the total amount of 5'-monophosphate ribonucleotides formed during RNA degradation, viz. 5'-monophosphate guanine (5'-GMP), 5'-monophosphate uracil (5'-UMP), 5'- monophosphate cytosine (5'-CMP), 5'-monophosphate adenine (5'-AMP), where 5'-AMP may be partially or completely converted into 5'-monophosphate inosine (5'-IMP). For example, in a yeast extract which comprises 30% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter, the total amount of 5'-GMP, 5'-UMP, 5'-CMP, 5'-AMP and 5'-IMP is 30% w/w on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter.

In a preferred embodiment, a yeast extract is used wherein the total amount of 5'- GMP plus 5'-IMP is at least 15% w/w, preferably at least 17% w/w, preferably at least 19% w/w, preferably at least 20% w/w on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter. Preferably, a yeast extract is used wherein the total amount of 5'-GMP plus 5'-IMP is at least 21 % w/w, more preferably at least 22% w/w, more preferably at least 23% w/w, more preferably at least 24% w/w, even more preferably at least 25% w/w on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter. In an even more preferred embodiment, a yeast extract is used wherein the total amount of 5'-GMP plus 5'-IMP is between 15% w/w and 25% w/w on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter. Due to the constitution of RNA, from which the 5'-ribonucleotides arise, 5'-GMP and 5'-IMP will in general be present in approximately equal amounts. In the context of the present invention, weight percentage calculations of the 5'- ribonucleotides are based on the disodium salt heptahydrate (2Na.7H ₂ O) thereof unless otherwise specified. All weight percentages in the yeast extract are calculated on sodium chloride free dry matter. In the present invention, the term "sodium chloride free dry matter" refers to the fact that for the calculation of the weight percentage the weight of

any sodium chloride present is excluded from the composition. The measurement of sodium chloride in the composition and the above-mentioned calculation can be performed by methods known to those skilled in the art.

The yeast extract may be prepared by any method which yields a yeast extract which comprises at least 30% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides on the basis of sodium chloride free dry matter. The yeast extract may be obtained by hydrolysis or autolysis. Methods to produce hydrolytic yeast extracts are known in the art, see for example WO88/05267. In another embodiment, the yeast extract is obtained by autolysis, for instance as described in WO2005/067734. The yeast may be any suitable yeast, e.g. Saccharomyces, in particular Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The baking powder composition can be used in the production of any doughs or batters and baked products prepared from the dough or batter. Hereinafter with the wording "dough" also batters are intended, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method to prepare a dough comprising adding an effective amount of the baking powder composition of the first aspect. Dough generally at least comprises a liquid and at least one of the components selected from the group consisting of starch, flour or meal. The liquid can be for example water, oil or such as for example in the case of cake, eggs. The flour can be, for example, wheat flour, corn flour, potato flour, rye flour, oat flour, soy flour, sorghum flour or potato flour. The meal can, for example, be wheat meal, rye meal, oat meal, sorghum meal or potato meal. The starch can, for example, be wheat starch, corn starch or potato starch. Also a combination of the flours, starches and/or meals can be used to prepare the dough. Optionally, other additives can be added to the dough, such as for example, sugar, yeast, salt. The dough can also be a refrigerated or frozen type of dough. In one embodiment of the invention, the baking powder composition according to the invention is added during the preparation of the dough. In another embodiment of the invention, conventional baking powders (i.e. without a yeast extract added) are added to the dough ingredients and additionally the yeast extract with at least 30% w/w 5'- ribonucleotides as defined hereinbefore is added. The yeast extract may be added before, after or simultaneous with the addition of the conventional baking powder.

The composition of the invention is added in an effective amount which in general will depend on which carbon dioxide carrier and leavening agent are used and for which application. Preferably the composition is added in such an amount so as to give a concentration of the yeast extract comprising at least 30% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides in the

dough between 0.01% - 0.3% w/w based on the dry weight of the dough. When the yeast extract is added to the dough separate from the baking powder, the yeast extract is also added to give a concentration of yeast extract comprising at least 30% w/w 5'- ribonucleotides in the dough between 0.01% - 0.3% w/w based on the dry weight of the dough. The effective amount of the yeast extract for a given application may easily be determined by the person skilled in the art as described hereinbefore.

In a third aspect, the invention relates to a dough comprising the composition of the first aspect, In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dough is obtainable by the method according to the second aspect of the invention. In a fourth aspect of the invention, the dough according to the invention is used in a method to prepare a baked product. The dough can be used to prepare all kinds of baked products. Examples of possible baked products are sponge cake, cake rolls, lady fingers, cake, aerated cake, waffles, pizza, tea biscuits, cookies, hard biscuits, gingerbread, Dutch honey cake, Berliner, muffin, cake doughnut, scones, soda bread, Madalenas, hush puppies, pancakes, layer cakes, tortilla's and bread. In a preferred embodiment, the baked product is bread or cake, cookies or pastry. In case the baking powder composition is used for preparation of bread, it can be used in addition to baker's yeast or to replace baker's yeast. In the art it was not possible to replace the baker's yeast fully by baking powder, due to the off-taste created by the relatively large amount of baking powder needed to yield the desired effect with respect to crumb characteristics of the obtained bread. This also enables the production of a so-called instant bread. Usually baker's yeast is used to leaven bread. This is a lengthy process. Production time of bread could be significantly decreased, using the method according to the invention. In a fifth aspect, the invention also relates to baked products, produced by the method according to the invention.

In a sixth aspect, the invention also relates to the use of a yeast extract to prevent off-taste caused by a baking powder. The yeast extract characteristics suitable for the invention and preferably used are as disclosed above.

Examples

Example 1

Preparation of butter cookies

In this example the taste of cookies prepared with a baking powder comprising sodium bicarbonate as carbon dioxide carrier and sodium acid pyrophosphate as leavening agent and a yeast extract comprising 40% w/w 5'-ribonucleotides based on dry matter, was compared with the taste of cookies comprising a conventional baking powder containing sodium bicarbonate and sodium acid pyrophosphate and no yeast extract.

Materials

^* SAPP= sodium acid pyrophosphate ^** 5'-Ribonucleotide-rich yeast extract containing 20 % w/w 5'GMP + 5'IMP, 40 % w/w 5'-ribonucleotides and <1 % sodium chloride on dry matter, available from DSM Food Specialties (The Netherlands).

Methods In both example 1 and the comparative example the cookies were prepared as follows. All ingredients were mixed in a Hobart mixer with a butterfly whisk until a uniform mass was reached. After mixing the dough rested in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes. The dough was subsequently rolled out with a sheeter in 5 steps to a thickness of 4.5 millimetres. From the plaque cookies were stamped with a diameter of 6.8 cm and

put on a greased plate. The cookies were baked for 14 minutes at a temperature of 180 ⁰ C top and 160 ⁰ C floor temperature.

After a day cooling the produced cookies were tested by a taste panel set-up in a discriminative difference test as published in 'Sensory Evaluation of Food' by H. T. Lawless and H. Heymann (1998) Chapman & Hall.

Results

The cookies containing the yeast extract (example 1 ) were preferred by the taste panel when compared to those of the comparative example. In the cookies of example 1 the yeast extract masked the off note due to the baking powder, thereby providing a milder taste experience. On the contrary the off note due to the baking powder could still be perceived in the cookies of the comparative example.