FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to enzymes and other ingredients or additives administered in the form of baked starch capsules for use in foods and beverages.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many enzyme delivery systems are known in the art. Enzymes delivery systems include, e.g., powders, liquids, granulates pastes, sachets, capsules and tablets. Although often suitable for delivering enzymes in non-food and non-beverage applications, current enzyme delivery systems present problems in application in foods and beverages when the ingredients of the enzyme delivery system conflict with food and beverage ingredient regulations.

There is a need in the art for improved, safe and flexible enzyme delivery systems for food and beverage applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to the use of baked starch capsules for use in delivering enzymes and other ingredients or additives to food and beverages compositions (e.g., ingredients used to prepare food and beverage compositions and/or the final food and beverage composition). The baked starch capsules comprise (a) an outer baked starch shell which disintegrates upon contact with the environment of the food or beverage composition or during the manufacturing process conditions of the food or beverage and (b) an inner core which is encapsulated by the shell and receives a food or beverage ingredient or additive, such as, an enzyme. The shell disintegrates during the food or beverage manufacturing process conditions, e.g., due to processing conditions thereby releasing the contents contained in the inner core. In an embodiment, the shell is water soluble in an aqueous environment of the food or beverage and disintegrates upon contact with the aqueous environment of the food or beverage. The baked starch capsules may be used to deliver food and beverage ingredients or additives, such as, e.g., enzymes, emulsifiers, vitamins, mineral, mineral salts and redox agents (e.g., ascorbic acid) and combinations thereof.

The baked starch capsule shell is made from a suitable starch source, such as, for example, corn starch, which is baked in the desired form (shape, size, volume of the encapsulated core). The present invention is also directed to a method of preparing a food or beverage by administering a food or beverage ingredient or additive in the form of a baked starch capsules to a food or beverage composition.

An embodiment of the invention includes a method for preparing a dough for a baked product, comprising adding a baked starch capsule comprising a dough additive to a dough and baking the dough. The additive is preferably an enzyme or emulsifier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As used herein, a "capsule" refers to an outer "shell" encapsulating an inner "core." The core is the space for receiving an ingredient or additive. The capsule has a predetermined form (shape, size and core volume).

The "outer shell" of the capsules of the present invention is made from a baked starch material. The starch is baked to form the solid shell under suitable baking conditions. Any suitable starch material may be used, such as, e.g., corn starch, corn flour, potato starch, potato flour, wheat starch, wheat flour, and mixtures of starch materials. In a preferred embodiment, the starch source is corn starch. Baked starch capsules suitable for use in the present invention are available in the art.

The outer shell has the properties of being stable (non-disintegrating) prior to use in the food or beverage manufacturing process. That is, the outer shell does not disintegrate in the environmental conditions encountered outside the food or beverage manufacturing process, e.g., the environmental conditions (temperature, humidity) encountered during storage and transportation of the capsules. Suitable baked starch capsules are available in the art and maybe modified for the purposes of this invention, and include, e.g., CACHET A PASTIGLIA, available from Wafer Farma Decor S&L (Italy).

Although conventional tableting aids (e.g., binders) maybe used to prepare the capsule, an advantage of the present invention, is that tableting aids maybe entirely eliminated, which provides a safe and flexible system for delivering food and beverage ingredients. In a preferred embodiment, the outer shell consists of starch or consists essentially of starch, i.e., only additional standard ingredients which are used to bake the starch are present in the starch shell. In an embodiment, the shell is substantially comprised of starch, i.e., the starch shell comprises at least about 50% starch per wt of the starch shell. More preferably, the starch shell comprises at least about 60% starch, 65% starch, 70% starch, 75% starch, 80% starch, 85% starch, 90% starch, 95% starch, at least 98% starch, at least 99% starch per wt. of the starch shell. An example includes, e.g., a starch shell comprising 90.22% corn starch, 0.30% vegetable fat and 9.48% moisture.

The weight, size and shape of the capsule, e.g., thickness of starch shell, diameter of the shell, volume of the core, can vary as desired for the intended use. In an embodiment, the starch capsule has a filling volume of from about .5 ml to 250 ml, more preferably from about 1 ml to 5 ml.

The thickness of the shell may be used to control the ease of release of the contents from the core. That is, a thicker shell can be used to delay the release of the ingredients in the core.

The shell disintegrates in the environment of the food or beverage composition or manufacturing process conditions. In an embodiment, the shell is water soluble and disintegrates upon contact with the aqueous environment of the food or beverage manufacturing process conditions. In another embodiment, the shell disintegrates during heating of the food or beverage manufacturing process. In yet another embodiment, the shell disintegrates as a result of physical manipulation of the food or beverage ingredients during the food or beverage manufacturing process.

In addition to the starch outer shell and inner core, the baked starch capsule may contain additional layers. For example, in an embodiment, a coating may be applied to the outer surface of the outer shell and/or to the inner surface of the outer shell. In another embodiment, one or more additional layers are present between the outer shell and the inner core.

The baked starch capsules contain one or more ingredients or additives in amounts effective for achieving the desired result. As used herein, an "ingredient or additive" refers to any food or beverage ingredient or additive desired for use in a foods or beverages or food or beverage manufacturing processes. In a preferred embodiment, the ingredient or additive is selected from the group consisting of enzymes, emulsifiers, vitamins, mineral, mineral salts and redox agents (e.g., ascorbic acid), and combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the ingredient or additive consists of or consists essentially of one or more food or beverage enzymes.

Example of enzymes include, without limitation, an alpha-amylase, maltogenic alpha-amylase, amyloglucosidase, a beta-amylase, a cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, peptidase, in particular an exopeptidase, a transglutaminase, a lipase, phospholipase, an asparaginase, a cellulase, a hemicellulase, in particular a pentosanase, such as, xylanase, a protease, a protein disulfide isomerase, e.g., a protein disulfide isomerase, a glycosyltransferase, a branching enzyme), a glucanotransferase (dextrin glycosyltransferase) or an oxidoreductase, e.g., a peroxidase, a laccase, a glucose oxidase, lactose oxidase, a pyranose oxidase, a lipoxygenase, an L-amino acid oxidase or a carbohydrate oxidase.

Examples of emulsifiers include, without limitation, lecithin, fatty acid monoglycerides and diglycerides, diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides and diglycerides (DATEM), polyglycerol esters, sorbitan esters, and the stearoyl-lactylates.

The baked starch capsules of the present invention may be used in any suitable food or beverage manufacturing process or composition. Non-limiting examples of applications of the baked starch capsules include for use in delivering ingredients or additives, such as, e.g., enzymes, for use in manufacturing bread, rolls, cake, noodles, biscuits, crackers, wafers, snack products, steam bread, dairy products (such as, e.g., cheese). Other non-limiting examples include use of the baked starch capsules for delivering ingredients or additives, such as, e.g., enzymes, in manufacturing beverage products, such as, dairy products (e.g., milk) juice, wine, beer, soft drinks.

In a preferred embodiment, the baked starch capsules are used for delivering enzymes in the manufacture of dough based products. In an embodiment, a method for preparing a dough for a baked product, comprises adding a baked starch capsule comprising a baking enzyme and baking the dough. The enzyme preferably includes an enzyme used for conditioning the dough and or as bread improver, e.g., extending the shelf life of the product. Examples include amylases, maltogenic alpha-amylase, xylanses, protease, cellulases, lipases, phospholipases.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a food or beverage composition, e.g., dough, comprising the baked starch capsules of the present invention.