DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a composition with a basis of balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP and tomato concentrate, to a method for its preparation and to its use in food preparations.

The use of tomato-based sauces for food use is widespread throughout the world.

The sauce commonly called "ketchup", which comprises, in addition to tomato sauce or concentrate, sugar, vinegar, salt and spices, is one of the more widespread commercial dressings. However, the presence of an acid ingredient such as vinegar can be unpleasant and can lead to side effects such as gastric irritation, in predisposed individuals. Moreover, in the commercial preparations it is often necessary to use excipients, such as preservatives and flavor enhancers, which may give rise to food intolerance.

"Ketchup-like" preparations are known with fruit or vegetable as a partial or total replacement of wine vinegar (e.g. JP2016948, JP55071473, JP 1281056). Understandably, said compositions actually have organoleptic characteristics which are different from those of the traditional ketchup. The balsamic vinegar of Modena is a condiment with an acidity lower than that of the ordinary vinegar and is better tolerated by patients with disorders such as gastritis or ulcers excess gastric secretions.

In addition, it has a high content of polyphenols derived from grape must to which properties antihypertensive, antiallergic, antimutagenic and anticancer activities have been ascribes.

The name of balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP (ABM IGP) is internationally protected. The EC Regulation n. 583/09 provides that for the production of ABM IGP it is prohibited to add any substance except caramel (2% maximum) for color stability. However, the use of ABM IGP as an ingredient of sauces is limited by the fact that ABM IGP may impart a brown color to the preparation, which may become darker over time, rendering it unsightly to some consumers.

Another well-known disadvantage of commercially available ketchup-like condiments is their difficulty in dosaging them from the containers. In fact, since the consistency of ketchup varies depending on the mechanical stresses to which it is subjected (thixotropy) , passing from semisolid to liguid in a virtually instantaneously manner, it is difficult to dose ketchup in the desired amount from the container on a plate or on a dish. An object of the present invention is to provide a ketchup-type composition comprising balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP with color resembling that of the known ketchup sauces and that is stable over time.

One purpose of the present invention is to provide a ketchup-type composition which can be dosed easily by consumers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple and convenient method for the preparation of a stable ketchup-type composition comprising balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP.

In accordance with the present invention, these objects, and others that will be highlighted below, . are achieved by a composition for use in foodstuffs comprising:

- Tomato concentrate,

- Balsamic vinegar of Modena,

- A sugar or sugary substance,

- At least one thickener, and

- Water,

wherein the composition has a content of caramel of less than 0.0001% by weight / total weight of the composition and concentration of between 30 and 38°Bx.

These objects have also been achieved through a method for preparing the above-described method for the preparation of the composition as described above which comprises the following steps:

i. separately mixing with water at a temperature between 20 and 45°C the tomato concentrate, the sugar or sweet substance and the at least one thickener, obtaining three separate mixtures;

ii. separately homogenizing the mixture of tomato concentrate with water and the mixture of sugar or sweet substance with water and salt obtained in step i . ;

iii. combining in an evaporator at reduced pressure the homogenised mixtures obtained in step ii. and the mixture of water and thickener obtained in step i . ;

iv. heating the composition obtained in step iii. at a temperature between 25 and 60 °C at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure;

v. adding balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP-free caramel to the composition obtained in step iv. ;

vi . heating the composition obtained in step v. at a temperature between 25 and 60 °C and at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure for a time comprised between 5 and 60 minutes.

In accordance with the present invention, these aims have been also achieved through the use of the composition described above as a spreadable cream food.

In the context of the present invention, the term "balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP" means a balsamic vinegar with the analytical and organoleptic properties and production according to the specifications of EC Regulation no. 583/09, also made from organic cultivation, caramel-free, i.e. with a content of caramel below 0.0001% by weight / total weight of the composition.

In the context of the present invention, "tomato concentrate" refers to a preparation obtained by a method comprising concentrating the tomato juice, through the methods known to the skilled person, with a dry residue typically, but not exclusively, between 12 and 40% by weight/weight.

The consistency of the preparations according to the present invention is measured by a Bostwick consistometer (Reference: 1991, "II controllo della qualita dei derivati del pomodoro", Ed. Stazione Sperimentale per 1' Industrie della Conserva Alimentari in Parma) without dilution and after a 30 seconds run at a temperature of 25°C.

In the context of the present invention, °Bx indicates the Brix degrees, i.e. a measure of the amount of solid substances in a composition, which are measured through tools and methodologies known to those skilled in the art, for example with a refractometer or a pycnometer at 20°C. It is understood that the standard steps of the method according to the present invention, as the homogenization or mixing, are carried out through techniques which are known to the person skilled in the art, unless otherwise specified.

In one aspect, the present, invention relates to a food composition comprising:

- tomato concentrate,

- balsamic vinegar of Modena,

- a sugar or sugary substance,

- at least one thickener, and

- water,

wherein the composition has a content of caramel less than 0.0001% by weight / total weight of the composition and concentration of between 30 and 38°Bx.

It was surprisingly found that the composition according to the present invention, in spite of its high content of ABM IGP with acidity less than that of wine vinegar, has a color very similar to the preparations of traditional type ketchup. Moreover, the preparation according to the invention is surprisingly stable, does not tend to darken significantly over time and over storage it maintains, in general, the initial organoleptic characteristics such as low acidity, high content of polyphenols etc. This result was achieved without further addition of preservatives or antioxidants, which are potentially harmful to health. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that this advantage is due to the use of balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP containing virtually no caramel. This aspect is particularly important since the addition of caramel is used in the production of balsamic vinegar as a stabilizer of the color, while it is surprisingly found that the composition according to the present invention is stable precisely in the absence of caramel.

It was also found that the composition according to the present invention can be used as a spreadable product for the seasoning of foods, contrary to the traditional ketchup-type preparations, that are not suitable for such use as .they become practically liquid in the application of a minimum pressure. Preferably, the composition according to the invention has a Bostwick consistency between 1 and 10 cm at 25°C.

The present composition may also include other substances for use as food flavorings (aromas include e.g. pizza, chili, barbecue or garlic, onion, basil, rosemary, sage, aubergine, coriander, ginger, cumin, curry, paprika, black pepper, pink pepper , mustard, cheese, mushrooms, truffles, brandy, cognac, marsala wine, prepared for roasting) , spices generally known to the skilled person, natural extracts of vegetable or animal for food etc.. Preferably, the composition according to the invention comprises a salt for food use, at least a spice, an extract and / or a food flavoring. More preferably, said salt is sodium chloride.

The composition according to the invention may also contain grape juice concentrate, which is an important source of sugars, organic acids such as tartaric, glycolic and glyoxylic, mineral . acids and polyphenols. In a preferred embodiment, the composition according to the invention comprises tomato concentrate to 37 degrees Brix in an amount comprised between 10 and 25% (preferably 13:18%) sugar or sweet substance between 10 and 40%, (preferably 15 and 25%) balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP between 8 and 35% (preferably 12 and 16%) at least one thickener between 1 and 8%, (preferably 3 and 4%) salt between 1 and 8% (preferably 2 to 3%) , spices and/or an herbal extract between 0.01 and 3% (preferably between 0.1 and 1%) and water between 30 and 75% (preferably between 40 and 65%) (all concentrations are in weight/total weight of the composition) . Preferably, the composition according to the invention has total acidity 0.2 and 3.5% and pH between 2.2 and 4.

As further ingredients of the composition according to the invention, it is possible to use all substances known to those skilled in the art of food formulations. In the composition of the present invention, all substances known as thickeners to those skilled in the art of food preparations can be used.

Preferably, the thickener is xanthan gum, modified starch, starch, malt dextrin, pectin, guar gum, sodium acetate, tara gum, gelatins or mixtures thereof.

More preferably, . in the composition according to the invention at least one thickener is modified corn starch or xanthan gum.

Non-limiting examples of sugars or sugary substances usable in the composition according to the present invention are mono and disaccharides such as glucose, fructose, sucrose or mixtures thereof or sugar-containing fruit preparations or natural products.

Preferably, the composition according to the invention the sugar or sugary substance is sucrose, dehydrated glucose, fructose, dried, cooked or concentrated grape must, glucose syrup, rectified concentrated grape must, grape juice concentrate, honey or mixtures thereof.

More preferably, in the composition according to the invention the sugar is sucrose.

In one aspect, the present invention comprises a method for the preparation of the composition as described above which comprises the following steps:

i. separately mixing with water at a temperature between 20 and 45°C the tomato concentrate, the sugar or sweet substance and the at least one thickener, obtaining three separate mixtures;

ii. separately homogenizing the mixture of tomato concentrate with water and the mixture of sugar or sweet substance with water and salt obtained in step i.;

iii. combining in an evaporator at reduced pressure homogenised mixtures obtained in step ii. and the mixture of water and thickener obtained in step i . ;

iv. heating the composition obtained in step iii. at a temperature between 25 and 60 °C at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure;

v. adding balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP-free caramel to the composition obtained in step iv. ;

vi . heating the composition obtained in step v. at a temperature between 25 and 60 °C and at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure for a time comprised between 5 and 60 minutes.

It has been found that the method according to the present invention allows to obtain in an efficient and cost-effective manner a composition that is stable over time and that has the . organoleptic characteristics and health benefits conferred by balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP without the use of preservatives, stabilizers or other additives. One of the advantages is that the method of the present invention allows to prepare the ketchup- type composition with low temperatures, minimizing the energy required and the environmental impact.

Furthermore, the method according to the present invention is easily scalable to industrial level through routine operations known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the method of the invention further comprises the addition to the composition of step v. of at least one spice and/or of an extract or food flavoring before heating of the composition thus obtained under the conditions of step vi .

Preferably, in the method according to the invention the sugar or sweet substance is sucrose, dehydrated glucose, fructose dehydrated, cooked or concentrated grape must, glucose syrup, rectified concentrated must, grape juice concentrate, honey or mixtures thereof, and the thickener is xanthan gum or modified starch, starch, malt dextrin, pectin, guar gum, sodium acetate, tara gum, gelatins or mixtures thereof.

In one aspect, the present invention relates to the use of the ketchup-type composition comprising tomato concentrate and balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP described above as food spreadable cream.

By virtue of its physical and organoleptic properties, in addition to the traditional uses of sauces like ketchup, the composition of the invention can be spread on dishes or bread and bakery products in general, or can easily be used for garnishing and decoration of food preparations.