The present invention relates to a savoury concentrate comprising a fortificant system comprising a source of iron. The invention further relates to a process for manufacturing the concentrate. The invention also relates use of a biopolymer in a fortificant system comprising a source of iron.

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 long term 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 utilized 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 absorbability, 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 industrialized 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 synthetic 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 savoury concentrates.

WO 2010/086192 A (Unilever PLC et al) discloses a dry savoury food concentrate comprising: a) from 30 weight percent wt. to 70 weight percent of NaCI; b) from 0.05 weight percent to 2 weight percent of an iron ion selected from the group consisting of Fe ²⁺ and Fe ³⁺ and mixtures thereof, which iron ion is derived from an added iron compound which is dissolvable in an aqueous solution, c) from 0.35 weight percent to 7.0 weight percent 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 at) 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 at) 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 Fe ²⁺ , Fe ³⁺ and combinations thereof; 10-49.97 mole percent of non-iron cations selected from Na ⁺ , K ⁺ , Ca ²⁺ , NH ⁴⁺ and combinations thereof; 16-70.2 mole percent of CL; 0-30 mole percent of anions selected from SO4 ^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.

The present inventors have recognized a need for a new vehicle for iron-fortification of savoury concentrates (for instance bouillon powders, cubes, or pastes), and for sauces, dishes, meal makers and the like which can be prepared with such concentrates.

Summary of the invention

In a first aspect the present invention provides a savoury concentrate comprising: a. at least 0.002% by weight of the concentrate of a fortificant system comprising i. from 1 to 50% by weight of the fortificant system of a source of iron, ii. from 50 to 99% by weight of the fortificant system of a biopolymer matrix; b. at least 3% by weight of the concentrate of taste-imparting components selected from glutamate, sugars, pieces of plant material and combinations thereof; c. 0 to 40% by weight of the concentrate of fat; and d. 0 to 10% of water by weight of the concentrate. The savoury concentrate of the present invention 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 savoury concentrate of the present invention offers the advantage that the iron contained therein is readily ingestible and preferably highly bioavailable. Furthermore, the iron-containing fortificant system contained in the savoury concentrate does not give rise to unacceptable colour changes. In particular, it was found that the biopolymer matrix assists to moderate, reduce or even avoid undesirable colour changes that are typically associated with the presence of sources of iron fortification in savoury concentrates. Such undesirable colour changes include (intense) darkening or blackening. Also highly undesirable is the occurrence of uneven colour changes, such as staining or - in extreme cases - spotting, in which stark discoloration occurs in some places and not others. The typically strong contrasts are associated with product deterioration. Therefore, reducing such discoloration effects is desirable. Thus, the biopolymer matrix in the fortificant system may act as a colour stabilising agent.

Moreover, the present inventors have recognized a particular challenge for fortifying savoury concentrates with iron which arises because of the concentrated nature of savoury concentrates and the micronutrient amounts of iron required for safe fortification. The challenge is the precise dosing of iron-containing fortificant. It is very difficult to mix homogenously the required small amount of particles in savoury concentrates which are typically very heterogeneous in size and composition.

Because the iron source is embedded in the biopolymer matrix, the particles are bulkier (i.e. have a larger mass and volume per unit of iron). It is therefore relatively easy to precisely dose the particles used in the present invention owing to the larger contents that are typically used. Thus, the savoury concentrate of the present invention is typically easier to manufacture in a consistent manner than previous iron-fortified concentrates.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a process for manufacturing the savoury concentrate of the first aspect, wherein the process comprising the steps of:

(i) preparing the fortificant system; (ii) combining the fortificant system with the taste-imparting components; and

(iii) packaging the mixture. In a third aspect, the present invention also provides for use of biopolymer in a fortificant system comprising a source of iron as a colour stabiliser in a savoury concentrate comprising the fortificant system. In a further aspect, the invention provides a method for preparing a bouillon, a soup, a sauce, a gravy or a seasoned dish comprising dissolving and/or dispersing the savoury concentrate of the first aspect in an aqueous medium.

Detailed description The savoury concentrate according to the first aspect of the invention comprises: a. at least 0.002% by weight of the concentrate of a fortificant system comprising i. from 1 to 50% by weight of the fortificant system of a source of iron, ii. from 50 to 99% by weight of the fortificant system of a biopolymer matrix; b. at least 3% by weight of the concentrate of taste-imparting components selected from glutamate, sugars, pieces of plant material and combinations thereof; c. 0 to 40% by weight of the concentrate of fat; and d. 0 to 10% of water by weight of the concentrate.

The amount of the fortificant system in the savoury concentrate will vary depending on the amount of iron in the system, the size of a single serving of concentrate and the recommended daily allowance of iron for the person consuming the foodstuff prepared from the concentrate. The iron content of the savoury concentrate preferably is at least 1.5 x 10 ³ mmol/g. More preferably, the iron content of the concentrate is in the range of

0.005 to 0.15 mmol/g and most preferably 0.01 to 0.05 mmol/g.

One unit of the savoury concentrate 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 savoury concentrate that is provided in a single packaging unit. In case multiple packaging units are packaged together (e.g. a plurality of wrapped bouillon bocks in a single box), the term “unit” refers to the amount of concentrate contained in the smallest packaging unit. Preferably the savoury concentrate comprises from 0.01 to 70% of the fortificant system by weight of the concentrate, more preferably from 0.05 to 20% and most preferably from 0.1 to 5%. The fortificant system involves a suitable combination of a source of iron and a biopolymer matrix. The fortificant system preferably is in particulate form, for example to ease dosing of the system into the concentrate, to facilitate homogeneous distribution of the system throughout the concentrate and/or to enable easier dispersion of the system upon use of the concentrate when preparing a meal or foodstuff.

Typically, the source of iron is embedded in the biopolymer matrix of the fortificant system. Thus, the particles of the fortificant system preferably are encapsulates of the source of iron in the biopolymer matrix. In that way, the matrix provides optimal barrier properties that enable it to function for instance as a colour-stabilising agent.

The particles of the fortificant system preferably have a mass-weighted average diameter in the range of 0.1 to 5000 pm, more preferably 0.2 to 1000 pm and most preferably of 0.5 to 50 pm. The source of iron may be any source of iron that is suitable for use in fortifying the human diet. Such a source of iron is preferably capable of making available iron ions in a nutritionally acceptable form upon ingestion and/or digestion. The source of iron preferably is a source of ferrous ions (Fe ²⁺ ) or ferric ions (Fe ³⁺ ). Therefore, the source of iron preferably comprises an iron salt. More preferably, the source of iron is an iron salt.

The iron salt is preferably selected from the group consisting of ferrous sulphate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous lactate, ferrous bisglycinate, ferrous fumarate, ferric orthophosphate, ferric pyrophosphate, ferrous tartrate, ferrous succinate, ferrous saccharate, ferrous carbonate, ferrous citrate, sodium ferric ethylenediaminetetraacetate, ferrous orthophosphate, ferrous ammonium phosphate, and mixtures thereof.

More preferably, the iron salt is selected from the group consisting of iron phosphate, ferrous sulphate, ferrous ammonium phosphate and mixtures thereof. Iron phosphate is a term known to the skilled artisan and comprises the group of salts comprising one or more iron atoms and one or more phosphate groups. It comprises for example ferric orthophosphate, ferric pyrophosphate, or ferrous orthophosphate. Even more preferably, the iron salt comprises, even more preferably is, ferric pyrophosphate or ferrous sulphate or a mixture thereof. Even more preferably the iron salt comprises ferric pyrophosphate, even more preferably is ferric pyrophosphate.

Iron salt is preferably present in an amount of from 0.03 to 2 wt%, more preferably of from 0.07 to 1 wt%, based on the weight of the savoury concentrate. Preferably, the savoury concentrate comprises an iron salt selected from the group consisting of ferrous sulphate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous lactate, ferrous bisglycinate, ferrous fumarate, ferric orthophosphate, ferric pyrophosphate, ferrous tartrate, ferrous succinate, ferrous saccharate, ferrous orthophosphate and mixtures thereof in an amount of from 0.03 to 2 wt%, more preferably of from 0.07 to 1 wt%, based on the weight of the food concentrate. It can be preferred that an iron salt is selected from this list, to be present in the savoury concentrate, which iron salt individually can be present in an amount of from 0.03 to 2 wt%, more preferably of from 0.07 to 1 wt%, based on the weight of the food concentrate. More preferably, the savoury concentrate comprises an iron salt selected from the group consisting of ferric pyrophosphate, ferric orthophosphate, ferrous sulphate and a mixture thereof in an amount of from 0.03 to 2 wt%, more preferably of from 0.07 to 1 wt%, based on the weight of the savoury concentrate. Preferably, the savoury concentrate comprises ferric pyrophosphate in an amount of from 0.03 to 2 wt%, more preferably of from 0.07 to 1 wt%, based on the weight of the savoury concentrate.

Preferably, the savoury concentrate comprises ferric orthophosphate in an amount of from 0.03 to 2 wt%, more preferably of from 0.07 to 1 wt%, based on the weight of the savoury concentrate. Preferably, the savoury concentrate comprises ferrous ammonium phosphate in an amount of from 0.03 to 2 wt%, more preferably of from 0.07 to 1 wt%, based on the weight of the savoury concentrate. Preferably, the savoury concentrate comprises ferrous sulphate in an amount of from 0.03 to 2 wt%, more preferably of from 0.07 to 1 wt%, based on the weight of the savoury concentrate.

The preferred anions are phosphates and pyrophosphates and so preferably the anions comprise phosphate and pyrophosphate in a total amount of at least 50 mol% of the anions, more preferably at least 70 mol% and most preferably from 90 to 100 mol%.

The most preferred anion is pyrophosphate (P2O7 ^4' ) and so preferably the anions comprise pyrophosphate in an amount of at least 50 mol% of the anions, more preferably at least 70 mol% and most preferably from 90 to 100 mol%.

The above iron salts have different solubilities in water. The most appropriate source of iron depends on the particular application, since low water solubility may add to lower reactivity and hence improved colour stability. Conversely, a higher water solubility (especially at the low pH environment of the gastric juices) may lead to higher bioavailability. Advantageously, the biopolymer matrix of the present invention also allows an improvement in colour stability upon use of water-soluble sources of iron.

The iron source can be present in the fortificant system in different forms. Thus, a source of iron in the form of an iron complex, in finely dispersed form, as microcrystals, or in particulate form are all contemplated.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the source of iron is in particulate form. In that case, the particles of the source of iron preferably have a mass weighted average diameter in the range of 0.1-100 pm, more preferably 0.2-50 pm and most preferably of 0.5- 5 pm. If the source of iron is particulate, then the source of iron preferably comprises and more preferably is a poorly water-soluble iron salt. The particles of the source of iron can suitably also contain other micronutrients. Iron salts can also include other micronutrient cations. Such salts are also contemplated.

Particle size and particle size distribution measurement can be suitably done by using light scattering methods, such as static light scattering (e.g. using Mastersizer™ by Malvern Panalytica), dynamic light scattering (e.g. Zetasizer Nano™ by Malvern Panalytica), and/or microscopy based methods such scanning electron microscopy (e.g. Merlin™ by Carl Zeiss) or transmission electron microscopy (e.g. TECNAI-20™ by Philips), or a combination thereof if the particle size is very polydisperse.

The biopolymer comprised in the fortificant system can be any biopolymer suitable for forming the matrix. The biopolymer matrix preferably comprises a biopolymer selected from the group of polynucleotides, polypeptides, polysaccharides, polyglycopeptides (e.g. glycoproteins), and mixtures thereof.

In many embodiments, it is preferred that the biopolymer is a polypeptide. A particularly preferred polypeptide is plant protein. The term “plant protein” as used herein refers to proteins derived from plant tissue. The polypeptide may be used in purified form, but the invention is not limited to such purified polypeptides. They may also be used in the form of flours, protein concentrates, plant protein isolates, etc.

Another particularly preferred polypeptide is prolamin. The term “prolamin” as used herein refers to water insoluble plant storage proteins that are found in the seeds of cereal grains and that have a high proline and a high glutamine content. Examples of prolamins include gliadin (wheat), hordein (barley), secalin (rye), zein (maize), kafirin (sorghum), rice prolamins and avenin (oat). Thus, the biopolymer matrix preferably comprises and more preferably is prolamin, wherein the prolamin is selected from the group of gliadin, hordein, secalin, zein, kafirin and avenin, and combinations thereof. It is even more preferred that the prolamin comprises zein. Thus, the biopolymer preferably is zein. In case the biopolymer is zein, the fortificant system preferably is of particulate nature. The sphere equivalent volume mean diameter of the zein-based fortificant particles preferably is between 0.1 and 5000 pm, more preferably between 0.2 and 1000 pm and even more preferably between 0.5 and 50 pm.

The sphere equivalent volume mean diameter (D[4,3]) of the prolamin particles of the shaped savoury article can suitably be determined using light or fluorescent microscopy images. In some embodiments, the source of iron in the zein-based fortificant system preferably is a water-soluble source of iron. More preferably, the source is a water-soluble iron salt. Even more preferably, the source of iron comprises, more preferably is ferrous sulphate and/or ferric chloride. It was found a fortificant system comprising zein and a water-soluble source of iron was particularly effective in avoiding the undesirable occurrence of spotting and/or staining of savoury concentrates, especially shaped savoury concentrates.

In other embodiments, the source of iron in the zein-based fortificant system preferably is a water-insoluble source of iron. More preferably, the source is a particulate water- insoluble iron salt as mentioned herein.

In other embodiments, the biopolymer comprises, preferably is a polysaccharide. The biopolymer in the fortificant system preferably comprises a polysaccharide selected from the group of starch and maltodextrin. It is even more preferred that the biopolymer is starch. Any starch suitable for consumption is contemplated, including but not limited to native starches and modified starches. Particularly suitable starches are rice, wheat, maize and/or potato starch. The starch may be a purified or refined starch (such as maize starch or potato starch), but the invention is not limited to such purified starches. Flour also is a typical and useful source of starch. Thus, the starch may also be present in the form of flour, including for example wheat flour, maize flour or rice flour. The starch is favourably gelatinised (e.g. by cooking). As explained below, it is also favourable if the granules of such gelatinised starch are broken up by applying shear (e.g. by homogenising). Many suitable sources of biopolymer (such as flours) comprise both polypeptides and polysaccharides. Therefore, the biopolymer preferably comprises polypeptides and polysaccharides. The fortificant system may be prepared by a variety of suitable methods. A typical range of suitable methods involves the simultaneous precipitation of the biopolymer and the source of iron (ora precursor to it) from a common medium. For example, such a method may involve providing the biopolymer in a dispersion, in a from in which it is highly solvated and/or present in a highly extended form) in a certain medium and using a precursor to the source of iron that is also soluble in the medium, followed by a step in which the medium comprising the biopolymer and the iron precursor is contacted with an anti-solvent in which at least the biopolymer and possibly also the iron precursor is insoluble or much less soluble. This step typically yields the formation of a biopolymer matrix particles in which the source of iron is finely dispersed. To induce the formation of the fortificant system, the solubility and/or solvation of the biopolymer in the medium may also be reduced by other known methods, including for instance the addition of other solutes, changing the pH, the ionic strength, the solvent polarity or the temperature. The source of iron may also be present in the form of dispersed particles onto which a biopolymer is precipitated, which may for instance lead to the formation of core-shell- type particles or encapsulates. Another suitable approach is the application of a suitable drying method. For example, spray-drying or freeze-drying may be suitable methods to ensure that a fortificant system is obtained in which the source of iron is embedded in the biopolymer matrix. In case the biopolymer is a water-insoluble biopolymer (e.g. prolamin, especially zein), and a particulate source of iron is desired, a preferred suitable process for preparing the fortificant system comprises the steps of

(i) preparing a solution of the water-insoluble biopolymer in a mixture of water and alcohol (preferably ethanol, propanol and/or isopropanol, more preferably ethanol);

(ii) dispersing water-insoluble particles comprising the source of iron in the solution of the biopolymer; and

(iii) forming the fortificant system (preferably in particulate form) by spray-drying or by antisolvent precipitation followed by drying. Suitable water-insoluble particles providing the source of iron are for example particles of ferric pyrophosphate and ferric orthophosphate.

In case the biopolymer is a water-insoluble biopolymer (e.g. prolamin, especially zein), another preferred suitable process for preparing the fortificant system involves use of a soluble source of iron. Such a process preferably comprises the steps of (i) preparing a solution of the water-insoluble biopolymer and a precursor to the source of iron in a mixture of water and alcohol (preferably ethanol, methanol, propanol and/or isopropanol, more preferably ethanol); (ii) forming the fortificant system (preferably in particulate form) by antisolvent precipitation (preferably by combining the solution with water) and (iii) drying the resultant precipitate.

Preferably the water-insoluble biopolymer in this process is prolamin, more preferably it is zein. The precursor to the source of iron is preferably selected from ferrous sulfate heptahydrate and ferric chloride hexahydrate and/or their hydrates (e.g. ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, ferric chloride hexahydrate). Therefore, it is particularly preferred that the biopolymer is zein, the precursor is selected from ferrous sulfate heptahydrate and ferric chloride hexahydrate, the alcohol is ethanol and the antisolvent is water. The drying step preferably includes freeze drying.

To improve handling of the fortificant system, it may preferably be combined with a handling aid prior to the final drying step. Preferably, the handling aid is selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, maltodextrin and starch, more preferably it is selected from glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltodextrin and starch, and even more preferably, the handling aid is maltodextrin. The fortificant system is preferably combined with the handling aid (in particular in case of maltodextrin) in a weight ratio of between 1:0.1 and 1:10, more preferably between 1:0.2 and 1:5 and even more preferably between 1:0.5 and 1:2, wherein the weight ratio is the ratio of the dry weights of the fortificant system and the handling aid.

In the course of this process, the fortificant system may suitably be subjected to a size reduction or size selection step. Size reduction is typically achieved by grinding or milling. Size selection may for example be achieved by sieving. According to another preference, a suitable process for the preparation of a starch-based fortificant system comprises the steps of

(i) providing starch in a gelatinised state in an aqueous dispersion;

(ii) combining the gelatinised starch with a source of iron ; (iii) homogenising the dispersion to break up the gelatinised starch granules; and (iv) drying the homogenised dispersion comprising the source of iron.

Here, the starch preferably is selected from rice, wheat, maize and/or potato starch, more preferably the starch is rice starch, maize starch or wheat starch, even more preferably the starch is waxy rice starch, waxy maize starch, waxy wheat starch or a combination thereof. To bring the starch into a gelatinised state, it is typically heated to a temperature above the gelatinisation temperature as known to the skilled person.

The source or iron may be water-soluble or water-insoluble. Suitable water-insoluble iron-containing particles are for instance particles of ferric orthophosphate and ferric pyrophosphate.

Steps (ii) and (iii) can be carried out in either order. That is, a process in which the starch is combined with the source of iron before homogenisation and a process in which the starch is combined with the source of iron after homogenisation are both envisaged.

To homogenise the dispersion, a high shear mixer, a high-pressure homogeniser, or a microfluidiser may preferably be used. The dispersion may be passed multiple times over such apparatus. The homogenising serves to break up the swollen gelatinised starch granules and set free at least part of the individual starch chains. The dispersion is preferably homogenised until less than 30 wt%, more preferably less than 20 wt% and even more preferably less than 10 wt% of the gelatinised granules remains intact.

The drying step can be carried out using any suitable drying equipment. Preferably, the dispersion is spray-dried to obtain the fortificant system. Alternative methods, including for instance oven drying, are known to the skilled person. After the drying step, the dried material may be subjected to a comminution treatment in order to provide a fortificant system with the appropriate particle size distribution. The fortificant system is preferably obtained by a process as described herein.

The composition of the fortificant system 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), or combination of them. For compositional analysis the fortificant system may suitably be separated from the reaction mixture in which it was prepared. Taste imparting components selected from glutamate, sugars, pieces of plant material and combinations thereof preferably are contained in the savoury concentrate in a concentration of at least 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%. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the savoury concentrate comprises at least 0.5% glutamate by weight of the concentrate. More preferably, the concentrate comprises from 1 to 35% glutamate, most preferably 5 to 30% glutamate.

The pieces of plant material are preferably in the form of leaves, slices, florets, dices or other pieces. The savoury 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. 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, chives, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, ginger, leek, garlic, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, courgette, asparagus, bell pepper, egg plant, cucumber, carrot and coconut flesh.

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. Preferably the savoury 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 savoury concentrate of the present invention preferably contains at least 1% fat by weight of the concentrate. More preferably, the savoury concentrate contains 3 to 40% fat, most preferably 5 to 35% fat. The fat contained in the savoury 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 savoury concentrates of the present invention are dry, wherein “dry” means that they comprise no more than 10% water by weight of the concentrate. The water content of the savoury concentrate preferably does not exceed 8% by weight of the concentrate, even more preferably the water content does not exceed 6%.

The water activity (at 20 °C) of the savoury 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 savoury concentrate and/or of the fortificant system, 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). It should be understood that the fortificant system for use in the present invention may contain small amounts of water (e.g. water of crystallisation, especially in case it comprises an iron salt) but where referring to any concentration or amount of a component of the particles, this is of the dry content of the particles. In contrast for the concentrate, amounts are by total weight of the concentrate (unless specified otherwise) including any water therein.

The savoury 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 savoury 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 15t%, 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 10t%, still more preferably at least 15% and preferably at most 60%, more preferably at most 55%, and still more preferably at most 50%.

The savoury concentrate preferably contains a starch component selected from native (ungelatinized) 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 a mixture of table salt. Preferably the inorganic salt comprises table salt in an amount of at least 50% by weight of the inorganic salt, more preferably at least 70%, more preferably still at least 85%, even more preferably at least 90% and most preferably from 95 to 99%.

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% ungelatinized 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.

The savoury 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 savoury concentrate of the present invention is a shaped article, notably a shaped solid article. Examples of shaped solid articles include savoury concentrates in the form of cubes, tablets or granules.

The shaped article preferably has a mass in the range of 2.5 to 50 g, more preferably in the range of 3.0 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 savoury concentrate of the present invention preferably is a packaged savoury concentrate. Where the savoury concentrate is 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 savoury concentrate. The process comprises the steps of:

(i) preparing the fortificant system;

(ii) combining the fortificant system with the taste-imparting components; and

(iii) packaging the mixture. As described above, step (i) preferably comprises a spray drying step and/or an antisolvent precipitation step.

All preferences with regard to the fortificant system, the process to prepare it and the savoury concentrate, apply equally to the process for manufacturing the savoury concentrate.

Thus, in a preferred realisation of the method, the biopolymer comprises starch, and step (i) comprises the steps of: a) providing starch in a gelatinised state in an aqueous dispersion; b) combining the gelatinised starch with an iron-containing salt; c) homogenising the dispersion to break up the gelatinised starch granules; and d) drying the homogenised dispersion. In another preferred realisation of the method, the biopolymer is water-insoluble protein, more preferably prolamin and even more preferably zein, and step (i) of the method comprises the steps of a) dissolving the water-insoluble protein in a suitable solvent or solvent mixture, wherein the solvent or solvent mixture is water-dilutable; b) combining the protein solution with a source of iron; and c) forming particles by antisolvent precipitation optionally followed by drying.

The process preferably includes the addition of fat to the mixture in step (ii). Other components that may suitably be added during step (ii) includes table salt, starch component, thickening agents, colouring, and combinations thereof.

Preferably the mixture is shaped prior to packaging. The savoury 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 bouillon, a soup, a sauce, a gravy or a seasoned dish comprising dissolving and/or dispersing the savoury concentrate in an aqueous medium. 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.

The savoury 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 1:5, more preferably from 1:1000 to 1:7 and most preferably 1:500 to 1:10.

In another aspect, the invention also provides use of biopolymer in a fortifi cant system comprising a source of iron as a colour stabiliser in a savoury concentrate comprising the fortificant system. All preference described herein with regard to the fortificant system and the savoury concentrate are also contemplated with regard to the present use according to the invention. The use as a colour stabilising agent preferably includes use to reduce or prevent darkening and/or spotting and/or staining of the savoury concentrate upon storage.

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 concentrate 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

Example 1

A fortificant system comprising iron-zein complexes was prepared.

The materials used were: milliQ water, ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO^ThhO SigmaAldrich), ferric chloride hexahydrate (FeC -ehhO, MW: 270.3 g/mol, SigmaAldrich) Zein (20kDa, SigmaAldrich) and maltodextrins DE 40 (SigmaAldrich). Next, for the preparation of the tested cubes the following materials were used: sodium chloride (NaCI), Mono-Sodium-Glutamate (MSG), Sugar, Corn starch and Fat Palm Stearin. All materials were sourced in Europe.

Preparation of prolamin-iron particles

Zein was dissolved overnight under magnetic agitation (300 rpm) in a 80/20 w/w ethanol/water binary solvent. FeC -ehhO was either dissolved in the same binary solvent and added to the zein solution or was dissolved directly in the zein solution to control both zein concentration and Fe(lll)/zein ratio. A concentration of zein of 25 mg/g in the binary solvent was used, while addition of FeC -ehhO was regulated to vary the Fe(lll)/zein ratio between 5 and 20 mol/mol. The formation of iron-zein particles was initiated in the binary solvent. Subsequently, the antisolvent precipitation method was applied to induce the precipitation of all the dissolved zein and promote the physical entrapping of Fe(lll) and of Fe(lll)-zein complexes. The binary solvent mixture comprising the zein and Fe(lll) is quickly poured in a vessel containing agitated Milli-Q water (magnetic agitation at 1000 rpm). The ratio of water to the binary solvent is 3 : 1 w/w, to ensure a residual ethanol concentration of 20% wt. It was observed that most of the zein was precipitated.

Furthermore, maltodextrins were added to the system, at a maltodextrin/zein ratio of 1/1 w/w, prior to freeze drying to remove both water and ethanol. The obtained powder was stored under refrigerated conditions (4 °C) until characterization or use in the preparation of the bouillon cubes. Example 2

Fortified bouillon cubes and comparative cubes were prepared with the compositions detailed in Table 1. Cube 1, Cube 2, and Cube 3 comprise fortificant systems prepared according to Example 1, with different molar ratios of Fe(lll) to zein. Reference cube A is a cube without iron. Reference cubes B and C comprise conventional fortificants ferrous sulfate heptahydrate and ferric chloride hexahydrate, respectively. In each case, the total iron content was kept constant, as well as the proportion of all the ingredients required for cube preparation. TABLE 1

Preparation of seasoning cubes - All the materials required for cube preparation, with the exception of the palm stearate and iron compound or the fortificant system) were weighed together in a plastic jar and mixed with a mixer (Kenwood Chef Premier KMC650 with K-beater) for 1 minute at speed setting 1.The palm stearate was molten by placing a container containing it in a hot water bath and was added to the mixture when liquid, after which the mixture was mixed for 2 minutes at speed setting 2. The iron-prolamin complexes or the iron salts were added and again the mixture was mixed for 1 minute at speed setting 2. 4 Grams of this mixture at a time was transferred into a stainless steel mould and then an Instron 5567 press was used to press the cube) at 5 kN. This procedure was repeated for each cube. Accelerated Aging - The bouillon cubes were subjected to an accelerated off-colour test (humidity 100% at 40°C). Two cubes were put on a plastic holder and placed in a 100 ml glass jar. 1 g of water was added in the jar in such a way that the cube did not come into direct contact with the water. This procedure simulates typical storage conditions of commercial products, where the water content of seasoning cubes increases over time, but in an accelerated fashion. The jars were closed with a lid and placed in an oven at 40°C for the accelerated test. The colour change and homogeneity of the colour where assessed visually by untrained panel and were followed in time using the colour measurement described below. TABLE 2

The visual assessment demonstrated that the bouillon cubes with the fortificant system of the present invention, comprising zein as the biopolymer are significantly more stable than a cube directly fortified with ferrous sulphate or ferric chloride. In particular, they do not develop any dark colour or do not show any patches or spots that are significantly darker that the rest of the cube.

Example 3

A fortificant system comprising ferrous sulfate and starch composite particles is prepared using water, ferrous sulfate (FeSCU), and native wheat starch (Meritena 200, ex. Tereos Syral, which contains 75% amylopectin and 25% amylose).

Preparation of ferrous sulfate-starch composite particles

Prepare a mixture of 1 wt% starch and water by cooking at 90°C for 10 minutes while stirring with a Silverson mixer at 3000 RPM, then cooling down to room temperature. Add ferrous sulfate (0.1 wt% based on its anhydrous weight) and mix to full dissolution. Mix for another 2 min using a Silverson mixer at 2000 RPM.

A final dispersion for spray-drying is obtained by passing the mixture through a Microfluidizer™ (Microfluidics, USA) with a Z-chamber of 87 pm at 1200 bar.

To obtain the fortificant system, spray-dry the dispersion using a Buchi B-290 mini spray drier, with a 1.5 mm two-fluid nozzle having an atomizing pressure of 2 bars with an inlet temperature of 165 °C.

Example 4

A fortificant system comprising composite particles of ferric pyrophosphate and starch is prepared using water, ferric pyrophosphate (Fe^PaOK Dr. Lohmann), native wheat starch (Meritena 200, ex. Tereos Syral, which contains 75% amylopectin and 25% amylose. The same steps as described in Example 3 are followed, using 0.1 wt% of the ferric pyrophosphate instead of ferrous sulfate. Example 5

A fortified seasoning cube composition and a comparative composition (without iron) are given in Table 3 where all amounts are % by weight. The amount m of fortificant system from Example 3 or 4 is selected to deliver 2.1 mg Iron in each 4 g seasoning cube and depends on the exact composition of the fortificant system. The weight % of NaCI in the cube is adjusted to balance the amount of fortificant system. Seasoning cubes are prepared using the same steps as described in Example 1.

TABLE 3

Colour measurement - Off-colour formation is analysed by a colour measurement as known in the art. A DigiEye Imaging system from VeriVide Ltd is used to obtain photographic images with a D65 light source operating in diffusion illumination mode under controlled and calibrated conditions. From these photographs the L*a*b* values are determined. The colour difference DE is calculated using the formula: DE = square root of ((Li ^* -Lo ^* ) ² + (ai ^* -ao ^* ) ² + (bi ^* -bo ^* ) ² ). Here, Lo ^* , ao ^* and bo ^* are the colour values for the sample at the moment of preparation (time t=0 min), and the Li*, a * and bi* are the values for the sample after a specified period (e.g. t = 17 h) of accelerated storage testing. Thus, all colour differences are expressed as DE relative to the formulation at time zero. A high DE value represents a relatively high amount of off-colour. Values of DE ³ 2 are noticeable by human eye.

Colour homogeneity quantification - The development of the colour homogeneity of the samples is analysed by image analysis of the photographs obtained with DigiEye Imaging system as described above. Images are obtained at time intervals t=0 min and after a specified period (e.g. 17 hours of the accelerated testing. The images are analysed to quantify the changes in colour homogeneity during the test. The images as obtained from the DigiEye are analysed with the software ImageJ (with reference to software link — http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/ and ImageJ plugins) in order to obtain the colour homogeneity of the samples. The analysis starts with cropping the area representing only the surface of the bouillon cube (i.e. the rectangle areas of the upper surface of the cube is selected by the removal of the outer parts of the image). This is done by using the “Crop” function of the software ImageJ.

Next, by using the function “Histogram” of the software on the colour image the gray value intensity distribution of the selected area was obtained. The resulting histogram is a list containing the number of pixels per channel; the X-axis represents the gray values (expressed as 0 to 256 channels) and the Y-axis shows the number of pixels found for each channel (i.e. gray value). The maximum of the pixel histogram is determined, and this value is divided by two to obtain the number of pixels at half the maximum. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) is determined by counting the number of channels that have a pixel value higher or equal to half the maximum. Any channel containing a zero value that is adjacent to a channel with a count higher than half the maximum is included in the count. The obtained channel count is divided by 256 to yield the FWHM, a number between 0 and 1 for each individual image.

To quantify the changes in the homogeneity of the cubes, the images obtained at the beginning (t=0) and at the end (t=17h) of the accelerated stability tests are used. From the obtained images, to quantify the change in colour homogeneity, dFWHM, the FWHM of the histograms at the end of the accelerated stability experiment (FWHM _t =i7 _h ) is subtracted from the FWHM at the beginning of the experiment (FWHM _t =o) (i.e. dFWHM = FWHM _t =o - FWHM _t =i 7h). In order to calculate the relative changes with respect to the initial homogeneity conditions of the cubes, stability parameter (SP) is calculated, using the following equation: SP = dFWHM / FWHM _t =o * 100 %.

Example 5

A fortified low-sodium bouillon cube composition and a comparative composition (without iron) are given in Table 4 where all amounts are % by weight. The amount n of the fortificant system from Example 3 or 4 is selected to deliver 2.1 mg iron in each 8 g seasoning cube and depends on the exact composition of the fortificant system. The weight % of native starch in the cube is adjusted to balance the amount of the fortificant system.

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 pre crystallised in a votator, and added to the mixture. Finally, the dried herbs and spices and vegetables and flavours, along with the fortificant system 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.