HETEROPOLYSACCHARIDE GUM

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a savoury concentrate, more particularly a savoury concentrate that can be used in the preparation of broths, bouillons, soups, sauces, gravies etc. to improve taste as well as appearance and texture. The savoury concentrate can be provided in the form of, for instance, cubes, pellets or granulates.

The savoury concentrate of the present invention contains:

a) 22-85 wt.% inorganic salt;

b) 2-60 wt.% fat;

c) 1.5-10 wt.% of heteropolysaccharide gum selected from galactomannan, glucomannan and

combinations thereof; and

d) optional further components. The present invention also provides a process of preparing a savoury concentrate, said process comprising:

• providing a savoury concentrate mixture containing inorganic salt, fat, heteropolysaccharide gum and optionally further components; and

• converting the savoury concentrate mixture into shaped articles or granules.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of bouillon cubes to provide taste in soups, gravies, sauces and other similar food products is well known. Bouillon cubes typically contain salt, sugar, fat, binders, herbs, spices, taste enhancer (e.g. glutamate) and flavouring.

WO 2007/085609 describes a bouillon and/or seasoning tablet and/or cube, which comprises, in total % in weight, 0.5-10 % oil, and/or 0-5 % fat, binders, salt, between 1 and 5 % of total water, as well as between 0.5 and 8 % of cereal, vegetable and/or fruit fibers, as well as optionally sugar, spices, flavors, taste enhancers, dehydrated vegetables, herb leaves and/or plant extracts. The binders are taken from the group consisting of dextrose syrup, maltodextrin, citric acid, meat extract and processed flavors. WO 2014/095196 describes a solid or semi-solid composition comprising an edible fat and an inorganic salt, wherein the composition comprises pores, and wherein the pores contain a

hydrocolloid; the pores constitute from 1 to 70% of the volume of the composition. The hydrocolloid preferably comprises xanthan gum and konjac gum in a weight ratio ranging from 1.5:1 to 2.5: 1 . The patent examples describe the blending of a solid composition containing palm oil stearin, vegetable fat, potato starch, water and kitchen salt with a hydrogel slurry containing water, NaCI, calcium chloride dehydrate, xanthan gum and konjac gum, followed by moulding in cylinder tubes and drying.

US 2008/0299267 describes a packaged concentrate for preparing a bouillon, broth, soup, sauce, gravy or for use as a seasoning, said concentrate comprising:

a) 20-80% water (weight % based on total packaged concentrate);

b) 0.1 % to 10% (weight % based on water content of concentrate) of a gelling agent comprising the combination of xanthan and locust bean gum (LBG);

c) 15-30% (weight % based on water content of concentrate) of salt;

d) 5-60% (weight % based on the total composition) of taste imparting components in the absence of 0.5-60% by weight of herbs, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, crustaceans, or particulates thereof (weight % based on total packaged concentrate); and

wherein the concentrate has the appearance of a gel. US 2008/031 1251 describes a packaged concentrate for preparing a bouillon, broth, soup, sauce, gravy or for use as a seasoning, said concentrate comprising:

• 20-80% water (weight % based on total packaged concentrate),

• 1.0-4% (weight % based on water content of concentrate) of a gelling agent comprising the

combination of xanthan and guar gum, xanthan and said guar gum each being present in an amount of 20-80% on the total amount of xanthan+guar gum,

• 15-40% (weight % based on water content of concentrate) of salt,

• 0.5-60% (weight % based on the total packaged concentrate) of taste imparting components.

EP-A 2 229 825 describes a packaged concentrate for preparing a bouillon, broth, soup, sauce, gravy or for use as a seasoning, said concentrate comprising:

• 20-80% water,

• 0.5-60% by weight of herbs, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, crustaceans, or particulates thereof,

• 0.1 % to 10% of a gelling agent comprising the combination of xanthan and locust bean gum

(LBG), whereby the concentration of gelling agent is to be calculated as (amount of gelling agent / (amount of gelling agent + total moisture amount),

• 3-30% (weight % based on water content of concentrate, more preferably 15-30%, most

preferably 15-26%) of salt, whereby the concentration of salt is to be calculated as (amount of salt) / (amount of salt + total moisture),

wherein the concentrate has the appearance of a gel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors have developed a savoury concentrate, such as a bouillon cube, that can suitably be used in the preparation of bouillon, broth, soup, sauce or gravy, and that not only imparts taste and taste enhancement, but that additionally improves texture of the final product

The savoury concentrate of the present invention contains:

a) 22-85 wt.% inorganic salt;

b) 2-60 wt.% fat;

c) 1.5-10 wt.% of heteropolysaccharide gum selected from galactomannan, glucomannan and

combinations thereof;

d) 0-25 wt.% of glutamate component selected from glutamic acid, edible glutamate salts and

combinations thereof;

e) 0-25 w.% starch component selected from native starch, pregelatinised starch, maltodextrin, modified starch and combinations thereof;

f) 0-20 wt.% of sugar selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides and combinations thereof; g) 0-45 wt.% of vegetable matter selected from vegetables, herbs, spices and combinations thereof; h) 0-10 wt.% water;

wherein the components a) to e) together constitute at least 55 wt.% of the savoury concentrate and wherein the components a) to h) together constitute at least 75 wt.% of the savoury concentrate.

When used in the preparation of aqueous dishes, the savoury concentrate of the present invention offers the advantage that it imparts a velvety mouthfeel (mouth coating) that is highly appreciated and associated with homemade preparations.

The aforementioned benefits are clearly perceptible even if the savoury concentrate is applied in relatively small quantities in bouillon, broth, soup, sauce or gravy.

The presence of the heteropolysaccharide gum in the savoury concentrate of the present invention enables the preparation of a savoury concentrate in the form of a cohesive article (e.g. a bouillon cube) or a robust granulate.

The invention also provides a process of preparing a savoury concentrate, said process comprising: • providing a savoury concentrate mixture containing:

o 22-85 wt.% inorganic salt;

o 2-60 wt.% fat;

o 1.5-10 wt.% of heteropolysaccharide gum selected from galactomannan, glucomannan and combinations thereof;

o optional further components; and

· converting the savoury concentrate mixture into shaped articles or granules. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A first aspect of the invention relates to a savoury concentrate comprising:

a) 22-85 wt.% inorganic salt;

b) 2-60 wt.% fat;

c) 1.5-10 wt.% of heteropolysaccharide gum selected from galactomannan, glucomannan and

combinations thereof;

d) 0-25 wt.% of glutamate component selected from glutamic acid, edible glutamate salts and

combinations thereof;

e) 0-25 w.% starch component selected from native starch, pregelatinised starch, maltodextrin, modified starch and combinations thereof;

f) 0-20 wt.% of sugar selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides and combinations thereof; g) 0-45 wt.% of vegetable matter selected from vegetables, herbs, spices and combinations thereof; h) 0-10 wt.% water;

wherein the components a) to e) together constitute at least 55 wt.%, preferably at least 65 wt.% and more preferably at least 75 wt.% of the savoury concentrate; and wherein the components a) to h) together constitute at least 75 wt.%, preferably at least 85 wt.%, more preferably at least 90 wt.% of the savoury concentrate.

The term "fat" as used herein refers to glycerides selected from triglycerides, diglycerides, monoglycerides, phosphoglycerides and combinations thereof. The term "fat" encompasses fats that are liquid at ambient temperature as well as fats that are solid or semi-solid at ambient temperature.

The term "galactomannan" as used herein refers to polysaccharides consisting of a mannose backbone with galactose side groups (more specifically, a (1-4)-linked beta-D-mannopyranose backbone with branchpoints from their 6-positions linked to alpha-D-galactose, i.e. 1-6-linked alpha-D- galactopyranose). Examples of galactomannans include cassia gum (mannose:galactose ratio -5: 1 ), locust bean gum (mannose:galactose ratio -4:1 ), tara gum (mannose:galactose ratio -3:1 ), guar gum (mannose:galactose ratio -2:1 ) and fenugreek gum (mannose:galactose ratio -1 : 1 ).

The term "glucomannan" as used herein refers to a linear or slightly branched polysaccharide comprising a linear glucomannan backbone of 1 ,4-beta-linked D-glucosyl and D-mannosyl residues. Acetyl groups may occur along the glucomannan backbone and contribute to the solubility properties of the polysaccharide. Examples of glucomannans include konjac gum (mannose:glucose ratio -1.5:1 ), Aloe vera glucomannan (mannose:glucose ratio -2: 1 ) and salep glucomannan

(mannose:glucose ratio -4: 1 ). The solid fat content at 20°C (N20) can suitably be determined using ISO 8292-1 (2012) - Determination of solid fat content by pulsed NMR.

The mass weighted mean diameter of a savoury concentrate in granulated form and of particulate components of the savoury concentrate may suitably be determined using a set of sieves with different mesh sizes in case at least 80 wt.% of the material has a diameter of more than 100 μιη. In case the material is a very fine powder, i.e. a powder comprising more than 20 wt.% particles with a diameter of less than 100 μιη, the mass weighted mean diameter may suitably be determined by means of microscopy. The mass weighted average diameter of starch granules, for instance, can be determined from microscopic images from separate areas, each showing at least 200 starch granules. Three images are used to measure starch granules sizes. The starch granules are labelled manually, and the sizes are automatically measured in micrometers by suitable image analysis software. Further details can be found in Snyder.EM. (1984) (Snyder.EM. (1984). Chapter XXII - Industrial microscopy of starches. In: Starch: Chemistry and Technology (Second Edition) Food Science and Technology, ed. R.L.W.PASCHALL San Diego: Academic Press, 661-673).

The savoury concentrate of the present invention typically comprises 30-70 wt.%, preferably 40-60 wt.% inorganic salt. The fat content of the savoury concentrate typically is in the range of 3-35 wt.%, more preferably in the range of 5-30 wt.% fat. The fat contained in the savoury concentrate preferably has a solid fat content at 20°C (N20) of at least 5%, preferably of at least 10%.

The heteropolysaccharide gum is preferably applied in the savoury concentrate in a concentration of 1.8-8 wt.%, more preferably in a concentration of 2-7 wt.%, even more preferably in a concentration of 2.3-6.5 and most preferably in a concentration of 2.5-6 wt.%.

The savoury concentrate advantageously contains at least 1 wt.% of the glutamate component. More preferably, the savoury concentrate contains 2-20 wt.% of the glutamate component.

The savoury concentrate of the present invention can take the form of, for instance, a granulate a shaped article or a paste. Preferably, the savoury concentrate is a granulate or a shaped article.

In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the concentrate is a shaped article having a weight of 2-50 g, said shaped article comprising the following components:

a) 35-70 wt.%, preferably 40-60 wt.% inorganic salt;

b) 5-30 wt.%, preferably 15-25 wt.% fat, said fat having a solid fat content at 20°C (N20) of at least 5%;

d) 0-20 wt.%, preferably 2-18 wt.% of the glutamate component. The shaped article preferably has a weight in the range of 2.5-30 g, more preferably in the range of 3.0-28 g and most preferably of 3.2-24 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 fat contained in the shaped article preferably has a N20 of at least 10%, more preferably of 15- 95% and most preferably of 50-90%.

In one preferred embodiment, the savoury concentrate is a granulate having a mass weighted average diameter in the range of 0.1 -5 mm, said granulate comprising the following components:

a) 35-85 wt.%, preferably 40-75 wt.% inorganic salt;

b) 3-20 wt.%, preferably 4-15 wt.% fat;

d) 2-20 wt.%, preferably 5-15 wt.% of the glutamate component.

The granulate preferably has a mass weighted average diameter in the range of 0.2-2 mm, most preferably in the range of 0.25-1.5 mm. The fat contained in the granulate preferably has a N20 of 0-60%, more preferably of 5-40% and most preferably of 10-30%.

The savoury concentrate typically contains less than 9 wt.% water. More preferably, the concentrate contains 1-8 wt.% water. Most preferably, the concentrate contains 2-7 wt.% water.

Unlike the savoury concentrate described in WO 201 14/095196, the savoury concentrate of the present invention preferably does not comprise pores containing hydrocolloid attached to the wall of the pores. The inorganic salt employed in the savoury concentrate is preferably selected from sodium chloride, potassium chloride and combinations thereof. Most preferably, the inorganic salt is sodium chloride.

The inorganic salt employed in the savoury concentrate typically has a mass weighted mean diameter in the range of 5-150 μιη, more preferably of 10-100 μιη.

The fat employed in the savoury concentrate preferably is a vegetable fat. The term "vegetable fat" encompasses vegetable fats that have been fractionated and/or hydrogenated. Examples of vegetable fats that may suitably be used in the savoury concentrate include palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, cottonseed oil, maize oil, olive oil and

combinations thereof. Besides the inorganic salt, the fat and the heteropolysaccharide gum, the savoury concentrate may suitably contain additional ingredients, such as starch components, taste enhancers (glutamate, yeast extract, yeast autolysate, hydrolysed vegetable protein), sugars, vegetable matter, gelatine, binders, emulsifiers (e.g. lecithin and/or monoglycerides), flavouring, colouring, minerals and vitamins.

The savoury concentrate preferably contains a starch component selected from native starch, pregelatinised starch, maltodextrin, modified starch and combinations thereof. The starch component is preferably present in the savoury concentrate in a concentration of 3-20 wt.%, more preferably of 4- 18 wt.% and most preferably of 5-15 wt.%.

The combination of starch component and heteropolysaccharide gum is preferably present in the savoury concentrate in a concentration of 5-25 wt.%, more preferably of 7-20 wt.% and most preferably of 8-15 wt.%.

Best results are obtained with savoury concentrate of the present invention if the starch component and the heteropolysaccharide gum are present in a weight ratio of 2: 1 to 20:1. Even more preferably, the latter weight ratio is in the range of 2.5:1 to 15:1 , most preferably in the range of 3: 1 to 12:1 The starch component employed in accordance with the present invention 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 employed in the savoury concentrate typically has a mass weighted mean diameter in the range of 5-200 μιη, more preferably of 10-100 μιη, most preferably of 12-60 μιη.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention the heteropolysaccharide gum is galactomannan. In another embodiment, the heteropolysaccharide is glucomannan.

Preferably, the heteropolysaccharide gum applied in the savoury concentrate is selected from guar gum, locust bean gum, cassia gum, tara gum, konjac gum and combinations thereof. Even more preferably, the heteropolysaccharide gum is selected from guar gum, locust bean gum and combinations thereof. Most preferably, the heteropolysaccharide gum is guar gum.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the heteropolysaccharide gum employed in accordance with the present invention has a molecular weight of at least 50,000 g/mol, more preferably of at least 55,000 g/mol and most preferably of 60,000 to 1 ,000,000 g/mol. Here the molecular weight refers to molecular weight of individual polysaccharide molecules and not to a (number or weight) average molecular weight.

The heteropolysaccharide gum is preferably applied in the savoury concentrate in the form of a powder. The particles of this powder typically contain more than 60 wt.%, more preferably at least 80 wt.% and most preferably at least 90 wt.% of the heteropolysaccharide gum. The

heteropolysaccharide gum is preferably applied in the form of a powder having a mass weighted mean diameter in the range of 30-500 μιη, more preferably of 50-400 μιη. The savoury concentrate may suitably comprise 0-12 wt.%, more preferably 1-10 wt.% and most preferably 2-8 wt.% of sugar. Preferably, the sugar is selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose and combinations thereof.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the savoury concentrate contains 0-30 wt.% of vegetable matter selected from vegetables, herbs, spices and combinations thereof. More preferably, said vegetable matter is contained in the savoury concentrate in a concentration of 0-20%, most preferably 1-10% by weight of the savoury concentrate.

Examples of sources of vegetable matter include parsley, dill, basil, chives, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, leek, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, courgette, asparagus, bell pepper, egg plant, cucumber, carrot and coconut flesh. The vegetable matter may be applied in the form of leafs, slices, florets, dices or other pieces.

According to another preferred embodiment, the savoury concentrate contains 0-10 wt.%, more preferably 0.5-8 wt.% and most preferably 1-5 wt.% of gelatine component, said gelatine component being selected from gelatine, hydrolysed gelatine and combinations thereof.

The savoury concentrate of the present invention preferably is a packaged savoury concentrate. The portion of the concentrate as packaged preferably has a weight (excluding packaging) of 1 g to 1 kg, preferably 2-250 g, more preferably 5-50 g. The packaging can be e.g. a container, a pouch or a wrapper.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a method of preparing a savoury product selected from a broth, a bouillon, a soup, a sauce or a gravy, said method comprising the addition of a savoury concentrate according to any one of the preceding claims. According to a particularly preferred embodiment said method comprises the addition of the savoury concentrate to a hot aqueous liquid having a temperature in excess of 60°C, more preferably in excess of 80°C.

Typically, the present method of preparing a savoury product comprises addition of the savoury concentrate in a concentration of at least 0.5% by weight of the savoury product. More preferably, the savoury concentrate is added in a concentration of 0.8-5%, most preferably of 1-3% by weight of the savoury product.

Yet another aspect of the invention relates to a process of preparing a savoury concentrate, said process comprising:

• providing a savoury concentrate mixture containing:

o 22-85 wt.% inorganic salt;

o 2-60 wt.% fat;

o 1.5-10 wt.% of heteropolysaccharide gum selected galactomannan, glucomannan and combinations thereof;

o optional further components; and

• converting the savoury concentrate mixture into shaped articles or granules.

The aforementioned process may suitably be employed to produce a savoury concentrate as described herein before.

The savoury concentrate mixture employed in the present process preferably has the same composition as the savoury concentrate described herein before.

The heteropolysaccharide gum employed in the present process preferably is a heteropolysaccharide gum as defined herein before.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the present process comprises incorporating into the savoury concentrate mixture the heteropolysaccharide gum in the form of a powder having a mass weighted average diameter of 30-500 μιη, more preferably of 50-400 μιη.

The preparation of the savoury concentrate mixture preferably comprises addition of a small quantity of water in the form of an aqueous liquid. Typically, the savoury concentrate mixture is prepared by adding 0.5-10%, more preferably 0.8-5% and most preferably 1-3% of aqueous liquid by weight of the savoury concentrate mixture. The aqueous liquid employed typically contains at least 50 wt.%, more preferably at least 70 wt.% water.

The savoury concentrate mixture may suitably be converted into shaped articles or granules by means of compression. The compressing of the savoury concentrate mixture can be done using equipment known in the art. Examples of known techniques that can be used to form the granules and/or shaped articles include tabletting, roller compacting, extrusion, pelletising, etc.

The invention is further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples. EXAMPLES Exam le 1

Bouillon cubes are prepared on the basis of the recipes (in wt.%) shown in Tabl Table 1

² Contains curcumin powder, parsley flakes, garlic, onion and white pepper The cubes are prepared using the following procedure:

• sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, sugar and corn starch are introduced into a mixer and mixed for 60 seconds, at 35 Hz;

• water and caramel are added and mixed for 120s, at 35 Hz ;

• vegetable matter is added, except for the parsley flakes, and mixed for 30 seconds, at 60 Hz; · fat powder is added and mixed of 30 seconds, at 60 Hz;

• finally, guar gum is added together with parsley flakes, and mixed for 120 seconds, at 60 Hz.

Subsequently, the concentrate mixtures are discharged from the mixer and kept 2 hours at ambient temperature to allow for fat crystallization. Next, the concentrate mixtures are shaped into cubes of approximately 9.5 grams by compressing the mixture into a mould.

Exam le 2

Chicken soups are prepared on the basis of the recipe shown in Table 2, using the bouillon cubes described in Example 1 (bouillon cube 1 and bouillon cube A). Table 2

The soup is prepared as follows:

• saute the onion and garlic using part of the oil

· add the chicken breast and the remainder of the oil and stir fry the pieces of chicken meat

• add the carrots and continue stir frying for a few seconds

• add the water and to bring to boil

• add the green beans and potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes using medium heating

• add the broken noodles and boil for another 10 minutes

· add the bouillon cubes and continue boiling for 10 more minutes

The soups thus prepared are evaluated by an expert panel.

The panel evaluation shows that the soup prepared with bouillon cube 1 has a more appealing taste and texture than the soup prepared with bouillon cube A.

Exam le 3

Bouillons were prepared from bouillon powders containing different levels of added guar gum, including a control sample without added guar gum, and were evaluated by a trained QDA panel.

The composition of the bouillon powder used is shown in Table 3.

Table 3

Guar-containing bouillon powders were prepared by adding guar gum (200 mesh, ex Willy Benecke GmbH, Germany) to the aforementioned bouillon powder in the concentrations indicated in Table 4.

Table 4

Bouillons containing the same amount of bouillon powder (20 g/l) and different levels of guar gum were prepared by mixing the powders into boiling water, followed by boiling under stirring for 3 more minutes. The hot bouillons were served in 150 ml quantities in preheated china soup bowls to 14 members of a QDA panel that had previously been trained to describe the sensory characteristics of bouillons using a set of sensory descriptors. These descriptors included attributes related to appearance, odour, mouthfeel, taste, aftertaste and afterfeel. The individual attributes were scored on a scale of 0 to 15, a high score indicating that the attribute is very noticeable.

The products were offered to the panellists sequentially with intervals of 5 minutes, and were identified by a 3-digit code. Tap water and cream crackers were used by the panellists as a palate cleanser.

A mean score was calculated for each of the sensory attributes that were used to by each panellist describe the bouillons. Within the large set of sensory attributes that the QDA panel used to describe the tested samples, significant differences were observed for the sensory attributes shown in Table 5.

Table 5

degree of thickness when the bouillon is moved around within the mouth

2 degree of slithery feeling in the mouth

Comparative Example

Bouillons were prepared from a bouillon powder containing added gelatin and from a control sample without added gelatin, and evaluated by a QDA panel. The procedure followed was the same as in Example 3. The amount of gelatin added was 75% by weight of bouillon powder.

Despite the very high level of gelatin addition, the QDA panel did not detect significant differences for any of the mouthfeel attributes.