BAKED FOOD PRODUCTS Cross Reference to Related Application This application is a continuation-in-part application of U. S. application serial number 10/202,294 that was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on July 23, 2002.

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to baked food products containing specific lecithin products.

Background of the Invention Emulsifiers, such as lecithin, are widely used for improving the quality of a baked food product. There is a need to improve the physical properties of the dough and the quality of the final baked product.

Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to a baked food product comprising membrane separated lecithin having a ratio of alkali metals to alkaline earth metals ranging from greater than 0 to about 10, the invention relates to baked food products comprising a lecithin product having a ration of alkali metals to alkaline earth metals ranging from about 1.6 to about 3.0.

Detailed Description of the Invention The present invention relates to a baked food product comprising membrane separated lecithin having a ratio of alkali metals to alkaline earth metals ranging from greater than 0 to about 10, the invention relates to baked food products comprising a lecithin product having a ration of alkali metals to alkaline earth metals ranging from about 1.6 to about 3.0.

The baked food product of the present invention can be produced by any known methods. For example, a typical dough formula is prepared comprising flour, water, salt, yeast, sugar, shortening, and a lecithin product of the present invention. The dough is baked to produce a baked food product.

The lecithin products of the present invention are in a first embodiment described as membrane separated lecithin having a ratio of alkali metals to alkaline earth metals ranging from greater than 0 to about 10, preferably 0 to 5. In a second embodiment the lecithin products of the present invention are described as lecithins having a ratio of alkali metals to alkaline earth metals ranging from about 1.6 to about 3.0, preferably about 1. 8 to about 2.8.

In determining the content of the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals of the lecithin product, the following test procedure is used: Elemental Analysis Standard Procedure SRC Elemental analysis was performed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-ES) with target elements of aluminum, calcium, chromium, iron, lead, magnesium, nickel, potassium, phosphorus, silicon, sodium, and zinc. This analysis was performed according to the American Oil Chemists'Society (AOCS) Official Method Ca 20- 99. Each sample was weighed on an analytical balance to the nearest 0.0001 g. Because of the range of concentration, two dilution levels are required. Approximately 0. 8 g of sample was weighted out and recorded. To the sample approximately 4.2 g of kerosene was weighted and recorded. The sample/kerosene mixture was vortexed until the sample is completely dissolved. Approximately 4.2 g mineral oil was added to the sample/kerosene solution and recorded. This concentration is used to analyze the lower level elements, Al, Cr, Fe, Pb, Na, Ni, Si, and Zn. For the higher concentration elements, Ca, Mg, P and K, another dilution is made by taking approximately 0.5 g of the first dilution, recording the weight, and adding approximately 9.5 g of a 50/50 kerosene/mineral oil and record the total weight. All of the final dilutions are mixed until homogeneous. The samples are placed into a heated, 40°C, sample hot plate along with the standards and allowed to come to temperature, approximately 10 minutes, prior to the introduction into the ICP. Samples were run in triplicate.

Calculation: The ICP data is reported typically as ppm calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphorous, along with other metals. The ppm values are divided by the atomic weight of the respective element (Ca: 40, K: 39, P: 31 and Mg: 24) and the atomic equivalents are used to calculate the ratio of monovalent to divalent (alkali metals to alkaline-earth metals).

The lecithin products of the present invention may be prepared by any suitable manner. For example, a vegetable oil miscella may be passed through a membrane, preferably polymeric or semi-permeable, to obtain a retentate and a permeate. The lecithin products are in the retentate. Exemplary of such methods are those appearing in U. S. Patent No. 6,207, 209 to Jirjis, et al.; U. S. Patent Nos. 4,496, 498 and 4,533, 501 to Sen Gupta.

Specific examples describing the preparation of lecithin products of the invention are provided as follows:

Example A Two samples of miscella were prepared by using the present technique. Miscella samples were obtained from two different oil seeds plants.

A membrane was conditioned and used for removing phospholipids from each of the two samples of miscella. The membrane purchased was a PAN membrane from Osmonics, Inc. The membrane can be characterized as having an average pore size of 0.3 micron, and in the form of a spiral wound 25 inch x 40 inch membrane element. The membrane was conditioned by soaking the membrane in an intermediate solvent (propanol) for 24 hours.

Then the membrane was soaked in mixture of intermediate solvent (propanol) and extraction solvent (hexane) for 24 hours. Finally, the membrane was soaked in extraction solvent (hexane) for 24 hours.

The two samples of miscella were individually processed. For the soybean oil miscella, the test was conducted at retentate concentration of lOx of the feed concentration and the permeate rate of lOx concentration was 100 liter/hour m2. For the corn miscella, the test was conducted at retentate concentration of 7.4x of the feed at a permeate rate of 80 liter/hour m2.

Example B Samples of soybean oil miscella were taken on different days and were treated by using the present technique.

Spiral wound 8 inch x 40 inch QX membranes were purchased from Osmonics, Inc.

The membranes were conditioned and used for removing phospholipids by soaking them in an intermediate solvent (100% isopropanol) for 12 hours. At 6 hours, the intermediate solvent was recirculated at a flow rate of 15 m3/hr per element and forced through the membrane pores for about 15 minutes using a pump (this recirculation or forcing through is referred to as"forced permeation"for purposes of this Example B). Then the resulting membrane was soaked in a 50: 50 mixture of intermediate solvent (100% isopropanol) and extraction solvent (100% commercial hexane) for 12 hours. After 6 hours this soaking included recirculation at a flow rate ofl5 m3/hour per element and forced permeation for about 15 minutes. Finally, the resulting membranes were soaked in extraction solvent (100% commercial hexane) for 12 hours, also with recirculation and forced permeation of the extraction solvent at 6 hours for about 15 minutes with 15m3/hour recirculation flow. The resulting membranes treated with this process are"conditioned membranes"for purposes of this Example B.

The soybean miscella containing about 75 wt. % hexane, 24.3 wt. % crude oil, and 0.7 wt. % phospholipids, was passed through the first conditioned membrane at a trans-membrane pressure of 4 Kgf/cm2 at a rate of 0.6 m3/hour per element. The resulting retentate stream had about 7 wt. % phospholipids and 23 wt. % oil (i. e., the test was conducted at retentate concentration of 1 OX of the feed concentration). Excess hexane was added to this retentate in the proportion of 2 portions of hexane to 1 portion of retentate resulting in a stream containing 88 wt% hexane. This retentate stream was passed through a second conditioned membrane at a trans-membrane pressure of 4 Kgf/cm2 at a rate of 0.35 m3/hour per element, resulting in a retentate stream having about 65 wt% hexane, 23 wt. % phospholipids and 12 wt. % oil which is equivalent to lecithin free of hexane with 66% acetone insolubles. This retentate stream was desolventized at a rate of 1800 kg/hour, 95°C and 260 mmHg absolute pressure. The resulting concentration of hexane was 5%. The retentate stream was further desolventized at a temperature of 110°C at an absolute pressure of 20 mm Hg and sparge steam of 80 kg/hour by using a stripper to produce 600 kg/hour of lecithin product with less than 5 ppm of hexane.

The baked food product according to the present invention shows an increased volume and uniformity of the crumb compared to the baked food products with no lecithin.

The baked food product is supported by the following example. It should be understood that the example is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Example The test bread formula used in this evaluation is a typical dough formula as follows: Ingredients Percent Weight (grams) Flour 100. 0 1600 Water 56. 25 900 Yeast 0. 875 14 Sugar 1.0 16 Shortening 3.0 48 Salt 2. 0 32 0.3 wt. % (4.8 grams) of the membrane separated lecithin having a ratio of 1.9 alkali metals to alkaline earth metals was added to the dough. No such lecithin was added in the control.

The dry ingredients were mixed in a DIOSNA kneader (Dierks & Sohne GmbH, Osnabruck, Germany) for 5 minutes at Speed 1. Water at a temperature of 38° C was added

slowly and mixed for 5 minutes at Speed 1. The resulting dough was kneaded for 20 minutes at Speed 2 and then the dough was divided into 4 650 gram pieces and allowed to ferment in a proof room for 30 minutes at a temperature of 33° C and a humidity of 73%. The 4 pieces of dough were rounded and molded. The molded pieces were then placed in baking pans and allowed to ferment in a proof room for 60 minutes at a temperature of 33° C and a humidity of 73%. The dough was then baked for 35 minutes at an upper heating of 230° C and floor heating of 250° C. The loaves were permitted to cool on a wire rack. The results are obtained using the following procedure and are reported in Table 1.

Volume measurement of bread The volume of bread is measured by rapeseed repression method Apparatus - Volume meter with a stopper and a leveler - Stainless Volume-tin - Calibration volume wooden block (2000 mi) - Measuring cylinder 2000 ml - Rapeseed Method: Calibration of the rapeseed volume - Put the stopper in the upper side of the volume meter (Funnel).

- Put the calibration block in the volume meter in the stainless volume-tin.

- Put the measuring cylinder under the volume meter (Funnel) - Close the volume meter - Weigh 4 kg or rapeseed and bring this quantity over to the funnel of the volume meter - Remove the stopper of the funnel - Level the rapeseed above the volume tin with a leveler - The rapeseed that which is left in the volume tin is used for the real volume measurement of bread Volume-measurement of bread -Put a stopper in the upper side of the volume meter (funnel) - Put the bread in the volume meter in the stainless volume-tin.

- Put the measuring cylinder under the volume meter (Funnel) -Fill the funnel of the volume meter with the calibrated quantity of the rapeseed -Remove the stopper of the funnel -Level the rapeseed above the volume tin with a leveler - Quantify the rapeseed volume in the measuring cylinder Calculation Volume of the bread (ml) = quantity of rapeseed in the measuring cilinder + 2000 ml Table 1 Bread Control (Volume in millimeters) Lecithin (Volume in millimeters) 1 2,230. 0 2,350. 0 2 2, 190. 0 2, 290.0 3 2, 210. 0 2, 370.0 4 2, 280. 0 2, 340.0

The baked bread according to the present invention shows an increased volume of 4.9% compared to the baked bread with no lecithin. It was observed that the dough containing the lecithin product was more elastic, smooth, easy to handle, and had better gas distribution. This improved dough conditioning is demonstrated by better oven spring (increased volume due to heat expansion) and uniformity of the crumb.

In the present baked food product, greater than 0 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. % of a membrane separated lecithin having an acetone soluble content of about 35 wt. % to about 40 wt. % and a ratio of greater than 0 to about 10 of alkali metals to alkaline earth metals, is used.

In particular, a membrane-separated lecithin having a ratio of 1.9 alkali metals to alkaline earth metals is used.

The invention has been described with reference to various specific and illustrative embodiments and techniques. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.