Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to a substitution food for wheat pasta (including directly derived products) made of green plantain, or green banana, durum wheat, and gluten, and a production process for such a product.

Background of the invention

The obesity is on the rise globally. Different products and diet strategies have emerged to try to address the problem. The most challenging aspect of the problem is to change the long-term eating habits, which is difficult due to inherent of human behaviour. It is well-known that pasta is high on starch and comparable to white bread. Therefore, the development of a product that could have similar organoleptic characteristics to an actual pasta is a key to change the long-term eating habits.

It is therefore desirable to provide a product, which can eliminate some or all of the above problems.

Description of the invention

Today, pasta products are typically produced by mixing milled wheat, water, and optional ingredients, such as eggs and salt. These ingredients are typically added to a continuous, high-capacity extruder. The pasta may then be packaged for market as fresh pasta or dried prior to packaging to prepare dry pasta. As a final preparation for the pasta to be ready to serve, it needs to be boiled. Although there are no legal requirements to use the term “pasta”, it is generally understood that wheat pasta predominantly comprises wheat flour mixed with water.

Pastas may be divided into two broad categories, dried pasta, and fresh pasta. Fresh pasta is usually made with eggs. The presence of eggs makes it more tender compared to dried pasta and only takes about half the time to cook. The ingredients required to make dried pasta predominately include wheat semolina flour and water. Eggs can be added for flavour and richness but are not needed to make dried pasta. In contrast to fresh pasta, dried pasta needs to be dried at low temperature for several days to evaporate all the moisture allowing it to be stored for a longer period. Typically, pasta is made from durum wheat flour. Durum wheat flour has a relatively high gluten content. Gluten is a protein that contributes to protein aggregation and firm texture of a normally cooked pasta. Durum wheat is ideally suited for pasta because of its unique colour, flavour, and cooking qualities. Pasta manufacturers typically use milled durum wheat (including semolina and durum flour) in pasta production. Most pasta manufacturers prefer semolina, which, according to the United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Subchapter B, Part 137.230, is durum wheat flour prepared by grinding and bolting cleaned durum wheat to such fineness that it passes through a No. 20 sieve (i.e., finer than a particle size of 850 micrometres), but not more than 3 percent passes through a No. 100 sieve (i.e., coarser than a particle size of 150 micrometres). As said, eggs (fresh eggs, frozen eggs, dry eggs, egg yolks, or dried egg solids) may be added to pasta to improve the nutritional quality and richness of the pasta. Small amounts of optional ingredients, such as salt, celery, garlic, and bay leaf, may also be added to pasta to enhance flavour. It is further known to use spinach powder (appr. 2 wt.%) or tomato powder (appr. 4 wt.%) as an ingredient in pasta making, primarily to give colour to the finished product.

To tackle the problem, the inventor has developed a pasta product, which resembles an actual wheat semolina pasta food product, such that a user can consume a reduced glycaemic index product for a longer period and obtain a healthier diet. The inventor has found that the substitution of a major part of the semolina with green banana (including plantain and other fruits within the genus Musa) can solve the issue due to the similarities of colour, taste, smell, consistency, and texture. Furthermore, the produced pasta product does not need to be boiled prior to eating. Rather, if boiled, it will lose its similarity to an actual wheat semolina pasta food product. It is therefore ready to serve without having to be boiled.

A first aspect relates to a ready to serve wheat pasta substitute food product comprising 50-90% w/w of cooked green banana, and a total gluten content of 2- 25% w/w.

A second aspect relates to a pasta food product comprising 50-90% w/w of cooked green banana, and a total gluten content of 2-25% w/w. The term “cooked” means food that has been prepared for eating, i.e., human consumption, by means of heat. Hence, the green banana is prepared for eating, e.g., by being boiled in water in a pressure cooker. Pressure cooking is the process of cooking food under high pressure steam, employing water or a water-based cooking liquid, in a sealed vessel known as a pressure cooker. High pressure limits boiling and permits cooking temperatures well above 100 degrees Celsius, such as e.g., up to 120 degrees Celsius, thereby decreasing the cooking time. In a stovetop pressure cooker, the green banana should typically be processed for 10-30 minutes.

A third aspect relates to a method for the production of a ready to serve wheat pasta substitute food product comprising the steps of: a) Combining 50-90% w/w of cooked green banana with wheat flour and/or gluten to obtain a total gluten content of 2-25% w/w; b) Mixing said first composition to form a first mixture; c1) Extruding said first mixture through a die to form of a ready to serve wheat pasta substitute food product; or c2) Extruding said first mixture into a container or mould to form a shaped ready to serve wheat pasta substitute food product; or c3) Extruding said first mixture directly into a form of a ready to serve wheat pasta substitute food product; or c4) Filling said first mixture into a container or mould to form a shaped ready to serve wheat pasta substitute food product.

A fourth aspect relates to a method for the production of a pasta food product comprising the steps of: a) Combining 50-90% w/w of cooked green banana with wheat flour and/or gluten to obtain a total gluten content of 2-25% w/w; b) Mixing said first composition to form a first mixture; c1) Extruding said first mixture through a die to form of a pasta food product; or c2) Extruding said first mixture into a container or mould to form a shaped pasta food product; or c3) Extruding said first mixture directly into a form of a pasta food product; or c4) Filling said first mixture into a container or mould to form a shaped pasta food product.

The pasta food product is preferably ready to serve, meaning that the produced pasta food product should not be boiled in water prior to consumption. A “ready to serve” wheat pasta substitute food product should be understood in the same way, i.e. , the wheat pasta substitute food product should not be boiled in water prior to consumption.

It is increasingly acknowledged in the food industry that it is nutritionally desirable to preserve the complexity of any starch present, especially if this is in the form of so- called resistant starches that are not completely digested in the small intestines, as they have been associated with health benefits, such as prebiotic properties, and stable blood sugar levels. Plantain and green banana are known for their nutritional value due to their content of resistant starch. Furthermore, resistant starch is in general associated with a high content of amylose.

The content of cooked green banana is preferably 50-90% w/w, such as within the range of 55-85% w/w, e.g., 60-80% w/w, such as 65-75% w/w. As said, the substitution of a major part of the semolina in pasta with green banana (including plantain and other fruits within the genus Musa) can solve the issue of reducing the starch and sugar content in pasta due to the similarities of colour, taste, smell, consistency, and texture. A further surprising effect is that the produced pasta does not need to be boiled/cocked prior to consumption.

For a given banana, each ripening stage can be correlated with its sugar content, which is defined herein as the percentage mass (w/w) of sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) of the total mass of that banana's pulp. For purposes of this disclosure: a Stage 1 banana has a sugar content of 2% w/w or less of the total mass of that banana's pulp; a Stage 2 banana has a sugar content greater than 2% w/w up to and including 5% w/w; a Stage 3 banana has a sugar content greater than 5% w/w up to and including 10% w/w; a Stage 4 banana has a sugar content greater than 10% w/w up to and including 25% w/w; a Stage 5 banana has a sugar content greater than 25% w/w up to and including 45% w/w; a Stage 6 banana has a sugar content greater than 45% w/w up to and including 65% w/w; and a Stage 7 banana has a sugar content greater than 65% w/w. As used herein, the term “green/unripe banana” encompasses bananas that are in any of ripeness Stages 1, 2, 3, or 4 as defined herein. Unripe and ripe plantains generally have a sugar content of 25% w/w or less and are very similar in composition of starch and proteins to green/unripe bananas.

As used herein, the term “sugar content” is the content of monosaccharides (e.g., fructose and glucose) and disaccharides (e.g., sucrose).

In one or more embodiments, the pasta further comprises 5-30% w/w wheat flour, preferably durum flour, and more preferably semolina. The term "durum flour" as used herein has meaning commonly used in the art and as set forth in the United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 , Subchapter B, Part 137.220, which is durum wheat flour prepared by grinding and bolting cleaned durum wheat to such fineness that 98% of it passes through a No. 70 sieve (i.e., finer than a particle size of 212 micrometres). Pasta manufacturers typically use milled durum wheat (including semolina and durum flour) in pasta production. Most pasta manufacturers prefer semolina, which, according to the United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 , Subchapter B, Part 137.230, is durum wheat flour prepared by grinding and bolting cleaned durum wheat to such fineness that it passes through a No. 20 sieve (i.e., finer than a particle size of 850 micrometres), but not more than 3 percent passes through a No. 100 sieve (i.e., coarser than a particle size of 150 micrometres). Preferably, the pasta further comprises 5-30% w/w wheat flour, such as 10-25% w/w, e.g., 15-20% w/w. Although there may be other reasons for the presence of wheat flour, the inventor has noticed that there seems to be a correlation (see Tables 1 and 2 below) between the total gluten content and the quality (organoleptic characteristics) of the pasta product. As wheat flour, including semolina flour, has a gluten content of 10-15% w/w, it seems plausible that the gluten therein is a major contributor to the pasta quality. This theory is supported by experiments (see below) where pure gluten powder can substitute parts of the wheat four to obtain a similar quality of pasta. Preferably, the pasta has a total gluten content of 2-25% w/w, such as within the range of 3-20% w/w, e.g., within the range of 4-15% w/w, such as within the range of 5-10% w/w. The inventor has found that a total gluten content of 2-8% w/w is especially preferable, and a total gluten content of 4-6% w/w is particularly preferable (see examples below).

As most pasta manufacturers prefer semolina, a part of the wheat flour is preferably semolina, such as at least 50%, e.g., within the range of 50-100%, such as at least 60%, e.g., within the range of 60-99%, such as at least 70%, e.g., within the range of 70-95%, such as at least 80%, e.g., within the range of 80-90%.

As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" or "approximately" one particular value and/or to "about" or "approximately" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about", it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.

It should be noted that embodiments and features described in the context of one of the aspects of the present invention also apply to the other aspects of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The following description is to be seen as non-limiting examples of pasta products according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Examples

EXAMPLE 1 :

Effect of heating with or without peel

6 experiments were conducted with 3 plantains for each experiment. Three of the experiments were conducted on plantains with peel, and three experiments were conducted on peeled plantains. The plantains were cooked at 120 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes in a standard pressure cooker. Each plantain was weighed prior to cooking, immediately after cooking, and after 5 minutes cooling at room temperature. The plantains with peel were peeled after 5 minutes cooling at room temperature and the pulp was weighed. It was found that the moisture content of the pulp of cooked plantains with peel was constant compared to uncooked plantains, which was measured to be 61% w/w. The moisture content in cooked peeled plantains increased with about 2% w/w compared to peeled uncooked plantains.

Hence, it was decided to continue with the heat treatment of unpeeled plantains.

EXAMPLE 2:

Determination of the optimal conditions for blending green banana/plantain

The present example relates to optimization of the process step during sample preparation of samples from a mixture to be used in the production of a pasta food product, according to the present invention.

Green plantains were cooked, here boiled in water in a pressure cooker, as disclosed in Example 1.

One hundred grams of freshly cooked green plantains were used in a domestic food processor (Bosch, 50-60 Hz, 800 W) using the knife tool. The 100 grams of cooked green plantain was mixed with different amounts of wheat flour and/or purified gluten (see Table 1 and 2) and blended until the formation of a solid ball-like structure.

Table 1. Exemplary formulations of substitute wheat semolina pasta

Table 2. Formulation and organoleptic characteristics (Score 1-5, with 5 the best) The tests were performed on a group of 20 persons that were told to score the produced pasta (Formulations 1-14) from 1 to 5, where 1-2 were poor quality, 3 was average, and 4-5 were excellent. Apart from tests on the pure product, the formulations were also tested with tomato sauce to compare the pasta products to normal consumption conditions.

The used wheat flour and semolina flour has a gluten content of 10-15% w/w. The Formulations 3, and 12-14 showed especially suitable for pasta. There may be other reasons for the presence of wheat flour in the produced pasta, but there seems to be a correlation (see Tables 1 and 2 below) between the total gluten content and the quality (organoleptic characteristics) of the produced pasta product. As wheat flour, including semolina flour, has a gluten content of 10-15% w/w, it seems plausible that the gluten therein is a major contributor to the pasta quality. This theory is supported by experiments (Formulations 12-14) where pure gluten powder can substitute parts of the wheat flour to obtain a similar quality of pasta. It also seems important that the total gluten content does not exceed 15 % w/w.

EXAMPLE 3: Moulding of pasta food products

All resulting pastes/doughs were easily mouldable (including extrusion) in the shape of typical pasta products, such as angel hair pasta, bow tie pasta, bucatini pasta, ditalini pasta, fettuccine pasta, fusilli pasta, gemelli pasta, linguine, macaroni, shapes for manicotti, plates for lasagne, orecchiette pasta, orzo pasta, penne pasta, radiatore pasta, shapes for ravioli, rigatoni pasta, rotelle pasta, rotini pasta, shells, spaghetti pasta, tagliatelle pasta, shapes for tortellini, vermicelli pasta, ziti, and the like.