YUN HON (AU)
REMA GASIRAM (AU)
QUAIL KEN (AU)
YUN HON (AU)
REMA GASIRAM (AU)
EP0834260A1 | 1998-04-08 |
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN
SUNBUTTER: "Nutrition facts for SunButter products", XP008101901, Retrieved from the Internet
CLAIMS
1. A process of producing a spreadable food product, said process including the steps of:
(a) grinding a non-nut plant material to produce a flour with a
mean particle size of less than about lOOμm; and
(b) subjecting said flour with a mean particle size of less than
about lOOμm to an elevated temperature.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein step (a) includes a sifting treatment.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the non-nut plant material is selected from
the group consisting of a legume and a cereal grain.
4. The process of claim 3, wherein the cereal grain is rice.
5. The process of claim 3, wherein the legume is selected from the group consisting of a bean, a broad bean, a pea and a lentil.
6. The process of claim 5, wherein the pea is a chickpea.
7. The process of claim 5, wherein the bean is a mungbean.
8. The process of claim 7, wherein the mungbean is a variety selected from
the group consisting of Berken, Celera, Delta, Emerald, Green Diamond and
White Gold.
9. The process of claim 8, wherein the variety is Emerald. 10. The process of claim 3, wherein the legume has undergone a germination
step.
11. The process of claim 10, wherein the germination step is performed for a
period between 12 and 48 hours.
12. The process of claim 11, wherein germination step is performed for about
24 hours.
13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the flour has a mean particle size in a range
between 40μm and 85μm.
14. The process of claim 12, wherein the flour has a mean particle size of about
50μm.
15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the flour with a mean particles size of less
than about lOOμm is subjected to an elevated temperature by treatment
selected from the group consisting of a roasting or a steaming. 16. The process of claim 15, wherein the flour with a mean particle size of less
than about lOOμm is subjected to an elevated temperature by roasting.
17. The process of claim 16, wherein the elevated temperature by roasting is in a range between 180 0 C and 230 0 C.
18. The process of claim 17, wherein the elevated temperature by roasting is
about 200 0 C.
19. The process of claim 16, wherein roasting is for a period between 3 and 6
minutes.
20. The process of claim 19, wherein roasting is for a period of between 3.5 and
4 minutes. 21. The process of claim 15, wherein the flour with a mean particles size of
less than about 1 OOμm is subjected to an elevated temperature by steaming.
22. The process of claim 21 , wherein the elevated temperature by steaming is between 80 0 C and 150 0 C.
23. The process of claim 22, wherein the elevated temperature by steaming is
about 100 0 C.
24. The process of claim 21, wherein steaming is for a period between 20 and
45 minutes.
25. The process of claim 24, wherein steaming is for about 35 minutes.
26. A process of producing a spreadable food product, said process including the steps of:
(a) subj ecting a non-nut plant material to an elevated temperature;
and
(b) grinding said non-nut plant material to produce a flour with a
mean particle size of less than about lOOμm.
27. The process of claim 26, wherein step (b) includes a sifting treatment.
28. The process of claim 26, wherein the non-nut plant material is selected from the group consisting of a legume and a cereal grain.
29. The process of claim 28, wherein the cereal grain is rice.
30. The process of claim 28, wherein the legume is selected from the group consisting of a bean, a broad bean, a pea and a lentil.
31. The process of claim 30, wherein the pea is a chickpea.
32. The process of claim 30, wherein the bean is a mungbean.
33. The process of claim 32, wherein the mungbean is a variety selected from
the group consisting of Berken, Celera, Delta, Emerald, Green Diamond and
White Gold.
34. The process of claim 33, wherein the variety is Emerald.
35. The process of claim 28, wherein the legume has undergone a germination step.
36. The process of claim 35, wherein the germination step is performed for a period between 12 and 48 hours.
37. The process of claim 36, wherein the germination step is performed for a period of about 24 hours.
38. The process of claim 26, wherein the non-nut plant material is subjected to an elevated temperature by treatment selected from the group consisting of a
roasting or a steaming.
39. The process of claim 38, wherein the non-nut plant material is subjected to
an elevated temperature by roasting.
40. The process of claim 39, wherein the elevated temperature by roasting is in
a range between 180 0 C and 230 0 C
41. The process of claim 40, wherein the elevated temperature by roasting is
about 200 0 C.
42. The process of claim 39, wherein the roasting is for a period between 3 and
6 minutes.
43. The process of claim 42, wherein the roasting is for a period between 3.5
and 4 minutes.
44. The process of claim 38, wherein the non-nut plant material is subjected to
an elevated temperature by steaming.
45. The process of claim 44, wherein the elevated temperature by steaming is between 80 0 C and 150 0 C.
46. The process of claim 45, wherein the elevated temperature by steaming is about 100 0 C.
47. The process of claim 44, wherein the steaming is for a period between 20
and 45 minutes.
48. The process of claim 47, wherein the steaming is for about 35 minutes.
49. The process of claim 26, wherein the flour has a mean particle size of
between 40μm and 85μm.
50. The process of claim 49, wherein the flour has a mean particle size of about
50μm.
51. A process for producing a spreadable food product, said process including
the steps of:
(a) steaming a dehulled non-nut plant material; and
(b) grinding said steamed dehulled non-nut plant material to
form a flour with a mean particle size of less than about 1 OOμm.
52. The process of claim 51, wherein step (a) is performed at a temperature
between 80 0 C and 150 0 C.
53. The process of claim 52, wherein the temperature is about 100 0 C.
54. The process of claim 51 , wherein step (b) is performed at a temperature of
at least 45 0 C.
55. The process of claim 54, wherein the temperature is at least 60 0 C.
56. The process of claim 51 , wherein step (b) includes a sifting step.
57. The process of claim 51, wherein the dehulled non-nut plant material is selected from the group consisting of a legume and a cereal grain.
58. The process of claim 57, wherein the cereal grain is rice
59. The process of claim 57, wherein the legume is selected from the group consisting of a bean, a broad bean, a pea and a lentil.
60. The process of claim 59, wherein the pea is a chickpea.
61. The process of claim 59, wherein the bean in a mungbean.
62. The process of clam 61, wherein the mungbean is a variety selected from the group consisting of Berken, Celera, Delta, Emerald, Green Diamond and
White Gold. 63. The process of claim 62, wherein the variety is Emerald.
64. The process of claim 51, wherein the flour has a mean particle size of
between 40μm and 85μm.
65. The process of claim 51 , wherein the flour has a mean particle size of about
50μm.
66. A spreadable food product produced according to the process of any one of
claim 1, claim 26 or claim 51.
67. A spreadable food product, wherein said spreadable food product comprises
a non-nut plant material flour having a mean particle size of less than about
lOOμm, an edible oil and a sweetening agent.
68. The spreadable food product of claim 67, wherein the edible oil is selected
from the group consisting of vegetable oil and canola oil.
69. The spreadable food product of claim 68, wherein the edible oil is canola oil
at a final concentration of between 18-35% w/w.
70. The spreadable food product of claim 67, wherein the sweetening agent is a
sugar selected from the group consisting of a solid sugar or a liquid sugar.
71. The spreadable food product of claim 70, wherein the sugar is a solid sugar
with a mean particle size below 90μm.
72. The spreadable food product as claimed in any one of claims 70 to 71, wherein the sweetening agent is at a final concentration of between 0.1 and
15% w/w 73. The spreadable food product of claim 67, wherein said spreadable food
product further comprises an emulsifϊer.
74. The spreadable food product of claim 73, wherein the emulsifϊer is
polyglycerol at a final concentration between 3 and 3.5% w/w.
75. The spreadable food product of claim 74, wherein polyglycerol is at a final
concentration of about 3% w/w.
76. The spreadable food product of claim 67, wherein said spreadable food
product further comprises a salt.
77. The spreadable food product of claim 76, wherein the salt is at a final
concentration between 0.2 and 0.5% w/w.
78. The spreadable food product of any one of claims 67 to 77, wherein said
spreadable food product comprises the flour with a mean particle size of
less than about 1 OOμm in a range at a final concentration of between 50 and
65% w/w.
79. The spreadable food product of claim 78, wherein the final concentration of
the flour with a mean particle size of less than about lOOμm is about 56% w/w.
80. The spreadable food product of any one of claims 67 to 77, wherein said
spreadable food product further comprises a chocolate flavouring.
81. The spreadable food product of claim 80, wherein the chocolate flavouring
is selected from the group consisting of a milk chocolate and a dark chocolate.
82. The spreadable food product of claim 81 , wherein the dark chocolate is at a
final concentration of between 10 and 35% w/w.
83. The spreadable food product of claim 82, wherein the dark chocolate is at a
final concentration of about 27% w/w.
84. The spreadable food product of any one of claims 80 to 83, wherein the
spreadable food product comprises the flour with a mean particle size of
less than lOOμm is at a final concentration of between 30 and 40% w/w.
85. The spreadable food product of claim 84, wherein the flour with a mean
particle size of less than lOOμm is at a final concentration of about 33%
w/w. |
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
A SPREADABLE FOOD PRODUCT AND A MANUFACTURING PROCESS
THEREFOR
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a spreadable food product. In particular, this invention relates to a process for the production of a nut-free spread.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Peanut butter and other nut-based spreads are immensely popular processed
food products. Typically, whole peanuts are roasted and ground to form the basis of
peanut butter. However, it is estimated that 0.5% of the population have an allergy to
peanuts. A reaction to peanut allergen can range from mild to life-threatening
anaphylactic reactions. Moreover, peanut-based spreads contain high levels of fat and thus not nutritionally desirable.
Due to the prevalence of peanut allergy, a need exists in the market to provide processed food products that are safe for consumption by peanut allergy sufferers.
Considering this need, peanut butter like nut-free spreadable food products are not yet widely available. This dearth can be attributed to the difficulty in producing a nut-
free product with peanut butter like characteristics. Trials of nut-free spreads in
Canada, the USA and Europe have demonstrated that these products differ from
peanut-based spreads in terms of texture, appearance and flavour. Several attempts
have been made to alleviate these problems, all of which have been met with limited
success.
SUMMARY QF THE INVENTION
There exists a need in the market to provide food products which are safe for
consumption for people with an allergy to food allergens such as peanut allergens. The present is broadly directed to a unique combination of processing steps which
provides a nut-free spreadable food product with the characteristic nutty taste of
conventional peanut butter-based spreads but with a lower fat content.
In a first aspect, the invention provides a process of producing a spreadable food product, which includes the steps of
(a) grinding a non-nut plant material to produce a flour with a
mean particle size of less than about lOOμm and;
(b) subjecting said flour to an elevated temperature.
In a second aspect, the invention provides a process for producing a
spreadable food product which includes the steps of
(a) subj ecting a non-nut plant material to an elevated temperature
and;
(b) grinding said non-nut plant material to produce a flour with a
mean particle size of less than about lOOμm.
In a third aspect, the invention provides a process for producing a spreadable
food product which includes the steps of
(a) steaming dehulled, non-nut plant material; and
(b) grinding said non-nut plant material to produce a flour with a
mean particle size of less than about lOOμm.
According to this aspect, grinding occurs at a temperature of at least 45 0 C. Preferably, grinding is performed at a temperature of least 60 0 C.
Suitably, the grinding step in any one of the pr.evious aspects includes a
sifting step in order to achieve a flour with a mean particle size of less than about
lOOμm.
Preferably, the flour has a mean particle size of between 40μm and 85μm.
More preferably, the flour has a mean particle size of about 50μm.
The invention is broadly directed to a spreadable food product with the
particular feature of being suitable for consumption by people with food allergies, and, in particular, nut allergies. Hence use of a plant material as the basis of the spreadable food product which either is allergen-free or has low-allergenicity is
desirable. Suitably, the plant material is a non-nut plant material which includes, but
is not limited to, a cereal grain and a legume.
Preferably, the cereal grain is rice. This invention is particularly suited for processing of a non-nut plant material
derived from a legume. Most classes of legume are appropriate such as, but not
limited to, beans, broad beans, peas, lentils or lupins.
Preferably, the legume is not a peanut or any other nut. In certain preferred embodiments, the legume is a bean. According to these
preferred embodiments, the bean is a mungbean.
According to other preferred embodiments, the legume is a pea. More
preferably, the pea is a chickpea.
The elevated temperature is critical for achieving the desired nutty flavour. By
way of example only, the elevated temperature can be achieved by either roasting or steaming.
Preferably, the roasting temperature is between 180 0 C and 250 0 C. More preferably, the roasting temperature is about 200 0 C.
The duration of roasting is a further crucial factor for developing the required
nut-like flavour. The roasting time can range between 3 and 6 minutes. Preferably, the roasting time is 3.5 to 4 minutes.
The degree of steaming is critical to neutralise the flavour of the beans that allows later manipulation of the overall flavour of the spread.
Preferably, the steaming temperature is between 80 0 C and 150 0 C.
More preferably, the steaming temperature is about 100 0 C. The steaming time can range from between 20 and 45 minutes.
Preferably, the steaming time is about 35 minutes.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention of the first and second aspect provides for a nutritionally improved spreadable food product by including the step
of germinating the non-nut leguminous plant material prior to production of the flour.
Germination can be induced by wetting the crop kernel followed by incubation under
controlled conditions.
Preferably, germination is performed under light-deprived conditions for a
suitable period between 12 to 48 hours.
More preferably, germination is performed for about 24 hours. Suitably,
germination is performed at room temperature.
In a fourth aspect, the invention provides a spreadable food product produced
using the method of any one of the previous aspects.
In a fifth aspect, the invention provides a spreadable food product comprising
a non-nut plant material flour with a mean particle size of less than about lOOμm.
Preferably, the spreadable food product of the fourth aspect further comprises an edible oil and a sweetening agent.
More preferably, the spreadable food product of the fourth aspect further
comprises an additive and a salt.
In a one preferred embodiment, the composition of the third aspect comprises 50-65% w/w of a flour, 25-35% w/w of an edible oil, 0-10% w/w of a sweetening
agent, 0.2-0.5% w/w of salt and 3-3.5% w/w of an emulsifier.
Preferably, the flour is a mungbean flour. Suitably, the mungbean flour is at about 56.75% w/w.
The edible oil can be from either plant or animal origin. Suitably, the edible
oil is a plant oil including, but limited to, vegetable oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil
and canola oil.
Preferably, the plant oil is canola oil. Suitably, the canola oil is at about 35%
w/w.
More preferably, the canola oil is unsaturated.
The sweetening agent may be added as a solution or a solid. Preferably, the
sweetening agent is a solid. Suitably, the sweetening agent is added to a final
concentration of about 5% w/w.
More preferably, the particle size of the solid sweetening agent is less than
90μm.
Polyglycerol is a suitable emulsifier. Suitably, polyglycerol is added to a final concentration of about 3% w/w.
In another preferred embodiment, the composition of the third aspect
comprises 30-40% w/w of a flour, 18-25% w/w of an edible oil, 10-15% w/w of a
sweetening agent, 0.2-0.5% w/w of salt, 3-3.5% w/w of an emulsifier, 10-35% w/w of a chocolate flavouring.
Preferably, said flour is mungbean flour. Suitably, the mungbean flour is at about 33% w/w.
Preferably, said edible oil is canola oil at about 23% w/w. More preferably, the canola oil is unsaturated.
Polyglycerol is a suitable emulsifier. Suitably, polyglycerol is added to a final concentration of about 3.25% w/w.
The sweetening agent may be added as a solution or a solid. Preferably, the
sweetening agent is a solid. Suitably, the sweetening agent is added to a final concentration of about 13 % w/w.
So as to produce the chocolate nut-free spread of this embodiment, it can be
appreciated that most types of chocolate can be included in the composition as a chocolate flavouring. Non-limiting examples include milk and dark chocolate.
Preferably, said chocolate is dark chocolate. Suitably, the dark chocolate is
added to a final concentration of about 27.52% w/w.
The chocolate may be added in combination with cocoa powder. Preferably,
the chocolate flavouring of this embodiment is combination is 10% dark chocolate
and 10% cocoa powder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical
effect, preferred embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts and wherein:
Figure 1 Organoleptic test result of 6 mungbean varieties.
Figure 2 Objective measurement of the roasted mungbean powder (Roasting
temperature: 200 0 C). A. Flour yellowness Minolta b* and B. Flour brightness Minolta L*.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The process of the present invention overcomes several major disadvantages
of conventional approaches for the production of nut-free spreadable food products. Foremost is production of a flour appropriate for use as a nut substitute in a
spreadable food product. Furthermore, the composition of the present invention is a
spreadable food product with a nut-like taste which is free of peanuts and thereby safe for consumption by people with peanut allergy. The spreadable food product has
the added benefit of a smooth texture.
As nuts cannot form the basis of nut-free spreads, an alternative source must
be used. Commonly, a plant material forms the substantial component of peanut
butter-like or nut-like spreadable food products. In the absence of peanuts or nuts, the
plant material is the component upon which the desired nutty flavour is developed.
Thus the invention is particularly suited to processes for the manufacture of a
spreadable food product which utilise a non-nut plant material.
In those embodiments where it is desirable to produce an allergen-free spreadable food product, the invention contemplates the use of a non-nut plant
material derived from a source which is considered devoid of food allergens. A
person of skill in the art will readily appreciate that in particular embodiments where
the spreadable food product is allergen-free, a particularly suitable plant material for
an allergen-free spreadable food product is a cereal grain, and in preferred embodiments, the cereal grain is rice.
The spreadable food product of the present invention is particularly suited to a
leguminous plant material that is not a nut and in particular, a legume that is not a peanut. Non-limiting examples of suitable non-nut leguminous plant materials
include beans, broad beans, peas, lentils and beans.
Preferably, the non-nut leguminous plant material is a mungbean.
More preferably, the mungbean is a variety selected from of the group
consisting of Berken, Celera, Delta, Emerald, Green Diamond and White Gold.
Most preferably, the mungbean variety is Emerald.
In other preferred embodiments, the non-nut leguminous plant material is a
pea such as, but not limited to, a chickpea.
Thus in one broad form, the invention contemplates an allergen-free
spreadable food product derived from a non-nut plant material such as a cereal grain, but is not limited thereto.
In another broad form, the invention contemplates a low-allergenic spreadable
food product derived from a non-nut plant material. It is readily contemplated that
this broad form encompasses a non-nut leguminous plant material. In a preferred
embodiment of this form, the non-nut leguminous plant material is a non-peanut leguminous plant material.
Subjecting the flour or the non-nut plant material to an elevated temperature is the primary means by which the desired nutty flavour is produced. The parameters
can be varied depending upon the colour and flavour requirement. The step of
subjecting the flour or the non-nut leguminous plant material to an elevated
temperature can be performed either in batch or in a continuous system.
Advantageously, this step is performed in batch.
The combination of temperature and duration is paramount to achieve the nut- like characteristics in a nut-free spread. The processes of the invention contemplate that either roasting or steaming is suitable for this purpose.
Preferably, the temperature for roasting is between 180 0 C and 230 0 C. More
preferably, the temperature for roasting is 200 0 C.
The duration of roasting can vary between 3 and 6 minutes. Preferably, the
duration of roasting is between 3.5 to 4 minutes.
Typically, steaming is conducted at ambient pressure using saturated steam.
Preferably, the steaming temperature is between 80 0 C and 150 0 C.
More preferably, the steaming temperature is about 100 0 C.
The steaming time can range from between 20 and 45 minutes. Preferably, the steaming time is about 35 minutes.
It will be appreciated that in certain embodiments that incorporate cereal grain, and in particular rice, as the non-nut plant material, the steaming time can
range from between 5 and 45 minutes. In a preferred embodiment, the steaming time
for rice can range between 7 and 15 minutes. In a more preferred embodiment, the
steaming time is about 10 minutes.
As described hereinbefore, the non-nut plant material is present in the spreadable food product as a flour. In certain preferred embodiments, the flour is
substantially-free of peanut allergen. Preparation of the flour is, inter alia, important
for production of a nut-free spreadable food product with a smooth texture. Typically,
although not exclusively, the flour is prepared by grinding the plant material, and in particular the non-nut plant material, followed by sieving the ground plant material
through a screen with a defined size to produce a flour with a constant average particle size.
Preferably, the flour has an average particle size of less than about lOOμm
More preferably, the flour has an average particle size between 40μm and
85μm.
Even more preferably, the flour has an average particle size of about 50μm.
By "substantially-free " in the context of peanut allergen is meant a level of
peanut allergen that will not cause an allergic reaction upon consumption of the
spreadable food product. It will be appreciated that in those contexts where flour is
derived from a non-nut plant material that is considered allergen-free such as rice,
"substantially-free" may refer to peanut allergen or an alternative food allergen, but is
not limited thereto.
Typically, although not exclusively, the non-nut plant material is a seed and
as such, is composed of an embryo and a coat. In an alternative preferred
embodiment of the invention, the coat is removed from the seed, and in particular the
mungbean, prior to the roasting or a steaming step. According to this embodiment,
the coat comprises no greater than 1 % w/w of the final content of the spreadable food product.
In a preferred embodiment, the mungbean is germinated prior to processing, although a person of skill in the art will appreciate that many non-nut plant materials
and in particular legumes, may undergo germination. Inclusion of a germination step increases the nutritional value of the spreadable food-product. Germination is a
complex process that results in a number of significant biochemical changes in the
seed. Generally, the conditions that support germination are adequate moisture, warm
temperatures, and usually little or no light. Most seeds germinate best in the dark, although some require light. Germination can be induced by exposure of the non-nut
plant material to moisture under controlled conditions. Preferably, germination is
performed under light-deprived conditions at room temperature.
The duration of germination can vary. Preferably, germination is performed
for between 12 to 48 hours. More preferably, germination is allowed to proceed for
24 hours.
It can be readily appreciated that the roasted or steamed flour substantially
free of peanut allergen produced according to the processes of the present invention
can form the foundation of a tasty and nutritional spreadable food product. It is
contemplated that the composition of the spreadable food product of the present
invention can be adapted to suit various taste requirements. In one embodiment, the
spreadable food product of the present invention is a nut-free peanut butter substitute.
In another embodiment, the spreadable food product of the present invention is a
chocolate-flavoured nut-free spread.
A number of criteria must be considered when formulating a spreadable food
product that fulfils the expectations of consumers. For instance, consumers desire a product with good spreadability that has a pleasant feel on the palate. Therefore,
consistency and texture of the final product are equally as important as taste. As such,
the composition must be a fine balance between the individual components of the spreadable food product.
The roasted or steamed flour substantially-free of peanut allergen imparts the
nut-like flavour to the spread and as such, is a major component.
Preferably, the roasted or steamed flour is added to a final concentration of
30-65% w/w.
Edible oil is a substantial component of a spreadable food product
composition. The oil component adds not only to the flavour but also to the
spreadability of the final product. However, excessive oil content is not desirable from a dietary perspective. As such, a balance must be met between each
consideration. The spreadable food product of the present invention is suited to any
type of edible oil. It can be contemplated that animal or plant-derived oil can be
incorporated into the composition. In a preferred form, the oil has relatively low
levels of cholesterol, trans- and saturated-fats. Therefore, the invention is particularly
suited to oil derived from plants. Non-limiting examples include oil derived from
sources such as vegetable, sunflower, soybean, olive and canola.
Preferably, the oil is canola oil added to a final concentration between 18 and
40% w/w.
In order to provide a sweet flavour to the spreadable food product, a sweetening agent is included in the composition. Suitably, a sugar is used as the
sweetening agent. A number of sugars are suitable for use. By way of example only, sugars contemplated by the invention include, but are not limited to sucrose, glucose,
dextrose, fructose and invert . It is further contemplated that the sugar may be added
as either a solid or liquid or indeed a combination thereof. It is also contemplated that a synthetic analogue of a sweetening agent may be used in the present invention. Preferably, the sugar is a solid.
More preferably, the sugar is solid sucrose.
Even more preferably, the solid sucrose has an average particle size below
90μm.
Preferably, the sugar is added to a final concentration of between 0.05 and
15% w/w.
During production of a spreadable food product of the present invention, it is
essential that the flour and oil components remain in a homogenous state after blending. Additives such as emulsifiers and stabilisers perform this function.
Preferably, the additive is an emulsifier.
The emulsifier may be either natural or synthetic. Non-limiting examples of a
suitable emulsifiers are lecithins, mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids, esters of monoglycerides. Preferably, the emulsifier is polyglcerol added to a final
concentration of between 2 and 3.5% w/w.
The presence of salt in processed food products may provide any one of a
number of functions including, but not limited to, a flavour enhancer, a sweetener, a
preservative and a flavour balancing agent. Because salt affects the way other tastes
are perceived, it often can be added to food products to balance the flavour.
Moreover, salt can increase and decrease sweetness, with the end result being both
product- and level-dependent. Typically, although not exclusively, sodium chloride is the salt of choice.
Preferably, the salt is added to a final concentration of between 0.2 and 0.5% w/w.
In a preferred embodiment, the salt is added as a solid with an average
particle size below about lOOμm.
More preferably, the salt has an average particle size between 40μm and
90μm.
In one embodiment of the invention, the spreadable food product of the
present invention is a nut-free peanut butter like spread. In the preferred form of this
embodiment, the composition comprises 56.75% w/w mungbean flour, 35% w/w
canola oil, 5% w/w icing sugar, 0.25% w/w salt, 3% w/w polyglycerol.
In an alternative embodiment of the spreadable food product of the invention,
the composition may be adapted to incorporate a chocolate flavour to thereby
produce a delicious chocolate nut-free spread.
The chocolate flavour may be added in a variety of ways. By way of example
only, both pure cocoa powder and chocolate are suitable. Each component may be
added alone or in combination.
It can be appreciated that most types of chocolate can be used, the choice of
which being dependent upon the desired outcome. Chocolate is grouped by the
amount of cocoa solids in the final product. That is, the level of content of cocoa
solids increases through the progression from white to milk to dark chocolate.
Traditionally, dark chocolate is used in cooking applications because of its higher
cocoa solids content. Non-limiting examples of suitable types of dark chocolate
include sweet, semi-sweet, bittersweet and unsweetened. Preferably, the chocolate is a sweet dark chocolate.
Preferably, the chocolate flavouring is added to a final concentration of
between 10 and 35% w/w.
In another preferred embodiment, the chocolate flavouring is a combination of 10% chocolate and 10% cocoa powder.
According to the preferred form of this embodiment, the spreadable food product composition comprises 33% w/w mungbean flour, 25% w/w canola oil, 13%
w/w icing sugar, 0.25% w/w salt, 3.25% w/w polyglycerol and 27.52% w/w sweet
dark chocolate.
So that the present invention may be more readily understood and put into
practical effect, the skilled person is referred to the following non-limiting examples.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Nut free spread was prepared having the following compositions, where the amounts are indicated as a weight percentage based on the total weight of the
composition:
A B C
Mungbean* 54.85 56.75 60
Canola oil 37 35 31.75
Sugar 4.9 5 5
Salt 0.25 0.25 0.25
Additive 3 3 3
* Where the mung bean has been treated with any of the above processes.
For this example the preferred treatment would be mung bean flour reduced to a particle size of less than 85 microns and roasted at 200°C for 4 minutes. The
roasted mung bean flour is then blended with the remainder of the ingredients.
The adjustment of the ratio of mungbean and canola in the example modifies
the spreadability of the product and flavour. The higher mungbean addition of 60,
provided the firmest texture and most intense nutty flavour.
Example 2
Nut free chocolate spread was prepared having the following compositions,
where the amounts are indicated as a weight percentage based on the total weight of
the composition:
A B C Mungbean* 30.45 33 40.61
Chocolate 41.2 27.52 24.27
Canola oil 22.23 23 20
Sugar 2.74 13 11.62
Salt 0.14 0.25 0.25
Additive 3.25 3.25 3.25
* Where the mung bean has been treated with any of the above processes. For
this example the preferred treatment would be the steaming of mung bean flour or broken dehulled mung beans at 100°C for 35 minutes. The steamed mung bean is
then blended with the other ingredients and at the completion of processing will have
a particle size of less than 85 microns but preferably less than 50 microns.
The ratio of chocolate has a significant impact on the texture of the product.
Increasing the ratio of chocolate increases the firmness of the product which reduces
the ability to spread the product. The chocolate is temperature sensitive and at low
temperatures the highest ratio of chocolate led to a solid product.
Example 3
An alternative nut free chocolate spread will be prepared with the use of rice
having the following compositions, where the amounts are indicated as a weight percentage based on the total weight of the composition:
A B C
Rice* 25.45 28 30.61
Chocolate 41.2 27.52 24.27
Canola oil 22.23 23 20
Sugar 2.74 13 11.62
Salt 0.14 0.25 0.25
Additive 3.25 3.25 3.25
Rice flour 5.00 5.00 10.00
* Whole or broken rice will be steamed for between 6 to 15 minutes
depending on the particle size of the rice, at the completion of the steaming the rice starch is considered gelatinised. The steamed rice will then blended with the
remainder of the ingredients with the particle size of the rice reduced to less than 50 microns.
The ratio of chocolate has a significant impact on the texture of the product. Increasing the ratio of chocolate increases the firmness of the product which reduces
the ability to spread the product. The chocolate is temperature sensitive and at low temperatures the highest ratio of chocolate will lead to a solid product. Rice flour
with a particle size less than 85 microns, but more preferably less than 50 microns
will also blended with the spread. The proportion of rice flour will then be adjusted
to control the rate of digestibility of the spread product where higher proportions of
rice flour slow the digestion of the spread.
Example 4
Table 1 Objective measurement of roasted mungbean flour
Minolta colour of roasted mungbean powder (85micron) at 200C 3reps b* L* a*
Raw 19.89 96.04 -2.09
4.5min 21.84 92.01 0.62
5min 22.95 90.1 1.85
5.25min 22.77 82.94 2.75
6min 24.9 26.3 3.76
Table 1 and Figure 2 demonstrated that the colour of the flour reflects the
degree of roasting. With increasing roasting time the flour becomes darker. There is a
threshold at which the flour takes on a burnt flavour rather than further development
of the peanut like flavour. After six minutes of roasting the flour has strong burnt flavours which are considered undesirable.
Roasting of flours at high temperature is used to developed the roasted
flavour that is similar to peanut. However another consequence of roasting is the
development of burnt flavours and darkening of the flour colour. The relationship
between flour darkening and the development of burnt flavours is very strong. The aim of the roasting is to maximize roasted flavour without developing a burnt
flavour. Monitoring of flour colour has been used to control the roasting treatment, hi the following figures (2a and 2b) the change in flour colour during the roasting of
mung bean flour has been measured with a Minolta Chroma Meter. In figure 2a the yellowness (b*) of the flour has been measured. It can be observed that flour
yellowness increased with roasting time at 200°C. In Figure 2b the brightness (L*) of
the roasted mungbean flour has been measured. As the roasting time at 200°C
increases the brightness of the flour decreases. At 5.25 minutes the flour colour
reaches a threshold and flour brightness rapidly deteriorates. It is important to stop
the roasting process before this point is reached.
Example 5
Figure 1 demonstrates that Mung bean varieties were found to demonstrate
small differences in flavour when heat treated. The strongest nut flavour and therefore the most desirable mung bean for the use in this application was the variety
Emerald. However all mungbean varieties tested produced acceptable flavour
intensity expressed in Figure 1 as "strength".
Throughout the specification the aim has been to describe the preferred
embodiments of the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. It will therefore be appreciated by those of skill in the art that, in light of the instant disclosure, various modifications and changes can be made in the particular embodiments exemplified without departing from the scope
of the present invention.
All computer programs, algorithms, patent and scientific literature referred to
herein is incorporated herein by reference.
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