WO2003078472A1

WO2003078472A1 - Cold water soluble gelling starches

Info

Publication number: WO2003078472A1
Application number: PCT/US2003/008138
Authority: WO
Inventors: Charles Brine
Original assignee: AVEBE AMERICA Inc
Current assignee: AVEBE AMERICA Inc
Priority date: 2002-03-14
Filing date: 2003-03-14
Publication date: 2003-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 2004-09-14
Also published as: AU2003228323A1

Abstract

A process is described for preparing a new starch, a cold water soluble, gellable starch. Preferably, the starch is prepared from a root or tuber starch, particularly potato starch, desirably one that is a thin boiling or an oxidized starch. In the preferred form, a 12 % solution of the starch will exhibit a viscosity of less than 1000 cps, preferably less than 100 cps, e.g., less than 50 cps, when measured by a Brookfield viscometer, taken using an RVT4 Spindle at RPM=10, and a gel rupture strength of at least 10 grams, preferably greater than 20 grams, e.g., at least 40 grams, when measured by Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer after storage of the solution for 24 hours at 42° F. In another aspect the invention provides dry food mixes comprising sweetener and/or acidulent and a starch as defined above. In some cases, the starch comprises substantially all gellable ingredients of the mix. In others, the mix further comprises gelatin or other gelling agents.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Cold Water Soluble Gelling Starches

Background of the Invention

This invention relates to pregelatinized starch and its use in the preparation of a variety of products requiring gelling functionality including but not limited to foodstuffs such as dry mix desserts, confections, spoonable dressings, bakery fillings, processed cheeses or mixes thereof, cosmetic and personal care products. These products and others can be improved due to the presence of these new properties discovered for a category of gelatinized starch products which are objects of this invention, the so-called cold soluble gelling starches.

It is known that starch becomes functional at high solution concentrations yet workable viscosities for gelling and/or rheologically altering the gelling characteristics of various products, including but not limited to foods. Starches granules rupture, after being acid treated or otherwise oxidized and cooked in aqueous slurry beyond the critical temperature (i.e., the boiling point). In this manner, the amylose/amylopectin granule constituents are liberated and gelling can occur upon cooling.

For convenience, starch manufacturers offer dry starches that have already been cooked for the user, so-called pregelatinized starches. This pregelatinization commonly has been carried out by jet cooking, roll drum drying and/or extrusion cooking and recently by atomized or spray cooking processes. These methods produce pregelatinized starches with a range of granularity (i.e., fully ruptured to totally intact granules), but not gelling function. To date and especially via the spray cooking processes detailed in the patents listed below, no pregelatinized versions of these gelling starches had been produced. The use of these cold soluble gelling agents, such as gelatin, have been extremely popular over the years in a variety of foods, including salad and desert gels, sauces and dressings, confections, cosmetics, personal care products. However, gelatin has been the subject of controversy is restricted in use by certain religious groups. It would be desirable if there were starches that could be used as at least partial replacements for gelatin and other gelling agents. If available, cold gelling starches would have clear and significant practical processing advantages.

The art has produced a number of starches that are suitable for use in making gelled desserts, puddings and the like, which can be set to a gel at refrigerator temperature. To date, however, these starches cannot gel on their own and employ some system of gelling agents, such as milk and phosphate salts, to enable the gel. The use of milk and gelling salts is certainly an effective means to obtain a gel, but there is a need for starches that can be set at low temperature without the need for these ingredients.

Precooked starches are well known. A series of US patents (US Patent No. 4,280,851 issued July 28, 1981 and US Patent No. 4,600,472 issued July 15, 1986 to Pitchon, et al, US Patent No. 4,847,371 issued July 11, 1989 to Schara, et al) describe methods for atomized or spray cooking of starch. The patents describe the techniques involved and the equipment design, etc., as is necessary to achieve the goals set out in the patents. The prior art has also made available a wide range of other techniques for cooking starch to varying degrees, including the older technologies of drum drying, spray drying, and the like. In none of these prior art processes, however, are the combined properties of cold gelling and cold water solubility described for any starches. Those skilled in the art could not conclude that these combined properties would be available from practicing the processes of these or other available patents.

There is a current need for starches that have the ability to be solubilized in cold water and worked at low viscosities, yet could be gelled by permitting to stand, the gelling occurring without the need for gelling salts or other gelling aids. It would be desirable to provide instant, gelling starches that could be used at or about room temperature, with no need to bring them near the boiling point in solution, the critical functional threshold for conventional cook up starches.

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to provide a new pregelatinized, cold water swelling starch, which is pregelatinized and forms a workable gel under room temperature or refrigerated storage, yet can be easily initially processed at room temperatures and exhibits relatively low viscosities.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new pregelatinized, cold water swelling starch, which forms only the desirable product gel properties upon storage at room or refrigerator temperatures over time.

It is another object of the invention to produce a gelatin-based dessert gel wherein at least about 20% of the usual amount of gelatin can be replaced.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new pregelatinized, cold water swelling starch, which is useful in several industries including food processing, cosmetics and personal care, wherein characteristics of such a thickening or rheological ingredient are advantageous and desirable.

These and other objects are accomplished by the invention, which provides a process for a new starch, comprising: cold water soluble, gellable starch. Preferably, the starch is prepared from a root or tuber starch, particularly potato starch, desirably one that is thin boiling or an oxidized starch.

In preferred form, a 12 % solution of the starch will exhibit a viscosity of less than 1000 cps, preferably less than 100 cps, e.g., less than 50 cps, when measured by Brookfield viscometer, taken using an RVT4 Spindle at RPM=10, and a gel rupture strength of at least 10 grams, preferably greater than 20 grams, e.g , at least 40 grams, when measured by Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer after storage of the solution for 24 hours at 42° F.

In another aspect the invention provides dry food mixes comprising sweetener and/or acidulent and a starch as defined above. In some cases, the starch comprises substantially all gellable ingredients of the mix. In others, the mix further comprises gelatin or other gelling agent.

Also provided is a process for preparing a a cold water soluble, gellable starch, which comprises: heating a low viscosity starch by ejecting it from a nozzle under steam pressure, the combination of heat and moisture being supplied for a sufficient time to produce a starch described above.

The invention has a number of preferred aspects, which are described below.

Description of Preferred Embodiments

The following descriptions will illustrate the preparation of preferred products according to the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is of more general applicability as will be apparent.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides for the production of a starch by practicing the atomized cooking technology detailed in US Pat. No. 4,280,851 (issued July 28, 1981 to Pitchon, et al.) to process certain modified potato starches, e.g., thin boiling and oxidized starches, for example as exemplified, to produce pregelatinized starches which exhibit gelling behavior similar to that expected of the thin-boiling starches after cooking to the critical temperatures.

These starches form rigid, cutable gels of various strengths similar to the kinds usually employed in the food, cosmetics and personal care industries, to list a few. Other cross-linked, pregelatinized tuber starches such as tapioca, arrowroot, sweet potato, etc, having similar properties would be suitable according to the invention. Also, other methods of producing these pregelatinized gelling starches such as, but not limited to, those detailed in US Patfent No. 3,617,383 (1971) and US Patent No. 5,057, 157 (1991) or derivative patents thereto are included in this preferred embodiment.

In preferred form, a 12 % solution of the starch will exhibit a viscosity of less than 1000 cps, preferably less than 100 cps, e.g., less than 50 cps, when measured by Brookfield viscometer, taken using an RVT4 Spindle at RPM=10, and a gel rupture strength of at least 10 grams, preferably greater than 20 grams, e.g., at least 40 grams, when measured by Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer after storage of the solution for 24 hours at 42° F.

The invention provides a process for preparing a a cold water soluble, gellable starch, which comprises: heating a low viscosity starch by ejecting it from a nozzle under steam pressure, the combination of heat and moisture being supplied for a sufficient time to produce a starch described above. In one form, the invention achieves the above properties by heating the starting starch, e.g., thin boiling or oxidized starch, under conditions of time, temperature and moisture effective to provide the characteristics described above. A preferred process for heating is described in a series of U.S. patents (U.S. Patent No. 4,280,851 issued July 28, 1981 and U.S. Patent No. 4,600,472 issued July 15, 1986 to Pitchon, et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,847,371 issued July 1 1, 1989 to Schara, et al.). These patents teach a method for atomized or spray cooking of starch, the process involved, the equipment design, etc. in operating the process of Pitchon, el al , the conditions of operation will be selected to achieve the objective product criteria set out herein. The specific equipment configuration will to some extent require trial and error to arrive at the optimum conditions in terms of achieving the properties of viscosity and granularity required. In addition to these methods, other heating methods such as drum drying and the like can be employed when, again, operated under conditions effective to achieve the objective product criteria set out herein. For the purposes of this description, the term "granularity" means the amount of starch present as intact granules. Determined by microscopic examination of a known concentration of starch in aqueous dispersion. And, the term "Granular" refers to starch present as intact granules, whether pregelatinized or uncooked.

The term "thin boiling starches" refers to cooked native starches that have been thinned sufficiently so that they have viscosities reduced to effective levels permitting 2 to 5% starch pastes to be easily worked. Low viscosity starches of this type are prepared by controlled degradation of native starch or stabilized starch. Examples of low-viscosity starches are dextrins, acid-modified starches, oxidized starches and enzymatically modified starches. Oxidized starch is a low-viscosity starch obtained by the oxidation of starch. The oxidation causes depolymerization which results in a lower viscosity. Further, the oxidation may introduce carbonyl and carboxyl groups, which minimize retrogradtion of a ylose molecules, thus giving viscosity stability Representative commercial forms are: Perfectamyl Gel MB, which is a thin boiling or acid thinned starch; Perfectamyl Gel NF, which is an oxidized starch; Perfectamyl Gel, which is an oxidized starch; and experimentally crosslinked versions of the above.

In the preferred embodiments of this invention the rheological profile for the starches thus produced can be described as manifestations of "cold-water gelling" behavior. This occurs both at neutrality (pH=7.0) and under acid conditions (pH=3.0) when critical concentration solutions of the said processed starches are stored under room or refrigerated conditions. This gelling behavior is similar to that observed with critical concentration solutions of the cook up thin boiling starches after heating past their critical points, but not observed for other classes of pregelatinized modified starches processed by spray cooking as described above. The data on the model food systems in Example 1- 3 and Tables 1-4 exemplify and support these findings.

These are novel and unique properties for a pregelatinized starch which have not been reported previously and which may have useful applications in numerous use areas (e.g., food processing, cosmetics, personal care, etc.). The food applications where this "cold-water gelling" rheological profile would be useful can include, but are not limited to, dry dessert mixes, spoonable salad dressings, bakery fillings, confections, processed cheeses. Foods and food mixes will be further described and exemplified below.

The present invention provides a number of advantages. In particular, this invention allows for the production of pregelatinized, cold-water gelling starches which form workable gels under room or refrigerated storage, yet can be easily initially processed at room temperatures and relatively low viscosities. They only form the desirable product gel properties upon storage at room or refrigerator temperatures over time. In several industries including food processing, cosmetics, personal care such characteristics in a thickening or rheological ingredient are advantageous and desirable.

The invention enables the production of a variety of dry food mixes comprising sweetener and/or acidulent and a starch according to the invention To mix the dry ingredients, any suitable dry blender can be employed, such as a V-blender or a ribbon mixer. If desired, the dry ingredients can be premixed and hydrated for packaging.

A sweetener can be a sugar, sugary material or other sweetener, such as any of the high intensity sweeteners known to the art.

Among the sugars are the mono-saccharides, di-saccharides and polysaccharides and their degradation products; e.g., pentoses, including aldopentoses, methylpentoses, keptopentoses, like xylose and arabinose; a deoxyaldose like rhamnose, hexoses and reducing saccharides such as aldo hexoses like glucose, galactose and mannose; the ketohexoses, like fructose and sorbose; disaccharides, like lactose and maltose; non- reducing disaccharides such as a sucrose and other polysaccharides such as dextrin and raffinose; and hydrolyzed starches which contain as their constituents oligosaccharides.

Among the intense sweeteners are acesulfame-K, aspartame, cyclamates, dihydrochalcone, saccharin, stevioside, thaumatin and the like. Also, low-intensity, low- calorie sweeteners such as sorbitol and erythritol can be employed. To prepare a dry mix composition for preparing an acidic food by mixing with water, the dry starch of the invention is preferably mixed in dry form with a suitable acid and, if desired other ingredients such as flavor. Any of the suitable food acidulents can be employed, e.g , adipic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid (e.g., dl malic), tartaric acid, and mixtures of at least two of these In some cases it is desirable to add a buffering salt compatible with the other ingredients, particularly the acid components, such as a member selected from the group consisting of the sodium and potassium salts of the listed food acids. Among the specific useful weak acid salts are sodium citrate, potassium citrate, disodium phosphate, dipostassium phosphate, and mixtures of at least two of these. Sodium citrate is preferred for some formulations, but the potassium salts are preferred for low-sodium formulations. Also useful in some cases are flow control ingredients such as magnesium oxide or phosphate salts, e.g., tricalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate.

The starch can comprise some or substantially all gellable ingredients of a food or food mix. If desired, the food or food mix can comprise one or more additional jelling agents. Among these are proteinaceous materials such as gelatin, pectin, and whey protein concentrate, natural and synthetic hydrophilic colloids, such as carboxymethyl cellulose, vegetable gums such as locust bean gum, carob bean gum, guar gum, carggeenans and alginates and various starches and modified starches.

Other ingredients may also be employed to impart their characteristic effects to the compositions of the present invention. Typical of such ingredients are flavoring agents, colorants, vitamins, minerals, and the like. Various flavors can be added directly to the milk prior to culturing if they do not interfere with the culturing process or afterwards if they would. Suitable flavoring agents can be employed to impart vanilla, cream, chocolate, coffee, maple, spice, mint, butter, caramel, fruit, savory and other flavors, including cheese, egg, meat, vegetable, and the like.

Another starch or flour component can also be added, e.g., to form a dough or food paste. The term "dough" as used in this context includes all formulations that the person skilled in the art would consider dough. The term "food paste" as used herein can be any liquid or semisolid food composition. These formulations contain a starch component and can be packaged in dry form for mixing with at least sufficient water to hydrate the starch, both being employed in reasonable proportions. The starch component can be provided as whole grain or grain ground or refined to any desired degree. It can be supplied in the form of flour, e.g., from wheat, barley, corn, oats, rice, rye, treacle, and the like. Or the starch component can be supplied as a purified or mechanically refined or less than whole grain flour. The water can comprise water itself or an aqueous liquid such as milk (whole, skim, homogenized, buttermilk, soy), fruit or vegetable juice, and the like. Yeast or chemical leavenings are typical. Also typically, the dough will also contain shortening in an amount suitable for achieving the textural characteristics desired for a given type of product

The following Examples are provided to further illustrate and explain preferred forms of the invention and are not to be taken as limiting in any regard. Unless otherwise indicated, all parts and percentage's are by weight.

Example 1

A model food gel system having the following composition is made according to the following procedure to aid in evaluating starches of the invention and comparing them to others of the prior art.

Model Food Gel System

% Water 76.00

Starch 12.00

Sugar 12.00

Total 100.00 Procedure:

1. The sugar and starch were dry blended together.

2. The dry ingredients were slowly added to the water using a low shear overhead mixer.

3. The above blends were mixed for 5 minutes at medium speed to solubilize completely the sugar and starch.

4. After mixing, the starch/sugar solution were allowed to sit quiescently for 2 minutes.

5. Following the quiescent period, Brookfield viscosities of the solution were taken after 1 minute using an RVT4 Spindle, RPM=10.

6. The solutions were stored 24hrs. at 5.5°C(42°F) and then removed and observed for gel formation. Measurements of the gel strengths and elasticity were taken using the Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer. These were compared versus similarly prepared reference solutions from drum-dried pregelatinized starches.

*6% Starch Solutions: 12% solutions too viscous to measure accurately Table 2. Pregelatinized Starch Solution Gel Characteristics vs. Cook Method

(Source Starch = Potato Starch, pH as is)

*6% Starch Solutions: 12% solutions too viscous to measure accurately

Example 2

Another model food gel system having the following composition is made according to the following procedure to aid in evaluating starches of the invention and comparing them to others of the prior art. Model Food Gel System

%

Water 38.00

Vinegar 38.00

Starch 12.00

Sugar 12.00

Total 100.00

Procedure:

1. The sugar and starch were dry bl ended^' together.

2. The dry ingredients were slowly added to the water/vinegar using a low shear overhead mixer.

4. After mixing, the starch/sugar solution was allowed to sit quiescently for 2 minutes. 5. ^' Following the quiescent period, Brookfield viscosities of the solution were taken at 1 minute using an RVT4 Spindle, RPM=10. 6. The solutions were stored 24 hours at 5.5°C (42°F) and then removed and observed for gel formation. Measurements of the gel strengths and elasticity were taken using the Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer. These were compared versus similarly prepared reference solutions from drum-dried pregelatinized starches.

*6% Starch Solutions: 12% solutions too viscous to measure accurately

Table 4. Pregelatinized Starch Solution Gel Characteristics vs. Cook Method

(Source Starch = Potato Starch, pH = 3 0)

*6% Starch Solutions- 12% solutions too viscous to measure accurately Example 3

Gelatin-Reduced Dessert Gel

Ingredients %

Water 84.61

Sugar 13.81

Gelatin 0.99

Starch 0.49

Flavor 0.07

Color O03

Total 100.00%

Procedure:

1. Dry mix thoroughly sugar, gelatin, flavor and color.

2. Place dry mix in a flat bottomed mixing bowl and add 1 cup(236.5g) of boiling water while stirring with a spoon.

3. Once all dry ingredients are dissolved, add 1 cup(236.5g) of cold water while stirring.

4. Refrigerate at 5.5°C(42°F) for 4 hours.

5. Dessert is now ready for serving.

The above description is intended to allow the person skilled in the art to practice the invention and thereby, produce a gelatin-based dessert gel wherein 20% of the usual amount of gelatin can be replaced. It is not intended to detail all possible applications, variations and modifications which will be apparent to the skilled worker upon reading fully the description. It is intended, however, that all such applications, variations and modifications be included in the scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.

Claims

Cold water soluble, gellable starch.

A starch according to claim 1 wherein the starch is a potato starch.

A starch according to claim 1 wherein a 12 % solution of the starch exhibits a viscosity of less than 1000 cps when measured by Brookfield viscometer, taken using an RVT4 Spindle at RPM=10, and a gel rupture strength of at least 10 grams when measured by Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer after storage of the solution for 24 hours at 42° F.

A starch according to claim 3 wherein a 12 % solution^' of the starch exhibits a viscosity of less than 100 cps when measured by Brookfield viscometer, taken using an RVT4 Spindle at RPM= 10.

A starch according to claim 3 wherein a 12 % solution of the starch exhibits a gel rupture strength of at least 20 grams when measured by Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer after storage of the solution for 24 hours at 42° F.

A Cold water soluble, gellable potato starch characterized in that a 12 % solution of the starch exhibits a viscosity of less than 100 cps when measured by Brookfield viscometer, taken using an RVT4 Spindle at RPM=10, and a gel rupture strength of at least 20 grams when measured by Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer after storage of the solution for 24 hours at 42° F.

A starch according to claim 6 wherein a 12 % solution of the starch exhibits a viscosity of less than 50 cps when measured by Brookfield viscometer, taken using an RVT4 Spindle at RPM=10. A starch according to claim 6 wherein a 12 % solution of the starch exhibits a gel rupture strength of at least 40 grams when measured by Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer after storage of the solution for 24 hours at 42° F.

A dry food mix comprising sweetener and/or acidulent and a starch according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the starch is employed in a concentration effective to provide a gel rupture strength of at least 40 grams when measured by Texture Technologies TA.XT2I texture analyzer after storage of the solution for 24 hours at 42° F. .

A dry food mix according to claim 9, wherein the starch comprises substantially all gellable ingredients of the mix^".

A dry food mix according to claim 9, wherein the mix further comprises gelatin.

A process for preparing a cold water soluble, gellable starch, comprises: heating a low viscosity starch by ejecting it from a nozzle under steam pressure, the combination of heat and moisture being supplied for a sufficient time to produce a starch described in any of claims 1-8.