WO2025133337A1 - Food ingredient based on land-plant fibres and marine algal fibres, and dairy product comprising such an ingredient - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a food ingredient consisting of land-plant fibres and marine algal fibres in the form of powders, and also to a dairy product incorporating such an ingredient. The present invention also relates to a method for producing this type of dairy product, in particular a cheese or a cheese preparation.

Description

TITLE: FOOD INGREDIENT BASED ON TERRESTRIAL VEGETABLE FIBERS AND MARINE ALGAL FIBERS, AND DAIRY PRODUCT COMPRISING SUCH AN INGREDIENT

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to a food ingredient consisting of terrestrial plant fibers and marine algal fibers in powder form, as well as a dairy product incorporating such an ingredient. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a dairy product in the particular case of a cheese or a cheese preparation.

Technical background

Cheese technology originally arose from the need to preserve milk, a perishable foodstuff. It thus allowed the "noble" components of milk (namely proteins and fats) to be stored over time in a reduced volume, but for the sole use of the operators who practiced it ^[1] .

Subsequently, it became a full-fledged economic activity by generating added value to milk. Today, in order to better meet the various expectations of consumers (food safety, organoleptic regularity, etc.) and economic requirements (yield, cost price, productivity and profitability), operators in the dairy industry must manage and optimize each of the unit operations implemented during the transformation of milk into cheese. Indeed, many phenomena take place during the transition from liquid milk to "solid cheese" and there are many different technologies, from the preparation of milk to ripening, which make it possible to obtain a large number of cheeses with very distinct biochemical and organoleptic characteristics from which they are classified into large families ^[1] .

To this end, operators in the dairy industry have had to increase the use of a number of chemical additives, particularly in order to meet growing consumer demand ^[1] .

But at present, it is necessary to reduce or even eliminate the use of these chemical additives, in order to meet the demand and the development of the market for natural alternative solutions in the food industry ^[1] .

To meet this need, the applicant has developed an alternative food ingredient based solely on terrestrial and algal plant fibres and intended for dairy products (i.e. milk or any product resulting from the processing of milk as well as their derivatives or by-products). products, as defined below) which can meet the requirements of the specifications of traditional products, while reducing or even eliminating the use of different categories of chemical additives, and while preserving or even improving the qualities of traditional products from the cheese industry ^[1] .

It is known to those skilled in the art to use substitutes or food ingredients based on plant fibers in food compositions, in particular for the purpose of texturizing.

Thus, European patent application EP2403352 describes a composition comprising a vegetable protein from the family of cereals, oilseeds, tubers, legumes, algae and microalgae, and a vegetable fiber, in particular a water-soluble fiber from oilseed plants (soybean, rapeseed and peas) and protein plants and/or an insoluble fiber chosen from resistant starches, cereal fibers, fruit or vegetable fibers, legume fibers and mixtures thereof (bamboo, pea and carrot fibers). The vegetable fiber is in dry but non-powdery (granular) form. The composition described in EP2403352 can be used as a total or partial replacement for milk proteins in specialties made from milk, and in particular cheese specialties. However, this composition comprises a vegetable protein which may be derived from algae or microalgae, but does not include marine algal fibers associated with vegetable fibers. Furthermore, it is known to those skilled in the art to combine terrestrial plant fibers and algal plant fibers in a food ingredient.

Thus, Chinese patent application CN104770470 describes a food ingredient consisting of a yogurt thickener comprising a mixture of sodium alginate (a brown seaweed polysaccharide), pectin (which is a terrestrial plant fiber), and triglycerides. This food ingredient, which is in the form of micronized powders, is not used alone but combined with triglycerides. Similarly, Australian patent application AU2014262248 describes a dietary fiber composition comprising a mixture of polysaccharides found in wood, xanthan, brown seaweed polysaccharides, and at least 20% by weight of lipids, for example, medium-chain triglycerides. Russian patent application RU2579917 describes dietary fiber for whipped dairy cream, comprising red seaweed polysaccharides, low-esterified pectin, and guar gum. However, dietary fiber is combined with a whey protein isolate to improve the textural properties of the dairy product ([0008]) and by providing an optimal set of essential amino acids. In RU2579917, it is the combination of fiber with the isolate that forms the emulsifier and stabilizer for dairy product. Chinese patent application CN112056450 describes an ice cream stabilizer comprising a mixture of gums tamarind, guar, carob and carrageenan (red algae). CN112056 CN112056450 does not, however, teach that these fibers are in powder form, nor a fortiori in micronized powder form. Like CN112056450, US patent application US 2005/21443 also teaches a food ingredient based on terrestrial dietary fibers and algal dietary fibers, but not that these fibers are in powder form, nor a fortiori that these fibers are in micronized form. Finally, European patent application EP 3628175 describes a food ingredient comprising green algae marc and plant fibers. The algae marc is not in powder form, but in the form of a solid residue obtained by mechanical treatment, preferably followed by chemical and/or thermal treatment of the algae. This food ingredient is used in food compositions (e.g., sauces, soups, bakery products, retextured or reconstituted products, dairy products, beverages) for the purpose of texturizing them, and not to increase cheese yield.

Summary of the invention

The present invention solves the problems raised by the prior art.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to a food ingredient consisting solely of terrestrial plant fibres and marine algal fibres in the form of powders. For the purposes of the present invention, terrestrial plant fibres are understood to mean raw, unprocessed and unpurified terrestrial plant fibres, with the exception of drying and micro-grinding operations.

Likewise, for the purposes of the present invention, marine algal fibers are understood to mean unprocessed and unpurified marine algal fibers, with the exception of drying and microgrinding operations.

Thus, the food ingredient according to the invention is in the form of a powder of unprocessed and unpurified raw materials, which is free from any chemical additive: the food ingredient according to the invention cannot therefore be considered an additive within the meaning of the regulations, unlike most of the food ingredients according to the prior art mentioned above.

The fibers of the food ingredient according to the invention may preferably be micronized. As commonly accepted, a food ingredient, which is involved in a food formulation, is a component or constituent of any combination or mixture which forms a commercial food. A cooking ingredient is a substance which is added to a food to obtain a desired effect ^[2] . For the purposes of the present invention, the term “food ingredient” is understood more particularly to mean a composition of food substances combining fibers of terrestrial plant origin and fibers of marine algal origin.

Regarding terrestrial plant fibers, the majority of them are partially soluble, like a large part of the fibers found in vegetables, pulses or cereals. Some fibers are soluble in water and viscous; this is the case of beta-glucans contained in oats or rye, or fruit pectins and "gums", such as guar gum, used in particular as a thickener or gelling agent. Other fibers are insoluble or partially soluble (cellulose and hemicelluloses) as in wheat bran.

Pectins are complex heterogeneous polysaccharides found in the primary cell wall of most plants. They are mainly extracted from fruits and vegetables derived from by-products of the agri-food industry, such as citrus peels, apple pomace and sugar beet pulp. They are mainly composed of esterified or non-esterified D-galacturonic acid units, linked together by α-(l->4) bonds. Their proportion of units varies with the presence of different neutral sugars such as D-galactose, L-arabinose, L-rhamnose and D-xylose.

Marine algal fibers differ in their structural chemistry from those found in terrestrial plants. This gives them functional and bioactive properties not found in terrestrial fiber sources. The nutrient-rich nature of algae makes them excellent candidates for use in functional foods. Furthermore, their physical ability to emulsify and retain water enhances their techno-functional properties as a food ingredient.

The total polysaccharide or sugar content of algae typically ranges from 4% to 76% (dry mass). The nature of algal polysaccharides differs between phyla. Alginates, fucoidans, and laminarin are the main polysaccharides of brown algae.

Carrageenans and agarans are found in red algae.

Ulvans in green algae. The vast majority of these algal polysaccharides are soluble and mostly anionic or polyanionic. This anionic structure gives these polysaccharides many specific physicochemical properties. Alginates are polysaccharides present in the cell walls of brown algae, produced at a rate of 30,000 tonnes per year worldwide. Their use, unprecedented in the field of surfactants, has several advantages from an environmental impact point of view since their production does not require agricultural land, fresh water, fertilizers or products. phytosanitary. These polysaccharides are formed by glycosidic bridges (l->4) between the two monomers 0-D-mannuronate (M) and its C5 epimer, oc-L-guluronate (G). These M and G units are arranged in an irregular manner by homopolymeric blocks (MM or GG) separated by alternating blocks (MG) along the entire length of the alginate chain.

Carrageenans (or carrageenans) are sulfur-containing polysaccharides (sulfated galactans) extracted from red algae. Carrageenans are mainly extracted from Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum. Three main categories of carrageenans are commercially available today: K-carrageenan, r-carrageenan, and Â-carrageenan. Each of these categories has a distinct structure and properties. The main differences in molecular structure are the number and position of sulfate groups and the number of 3,6-anhydrogalactose (3,6-AG) bridges.

A number of these polymers (alginates, ulvans, and carrageenans in particular) exhibit amphiphilic properties in the form of associative polymers that have the ability to organize themselves in an aqueous medium following inter- and/or intramolecular hydrophobic interactions between the grafts, which can thus form microdomains (aggregates, micelles, clusters, etc.) while maintaining their water solubility. This self-organization gives these systems exceptional rheological properties (viscosifying, even gelling), sequestration of amphiphilic or hydrophobic active ingredients, and control of interfaces, which are much more significant than their non-amphiphilic counterparts. Thanks to these properties, which are added to the biocompatibility and biodegradation properties, the use of amphiphilic polysaccharides in food applications becomes very interesting.

The food ingredient according to the invention, consisting of terrestrial plant fibres and marine algal fibres in the form of powders, therefore mainly comprises soluble and insoluble polysaccharides, a large part of which are anionic polysaccharides, which play an important role in the manufacturing process of a dairy product such as cheese or cheese preparation incorporating these fibres.

Advantageously, the terrestrial plant fibers may be in the form of micronized powders and may be chosen from the group consisting of pea fibers, flax fibers, and carrot fibers.

Advantageously, the marine algal plant fibers may be in the form of micronized powders and may be chosen from the group consisting of brown algae, red algae and green algae, and preferably brown algae of the Fucaceae family. For the purposes of the present invention, the term micronized powders means a powder having a particle size such that the diameter D50 is between 1 and 100 microns. Preferably, the micronized powders of terrestrial plant fibers have a particle size such that the diameter D50 is between 40 and 50 microns.

Preferably, the micronized powders of marine algal plant fibers have a particle size such that the diameter D50 is between 40 and 50 microns.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the food ingredient according to the invention may comprise:

50% to 85% by weight of pea fiber relative to the total weight of said food ingredient;

5% to 25% by weight of flax fibers relative to the total weight of said composition;

2% to 20% by weight of carrot fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient;

2% to 15% by weight of seaweed fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient.

Preferably, the food ingredient according to the invention may comprise:

60% to 80% by weight of pea fiber relative to the total weight of said food ingredient;

10% to 18% by weight of flax fibers relative to the total weight of said composition;

5% to 13% by weight of carrot fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient;

5% to 10% by weight of seaweed fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient.

More preferably, the food ingredient according to the invention may comprise: 65% to 75% by weight of pea fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient;

12% to 16% by weight of flax fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient;

7% to 11% by weight of carrot fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient;

6% to 8% by weight of algae fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient.

The present invention also relates to a dairy product comprising a food ingredient according to the invention.

Preferably, the dairy product may be chosen from milk or any product resulting from the processing of milk as well as their derivatives or by-products. For the purposes of the present invention, milk means not only raw, unprocessed milk, but also reconstituted milk (for example, milk with a reduced fat content, or even skimmed milk, etc.).

By products resulting from the processing of milk or derivatives or by-products of milk, we mean in particular, within the meaning of the present invention, dairy drinks, cheeses and cheese preparations, yogurts, butter, whipped cream, ice creams.

Preferably, the product is dairy and may be cheese or a cheese preparation.

By cheese or cheese preparation, we mean, within the meaning of the present invention, any cheese product corresponding to the eponymous name in Information Note No. 2008-176 of the DGCCRF accompanying Decree No. 2007-628 relating to cheeses and cheese specialties ¹³ ]. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a dairy product according to the invention of the cheese or cheese preparation type, characterized in that it comprises a preliminary step of introducing the food ingredient according to the invention into milk, to form an intermediate preparation of milk and fibers, said preliminary step of introducing the food premix composition into milk being carried out before the homogenization treatment of the milk.

It is the anionic polysaccharides present in the food ingredient according to the invention which play an important role in the manufacturing process of a dairy product such as cheese or cheese preparation incorporating these fibres, because they allow:

- to promote and stabilize the emulsion phenomena of the fatty micelles in milk during the milk homogenization phase, and

- to increase the retention of free water in the structure of the curd and thus limit the phenomena of syneresis and in particular the release of an organic part of the whey during the draining phase with the consequence of contributing to the coagulation and retention of a part of the serum proteins and fat micelles within the curd matrix. This has the effect of increasing both the yield of the curdling process and also increasing the nutritional values of the cheeses produced by this process, particularly with regard to the protein and fat content.

Preferably, the food ingredient according to the invention may represent between 0.025% and 0.050% by weight of the weight of the intermediate preparation obtained at the end of the prior step of introducing the food ingredient according to the invention into milk.

The food ingredient according to the invention therefore makes it possible, thanks to its original composition combining different plant fibers, composed essentially of polysaccharides, to be a product of the chemical additive substitute type capable of increasing the yield of the cheese production from the same volume of milk used, while improving the nutritional value of the cheeses thus prepared, while preserving or improving the structure and texture of the cheeses and reducing syneresis, also allowing better conservation of the cheese products in which it is incorporated.

This invention can therefore perfectly meet the requirements of manufacturers and consumers wishing to consume dairy foodstuffs and in particular cheeses or cheese preparations free from or low in chemical additives, while improving their organoleptic characteristics, their nutritional values, their preservability and reducing their overall production cost, thanks in particular to the improvement in production yield and therefore reducing their cost prices and possibly their sales prices.

Brief description of the figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear during the reading of the detailed description which follows for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which:

[Fig. 1] - Figure 1 is a photograph showing the introduction into milk of the food ingredient in powder form according to the invention, before the homogenization phase (first step of the process according to the invention implemented in example 2);

[Fig. 2] - Figure 2 is a photograph showing the formation of curd from the mixture of milk and food ingredient illustrated in Figure 1, which is recovered and placed in molds (second step of the process according to the invention implemented in Example 2)

[Fig. 3] - Figure 3 is a photograph showing the Panela type fresh cheese obtained after draining the curd illustrated in Figure 3 and ready for marketing;

[Fig. 4] - Figure 4 is a photograph showing Panela type fresh cheese without food ingredient (example 1, left part of the photograph) and Panela type fresh cheese according to the invention and intended to be marketed (example 2, right part of the photograph)

[Fig. 5] - Figure 5 is a photograph showing the whey obtained during the formation according to the invention of the Panela type cheese with food ingredient (example 2, left part of the photograph) and the whey obtained during the formation according to the invention of the Panela type cheese without food ingredient (example 1, right part of the photograph). Detailed description of the invention

In the following description, identical, similar or analogous elements will be designated by the same reference numbers.

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1 (COMPARATIVE): preparation of a Panela type fresh curd cheese in accordance with a manufacturing process according to the prior art

Panela is a soft, fresh Mexican cheese with very little salt.

For 1000 liters of fresh and/or reconstituted milk, a cheese maker is typically able to produce around 150 kg of fresh curd cheese of the Panela type. In this case, the cheese yield is then 15%.

During the formation of curd, whey is also produced, which typically carries with it most of the milk's water. Whey is typically composed of 94% water, 4 to 5% lactose, then soluble proteins (about 9%) and mineral salts.

In this example, from 1000l of initial milk, in addition to the 150 kg of cheese, 850 kg of whey are recovered.

EXAMPLE 2: preparation of a fresh curd cheese of the Panela type according to the invention

In this example, we differ from example 1 by introducing (as illustrated in figure 1), into 1000 l of fresh and/or reconstituted milk being stirred, 360 g of a food ingredient in accordance with the present invention in the form of micronized powders and the composition of which is as follows:

- 234 g to 270 g of pea fiber;

- 43 g to 58 g of flax fibers;

- 25 g to 40 g of carrot fiber; and

- 21 g to 29 g of brown seaweed fiber (preferably brown seaweed from the Fucaceae family).

An intermediate preparation of milk and fibers is then formed (see Figure 1). Then, in accordance with the process according to the invention, a homogenization treatment of the milk is carried out. Figure 2 shows that the milk with the food ingredient according to the invention has curdled, and the curd is recovered in molds.

Figure 3 shows the fresh cheese once drained and intended for sale.

Figure 4 shows that this fresh cheese (with food ingredient, on the right side of the photograph) has exactly the same appearance as that produced in example 1 (without food ingredient, left side of the photograph).

By introducing the food ingredient according to the invention, it is possible to produce 183 kg of cheese from this intermediate preparation of milk and fiber, which gives a cheese yield of 18.3%. This therefore results in a 22% increase in this yield compared to the cheese yield obtained in Example 1.

In this example, from 10001 of initial milk, in addition to the 183 kg of cheese, 817 kg of whey are recovered, i.e. less whey than in example 1.

Figure 5 shows that the whey in Example 2 (left part of the photograph) is much lighter than that obtained in Example 1 (right part of the photograph).

Thanks to the food ingredient according to the invention, part of the constituents of milk, which usually (without the food ingredient according to the invention) goes into the whey, remains in the cheese.

References

[1] Gillis, J-C., Ayerbe, A., (2018), Cheese, 4th edition, Lavoisier Tech & Doc, Lavoisier Pans, ISBN: 978-2-7430-2315-7;

[2] https://www.aquaportail.com/dictionnaire/defmition/6330/ingredient-alimentaire ;

[3] www.finec.fr/IMG/pdf/NI2008-176_Decret_fromage.pdf.

Claims

1. Food ingredient consisting solely of terrestrial plant fibers and marine algal fibers in powder form. 2. Ingredient, wherein said terrestrial plant fibers are in the form of micronized powders and are chosen from the group consisting of pea fibers, flax fibers, and carrot fibers. 3. Ingredient according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein said marine algal plant fibers are in the form of micronized powders and are chosen from the group consisting of brown algae, red algae and green algae. 4. An ingredient according to claim 3, wherein said marine algal plant fibers are brown algae. 5. Ingredient according to claim 4, wherein said plant fibers are marine algae, and preferably brown algae of the fucaceae family. 6. An ingredient according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said food ingredient comprises: 50% to 85% by weight of pea fiber relative to the total weight of said food ingredient; 5% to 25% by weight of flax fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient; 2% to 20% by weight of carrot fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient; 2% to 15% by weight of seaweed fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient. 7. Ingredient according to claim 5, wherein said powdered mixture of terrestrial plant fibers and marine algal fibers comprises: 60% to 80% by weight of pea fiber relative to the total weight of said food ingredient; 10% to 18% by weight of flax fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient; 5% to 13% by weight of carrot fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient; 5% to 10% by weight of seaweed fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient. 8. Ingredient according to claim 6, wherein said powdered mixture of terrestrial plant fibers and marine algal fibers comprises: 65% to 75% by weight of pea fiber relative to the total weight of said food ingredient; 12% to 16% by weight of flax fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient; 7% to 11% by weight of carrot fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient; 6% to 8% by weight of algae fibers relative to the total weight of said food ingredient. 9. Dairy product comprising a food ingredient as defined according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 10. Dairy product according to claim 9, chosen from the group consisting of the following products: milk or any product resulting from the processing of milk as well as their derivatives or by-products. 11. Dairy product according to claim 10, wherein said derivatives or by-products include dairy drinks, cheeses and cheese preparations, yogurts, butter, whipped cream, ice creams. 12. Dairy product according to any one of claims 6 and 7, in the form of a cheese or a cheese preparation. 13. Process for manufacturing the cheese-type dairy product as defined according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises a prior step of introducing into milk the food ingredient as defined according to any one of claims 1 to 8, to form an intermediate preparation of milk and fibers, said prior step of introducing into milk the food premix composition being carried out before the homogenization treatment of the milk. 14. Method according to claim 13, according to which the food ingredient as defined according to any one of claims 1 to 8 represents between 0.025% and 0.050% by weight of the weight of the intermediate preparation obtained at the end of the prior step of introducing said food ingredient into milk.