Animal solid fat substitute and the production method thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an animal solid fat substitute, comprising: a base; and vegetable oil adsorbed onto the base, wherein the base is a gel formed from the following ingredients: (a) edible gum; and (b) water; wherein the edible gum comprises curdlan gum; and the hardness of the animal solid fat substitute is

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an animal solid fat substitute, particularly an animal solid fat substitute with a hardness of 200 grams or more, and a method for preparing the same. Prior Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in the vegetarian population and the growing awareness of health, plant-based meat products have received widespread attention and demand. As a food alternative to traditional meat, plant-based meat primarily provides a similar eating experience to animal meat, including the flavor and texture of meat. Plant-based meat satisfies consumers seeking healthy dietary options, while also allowing consumers to express their support for animal welfare and environmental protection by choosing such products.

[0003] Plant-based meat products aim to replicate the texture and flavor of animal meat, and must ensure that they maintain their structure and mouthfeel under cooking conditions. However, the selection of plant-based meats on the market remains limited. Therefore, providing a wider variety of alternatives to animal solid fats remains an ongoing challenge in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, to address the needs in this field, this application provides an animal solid fat substitute comprising: a bulk; and vegetable oil adsorbed onto the bulk, wherein the bulk is a gel prepared from the following raw materials: (a) edible gum; and water; wherein: the edible gum comprises cardan gum; and the animal solid fat substitute has a hardness of 200 grams or more, as measured by a texture profile analysis (TPA) instrument. According to the embodiments disclosed in this application, the animal solid fat substitute possesses different texture characteristics, which can lead to changes in taste when the animal solid fat substitute is further processed into plant-based meat products.

[0005] Preferably, the edible gum further comprises other edible gums, including methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, monoglycerides, succinate, guanylic acid gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, or combinations thereof.

[0006] Preferably, the vegetable oil comprises: rapeseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, camellia oil, or a combination thereof.

[0007] Preferably, the animal solid fat substitute is solid at a temperature of 100-200°C.

[0008] Preferably, the animal solid fat substitute has an oil content greater than 80 wt%.

[0009] Preferably, the animal solid fat substitute has a moisture content of less than 5 wt%.

[0010] Preferably, the animal solid fat substitute is formed by mixing the edible gum with water and then heating and drying it.

[0011] Preferably, the animal solid fat substitute is dried by freeze drying.

[0012] Preferably, the animal solid fat substitute wherein the gel adsorbs the vegetable oil by a vacuum impregnation method.

[0013] Another objective of this application is to provide a method for preparing an animal solid fat substitute, comprising: (a) mixing edible gum and water and heating to form a water-containing gel, wherein the edible gum contains cardan gum; (b) drying the gel to remove water from the gel; and (c) adsorbing the vegetable oil into the gel to form the substitute, wherein the hardness of the substitute is 200 grams or more, as measured by a texture profile analysis (TPA) instrument.

[0014] Preferably, in the method, the heating temperature in step (a) is between 60 and 90°C.

[0015] Preferably, in the method, the heating time in step (a) is between 5 and 30 minutes.

[0016] Preferably, in the method described, step (b) is performed by freeze-drying to remove water from the gel.

[0017] Preferably, in the method described, step (c) is performed by vacuum impregnation to adsorb the vegetable oil into the gel.

[0018] Preferably, in the method, the processing time of the vacuum impregnation method in step (c) is less than 20 minutes. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0019] Figure 1 shows a gel that can absorb oil.

[0020] Figure 2 shows a comparison of the fat adsorption ratios of animal solid fat substitutes under different impregnation conditions.

[0021] Figure 3 shows animal solid fat substitutes that can be molded into various shapes: (A) is an irregularly shaped animal solid fat substitute; (B) is an animal solid fat substitute molded into a strip shape; (C) is an animal solid fat substitute molded into a cylindrical shape. Implementation

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. In the event of any conflict, the definitions contained herein shall prevail.

[0023] When referring to percentages in this application, the terms "wt%", "weight%", and "%" used herein can refer to mass fractions, which are defined as: the percentage of the mass of a substance divided by the total mass of the mixture.

[0024] As used in this application, the terms "produced from" and "comprising" are synonymous. As used herein, the terms "includes," "including," "comprises," "has," "having," "contains," or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive scope. For example, a composition, process, method, article, or apparatus containing a plurality of elements listed is not necessarily limited to those listed, but may include other elements not expressly listed but inherent to the composition, process, method, article, or apparatus. The term "comprising" is generally used in the sense of inclusion, that is, allowing the presence of one or more other features or components.

[0025] The indefinite articles “a” and “an” preceding an element or component in this application are intended to indicate, in a non-restrictive manner, the number of instances (i.e., the number of occurrences) of that element or component. Therefore, “a” or “an” should be understood to include one or at least one, and the singular form of the element or component also includes the plural, unless the number clearly refers to the singular.

[0026] The purpose of this application is to provide an animal solid fat substitute comprising: a bulk; and vegetable oil adsorbed onto the bulk, wherein the bulk is a gel prepared from the following raw materials: (a) edible gum; and (b) water; wherein: the edible gum comprises cardan gum; and the animal solid fat substitute has a hardness of 200 grams or more, which is measured by a texture profile analysis (TPA) instrument.

[0027] In one embodiment, the hardness of the animal solid fat substitute is 200-800 g, 225-700 g, 250-600 g, 275-500 g, 300-400 g, or 325-350 g.

[0028] Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) is a device used to measure the texture properties of food or materials. It analyzes the mechanical properties of materials by simulating human chewing or physical compression, applying pressure to the sample via a probe and recording changes in force over time. The most common testing method is the double compression test, where the probe compresses the sample twice to simulate the human chewing process. During the first compression (first bite), the probe is pressed down to a predetermined deformation to measure the sample's hardness. Then, in the recovery phase, when the probe releases pressure, the sample's springiness—its ability to return to its original shape after deformation—is measured. Subsequently, during the second compression (second bite), the probe is pressed down again to further analyze parameters such as cohesiveness, chewiness, and guminess to evaluate the sample's texture.

[0029] The definitions and units of each parameter of TPA are shown in the table below: parameter definition unit hardness (hardness) The maximum force resisted by the sample during compression is measured. Grams (g) or Newtons (N) viscosity (adhesiveness) Integral of the negative force and time when the probe is pulled away from the sample surface g·s (gram-second) or N·s (newton-second) elasticity (springiness) The ability of a sample to return to its original shape after deformation is measured. Second compression deformation / First compression deformation Cohesiveness Measuring the integrity of the internal structure of a sample Second pressing area / First pressing area guminess The product of hardness and cohesion Hardness * Cohesion Chewiness The product of adhesiveness and elasticity Hardness * Elasticity * Cohesion Resilience Instant rebound capability of the sample after the first compression Area of ​​first deformation return / Area of ​​compression

[0030] In one embodiment, the edible gum further comprises other edible gums, including methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, monoglycerides, senna gum, guanhua gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, or combinations thereof.

[0031] In this article, the term "edible gum" refers to an additive used in the food industry that increases the viscosity of a liquid without substantially altering its other chemical properties (such as pH). Edible gum can also be referred to as a thickener in this field.

[0032] In one embodiment, the vegetable oil comprises: rapeseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, camellia oil, or a combination thereof.

[0033] In one embodiment, the animal solid fat substitute may be solid at a temperature of 100-200°C, at a temperature of 120-200°C, at a temperature of 130-180°C, or at a temperature of 135-175°C.

[0034] Although this application primarily uses unsaturated vegetable oils as the source of fat, the embodiments provided in this application show that animal solid fat substitutes can mimic highly saturated animal oils and form a "solid" structure at room temperature. Furthermore, the animal solid fat substitutes can be solid at temperatures between 100 and 200°C, meaning that within this temperature range, they can still maintain a "solid" structure similar to that formed by highly saturated animal oils at room temperature.

[0035] In one embodiment, the animal solid fat substitute has an oil content greater than 80 wt%. In another embodiment, the animal solid fat substitute has an oil content greater than 83 wt%. In yet another embodiment, the animal solid fat substitute has an oil content greater than 85 wt%.

[0036] In one embodiment, the moisture content of the animal solid fat substitute is less than 5 wt%, preferably less than 2 wt%, for example: less than 1.5 wt%, less than 1 wt%, less than 0.5 wt%, or 0 wt%.

[0037] The water content in animal solid fat substitutes is provided by components other than vegetable oils. For example, gels are made by mixing edible gum with water and then drying them. However, it is possible that they still contain some water, such as trace amounts.

[0038] In one embodiment, the animal solid fat substitute is formed by mixing the edible gum with water and then heating and drying it.

[0039] In one embodiment, the animal solid fat substitute wherein the gel adsorbs the vegetable oil under normal temperature and pressure. In another embodiment, the animal solid fat substitute wherein the gel adsorbs the vegetable oil under vacuum conditions by vacuum impregnation.

[0040] Another objective of this application is to provide a method for preparing an animal solid fat substitute, comprising: (a) mixing edible gum and water and heating to form a water-containing gel, wherein the edible gum contains cardan gum; (b) drying the gel to remove water from the gel; and (c) adsorbing the vegetable oil onto the gel to form the substitute, wherein the hardness of the substitute is 200 grams or more, as measured by a texture profile analysis (TPA) instrument.

[0041] In one embodiment, the method wherein the hardness of the animal solid fat substitute is 200-800 g, 225-700 g, 250-600 g, 275-500 g, 300-400 g, or 325-350 g.

[0042] In one embodiment, the method wherein the heating temperature of step (a) is between 60 and 90°C, between 70 and 90°C, or between 80 and 90°C.

[0043] In one embodiment, the heating time of step (a) is between 5 and 30 minutes, between 5 and 20 minutes, or between 10 and 20 minutes.

[0044] In one embodiment, the gel preparation formulation may be 0.5wt%~10wt%, 1.5wt%~10wt%, 2.5wt%~10wt%, 3.5wt%~10wt%, 4.5wt%~10wt%, 5.5wt%~10wt%, 6.5wt%~10wt%, 7.5wt%~10wt%, 8.5wt%~10wt%, or 9.5wt%~10wt% of cardran gum, wherein the wt% is calculated based on the total weight of the edible gum and water.

[0045] In one embodiment, the gel preparation formulation may be 0wt%~5wt%, 1wt%~5wt%, 2wt%~5wt%, 3wt%~5wt%, 4wt%~5wt% of other edible gums, wherein wt% is calculated based on the total weight of the edible gum and water.

[0046] In one embodiment, step (b) is performed by freeze-drying to remove water from the gel.

[0047] In one embodiment, step (c) is performed by vacuum impregnation to adsorb the vegetable oil into the gel.

[0048] In one embodiment, the processing time of the vacuum impregnation method in step (c) is less than 20 minutes, less than 15 minutes, less than 10 minutes, or less than 5 minutes.

[0049] Vacuum impregnation, by reducing the gas pressure within the system, allows liquid to more easily penetrate the gel structure. First, the gel is placed in a sealed vacuum environment, causing the internal gas to be expelled due to the pressure reduction, thereby reducing the gas content inside the gel. Then, vegetable oil is introduced, and the pressure is gradually restored, allowing the liquid to penetrate the porous structure of the gel due to the pressure difference. This process enhances the penetration efficiency of the vegetable oil, allowing it to be more evenly dispersed within the gel, thus increasing the gel's adsorption capacity for oils, ultimately forming the animal solid fat substitute of this application.

[0050] The materials, methods, and examples described in this application are illustrative in nature and are not intended to limit the invention unless otherwise stated. Although the invention may be practiced or tested using similar or equivalent methods or materials described herein, those described herein are more suitable.

[0051] [Example] [1] Preparation of solid fat substitutes

[0052] 5 wt% of cardan gum and 1 wt% of other edible gums (such as methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, monoglycerides, stigma, guanylic acid gum, carrageenan, and sophora flavescens gum) were dissolved in water and thoroughly mixed. The mixture was then heated to 80-90°C and maintained for 10-20 minutes to form a gel. The gel was further freeze-dried at 0-5°C for 24 hours until most of the moisture was removed, resulting in the gel structure shown in Figure 1, which is capable of absorbing oils. It is important to note that because the gel preparation formula is primarily based on cardan gum, heating is necessary to form the aforementioned gel structure; omitting the heating step will prevent the formation of the gel structure.

[0053] The dried gel was impregnated with rapeseed oil to allow the gel to fully adsorb the vegetable oil, thus obtaining the solid fat substitute of this application. Further analysis of the adsorbed oil content of the gel was performed using Soxhlet extraction, as shown in Figure 2. In the group impregnated for 10 minutes at room temperature and pressure without vacuum, the oil adsorption ratio relative to the gel weight was 9.06 ± 1.22 times.

[0054] [Example] [2] Preparation of solid fat substitutes by vacuum impregnation method

[0055] Furthermore, the dried gel can also be vacuum impregnated to more effectively adsorb vegetable oils. The gel prepared in Example 1 was tested to evaluate the effect of impregnation in a vacuum environment for 5–30 minutes on the adsorption of vegetable oils, and the oil content adsorbed by the gel was analyzed using Soxhlet extraction. The experimental results are shown in Figure 2. After impregnation in a vacuum environment for 5, 10, and 20 minutes, the oil adsorption multiples relative to the gel weight were 11.69 ± 1.22 times, 13.48 ± 1.94 times, and 9.06 ± 1.22 times, respectively. Compared with the adsorption effect under normal temperature and pressure conditions in Example 1, the vacuum environment can improve the adsorption effect of the gel on vegetable oils.

[0056] Therefore, vacuum impregnation can be used as a method for preparing the animal solid fat substitute of this application, and the group that was vacuum impregnated for 10 minutes showed the best effect, with the highest oil content of 84.28±0.76%. Figure 3 shows the prepared animal solid fat substitute, which can be molded into various shapes according to the application requirements.

[0057] [Example] [3] [Texture Characteristics Analysis of Animal Solid Fat Substitutes]

[0058] Furthermore, the texture characteristics of the solid fat substitutes were tested using a Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) instrument. The test groups were as follows: (a) the solid fat substitute that adsorbed oil by vacuum impregnation for 10 min in Example 2; (b) the solid fat substitute previously created by the inventor (hereinafter referred to as: previous creation; Taiwan Patent Application No.: 113111070; application date: 2024 / 03 / 25); and (c) the gel adsorbed oil sample prepared in Example 1 without the "heating" step during gel preparation. Two pressure tests were performed on each sample using a P20 probe (a cylindrical probe with a diameter of 2 cm) to evaluate the texture characteristics of the samples. The experimental conditions were set as follows: pressure rate 5 mm / sec, deformation degree 50%, sample weight approximately 2 g, and at least 12 repeated tests were performed.

[0059] The TPA analysis results are shown in Table 1. The hardness of the solid fat substitute (a) in this application is significantly improved compared to the previous creation (b). Other properties such as adhesiveness, chewiness and resilience are also significantly different. It is evident that the solid fat substitute provided in this application has significantly different texture characteristics from the previous solid fat substitute. Therefore, when the solid fat substitute is further processed into plant-based meat products, it will bring about changes in taste.

[0060] Furthermore, in group (c), the gel was not prepared with a heating step, resulting in a gel that could not form a stable solid structure and could not effectively adsorb oils, thus preventing the use of TPA to test its texture. Therefore, heating is a crucial step in the gel preparation process, significantly contributing to the formation of a solid structure and enhancing its mechanical strength. If the heating process is omitted, the molecular chains of the cardlan gum cannot effectively unfold, leading to the inability to form a stable gel structure and ultimately affecting the texture of the solid fat substitute.

[0061] Table 1: TPA Analysis Results [parameter] [hardness] (hardness) [Viscosity] (adhesiveness) [elasticity] (springiness) [Cohesion] (cohesiveness) [Adhesive properties] [(gumminess)] [Chewing] (chewiness) [Responsive] (resilience) [unit] [Group] g g·s Second compression deformation / First compression deformation Second pressing area / First pressing area Hardness * Cohesion Hardness * Elasticity * Cohesion Area of ​​first deformation return / Area of ​​compression (a) 332.11 ±88.19 -4.83±2.64 0.16 ±0.04 0.48 ±0.10 164.80 ±71.31 26.56 ±13.68 0.25 ±0.06 (b) 14.85 ±25.16 -5.34±3.40 0.15 ±0.04 0.40 ±0.05 6.84 ±12.42 0.99 ±1.78 0.07 ±0.01 (c) Unable to measure

[0062] To confirm that the animal solid fat substitute retains its original fat content after heating and that its solid structure does not easily disintegrate, Soxhlet extraction was used to analyze the fat content of the animal solid fat substitute before and after heating. Taking group (a) as an example, the fat content of the animal solid fat substitute before heating was approximately 84.28 ± 0.76%. To simulate the environment of actual use of the animal solid fat substitute (such as cooking at high temperatures in a pot), a heating device was used to heat the animal solid fat substitute at 150°C for 10 minutes, and the substitute after heating was analyzed by Soxhlet extraction. The results showed that although the fat content decreased slightly, it still remained above 80 wt%, indicating that the fat content of the animal solid fat substitute remained substantially unchanged after heating, meaning that the solid fat structure did not disintegrate due to heating, thus maintaining the fat content.

Claims

1. An animal solid fat substitute comprising: a bulk; and vegetable oil adsorbed onto the bulk, wherein the bulk is a gel prepared from raw materials comprising: (a) edible gum; and (b) water; wherein: The edible gum includes cardan gum and other edible gums; the hardness of the animal solid fat substitute is 200–800 g, which was measured by a texture profile analysis (TPA) instrument.

2. The animal solid fat substitute as claimed in claim 1, wherein the other edible gum comprises methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, monoglycerides, succinate, guanylic acid gum, carrageenan, sophora flavescens gum, or a combination thereof.

3. The animal solid fat substitute as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vegetable oil comprises: canola oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, linseed oil, camellia oil, or a combination thereof.

4. The animal solid fat substitute as described in claim 1, which is solid at a temperature of 100–200°C.

5. The animal solid fat substitute as described in claim 1, wherein the fat content of the substitute is greater than 80 wt%.

6. The animal solid fat substitute as described in claim 1, wherein the water content of the substitute is less than 5 wt%.

7. The animal solid fat substitute as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gel is formed by mixing the edible gum with the water and then heating and drying it.

8. The animal solid fat substitute as described in claim 7, wherein the drying is freeze-drying.

9. The animal solid fat substitute as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gel adsorbs the vegetable oil by a vacuum impregnation method.

10. A method for preparing an animal solid fat substitute, comprising: (a) mixing edible gum and water and heating to form a water-containing gel, wherein the edible gum includes cardan gum and other edible gums; (b) drying the gel to remove water from the gel; and (c) adsorbing the vegetable oil onto the gel to form the substitute, wherein the hardness of the substitute is 200-800 g, as measured by a texture profile analysis (TPA) instrument; wherein the heating temperature in step (a) is between 80-90°C.

11. The method as described in claim 10, wherein the heating time in step (a) is between 5 and 30 minutes.

12. The method as described in claim 10, wherein step (b) is performed by freeze-drying to remove water from the gel.

13. The method as described in claim 10, wherein step (c) is performed by vacuum impregnation to adsorb the vegetable oil into the gel.

14. The method as described in claim 13, wherein the processing time of the vacuum impregnation method in step (c) is less than 20 minutes.

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