Semi-finished powdered food product based on vegetable food and method for producing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to powders and dehydrated products essentially comprising or consisting of a food of vegetable origin having a lipid content of at least 30% by weight and a water-soluble filler. The present invention also relates to a process for preparing the powder product.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to products derived from whole foods of plant origin with a high lipid content, such as processed oleaginous fruits, in particular almond fruits such as the variety Prunus dulcis. More specifically, the product according to the invention is a food product primarily intended for human consumption, typically after further transformation. Even more specifically, the product is a dehydrated food product P in the form of a fine powder.

[0002] The field of application of the product is typically the field of production of finished food products, whether in liquid, cream or paste form, or in solid form, typically by food artisans and industry. More specifically, the product according to the invention can be used primarily as a base compound for the preparation of plant-based beverages that are milk substitutes, or as a base for ice cream, puddings, baked products, creams, sauces and other products that are usually prepared with milk.

[0003] In recent years, there has been a growing interest in plant-based milks as alternatives to milk, especially cow's milk, such as almond or coconut milk or rice or soy-based beverages as alternatives to traditional milk. This interest has arisen in order to meet various consumer needs, such as the demand for food preparations obtained using raw materials other than milk and cheese products, both in view of the fact that milk and cheese products have components that cause many allergies and intolerances, and due to the ethical and health-related choice of consumers preferring the nutritional properties of plant-based milk alternatives, which are more satisfying and also considered healthy due to the absence of components such as lactose and cholesterol and being a significant source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

[0004] Currently, peanuts, soybeans, almonds, rice and hazelnuts are the main raw materials of plant origin that can be used to obtain milk alternative beverages.

[0005] Among the raw materials of the plant origin, almonds are used to produce the well-known almond milk, a beverage with organoleptic and sensory properties, which is very similar to milk in taste relative to the beverages obtained using the raw materials of the above-mentioned plant origin except almonds. In addition, almond milk is different from the above-mentioned beverages because it has a relatively neutral flavor. For example, the disadvantage of soy, the most widely known and widely used plant milk, is that it still has a significant bean flavor and smell, while rice milk is thinner and has a lower density, unlike almond milk, which is thicker and has a density similar to milk. The milk obtained using the above-mentioned other plant raw materials has an even more obvious flavor of the plant raw material used (such as coconut, peas, etc.).

[0006] These plant-based beverages, including almond milk, are colloidal systems that include water, a lipid fraction and a protein fraction, starch granules and fibers derived from the raw materials used.

[0007] Currently, almond milk is obtained by dissolving 100% pure almond paste in water, and in order to completely dissolve the almond paste, which is not immediately soluble in water due to its lipid content, the mixture needs to be homogenized.

[0008] Furthermore, almond paste is not stable during storage: its shelf life is limited, with the occurrence of a phenomenon in which the lipid fraction present in relatively large amounts in the paste rises to the surface; mainly for this reason, almond paste must be stored at temperatures below 10° C. Beverages obtained using such a paste are also problematic.

[0009] Said products are emulsions and the main problems that arise are due to their limited stability over time, i.e. mainly during their storage. In fact, during storage, sedimentation or floating to the surface phenomena may occur, resulting in a significant reduction in the quality of the beverage. Therefore, the shelf life of these beverages is more or less limited.

[0010] In order to overcome this problem and thus increase the stability of the beverage over time, one may for example resort to a homogenization process and / or add preservatives to the beverage, such as in particular emulsion stabilizers, for example lecithin and hydrocolloids such as agar.

[0011] Furthermore, these products are usually in low-density liquid form, requiring large amounts of handling and storage, which poses considerable problems from a product management cost perspective.

[0012] Among other things, the object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned problems.

[0013] Now surprisingly a new dehydrated product P of vegan type has been found, in particular based on whole foods of plant origin with a high lipid content, which does not have the above mentioned problems. The present product is a semi-finished product in the form of a fine powder, which can be used as a base preparation for artisan or industrial preparation of finished products.

[0014] The food product P has a high stability over time, maintaining a high quality level of its organoleptic and nutritional properties; it can therefore also be stored for a long time, much longer than the above-mentioned beverage or almond paste, without requiring special treatments to extend its shelf life.

[0015] Furthermore, advantageously, the product of the invention has the property of being stable at room temperature, which is important for its marketing purposes. Therefore, the product is easier and cheaper to store, for example, it does not require the use of a refrigeration system, and has a smaller volume relative to liquid products, taking up less space, thus also reducing management costs, especially transportation and storage costs.

[0016] The product of the present invention has the additional advantage of at least providing high water solubility / dispersibility, which enables its rehydration and dissolution / dispersion by simply adding water to the product and subsequently stirring the obtained mixture, and thus enables its rapid conversion into a formula liquid food, which can be used as a substitute for cow's milk or other milks, only when it is effectively used.

[0017] Furthermore, the powder form of the product makes the product easy to handle and also easy to dose.

[0018] A further advantage of the product is its versatility, which allows it to be used to prepare a wide variety of finished products, in terms of consistency and taste, especially when the product is based on almonds. In fact, as mentioned above, the product according to the invention can be used as a milk base compound to prepare sweet and savory finished products as mentioned above.

[0019] Therefore, the present invention relates to a semi-finished food product P in powder form, which comprises a food of plant origin selected from oleaginous fruits having a lipid content of at least 30% by weight. More specifically, the food product P essentially comprises or preferably consists of the following components:

[0020] a) a food of plant origin (a) selected from at least one fruit belonging to the group of oleaginous fruits having a lipid content of at least 30% by weight, and

[0021] b) Vegetable fillers.

[0022] The weight ratio of components (a) and (b) varies from 1:1, preferably 1:1.2, to 1:7.

[0023] The food product P is partially dehydrated, ie the moisture content relative to the total weight of the food product P is equal to or lower than 10% by weight, preferably equal to or lower than 8%, more preferably equal to or lower than 6%.

[0024] Typically, in the food product P, the moisture content of the food of plant origin (a) is equal to or lower than 10% by weight.

[0025] In the context of the present invention, the expression "oleaginous fruits" means those plant products with a high lipid content, which fruits are usually called and classified as "tree nuts" and / or "dried fruits". The most common examples of oleaginous fruits that can be used are cashews, peanuts, sweet or bitter almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, various types of walnuts, such as those produced from walnuts of the species Juglansregia L., Brazil nuts, coconuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, etc.

[0026] From a botanical point of view, the oil-containing fruits in the usual sense (i.e., almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, etc.) are actually seeds. Therefore, the edible part is the seed.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment, component (a) is selected from those foods such as hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and almonds, even better those with a mild flavor, such as pine nuts, and even more preferably almonds or a mixture of said nuts.

[0028] Therefore, in the present specification, the term "food" means both a homogeneous entity, i.e., a single type of oil-containing fruit, although it may have different varieties, and a heterogeneous entity, i.e., a mixture of two or more of said oil-containing fruits mixed in any weight ratio. Thus, component (a) may be a mixture of oil-containing fruits. In this case, the mixture preferably contains a larger amount of almonds relative to the amount of other oil-containing fruits.

[0029] In this specification, all references to oleaginous fruits and whole foods refer only to the edible portions thereof.

[0030] Oleaginous fruits are named for the high lipid content of their edible parts. Generally speaking, for the purposes of the present invention, it is preferred that the amount of lipids contained in oleaginous fruits is at least 30% by weight, preferably 35% by weight, more preferably 40% by weight, and even more preferably at least 45% by weight relative to the total weight of the whole food of plant origin. Indicatively, the lipid content of oleaginous fruits can be as high as 76% by weight relative to the total weight of the whole food of plant origin.

[0031] As is well known to those skilled in the art, in these oleaginous fruits, the lipids present are mainly saturated and mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated medium-chain or long-chain fatty acid triglycerides. In general, from a quality point of view, these fruits are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid) and non-negligible amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular unsaturated fatty acids in the ω-6 position. In particular, the polyunsaturated fatty acid is linoleic acid.

[0032] In the food product P according to the invention, the oleaginous fruit forming the food of plant origin (a) may be in one of the following forms:

[0033] - raw, the fruit being in non-dehydrated or dehydrated form or a mixture of said forms; or

[0034] -Baked.

[0035] Naturally, the food product P may also comprise the oleaginous fruits in the two forms described above, ie raw or roasted, in any weight ratio relative to one another.

[0036] The roasting of the oil-containing fruits is a cooking method that imparts a special aroma to the fruits, which aroma is also detected in the food product P.

[0037] Furthermore, such roasting reduces the moisture content of the fruit, typically by half or even more by weight.

[0038] In the food product P according to the invention, the oleaginous fruits in roasted form are preferably almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, cashews.

[0039] The food product P comprises a food of plant origin (a) which is derived from a corresponding whole food of plant origin (i).

[0040] In this specification, the term "whole" means freshly picked food, as found in nature, ie food whose nutritional properties have not been artificially modified after its composition has been transformed after picking.

[0041] The food of plant origin (a) differs from the corresponding whole food of plant origin (i) in that the food of plant origin (a) is in the form of a paste from which it is derived.

[0042] Another possible difference is related to the water content; in fact, when the whole food of plant origin (i) is subjected to a dehydration treatment before being converted into a paste, the food of plant origin (a) can have a lower water content than the corresponding whole food of plant origin (i) derived therefrom. In this case, the moisture content of the food of plant origin (a) is equal to or lower than 30% by weight, preferably equal to or lower than 15% by weight, more preferably equal to or lower than 10% by weight.

[0043] In addition to the above mentioned differences, if the food of plant origin (a) is in roasted rather than raw form, its chemical composition may further differ from that of the corresponding whole food of plant origin (i), if necessary.

[0044] Therefore, the food of vegetable origin (a) present in the food product P according to the invention is the only food which can be processed or treated as described for cooking (baking).

[0045] Thus, a food of plant origin (a) is a food that has not been subjected to intensive manipulation processes to modify its qualitative and / or quantitative composition, in particular with reference to its macronutrients, i.e. nutrients belonging to the classes of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, and micronutrients such as vitamins. Thus, a food of plant origin (a) is not a fortified food (as in the case of the addition of vitamins, mineral salts), nor is it a food modified in order to obtain a desired qualitative and / or quantitative profile of macronutrients (fat or other), and therefore different with respect to the corresponding intact food; depending on the type of manipulation, e.g. a manipulated food having a lower fat content, and / or an addition of polyunsaturated fatty acids, or enriched with proteins, etc., the manipulated food will have a different nutritional composition with respect to the corresponding original, i.e. intact food.

[0046] In other words, the food of plant origin (a) is a food which, as regards its composition, may have only been subjected to physical mutations as determined by dehydration or as described above roasting.

[0047] The vegetable filler is preferably soluble in water to at least 70%, preferably 75%, more preferably 95% by weight, ie the solubility in water at a temperature between 8 and 30° C. is preferably at least 95%.

[0048] The vegetable filler is preferably selected from the following components:

[0049] - starches, such as wheat starch, and starch derivatives, such as maltodextrin and glucose syrup;

[0050] - Sugars, such as glucose, fructose, sucrose;

[0051] - gums, such as gum arabic;

[0052] - vegetable fibers, such as inulin, fibers derived from wheat, corn, rice, almonds;

[0053] - vegetable proteins, such as protein from legumes (lupin, soy, chickpea, pea), rice protein and corn protein;

[0054] - natural or modified celluloses, such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; and

[0055] - Extracted or synthetic hydrocolloids, such as carrageenan.

[0056] A preferred vegetable bulking agent is maltodextrin.

[0057] More preferably, in the product P according to the invention, the components (a) and (b) are present in the following amounts (weight percentage):

[0058] - 13 to 45%, more preferably 15 to 45%, typically 20 to 35% of component (a), and

[0059] - 55 to 87%, more preferably 55 to 85%, typically 65 to 80% of component (b).

[0060] As stated above, the product P essentially comprises or preferably consists only of the components (a) and (b).

[0061] If additional components are present in addition to components (a) and (b), the content of said additional components in the product P is equal to or lower than 10 wt.-%, preferably 5 wt.-%, more preferably 2 wt.-%, even more preferably 1 wt.-% relative to the total weight of the food product P.

[0062] As described above, the food product P is essentially formed only by the components (a) and (b), so the product P is not enriched with isolated nutrients such as proteins, sweetening sugars (as is or, for example, in the form of syrup), fats, vitamins, etc., or food additives such as flavorings, colorants, antioxidants, stabilizers, etc.

[0063] Maltodextrins are particularly suitable as bulking agents due to their essentially neutral flavour, namely the fact that they are tasteless.

[0064] Any type of maltodextrin may be used in the present invention; however, maltodextrins having a dextrose equivalent content typically between 10 and 20, preferably between 12 and 20, and more preferably between 15 and 20 are more preferred.

[0065] For example, one maltodextrin that can be used in the product according to the invention has the following properties:

[0066] - an apparent density (poured bulk density) between 400 and 600 g / l,

[0067] - Particle size: the content of particles larger than 250 μm does not exceed 10%, and the content of particles smaller than 40 μm is less than 50%.

[0068] The lipid content of the food product P is indicatively between 2.5 and 20 wt.-%, preferably 5-18 wt.-%, more preferably 7-16 wt.-%, relative to the weight of the entire product P.

[0069] It may be noted that the product P according to the invention is a vegetable food derivative, which means that the product P does not contain any food of animal origin, such as food obtained directly by milking animals, i.e. typically milk, or its conversion products, such as milk powder, cheese, yogurt, etc.

[0070] As mentioned above, the product P according to the invention is in the form of a powder, preferably a very fine powder. Indicatively, the powder may have a particle size between 80 and 250 μm, preferably 80 and 200 μm, more preferably 80 and 180 μm, measured using a digital micrometer.

[0071] Furthermore, the product P according to the invention has a powder density determined by weighing a known volume of typically between 300 and 500 g / l, preferably between 350 and 400 g / l.

[0072] The product P according to the invention has a light colour, for example from light beige to almost white, depending on the starting food used.

[0073] Furthermore, the product P according to the invention has a bland or light flavour.

[0074] White or substantially white products with a very bland flavour are preferred.

[0075] The invention therefore also relates to the use of the product P for the preparation of a finished food product, i.e. a ready-to-eat product. In fact, the product P according to the invention is typically a semi-finished product. More specifically, the product P according to the invention is preferably added to other ingredients to prepare a finished product. For this purpose, the product P can be added as is, thus in powder form or in liquid form, i.e. after rehydration. The product P according to the invention is easy to rehydrate and disperse. Depending on the type and formulation of the finished product to be prepared, the product P is used as is or only after rehydration.

[0076] The liquid formulation is obtained by a process consisting in adding a suitable liquid in the desired amount to the food product P to obtain a beverage with the desired organoleptic properties and density. This stage involves mixing, which may also continue after the addition of the liquid to the product P, in order to improve the rehydration of the product P in said liquid. The process is typically carried out at room temperature.

[0077] Typically, the liquid to be added to the product P is water.

[0078] After adding a liquid, in particular water, to said product P, a drink is obtained which replaces milk of animal origin and can be used in its place.

[0079] To obtain such a beverage, the amount of water by weight in which the product P is dispersed can vary greatly as desired; the density of the beverage obtained therefore also varies. Indicatively, for 100 g of product P in powder form, this amount of water varies from 300 to 1000 g.

[0080] As mentioned above, this product P is primarily intended for the food industry and artisans and can, if necessary, after rehydration and conversion into a liquid, be used as a base for the production of, for example, ice creams, puddings, creams, baked products, sauces and the like.

[0081] Therefore, the present invention also relates to a finished food product in the form of a liquid, cream or paste or solid (e.g. a milk-based plant-based beverage or ice cream, puddings, baked products, creams and sauces) which is based on, i.e. obtained from, said food product P as such or after rehydration.

[0082] The product P according to the invention has its own colour and flavour, depending on the type of initial whole food of plant origin. The most common product P is a product with a white or very light colour and a bland flavour; this product is typically a product based on sweet almonds.

[0083] The invention furthermore relates to a process for preparing the product P, which, as described above, is a semi-finished product in the form of a dehydrated powder.

[0084] Known conversion processes that allow foods to take the form of dehydrated powders have different stages, generally involving at least the dehydration of the whole food, depending on the case, either as is if the food is liquid (after, if necessary, reducing it to a concentrated form), or after grinding the food if the food is in solid form.

[0085] The dehydration process affects the processing and nutritional properties of the dehydrated product, and therefore the selection of a specific type of processing treatment is important in varying these properties in the finished product.

[0086] The spray drying technique is a specific process widely used in the food industry, since it produces products with high technical and nutritional properties. Moreover, using this technique it is possible to obtain powders of low density, which are therefore very easy to rehydrate and disperse as required. Therefore, this technique is also the preferred technique in the case of the production of the product P according to the invention.

[0087] Currently, in the food industry, only foods in liquid form, i.e. foods with a high water content in their composition, are processed using spray drying technology. Therefore, these foods are typically water beverages, such as juice, tea and coffee. In addition, these liquid preparations may not have the same nutritional composition as the original food from which they are derived, as previously indicated with respect to the differences in nutritional properties between almond milk and almonds.

[0088] In the spray drying process for producing the product P according to the invention, the starting compound generally has the consistency of a paste rather than a fluid formulation such as described above.

[0089] In fact, after grinding the above mentioned foods, in particular oleaginous fruits, it is necessary to subsequently subject the ground product to a spray drying process, due to the high lipid content typical of said foods, a preparation having a pasty / viscous consistency is obtained. This preparation can be subjected to a spray drying process according to known techniques.

[0090] In order to obtain the product P having the above mentioned properties and advantages, in the process said pasty / viscous preparation obtained from the grinding stage is mixed with the aforementioned vegetable filler.

[0091] In short, the product P according to the invention is typically prepared by means of a process T comprising as an essential stage the grinding of the aforementioned oleaginous fruit, preferably until the oleaginous fruit is reduced to a paste (or cream) form, and then mixing it with a vegetable filler to obtain a mixture M which is then subjected to a dehydration stage to obtain a dehydrated fine powder.

[0092] In particular, the production process T of the product P begins at a stage S1 in which the oleaginous fruit, shelled and if necessary also deskinned, in raw or roasted form, is reduced to a paste or cream form. This stage S1 can be carried out according to known methods. Naturally, this process T can use a paste or cream of oleaginous fruit, such as almond or pistachio paste, which is prepared in advance and which can be commercially available.

[0093] Typically, said stage S1 of preparing said paste or cream of oleaginous fruits comprises the following steps:

[0094] - Grind and, if necessary, refine the oily fruits to obtain a paste or cream.

[0095] The grinding step is carried out, for example, in a ball mill, which also has a homogenizing effect on the paste, and if necessary the paste obtained is further homogenized.

[0096] If desired, this step or these steps may be preceded by a step of roasting the oleaginous fruits, shelling and, if necessary, removing the skin, and subsequently cooling the roasted oleaginous fruits, usually to room temperature.

[0097] Baking is usually carried out at a temperature between 80 and 100°C for a period of 2 to 15 minutes.

[0098] More specifically, the process T comprises the following stages, which are performed in the order listed:

[0099] I) The mixture M is prepared by mixing at least the following components:

[0100] - food of plant origin (I) obtained from the aforementioned oleaginous fruits and mixtures thereof, said food of plant origin (I) being in ground form, preferably in the form of a paste or cream, and

[0101] - vegetable fillers, which are usually and preferably in powdered form;

[0102] The two components are mixed in a (weight) ratio varying from 1:1, preferably 1:1.2 to 1:7;

[0103] II) subjecting the mixture M prepared in the previous stage to gasification / atomization;

[0104] III) Obtaining the product in powder form by means of dehydrating the product obtained in the previous stage.

[0105] As mentioned above, the paste or cream (I) obtained by grinding the fruit is used to produce the mixture M. The oleaginous fruit used to produce the food of plant origin (I), i.e. the paste or cream, can be in one of the following forms:

[0106] - raw, dehydrated (or dried) if necessary, e.g. by ventilation, typically only to reduce moisture; or

[0107] -Baked.

[0108] These dehydration and toasting processes are known per se and are therefore not described further.

[0109] In this process, the food used in stage (I) is in the form of a paste or cream, which can be obtained in this form according to methods well known to those skilled in the art, only one of which is briefly described below.

[0110] As previously stated, said paste or cream of said oleaginous fruit does not contain substances not present in the oleaginous fruit from which it is produced.

[0111] The mixture M produced in stage (I) is prepared using a conventional mixer. Typically, mixing is usually carried out at a temperature between 10 and 50° C., typically at room temperature. The temperature at this stage is preferably not too high to avoid food spoilage. For this purpose, mixing can be carried out at a constant speed. This stage (I) is extended to the time required to obtain the desired homogeneous mixture.

[0112] After preparation of this mixture M comprising at least said food of plant origin (I) and said vegetable filler, it is sent to a processing stage, during which the mixture M is preferably dehydrated using spray drying technology.

[0113] Spray drying technology for dehydrating the mixture is preferred because, as mentioned above, a high quality dehydrated product can be obtained even after a short drying time, i.e. a short time for which the food is exposed to heat, which reduces deterioration and / or spoilage of the food caused by heat.

[0114] According to one embodiment, in brief, the mixture M is first subjected to vaporization / atomization in a rotary atomizer to form droplets, and then everything is placed in a dehydration chamber.

[0115] After the droplets are formed, they are washed in countercurrent by hot air provided in a temperature range of 165 to 200°C.

[0116] From the dehydration chamber, everything is transferred to the cyclone separator, where the dehydrated powder is separated from the gas.

[0117] The dehydrated powder thus obtained is then discharged from the cyclone and collected, then usually sieved to obtain a more uniform fine powder, and finally packaged.

[0118] The sieving is performed using a sieve, which preferably has a mesh size suitable for obtaining the product P having the above-mentioned particle size.

[0119] The following examples of the present invention are provided purely for non-limiting illustrative purposes.

[0120] Example 1

[0121] Preparation of sweet almond based mixture M

[0122] Mixture M was prepared using an almond paste containing only sweet almonds of the Tuono variety from Val di Noto; this paste was produced by the company Di Bartolo Srl. The paste had the following characteristics:

[0123] - 55.3% lipid content by weight,

[0124] -1.60% moisture content.

[0125] The mixture M is prepared from the following (parts by weight):

[0126] - 25 parts of said sweet almond paste, and

[0127] - 75 parts of maltodextrin in the form of a white powder.

[0128] The maltodextrin used has the following properties:

[0129] - a dextrose equivalent content between 18 and 20,

[0130] - an apparent density (poured bulk density) of about 500 g / l,

[0131] - Particle size: the content of particles larger than 250 μm does not exceed 10%, and the content of particles smaller than 40 μm is less than 50%.

[0132] This mixture was produced in a mixer. The mixing process was carried out at a temperature of 25°C and at a constant mixing speed.

[0133] The mixture was in the form of a paste with a viscosity of less than 200 cps. The pH of the mixture was between 5 and 6.

[0134] Spray drying process

[0135] Subsequently, the mixture M is spray-dried, ie first atomized in a rotary atomizer and then dehydrated in a dehydration chamber.

[0136] The droplets thus formed are washed by countercurrent of hot air at a temperature in the range of 175°C to 185°C.

[0137] At the end of the process, a dehydrated fine powder with a particle size range of 140 to 180 μm is formed.

[0138] The obtained product P was a powder having a moisture content of 4.68%.

[0139] This powder is white in color and has a very light flavor.

[0140] The fine powder thus obtained was rehydrated in the ratio of 100 g of powder to 500 g of water and then mixed at room temperature to form a milky liquid.

[0141] Ice cream and pudding can be produced without difficulty using the milky liquid formed by the product P thus obtained instead of milk, as can baked products directly using the product P in powder form.

[0142] Sensory test: The final products in the form of creams and baked products were tasted by a panel of tasters who did not detect any unpleasant odors and flavors.

Claims

1. A semi-processed food product P in powder form having a moisture content equal to or lower than 10% by weight, the product P comprising the following components: a) food of plant origin (a) selected from fruits having a lipid content of at least 30% by weight, and b) a vegetable filler of which at least 95% by weight is water-soluble; The ratio (by weight) of components (a) to (b) is from 1:1.2 to 1:7; The plant-derived food is selected from at least one fruit belonging to the group of fruits selected from the group consisting of cashews, peanuts, sweet almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, and mixtures thereof. 2 . The product P according to claim 1 , wherein the component (b) is maltodextrin.

3. The product P according to any one of the preceding claims, which consists of components (a) and (b), and wherein the components (a) and (b) are present in the amounts (percentage by weight) of - 13 to 45% of said food of plant origin (a), and -55 to 87% maltodextrin.

4. Product P according to claim 1, wherein the fruit is the sweet almond or bitter almond or a mixture of these fruits.

5. The product P according to claim 1, wherein the food of plant origin (a) is in raw or roasted form.

6. The product P according to claim 1, wherein the raw fruit is in a dehydrated or non-dehydrated form.

7. Product P according to claim 1, having a lipid content between 2.5 and 20% by weight.

8. Product P according to claim 1, having a particle size of said powder between 80 and 250 μm.

9. A method for preparing the product P according to claim 1, comprising the following stages: I) A mixture M is prepared by mixing at least the following components: o Food of vegetable origin in the form of a paste or cream obtained from at least one oleaginous fruit having a lipid content of at least 30% by weight (I), and o Soluble vegetable fillers, or at least 95% by weight water soluble; The plant-derived food (I) and the vegetable filler are mixed in a weight ratio varying from 1:1 to 1:7; II) subjecting said mixture M prepared in the previous stage to gasification / atomization; III) Obtaining a product in powder form by means of dehydrating said product obtained in said previous stage. 10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the weight ratio between the food of plant origin (I) and the vegetable filler in the mixture M varies from 1:1.2 to 1:

7.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the mixture M is subjected to a spray drying process.

12. A finished food product in the form of a liquid, cream or paste or a solid, obtained using the product P according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

13. A milk substitute plant-based beverage or ice cream, pudding, bakery product, cream and sauce obtained using the product P according to any one of claims 1 to 8.