Compositions and methods for reducing amount of acrylamide in food

Abstract

Compositions comprising carnosic acid and tocopherol are provided as acrylamide reducers, as well as methods and uses of such compositions and products obtained when such compositions are used.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a composition capable of reducing acrylamide formation in thermally processed foods. The present invention further relates to the use of said composition in the production of thermally processed foods and to a method for preparing foods having reduced acrylamide levels. The present invention also relates to foods having reduced acrylamide levels.

[0002] background

[0003] The formation of acrylamide in foods that are heated or processed at high temperatures (e.g., roasting, frying, baking, etc.) is of concern to consumers because acrylamide is classified as a possible carcinogen. Acrylamide is formed as a byproduct during the Maillard reaction, which is responsible for various colors and flavors in foods. This mainly occurs if foods containing large amounts of asparagine and reducing sugars are heated above 120°C.

[0004] One way to prevent acrylamide formation is to reduce the amount of asparagine and / or reducing sugars in the food before heating. However, this requires manipulation of the food, which is a burden that adds cost and may also have an impact on the taste, texture and color of the resulting product. Alternatively, asparaginase can be added to the food before heat treatment to reduce acrylamide formation.

[0005] It would be desirable to provide new or improved methods for reducing acrylamide in foods.

[0006] Overview

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composition for use as an acrylamide reducing agent.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided use of the composition as an acrylamide reducing agent.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of reducing the amount of acrylamide in a food product.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a food product having reduced levels of acrylamide.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composition for frying which allows the preparation of food with reduced amounts of acrylamide.

[0012] Certain embodiments of any aspect of the invention may provide one or more of the following advantages:

[0013] ●Acrylamide reducing agent,

[0014] ●Natural products,

[0015] ● Low / negligible contribution to fragrance,

[0016] ●No food pre-processing is required.

[0017] The details, embodiments and preferred embodiments provided about any specific one or more described aspects of the present invention will be further described in this article, and are equally applicable to all aspects of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified herein or obviously contradictory with context, the present invention encompasses any combination of all possible variations of the embodiments, embodiments and preferred embodiments described herein.

[0018] Detailed Description

[0019] The present invention is based on the surprising finding that carnosic acid in combination with tocopherol can reduce the formation of acrylamide in foods heated above 120°C.

[0020] According to the present invention, there is provided a composition for use as an acrylamide reducing agent, comprising:

[0021] a) from about 1% to about 4% carnosic acid by weight of the composition, such as from about 1.2% to about 3.9% w / w, preferably such as about 1.5% w / w; and

[0022] b) from about 96% to about 99% tocopherol by weight of the composition, such as from about 96.1% to 98.8% w / w, preferably such as about 98.5% w / w.

[0023] The acrylamide reducing agent according to the present invention has the ability to reduce, inhibit or prevent the formation of acrylamide.

[0024] Carnosic acid (CAS No. 3650-09-7) is naturally present in plants of the Lamiaceae family such as rosemary or sage. It is used as an antioxidant that primarily prevents the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. It is used alone or in combination with other antioxidants in food and non-food products.

[0025] Tocopherols are a group of compounds that have vitamin E activity. In fact, vitamin E is a mixture of tocopherols and structurally related tocotrienols, and they play different roles in biology. It has also been identified as an antioxidant and is used in many applications, such as in food and cosmetics.

[0026] For example, the tocopherol can be a mixture of α-(α-), β-(β-), γ-(γ-) and / or δ-(δ-)-tocopherols, which differ in the number and position of the methyl groups on the chromanol ring. For example, a mixture can contain different amounts of different forms of the tocopherols, thereby producing a tocopherol composition.

[0027] Each tocopherol has three stereocenters, so each tocopherol is a chiral molecule with eight stereoisomers. The corresponding D-isomer is the naturally occurring D-isomer. For example, RRR-α-tocopherol (formerly known as D-α-tocopherol) is a natural stereoisomer.

[0028] For example, the tocopherol composition contains about 10-20% D-alpha-tocopherol, about 0.5-5% D-beta-tocopherol, about 50-70% D-gamma-tocopherol and about 20-30% D-delta-tocopherol by weight of the tocopherol composition. For example, the tocopherol composition contains about 14% alpha-tocopherol, about 2% beta-tocopherol, about 60% gamma-tocopherol and about 24% delta-tocopherol by weight of the tocopherol composition.

[0029] The tocopherol composition may further contain one or more tocotrienols. For example, vitamin E can be used as a tocopherol composition that also contains one or more tocotrienols. The inventors surprisingly found that the combination of carnosic acid and tocopherol can reduce the formation of acrylamide during the heat treatment of food. This is shown in Example 1. The effect on the reduction of acrylamide formation is a synergistic effect that exceeds the individual contributions of the individual components.

[0030] In the composition of the present invention, the ratio between carnosic acid and tocopherol is about 1:25 to 1:80, such as 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 1:60 or 1:70.

[0031] For example, optimal results in reducing acrylamide levels when frying potato chips may be achieved when the ratio between carnosic acid and tocopherol is about 1:61, 1:62, 1:63, 1:64 or 1:65, preferably 1:62.5.

[0032] The extract is provided in the form of , also referred to as "Lamiaceae extract". The term "Lamiaceae extract" as used herein may refer to an extract from a plant of the family Lamiaceae, preferably rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, mints and the following genera: Salvia (e.g., Salvia Apiana and Salvia officinalis), Rosmarinus (e.g., Rosmarinus officinalis), Lepechinia, Oreganum, Thymus, Hyssopus and mixtures thereof.

[0033] In one embodiment of the invention, the carnosic acid is provided in the form of an extract obtained from rosemary (rosemary extract).

[0034] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composition for use as an acrylamide reducing agent, comprising:

[0035] a) from about 25% to about 32%, such as from about 27% to about 30% w / w, preferably such as about 28.5% w / w, by weight of the composition, of rosemary extract; and

[0036] b) from about 68% to about 75%, such as from about 70% to 73% w / w, preferably such as about 71.5% w / w, of tocopherol by weight of the composition,

[0037] The rosemary extract contains about 4% carnosic acid.

[0038] The Lamiaceae material used for extracting the Lamiaceae extract may be any part of the plant, such as leaves, roots and the like.

[0039] The Lamiaceae material may be processed prior to extraction, for example it may be washed, dried, ground or pulverized, etc.

[0040] Specific solvents that can be used for the extraction process include water, alcohols (e.g., methanol, ethanol), acetone, ethyl acetate, hexane, dichloromethane, and any mixtures thereof, such as alcohol / water mixtures (e.g., mixtures of methanol and water). For example, the extraction solvent can be water, a water-alcohol mixture (alcohol from about 1% to about 99% in water, such as alcohol from about 30% to about 75% in water, or alcohol from about 30% to about 50% in water, such as alcohol from about 35% to about 40% in water), or an alcohol. Specific alcohols that can be mentioned include ethanol (EtOH) and methanol (MeOH).

[0041] In certain embodiments, the extraction solvent can be a methanol-water mixture, such as about 30% to about 90% methanol in water, or about 30% to about 50% methanol in water. For example, about 50% or about 80% ethanol in water. In a preferred embodiment, the extraction solvent is an ethanol-water mixture with about 75% methanol and about 25% water.

[0042] The term "acetone extract" as used herein refers to an extract obtained from any member of the Lamiaceae family (eg, rosemary, sage, etc.) when extraction from the plant (particularly leaves) is carried out using acetone as the only solvent.

[0043] As used herein, the term "alcohol extract" refers to an extract obtained from the Lamiaceae family when an alcohol is used as the sole solvent, e.g., 100% methanol and / or 100% ethanol, to extract from a plant (particularly leaves). As used herein, the term "hydro-alcohol extract" refers to an extract obtained from the Lamiaceae family (e.g., rosemary, sage, etc.) when a mixture of water and alcohol is used to extract from a plant, e.g., about 1% to about 99% alcohol (e.g., ethanol, methanol) in water, and such an extract will be referred to as a hydro-ethanol extract.

[0044] A detailed method for preparing rosemary extract is described in US Pat. No. 5,859,293 (PCT WO96 / 34534), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0045] For example, a method of extracting and isolating an extract (which is part of a composition according to the invention) may comprise (or consist essentially of / consist of) the following steps:

[0046] (i) extracting Labiatae leaves (such as rosemary and / or sage which may be ground) by a suitable solvent (e.g. acetone or ethanol);

[0047] (ii) evaporating the solvent; and if necessary

[0048] (iii) purifying the extract (e.g. by chromatography).

[0049] In one embodiment, the temperature of the extraction ranges from about 20° C. to about 100° C. In a specific embodiment, the temperature of the extraction ranges from about 50° C. to about 70° C. Typically, the ratio of plant material to solvent mixture used in the extraction process is about 1:1 to about 1:10, such as about 1:3 to about 1:8, in grams per milliliter. The incubation period (i.e., the period of time during which the plant material is in contact with the solvent) is typically about 2 hours to about 24 hours.

[0050] Mechanical energy can be applied during the extraction process. Applying mechanical energy helps to homogenize the mixture, change the physical structure of the starting biological material and increase the extraction yield of phenolic diterpenes. The amount of mechanical energy applied in the method depends on the step of application, the type of Lamiaceae material, the amount of starting material used in the mixture, the pH of the mixture and the temperature of the mixture. The amount of mechanical energy can also affect the amount of time required to complete the extraction.

[0051] For example, the Lamiaceae material (eg, rosemary and sage) and the extraction solution (eg, acetone or ethanol) may be mixed using techniques known in the art, such as using stirring, maceration, percolation, or infusion, such as magnetic or mechanical stirring.

[0052] Stirring can be carried out at any suitable revolutions per minute (rpm), for example, stirring can be carried out at about 1 rpm or about 10 rpm or about 50 rpm to about 500 rpm. For mechanical stirring, this can generally be carried out at about 1 rpm to 500 rpm, for example, at about 10 rpm to about 200 rpm.

[0053] The means for applying mechanical energy may be a pump, a refiner, a homogenizer, an extruder, a cam pump and / or a centrifugal pump. The mixture may be circulated in a closed loop system comprising a pressure vessel (capable of containing the heated solvent mixture), a reflux vessel, a heat exchanger (e.g., a shell and tube heat exchanger), and a pump for recirculating the heated mixture back to the vessel, thereby allowing multiple passes through the pump in the system.

[0054] After incubating the Lamiaceae material (eg, rosemary and / or sage leaves) and the solvent, the solvent is separated from the remaining Lamiaceae material by any suitable separation technique known in the art (eg, filtration).

[0055] Further filtration steps may be used.The solvent may be partially or completely removed by any method known in the art, such as centrifugation, rotary evaporation and any device allowing evaporation of the solvent or liquid-liquid replacement of the solvent.

[0056] A further filtering step can be used. For example, in a preferred embodiment, aqueous sodium carbonate (NaHCCl) can be added to dissolve carnosic acid and other organic acids, while precipitating out alkali-insoluble substances. The solution can be filtered to separate from the solid, and the filtrate can be further concentrated under reduced pressure. In a further step, after completing concentration, phosphoric acid (H3PO4) can be added, and acid-insoluble substances (including carnosic acid, carnosol and carnosic acid derivatives) can be precipitated from the concentrated solution. In addition, the resulting product can be filtered (fileted), and the solid precipitate can be separated from the liquid and rinsed with water to remove impurities.

[0057] Sterilization methods may be applied at any extraction step.

[0058] The term "phenolic diterpenes" as used herein may refer to carnosic acid, carnosol, methyl carnosic acid esters and other phenolic diterpene derivatives (rosmarinol, isorosmarinol, 11,12-di-O-methylisorosmarinol, 12-O-methylcarnosic acid, rosmarinol-9-ethyl ether, circimaritin, methylated monooxidation products of carnosic acid, genkwain, epirosmarinol, epiisorosmarinol, carnosic acid derivatives, epirosmarinol ethyl ether, cryptotanshinone) and mixtures thereof.

[0059] For example, the composition of the present invention comprises (or consists essentially of / consists of):

[0060] a) at least one Lamiaceae extract (e.g. rosemary and / or sage extract), and

[0061] b) tocopherol,

[0062] The Lamiaceae extract is rich in phenolic diterpenes, such as carnosic acid, carnosin, methyl carnosic acid ester, other phenolic diterpene derivatives, such as rosmarin, isosmarin, 11,12-di-O-methylisorosmarin, 12-O-methylcarnosic acid, rosmarin-9-ethyl ether, cynaroside, methylated monooxidation products of carnosic acid, genkwain, epirosmarin, epiisorosmarin, carnosic acid derivatives, epirosmarin ethyl ether, cryptotanshinone and mixtures thereof.

[0063] In one embodiment, the composition of the present invention comprises at least one Labiatae extract (e.g., rosemary and / or sage extract) comprising at least about 1%, at least about 2%, at least about 3%, at least about 4%, at least about 5%, at least about 6%, at least about 7%, at least about 8%, at least about 9%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, at least about 95% by weight, or at least about 99% by weight of one or more phenolic diterpenes, such as the aforementioned phenolic diterpenes. In a preferred embodiment, the Labiatae extract of the composition of the present invention comprises carnosic acid and / or carnosol.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the present invention comprises at least one Lamiaceae extract (eg, rosemary and / or sage extract) comprising at least about 4% wt % of phenolic diterpenes (eg, carnosic acid and / or carnosol).

[0065] In certain embodiments, the Lamiaceae extract (e.g., rosemary and / or sage extract) may comprise (or consist essentially of / consist of) the following phenolic diterpenes: carnosic acid and / or carnosol, and the ratio between carnosic acid and carnosol is 40:1 to 1:40, e.g., 30:1, 20:1, 10:1, 5:1 or 1:1.

[0066] In certain embodiments, the Lamiaceae extract (e.g., rosemary and / or sage extract) may:

[0067] be substantially free of other plant materials (e.g. free of plant cellulose);

[0068] substantially free of plant cells; and / or

[0069] Essentially free of plant cell matter,

[0070] Essentially free of solvents,

[0071] Essentially free of volatile oil components.

[0072] In a specific embodiment, the Lamiaceae extract is an extract from which most of the volatile oil components have been removed.

[0073] The term "volatile oil component" as used herein may refer to compounds such as essential oils, for example: (-)-borneol, (-)-bornyl acetate, (-)-camphor, 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol), and verbenone.

[0074] In one embodiment, the ratio between total % phenolic diterpenes (e.g., carnosic acid and carnosol) / total % volatile oil components (e.g., (-)-borneol, (-)-bornyl acetate, (-)-camphor, 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) and verbenone) is not less than 15.

[0075] As used herein, reference to a material being "substantially free" of another material may refer to a material consisting of less than 1 wt % (eg, less than 0.1 wt %, such as less than 0.01 wt % or less than 0.001 wt %) of the other material.

[0076] For example, a Lamiaceae extract having a small amount of volatile oil components may have a relatively low or negligible contribution to the aroma and taste of the composition or product into which it is mixed.

[0077] In one embodiment of the present invention, the carnosic acid is not provided in the form of a Lamiaceae extract, but may be provided from other natural resources, or may be synthesized.

[0078] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composition for use as an acrylamide reducing agent, comprising:

[0079] a) from about 25% to about 32%, such as from about 27% to about 30% w / w, preferably such as about 28.5% w / w, by weight of the composition, of rosemary extract; and

[0080] b) from about 68% to about 75%, such as from about 70% to 73% w / w, preferably, such as about 71.5% w / w, of Vitamin E by weight of the composition,

[0081] The rosemary extract contains about 4% carnosic acid.

[0082] The composition of the present invention may be provided in solid or liquid form, preferably in solid form, such as a powder. Solid forms include compounds that may be provided as an amorphous solid or as a crystalline or partially crystalline solid.

[0083] The composition of the present invention is useful as an acrylamide reducing agent.

[0084] In one aspect of the invention, the composition is applied to the food before heating the food above 120°C.

[0085] For example, the composition of the invention may be mixed with oil or fat by any known frying technique, such as by pan frying, stir frying, pan frying, shallow frying or deep frying, before the food is heated therein.

[0086] The oil or fat with which the composition is mixed may be chosen from plant and / or vegetable oils, such as coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil (earthen oil), rapeseed oil (including canola oil), safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil and mixtures thereof, or from animal fats.

[0087] In one aspect of the invention, the composition of the invention is applied to food before heating the food above 120°C in an amount such that:

[0088] a) carnosic acid is present in an amount of about 4 to 20 ppm, preferably about 8 ppm, and

[0089] b) Tocopherol is present in an amount of about 400 to 600 ppm, preferably about 500 ppm.

[0090] In one aspect of the invention, the composition of the invention is applied to food before heating the food above 120°C in an amount such that:

[0091] a) a rosemary extract comprising about 4% carnosic acid is present in an amount of about 100 ppm to 500 ppm, preferably about 200 ppm, and

[0092] b) Tocopherol is present in an amount of about 400 ppm to 600 ppm, preferably about 500 ppm.

[0093] For example, the composition of the invention is applied to food, such as cereals, cookies, crackers, bread, rolls and others. This means that the composition of the invention is mixed with other ingredients to produce food.

[0094] In one aspect of the invention, before heating food in oil at above 120°C, the composition of the invention is mixed with oil in an amount such that:

[0095] a) carnosic acid is present in an amount of about 4 to 20 ppm, preferably about 8 ppm, and

[0096] b) Tocopherol is present in an amount of about 400 to 600 ppm, preferably about 500 ppm.

[0097] For example, before heating food in oil at above 120°C, the composition of the invention is mixed with oil in an amount such that:

[0098] a) a rosemary extract comprising about 4% carnosic acid is present in an amount of about 100 ppm to 500 ppm, preferably about 200 ppm, and

[0099] b) Tocopherol is present in an amount of about 400 ppm to 600 ppm, preferably about 500 ppm.

[0100] For example, the composition of the present invention is mixed into oil and then food products such as potato chips, French fried potatoes, breaded fried meat and others are heated in the oil at temperatures above 120°C.

[0101] The provision of starting materials may affect the general level of acrylamide formed. For example, for potato-based products, starting materials with relatively low levels of reducing sugars and asparagine are selected, storage conditions (particularly temperature), washing steps and other factors may affect the basic level of acrylamide that may be formed.

[0102] As used herein, "food" refers to at least edible food products, such as solid or semi-solid food products as known in the art.

[0103] Food includes the following general food categories as defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): baked goods and baking mixes, including all ready-to-eat and ready-to-bake products, flours, and mixes that require preparation before consumption; alcoholic beverages, including malt beverages, wines, distilled spirits, and cocktail mixes; nonalcoholic beverages and beverage bases, including only specialty or flavored teas, soft drinks, coffee substitutes, and fruit and vegetable flavored gelatin drinks; breakfast cereals, including ready-to-eat and instant and regular hot cereals; cheese, including curd and whey cheeses, cream, natural cheese, grated cheese, processed cheese, spreads, dips, and blends; chewing gum, including all forms; coffee and tea, including regular, decaffeinated, and instant types; condiments and flavors Condiments, including common seasoning sauces and spreads, olives, pickles, and relishes, but not spices or herbs; Desserts and frostings, including candy and flavored frostings, marshmallows, baking chocolate, and brown sugar, lump sugar, rock sugar, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and raw sugar; Dairy analogs, including non-dairy, frozen or liquid creamers, coffee whiteners, toppings, and other non-dairy products; Egg products, including liquid, frozen, or dried eggs, and egg dishes made therefrom, i.e., fried eggs, egg foosballs, egg salads, and frozen multi-course egg powders, but not fresh eggs; Fats and oils, including margarine, salad dressings, butter, salad oils, shortening, and cooking oils; Fish products, including all prepared entrees, salads, Appetizers, frozen multi-course meals, and spreads; fresh eggs, including hard-boiled eggs and egg dishes made only from fresh shell eggs; fresh fish, including only fresh and frozen fish, shellfish, and other aquatic animals; fresh fruit and juice, including only raw fruit, citrus, melons, and berries, and homemade "drinks" and punches made therefrom; fresh meat, including only fresh or home-frozen beef or veal, pork, lamb, or mutton, and homemade fresh meat-containing dishes, salads, appetizers, or sandwich spreads made therefrom; fresh poultry, including only fresh or home-frozen poultry and game birds, and homemade fresh poultry-containing dishes, salads, appetizers, or sandwich spreads made therefrom; fresh vegetables, tomatoes, and horseradish Potatoes, including fresh and homemade vegetables only; Frozen dairy desserts and mixes, including ice cream, iced milk, sorbet and other frozen dairy desserts and specialties; Fruit and sorbet, including all frozen fruit and sorbet; Gelatin, puddings and fillings, including flavored gelatin desserts, puddings, tarts, parfaits, pie fillings and gelatin-based salads; Cereal products and pasta, including macaroni and noodle products, rice dishes and frozen multi-course meals that do not contain meat or vegetables; Gravies and sauces, including all meat sauces and gravies, as well as tomato, milk, butter and specialty sauces; Hard candies and cough drops, including all hard types of candies; Herbs, seeds, spices, seasonings, blends, extracts and flavorings, including all natural and artificial flavors, blends and flavorings;Homemade jams and jellies, including only homemade jams, jellies, preserves, and sweet spreads; Commercially available jams and jellies, including only commercially processed jams, jellies, preserves, and sweet spreads; Meat products, including all meat and meat-containing dishes, salads, appetizers, frozen multi-course meat meals, and sandwich ingredients prepared from commercially processed or using commercially processed meats and homemade; Whole and skim milk, including only whole, reduced-fat, and skim milk; Dairy products, including flavored milk and milk beverages, dried milk, toppings, snack dips, spreads, weight-controlled milk beverages, and other milk-derived products; Nuts and nut products, including whole or in-shell tree nuts, peanuts, coconut, and nut and peanut spreads; Plant protein products, including the National Academy of Sciences / National Research Council "reconstituted plant protein" category, and meat, poultry, and fish substitutes, analogs, and extenders made from plant proteins; Poultry products, including all poultry and poultry-containing dishes, salads, appetizers, frozen multi-course poultry meals, and sandwich ingredients prepared by commercial processing or using commercially processed poultry and homemade; processed fruit and juices, including all commercially processed fruit, citrus, berries, and blends; salads, juices and juice punches, concentrates, dilutions, "beverages," and beverage substitutes made therefrom; processed vegetables and vegetable juices, including all commercially processed vegetables, vegetable dishes, frozen multi-course meal powders, and vegetable juices and blends; snack foods, including chips, pretzels, and other novelty snack foods; soft candies, including candy bars, chocolates, gummies, mints, and other chewy or nougat candies; homemade soups, including meat, fish, poultry, vegetable, and combination homemade soups; soups and soup mixes, including commercially prepared meat, fish, poultry, vegetable, and combination soups and soup mixes; granulated sugar, including only granulated sugar; sugar substitutes, including granulated, liquid, and tablet sugar substitutes; and sweet sauces, toppings, and syrups, including chocolate, berry, fruit, corn syrup, and maple sauces and toppings. ;

[0104] The composition of the present invention is used to prevent or reduce the formation of acrylamide during heating. Therefore, in one aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of the composition as an acrylamide reducing agent.

[0105] As demonstrated in the examples, the combination of the Lamiaceae extract rich in phenolic diterpenes and tocopherol has a synergistic effect and can significantly reduce the formation of acrylamide in potato chips. The synergistic effect can be observed, for example, in Example 2.

[0106] In one example of the present invention, there is provided the use of the composition as an acrylamide reducing agent, wherein the composition is applied to the food before heating the food to a higher temperature, in particular a temperature above 120°C.

[0107] In one embodiment of the invention, the composition of the invention is mixed with an oil or fat which is present when the food is heated, in particular to a temperature above 120°C.

[0108] For example, the oil or fat may be used as a heating medium, eg for frying, deep frying, pan frying, etc., which means that the food is contacted with the oil or fat comprising the composition of the invention.

[0109] Alternatively, the oil or fat may form part of a food or a composition which may later form part of a food, such as a flavour composition. This means that the food itself may comprise the oil or fat containing the composition of the invention.

[0110] The present invention also relates to a method for processing or preparing the above-mentioned product (eg, food), which method comprises applying or incorporating the composition of the present invention comprising carnosic acid and tocopherol into the product (eg, food).

[0111] The present invention also relates to a method for processing or preparing the above-mentioned product (e.g., food), which comprises applying or incorporating into the product (e.g., food) a composition of the present invention, the composition comprising at least one Labiatae extract (e.g., rosemary extract and / or sage extract) and tocopherol. In one embodiment, the Labiatae extract comprises at least one phenolic diterpenoid selected from carnosic acid, carnosol, and mixtures thereof.

[0112] In one embodiment, the food is selected from potato chips, French fried potatoes, fried breaded meats, cereals, cookies, crackers, breads and rolls, and others.

[0113] In a preferred embodiment, the composition is in dry form. In another embodiment, the composition may be in liquid form.

[0114] In one embodiment of the present invention, a composition for frying food is provided, the composition comprising oil suitable for frying, and the composition comprises carnosic acid and tocopherol.

[0115] For example, the composition for frying food comprises oil, carnosic acid in an amount of about 4 to 20 ppm and tocopherol in an amount of about 400 to 600 ppm. For example, carnosic acid is present in an amount of about 8 ppm, and tocopherol is present in an amount of about 500 ppm.

[0116] For the avoidance of doubt, unless the context indicates otherwise, a preference, option, specific feature, etc. indicated for a given aspect, feature or parameter of the present invention should be considered to have been disclosed in combination with any and all other preferences, options, specific features, etc. indicated for the same or other aspects, features and parameters of the present invention.

[0117] When we use the term "comprising" or "comprises", we mean that the extract or composition being described must contain the listed ingredients, but may optionally contain additional ingredients. When we use the term "consisting essentially of" or "consisting essentially of", we mean that the extract or composition being described must contain the listed ingredients, and may also contain small amounts (e.g., up to 5% by weight, or up to 1% by weight or 0.1% by weight) of other ingredients, provided that any additional ingredients do not affect the basic properties of the extract or composition. When we use the term "consisting of" or "consisting of", we mean that the extract or composition being described must contain only the listed ingredients. The term "about", as used herein, for example, when referring to a measurable value (e.g., the amount or weight of a particular component in a reaction mixture), refers to a variation of ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, ±0.5%, or particularly ±0.1% of the specified amount.

[0118] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the following non-limiting examples. These examples are for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that variations and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. Example

[0119] Example 1: Detailed process for obtaining rosemary extract

[0120] A detailed process for preparing a rosemary extract composition is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,293 (PCT WO96 / 34534), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The process is briefly summarized as follows: Rosemary leaves are extracted with acetone at room temperature. After the extraction is complete, the acetone extract is filtered to separate the solution from the rosemary leaves and concentrated under reduced pressure to prepare a concentrated natural extract. At this point, the concentrated extract can be directly dried in a vacuum oven under mild heating to prepare a powdered extract, which is a composition containing about 15%-30% carnosic acid and 1%-3% carnosol. Alternatively, aqueous sodium carbonate (NaHCCh) is added to the concentrated natural extract to dissolve carnosic acid and other organic acids while precipitating alkali-insoluble substances. The solution is filtered to separate from the solids, and the filtrate is further concentrated under reduced pressure. Once the finishing concentration is completed, phosphoric acid (H3PO4) is added, and acid-insoluble substances (including carnosic acid, carnosol, and carnosic acid derivatives) are precipitated from the concentrated solution. The precipitated solid is then separated from the liquid by filtration and washed with water to remove impurities. Finally, the solid is dried in a vacuum oven and then ground into a powder, which is a composition containing about 40-85% carnosic acid, 2-10% carnosol and 2-10% 12-O-methylcarnosic acid.

[0121] Example 2: Fried potato chips

[0122] Raw potatoes were cut into 1.5 mm thick slices. The slices were washed with water for 5 min and then dried at room temperature for 5 min. 150 g of the slices were fried in 6 L of palm oil at 180°C for 5 min. In samples A to F, rosemary extract and / or tocopherol were added to the frying oil in different amounts. The level of acrylamide was determined.

[0123]

[0124] *Contains 4% carnosic acid

[0125] ** A tocopherol composition containing 14% alpha-tocopherol, 2% beta-tocopherol, 60% gamma-tocopherol and 24% delta-(delta-)-tocopherol by weight of the tocopherol composition

[0126] In the control samples, no rosemary extract or tocopherol was added. Adding only tocopherol or rosemary extract to the frying oil (samples A to C) resulted in no or partial reduction in acrylamide levels. The lowest level of acrylamide was found in sample D, where 200 ppm of rosemary extract and 500 ppm of tocopherol were added to the frying oil. The results indicate a synergistic effect of the combination of carnosic acid and tocopherol in reducing the ability of acrylamide to form in thermally processed foods, particularly fried potato chips.

Claims

1. A composition for use as an acrylamide reducing agent, comprising: a) from about 1% to about 4% carnosic acid by weight of the composition, such as from about 1.2% to about 3.9% w / w, preferably such as about 1.5% w / w; and b) from about 96% to about 99% tocopherol by weight of the composition, such as from about 96.1% to 98.8% w / w, preferably such as about 98.5% w / w.

2. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the ratio between carnosic acid and tocopherol is about 1:25 to 1:80, such as 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 1:60, 1:70, such as about 1:61, 1:62, 1:63, 1:64 or 1:

65.

3. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carnosic acid is provided in the form of an extract obtained from a plant of the Lamiaceae family.

4. The composition according to claim 3, wherein the extract obtained from a plant of the Lamiaceae family is selected from the group consisting of rosemary extract, oregano extract, thyme extract, sage extract, mint extract, Salvia extract (e.g. Salvia Apiana and Salvia officinalis), Rosmarinus extract (e.g. Rosmarinus officinalis), Lepechinia extract, Oreganum extract, Thymus extract, Hyssopus extract and mixtures thereof, preferably wherein the extract is rosemary extract.

5. A composition according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the Lamiaceae extract contains and / or is rich in phenolic diterpenes, such as carnosic acid, carnosol, methyl carnosate and other phenolic diterpene derivatives (rosmarinol, isorosmarinol, 11,12-di-O-methylisorosmarinol, 12-O-methylcarnosic acid, rosmarinol-9-ethyl ether, cynaroside, methylated monooxidation products of carnosic acid, genkwain, epirosmarinol, epiisorosmarinol, carnosic acid derivatives, epirosmarin ethyl ether, cryptotanshinone) and mixtures thereof.

6. The composition of claim 5, wherein the Lamiaceae extract comprises at least about 1%, at least about 2%, at least about 3%, at least about 4%, at least about 5%, at least about 6%, at least about 7%, at least about 8%, at least about 9%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, at least about 95%, or at least about 99% by weight of one or more phenolic diterpenes.

7. Use of the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 as an acrylamide reducing agent.

8. Use according to claim 7, wherein the composition is applied to the food before heating the food above 120°C.

9. Use according to claim 8, wherein the composition is mixed with oil before heating the food above 120°C.

10. The use according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the composition is applied in an amount such that: a) the carnosic acid is present in an amount of about 4 to 20 ppm, preferably in an amount of about 8 ppm, and b) Tocopherol is present in an amount of about 400 to 600 ppm, preferably about 500 ppm.

11. A method of reducing the amount of acrylamide in a food product, the method comprising applying a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 to the food before heating the food above 120°C.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the food product is selected from the group consisting of snacks, baked goods, crisps, and fried potato chips.

13. A method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the composition is mixed with oil before heating the food in the oil at above 120°C.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein before heating, in the oil, a) the carnosic acid is present in an amount of about 4 to 20 ppm, preferably in an amount of about 8 ppm, and b) Tocopherol is present in an amount of about 400 to 600 ppm, preferably about 500 ppm.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the composition reduces, delays and / or prevents the formation of acrylamide during heating above 120°C.

16. Food product, nutritional supplement, nutraceutical preparation, diet, sports supplement, spice or seasoning, pharmaceutical or veterinary preparation, brewing or cosmetic preparation for humans or animals, obtained by the process according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

17. The food product according to claim 14, wherein the concentration of phenolic diterpenes (e.g., carnosic acid, carnosol and mixtures thereof) in the food is 4 to 20 ppm; preferably about 8 ppm, and the concentration of tocopherol is 400 to 600 ppm, preferably about 500 ppm, before heating the food above 120°C.

18. An acrylamide reducing composition comprising effective amounts of carnosic acid and tocopherol.

19. A composition for frying, comprising the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and an oil suitable for frying.

20. The composition according to claim 19, comprising: a) carnosic acid in an amount of about 4 to 20 ppm, preferably in an amount of about 8 ppm, and b) tocopherol in an amount of about 400 to 600 ppm, preferably about 500 ppm.

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