STABLE OIL PRODUCTS FOR Edible APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Improved acid stable and high temperature stable oleosome fractions from plant sources for edible applications as or in human consumed foods are described, such as in plant and nut milk and blends, juices and soda beverages, coffee blends, yoghurt products, ice creams, smoothies, and fruit juice popsicles.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] Animal milk compositions vary according to species (e.g., cow, goat, sheep), breed (e.g., Holstein, Jersey), the animal's diet, and the animal's lactation stage. However, generally, all animal milk compositions contain at least 80% water, 3%-8% carbohydrates (primarily lactose), 2%-5% fat, 2%-4% protein, and less than 1% minerals (all percentages by total weight of the composition). Milk obtained from animals has a relatively short shelf life, is not desirable for strict vegan or vegetarian diets, and can cause digestive problems in a portion of the lactose-intolerant population. One factor that gives animal milk its typical creamy texture and ability to blend with different foods is the stable colloidal suspension of fat globules in a predominantly aqueous environment.

[0002] Milk alternatives derived from legumes, nuts, and some grains have gained widespread popularity among health-conscious consumers and lactose-intolerant individuals. Exemplary milk alternatives include soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, coconut cream, cashew milk, macadamia milk, oat milk, rice milk, and quinoa milk. Milk alternatives derived from oil-rich plants such as soybeans and nuts are typically prepared by, for a given weight of soybeans or nuts, soaking the whole fruit in approximately 10 weight / volume of water and grinding, boiling the mixture, and filtering out the particles to produce a plant milk. Such plant milk contains natural oil droplets. The oils in seed plants, grains, and nuts are already in the form of emulsion droplets in the milk alternatives prepared from them, and these droplets are stabilized by phospholipids and specific protein membranes. Such droplets are called oleosomes, and the fraction of the plant material containing such oleosomes is called the oleosome fraction. All plant- and nut-derived animal milk and cream alternatives contain an oleosome fraction.

[0003] Oleosomes formed in plant and nut milks and creams (hereinafter simply referred to as "plant milk" for brevity) typically have a median diameter of less than 10 micrometers. When used as a topping for hot beverages such as coffee, plant milk containing such oleosomes tends to separate from the emulsion, forming lumpy particles that are unappealing both sensorially and visually in the beverage. It is believed that the formation of these lumpy particles is the result of smaller oleosomes merging or agglomerating into larger oleosomes in the hot liquid. There is a recognized need in the field of plant milk for such plant milk that contains oleosomes that resist agglomeration and / or separation from the beverage solution when mixed with hot liquids and acidic pH oleosomes, which we will describe and denote hereinafter as "stable oleosomes" or "stable oleosome fraction".

[0004] Summary

[0005] The present disclosure provides a plant milk composition comprising an oleosome fraction and one or more anionic polysaccharides in a proportion sufficient relative to the oleosome fraction, thereby resulting in a plant milk having a stabilized oleosome fraction. In typical embodiments, the ratio of the weight of the anionic polysaccharide to the weight of the oil in the composition is from 0.1:1 to 5:1. In more preferred embodiments, the ratio is 0.5:1 to 2.0:1. In particularly exemplary embodiments, the ratio is about 1:1.

[0006] In certain embodiments, propylene glycol alginate is used as the anionic polysaccharide in the subject plant milk composition. In other embodiments, other anionic polysaccharides can be used, such as pectin, gum arabic, sulfated carrageenan, sulfated chondroitin, xanthan gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl starch or some combination thereof.

[0007] In certain embodiments, a soy milk or cream comprising an oleosome fraction and one or more anionic polysaccharides is provided. In other embodiments, a milk or cream made from oats, rice, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, or coconut is provided, which has an oleosome fraction and one or more anionic polysaccharides.

[0008] In certain embodiments of the compositions of the present invention, the oleosomes therein have a median diameter of from 0.25 microns to 0.75 microns.

[0009] In certain embodiments, when heated to a temperature of 85°C for 30 minutes at a pH of 4.5, the median size of the oleosomes in the plant milk composition of the present invention remains within 20% of their median size at a pH of 7.2.

[0010] In another aspect, a method for preparing the plant milk composition of the present invention is provided, the method comprising mixing one or more anionic polysaccharides with an oleosome fraction obtained from a plant or nut source to improve the thermal stability and low pH stability of the oleosome fraction so provided. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] Figure 1A Shows the median size of oleosomes in standard soybean oleosome fractions (0.25 wt% relative to oleosome dry weight) at different pH values from 7.2 to 4.5, and the median diameter values (D50) of oleosomes in the same fractions before and after heat treatment at 85°C for 30 min. Figure 1B Shows the Figure 1A same data, but at a different scale, showing only the difference in size distribution between pH 7.2 and 5.0. Figure 1CShows the median size of the oleosomes in the soy oleosome fraction according to the invention at different pH values from 7.2 to 4.5 (0.25 wt% relative to the dry weight of the oleosomes) (containing alginate (0.67 wt%)), and then shows the D50 values before and after heat treatment at 85 °C for 30 min.

[0013] Figure 2A Shows the comparison of the median size of oleosomes (0.25 wt% relative to the dry weight of the oleosomes) and the median size of oleosomes (0.25 wt% relative to the dry weight of the oleosomes) + alginate (0.67 wt%) at different pH values from 7.2 to 4.5 after heating at 85 °C for 30 min. Figure 2B Shows the same data as Figure 2A but with a different scale, excluding the oleosomes at pH 4.5. Figure 2C Shows the median size of oleosomes (0.25 wt% relative to the dry weight of the oleosomes) and the median size of oleosomes (0.25 wt% relative to the dry weight of the oleosomes) + alginate (0.67 wt%) prepared at different pH values, heated at 85 °C for 30 min, and stored at 4 °C for 1 month. Figure 2D Shows the same data as Figure 2C but with a different scale, excluding the oleosomes at pH 4.5.

[0014] Figure 3 Is a photograph showing that the soy oleosome fraction containing alginate or in combination with alginate produces a stable emulsion in hot coffee according to the invention, which is not achieved in the absence of alginate. The sample is added when the coffee is hot (∼75 °C).

[0015] Figure 4A Shows the dispersion stability of the soy oleosome fraction and alginate at various ratios from zero added alginate upwards, where the dispersion stability is indicated by the ζ-potential measurement results. Figure 4B Shows the D50 size of the oleosomes of the same mixture. Figures 4C and 4D show the same data, but excluding the data points of zero added alginate.

[0016] Figure 5A Shows the comparison of oleosomes at different pH values from 7.2 to 4.5 and oleosomes added with pectin at ratios of 10:1 and 1:3 after heating at 85 °C for 30 min. The oleosome concentration is kept constant at 0.25 wt% (relative to the dry weight of the oleosomes). Figure 5B Shows the same data as Figure 5A but excluding the oleosomes at pH 4.5. Figure 5CShows a comparison of oleosomes at different pH values from 7.2 to 4.5 after heating at 85 °C for 30 min with oleosomes added with gum arabic at ratios of 10:1 and 1:3. The oleosome concentration was again kept constant at 0.25 wt%. Figure 5D Shows the same data as Figure 5C above, excluding the oleosomes at pH 4.5.

[0017] Figure 6 Are photos showing coffee (100 mL), coffee added with 9 mL of oleosomes (4.2 wt% based on oleosome dry weight), coffee added with 9 mL of dispersed oleosomes (4.2 wt%) + pectin (0.5 wt%), and coffee added with 9 mL of dispersed oleosomes (4.2 wt%) + gum arabic (0.5 wt%) from left to right. In each case, the sample was added when the coffee was hot (∼75 °C).

[0018] Detailed description of various embodiments and examples of the present invention

[0019] Oleosomes are naturally occurring oil globule particles suspended in an aqueous medium and encapsulated by phospholipids and proteins. The oleosome fraction is an extract of seeds or other plant tissues containing oleosomes and associated proteins. Examples of products containing the oleosome fraction include plant milks, which are the subject of the present application, such as milks and creams made from sunflower, almond, cashew, macadamia, oats, or rice, which are typically obtained by separating the cream or butter layer from a plant extract containing oil mixed with water and removing solid materials by centrifugation. In this regard, plant milks in the milk classification typically contain 1% to 20% oil by weight, and plant creams contain 20% to 95% oil by weight, based on dry weight.

[0020] The present invention relates to the discovery that when the oleosome fraction is mixed with an anionic polysaccharide, the function of the oleosome fraction as a dressing is increased, especially making the dressing suitable for products with a low pH (e.g., below pH 5.5) and suitable for hot foods and beverages such as coffee or tea, where ordinary oleosome fractions not mixed with anionic sugars will tend to separate and undesirably form particulate colloids rather than the desired uniform emulsion.

[0021] Preparation and stability evaluation of oleosomes and oleosomes mixed with propylene glycol alginate at pH 4.5 - 7.2 and at 85 °C.

[0022] Prepare the oil body fraction characterized in Table 1 below from soybeans according to the following protocol. Soak the soybeans in water for 24 - 36 hours. Then, crush the beans using a blender at a ratio of beans to water of 1:5 - 1:8. Obtain soymilk by separating the solid and liquid parts using cheesecloth, and then heat at 75 °C - 85 °C for 3 - 5 minutes to inactivate lipoxygenase. Centrifuge the liquid at 11,000×g for 30 minutes. Recover the upper layer and add distilled water to wash the oil bodies. Repeat centrifugation and recover the purified soybean oil bodies with a size of 0.4 μm - 0.5 μm (D50). Table 1 shows the composition of this soybean oil body fraction.

[0023] Table 1. Soybean oil body composition.

[0024] Composition Dry weight (%) Oil 86.8 Protein 12.6 Phosphorus 0.21 Total solids 38

[0025] Then, physical stability studies were conducted using oil body concentrates with and without added propylene glycol alginate. Add an alginate solution (3 wt%) to the oil body concentrate (for samples with alginate) to achieve a final concentration of oil bodies of 0.25 wt% and a final concentration of alginate of 0.67 wt%. Gently mix the dispersion using a propeller / stirrer, and then adjust the pH to 7.2, 5.5, 5.0, and 4.5. Then, heat each oil body dispersion at 85 °C for 30 minutes and immediately immerse it in cold water. Measure the particle size of the oil bodies in each concentrate (with and without alginate) using a Partica LA - 960 (Horiba, Kyoto, Japan).

[0026] Figure 1 and Figure 2A and Figure 2B show the median size of the oil body samples at different pH values with and without additional alginate, just after preparation of the concentrates with and without alginate, before and after heating. Figure 2C and Figure 2D show the median size of the oil body samples at different pH values with and without additional alginate, before and after heating, but after storage at 4 °C for 30 days.

[0027] Examination of the oleosome samples prepared without alginate as described above showed that at pH 4.5, the samples clearly had separated phases, with the fat globules rising to the top. Oleosomes without alginate had larger median particle sizes (D50) at pH 5.0 and 4.5, 2.40 μm and 52.38 μm respectively, while oleosomes mixed with alginate maintained their D50 at 0.32 μm and 0.33 μm at pH 5.0 and 4.5 respectively. The results showed that the oleosome-alginate mixture was stable for more than a month, as indicated by no significant change in D50, while the samples without alginate showed instability during storage, as indicated by an increase in the D50 droplet size. The results clearly demonstrated the stabilization of oleosomes by mixing with this anionic polysaccharide, especially at low pH (e.g., 5.0 and 4.5) and even at high temperature (e.g., 85 °C).

[0028] Evaluation of the stability of standard oleosome fractions and oleosome fractions of the present invention containing propylene glycol alginate in freshly brewed coffee.

[0029] An equal volume of alginate stock solution (3%) was added to one volume of the oleosome fraction of Table 1 to achieve a final alginate concentration of 1.5 wt% and a final oleosome concentration of 12.7 wt% (relative to the total dry weight of the oleosome fraction). The samples were pasteurized at 85 °C for 15 min. There was no sign of particle aggregation or sedimentation after heating. The two samples were added to hot coffee (∼75 °C). Figure 3 The visual appearance of coffee with and without added alginate is shown, clearly showing that the sample with alginate maintained its physical stability without any phase separation.

[0030] Effect of anionic polysaccharide concentration on liposome stability

[0031] A portion of the soybean oleosome fraction prepared as described above and characterized in Table 1 was mixed with a portion of alginate stock solution (3 wt%) in order to obtain oleosome compositions of the present invention with various mass ratios of oleosome:alginate of 20:1, 15:1, 10:1, 5:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3. The pH of the mixture was adjusted to 4.5. The final oleosome concentration in the mixture was kept constant at 0.25 wt%. The dispersion was gently mixed using a propeller / stirrer, then heated at 85 °C for 30 minutes and immediately immersed in cold water. The particle size of the oleosome samples was measured using a Zetasizer Nano (Malvern Panalytical, Malvern, UK) and a Partica LA-960 (Horiba, Kyoto, Japan). Figure 4AThe increase in ζ-potential values as a function of the increasing proportion of alginate is shown, which indicates that improved oleosome stability is provided by the addition of alginate. The ζ-potential is used to measure the stability of the dispersion, where values of ≥ + / −20 mV indicate a stable dispersion (Samimi, S., Maghsoudnia, N., Eftekhari, R. B., & Dorkoosh, F. (2019). Lipid-based nanoparticles for drug delivery systems, Characterization and biology of nanomaterials for drug delivery, 47-76.). Figure 4B The D50 of the oleosomes in these oleosome:alginate mixtures at different ratios is shown. At any ratio, the median size of the oil droplets in the oleosome fraction with the anionic polysaccharide is from 0.2 micrometers to 2.0 micrometers, and in a preferred embodiment from 0.25 micrometers to 1.0 micrometers.

[0032] Stable oleosome fractions prepared with pectin and gum arabic

[0033] A pectin and gum arabic solution (3 wt%) was mixed with the soybean oleosome fraction described above and prepared according to Table 1 to obtain a pair of compositions of the present invention each having a different oleosome:anionic polysaccharide mass ratio (10:1 and 1:3) for each of the oleosome:pectin and oleosome:gum arabic combinations. The oleosome concentration was each kept constant at 0.25 wt%. These dispersions were gently mixed using a propeller / stirrer, and then the pH was adjusted to 7.2 and 4.5. Then each composition of the present invention thus prepared for evaluation was heated at 85 °C for 30 minutes and then immediately immersed in cold water. Then the particle size of each oleosome / pectin and oleosome / gum arabic sample was measured using a Partica LA-960 (Horiba, Kyoto, Japan). Figures 5A to 5D It is shown that each of pectin and gum arabic has the same effect as alginate in terms of stabilizing the D50 size of the oleosomes. In all cases, the median size of the oleosomes at pH 4.5 is within 20% of the size of the oleosomes in the fraction without anionic polysaccharide at pH 7.2.

[0034] Evaluation of the stability of standard oleosome fractions and oleosome fractions of the present invention with pectin and gum arabic in freshly brewed hot coffee

[0035] A stock solution (3%) of pectin or gum arabic was added to the soy lipidosome fraction characterized in Table 1 to achieve a final concentration of 0.5 wt% of pectin or gum arabic in the lipidosome fraction. After the addition of pectin or gum arabic, the lipidosome concentration was 4.2 wt% (relative to the dry weight of the lipidosomes). The samples were again pasteurized at 85 °C for 15 minutes. There was no sign of particle aggregation or sedimentation after heating. Two samples were added to hot coffee (∼75 °C). Figure 6 On the one hand, the visual appearance of coffee with and without an unmodified lipidosome fraction is shown, and on the other hand, the visual appearance of coffee with and without a lipidosome fraction containing pectin or gum arabic is shown, clearly showing that the samples with pectin / arabic gum maintained their physical stability without any phase separation.

[0036] Other embodiments

[0037] Although the present invention has been illustrated above using lipidosome fractions prepared from soybeans, it is expected that lipidosome fractions prepared from other plant materials will exhibit the same beneficial effects. Examples of other lipidosome fractions prepared from plant materials that can be stabilized in terms of heat resistance and pH tolerance by combination with anionic polysaccharides include milk and cream prepared from, by way of non-limiting example only, coconut, almond, cashew nut, macadamia nut, oats, rice, and quinoa.

[0038] In addition, although the present invention has been specifically illustrated using propylene glycol alginate, pectin, and gum arabic, any other natural or synthetic anionic polysaccharide or any combination thereof can also be used. Examples of preferred anionic polysaccharides include alginate, pectin, gum arabic, sulfated carrageenan, sulfated chondroitin, carboxymethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl starch.

[0039] The lipidosome anionic polysaccharide mixture of the present invention can be used to prepare a variety of non-dairy products that require a creamy texture and creamy flavor through heating and acidification processes. Exemplary products include cream sodas and fruit juices, coffee whiteners, yogurt, milk, and ice cream. The present invention is particularly suitable for highly acidic products with a pH below 5.5, such as acidified milk, citrus juices, smoothies, sorbets, and creams, and for products that are prepared for mixing with acidic or hot beverages such as coffee and tea.

Claims

1. A plant milk comprising an oil body fraction and one or more anionic polysaccharides.

2. The plant milk according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the oil bodies to the one or more anionic polysaccharides is from 10:1 to 1:

3.

3. The plant milk according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the weight ratio of the one or more anionic polysaccharides in the oil body fraction to the oil is from 1:10 to 3:

1.

4. The plant milk according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the one or more anionic polysaccharides are selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, gum arabic, sulfated carrageenan, sulfated chondroitin, xanthan gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl starch.

5. The plant milk according to claim 4, wherein the one or more anionic polysaccharides comprise alginate.

6. The plant milk according to claim 4, wherein the one or more anionic polysaccharides comprise gum arabic.

7. The plant milk according to claim 4, wherein the one or more anionic polysaccharides comprise pectin.

8. The plant milk according to any one of claims 1 - 7, in the form of a cream prepared from soybeans.

9. The plant milk according to any one of claims 1 - 8, characterized in that when heated to a temperature of 85 °C for 30 minutes at a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, the median size of the oil droplets in the oil body fraction of the milk is within 20% of the median size of the oil droplets in the same oil body fraction determined in the same manner but at a pH of 7.

2.

10. The plant milk according to any one of claims 1 - 9, wherein the median size of the oil droplets in the oil body fraction of the milk is from 0.2 micrometers to 2 micrometers.

11. The plant milk according to claim 10, wherein the median size of the oil droplets is from 0.25 micrometers to 1 micrometer.

12. A food for human consumption comprising an oil body fraction and one or more anionic polysaccharides, the oil body fraction being prepared from a plant material selected from the group consisting of soybeans, oats, rice, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, or coconuts, the anionic polysaccharides being present in a sufficient proportion relative to the oil body fraction to provide an oil body fraction having improved anti - agglomeration or separation properties when the food is heated or has an acidic pH.

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