Dairy-like Composition

Abstract

The dairy analog composition comprises up to 90% by weight water; and 1% to 80% by weight of a fat composition; the fat composition comprises an interesterified blend of a non-tropical vegetable oil and a fully hydrogenated non-tropical vegetable oil.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dairy analogue composition comprising a fat composition, starch, water, and optionally a non-animal protein, and to the use of said dairy analogue composition in food products. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of certain fat compositions in dairy analogue compositions to improve various properties of the dairy analogue composition. [Background technology]

[0002] Plant-based foods are increasingly sought after due to growing consumer desires to eat healthy, sustainably sourced foods and to reduce their meat and dairy intake overall. There is also a growing number of vegans who, for ethical and health reasons, seek foods that are completely free of animal-derived products.

[0003] This has led to the development of various plant-based foods, such as plant-based meats (alternative meat compositions) and plant-based cheeses (cheese analog compositions), that aim to mimic certain qualities of animal-derived meat and cheese products, such as texture, taste, and / or appearance. Plant-based substitutes for other dairy applications, such as ice cream and other frozen desserts and whipped cream, are also being developed.

[0004] The typical ingredients of a cheese analog composition are vegetable fat, starch, non-animal protein, and water, typically present in an amount of 15% to 30% by weight of the composition, along with additives such as flavorings and colorants. Typically, the total amount of starch and non-animal protein present in the composition remains constant among various cheese analog compositions. Softer cheese analog compositions, such as spreads and soft cheeses, will typically contain relatively more water and less starch and protein, while the opposite is true for hard cheese analogs.

[0005] It has proven difficult in the art for plant-based cheeses to effectively mimic the organoleptic and functional properties of animal-derived dairy cheeses. This challenge is compounded by the many different dairy cheeses (hard cheeses; pizza cheeses; Brie-type cheeses; spreadable cheeses, etc.) that exist with varying properties, meaning that many different plant-based cheese systems with varying properties are desired to mimic the many corresponding types of dairy cheeses. In dairy cheeses, the properties of the cheese are determined by many factors. A key factor is the nature of the fat and protein present in the cheese. Dairy cheeses are produced from milk and contain animal-derived fats and animal-derived proteins, such as casein, which are important for providing the desired properties of dairy cheese. In the production of dairy cheeses, aggregation of milk fats and proteins occurs to form cheese as a result of destabilization of casein micelles present in milk. It has proven difficult in the art to provide a chemical system derived entirely from non-animal sources that can provide a composition with all of the properties of dairy cheese (and the ability to tailor said properties depending on the cheese type). In particular, it has proven difficult to provide non-animal fats suitable for use in cheese analog compositions that are suitable for providing all of the desired properties for each of the many different types of cheese analog compositions. Properties that may need to be adjusted and optimized depending on the particular type of cheese analog composition desired include, but are not limited to, organoleptic properties such as hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, resilience, and springiness; functional behavior, such as the ability to slice, the ability to handle sliced ​​cheese, the ability to handle shredded cheese, the ability for the cheese to stretch when heated (e.g., in pizza applications), reduced waste during slicing, reduced waste during shredding, improved sliced ​​cheese quality, and improved shredded cheese quality.

[0006] Current solutions in the cheese analog field involve adjusting the fat properties and the relative amounts of fat, water, and starch used in the composition to provide and adjust the sensory and functional properties of the cheese analog composition. Most existing plant-based cheeses use palm oil as the fat source. Palm oil is derived from plants and therefore meets the criteria for being suitable for use in vegan foods. Palm oil has a higher melting point than many other plant-derived oils (such as sunflower oil), and is therefore good at mimicking the properties of animal-derived fats. Animal-derived fats typically have a higher melting point than vegetable oils. Palm oil is preferred over other higher-melting vegetable oils, such as palm oil, due to the negative environmental impacts associated with palm oil production. As a result, the use of palm oil as the fat in cheese analog compositions is state-of-the-art.

[0007] The inventors of the present invention have recognized that there are certain adverse effects and drawbacks resulting from the use of palm oil in cheese analog compositions. First, palm oil is high in saturated fatty acid residues, making it undesirable to consumers from a health standpoint due to the association of saturated fatty acid residues in fats with heart disease, undesirable cholesterol levels, and related conditions. A further drawback of palm oil is that it often contains high levels of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH).

[0008] The inventors of the present invention have also recognized a need in the art for additional fat compositions suitable for use in other plant-based dairy applications, such as plant-based whipped cream, and frozen desserts such as ice cream. In applications such as ice cream, it is important that non-dairy ice cream have similar sensory properties to dairy ice cream when consumed. For example, it is important that non-dairy ice cream have a melting profile similar to dairy ice cream compositions, as this will affect the mouth feel when consumed. If an ice cream composition melts too quickly, the ice cream composition will melt rapidly when removed from the freezer and will not be suitable for use as a frozen dessert. In contrast, if a frozen dessert composition melts too slowly relative to a comparable dairy ice cream composition, the ice cream will not melt quickly enough when consumed and may experience a waxy sensation when consumed compared to dairy ice cream. The sensory properties of dairy ice cream are typically affected by the dairy fat and protein in the composition. The fat contained in non-dairy ice cream should desirably be able to mimic the properties of dairy ice cream. Most non-dairy ice cream compositions contain palm oil, which helps to achieve the above-mentioned effects.

[0009] Non-dairy whipped creams are also known in the art. To be suitable for use as whipped cream, a whipped cream composition must possess various properties, such as a short whipping time, good overrun (the volume of air whipped into the product), a firm and stable foam, and a good mouthfeel. In whipped cream, the cream is typically stabilized by fat globules. In dairy whipped cream, good whipping properties are achieved by the desorption of dairy proteins from the fat globules, which aggregates the fat particles and causes partial coalescence of the fat particles. The partial coalescence of the fat globules aids in stabilizing the foam after whipping. To achieve these effects, the properties of the fat composition are important. Emulsifiers are often also important to aid in the destabilization of existing emulsions, which aid in the necessary coalescence of the fat particles. Non-dairy whipped creams that do not contain animal protein often use surface-active hydrocolloids, such as cellulose ester products, to provide a protein-like effect on fat particle coalescence. Whipped cream compositions must also be shelf-stable to prevent thickening when stored in a container prior to use. The selection of the particular fat contained in the non-dairy whipping cream is also important to achieve the above-mentioned benefits, such as stability against particle coalescence and thickening. Currently, partially or fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil (FH PKO) is commonly used in many non-dairy whipping cream formulations to achieve the above-mentioned benefits.

[0010] In addition to the above, the inventors have realized that a further drawback to using oils such as coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil in dairy analogue compositions is that these fats are derived from plants found only in tropical regions of the world. This disadvantages manufacturers of dairy analogue compositions found outside of these regions of the world, such as Europe and North America, because the tropical fats must be shipped from the regions where they grow to Europe and North America, which have the largest markets for dairy analogue products. Unfortunately, most of the naturally occurring plant-derived fats grown locally in Europe and North America do not have the desired properties (such as high melting points) for inclusion in dairy analogue compositions, or do not offer the same benefits and functionality as those discussed above in connection with coconut oil and other tropical oils. A previous approach to providing harder, higher melting point fats from local sources for use in food products has been to provide hydrogenated vegetable oils. Locally grown vegetable oils with lower melting points can be hydrogenated to increase the saturated fatty acid content of the fat, thus raising its melting point. Hydrogenation can be carried out partially (thus leaving some unsaturated fatty acids present in the fat) or completely, so that 100% (or nearly) of the unsaturated fatty acid moieties in the vegetable oil are converted to saturated fatty acid moieties. The disadvantage of using partially hydrogenated fats is the presence of a high content of trans-unsaturated fatty acids in them. Trans fatty acids are undesirable for health reasons, as they are linked to the incidence of heart disease and high cholesterol in consumers, among other conditions. The disadvantage of fully hydrogenated fats is that they typically have poor melting behavior, resulting in an undesirable, unpleasant waxy mouthfeel when included in foods such as dairy-like compositions.

[0011] Thus, the present inventors have recognized that there is a need in the art for locally sourced, non-animal derived fats that can be used in dairy analog compositions that do not have the adverse health implications associated with partially hydrogenated fats or the adverse organoleptic properties associated with fully hydrogenated fats discussed above. The present inventors have also recognized that there is a need in the art for fats that solve or mitigate the problems discussed above related to the use of palm oil and other tropical oils in dairy analog compositions; and that it would be advantageous to provide a variety of different types of dairy analog compositions with various desired properties, such as alternative hard cheeses, alternative soft or spreadable cheeses, frozen desserts, and whipped cream.

[0012] The documents discussed below discuss the usefulness of certain fat compositions in certain food products, but do not contemplate the use of the fat compositions in dairy analog compositions and the associated potential advantages over the state of the art.

[0013] EP 2196094 discloses a fat product having a low amount of saturated fat, composed mainly of stearic acid and a low percentage of palmitic acid, obtained by interesterification of fully hydrogenated vegetable oil with a liquid vegetable oil having a very low content of saturated fatty acids. The fat product is taught to be used in the manufacture of bakery products such as tarts, biscuits, and bread loaves.

[0014] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010 / 0015280 discloses a blend of oils containing less than 1.5 percent trans fatty acids, greater than 6 percent alpha-linolenic acid, and less than 32 percent saturated fatty acids, with less than about 16 percent C12:0, C14:0, and C16:0 saturated fatty acids derived from tropical oils, and with a linolenic acid to alpha-linolenic acid ratio of less than 10. The oil blend is disclosed for use in bakery shortenings, spray oils, cookies, and crackers.

[0015] Zero trans fats from soybean oil and fully hydrogenated soybean oil: Physico-chemical properties and food applications, Ribeiro et al., Food Research International 42 (2009), 401 to 410, discloses fully hydrogenated soybean oil and interesterified blends of soybean oil and suggests their use in bakery applications such as shortening and biscuit filling bases.

[0016] Similar fat blends are also commercially available and sold for use in bakery applications, including Ines 66 (an interesterified blend of sunflower oil and fully hydrogenated sunflower oil) and Rubin 20 (an interesterified blend of rapeseed oil and fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0017] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 2196094 [Patent Document 2] US Patent Publication No. 2010 / 0015280 [Non-patent literature]

[0018] [Non-Patent Document 1] Zero trans fats from soybean oil and fully hydrogenated soybean oil: Physico-chemical properties and food applications, Ribeiro et Al., Food Research International 42 (2009), 401 to 410 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0019] The present invention is based on the unexpected discovery that certain fat compositions are suitable for use in a variety of different types of dairy analog compositions. Surprisingly, it has been found that certain fats typically derived from plant sources in non-tropical regions of the world can be used in dairy analog compositions to replace tropical fats such as coconut oil, shea oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. As discussed above, for each type of dairy analog application (such as a wide variety of cheese analogs; alternative frozen desserts; and alternative whipped cream), the fat must provide different functional and organoleptic properties for the dairy analog composition to be deemed acceptable to consumers. Surprisingly, it has been found that the fat compositions of the present invention provide functional and organoleptic properties that allow for inclusion in a wide variety of dairy analog compositions. As a result, these fat compositions can be used as effective replacements for fats currently known in the art for use in dairy analog compositions, such as coconut oil in cheese analog compositions and palm kernel oil in alternative whipped cream compositions. An advantage over the use of coconut oil and palm kernel oil is the potential for an improved nutritional profile relative to coconut oil and palm kernel oil due to having a lower amount of saturated fatty acid residues.

[0020] With respect to cheese analog compositions, the present inventors have surprisingly discovered that certain fat compositions are suitable for use in providing the desired properties of a variety of different types of cheese analog compositions (e.g., hard cheeses; soft cheeses; spreadable cheeses, etc.). Some conventionally known fats are only suitable for use in some, but not all, of these cheese analog applications. As an added advantage, if desired, the specific properties of the fat composition, such as the solid fat content, can be optimized for each of the various types of cheese analog compositions. Furthermore, it has been discovered that, depending on the particular type of cheese analog composition desired, it is possible to tailor and optimize properties such as organoleptic properties, such as firmness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, resilience, and elasticity; and functional behavior, such as slicability, handleability, and spreadability of the cheese upon heating (e.g., in pizza applications).

[0021] Surprisingly, the inventors have found that, as well as being suitable for use in various cheese analogue compositions, the fats of the present invention are also suitable for use in other types of dairy analogue compositions, such as non-dairy frozen desserts and whipped cream compositions. The inventors have also found that the use of fat compositions in some applications provides the compositions with certain advantages over those known in the art. In the case of frozen dessert compositions, the inventors have also found that certain fat compositions unexpectedly provide a melting profile similar to compositions containing palm oil and have similar organoleptic properties, such as mouthfeel, meaning that the compositions can be used as effective substitutes for palm oil in non-dairy frozen dessert applications.

[0022] It has been found that, when used in whipped cream compositions, certain fat compositions impart certain advantages to the composition over alternative compositions containing partially or fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil (which can be considered to represent the state of the art for non-dairy whipped cream compositions), such as shorter whipping times to reach maximum firmness, increased creaminess, reduced product density, and lower mouth coating. The whipped cream compositions of the present invention have also surprisingly been found to possess other organoleptic and functional properties necessary for effective use in whipped cream compositions, meaning that the fat compositions can be used as effective replacements for fully or partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil.

[0023] In addition to the above, certain fat compositions have advantages over the use of tropical fats such as coconut oil, shea oil, palm kernel oil, and palm oil because such certain fat compositions are derived from plant fats derived from plant sources originating in non-tropical regions of the world, such as Europe and North America, which can be grown and harvested on a commercial scale in those non-tropical regions. This is particularly advantageous since Europe and North America are the largest markets for dairy-like products.

[0024] Additionally, certain fat compositions are free of trans-unsaturated fatty acids, meaning that they are considered healthier than similar compositions that contain more significant amounts of trans-fatty acids, such as partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. It has also been found advantageous that certain fat compositions used in the present invention do not have the undesirable "waxy" mouthfeel associated with most fully hydrogenated vegetable fats and oils.

[0025] Thus, it has been discovered that the fat compositions of the present invention, when used in dairy analog compositions, can offer various advantages over the use of tropical fats, such as palm oil, in said compositions. This is particularly advantageous because fats can be sourced from non-tropical regions in close proximity to major cheese analog markets. These fat compositions also avoid the adverse health effects of partially hydrogenated fats and the undesirable organoleptic properties, such as a waxy mouthfeel, of fully hydrogenated fats. [Means for solving the problem]

[0026] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a dairy-like composition comprising up to 90% by weight of water and 1% to 80% by weight of a fat composition, the fat composition comprising an interesterified blend of a non-tropical vegetable oil and a fully hydrogenated non-tropical vegetable oil.

[0027] Typically, the interesterified blends are interesterified blends of non-tropical vegetable oils and fully hydrogenated non-tropical vegetable oils, the latter of which originate from sources such as seeds or sticklings in non-tropical regions of the world, such as North America, parts of northern Asia, and Europe.

[0028] Preferably, water is present in the dairy analog composition in an amount of from 0% to 90% by weight of the dairy analog composition, for example 35% to 65%, 35 to 55%, 45 to 55%, or 50 to 65%. In some embodiments, the dairy analog composition comprises up to 80% by weight of water, including 0%, for example 30% to 80% or 50 to 70%.

[0029] Preferably, the fat composition is present in the dairy analog composition in an amount of 1% to 40% by weight of the dairy analog composition, hi some embodiments, the fat composition comprises an interesterified blend of vegetable oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil in an amount of up to 100% by weight of the fat composition, e.g., up to 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, or 30%.

[0030] In some embodiments, the fat composition comprises (a) from 5% to 95% by weight of the fat composition of an interesterified blend of vegetable oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) from 5% to 95% by weight of the fat composition of a blended vegetable oil. For example, the fat composition may comprise (a) from 10% to 90% by weight of the fat composition of an interesterified blend of vegetable oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) from 10% to 90% by weight of the fat composition of a blended vegetable oil. Preferably, the fat composition comprises (a) from 20 to 80% by weight of the fat composition of an interesterified blend of vegetable oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) from 20 to 80% by weight of the fat composition of a blended vegetable oil. More preferably, the fat composition comprises (a) from 50% to 80% by weight of the fat composition of an interesterified blend of vegetable oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) from 20% to 50% by weight of the fat composition of a blended vegetable oil. Most preferably, the fat composition comprises (a) from 60% to 80% by weight of the fat composition of an interesterified blend of vegetable oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) from 20% to 40% by weight of the fat composition of the blended vegetable oil.

[0031] Typically, the interesterified blend is an interesterified blend of 20% to 60% by weight of vegetable oil and 40% to 80% by weight of fully hydrogenated vegetable oil. Preferably, the interesterified blend is an interesterified blend of 40% to 60% by weight of vegetable oil and 40% to 60% by weight of fully hydrogenated vegetable oil. More preferably, the interesterified blend is an interesterified blend of 45% to 55% by weight of vegetable oil and 45% to 55% by weight of fully hydrogenated vegetable oil.

[0032] In the context of the fat composition of the present invention, the term "hard stock" is used herein to refer to the interesterified blend of the fat composition (i.e., component (a) of the fat composition, if blended vegetable oil is also included).

[0033] Typically, the interesterified blend is an interesterified blend of liquid vegetable oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil. In some embodiments, the interesterified blend is an interesterified blend of (i) fully hydrogenated vegetable oil and (ii) vegetable oil, each vegetable oil being selected from rapeseed oil, high oleic rapeseed oil, high erucic rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, linseed oil, olive oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, carinata oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, peanut oil, rice oil, camellia oil, or any combination thereof, although it will be understood that similar vegetable oils may also be used.

[0034] Preferably, the interesterified blend is an interesterified blend of (i) a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil and (ii) a vegetable oil, each vegetable oil being selected from rapeseed oil, high oleic rapeseed oil, high erucic rapeseed oil, or a combination thereof.

[0035] As used herein, the term "fully hydrogenated vegetable oil" refers to vegetable oil that has undergone hydrogenation to convert its unsaturated fatty acid residues to saturated fatty acid residues. Suitable process conditions and methods for hydrogenating vegetable oils are known in the art. Any suitable fat hydrogenation process known in the art can be used to produce the fully hydrogenated vegetable oil of the present invention. For example, the hydrogenation process discussed in EP 2196094 can be used. The term fully hydrogenated as used herein is used to distinguish hydrogenated vegetable oils used to produce hard stock from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which typically contain significant amounts of trans fatty acid residues. In fully hydrogenated, the hydrogenation process is continued to such an extent that all or substantially all of the unsaturated fatty acid residues present in the molecule are converted to saturated fatty acid residues. Thus, in some embodiments, the fully hydrogenated vegetable oil comprises less than 5% by weight of trans fatty acids, more preferably less than 2% by weight of trans fatty acids, and most preferably less than 1% by weight of trans fatty acids, said percentages of fatty acid residues referring to fatty acids bound as acyl groups in the glycerides of the fully hydrogenated vegetable oil and relative to the total weight of C4-C24 fatty acid residues bound as acyl groups present in the fully hydrogenated vegetable oil.

[0036] In some embodiments, the hardstock is derived from the interesterification of a first vegetable oil with a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil that is itself derived from the first vegetable oil, although it will be understood that this is not required. For example, in one preferred embodiment, the interesterified blend is a interesterified blend of (i) fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil and (ii) high oleic rapeseed oil.

[0037] In another preferred embodiment, the fully hydrogenated vegetable oil is high-erucic acid rapeseed oil or other fully hydrogenated fat containing oils with mixed fatty acid chain lengths. In this embodiment, the interesterified blend is preferably a transesterified blend of (i) fully hydrogenated vegetable oil; (ii) fully hydrogenated high-erucic acid rapeseed oil; and (iii) a vegetable oil, such as rapeseed oil or high-oleic acid rapeseed oil. Most preferably, the interesterified blend is a transesterified blend of (i) 30% to 50% by weight of fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil; (ii) 5% to 15% by weight of fully hydrogenated high-erucic acid rapeseed oil; and (iii) 40% to 60% by weight of a vegetable oil, such as rapeseed oil. Other fully hydrogenated fats with mixed fatty acid chain lengths include carinata oil. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that when the fully hydrogenated vegetable oil contains fully hydrogenated vegetable oils with mixed fatty acid chain lengths, the melting behavior of the fat is further improved for dairy-like compositions. In particular, mixed fatty acid chain lengths are believed to alter the crystallization pattern of interesterified fat blends in a manner that can result in improved melting behavior and therefore improved organoleptic properties, which have been found by the inventors to be useful in a variety of dairy analog applications.

[0038] Typically, the interesterified blend contains less than 55% by weight of saturated fatty acid residues, said percentage of fatty acid residues referring to fatty acids bound as acyl groups in glycerides in the interesterified blend, relative to the total weight of C4-C24 fatty acid residues bound as acyl groups present in the interesterified blend.

[0039] Typically, the interesterified blend comprises stearic acid residues in an amount of 40% to 60% by weight and / or palmitic acid residues in an amount of 2.5% to 7.5% by weight, said percentages of fatty acid residues referring to fatty acids bound as acyl groups in the glycerides of the interesterified blend and based on the total weight of C4-C24 fatty acid residues bound as acyl groups present in the interesterified blend.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the fat composition comprises 45% to 55% by weight of saturated fatty acid residues; 30% to 40% by weight of monounsaturated fatty acid residues; 5% to 15% by weight of polyunsaturated fatty acid residues; and / or less than 1% of trans-unsaturated fatty acid residues; said percentages of fatty acid residues refer to fatty acids bound as acyl groups of glycerides in the interesterified blend, relative to the total weight of C4-C24 fatty acid residues bound as acyl groups present in the interesterified blend.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the fat composition comprises 40% to 50% by weight of C18:0; 30% to 40% by weight of C18:1; 5% to 12% of C18:2; 1% to 6% of C18:3; and / or 2.5% to 7.5% of C16:0; the said percentages of fatty acid residues refer to fatty acids bound as acyl groups of glycerides in the interesterified blend and are relative to the total weight of C4-C24 fatty acid residues bound as acyl groups present in the interesterified blend.

[0042] The interesterified blend is produced by the interesterification of fully hydrogenated vegetable oil and liquid vegetable oil. Typically, the interesterified blend has been produced by chemical interesterification, enzymatic interesterification, or a combination thereof. Any suitable interesterification process known in the art can be used to produce the interesterified blend. Suitable process conditions for interesterification are known. For example, the interesterification process conditions discussed in EP 2196094 can be used.

[0043] The fat composition may include a blended vegetable oil component (b) mixed with the hard stock composition. The blended vegetable oil component (b) can be any suitable vegetable oil. Typically, the blended vegetable oil component (b) is a liquid vegetable oil. Typically, the blended vegetable oil component (b) is a non-tropical vegetable oil. Preferably, the blended vegetable oil (b) includes rapeseed oil, high oleic rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, linseed oil, olive oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, peanut oil, rice oil, camellia oil, or any combination thereof.

[0044] The term "fat" as used herein refers to glyceride fats and oils containing fatty acyl groups and does not imply any particular melting point. The term "oil" is used interchangeably with "fat" herein.

[0045] As used herein, the term "fatty acid" refers to a straight-chain saturated or unsaturated (including mono- and polyunsaturated) carboxylic acid having 8 to 24 carbon atoms. A fatty acid having x carbon atoms and y double bonds may be designated as Cx:y. For example, palmitic acid may be designated as C16:0, and oleic acid may be designated as C18:1. The percentages of fatty acids in compositions referred to herein are based on the total weight of C8-C24 fatty acids, including acyl groups in tri-, di-, and monoglycerides present in the glycerides. The fatty acid profile (i.e., composition) may be determined, for example, by fatty acid methyl ester analysis (FAME) using gas chromatography according to ISO 12966-2 and ISO 12966.4.

[0046] Preferably, the fat composition contains a substantially majority of fat and only a small amount of water (i.e., the fat composition consists essentially of fat molecules). However, in some embodiments, the fat composition may contain water, and may be present in the form of an emulsion, such as an oil-in-water emulsion or a water-in-oil emulsion, typically with a suitable emulsifier. In such embodiments, the weight percentage ranges provided above regarding the amount of fat composition present in the dairy-like composition refer only to the fat molecules present in the fat composition, and not to any water present in the composition. Similarly, the weight percentages provided above regarding the amount of water present in the dairy-like composition refer both to water added by itself during production of the dairy-like composition, as well as to any water present in or bound to any portion of the other ingredients of the dairy-like composition (such as water present in the emulsified fat composition), as discussed in more detail below.

[0047] The fat composition can be present in the dairy analog composition in any suitable amount, within the limits given above. It will be understood that the fat composition will be included in the dairy analog composition in an amount that depends on the intended use of the dairy analog composition.

[0048] The dairy analogue composition of the present invention may be any type of dairy analogue composition containing fat. Examples of dairy analogue compositions include cheese analogue compositions, alternative frozen dessert compositions, alternative whipped cream compositions, creams, fermented products, acidified products, beverages, spreads, and margarine alternative compositions. Preferably, the dairy analogue composition of the present invention comprises a cheese analogue composition, an alternative frozen dessert composition, or an alternative whipped cream composition.

[0049] Cheese analogue composition In some embodiments, the dairy analog composition of the present invention is a cheese analog composition.

[0050] Typically, the cheese analog composition comprises 15% to 30% by weight of a fat composition; 0% to 45% by weight of starch; 0% to 15% by weight of non-animal protein; and 35% to 65% by weight of water. Preferably, the fat composition is present in the cheese analog composition in an amount of 20% to 30% by weight. Preferably, the starch is present in the cheese analog composition in an amount of 1% to 45% by weight.

[0051] The cheese analog compositions of the present invention may also contain one or more non-animal proteins, such as one or more proteins derived from fungi, plants, microorganisms, or combinations thereof.

[0052] Typically, the non-animal protein comprises a plant protein, preferably selected from algae protein, black bean protein, canola protein, wheat protein, chickpea protein, fava protein, lentil protein, lupin bean protein, mung bean protein, oat protein, pea protein, potato protein, rice protein, soy protein, sunflower seed protein, wheat protein, white bean protein, and protein isolates or concentrates thereof. In other embodiments, the non-animal protein comprises seitan, rice protein, mushroom protein, legume protein, tempeh, yam flour, tofu, mycoprotein, peanut flour, soybean curd skin, nuts, nut-derived proteins, nut-derived dairy products, or combinations thereof.

[0053] Vegetable protein is a protein source obtained from or derived from plants. The vegetable protein may be any suitable vegetable protein, may include a mixture of vegetable proteins, and / or may include a protein isolate or concentrate. Examples of suitable vegetable proteins include those discussed above. As discussed above, the weight percentage ranges mentioned above for the water present in the cheese analogue composition include both water added by itself and water present in other ingredients of the cheese analogue composition, such as in the vegetable protein or emulsified with fat. Similarly, the weight percentages given below for the amount of non-animal protein present in the cheese analogue composition refer to the dry weight of the protein and do not include water bound to the non-animal protein.

[0054] The vegetable protein used in preparing the cheese analog composition may be dry (also referred to herein as the "dry phase") or may contain moisture. Thus, in embodiments, the vegetable protein may be included in a dry mix of ingredients, and may include additional ingredients intended for inclusion in a cheese analog composition, such as carbohydrates, fiber, and / or hydrocolloids in addition to the protein. If the vegetable protein is dry, it may be hydrated before and / or during the formation of the cheese analog composition. As used herein, the terms "dry" when used in relation to vegetable protein, and "dry phase" shall mean that the phase containing the vegetable protein contains less than 5% water by weight, preferably less than 2% water by weight, more preferably less than 1% water by weight, and even more preferably is substantially free of water. In other preferred embodiments, the dry phase a w is 0.90 or less, more preferably below 0.80. The dry phase containing the vegetable protein is typically provided in a substantially dehydrated state to reduce microbial growth as much as possible to extend shelf life.

[0055] When present in a cheese analog composition, non-animal protein is typically present in the cheese analog composition in an amount up to 15% by weight of the cheese analog composition. Preferably, the non-animal protein is present in an amount of 12.5% ​​or less by weight of the cheese analog composition, for example, 10% or less by weight of the cheese analog composition.

[0056] The cheese analog compositions of the present invention comprise one or more starches. The starch may comprise any suitable type of starch, such as starches known in the art for inclusion in cheese analog compositions. Examples of starches that may be included include unmodified starch, modified starch, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the starch comprises unmodified or modified vegetable starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the starch comprises a modified starch derived from potato. Preferably, the starch comprises potato starch, waxy maize starch, tapioca starch, or a combination thereof.

[0057] Specific examples of starches and modified starches that can be included in the cheese analog composition include a mixture of oxidized starch E1404 and starch sodium octenyl succinate E1450, where the modified starch is derived from potato starch; SIMPLISTICA™ VCP 1214 OG, which contains starches derived from potato, corn, and tapioca; KaTech NDG 1098.72, which contains potato starch and carrageenan; Perfectasol™ D500, which contains enzymatically modified potato starch and potato protein, modified waxy corn starch (E1450); and Perfectasol™ D510, which contains acid-treated potato starch, hydroxypropylated distarch phosphate derived from potato, and pregelatinized starch derived from potato with sodium octenyl succinate.

[0058] Without being bound by theory, starch is believed to be important in contributing to various sensory and functional properties of cheese analogs, such as how firm or soft the cheese is, as discussed in more detail below, as well as various functional properties of cheese, such as its stretchability when heated (an important function in the case of pizza cheese) and sliceability. Starch is believed to help provide the benefits provided by casein in dairy cheese, such as providing properties essential for a variety of different applications.

[0059] The starch is preferably present in the cheese analog composition in an amount of 1% to 45% by weight of the cheese analog composition, for example, 5% to 40% by weight of the cheese analog composition. Typically, the starch is present in an amount of 20% to 30% by weight of the cheese analog composition.

[0060] As discussed above, when the cheese analog composition contains protein, the protein is typically present in the cheese analog composition in an amount up to 15% by weight of the composition.

[0061] Typically, the combined weight percent of starch and non-animal protein in the cheese analog composition does not exceed 45%. Preferably, the combined weight percent of starch and non-animal protein in the cheese analog composition is less than 35%, preferably between 20% and 30%. In these embodiments, non-animal protein is typically present in an amount less than 12.5% ​​by weight of the cheese analog composition, such as between 5% and 12.5%, or between 5% and 10% by weight of the cheese analog composition, although it will be understood that even less protein may be present, and in some embodiments, protein may be omitted entirely from the composition.

[0062] In this regard, when protein is included in the cheese analog composition, the included protein is used as a substitute for starch, as the combined amount of protein and starch does not exceed the limits discussed above. Protein may perform the same role in the cheese analog composition as starch, as discussed above.

[0063] The cheese analogue composition includes water, which may be added to the composition as a separate ingredient or may come from other ingredients of the composition as discussed above. The amount of water is not particularly limited and will vary depending on the intended consistency of the cheese analogue composition, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, as will be discussed in more detail below. As used herein, "water" is intended to include potable water, demineralized water, or distilled water, unless otherwise indicated. Preferably, the water used in connection with the present invention is demineralized water or distilled water. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, deionized water is also a subclass of demineralized water. In some embodiments, water may be added to the composition, and the water is condensed from steam used to heat various ingredients or combinations of ingredients of the cheese analogue composition during production.

[0064] Cheese analog compositions typically include one or more additional ingredients, and while it is believed that including these one or more additional ingredients in the cheese analog composition is preferred, it will be understood that the inclusion of the one or more additional ingredients is not required.

[0065] Preferably, the cheese analog composition comprises one or more flavor additives, and preferably the one or more flavor additives are present in an amount of from 0.1% to 5% by weight of the cheese analog composition.

[0066] Preferably, the cheese analog composition includes one or more color additives, preferably present in an amount of from 0.01% to 1% by weight of the cheese analog composition.

[0067] In some embodiments, the cheese analog composition further comprises one or more of: i) polysaccharides and / or modified polysaccharides, preferably selected from methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, maltodextrin, carrageenan and salts thereof, alginic acid and salts thereof, agar, agarose, agaropectin, pectin, and alginates; ii) hydrocolloids; and iii) gums, preferably selected from xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, gellan gum, gum arabic, vegetable gum, tara gum, tragacanth gum, konjac gum, fenugreek gum, and karaya gum.

[0068] Examples of other additives that may be included in the cheese analog composition include ionic or non-ionic emulsifiers, polyhydroxy compounds, milk, liquid flavors, alcohol, humectants, honey, liquid preservatives, liquid sweeteners, liquid oxidizing agents, liquid reducing agents, liquid antioxidants, liquid acidity regulators, liquid enzymes, milk powder, hydrolyzed protein isolates (peptides), amino acids, yeast, sugar substitutes, salt, spices, fiber, thickeners and gelling agents, egg powder, enzymes, gluten, vitamins, preservatives, sweeteners, oxidizing agents, reducing agents, antioxidants, acidity regulators, or combinations thereof.

[0069] The specific properties of a cheese analog composition may be adjusted by controlling the relative amounts of fat composition, water, starch, and protein (if present) in the composition. The properties of a cheese analog composition may be adjusted and optimized to provide various types of cheese analog compositions. For example, there are many types of existing cheese analog compositions with very different properties. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, different properties are desirable for different applications. For example, a spreadable cheese (such as a cream cheese substitute) will desirably be soft and spreadable, which will have very different properties than, for example, a Parmesan cheese substitute that is desirably firm but can be grated into small particles, or a sandwich cheese that must be more resilient but can be easily sliced. Other properties that may be desirable for a cheese analog include extensibility at high temperatures, such as a mozzarella pizza cheese substitute.

[0070] When optimizing and adjusting the physical properties of a particular cheese analog, the weight percentage of the fat composition in the cheese analog composition typically remains similar between different types of cheese analogs. For example, both cream cheese and hard cheese may typically contain similar amounts of fat composition, such as 15% to 30% by weight of the cheese analog composition. In contrast, the moisture content of a cheese analog composition and the combined protein and starch content of the composition are typically varied and optimized to provide various types of cheese compositions. Typically, for harder cheese analog compositions, the composition contains a relatively low moisture content and a relatively high combined protein and starch content. The opposite is true for softer cheeses. Spreadable cheeses, such as cream cheese substitutes, will have the highest moisture content and the lowest relative combined starch and protein content.

[0071] In some embodiments, the cheese analog composition comprises 35% to 55% by weight of water; the combined weight percentage of starch and non-animal protein in the cheese analog composition is 25% to 35%. Typically, the fat composition will be present in an amount of 15% to 30% by weight of the composition. Typically, such cheeses will have the desired properties of harder cheeses, such as cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, pizza-type cheese, sandwich cheese, or similar types of cheese analog compositions.

[0072] In other embodiments, the cheese analog composition comprises 45% to 55% water by weight; the combined weight percentage of starch and non-animal protein in the cheese analog composition is 20% to 35%. Typically, the composition will be present in an amount of 15% to 30% by weight of the composition. Typically, such cheeses will have the desired properties of softer cheeses, and the cheese analog composition will be a Brie or Brie-type cheese, Feta cheese, or similar type of cheese analog composition.

[0073] In other embodiments, the cheese analog composition comprises 50% to 65% by weight of water; the combined weight percentage of starch and non-animal protein in the cheese analog composition is 5% to 25%. Typically, the fat composition will be present in an amount of 15% to 30% by weight of the composition. Typically, such cheeses will have the desired properties of spreadable cheeses, such as cream cheese and the like, and the cheese analog composition will be an alternative spreadable cheese composition.

[0074] As discussed above, it has been surprisingly discovered that the fat compositions described herein are suitable for use in all of the various types of cheese analog compositions discussed above and are capable of providing the desired properties for each type of cheese analog, in contrast to certain fats known in the art that are used in cheese analog compositions that are capable of providing the desired properties for only some types of cheese analog compositions but not others.

[0075] In other embodiments, the fat composition has a solid fat content (SFC)N10, measured for labile fat according to ISO 8292-1, of less than 60, preferably the fat composition has a solid fat content (SFC)N10, measured for labile fat according to ISO 8292-1, of 50-60.

[0076] For each of the various types of cheese analog compositions, such as those discussed above, it is often desirable to adjust and optimize the properties of the fat composition to be most appropriate for the particular type of cheese analog composition. In particular, for the various types of compositions, it is often desirable to adjust the solid fat content of the cheese composition at 10°C. Typically, a harder cheese analog composition will desirably have a higher solid fat content at 10°C than a softer cheese analog composition, such as a Brie-type cheese. An alternative spreadable cheese composition, such as an alternative cream cheese, will desirably have an even lower solid fat content at 10°C. 10°C is the typical temperature at which a cheese analog composition is obtained from the refrigerator. The solid fat content is believed to affect various properties of the cheese analog composition, such as its firmness and spreadability. Typically, a lower solid content at 10°C will result in a softer composition with increased spreadability, and vice versa. Typically, the solid fat content at 10° C. may be adjusted by adjusting the chemical properties of the fat. For example, having a higher saturated fat content may increase the solid fat content of the fat at 10° C. The specific fat composition for inclusion in the cheese analog composition can be any of those discussed above. Preferably, the fat composition for inclusion in the cheese analog composition is one that includes both the hard stock component (a) and the blended vegetable oil component (b).

[0077] frozen dessert composition In some embodiments, the dairy analog composition comprises an alternative frozen dessert composition.

[0078] Typically, the substitute frozen dessert composition comprises 1% to 20% by weight of a fat composition, 10% to 40% by weight of sugar, and 30% to 80% by weight of water. Preferably, the substitute frozen dessert composition comprises 50% to 70% by weight of water, 1% to 10% by weight of a fat composition, and 20% to 35% by weight of sugar.

[0079] The particular fat composition for inclusion in the replacement frozen dessert composition can be any of those discussed above. Preferably, the fat composition for inclusion in the replacement frozen dessert composition includes both the hard stock component (a) and the blended vegetable oil component (b).

[0080] Examples of alternative frozen dessert compositions include non-dairy ice cream compositions. In some embodiments, the alternative frozen dessert composition is a vegan ice cream composition, which is free of dairy fat and other animal-derived ingredients, including animal-derived proteins such as casein. Although preferred, the alternative frozen dessert composition of the present invention is not limited to ice cream compositions, but may be any frozen dessert composition that contains fat.

[0081] The term frozen as used herein refers to a product that has solidified under freezing conditions. The ice content of the frozen confection should be greater than 15% but less than 45% when measured at -18°C. The frozen confection is preferably a water continuous emulsion.

[0082] The frozen confections of the present invention preferably contain air, i.e., have an overrun of more than 20 percent, preferably less than 200%. Most preferably, the product has an overrun of 20 to 100%. Overrun is defined by the following formula, measured at atmospheric pressure: % overrun = ((density of mixture - density of frozen confection) / density of frozen confection) x 100.

[0083] The frozen dessert composition preferably includes a protein, which may be present in the dairy analog composition in an amount of 0.1% to 10% by weight of the composition; preferably, the protein is a non-animal protein. Any suitable protein may be used, such as those discussed above. Specific types of protein that may be used include pea protein, chickpea protein, soy protein, rice protein, potato protein, and wheat protein.

[0084] The frozen dessert composition may include nut or fruit derived solids, typically present in an amount of 1% to 10% by weight of the composition. Sources of nut solids include almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, coconuts, butternuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, beech nuts, hickory nuts, chestnuts, pistachios, and mixtures thereof, although it will be understood that any suitable nut or fruit derived solids may be included.

[0085] The frozen dessert composition may include one or more sugars. Typically, sugars are present in an amount of 10% to 40% by weight of the composition. Sources of sugars include corn syrup, glucose syrup, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, galactose, dextrin, or combinations thereof, although it will be understood that other similar sugars and sugar sources may be included in the composition.

[0086] Typically, the frozen dessert composition includes one or more emulsifiers, which are typically present in an amount of up to 1% by weight of the dairy-like composition. Examples of emulsifiers that can be used include proteins and phospholipids, such as lecithin, and mono- and diglycerides.

[0087] Typically, the frozen dessert composition further comprises one or more hydrocolloid stabilizers, typically present in an amount of up to 1% by weight of the dairy-like composition. Examples of hydrocolloid stabilizers include gums such as guar gum and locust bean gum, as well as alginates and carrageenans. The stabilizers serve to ensure the appropriate properties of the composition, such as appropriate aeration, mouthfeel, and viscosity, and to provide stability to the composition.

[0088] In some embodiments, the frozen dessert composition further comprises an animal milk-derived protein, preferably the animal milk-derived protein comprises casein.

[0089] Other additives that may be included will be familiar to those skilled in the art and include preservatives, sweeteners, salt, bulking agents, flavorings, and inclusions such as nut pieces, fruit pieces, chocolate, and biscuit pieces.

[0090] Whipped cream composition The compositions of the present invention may also be alternative whipped cream compositions, such as non-dairy whipped cream compositions.

[0091] Typically, the whipped cream composition comprises from 1% to 40% by weight of the fat composition and up to 80% by weight of water. Preferably, the alternative whipped cream composition comprises from 4% to 35% by weight of the fat composition.

[0092] The particular fat composition for inclusion in the alternative whipped cream composition can be any of those discussed above. Preferably, the fat composition for inclusion in the alternative whipped cream composition includes only the hard stock component (a) and does not include the vegetable oil component (b).

[0093] The whipped cream composition may further include a protein, such as a non-animal protein. When included, the protein is preferably present in the alternative whipped cream composition in an amount of 0.1% to 5% by weight of the composition. In an alternative embodiment, the whipped cream composition may be protein-free.

[0094] Whipped cream compositions typically contain one or more emulsifiers. Preferably, the one or more emulsifiers are present in an amount of up to 1% by weight of the dairy-like composition. Any suitable emulsifier may be included. For example, anionic emulsifiers such as sodium stearoyl lactylate, diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides or diglycerides, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, polysorbates, monoglycerides, mono-diglycerides, lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides, lecithin, sorbitan monostearate, or combinations thereof may be included. Such emulsifiers are often important in contributing to the whipping properties of whipped cream compositions.

[0095] Whipped cream compositions typically contain one or more hydrocolloid stabilizers. Preferably, the one or more hydrocolloid stabilizers are present in the composition in an amount of up to 1% by weight of the dairy analogue composition. Hydrocolloid stabilizers may be added to the composition to further improve the stability of the whipped cream and improve whipping properties such as overrun and foam firmness. Hydrocolloid stabilizers are considered particularly desirable when the whipped cream composition does not contain protein. Examples of suitable hydrocolloid stabilizers include cellulose ether products, such as methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, and hydroxypropylcellulose.

[0096] The term whipped cream as used herein refers to an oil-in-water emulsion that can be aerated by whipping, whereby the fat globules collide and partially coalesce, forming aggregates or clusters that stabilize the foam structure.

[0097] The whipped cream composition may also contain additional additives such as sugars, sweeteners, bulking agents, flavorings, salts, and other additives known in the art for inclusion in such compositions.

[0098] In some embodiments, the alternative whipping cream composition further comprises an animal milk-derived protein, preferably the animal milk-derived protein comprises casein.

[0099] The whipped cream composition may be used in any suitable application known in the art, such as a dessert topping or garnish or ice cream.

[0100] In preferred embodiments, the dairy analog compositions of the present invention are suitable for consumption by vegetarians and vegans. Thus, in preferred embodiments, the dairy analog compositions are substantially free of animal protein, and more preferably, the dairy analog compositions are free of animal protein.

[0101] In a preferred embodiment, the dairy analog composition is substantially free of animal-derived products, and more preferably, the dairy analog composition is free of animal-derived proteins.

[0102] However, in some embodiments, the dairy analog composition may contain an animal-derived product, such as an animal-derived protein or fat. Thus, in some embodiments, the dairy analog composition further contains one or more animal-derived products, such as animal oil, fish oil, animal-derived protein, animal-derived polysaccharide, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more animal-derived products include animal milk protein, animal milk fat, or a combination thereof. In these embodiments, the dairy analog composition may be suitable for vegetarian consumption based on the inclusion of non-animal protein and protein or fat derived from animal milk. These dairy analog compositions are suitable for vegetarian consumption because they do not contain fat or protein derived from meat. However, it should be understood that such dairy analog compositions are not suitable for vegan consumption.

[0103] In embodiments where the dairy analog composition includes one or more animal-derived products, the one or more animal-derived products are typically present in the dairy analog composition in an amount of from 0.1% to 20% by weight of the dairy analog composition.

[0104] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a food product comprising a dairy analog composition according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0105] Preferably, the food product is a vegetarian or vegan dairy substitute, such as a vegan or vegetarian cheese substitute, frozen dessert substitute, plant-based dairy analogue beverage, plant-based dairy analogue powder, ghee, fermented product, yellow fat, spread, or whipped cream substitute.

[0106] In some embodiments, the food product comprises a cheese analog food product. The food product can be any cheese analog composition food product or a food product comprising the cheese analog composition of the present invention. The cheese analog composition of the present invention can be provided as any type of cheese analog composition food product. Preferably, the food product comprises pizza cheese, sandwich cheese, feta cheese, soft spreadable cheese, or hard cheese; more preferably, the food product comprises pizza cheese, sandwich cheese, or feta cheese.

[0107] In other embodiments, the food product is a whipped cream food product or a whipped cream-containing food product, such as a dessert topped or served with whipped cream.

[0108] In other embodiments, the food product is a frozen dessert food product, such as an ice cream or sorbet food product. Typically, the food product is a non-dairy ice cream food product.

[0109] The properties of the dairy analog composition or food products prepared using the composition may be measured by any suitable means. Desired properties may include firmness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, mouthfeel, coolness, icy coolness, melting rate, smoothness, creaminess, mouth-coating, sweetness, aroma, and resilience. Such means include taste testers that can provide feedback on the properties of the composition or food product, such as juiciness (or dryness), texture, chewiness, and hardness. Typically, multiple tasters will be asked to rate one or more properties of the composition or food product, such as on a scale of 1 to 15. When multiple tasters are asked, an average of the results can be obtained to observe a general impression of the food product.

[0110] The properties of a composition or food product may be measured using specialized equipment. For example, texture profile analysis (TPA) is a technique used to characterize the textural attributes of solid and semi-solid materials and can be used to determine hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, stickiness, chewiness, and resilience. In this technique, a test material may be compressed twice in a reciprocating motion, mimicking the chewing motion in the mouth, and a force versus time (and / or distance) graph can be generated from which the above information can be obtained. TPA and classification of texture properties are further described in Bourne MC, Food Technol., 1978, 32 (7), 62-66 and Trinh T. and Glasgow S., 'On the texture profile analysis test', Conference Paper, Conference: Chemeca 2012, Wellington, New Zealand, and can be performed as described therein.

[0111] A graph of force versus time (and / or distance) typically contains two peaks in the force corresponding to the two compression sections separated by a trough. Force may be measured in weight equivalents (g-force, g) or Newtons (N).

[0112] Hardness (g or N) is defined as the maximum peak experienced during the first compression cycle.

[0113] Adhesion is defined as the negative force area at the first bite, i.e., the area of ​​the graph between the two peaks of force at or below 0 g or N force. This represents the work required to overcome the attractive force between the surface of the food and the surface of any other material with which the food comes into contact, i.e., the total force required to pull the compression plunger away from the sample. Materials with high adhesiveness and low cohesion tend to have part of the sample adhere to the probe on the upward stroke when tested. Lifting the sample from the base of the test platform should be avoided if possible, as the weight of the sample on the probe can become part of the adhesion value. In certain cases, gluing the sample to the base of a disposable platform has been suggested, but this is not applicable to all samples.

[0114] Springiness, also known as elastomerism, relates to the height to which the food recovers during the time elapsed between the end of the first compression and the start of the second compression. During the first compression, the time is measured from the start of compression at force = 0 g or N to the first peak of force (referred to as "cycle 1 duration"). During the second cycle, the time is measured from the start of the second compression at force = 0 g or N to the second peak of force (referred to as "cycle 2 duration"). Springiness is calculated as the ratio of these values, i.e., "cycle 2 duration" / "cycle 1 duration."

[0115] Cohesion is defined as the ratio of the positive force area, i.e., the area under the curve above a force of 0 g or N during the second compression, to that during the first compression. Cohesion may be measured as the rate at which a material disintegrates under mechanical action. Tensile strength is a manifestation of cohesion. If adhesiveness is lower than cohesion, the probe is more likely to remain clean since the product has the ability to hold together. Cohesion is usually tested in terms of secondary parameters: friability, chewability, and stickiness.

[0116] Recovery force is a measure of how a sample recovers from deformation with respect to both induced speed and force. It is interpreted as the ratio of the area from the first probe reversal point, i.e., the point of maximum force, to the crossing of the x-axis, i.e., 0 g or N, to the area generated from the first compression cycle between the start of compression and the point of maximum force. To obtain a meaningful value for this parameter, a relatively slow test speed should be chosen that allows the sample to recover if it possesses this property.

[0117] According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of a fat composition in a dairy analogue composition, wherein the fat composition comprises an interesterified blend of vegetable oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil.

[0118] Preferably, the use comprises using the dairy analog composition in a food product.

[0119] Preferably, the dairy analog composition, fat composition and / or food product are as previously described according to the first and second aspects of the invention.

[0120] Preferably, the use involves using the fat composition to improve the nutritional profile of a dairy analogue composition when compared to a similar dairy analogue composition containing the same weight amount of coconut oil or palm kernel oil.

[0121] As used herein, the term "analogous dairy composition" refers to a dairy analog composition of equal weight that is identical to the dairy analog composition of the present invention, except for the nature of the fat present therein. The analogous dairy composition contains the same amount by weight of coconut oil or palm kernel oil as the dairy analog composition of the present invention contains a fat composition. The nutritional profile of the dairy analog composition of the present invention may be improved compared to coconut oil or palm kernel oil because coconut oil contains a lower total amount of saturated fatty acid residues per unit weight than coconut oil and palm kernel oil. Coconut oil contains as much as 90% saturated fatty acid residues. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that fats with a higher saturated fatty acid content increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and related conditions, and have an adverse effect on the consumer's cholesterol levels.

[0122] The use may include using a fat composition to provide a delayed release of flavor from the dairy analog composition upon consumption when compared to a similar dairy analog composition containing the same amount of palm oil by weight. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the delayed release of flavor compared to palm oil is due to the fat composition having a higher solid fat content than palm oil at a mouth temperature of 30°C to 35°C. Many flavor and flavor additive compounds are fat-soluble and therefore dissolve in the fat of the dairy analog composition. At a higher solid fat content, the release of dissolved flavor from the fat is delayed for a longer period of time. In the case of cheese analogs, it is believed that the delayed release of flavor allows the cheese analog composition to more closely mimic the mouthfeel and delayed flavor release of cheeses containing higher melting point fats, which typically have a higher solid fat content at mouth temperature.

[0123] Surprisingly, it has been found that when the dairy analog is a cheese analog composition, the fat composition provides organoleptic and functional properties similar to those of palm oil. This means that the fat composition can be used in place of palm oil in a variety of different types of cheese analog compositions without any compromise to consumer acceptance of the composition. Examples of such properties include sensory properties such as firmness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, resilience, and elasticity; functional behavior such as slicability, handling of cheese slices, handling of shredded cheese, spreadability of cheese when heated (e.g., in pizza applications), reduced waste during slicing, reduced waste during shredding, improved quality of sliced ​​cheese, and improved quality of shredded cheese; or any combination of these properties. Furthermore, it has been found that certain fat compositions are suitable for replacing palm oil in a variety of different types of cheese analog compositions. This is an unexpected and useful benefit.

[0124] Preferably, the one or more sensory properties include firmness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, resilience, springiness, or a combination thereof.

[0125] In embodiments in which the dairy analog composition comprises a substitute frozen dessert composition, it has been surprisingly found that the fat composition provides the frozen dessert composition with similar desirable properties as those provided by palm oil in commercially available non-dairy frozen dessert compositions. For example, it has been found that the frozen dessert composition of the present invention has a melting profile similar to that of a substitute composition containing palm oil. It has also been found that the composition of the present invention provides similar sensory properties when consumed as the substitute composition containing palm oil.

[0126] In embodiments where the dairy analog composition comprises a whipped cream composition, it has been surprisingly found that the fat composition imparts similar desirable properties to the whipped cream composition as those imparted to commercially available non-dairy whipped cream compositions by partially or fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil. In some embodiments, the use may include using the fat composition to provide increased creaminess, reduced product density, and / or less mouth-coating ability relative to an alternative whipped cream composition comprising the same weight amount of fully or partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil.

[0127] The use may include using the fat composition to reduce the whipping time of a whipped cream composition relative to an alternative whipped cream composition comprising the same weight of fully or partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil. In these embodiments, preferably, the fully hydrogenated vegetable oil of interesterified blend (b) comprises a mixed fatty acid chain length vegetable oil, such as a high erucic acid vegetable oil. It has been found that when such a fat composition is used, the whipping time of the whipped cream composition is advantageously reduced.

[0128] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of producing a dairy analog composition according to the first aspect of the invention or a food product according to the second aspect of the invention, the method comprising combining a fat composition as described herein with water, and optionally one or more additional ingredients, to form a dairy analog composition, and optionally forming the dairy analog composition into a food product.

[0129] Suitable processes for forming the dairy analog compositions desired herein include those already known in the art for forming said compositions.

[0130] In embodiments where the dairy analog composition is a cheese analog composition, the method typically includes combining the fat composition described herein, water, starch, and optional non-animal protein and / or one or more additional ingredients to form a cheese analog composition, and optionally forming the cheese analog composition into a food product. In some embodiments, the method includes combining the ingredients at a temperature of 60°C to 95°C; preferably 70°C to 85°C, more preferably 75°C to 80°C. At such temperatures, the fat composition melts and becomes intimately and uniformly mixed with the water, starch, and protein, and other ingredients, if present, to form a homogeneous system. The ingredients can be mixed with each other in any suitable order, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. After combining, the components of the composition are typically mixed in a shear mixer. Typically, when the cheese analog composition is a softer composition, such as cream cheese or other spreadable cheese substitute composition, higher shear is used to mix the ingredients. Relatively lower shear is typically used for firmer cheese analog compositions. While the above steps are preferred steps for producing the cheese analog compositions or food products described herein, it will be understood that other suitable processes may be used to produce the cheese analog compositions and food products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0131] [Figure 1] 1 shows the firmness of various cheese analog compositions of the present invention and a comparative cheese analog composition containing palm oil. [Figure 2] 1 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of various cheese analog compositions of the present invention and a comparative cheese analog composition containing palm oil. [Figure 3] 1 shows the melting profiles of various frozen dessert compositions of the present invention and a comparative alternative frozen dessert composition containing palm oil. [Figure 4] 3 shows photographs of various frozen dessert compositions of the present invention and a comparative alternative frozen dessert composition containing palm oil after various periods of time. [Figure 5]1 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of various alternative frozen dessert compositions of the present invention and a comparative alternative frozen dessert composition containing palm oil. [Figure 6] 1 shows photographs of a whipped cream composition of the present invention and a comparative whipped cream composition containing fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil, the photographs also showing the overrun of the compositions. [Figure 7] 1 shows a graph of whipping time to achieve maximum firmness for two whipped cream compositions of the present invention and a comparative whipped cream composition containing fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil. [Figure 8] 1 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of two whipped cream compositions of the present invention and one comparative whipped cream composition containing fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0132] The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. [Example]

[0133] Two hardstock blends were prepared as follows:

[0134] Hardstock XP 6523: Formed by transesterification of a blend of 50 wt.% rapeseed oil; 40 wt.% fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil; and 10 wt.% fully hydrogenated high erucic acid rapeseed oil.

[0135] Hardstock XP6320: Formed by interesterification of a blend of 50% rapeseed oil and 50% fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil.

[0136] The hard stock blend was mixed with rapeseed oil in the amounts shown in Table 1 below to obtain the fat composition.

[0137] [Table 1]

[0138] Cheese analog compositions of the present invention were prepared containing each of fat compositions A through D, and a comparative cheese analog composition containing fat E was also prepared. The firmness of the cheese analog compositions was measured using a hardness tester. For each composition, firmness was measured after two days and one week. The results for compositions A through E are shown in Figure 1.

[0139] The results, shown in Figure 1, show that after two days, all compositions of the present invention had lower firmness than the comparative compositions containing palm oil. The results in Figure 1 also show that after one week, the comparative cheese analog compositions containing palm oil had the highest firmness and showed the greatest increase in firmness from two days to one week. Lower firmness is desirable because it is believed to be related to improved cheese mouthfeel and reduced crumble and fines formation upon cutting or processing. Thus, these cheese analog compositions of the present invention exhibit desirable improved properties over state-of-the-art cheese analog compositions containing palm oil.

[0140] All cheeses were subjected to a sensory evaluation by a seven-person panel. The results of this evaluation are shown in Figure 2. It can be seen that the cheeses of the present invention compared comparably to the comparative cheeses containing palm oil in the sensory evaluation. The panel concluded that no significant sensory differences were detected between the cheeses, indicating that the cheese analog compositions of the present invention can be an effective substitute for cheese analog compositions known in the art that contain palm oil. [Example]

[0141] The same hardstock and fat compositions as previously described in Example 1 and Table 1 were prepared.

[0142] Four frozen dessert compositions of the present invention were now prepared using the fat composition and compared to a comparative frozen dessert composition containing the same weight amount of palm oil. The melting profiles of the compositions were tested and the results are shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0143] 3 and 4 show that each of the compositions of the present invention has a melting profile similar to the comparative composition containing palm oil.

[0144] This composition was also subjected to sensory evaluation, the results of which are shown in Figure 5. The results show that across a variety of different attributes, the composition of the present invention scored similarly to the comparative composition containing palm oil.

[0145] The results show that the composition of the present invention could be used as an effective replacement for palm oil in frozen dessert compositions. [Example]

[0146] Two hardstock blends were prepared as follows:

[0147] Hardstock XP 6523: Formed by transesterification of a blend of 50 wt. % rapeseed oil; 40 wt. % fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil; and 10 wt. % fully hydrogenated high erucic acid rapeseed oil.

[0148] Hardstock XP 6320: Formed by interesterification of a blend of 50% rapeseed oil and 50% fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil.

[0149] Whipped cream compositions of the present invention were then prepared containing the hard stock fat composition. Comparative whipped cream compositions containing fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil (PKO) were also prepared. The compositions were whipped to form whipped cream foam. Photographs of each of the compositions are shown in Figure 6. Various properties of the compositions are shown in Table 2 below.

[0150] [Table 2]

[0151] The results in Table 2 show that similar overruns were obtained for FH PKO compared to the two compositions of the present invention (see Figure 6).

[0152] Figure 7 shows the development of firmness of each composition over time by whipping. In Figure 7, composition 1 contains FH PKO, and compositions 2 and 3 are compositions of the present invention. It can be seen that the FH PKO compositions have significantly higher maximum firmness.

[0153] It can also be observed that the compositions of the present invention had desirably faster whipping times than the comparative FH PKO compositions, with the XP 6523 composition having the fastest whipping time of the compositions.

[0154] The three compositions were subjected to sensory evaluation, the results of which are shown in Figure 8. For evaluation, each of the three compositions was whipped for 60 seconds.

[0155] * indicates that a statistical difference was observed between the various formulations for a particular property ( * (The higher the number, the greater the statistical difference). It can be seen that the compositions of the present invention had significantly lower hardness and density than the fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil composition. This can be advantageous in certain scenarios. The FH PKO composition was considered over-whipped and undesirably overly hard. The compositions of the present invention had a better fresh cream flavor than the FH PKO composition.

[0156] The results of the sensory evaluation and testing indicate that the composition of the present invention could be used as an effective replacement for FH PKO in a whipped cream composition.

Claims

1. A dairy product-like composition comprising up to 90% by weight of water and 1% to 80% by weight of a fat composition, wherein the fat composition comprises a transesterified blend of a non-tropical vegetable oil and a fully hydrogenated non-tropical vegetable oil, preferably the fat composition is present in the dairy product-like composition in an amount of 1% to 40% by weight of the dairy product-like composition, said dairy product-like composition.

2. The fat composition comprises (a) a transesterified blend of 5% to 95% by weight of the fat composition of a vegetable oil and a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) 5% to 95% by weight of the fat composition of a blended vegetable oil; preferably the fat composition comprises (a) a transesterified blend of 10% to 90% by weight of the fat composition of a vegetable oil and a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) 10% to 90% by weight of the fat composition of a blended vegetable oil; more preferably the fat composition comprises (a) a transesterified blend of 20% to 80% by weight of the fat composition of a vegetable oil and a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) 20% to 80% by weight of the fat composition of a blended vegetable oil; even more preferably the fat composition comprises (a) a transesterified blend of 50% to 80% by weight of the fat composition of a vegetable oil and a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) 20% to 50% by weight of the fat composition of a blended vegetable oil; most preferably the fat composition comprises (a) a transesterified blend of 60% to 80% by weight of the fat composition of a vegetable oil and a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, and (b) 20% to 40% by weight of the fat composition of a blended vegetable oil, the dairy product-like composition according to claim 1.

3. The transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of 20% to 60% by weight of a vegetable oil and 40% to 80% by weight of a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, preferably the transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of 40% to 60% by weight of a vegetable oil and 40% to 60% by weight of a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil; more preferably the transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of 45% to 55% by weight of a vegetable oil and 45% to 55% by weight of a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil, the dairy product-like composition according to claim 1 or 2. **Claim 4**: The transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of a liquid vegetable oil and a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil; preferably, the transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of (i) a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil and (ii) a vegetable oil, and each vegetable oil is selected from rapeseed oil, high-oleic rapeseed oil, high-ercic rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, high-oleic sunflower oil, linseed oil, olive oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, karinata oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, high-oleic safflower oil, peanut oil, rice oil, camelina oil, or any combination thereof; more preferably, the transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of (i) a fully hydrogenated vegetable oil and (ii) a vegetable oil, and each vegetable oil is selected from rapeseed oil, high-oleic rapeseed oil, high-ercic rapeseed oil, or a combination thereof; even more preferably, the transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of (i) fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil, fully hydrogenated high-oleic rapeseed oil, or a combination thereof, and (ii) rapeseed oil, high-oleic rapeseed oil, or a combination thereof; most preferably, the transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of (i) fully hydrogenated high-oleic rapeseed oil and (ii) high-oleic rapeseed oil. The dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3. **Claim 5**: The fully hydrogenated vegetable oil contains high-ercic rapeseed oil, karinata oil, or any combination thereof; preferably, the transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of (i) fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil, (ii) fully hydrogenated high-ercic rapeseed oil, and (iii) a vegetable oil; more preferably, the transesterified blend is a transesterified blend of (i) 40% to 60% by weight of rapeseed oil, (ii) 5% to 15% by weight of fully hydrogenated high-ercic rapeseed oil, and (iii) 30% to 50% by weight of fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil. The dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4. **Claim 6**: A dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein (a) the interesterified blend contains less than 55% by weight of saturated fatty acid residues, (b) the interesterified blend contains stearic acid residues in an amount of 40% to 60%, and / or (c) the interesterified blend contains palmitic acid residues in an amount of 2.5% to 7.5%; said percentage of fatty acid residues refers to the fatty acids bonded as acyl groups of glycerides in the interesterified blend and is relative to the total weight of C4-C24 fatty acid residues bonded as acyl groups present in the interesterified blend. **Claim 7**: A dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the interesterified blend is produced by chemical interesterification, enzymatic interesterification, or a combination thereof; and / or (b) the blended vegetable oil contains rapeseed oil, high-oleic rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, high-oleic sunflower oil, linseed oil, olive oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, high-oleic safflower oil, peanut oil, rice oil, camelina oil, or any combination thereof. **Claim 8**: A dairy product-like composition is a cheese-like composition containing 15% to 30% by weight of a fat composition, 0% to 45% by weight of starch, 0% to 15% by weight of non-animal protein, and 35% to 65% by weight of water, preferably said composition contains 1% to 45% by weight of starch and 0.1% to 15% by weight of non-animal protein, a dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7. **Claim 9**: The dairy product-like composition according to claim 8, wherein the starch contains unprocessed starch, processed starch, or a combination thereof; preferably said starch contains unprocessed or processed vegetable starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, or a combination thereof; more preferably said starch contains potato starch, waxy corn starch, tapioca starch, or a combination thereof. **Claim 10**: The non-animal protein includes vegetable proteins such as algal protein, black bean protein, canola protein, chickpea protein, fava bean protein, lentil protein, adzuki bean protein, lotus root protein, oat protein, pea protein, potato protein, rice protein, soybean protein, sunflower seed protein, wheat protein, white bean protein, proteins generated in the laboratory, and isolates or concentrates of these proteins; or the non-animal protein includes seitan, mushroom protein, legume protein, tempeh, yam flour, tofu, mycoprotein, peanut flour, yuba, nuts, nut-derived proteins, or combinations thereof. The dairy product-like composition according to claim 8 or 9. **Claim 11**: (a) The cheese-like composition includes one or more flavor additives, preferably the one or more flavor additives are present in an amount of 0.05% to 5% by weight of the alternative cheese composition; (b) The cheese-like composition includes one or more coloring additives, preferably the one or more coloring additives are present in an amount of 0.01% to 1% by weight of the cheese-like composition; and / or (c) The cheese-like composition further includes an ionic or non-ionic emulsifier, polyhydroxy compound, milk, liquid flavor, alcohol, humectant, honey, liquid preservative, liquid sweetener, liquid oxidant, liquid reducing agent, liquid antioxidant, liquid acidity regulator, liquid enzyme, powdered milk, hydrolyzed protein isolate (peptide), amino acid, yeast, sugar substitute, salt, spice, fiber, thickener and gelling agent, egg powder, enzyme, gluten, vitamin, preservative, sweetener, oxidant, reducing agent, antioxidant, acid, and acidity regulator. The dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 8 to 10. **Claim 12**: (a) The cheese-like composition contains 35% to 55% by weight of water, and the combined weight percentage of starch and non-animal protein in the cheese-like composition is 25% to 35%, preferably the cheese-like composition is cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, pizza cheese, sandwich cheese, or a cheese-like composition of a similar type; (b) The cheese-like composition contains 45% to 55% by weight of water, and the combined weight percentage of starch and non-animal protein in the cheese-like composition is 20% to 35%, preferably the cheese-like composition is a soft cheese-like composition, such as brie or brie-type cheese, feta cheese, or a cheese-like composition of a similar type; or (c) The cheese-like composition contains 50% to 65% by weight of water, and the combined weight percentage of starch and non-animal protein in the cheese-like composition is 5% to 25%, preferably the cheese-like composition is a spreadable cheese-like composition, such as cream cheese, or a cheese-like composition of a similar type. The dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 8 to 11. **Claim 13**: (a) The fat composition has a solid fat content (SFC) N10 of less than 60 measured with respect to the destabilized fat according to ISO 8292-1, preferably the fat composition has a solid fat content (SFC) N10 of 50 to 60 measured with respect to the destabilized fat according to ISO 8292-1; and / or (b) The combined weight percentage of starch and non-animal protein in the cheese-like composition is less than 30%, preferably 20% to 30%, and the cheese-like composition may contain less than 12.5% by weight of non-animal protein. The dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 9 to 12. **Claim 14** A dairy product-like composition is a frozen dessert composition containing 1% to 20% by weight of a fat composition, 10% to 40% by weight of saccharides, and 30% to 80% by weight of water. Preferably, the dairy product-like composition contains 50% to 70% by weight of water, 1% to 10% by weight of a fat composition; 20% to 35% by weight of saccharides which may include corn syrup, glucose syrup, glucose, fructose, sucrose, dextrin, dextrose, or a combination thereof; and may contain 1% to 10% by weight of solids derived from fruits or nuts. The dairy product-like composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 7. **Claim 15** A whipped cream composition containing 1% to 40% by weight of a fat composition and up to 80% by weight of water. Preferably, it contains 4% to 35% by weight of a fat composition. The dairy product-like composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 7. **Claim 16** (a) Further containing a protein, the protein may be present in the dairy product-like composition in an amount of 0.1% to 10% by weight of the composition, preferably the protein is a non-animal protein; (b) Further containing one or more emulsifiers, preferably the one or more emulsifiers are present in the dairy product-like composition in an amount of at most 1% by weight; and / or (c) Further containing one or more hydrocolloid stabilizers, preferably the one or more hydrocolloid stabilizers are present in the dairy product-like composition in an amount of at most 1% by weight. The dairy product-like composition according to Claim 14 or 15. **Claim 17** Substantially free of animal protein and / or animal fat, preferably free of animal protein and / or animal fat; more preferably substantially free of animal-derived products; most preferably free of animal-derived products. The dairy product-like composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 16. **Claim 18** The dairy product-like composition further comprises one or more animal-derived products such as animal oil, fish oil, animal-derived protein, animal-derived polysaccharide, or any combination thereof, preferably the one or more animal-derived products comprise animal milk protein, animal milk fat, or a combination thereof; more preferably the one or more animal-derived products comprise animal milk protein; most preferably the one or more animal-derived products comprise casein; the one or more animal-derived products may be present in the dairy product-like composition in an amount of 1% to 20% by weight of the dairy product-like composition. The dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 16. **Claim 19** A food comprising the dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 18, which is a dairy product substitute food for vegetarians or vegans, such as a vegan or vegetarian cheese substitute, frozen dessert substitute, plant-based dairy product-like beverage, plant-based dairy product-like powder, ghee, fermented product, yellow fat, spread, or whipped cream substitute food; preferably comprising a cheese-like food, and the cheese-like food may comprise pizza cheese, sandwich cheese, feta cheese, soft spreadable cheese, or hard cheese food. The food. **Claim 20** Use of a fat composition in a dairy product-like composition, wherein the fat composition comprises an ester exchange blend of vegetable oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil; optionally, (a) the use further comprises using the dairy product-like composition in food; and / or (b) the dairy product-like composition, the fat composition, and / or the food are as defined in any one of claims 1 to 19. The use. **Claim 21**: (a) using a fat composition to improve the nutritional profile of a dairy product-like composition as compared to a similar dairy product-like composition containing the same weight of coconut oil or a similar or fully or partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil; (b) the dairy product-like composition is a whipped cream composition according to any one of claims 15 to 18, and using a fat composition to provide increased creaminess, reduced product density, and / or low mouthcoating properties as compared to a whipped cream-like composition containing the same weight of fully or partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil; and / or (c) the dairy product-like composition is a whipped cream composition according to any one of claims 15 to 18, and using a fat composition to shorten the whipping time of the whipped cream composition, preferably wherein the fat composition is as defined in claim 5, the use according to claim 20. **Claim 22**: A method for producing a dairy product-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 18 or a food according to claim 19, the method comprising combining a fat composition defined by any one of claims 1 to 7 with water and optionally one or more additional components to form the dairy product-like composition, and optionally forming the dairy product-like composition into a food. **Claim 23**: The method according to claim 22, wherein the dairy product-like composition is a cheese-like composition, the method comprising combining a fat composition defined by claims 1 to 7 with water, starch, and optionally non-animal protein and / or one or more additional components to form the cheese-like composition, and optionally forming the cheese-like composition into a food; preferably wherein the combining step is carried out at a temperature of 60°C to 95°C, more preferably 70°C to 85°C, the method according to claim 22.

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