Composite flour, method of production, and food products made from composite flour

Abstract

Composite flour comprises native plant flour and complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils at least partially enclosed by a wall material and incorporated within the composite flour, and polysaccharides from a portion of the native plant flour form part of the wall material. The wall material comprises proteins, such as pea protein, polysaccharides released from the native plant flour, and emulsifiers, and / or polysaccharide fibers, such as acacia fiber. Native plant flour can be gluten flour, gluten-free flour, and / or low-carbohydrate seed flour, nut flour, or plant flour. Composite flour can replace conventional flour to make foods such as baked goods, fried goods, or boiled goods, and has benefits such as reduced gluten and / or carbohydrates, increased freshness and volume, and improved texture and taste compared to alternative flours, and even compared to all-purpose flour. Composite flour can be blended with native flour and / or another composite flour to form a blended flour.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001]

[0001] Wheat flour is a powder made by milling wheat and used for human consumption. Gluten, the major protein in wheat flour, is a combination of several glutelin proteins, primarily glutelin, and is found in other grains, such as barley and rye, which imparts characteristic texture, elasticity, and flavor to baked goods. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" when they have a low gluten content and "hard" or "strong" when they have a high gluten content. Strong flour, or bread flour, is high in gluten, with a gluten content of 12% to 14%. Its dough has an elastic toughness that allows it to hold its shape well once baked. Weak flour is relatively low in gluten, resulting in loaf shapes with a finer, more crumbly texture. There are three general types of flour in terms of the parts of the grain used in the flour (endosperm or protein / starch part, germ or protein / fat / vitamin-rich part, and bran, or fiber part). White flour is made from the endosperm only. Brown flour contains some of the grain's germ and bran, while whole grain or whole grain table flour is made from the whole grain, including the bran, endosperm, and germ. Germ flour is made from the endosperm and germ, excluding the bran.

[0002]

[0002] The use of wheat with a higher gluten content can cause health problems for many people. Additionally, all-purpose refined flour is generally considered unhealthy because it is very high in carbohydrates, low in fat, protein, and fiber, typically with a high glycemic index of over 70. Often, all-purpose flour is "fortified" to include certain vitamins and minerals in an attempt to make the flour "healthier." However, the imbalance in high carbohydrates, not offset by vitamins and minerals, can cause or exacerbate diabetes, obesity, and other health problems caused by nutritionally unbalanced, high-glycemic-index foods. Regarding gluten, there are primarily two types of harm caused by gluten: celiac disease and non-celiac gluten intolerance (NCGS), or gluten intolerance.

[0003] Celiac disease, sometimes called celiac spurue or gluten-intolerant enteropathy, is an immune response to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. In people with celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune response in the small intestine. Over time, this response damages the small intestinal lining, preventing it from absorbing some nutrients (malabsorption). Small intestinal damage often causes diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, swelling, and anemia, and can lead to serious complications. In children, malabsorption can also affect growth and development. There is no cure for celiac disease, but for most people, following a strict gluten-free diet can help manage symptoms and promote small intestinal healing.

[0004]

[0004] NCGS is a gluten-related disorder that is less severe than celiac disease but has similar symptoms and treatment. There is much debate in the scientific community about whether NCGS is a notable clinical disorder. The pathogenesis of NCGS is poorly understood but is associated with activation of the innate immune system through the direct cytotoxic effects of gluten, possibly other wheat components. There is evidence that gliadin, a class of proteins that constitutes approximately 70% of the proteins in gluten and is the primary cytotoxic antigen of gluten, may be responsible. Other proteins, such as amylase / trypsin inhibitors (ATIs), present in small amounts (approximately 2–4%) in gluten-containing cereals (wheat, rye, barley, and their derivatives), may also play a role in the progression of the condition. ATIs are potent activators of the innate immune system.

[0005] NCGS is the most common syndrome of gluten-related disorders, with a prevalence of between 0.5% and 13% of the general population. Because no biomarkers are available to diagnose this condition, its diagnosis is made by excluding other gluten-related disorders, such as celiac disease and wheat allergy. Many people are not diagnosed according to strict criteria, and there may be a fad component underlying the recent rise in popularity of gluten-free diets, leading to debate over the evidence for this condition and its relationship to celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome. People with NCGS are often not recognized by experts and may lack appropriate medical care and treatment. They often have a long history of health complaints and unsuccessful consultations with physicians, so many may resort to gluten-free diets and self-diagnosis of gluten intolerance.

[0006]

[0006] Other problems associated with gluten include gluten ataxia and wheat allergy. Gluten ataxia is an autoimmune disorder that affects certain nerve tissue, causing problems with muscle control and voluntary muscle movement. Wheat allergy, like other food allergies, is the result of the immune system misidentifying gluten or some other protein found in wheat as a pathogen, such as a virus or bacteria. The immune system produces antibodies against the proteins, promoting an immune system response that can result in congestion, difficulty breathing, brain damage, neurological problems affecting motor skills, and other symptoms.

[0007]

[0007] To address gluten-related disorders or allergies, many people turn to gluten-free alternatives to wheat flour, such as gluten-free grain flours. These alternatives include oat flour, rice flour, or corn flour; non-grain flours, such as almond flour and coconut flour; and flour blends containing other substances, such as plant proteins added to flour. Commercially available gluten-free flours are typically made with different mixtures, which vary from brand to brand. They may contain rice flour, teff flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, chickpea flour, or buckwheat flour. These flours may also contain nut foods made from very finely ground almonds or other nuts. Some of these "flours" are also low in carbohydrates.

[0008]

[0008] There are several problems associated with alternative flours compared to all-purpose white wheat flour, including not working properly in existing recipes, unpleasant taste, poor flowability, and poor quality of the finished baked goods or other food products. This not only makes these products less appealing, but often makes them "must eat" products instead of "want to eat," making them expensive and generally not commercially viable for the entire population.

[0009]

[0009] Non-grain flours, such as coconut flour, are made by grinding dried coconut meat. During production, the coconut is first cracked open and the liquid poured off. The coconut meat is then scooped, rinsed, coarsely grated, and strained to separate the solids from the milk. The solids are then baked at low temperature until dry and then ground into flour. The resulting white powder looks and feels similar to flour made from grains such as wheat. Its aroma is mild. Compared to wheat flour, coconut flour is higher in fiber, protein, and certain vitamins and minerals such as potassium and iron. However, coconut flour does not work properly in existing recipes and suffers from the same enduring weaknesses as gluten-free flours: unpleasant taste, poor flowability, and poor quality of the finished baked goods or other foods, making them expensive and generally not commercially viable for the general population.

[0010] In an attempt to create healthier flours, flours can be "blended" to contain different ingredients. Examples of "blended flours" are medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) powder and coconut flour blended with healthy oils. Because MCTs are liquid at room temperature, they must be processed to form a powder for blending with other powders, such as wheat flour. To convert liquid MCTs into a solid powder form, manufacturers mix the oil with a carrier material (usually starch) and then spray-dry the mixture into a powder form. The carrier powder used in the spray-drying process is often a low-quality starch that is inexpensive and easy to work with. MCT powders generally contain 50-80% MCTs and 20-50% starchy powder. This can be problematic for people trying to limit carbohydrates, which can raise insulin levels and cause food intolerances. Blended flours are generally an attempt to make the resulting flour healthier. However, MCT oil often causes gastrointestinal (GI) problems even when ingested in small doses. In the case of MCT powder blended into regular wheat flour, gluten-free flour, or non-grain flour, blending does not solve the GI problems often associated with MCT ingestion. Another problem is the tendency of coconut-MCT blended flour to separate during the mixing process, which then creates an incorrect consistency during baking, resulting in inferior quality baked products.

[0011]

[0011] Other nutritional oils are used in baking, cooking, and for dietary reasons. Some oils, especially polyunsaturated oils, can have long-term stability issues and can emit rancid odors due to the presence of reactive unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds. Some oils, such as fish oil, have an unpleasant taste. Other oils have temperature stability issues (i.e., low smoke points). Such oils are rarely, if ever, made into powder form, but are added as liquids or ingested in capsules to mask their taste (e.g., fish oil, krill oil, and flaxseed oil).

[0012] The main problem with gluten-free flours is their tendency to produce off-flavored and structurally unstable products. Wheat flour and other gluten-containing flours typically taste better and produce longer-lasting baked products that hold together well, using most baking recipes already designed around the use of wheat flour. To create products that bake and hold together properly like gluten-containing flours, gluten-free products may contain substantial amounts of gums, such as carrageenan, which can also cause gastrointestinal (GI) issues. Gums are naturally occurring food additives and include compounds such as carrageenan, xanthan gum, guar gum, and gum arabic. They are used extensively in gluten-free baking as texture enhancers to replace the superior elastic properties typically provided by gluten. Their ability to thicken and stabilize dough helps improve the consistency and wettability of gluten-free goods, which are notoriously dense and crumbly. In fact, food gums are found almost ubiquitously in commercially available gluten-free baked goods such as breads, cookies, cakes and muffins.

[0013] Unfortunately, many gums are also fermentable in the intestine and can contribute to gas and bloating in sensitive individuals, especially at high intakes. To be clear, dietary gums are not considered harmful or unhealthy, and consuming fermentable carbohydrates, such as those represented by gum, may be beneficial to health due to their prebiotic effects. However, for people who are more susceptible to pain and digestive problems associated with small intestinal gas, high intakes of dietary gums may be difficult to tolerate. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014]

[0014] Thus, there is a long-felt unmet need to find ways to make wheat and other gluten flours naturally healthier, and to develop healthy alternative flours for baking that can replace wheat flour without changing typical recipes and / or creating bad-tasting and / or structurally unstable and / or expensive baked products. There is also a long-felt unmet need to find unique and beneficial ways to deliver effective doses of MCTs to a subject without causing GI upset or disorders. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015]

[0015] Disclosed herein is a composite flour (composite flour) with improved nutritional and performance profiles compared to conventional flours, as well as a method for making the composite flour. Such composite flours can be used for baking and cooking like conventional flours, but with several benefits. These benefits include gluten reduction or elimination, carbohydrate reduction, and the incorporation of effective amounts of healthy, energy-rich medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and / or other nutritional oils into the diet that can impart a desired nutritional profile. MCT oil is rapidly and easily metabolized to energy as a preferred energy alternative to sugar without raising insulin or glucose levels and without causing GI disorders. Other nutritional oils can be included in place of or in addition to MCT oil.

[0016]

[0016] There are three general categories of composite flours disclosed herein: traditional wheat or other gluten-containing composite flours with reduced gluten and carbohydrates, gluten-free composite flours with reduced carbohydrates without gluten, and low-carbohydrate composite flours with significantly reduced carbohydrates without gluten. These categories are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but they emphasize different aspects. All three categories advantageously contain energy-rich complexed MCT oil and / or other nutritional oils. Traditional composite flours are made from wheat or other gluten-containing flours. Gluten-free composite flours replace wheat or other gluten-containing flours with plant-based flours made from gluten-free grains, seeds, nuts, or roots. Low-carbohydrate composite flours are typically made from seed or nut flours that naturally have a lower carbohydrate content than traditional flours and gluten-free flours, which have a higher carbohydrate content. Each of these flours imparts a different and distinct macronutrient profile, where different health properties can be identified when used.

[0017]

[0017] Because MCT oil and other nutritional oils are typically liquid at room temperature, composite flour incorporates micro- and / or nano-sized droplets or particles of MCT and / or other nutritional oils encapsulated and / or complexed with a protein-based and / or polysaccharide-based wall structure to form complex nutritional oils. "MCT oil" includes one or more of C6 to C12 triglycerides. In a preferred embodiment, the MCT oil includes one or more of C8 (caprylic) triglyceride, C10 (capric) triglyceride, a mixture of C8 and C10 triglycerides, or a mixture of C8 and C10 triglycerides.

[0018] Other nutritional oils that can be used in place of or in addition to MCT oil include a wide variety of plant- and animal-derived oils. The benefit of encapsulating nutritional oils in a wall material is that it can hide or mask the taste and sensation of such oils while imparting the desired nutritional benefits. Examples of nutritional oils include acai oil, almond oil, amaranth oil, animal fat, apricot oil, apple seed oil, argan oil, avocado oil, babassu oil, beech nut oil, bean oil, black seed oil, blackcurrant seed oil, borage seed oil, Borneo tallow nut oil, Brazil nut oil, butterfat, butternut squash seed oil, and cabbage seed (Camelina sativa) oil. sativa) oil, camellia oil, canola oil, carob pod oil, castor oil, cocklebur oil, cocoa butter, coriander seed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, date seed oil, egusi seed oil, fish oil, evening primrose oil, flax seed oil, grape seed oil, hazelnut oil, hemp seed oil, kapok seed oil, kenaf seed oil, krill oil, lard, long-chain fatty acids and their glycerides, macadamia oil, mafra oil, marula oil, mustard oil, niger seed oil, nutmeg butter, okra seed oil, olive oil, palm oil, papaya seed oil, peanut oil, peach kernel oil, pecan oil , perilla seed oil, persimmon seed oil, peki oil, pili nut oil, pine nut oil, pistachio oil, pomegranate seed oil, poppy seed oil, prakash oil, prune kernel oil, pumpkin seed oil, quinoa oil, niger seed oil, rice bran oil, roil oil, sacha inchi oil, safflower oil (e.g., high oleic acid), salicornia oil, sapote oil, sage oil, sesame oil, shea butter, short chain fatty acids and their glycerides, soybean oil, sunflower oil, tarramilla oil, thistle oil, tiger nut oil, tomato seed oil, walnut oil, watermelon seed oil, and wheat germ oil.

[0019]

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the wall structure of the complexed MCT comprises protein (e.g., pea protein), polysaccharide (e.g., starch) from plant flour (e.g., gluten flour, gluten-free flour, or low-carbohydrate flour), emulsifier (e.g., gum arabic), and optional co-emulsifier (e.g., calcium stearoyl lactylate and / or sodium stearoyl lactylate). In other embodiments, polysaccharide fiber (e.g., acacia fiber) can be used in addition to or instead of protein to form the wall structure of the complexed MCT oil incorporated within the composite flour. The complexed MCT oil can optionally be supplemented or at least partially replaced with one or more other nutritional oils (e.g., containing unsaturated fatty acids, long-chain fatty acids, and / or short-chain fatty acids).

[0020]

[0020] Forming complexed MCT oil and / or other nutritional oils within the composite flour creates powdery properties for the MCT oil and / or other nutritional oils and maintains the stability and freshness of the complexed oils and composite flour containing the complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils. Depending on the ratio of wall material to MCT and / or other nutritional oils, there may be excess wall material such that some of the wall material may form empty micelles, vesicles, or aggregate complexes that do not contain and / or are not complexed with MCT and / or other nutritional oils. In some cases, "empty" micelles contain water droplets instead of MCT and / or other nutritional oils. In other cases, aggregate complexes may contain only wall material. Including excess wall material ensures that all or substantially all of the MCT and / or other nutritional oils are encapsulated and / or complexed with the wall material.

[0021] Composite flour typically comprises clusters composed of micro- and / or nano-sized particles containing complexed MCT oil and / or other nutritional oils, modified and / or unmodified plant flour particles, and excess wall material, e.g., nanomicelles, nanovesicles, uncombined proteins, and / or uncombined emulsifiers, which can form clusters with themselves, with the complexed MCT oil and / or other nutritional oils, or with the modified and / or unmodified plant flour particles. In preferred embodiments, some of the wall material used to form the complexed MCT oil and / or other nutritional oils is contributed by the plant flour particles, which release starch or other polysaccharides during formation. The release of polysaccharides from the plant flour yields modified plant flour particles containing protein but reduced polysaccharides. In some embodiments, the encapsulated MCT and / or other nutritional oil droplets or particles form a nutritional oil core, and the wall structure forms a shell that at least partially encapsulates the nutritional core.

[0022]

[0022] The various ingredients that make up the composite flour can be considered to be involved in physical and / or chemical transformations compared to "blended" native plant flour mixed with conventional MCT oil. Such transformations produce composite flours that store better, flow better, mix better, have increased nutrients, and have higher product quality (e.g., improved quality of baked goods). Composite flours have lower bulk densities than flours made from the same type of flour, such as native wheat flour and blends of native wheat flour and MCT powder. They also produce food products with greater volume (i.e., a given weight or volume of composite flour used to replace one of the conventional flours in a recipe).

[0023]

[0023] The composite flour disclosed herein is significantly different from and behaves substantially better than blended MCT flour, which is a simple dry blend of native plant (e.g., coconut) flour and typical MCT powder (e.g., MCT oil spray-dried with polysaccharides). Conventional MCT powder typically contains up to 50% polysaccharides. Therefore, dry blending MCT powder with native plant flour significantly increases the polysaccharide content and reduces the protein content of the blended flour. Dry blending MCT powder with native wheat flour does not change the properties of either the MCT powder or the native wheat flour; both behave as if they were in the absence of the other. Also, applying MCT oil directly to native plant flour does not alter either the MCT oil or the plant flour (i.e., there are no chemical and / or physical changes that occur when making the plant-MCT composite flour disclosed herein).

[0024] For example, ingesting MCT oil, either in oil or powder form, typically causes GI issues, such as stomach upset and / or diarrhea. In contrast, the composite flour disclosed herein alters the way the body absorbs MCT oil, reducing or eliminating the GI issues typically associated with ingesting effective doses of MCT oil. In addition, some of the starch or other polysaccharides from the plant flour are incorporated into the wall material that encapsulates and / or complexes with the MCT oil, which may improve the properties and performance of the plant-MCT composite flour. Encapsulating other nutritional oils can beneficially mask and / or improve their taste while still imparting all of the nutritional benefits.

[0025] An exemplary embodiment of a method for producing a composite flour includes: (1) forming a wall material slurry comprised of water, a native plant flour containing protein and polysaccharides, added protein, and an emulsifier; (2) combining MCT oil and / or other nutritional oils with the wall material slurry to form a heterogeneous mixture; and (3) subjecting the heterogeneous mixture to high speed shear to form an emulsion comprised of polysaccharide-reduced modified plant flour particles and nutritional oil droplets or particles at least partially encapsulated by and / or complexed with the wall material to form composite micelles. (4) subjecting the emulsion to high-pressure nanonization to form micro- and / or nano-sized composite micelles comprising a wall material at least partially encapsulating the nutritional oil droplets or particles; and (5) spray-drying the nanonized composite micelles with heated air to remove water by evaporation and form dried composite flour particles comprising polysaccharide-reduced modified flour particles and complexed nutritional oil droplets or particles encapsulated by and / or complexed with a wall structure comprised of polysaccharides, proteins, and emulsifiers released from the modified flour particles. In some embodiments, acacia fiber (polysaccharide fiber) can be used in place of at least a portion of the added protein as the wall material.

[0026] Another exemplary embodiment of a method for producing a composite flour includes the steps of: (1) forming a wall material slurry comprised of water, a first portion of a native plant flour containing protein and polysaccharides, added protein, and an emulsifier; (2) combining MCT oil and / or other nutritional oil with the wall material slurry to form a heterogeneous mixture; (3) subjecting the heterogeneous mixture to high speed shear to form an emulsion comprised of polysaccharide-reduced modified plant flour particles and nutritional oil droplets or particles at least partially encapsulated by and / or complexed with the wall material to form composite micelles; and (4) subjecting the heterogeneous mixture to high speed shear to form an emulsion comprised of polysaccharide-reduced modified plant flour particles and nutritional oil droplets or particles at least partially encapsulated by and / or complexed with the wall material to form composite micelles. The method includes subjecting the emulsion to high-pressure nanonization to form micro- and / or nano-sized composite micelles comprising a wall material at least partially encapsulating the nutritional oil droplets or particles, (5) spray-drying the nanonized composite micelles with heated air to remove water by evaporation and form partially dried intermediate composite flour particles that are somewhat moist, and (6) mixing the intermediate composite flour particles with a second portion of native plant flour to form a final composite flour, wherein at least some of the second portion of native plant flour particles form agglomerates with the intermediate composite flour particles. The final composite flour comprises polysaccharide-reduced modified flour particles, polysaccharides, proteins, or polysaccharide fibers released from the modified plant flour particles, and complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oil droplets or particles encapsulated by and / or complexed with a wall structure composed of an emulsifier and / or co-emulsifier, and unmodified plant flour particles, at least some of which are agglomerated with the composite flour particles. In some embodiments, the first and second portions of native plant flour can be the same or different flours. For example, the first portion of native plant flour can have a relatively high amount of polysaccharides that can form part of the wall structure, and the second portion of native plant flour can be a low-carbohydrate plant flour with a relatively low amount of polysaccharides.

[0027]

[0027] The use of high-speed shear to form an emulsion causes at least some of the native wheat flour particles to release polysaccharides (e.g., starch), which results in physical and / or chemical modification of the native plant flour to form modified plant flour particles. The released polysaccharides from the native plant flour are combined with added protein (or, for example, acacia fiber) and emulsifiers to form a new type of composite wall material. This composite wall material encapsulates and / or complexes with MCT oil droplets or particles to form a new type of composite flour particle with advantageous properties not found in conventional flours or blended MCT flours. The composite flour disclosed herein includes native plant flour and composite flour-MCT and / or other nutritional oil particles that have been physically and / or chemically modified relative to the nutritional oil starting material.

[0028]

[0028] In some embodiments, the dried composite flour particles produced by the above method can be the final composite flour product. In other embodiments, the dried composite flour particles can be mixed and sieved to produce a refined composite flour product with a more uniform particle size. The larger particles removed by sieving can be re-ground and added back to the refined composite flour product to be used as a coarser composite flour product for making food products, and / or can be recycled back to the wall material slurry and / or heterogeneous mixture used to form emulsion in the above process.

[0029]

[0029] In some embodiments, composite flour can be blended with one or more other ingredients to form blended flour products. For example, a first composite flour made with a first native flour (or flour blend) can be blended with a second composite flour made with a different native flour (or flour blend). Alternatively, composite flour or composite flour mixture can be mixed with one or more native flours to form blended flour products with desired nutritional and / or performance properties.

[0030]

[0030] The composite flour disclosed herein can replace and / or supplement traditional flour to make food products such as baked goods, fried goods, boiled goods and no-cook goods, including, but not limited to, bread, biscuits, rolls, buns, cakes, cupcakes, pies, bagels, muffins, flatbreads, cakes, brownies, pastries, cookies, crackers, tarts, puff pastries, donuts, tarts, turnovers, crepes, pancakes, waffles, crumpets, cornbread, muffulettas, breaded meats, dumplings, pasta, noodles, tortellini, ravioli, ice cream, yogurt and the like.

[0031] In some cases, the composite flour disclosed herein can increase the volume of the product produced compared with conventional flour (for example, all-purpose white wheat flour).The volume increase rate can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45% or 50% (by volume and / or weight) compared with the equivalent amount of all-purpose white wheat flour.The result is that for a given amount of food, the food is produced in a larger amount (volume) by using the same amount of composite flour and / or a reduced amount of composite flour.

[0032]

[0032] Foods made using composite flour have been reported to be moister, fluffier, and lighter in taste than foods made using conventional flour, sometimes even sweeter, even when using less sweetener. Composite flour may allow for a reduction in the amount of oil and / or sugar that would otherwise be required to produce a product with the desired taste and quality. Such a reduction can produce lower-calorie foods. Foods made using the composite flour disclosed herein have been found to stay fresher for longer, e.g., before spoiling, going moldy, or going rancid. Protein- and / or polysaccharide-complexed MCT oil in the flour reduces or eliminates GI tract problems otherwise caused by ingesting MCT oil. Composite flours reduce blood sugar spikes because they have a lower carbohydrate load, higher protein content, and higher fat content, and the way the polysaccharides are incorporated into the wall material increases the digestion time of the polysaccharides. The composite flour may contain one or more optional supplemental oils (e.g., containing unsaturated fats), which can provide a source of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids that provide health benefits when not consumed in excess and when provided in the correct ratios.

[0033]

[0033] Additional features and advantages will be set forth in part in the following Detailed Description, and in part will be apparent from the Detailed Description, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. It will be understood that both the foregoing brief Summary and the following detailed Detailed Description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not limited to the embodiments disclosed or claimed herein.

[0034] To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be provided by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first process that can be used in forming a composite flower. [Figure 1B]

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a second process that can be used in forming composite flowers. [Figure 2]

[0037] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for producing a composite flower. [Figure 3]

[0038] 1 is a graph from a comparative study comparing the gastrointestinal tolerance of baked cake products made with all-purpose flour only, a blend consisting of all-purpose flour and MCT powder, and two composite flours incorporating different amounts of complexed MCT oil. [Figure 4]

[0039] 1 is a graph from a volume comparison study comparing the volumes of cakes of various sizes made using all-purpose flour (control) and composite flour. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] Introduction

[0040] The composite flours disclosed herein have improved nutritional and performance profiles compared to conventional plant flours and blended flours. The composite flours incorporate complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils, which include droplets or particles of nutritional oil encapsulated and / or complexed with a wall structure composed of proteins and / or polysaccharides, emulsifiers, and optionally co-emulsifiers.

[0037]

[0041] The three general categories of composite flour disclosed herein include: traditional wheat or other gluten-containing composite flour with reduced gluten and carbohydrate, gluten-free composite flour, and low-carbohydrate composite flour.Traditional composite flour is made from wheat or other gluten-containing flour.Gluten-free composite flour replaces wheat or other gluten-containing flour with plant-based flour made from gluten-free grains, seeds, nuts or roots.Low-carbohydrate composite flour is typically made from seed flour or nut flour that has naturally low carbohydrate content compared to traditional flour and gluten-free flour that have high carbohydrate content.

[0038]

[0042] The composite flour disclosed herein performs substantially better than blended MCT flour, which is a simple dry blend of native plant (e.g., coconut) flour and conventional MCT powder (e.g., MCT oil spray-dried with polysaccharides).Dry blending MCT powder with native wheat flour does not change the properties of either MCT powder or flour, and both behave as if they are in the absence of the other.Also, applying MCT oil directly to native plant flour does not change either MCT oil or plant flour (i.e., there is no chemical and / or physical change, as occurs when making the plant-MCT composite flour disclosed herein).

[0039]

[0043] Ingesting MCT oil, either in oil or powder form, typically causes GI upset and / or diarrhea. In contrast, the disclosed composite flour alters the way the body absorbs MCTs, reducing or eliminating the GI issues commonly associated with MCT ingestion. Encapsulating and / or complexing MCT oil with a wall material containing protein and carbohydrates advantageously balances the fat, protein, and carbohydrates, supporting better digestibility. The composite flour may optionally contain one or more other nutritional oils (e.g., containing unsaturated fatty acids, long-chain fatty acids, and / or short-chain fatty acids), which can supplement and / or replace at least a portion of the MCT oil. When included, the one or more other nutritional oils can provide a source of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids that confer health benefits when not consumed in excess and provided in the correct ratio. The long-chain fatty acids provide a source of fat. The short-chain fatty acids can improve gut health.

[0040]

[0044] Additionally, incorporating starch or other polysaccharides from plant flour into the wall material that encapsulates and / or complexes with MCT and / or other nutritional oils improves the nutritional and other properties and performance of the composite flour.

[0041] Composite Flower

[0045] There are three general categories of composite flour: traditional wheat or other gluten-containing composite flour with reduced gluten and carbohydrates, gluten-free composite flour, and low-carb composite flour. These categories are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but they emphasize different aspects. Traditional composite flour is made from wheat or other gluten-containing flour. Gluten-free composite flour replaces wheat or other gluten-containing flour with plant-based flour made from gluten-free grains, seeds, nuts, or roots. Low-carb composite flour can be made using seed or nut flours that naturally have low carbohydrate content compared to traditional flour and gluten-free flour, which have high carbohydrate content. Each of these flours provides a different and distinct macronutrient profile, and different health properties can be identified when used.

[0042]

[0046] The composite flour disclosed herein comprises protein- and / or polysaccharide-complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils and plant flour particles intimately blended with the complexed nutritional oils. At least some of the plant flour particles have reduced polysaccharide content and are therefore modified plant flour particles. The protein- and / or polysaccharide-complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils comprise nutritional oil droplets or particles encapsulated by and / or complexed with a wall material comprising protein and / or polysaccharide fiber (e.g., acacia fiber), polysaccharides from the plant flour, an emulsifier, and an optional co-emulsifier. In preferred embodiments, starch or other polysaccharides released from the plant flour particles advantageously form part of the wall structure, making it more durable. In some embodiments, the nutritional oil droplets or particles form a nutritional oil core and a protein- and / or polysaccharide-based wall structure form a shell that at least partially encapsulates the nutritional oil core.

[0043] Plant Flours

[0047] Traditional wheat or other gluten-containing composite flour comprises and / or derived from one or more gluten flours, such as one or more of wheat flour, barley flour, rye flour, spelt flour, graham flour or triticale flour.In some embodiments, composite flour has reduced gluten and carbohydrate per unit, and is more nutritionally balanced compared with similar plant flour.It has been found that the composite flour made from wheat flour can be used to replace different types of flour, such as all-purpose flour, bread flour or cake flour, without sacrificing performance, and in some cases, improve performance compared with similar plant flour.

[0044]

[0048] Wheat flour can be subclassified based on gluten content, intended use, and optionally other criteria. Examples include all-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached), bread flour (bleached or unbleached), cake flour (bleached or unbleached), pastry flour (bleached or unbleached), self-rising flour (bleached or unbleached), instant flour, and "00" flour. Whole wheat flour can be bleached or unbleached.

[0045]

[0049] Exemplary gluten-free flours include, but are not limited to, oat flour, corn flour, white rice flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour, teff flour, arrowroot flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, tapioca flour, cassava flour, tiger berry flour, soy flour, potato flour, millet flour, and quinoa flour.

[0046]

[0050] Exemplary gluten-free, low carbohydrate seed, nut, or vegetable flours include, but are not limited to, coconut flour, almond flour, peanut flour, sesame flour, sunflower seed flour, hazelnut flour, walnut flour, soybean flour, chickpea flour, flaxseed (linseed) flour, broad bean flour, pumpkin seed flour, lupin flour, red lentil flour, and refined bran flour.

[0047]

[0051] Exemplary wheat flours include refined wheat flour, all-purpose wheat flour, and whole wheat flour. Wheat flour is available in many varieties. Classification can be regional, and the same name can have several different regional meanings. In the United States, for example, flour is typically classified by gluten / protein content, processing method, and use.

[0048]

[0052] "All-purpose flour" (also known as "pure wheat flour") is a blended wheat flour with a protein content ranging from 9% to 12%, lower than bread flour. Depending on the brand or region where it is purchased, all-purpose flour is composed of strong or weak wheat, but is typically a blend of both, and can range from low to moderately high protein content. All-purpose flour is marketed as an inexpensive alternative to baker's flour and is acceptable for most baking needs.

[0049]

[0053] "Bread flour" or "strong flour" is made from strong wheat, usually strong spring wheat. It has a relatively high protein content, between 10% and 13%, making it excellent for yeast bread baking. It can be pearled wheat, whole wheat, or anything in between.

[0050]

[0054] "Cake flour" is a finely milled white wheat flour made from soft wheat. It has a relatively low protein content, between 8% and 10%, making it suitable for soft-textured cakes and cookies. The higher protein content of other flours makes cakes tougher. Related to cake flour are masa harina (from corn), maida flour (from wheat or tapioca), and pure starches.

[0051]

[0055] "Durum flour" is made from durum wheat and is suitable for pasta making, traditional pizza, and flatbreads for doner kebabs.

[0056] "Graham flour" is a special type of whole wheat flour. The endosperm is finely ground, as in refined wheat flour, while the bran and germ are coarsely ground. Graham flour is not common outside the United States (except for the similar product atta flour). Graham flour is the base of true graham crackers.

[0052]

[0057] "Instant flour" is pregelatinized (pre-cooked) for easier incorporation into gravies and sauces.

[0058] "Pastry flour," or "cookie flour," or "cracker flour," has a protein content slightly higher than cake flour but lower than all-purpose flour. Its protein content ranges from 9% to 10%. It is available as refined wheat flour, whole wheat flour, or refined wheat flour with the germ retained but no bran. Pastry flour is suitable for pie pastries and tarts, some cookies, muffins, biscuits, and other quick breads. The flour is typically passed through a sieve to reduce the amount of clumps for cooking pastries.

[0053]

[0059] "Whole wheat flour" contains wheat germ, endosperm and bran.

[0060] "White wheat flour" or "refined flour" contains only endosperm.

[0061] "Whole wheat white flour" is refined wheat flour that contains endosperm, bran, and germ.

[0054]

[0062] "Enriched wheat flour" is refined wheat flour that has nutrients added to make up for the removal of the bran and germ.

[0063] "Bleached flour" is refined wheat flour that has been treated with a flour bleaching agent to make it white (freshly milled flour has a yellowish tinge) and to impart more gluten-forming capacity. An oxidizing agent is generally used, most commonly organic peroxides such as acetone peroxide or benzoyl peroxide, nitrogen dioxide, or chlorine. A similar effect can be achieved by allowing the flour to oxidize with oxygen in air for approximately 10 days ("natural aging"). However, this process is more expensive due to the time required.

[0055]

[0064] "Potassium bromate treated flour" has a maturation agent added. The agent's role is to help develop gluten, similar to flour bleach. Bromate is often used. Other options are phosphate, ascorbic acid, and dehulled barley.

[0056]

[0065] "Self-rising" or "self-rising flour" is refined wheat flour that is sold premixed with chemical leavening agents.

[0066] "Spelt flour" is produced from a type of wheat called "spelt," which is less commonly used than other wheat varieties in modern cooking, but is used for specialty baking.

[0057]

[0067] In Canada, "whole wheat flour" can have up to 5% of the kernel removed, for example, often most of the germ removed to prevent the flour from going rancid. "Whole wheat flour" contains the whole kernel, including the bran, germ, and endosperm, but not the husk.

[0058]

[0068] "Sharpe flour" is produced in Fiji and is used primarily in Indian cuisine.

[0069] In India, flours are generally classified according to how much of the kernel is dehulled. "Wheat flour / flour" and "whole wheat" flour are a mixture of germ, endosperm, and bran. "Atta flour" is a mixture of endosperm and bran. "Maida flour" is bleached endosperm, a very white flour similar to American bleached flour. "Suji / rava" is coarsely ground endosperm.

[0059]

[0070] "Tan flour" or wheat starch is a type of wheat flour primarily used in Chinese cuisine to make the outer layer of dumplings and buns. It is also used in Vietnamese cuisine, where it is called bot loc trong.

[0060] Protein- and / or polysaccharide-conjugated nutritional oils

[0071] The protein-complexed and / or polysaccharide-complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils in the composite flour disclosed herein comprise nutritional oil droplets or particles encapsulated by and / or complexed with wall structure.When MCT oil is included, the MCT oil droplets or particles contained in the complexed MCT oil comprise one or more of C6 triglycerides, C8 triglycerides, C10 triglycerides, C12 triglycerides, or mixed triglycerides thereof.In a preferred embodiment, the MCT droplets or particles comprise one or more of C8 triglycerides, C10 triglycerides, or mixed C8 / C10 triglycerides.The nutritional oil may comprise MCT oil and / or one or more other nutritional oils (e.g., containing unsaturated fatty acids, long-chain fatty acids, and / or short-chain fatty acids), which supplement and / or replace part of the MCT oil. Unsaturated fatty acids can provide a source of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids that provide health benefits when not consumed in excess and when provided in the correct ratio. Long-chain fatty acids provide a source of fat. Short-chain fatty acids can improve intestinal health.

[0061]

[0072] Nutritional oils that can be used in addition to and / or in place of MCT oil include a wide variety of plant- and animal-derived oils. The benefit of encapsulating nutritional oils in a wall material is that the taste and sensation of such oils can be hidden or masked while still imparting the desired nutritional benefits. Exemplary supplemental oils that can be included in addition to and / or in place of at least a portion of the MCT oil include acai oil, almond oil, amaranth oil, animal fat, apricot oil, apple seed oil, argan oil, avocado oil, babassu oil, beech nut oil, ben oil, black seed oil, blackcurrant seed oil, borage seed oil, Borneo tallow nut oil, Brazil nut oil, butterfat, butternut squash seed oil, and camelina seed (Camelina sativa) oil. sativa) oil, camellia oil, canola oil, carob pod oil, castor oil, cocklebur oil, cocoa butter, coriander seed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, date seed oil, egusi seed oil, fish oil, evening primrose oil, flax seed oil, grape seed oil, hazelnut oil, hemp seed oil, kapok seed oil, kenaf seed oil, krill oil, lard, long-chain fatty acids and their glycerides, macadamia oil, mafra oil, marula oil, mustard oil, niger seed oil, nutmeg butter, okra seed oil, olive oil, palm oil, papaya seed oil, peanut oil, peach kernel oil, pecan oil Oils suitable for use in the treatment of ulcerative colitis include, but are not limited to, perilla seed oil, persimmon seed oil, peki oil, pili nut oil, pine nut oil, pistachio oil, pomegranate seed oil, poppy seed oil, prakash oil, prune kernel oil, pumpkin seed oil, quinoa oil, niger seed oil, rice bran oil, royle oil, sacha inchi oil, safflower oil (e.g., high oleic acid), salicornia oil, sapote oil, sage oil, sesame oil, shea butter, short-chain fatty acids and their glycerides, soybean oil, sunflower oil, tarramilla oil, thistle oil, tilapia oil, tomato seed oil, walnut oil, watermelon seed oil, and wheat germ oil. Some are considered more nutritional than others, and the more nutritionally stable oils are preferred.Nevertheless, when used in relatively small amounts, even oils that are considered less nutritious can provide a source of essential omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids when consumed in small amounts, providing a healthy ratio of polyunsaturated fats. Butterfat can provide a healthy source of butyric acid.

[0062]

[0073] The protein-complexed and / or polysaccharide-complexed nutritional oils in the composite flour disclosed herein can have a particle size of less than about 10 μm, or less than about 5 μm, or less than about 1 μm, or less than about 500 nm, or less than about 250 nm, or less than about 100 nm.

[0063] Proteins and polysaccharides

[0074] The proteins and / or polysaccharides used to create the wall material and wall structure of the complexed nutritional oils can be considered "added proteins" and "added polysaccharides," with the plant flour providing the "primary proteins" and the "primary polysaccharides" forming the wall structure for the composite flours disclosed herein.

[0064]

[0075] Exemplary proteins used to create wall materials for encapsulating and / or complexing MCT oil and / or other nutritional oils can be plant proteins or animal proteins. Exemplary plant proteins include, but are not limited to, one or more of pea protein, hemp protein, pumpkin seed protein, rice protein, soy protein, sunflower seed protein, sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) protein, chia protein, and quinoa protein. Exemplary animal proteins include, but are not limited to, one or more of whey protein, casein, egg protein, beef protein, chicken protein, fish protein, and collagen. In a currently preferred embodiment, the protein comprises one or more plant proteins, more preferably pea protein.

[0065]

[0076] Exemplary added polysaccharides include, but are not limited to, acacia fiber, starch, pectin, cellulose derivatives, inulin, xylan, arabinoxylan, and chitin. Exemplary starches include, but are not limited to, corn starch, potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, and cassava starch. A preferred added polysaccharide used in addition to or instead of added protein, such as pea protein, is acacia fiber.

[0066]

[0077] Pea protein, a common source of plant food protein, is derived from and extracted from yellow and green split peas, Pisum sativum. It can be used as a dietary supplement to increase intake of individual proteins or other nutrients, or as a replacement for other foods. As a powder, it can be used as an ingredient in food manufacturing, such as a thickener, foaming agent, or emulsifier.

[0067]

[0078] Pea protein can be extracted in powder form and processed and produced in different ways. It can be isolated through wet fractionation, which results in a high protein concentration. It can be a concentrate through a dry fractionation process, which results in a low protein concentration. It can be in textured form, which is when it is used in foods to replace other products, such as meat substitutes. Pea protein is a food source due to its ready availability, low allergenicity and high nutritional value.

[0068]

[0079] Pea proteins are rich in nutrients such as protein and carbohydrates, contain vitamins and minerals, and are low in fat. Peas typically contain 23.1–30.9% protein, 1.5–2.0% fat, and minor components such as vitamins, phytic acid, saponins, polyphenols, minerals, and oxalates. They also contain several classes of proteins: globulins, albumins, prolamins, and glutelins. Proteins are primarily albumins and globulins, accounting for 10–20% and 70–80% of the protein in pea seeds, respectively. Albumins are water-soluble and are considered metabolic and enzymatic proteins, while globulins are salt-soluble and serve as storage proteins for the seeds. Globulins can be further classified into legumins and vicilins. Legumins are hexameric proteins, while vicilin proteins are trimeric proteins.

[0069]

[0080] Pea seeds contain 60-65% carbohydrates, primarily composed of oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, polysaccharides, and disaccharides. The predominant carbohydrate fragment in peas is starch, which is the major storage carbohydrate in cotyledons. Peas also contain high levels of dietary fiber, consisting of cellulose, gums, hemicellulose, pectin, mucilage, lignin, and resistant starch. Dry peas have 17-27% dietary fiber, depending on the cultivar, environment, and global growing region. Pea seeds also contain 5-6% sucrose and raffinose. Depending on the cultivar and environment, sucrose ranges from 2.2% to 2.6%, stachyose ranges from 1.3-3.2%, verbascose ranges from 1.2-4.0%, and raffinose ranges from 0.2-1.0%.

[0070]

[0081] The fat content of pea seeds ranges from 1.2% to 1.8%, depending on the cultivar. Approximately 25% of the fatty acids consist of oleic acid and 50% of linoleic acid. Pea seeds are also a rich source of minerals and vitamins, such as folate, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and niacin.

[0071] Emulsifiers and co-emulsifiers

[0082] The emulsifier used to prepare the wall material for forming the wall structure used to prepare the complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils can be one or more of gum arabic, acacia fiber, xanthan gum, guar gum, gellan gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, pectin, starch, soy lecithin, egg lecithin, agar, dextrin, monoglycerides, or diglycerides. In a currently preferred embodiment, the emulsifier comprises gum arabic.

[0072]

[0083] The optional co-emulsifier used to create the wall material for forming the wall structure used to create the complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils can be one or more of calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, phosphate, polyglycerol ester, polysorbate, sorbitan monostearate, or sucrose fatty acid ester. In a currently preferred embodiment, the co-emulsifier comprises calcium stearoyl lactylate and / or sodium stearoyl lactylate.

[0073] Method for producing composite flowers

[0084] An exemplary embodiment of a method for producing a composite flower includes: forming a wall material slurry comprised of water, a native plant flour containing protein and polysaccharides, added protein or polysaccharide fiber (e.g., acacia fiber), and an emulsifier and / or co-emulsifier; combining MCT and / or other nutritional oils with the wall material slurry to form a heterogeneous mixture; subjecting the heterogeneous mixture to high speed shear to form an emulsion comprised of polysaccharide-reduced modified plant flour particles and MCT and / or other oil droplets or particles at least partially encapsulated by and / or complexed with the wall material forming composite micelles; subjecting the emulsion to high pressure nanonization to form micro- and / or nano-sized composite micelles comprising a wall material at least partially encapsulating droplets or particles of MCT and / or other nutritional oil; spray drying the nanonized composite droplets with heated air to remove water by evaporation to form dry composite flower particles; Including, The dried composite flour particles comprise polysaccharide-reduced modified flour particles, and complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oil droplets or particles encapsulated by and / or complexed with a wall structure composed of polysaccharides, proteins, or polysaccharide fibers released from the modified plant flour particles, and emulsifiers and / or co-emulsifiers.

[0074]

[0085] Another exemplary embodiment of a method for producing a composite flower includes: forming a wall material slurry comprised of water, a first portion of native plant flour containing protein and polysaccharides, added protein or polysaccharide fiber (e.g., acacia fiber), and an emulsifier and / or co-emulsifier; combining MCT and / or other nutritional oils with the wall material slurry to form a heterogeneous mixture; subjecting the heterogeneous mixture to high speed shear to form an emulsion comprised of polysaccharide-reduced modified plant flour particles and droplets or particles of MCT and other nutritional oils at least partially encapsulated by and / or complexed with wall material forming composite micelles; subjecting the emulsion to high pressure nanonization to form micro- and / or nano-sized composite micelles comprising a wall material that at least partially encapsulates droplets or particles of MCT and / or other nutritional oil; spray drying the nanonized composite droplets with heated air to remove water by evaporation and form partially dried intermediate composite flour particles that are somewhat moist; mixing the intermediate composite flour particles with a second portion of the native plant flour to form a final composite flour, wherein at least some of the second portion of the native plant flour particles form agglomerates with the intermediate composite flour particles; Including, The final composite flour comprises polysaccharide-reduced modified flour particles, polysaccharides, proteins or polysaccharide fibers released from the modified plant flour particles, and complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oil droplets or particles encapsulated by and / or complexed with wall structures composed of emulsifiers and / or co-emulsifiers, and unmodified plant flour particles, at least some of which are agglomerated with the composite flour particles.

[0075]

[0086] In some embodiments, the first and second portions of the native plant flour can be the same or different flours. For example, the first portion of the native plant flour can have a relatively high amount of polysaccharides that can form part of the wall structure, and the second portion of the native plant flour can be a low-carbohydrate plant flour with a relatively low amount of polysaccharides.

[0076]

[0087] The use of high-speed shear to form the initial emulsion causes at least some of the native wheat flour particles to release polysaccharides (e.g., starch), which results in physical and / or chemical modification of the native wheat flour to form modified plant flour particles. The polysaccharides released from the native wheat flour are combined with added protein (or acacia fiber) and emulsifiers to form a new type of composite wall material. This composite wall material encapsulates and / or complexes with MCT and / or other nutritional oil droplets or particles to form a new type of composite flour particle with advantageous properties not found in conventional flour or blended MCT flour. The composite flour disclosed herein includes composite flour-nutritional oil particles that are physically and / or chemically modified relative to the native plant flour and MCT and / or other nutritional oil starting materials.

[0077] Properties of Composite Flowers

[0088] Forming dry complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils maintains the stability, freshness, and powderability of the complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils, as well as the composite flour incorporating the complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils. Depending on the ratio of wall material to MCT and / or other nutritional oils, there may be excess wall material, so that some of the wall material may form empty micelles, vesicles, or aggregate complexes that do not contain and / or are not complexed with MCT and / or other nutritional oils. In some cases, "empty" micelles contain droplets of water instead of MCT and / or other nutritional oils. In other cases, aggregate complexes may contain only wall material. Including excess wall material ensures that all or substantially all of the MCT and / or other nutritional oils are encapsulated and / or complexed with the wall material.

[0078]

[0089] Composite flour typically contains clusters composed of micro- and / or nano-sized complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils, modified and / or unmodified plant flour particles, and excess wall material, such as nanomicelles, nanovesicles, uncompounded proteins, and / or uncompounded emulsifiers, which can form clusters with themselves, with the complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils, or with the modified and / or unmodified plant flour particles. In a preferred embodiment, some of the wall material used to form the complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils is contributed by the plant flour particles, which release starch or other polysaccharides during formation. The release of polysaccharides from the plant flour produces modified plant flour particles containing protein but reduced polysaccharides.

[0079]

[0090] The various components that make up composite flour can be considered to be involved in physical and / or chemical transformations compared to the conventional forms of native plant flour and MCT and / or other nutritional oils. Such transformations produce composite flour that stores well, mixes well, has increased nutritional value, and has higher product quality (e.g., improved quality of baked goods). Composite flours have lower bulk density than flours made from the same type of flour, such as native wheat flour and blends of native wheat flour and MCT powder. They also produce foods with greater volume (i.e., a given weight or volume of composite flour used to replace one of the conventional flours in a recipe).

[0080]

[0091] The composite flour of the present disclosure is significantly different from and behaves substantially better than blended MCT flour, which is a simple dry blend of native plant (e.g., coconut) flour and conventional MCT powder (e.g., MCT oil spray-dried with polysaccharides). MCT powder typically contains up to 50% polysaccharides. Therefore, dry blending MCT powder with native plant flour significantly increases the polysaccharide content of blended flour and reduces the protein content. The composite flour of the present disclosure is also different in composition and structure from the hypothetical flour made by directly applying MCT oil to native wheat flour particles. Blended MCT flour is prone to creating GI disorders due to the MCT contained in the MCT powder in blended flour.

[0081] System and method for producing composite flowers

[0092] 1A and 1B illustrate exemplary systems 100, 100' for producing composite flour. The systems 100, 100' include a container or hopper 102 having MCT and / or other nutritional oils, and a container, hopper, or mixer 104 having water, added protein particles 106, emulsifiers and / or co-emulsifiers 108, and heirloom plant flour 110 (FIG. 1A) or a first portion 110a of heirloom plant flour (FIG. 1B).

[0082]

[0093] A high shear mixer 112 is used to form an emulsion 114. The emulsion 114, preferably a nano-emulsion, contains various components including droplets or particles 116 of MCT and / or other nutritional oils encapsulated by wall structures forming composite micelles, nanovesicles 118 having a bilayer structure with a hydrophilic shell surface and an inner aqueous phase containing water, nanomicelles 120 having a hydrophilic outer surface and a hydrophobic core, excess protein particles 122, excess emulsifier and / or co-emulsifier particles 124, and flour fragments 126.

[0083]

[0094] A high-pressure nanolyzer device or system 130 processes the emulsion droplets 128 to form composite flour-nutritional oil nanocapsules 132, which are sent to a spray-drying apparatus or system 134. In a first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, heated air 136 dries the nanocapsules 132 to form dry clusters 138 that comprise the composite flour. In a second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1B, heated air 136 dries the nanocapsules 132 to form partially dry clusters of slightly moist intermediate composite flour particles 138a. The slightly moist intermediate composite flour particles 138a are mixed with a second portion 110b of native plant flour to form the final composite flour 138b.

[0084]

[0095] 2 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method 200 for producing composite flour. In the raw material receiving step 202, the ingredients are weighed according to a predetermined or desired mixing ratio. When producing composite flour, one of the main ingredients is plant flour.

[0085]

[0096] In a first feeding step 206, the protein and / or acacia fiber, emulsifier, co-emulsifier, and native plant flour (e.g., a first portion of the native plant flour) are dispersed in water to form a wall material aqueous slurry. In a second feeding step 204, liquid MCT and / or other nutritional oil, and optionally a supplemental oil, are added to the wall material aqueous solution to form a heterogeneous mixture.

[0086]

[0097] In the high-speed shearing step 208, the heterogeneous mixture is uniformly mixed by high-speed shearing to form an initial nano-emulsion, which is primarily composed of complexed plant flour-MCT and / or other nutritional oil microcapsules, nanomicelles and nanovesicles formed by emulsifiers and co-emulsifiers, free plant protein and emulsifier nanoparticles, modified flour particles from which at least a portion of the starch or other polysaccharides has been released, and optionally unmodified flour particles. The complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oil microcapsules include droplets or particles of MCT and / or other nutritional oil at least partially encapsulated by and / or complexed with a wall material that forms composite micelles. The wall material includes polysaccharides released from at least some of the native plant flour particles, resulting in polysaccharide-reduced modified plant flour particles.

[0087]

[0098] In some embodiments, the protein nanoparticles and emulsifier / co-emulsifier, along with starch or other polysaccharides released from the modified plant flour particles, act as a polymer and assemble at the oil / water interface to fill crevices in the wall material or structure, thus forming a complete outer shell that at least partially encapsulates the MCT and / or other nutritional oil droplets or particles, thereby forming complexed plant flour-MCT and / or other nutritional oil microcapsules.

[0088]

[0099] In a sterilization step 210, the initial nanoemulsion is sterilized, for example, at a temperature of about 90° C. to about 100° C. for, for example, about 25 to about 35 seconds to remove or kill essentially all microorganisms.

[0089]

[0100] In the high-pressure nanonization step 212, the initial nanoemulsion is homogenized under a pressure of about 40 MPa to about 100 MPa. The high mechanical pressure created by the high pressure disperses the complexed plant flour-MCT and / or other nutritional oil microcapsules, nanomicelles, and nanovesicles mixture into homogenous complexed plant flour-nutritional oil nanocapsules.

[0090]

[0101] In a spray drying step 214, the composite plant flour-nutritional oil nanocapsule nanoemulsion is converted into composite plant flour-nutritional oil nanocapsule clusters. The inlet air temperature is maintained at about 160°C to about 220°C, and the outlet air temperature is maintained at about 75°C to about 100°C. The composite plant flour-nutritional oil nanocapsule clusters may be somewhat moist intermediate composite flour particles.

[0091]

[0102] In the mixing and sieving step 216, the intermediate composite flour particles are mixed in a blender (e.g., with the second portion of the native plant flour) and then sieved to obtain a composite flour with a relatively uniform particle size. The composite flour can be a final product, or it can be blended with other food products to form different products. In some embodiments, the composite flour can be blended with another native plant flour and / or another composite flour to form a blended flour.

[0092]

[0103] In a packaging step 218, the composite powder (or blended powder) is packaged in an aluminum foil bag using packaging machinery known to those skilled in the art.

[0104] In a storage step 220, the composite powder (or blended powder) is stored in a cool, ventilated, and dry environment. To maintain cleanliness, the storage warehouse should be equipped with electronic rodent repellent devices, fly repellents, and other pest control equipment.

[0093] Use of Composite Flowers

[0105] In some embodiments, the dry composite flour particles that are prepared by the method disclosed herein but before sieving can be the final composite flour product.In other embodiments, the dry composite flour particles can be mixed (for example, with the second portion of native plant flour) and sieved to produce the refined composite flour product with more uniform particle size.The larger particles that are removed by sieving can be re-ground and added back to the refined composite flour product to be used as the coarser composite flour product for making food products, and / or can be recycled back to the wall material slurry and / or heterogeneous mixture that are used to form the initial emulsion in the above-mentioned process.

[0094]

[0106] In some embodiments, composite flour can be blended with one or more other materials to form blended composite flour products.For example, the first composite flour that uses a first native wheat flour can be blended with the second composite flour that uses a different native wheat flour.Alternatively, composite flour or composite flour mixture can be blended with one or more native wheat flours to form blended flour products with desired nutritional properties and / or performance properties.

[0095]

[0107] The composite flour disclosed herein can replace and / or supplement traditional flour to make food products such as baked goods, fried goods, boiled goods and no-cook goods, including but not limited to bread, biscuits, rolls, buns, cakes, cupcakes, pies, bagels, muffins, flatbreads, cakes, brownies, pastries, cookies, crackers, tarts, puff pastries, donuts, tarts, turnovers, crepes, pancakes, waffles, crumpets, cornbread, muffulettas, breaded meats, dumplings, pasta, noodles, tortellini, ravioli, ice cream, yogurt, and the like.

[0096]

[0108] In some cases, the composite flour disclosed herein can increase the volume of the product produced compared with conventional flour (for example, all-purpose white flour).It has been found that when using a specified amount of flour in a recipe, composite flour typically produces a product with a volume that is 25% larger than that of all-purpose white flour or other conventional flour.This volume increase rate can be at least 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45% or 50% (by volume and / or weight) compared with the equivalent amount of conventional flour.The result is that the food product produced using the same amount of composite flour and / or a reduced amount of composite flour is larger in volume than the food product produced for a given amount.

[0097]

[0109] The reason for this surprising and unexpected volume increase is believed to be the method by which the composite flour is produced. In one embodiment, droplets or particles of MCT and / or other nutritional oils are encapsulated and / or complexed with a protein-based wall structure comprising protein and / or acacia fiber, polysaccharides released from the plant flour particles, emulsifiers (typically polysaccharides), and co-emulsifiers. The complexed MCT and / or other nutritional oils impart a homogeneously dispersed packet of fat, protein, polysaccharides, and co-emulsifiers that contribute to the formation of an extended and easily expandable network of protein and polysaccharide chains that interact with water during the mixing and cooking process.

[0098]

[0110] Additionally, manufacturing processes involving high-shear mixing of heterogeneous mixtures to form emulsions partially break down at least some of the flour particles, releasing starch or other polysaccharides into the mixture, which contributes to an extended and extensible network of protein and polysaccharide chains that associate with water during the mixing and cooking processes. In contrast, flour particles not processed by such high-shear mixing remain intact and do not release or distribute starch or other polysaccharides into the mixture. As evidence of this, bread must be vigorously kneaded to release and develop elastic gluten proteins. In the absence of the energy input required to break down flour particles, their volume-producing capacity remains smaller.

[0099]

[0111] Another explanation is that the network structure (texture) formed by pea or other added protein, dextrin or other polysaccharides, and flour is different from that of conventional wheat flour.Compared with conventional wheat flour, the network structure in composite flour is more elastic but has less rebound tension, compared to the elasticity from gluten protein in normal gluten flour, which has high rebound tension but cannot be stretched much during leavening and / or baking.During baking process, the volume of bread made by using normal flour rises to a certain extent and is pulled / restricted by the elastic network structure with strong rebound tension, while composite flour can rise to a larger volume due to the lower rebound tension of dough structure.

[0100]

[0112] Another explanation is that the fat content of composite flour is significantly higher than that of normal flour.In the process of raising or kneading dough, the oil and emulsifier in composite flour form a film in dough, which gives dough better gas barrier properties to a certain extent.The gas (air and steam) that is produced inside dough during baking cannot easily escape from dough, thus forming many small air or steam compartments, which causes dough to expand in volume like a balloon.

[0101]

[0113] Foods made using composite flour have been reported to be moister, fluffier, and lighter in taste than foods made using conventional flour, sometimes even sweeter, even when using less sweetener. Composite flour may allow for a reduction in the amount of oil and / or sugar that would otherwise be required to produce a product with the desired taste and quality. Such a reduction can produce lower-calorie foods. Foods made using the composite flour disclosed herein have been found to stay fresher for longer, for example, before spoiling, becoming moldy, or going rancid. Complexing MCT oil in flour reduces or eliminates GI tract problems caused by the traditional use of MCT oil or MCT powder. When other nutritional oils are used in addition to or instead of MCT oil, the complexed oils have improved taste and sensation as a result of being encapsulated. Composite flours reduce blood sugar spikes because they have a lower carbohydrate load, higher protein content, and higher fat content, which slows carbohydrate digestion. [Example]

[0102]

[0114] The examples describe exemplary composite flours that can be used in place of conventional flours to make baked goods and other food products. Example 1

[0115] The wheat-MCT composite flour with reduced gluten and carbohydrates comprises MCT droplets or particles enclosed by wall structure and / or complexed with wall structure.The wall structure comprises wall material formed from pea protein (added protein source and emulsifier), starch released from wheat flour during manufacturing process, calcium stearoyl lactylate (co-emulsifier) ​​and sodium stearoyl lactylate (co-emulsifier).The ingredients are added in the following amounts: All-purpose wheat flour 85~90wt% MCT oil (C8 triglyceride and / or C10 triglyceride) 5-10wt% Pea protein 3-5wt% Calcium stearoyl lactylate 0.1~1.5wt% Sodium stearoyl lactylate 0.1~1.5wt%

[0116] The wheat-MCT composite flour is made by (i) first forming a wall material slurry containing 50 wt% water and 50 wt% wall material composed of a first portion (e.g., about 10%) of all-purpose wheat flour, pea protein, calcium stearoyl lactylate, and sodium stearoyl lactylate; (ii) high-shear mixing of MCT oil with the wall material slurry to form an emulsion composed of microencapsulated MCT oil droplets surrounded by wall material micelles and modified wheat flour particles from which a portion of the starch has been released to form part of the wall material; and (iii) nanonizing and spray-drying to form intermediate wheat-MCT composite flour particles that can be complexed. The intermediate wheat-MCT composite flour particles are mixed with a second portion (e.g., about 90%) of the all-purpose wheat flour to form a final wheat-MCT composite flour particle, wherein at least some of the second portion of the all-purpose wheat flour particles form agglomerates with the intermediate plant-MCT composite flour particle. The final wheat-MCT composite flour particle is sieved to remove larger particles, which can be recycled back into the wall material slurry and / or materials used to form the emulsion.

[0103]

[0117] Wheat-MCT composite flour can be used as a substitute for all-purpose wheat flour or the blend of all-purpose wheat and MCT flour, and has a better nutritional profile (for example, by including added protein) and can reduce or eliminate GI tract problems compared to MCT flour.Wheat-MCT composite flour can be used instead of traditional all-purpose wheat flour or blended MCT flour to make baked goods, fried goods, boiled goods and non-cooked goods, including but not limited to bread, biscuits, rolls, buns, cakes, cupcakes, pies, bagels, muffins, flatbreads, cakes, brownies, pastries, cookies, crackers, tarts, puff pastries, donuts, tarts, turnovers, crepes, pancakes, waffles, crumpets, cornbread, muffulettas, breaded meats, dumplings, pasta, noodles, tortellini, ravioli, ice cream, yogurt and the like.

[0104]

[0118] In some cases, wheat-MCT composite flour can be included in the amount specified in the recipe, and the total volume of the food product can increase by up to 25%.In other cases, wheat-MCT composite flour can be included in a reduced amount to achieve the yield specified in the recipe.

[0105] Example 2

[0119] The wheat-MCT composite flour with reduced gluten and carbohydrates comprises MCT droplets or particles enclosed by wall structure and / or complexed with wall structure.The wall structure comprises wall material formed from pea protein (added protein source), starch released from wheat flour during manufacturing process, gum arabic (emulsifier), calcium stearoyl lactylate (co-emulsifier) ​​and / or sodium stearoyl lactylate (co-emulsifier).The ingredients are added in the following amounts: All-purpose wheat flour 85~90wt% MCT oil (C8 triglyceride and / or C10 triglyceride) 5-10wt% Pea protein 3-5wt% Gum arabic 1-3wt% Calcium stearoyl lactylate 0~1.5wt% Sodium stearoyl lactylate 0~1.5wt%

[0120] The wheat-MCT composite flour is made by (i) first forming a wall material slurry containing 50 wt% water and a first portion (e.g., about 10%) of all-purpose wheat flour, pea protein, gum arabic, and 50 wt% wall material composed of calcium stearoyl lactylate and / or sodium stearoyl lactylate; (ii) high-shear mixing MCT oil with the wall material slurry to form an emulsion composed of microencapsulated MCT oil droplets surrounded by wall material micelles and modified wheat flour particles from which a portion of the starch is released to form part of the wall material; and (iii) nanoizing and spray-drying to form intermediate wheat-MCT composite flour particles that can be complexed. The intermediate wheat-MCT composite flour particles are mixed with the second part (for example, about 90%) of multipurpose wheat flour to form final wheat-MCT composite flour particles, and at least some of the second part of multipurpose wheat flour particles form agglomerates with the intermediate plant-MCT composite flour particles.The final wheat-MCT composite flour particles are sieved to remove larger particles, which can be recycled and returned to the wall material slurry and / or material used to form emulsion.The wheat-MCT composite flour is used as in Example 1.

[0106] Example 3

[0121] Wheat-MCT composite flour was made by the following process: 1. Receiving raw materials: The ingredients were weighed out according to the following blending ratios: vegetable protein (0.5%-10%), emulsifier / co-emulsifier (0.5%-5%), and conventional all-purpose wheat flour (75%-95%). A first portion (e.g., 5-15% or about 10%) of the vegetable protein, emulsifier / co-emulsifier, and all-purpose wheat flour was dispersed in water to form a wall material slurry; 2. High-speed shearing: MCT oil (3%–12%) was added to the wall material slurry, and all materials were uniformly mixed by high-speed shearing to form an initial nanoemulsion, which consisted mainly of microcapsules (wall material, consisting of droplets of MCT oil as the core material, starch or other polysaccharides released from the first portion of wheat flour, pea protein, and emulsifier), nanomicelles and / or nanovesicles, and free components (e.g., plant protein nanoparticles, emulsifiers / co-emulsifiers, and free flour particles). The emulsifiers / co-emulsifiers are amphiphilic molecules that self-assemble in water to form nanomicelles and / or nanovesicles to reduce interfacial tension. Specifically, nanomicelles have a hydrophilic outer surface and a hydrophobic core; nanovesicles have a bilayer structure with a hydrophilic shell surface and an inner aqueous phase. The plant protein nanoparticles and emulsifiers / co-emulsifiers, which act as Pickering particles, assembled at the oil / water interface. At the same time, the starch released from the first portion of all-purpose wheat flour acted as a polymer to fill the gaps in the shell, thus forming a complete outer shell to embed the MCT oil, and obtaining wheat flour-MCT composite microcapsules; 3. High-pressure nanonization: After high-pressure homogenization, the nanomicelles and nanovesicles were converted into relatively homogeneous wheat flour-MCT composite nanocapsules; the wheat flour-MCT composite nanocapsules and the remaining free wheat flour, free protein, and free emulsifier formed a wheat flour-MCT composite slurry; 4. Spray drying: The wheat flour-MCT composite slurry was converted into powder clusters with micron particle size; the clusters were composed of droplets or particles of MCT oil embedded in microcapsules formed from proteins, emulsifiers, polysaccharides released from wheat flour, and wheat flour particles associated with the microcapsules; the intermediate wheat-MCT composite flour was a homogeneous, slightly wet powder rather than a mixture of relatively separate individual components; and 5. Mixing: The slightly wet intermediate wheat-MCT composite flour was mixed with the remaining portion of the all-purpose wheat flour (e.g., 85-95% or about 90%) to form the final wheat-MCT composite flour.

[0107]

[0122] Wheat-MCT composite flour particles can be sieved to remove larger particles, and can be recycled back into the wall material slurry and / or material used to form emulsion.Wheat-MCT composite flour can be used as in Example 1.

[0108] Example 4

[0123] Examples 1-3 are modified by replacing at least a portion of the pea protein and / or gum arabic with acacia fiber. The wheat-MCT composite flour produces a food product with a similar but slightly altered nutritional profile.

[0109] Example 5

[0124] Examples 1 to 4 are modified by replacing at least a portion of the pea protein with at least one plant protein selected from hemp protein, pumpkin seed protein, rice protein, soy protein, sunflower seed protein, sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) protein, chia protein or quinoa protein.

[0110] Example 6

[0125] Examples 1 to 5 are modified by replacing at least a portion of the plant protein with at least one animal protein selected from whey protein, casein, egg protein, beef protein, chicken protein, fish protein or collagen.

[0111] Example 7

[0126] The composite flour is made by replacing at least a portion of the all-purpose wheat flour in Examples 1-6 with one or more gluten flours selected from barley flour, rye flour, spelt flour, graham flour, or triticale flour.

[0112] Example 8

[0127] The reduced gluten composite flours are made by replacing 5-50% of the gluten flour in Examples 1-7 with one or more gluten-free flours selected from oat flour, corn flour, white rice flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour, teff flour, arrowroot flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, tapioca flour, cassava flour, tiger nut flour, soy flour, potato flour, millet flour, or quinoa flour.

[0113] Example 9

[0128] The gluten-free composite flours are made by replacing the gluten flour in Examples 1-7 with one or more gluten-free flours selected from oat flour, corn flour, white rice flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour, teff flour, arrowroot flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, tapioca flour, cassava flour, tiger nut flour, soy flour, potato flour, millet flour, or quinoa flour.

[0114] Example 10

[0129] Reduced gluten and reduced carbohydrate composite flours are made by replacing 5-50% of the gluten flour in Examples 1-7 with one or more gluten-free, low-carbohydrate flours selected from coconut flour, almond flour, peanut flour, sesame flour, sunflower seed flour, hazelnut flour, walnut flour, soybean flour, chickpea flour, flaxseed (linseed) flour, broad bean flour, pumpkin seed flour, lupin flour, red lentil flour, or refined bran flour.

[0115] Example 11

[0130] Gluten-free, low-carb composite flours are made by replacing the flour in Examples 1-10 with one or more gluten-free, low-carb flours selected from coconut flour, almond flour, peanut flour, sesame flour, sunflower seed flour, hazelnut flour, walnut flour, soybean flour, chickpea flour, flaxseed (linseed) flour, broad bean flour, pumpkin seed flour, lupin flour, red lentil flour, or refined bran flour.

[0116] Example 12

[0131] The composite flour of any one of Examples 1-11 is modified by including one or more nutritional oils in addition to and / or replacing at least a portion of the MCT oil, such as acai oil, almond oil, alamance oil, animal fat, apricot oil, apple seed oil, argan oil, avocado oil, babassu oil, beech nut oil, ben oil, black seed oil, blackcurrant seed oil, borage seed oil, Borneo tallow nut oil, Brazil nut oil, butterfat, butternut squash seed oil, camelina sativa seed oil, or the like. sativa) oil, camellia oil, canola oil, carob pod oil, castor oil, cocklebur oil, cocoa butter, coriander seed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, date seed oil, egusi seed oil, fish oil, evening primrose oil, flax seed oil, grape seed oil, hazelnut oil, hemp seed oil, kapok seed oil, kenaf seed oil, krill oil, lard, long-chain fatty acids and their glycerides, macadamia oil, mafra oil, marula oil, mustard oil, niger seed oil, nutmeg butter, okra seed oil, olive oil, palm oil, papaya seed oil, peanut oil, peach kernel oil, pecan oil, e The following nutritional oils may be included: sesame seed oil, persimmon seed oil, peki oil, pili nut oil, pine nut oil, pistachio oil, pomegranate seed oil, poppy seed oil, prakash oil, prune kernel oil, pumpkin seed oil, quinoa oil, Niger seed oil, rice bran oil, roil oil, sacha inchi oil, safflower oil (e.g., high oleic acid), salicornia oil, sapote oil, sage oil, sesame oil, shea butter, short-chain fatty acids and their glycerides, soybean oil, sunflower oil, tarramilla oil, thistle oil, tiger berry oil, tomato seed oil, walnut oil, watermelon seed oil, or wheat germ oil.When only a portion of MCT oil is replaced with one or more other nutritional oils, the other nutritional oils can be considered as "supplementary oils".

[0117] Example 13

[0132] A mixed composite flour is made by blending the composite flour of any one of Examples 1-12 with any other composite flour of Examples 1-12.

[0118] Example 14

[0133] A blended composite flour is made by blending the composite flour of any one of Examples 1-13 with one or more native plant flours.

[0119] Example 15

[0134] Cupcakes were made from a cupcake batter containing the following ingredients: Wheat-MCT Composite Flour 33.5% Soybean oil 3.1% Eggs 35.4% Sugar 12.4% Lactose-free skim milk 13.7% Baking powder 1.9%

[0135] The cupcakes were made in a cupcake baking pan with a cupcake batter placed therein according to the recipe and baked in an oven at a normal temperature and time. The cupcakes were comparable or superior in quality and taste to cupcakes made using conventional all-purpose flour or cake flour, and had a superior nutritional profile.

[0120] Example 16

[0136] Bread was made from a bread dough containing the following ingredients: Wheat-MCT Composite Flour 48.6% Sugar 9.7% Yeast 0.2% Bread corrector 0.5% Milk powder 2.9% Eggs 11.7% Salt 0.2% Butter 4.8% Water 21.4%

[0137] Bread loaves were made by kneading the dough in the usual way, allowing it to rise according to the recipe, patting the dough down, placing the dough in a baking pan, allowing the dough to rise a second time, and baking in an oven at a conventional temperature and time. The bread was comparable or superior in quality and taste to bread made using conventional all-purpose flour or bread flour, and had a superior nutritional profile.

[0121] Example 17

[0138] Biscuits were made from a biscuit dough containing the following ingredients: Wheat-MCT Composite Flour 44.7% Butter 24.6% Salt 0.5% Sugar 10.1% Dairy-free cream 13.7% Baking powder 1.9%

[0139] Biscuits were made on a flat baking sheet, with pieces of biscuit dough placed on top according to the recipe, and baked in an oven at normal temperature and time. The biscuits were comparable or superior in quality and taste to biscuits made using conventional all-purpose flour or cake flour, and had a superior nutritional profile.

[0122] Example 18

[0140] Thin pancakes were made from a thin pancake batter containing the following ingredients: Wheat-MCT Composite Flour 57.2% Water 42.7% Salt 0.1%

[0141] Thin pancakes were prepared in a frying pan, battered according to recipe, and cooked at normal temperature and time, and were comparable or superior in quality and taste and had a superior nutritional profile compared to thin pancakes prepared using conventional all-purpose flour or cake flour.

[0123] Example 19

[0142] Muffins were made from a muffin batter containing the following ingredients: 1 3 / 4 cups wheat-MCT composite flour 1 / 3 cup sugar 1 egg 3 / 4 cup milk 3 / 4 cup cooking oil 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 / 4 teaspoon salt

[0143] Muffins are made in a recessed muffin baking pan, and the muffin batter in the muffin cup is placed therein according to the recipe, and baked in an oven at normal temperature and time.These muffins are comparable or superior in quality and taste to muffins made using conventional all-purpose flour or cake flour, and have a superior nutritional profile.These muffins are lighter, fluffier, and more moist than the conventional muffins made using all-purpose flour instead of wheat-MCT composite flour.

[0124] Example 20

[0144] A coffee cake was made from a cake batter containing the following ingredients: 2 cups wheat-MCT composite flour 1 1 / 2 cups erythritol 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 / 2 teaspoon salt 1 / 2 cup chilled butter 3 eggs, whites whipped separately 3 / 4 cup cream, mixed with water as needed 1 1 / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1 / 2 teaspoons hazelnut extract

[0145] Coffee cake is made in a glass cake pan, and according to recipe, cake batter is placed therein, and baked in an oven at normal temperature and time.This coffee cake is comparable or superior in quality and taste to the coffee cake made with conventional all-purpose flour or cake flour, and has a superior nutritional profile.This coffee cake is lighter, fluffier, and more moist than the conventional coffee cake made with all-purpose flour instead of wheat-MCT composite flour.

[0125] Example 21

[0146] Banana nut bread was made from a cake batter containing the following ingredients: 1 cup wheat-MCT composite flour 1 3 / 4 cups erythritol 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 beaten eggs 3 ripe bananas, mashed (approximately 1 cup) 3 / 4 cup milk 1 / 2 teaspoon salt 1 / 2 teaspoon baking soda 1 / 2 to 1 cup chopped pecans

[0147] Banana nut bread is made in a greased metal bread pan, cake batter is placed therein according to recipe, and baked in an oven at normal temperature and time.This banana nut bread is comparable or superior in quality and taste to banana nut bread made using conventional all-purpose flour or cake flour, and has a superior nutritional profile.This banana nut bread is lighter, fluffier, and more moist than the conventional banana nut bread made using all-purpose flour instead of wheat-MCT composite flour.

[0126] Example 22

[0148] Pasta was made from a pasta dough containing the following ingredients: 1 cup wheat-MCT composite flour (Add more to roll the noodles) 1 / 2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 egg (large)

[0149] The pasta dough was mixed, kneaded, and pressed through a pasta machine according to the recipe to form individual pasta noodles. The pasta noodles were placed in boiling water according to the recipe and cooked until soft and pliable but not sticky. The pasta was comparable or superior in quality and taste to pasta made using conventional all-purpose flour or cake flour, and had a superior nutritional profile. The pasta had a superior texture compared to conventional pasta made using all-purpose flour instead of wheat-MCT composite flour.

[0127] Comparative Example 23

[0150] A conventional blended MCT flour is used in place of the composite flour in any one of Examples 1-22. This food product has an inferior quality and nutritional profile, being high in carbohydrates and low in protein, which causes GI tract problems, especially with increased amounts of MCT powder.

[0128] Comparative Example 24 Gastrointestinal Tolerance Studies

[0151] A gastrointestinal tolerance study was conducted by having test subjects eat cakes made from four different flours and then comparing the results. Ingestion of MCT oil can cause gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances. The acceptable intake of MCTs needs to be determined. The purpose of this study was to determine the GI tolerance of baked products made with wheat-MCT composite flours with different MCT contents compared to all-purpose wheat flour or blended wheat-MCT flour. The study was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled design.

[0129]

[0152] Four different types of small soy-based cakes were made using equal amounts of the following four flours mixed with soy milk and baked using conventional means: Flour type MCT content per cake All-purpose cake (APC) flour 0g APC powder and MCT powder blend 10g APC-MCT (7%) Composite Flour 7g APC-MCT (10%) Composite Flour 10g

[0153] The subjects were randomly divided into four groups, and their diets were changed every two days. The total study period was six days. The subjects consumed the test meal and completed a GI tolerance questionnaire. On the seventh day, the subjects were asked to record their GI comfort satisfaction over the past week.

[0130]

[0154] A GI Tolerance Questionnaire was used to record the incidence and severity of eight GI domains, including bloating, nausea, flatulence, GI cramps, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and GI borborygmi. GI domains were scored on a 4-point scale (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe). These domains were chosen based on published literature on GI tolerance. For simplicity, a composite GI tolerance score was generated by averaging the different scores from the eight GI domains.

[0131]

[0155] The results of the GI tolerance study are listed in Table 1 and illustrated graphically in Figure 3. The "control" is all-purpose wheat flour.

[0132] [Table 1]

[0133]

[0156] The mean score is the average of all symptom scores in each group: all-purpose cake flour (control), all-purpose cake flour and MCT flour blend, all-purpose cake-MCT (7%) composite flour, and all-purpose cake-MCT (10%) composite flour. The mean score reflects the incidence and severity of GI disturbances using subjects' GI symptom ratings on a 4-point scale (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe). The number of subjects was counted for each score in each group (Table 1), and the mean score was calculated for each participant in the group.

[0134]

[0157] Figure 3 shows the average score for each test group in a graph.The average test scores of the participants in each test group are added together, and then divided by the total number of subjects in each group to calculate the average score for each test group.The average score of each group reflects the overall occurrence and severity of GI disorders in various groups.The higher the average score, the more frequent and severe GI disorders are.

[0135]

[0158] Subjects who consumed the cake made with all-purpose cake flour had a mean score of 0.205, which was the control mean score.

[0159] Subjects who consumed cake made with blended all-purpose cake flour and MCT powder had the highest mean score (0.286), which was significantly higher than the other groups (p<0.05), suggesting that consumption of cake made with MCT powder caused significant GI disturbances.

[0136]

[0160] Subjects who ate cakes made with multipurpose cake-MCT (7%) composite flour and multipurpose cake-MCT (10%) composite flour had mean scores of 0.208 and 0.216, respectively, which are close to the mean score of the control group of 0.205.This suggests that multipurpose cake-MCT composite flour was generally well tolerated.

[0137] Comparative Example 25 First volumetric comparison study

[0161] The volumetric comparison study is carried out by using all-purpose wheat flour as control and using the wheat-MCT composite flour of the present disclosure to make cakes of different sizes.The wheat-MCT composite flour contains 10% encapsulated MCT oil according to example 3, and uses C8 triglyceride as MCT oil, all-purpose wheat flour as flour component, pea protein as encapsulated protein, gum arabic as emulsifier, and calcium stearoyl lactylate and sodium stearoyl lactylate as co-emulsifier.

[0138]

[0162] Cake batters for the volumetric comparison study were made according to the bread recipes listed in Table 2:

[0139] [Table 2]

[0140]

[0163] Two types of batter were made: one using all-purpose wheat flour and another using wheat-MCT composite flour. Each type of cake batter was placed into metal cake pans at the following weights: 50g, 100g, 200g, and 300g. For each of the 50g, 100g, and 200g cakes, two batches of each type of cake batter were made, and for the 300g cake, 60 batches of each type of cake batter were made.

[0141]

[0164] The cakes were baked in an oven for 30 minutes at a maximum heating temperature of 170°C (338°F) and a minimum heating temperature of 180°C (356°F). Volume comparison data for the smaller cakes (50g, 100g and 200g) are listed in Table 3:

[0142] [Table 3]

[0143]

[0165] The data clearly shows that the volume of the cake made with wheat-MCT composite flour is much larger than that of the cake made with all-purpose wheat flour.When the two batches are averaged together, the volume increase of the cake made with wheat-MCT composite flour at 50g, 100g and 200g is 24%, 33% and 39% higher than that of the cake made with all-purpose wheat flour.Unexpectedly, the volume increase rate gradually increases with the increase in cake size.This may be due to the fact that the ratio of exposed surface area to volume decreases as the amount of cake batter increases.

[0144]

[0166] Comparative volume data for sixty 300g cakes for each type of cake batter are listed in Table 4:

[0145] [Table 4-1]

[0146] [Table 4-2]

[0147]

[0167] Data clearly shows that the volume of the cake made by using wheat-MCT composite flour is substantially larger than that of the cake made by using all-purpose wheat flour.When 60 batches are averaged together, the volume increase rate of the 300g cake made by using wheat-MCT composite flour is 41% higher than that of the 300g cake made by using all-purpose wheat flour.Unexpectedly, this volume increase rate is also higher (41%) than that of the 200g cake (39%), probably due to the reduced ratio of exposed surface area to volume.

[0148]

[0168] Figure 4 is a graph comparing the volume of cakes made using wheat-MCT composite flour or all-purpose wheat flour at various weights.The graph shows that the average cake volume is larger when using wheat-MCT composite flour than when using all-purpose wheat flour.

[0149]

[0169] Not only did the cakes made with wheat-MCT composite flour have significantly larger volumes than cakes of similar weight made with all-purpose wheat flour, but analysis of the data listed in Tables 3 and 4 also showed that the cakes made with wheat-MCT composite flour had more consistent volumes than cakes of similar weight made with all-purpose wheat flour.This is shown in Table 5:

[0150] [Table 5]

[0151]

[0170] For a 50g cake, cakes made using wheat-MCT composite flour had an average volume of 125.0cm 3 ±1.4cm 3 In contrast, 50g cakes made using all-purpose wheat flour had an average volume of 100.5cm 3 ±2.1cm 3 For the largest size cake (300g), the volume deviation reduction rate of the cake made with wheat-MCT composite flour is even more impressive, with the average volume being 41% larger than that of the cake made with all-purpose wheat flour, which produces even smaller deviation percentage (0.6% deviation for the cake made with wheat-MCT composite flour vs. 1.3% deviation for the cake made with all-purpose wheat flour).

[0152] Comparative Example 26 Bulk density comparison study

[0171] A comparative bulk density study was conducted to determine the relative bulk densities of different flour types made from three different heirloom plant flours: (1) all-purpose wheat flour, (2) buckwheat flour, and (3) corn flour. For each of the three heirloom plant flours, three flour types were compared: (i) composite flour, (ii) a simple blend of plant flour with MCT powder, and (iii) heirloom plant flour alone. The amount of MCT oil in the composite flour made according to the present invention was the same as the amount of MCT oil in a similar blend of heirloom plant flour and MCT powder (i.e., 10 wt%).

[0153]

[0172] Table 6 shows a comparison of the measured bulk densities for three flour types containing all-purpose wheat flour.

[0154] [Table 6]

[0155]

[0173] As shown by the bulk density data in Table 6, the wheat-MCT composite flour of the present invention has significantly lower bulk density than both all-purpose wheat flour alone and the simple blend of all-purpose wheat flour and MCT powder.The wheat-MCT composite flour of the present disclosure has lower bulk density than the simple blend of all-purpose wheat flour and MCT powder, indicating that they are chemically and structurally different from each other.In other words, the wheat-MCT composite flour of the present disclosure has a different composition from the simple blend of all-purpose wheat flour and MCT powder based on comparable bulk density data.

[0156]

[0174] Table 7 shows a comparison of the measured bulk densities for three flour types containing buckwheat flour.

[0157] [Table 7]

[0158]

[0175] As shown by the bulk density data in Table 7, the buckwheat flour-MCT composite flour of the present invention has a significantly lower bulk density than both buckwheat flour alone and the simple blend of buckwheat flour and MCT powder.The lower bulk density of the buckwheat flour-MCT composite flour of the present disclosure compared with the simple blend of buckwheat flour and MCT powder indicates that they are chemically and structurally different from each other.In other words, the buckwheat flour-MCT composite flour of the present disclosure has a different composition from the simple blend of buckwheat flour and MCT powder based on comparable bulk density data.

[0159]

[0176] Table 8 shows a comparison of the measured bulk densities for the three flour types containing corn flour.

[0160] [Table 8]

[0161]

[0177] As shown by the bulk density data in Table 8, the corn-MCT composite flour of the present invention has significantly lower bulk density than both corn flour alone and the simple blend of corn flour and MCT powder.The lower bulk density of the corn-MCT composite flour of the present disclosure compared to the simple blend of corn flour and MCT powder indicates that they are chemically and structurally different from each other.In other words, the corn-MCT composite flour of the present disclosure has a different composition from the simple blend of corn flour and MCT powder based on comparable bulk density data.

[0162] Comparative Example 27 Second volumetric comparison study

[0178] A second volumetric comparison study was conducted to determine the relative volumes of muffins and cookies made using either wheat-MCT composite flour or all-purpose wheat flour. Muffins were made from a muffin batter containing the following ingredients: Ingredients Percentage (wt%) Powder 33.5% Soybean oil 3.1% Eggs 35.4% Sugar 12.4% Skim lactose-free milk 13.7% Baking powder 1.9%

[0179] Muffins were made in a recessed muffin baking pan, into which the muffin batter in the muffin cups was placed according to the recipe, and baked in an oven at the usual temperature and time. The weight of the muffin batter for each muffin, and the relative volumes and volume growth rates for muffins made using different flours are listed in Table 9.

[0163] [Table 9]

[0164]

[0180] Consistent with the previous example in the first volume comparison study, the muffins made using the wheat-MCT composite flour of the present disclosure had a substantially larger volume (41.9% larger) than the muffins made using all-purpose wheat flour.

[0165]

[0181] Cookies were made from a cookie dough containing the following ingredients: Ingredients Percentage (wt%) Powder 44.7% Butter 24.6% Salt 0.5% Sugar 10.1% Cream 20.1%

[0182] Cookies were made by placing pre-measured portions of dough onto greased cookie sheets and baking in an oven at normal temperature and time according to the recipe. The weight and relative volume of the dough and volume growth rate for each cookie made using different flours are listed in Table 10.

[0166] [Table 10]

[0167]

[0183] Consistent with previous example, the cookies made by using wheat-MCT composite flour of the present disclosure have somewhat larger volume (7% larger) than the cookies made by using all-purpose wheat flour.Compared to muffin, the lower volume increase rate is believed to be the result of the larger surface area to volume ratio of cookies compared to muffin in previous example.

[0168]

[0184] The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

1. A composite medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil comprising droplets or particles of MCT oil at least partially encapsulated by a wall structure, This is a plant powder particle combined with complexed MCT oil, and includes unmodified plant powder particles and modified plant powder particles with reduced polysaccharides. A composite flower that includes, The wall structure comprises at least one of polysaccharides released from modified plant powder particles, proteins, or added polysaccharide fibers, and at least one of emulsifiers or coemulsifiers. Composite flowers.

2. The composite flour according to claim 1, wherein the plant flour particles include or are derived from one or more gluten flours selected from the group consisting of wheat flour, barley flour, rye flour, spelt flour, and rye flour, the composite flour has reduced gluten and carbohydrates per unit compared to one or more gluten flours alone, and the polysaccharides released from the plant flour and incorporated into the wall structure include starch.

3. The composite flour according to claim 1, wherein the plant flour particles include or are derived from one or more gluten-free flours selected from the group consisting of oat flour, corn flour, white rice flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour, teff flour, arrowroot flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, tapioca flour, cassava flour, sedge flour, soybean flour, potato flour, millet flour, and quinoa flour.

4. The composite flour according to claim 1, wherein the plant flour particles include or are derived from one or more gluten-free, low-carbohydrate seed flours, nut flours, or plant flours selected from the group consisting of coconut flour, almond flour, peanut flour, sesame flour, sunflower seed flour, hazelnut flour, walnut flour, soybean flour, chickpea flour, flaxseed flour, and broad bean flour.

5. The composite flower according to claim 1, wherein the protein is contained in the wall structure and comprises one or more of the following: pea protein, hemp protein, pumpkin seed protein, rice protein, soy protein, sunflower seed protein, sasha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) protein, chia protein, quinoa protein, whey protein, casein, egg protein, beef protein, chicken protein, fish protein, or collagen.

6. The composite flower according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifier is contained in the wall structure and comprises one or more of the following: gum arabic, acacia fiber, xanthan gum, guar gum, gelan gum, carrageenan, carob gum, pectin, starch, soy lecithin, egg lecithin, agar, dextrin, monoglycerides, or diglycerides.

7. The composite flower according to claim 1, wherein the coemulsifier is contained in the wall structure and comprises one or more of the following: calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, phosphate, polyglycerol ester, polysorbate, sorbitan monostearate, or sucrose fatty acid ester.

8. The composite flower according to claim 1, wherein drops or particles of MCT oil form an MCT core, the wall structure forms a shell that at least partially encloses the MCT core, and the MCT oil comprises one or more of C8 triglycerides, C10 triglycerides, or C8 / C10 mixed triglycerides.

9. The composite flower according to claim 1, further comprising at least partially encapsulated by a wall structure and further comprising at least one auxiliary oil selected from the group consisting of avocado oil, Brazil nut oil, canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, flaxseed oil, grape seed oil, hemp seed oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, walnut oil, hazelnut oil, sunflower oil, and butterfat.

10. The composite flower according to claim 1, comprising a cluster composed of compounded MCT oil, unmodified plant powder particles, and modified plant powder particles.

11. The composite flower according to claim 1, wherein the gastrointestinal disorders caused by the ingestion of the composite flower are less than those caused by a simple dry blend of conventional plant powder and MCT powder.

12. It is a composite flower, The step of forming a wall material slurry comprising water, a first portion of native plant powder, at least one of added proteins or polysaccharide fibers, and at least one of emulsifiers or co-emulsifiers, The steps include: combining MCT and / or other nutrient oils with the wall material slurry to form a heterogeneous mixture; The steps include subjecting a heterogeneous mixture to high-speed shearing to form an emulsion comprising modified plant powder particles with reduced polysaccharides, and drops or particles of MCT and / or other nutrient oils at least partially encapsulated by a wall material, The steps include subjecting an emulsion to high-pressure nano-sizing to form micro-sized and / or nano-sized composite micelles containing a wall material that at least partially encapsulates droplets or particles of MCT and / or other nutrient oils, The steps include: spray-drying nano-sized composite droplets with heated air to remove water by evaporation, thereby forming partially dried intermediate composite flower particles; The step involves mixing intermediate composite flower particles with a second portion of native plant powder to form a final composite flower, wherein at least some of the second portion of native plant powder particles forms aggregates with the intermediate composite flower particles. Manufactured by a method including, The final composite flower comprises modified plant flour particles with reduced polysaccharides, polysaccharides released from the modified plant flour particles, at least one of added proteins or polysaccharide fibers, and at least one of emulsifiers or co-emulsifiers, which are at least partially encapsulated by a wall structure containing drops or particles of composite MCT and / or other nutrient oils, as well as unmodified plant flour particles, at least some of which aggregate with the composite flower particles. Composite flowers.

13. A blended powder comprising the composite flower described in any one of claims 1 to 12 in combination with another plant powder and / or another composite flower.

14. A food product comprising composite flour according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the food product is selected from the group consisting of baked articles, fried articles, boiled articles and uncooked articles.

15. The food according to claim 14, wherein the baking article has a volume at least 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, or 50% larger than the same weight of baking article made using multipurpose flour.

16. The food according to claim 14, selected from the group consisting of bread, biscuits, rolls, buns, cakes, cupcakes, pies, bagels, muffins, flatbreads, cakes, brownies, pastries, cookies, crackers, tarts, puff pastries, donuts, tarts, turnovers, crepes, pancakes, waffles, crumpets, cornbread, muffletta, breaded meat, dumplings, pasta, noodles, tortellini, ravioli, ice cream, and yogurt.

17. A composite MCT oil and / or other nutritional oil comprising drops or particles of MCT oil and / or other nutritional oil at least partially encapsulated by a wall structure, Vegetable flour combined with compounded MCT oil and / or other nutritional oils, comprising unmodified vegetable flour particles and modified vegetable flour particles with reduced polysaccharides, and A composite flower that includes, The wall structure contains polysaccharides, proteins, emulsifiers, and optionally co-emulsifiers released from denatured plant powder particles. The plant flour is selected from the group consisting of gluten flour, gluten-free flour, low-carbohydrate seeds, nuts, or plant flours, and combinations thereof. The protein is selected from the group consisting of pea protein, hemp protein, pumpkin seed protein, rice protein, soy protein, sunflower seed protein, sasha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) protein, chia protein, quinoa protein, whey protein, casein, egg protein, beef protein, chicken protein, fish protein, collagen, and combinations thereof. The emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, acacia fiber, xanthan gum, guar gum, gelan gum, carrageenan, carob gum, pectin, starch, soy lecithin, egg lecithin, agar, dextrin, monoglycerides, diglycerides, and combinations thereof. A co-emulsifier is included, and the co-emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, phosphate, polyglycerol ester, polysorbate, sorbitan monostearate, sucrose fatty acid ester, and combinations thereof. Composite flowers.

18. A method for manufacturing composite flowers, The step of forming a wall material slurry comprising water, a first portion of native plant powder, at least one of added proteins or polysaccharide fibers, and at least one of emulsifiers or co-emulsifiers, The steps include: combining MCT and / or other nutrient oils with the wall material slurry to form a heterogeneous mixture; The steps include subjecting a heterogeneous mixture to high-speed shearing to form an emulsion comprising modified plant powder particles with reduced polysaccharides, and drops or particles of MCT and / or other nutrient oils at least partially encapsulated by a wall material, The steps include subjecting an emulsion to high-pressure nano-sizing to form micro-sized and / or nano-sized composite micelles containing a wall material that at least partially encapsulates droplets or particles of MCT and / or other nutrient oils, The steps include: spray-drying nano-sized composite droplets with heated air to remove water by evaporation, thereby forming partially dried intermediate composite flower particles; The step involves mixing intermediate composite flower particles with a second portion of native plant powder to form a final composite flower, wherein at least some of the second portion of native plant powder particles forms aggregates with the intermediate composite flower particles. Includes, The final composite flower comprises modified powder particles with reduced polysaccharides, polysaccharides released from modified plant powder particles, at least one of added proteins or polysaccharide fibers, and at least one of emulsifiers or coemulsifiers, which are at least partially encapsulated by a wall structure containing drops or particles of composite MCT and / or other nutrient oils, as well as unmodified plant powder particles, some of which aggregate with the composite flower particles. method.

19. The steps include sieving the final composite flower to remove larger composite flower particles to produce sieved composite flower with a more uniform particle size, and optionally The step of re-grinding the larger composite flower particles that have been removed. The step of adding the re-pulverized composite flower particles to the sieved composite flower, The step of using the removed larger composite flour particles as a coarser powder for making food, or The step of recirculating the removed larger composite flower particles back into the wall material slurry and / or heterogeneous mixture. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

20. Plant powder, One or more gluten flours selected from the group consisting of wheat flour, barley flour, rye flour, spelt flour, and rye flour. One or more gluten-free flours selected from the group consisting of oat flour, corn flour, white rice flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour, teff flour, arrowroot flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, tapioca flour, cassava flour, sedge flour, soybean flour, potato flour, millet flour and quinoa flour, or One or more gluten-free, low-carbohydrate seed flours, nut flours, or vegetable flours selected from the group consisting of coconut flour, almond flour, peanut flour, sesame flour, sunflower seed flour, hazelnut flour, walnut flour, soybean flour, chickpea flour, flaxseed flour, and broad bean flour. Includes at least one of these, or derived from at least one of these The method according to claim 18.

21. The protein contains one or more of the following: pea protein, hemp protein, pumpkin seed protein, rice protein, soy protein, sunflower seed protein, sasha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) protein, chia protein, quinoa protein, whey protein, casein, egg protein, beef protein, chicken protein, fish protein, or collagen. It contains an emulsifier and also contains one or more of the following: gum arabic, acacia fiber, xanthan gum, guar gum, gellan gum, carrageenan, carob gum, pectin, starch, soy lecithin, egg lecithin, agar, dextrin, monoglycerides, or diglycerides. It contains a coemulsifier and also contains one or more of the following: calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, phosphate, polyglycerol ester, polysorbate, sorbitan monostearate, or sucrose fatty acid ester. The method according to claim 18, characterized by at least one of the above.

22. Drops or particles of MCT and / or other nutritional oils form an MCT and / or other nutritional oil core, and the wall structure forms a shell that at least partially encapsulates the MCT and / or other nutritional oil core. The MCT oil contains one or more of C8 triglycerides, C10 triglycerides, or C8 / C10 mixed triglycerides, and / or Other nutritional oils include acai oil, almond oil, amaranth oil, animal fat, apricot oil, apple seed oil, argan oil, avocado oil, babassu oil, beech nut oil, ben oil, black seed oil, blackcurrant seed oil, borage seed oil, born tallow nut oil, Brazil nut oil, butterfat, butternut squash seed oil, and camelina thunbergii seed oil (camelina sativa). Sativa oil, camellia oil, canola oil, carob pod oil, castor oil, burdock oil, cocoa butter, coriander seed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, date seed oil, agusi seed oil, fish oil, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, grape seed oil, hazelnut oil, hemp seed oil, kapok seed oil, kenaf seed oil, krill oil, lard, long-chain fatty acids and their glycerides, macadamia oil, muffler oil, marula oil, mustard oil, niger seed oil, nutmeg butter, okra seed oil, olive oil, palm oil, papaya seed oil, peanut oil, peach kernel oil, peach Selected from the group consisting of: corn oil, perilla seed oil, oak seed oil, peanut oil, pili nut oil, pine nut oil, pistachio oil, pomegranate seed oil, poppy seed oil, pracaxi oil, prune kernel oil, pumpkin seed oil, quinoa oil, niger seed oil, rice bran oil, royl oil, sachetin oil, safflower oil (e.g., higher oleic acid), salicornia oil, sapote oil, sage oil, sesame oil, shea butter, short-chain fatty acids and their glycerides, soybean oil, sunflower oil, taramira oil, thistle oil, sedge oil, tomato seed oil, walnut oil, watermelon seed oil, and wheat germ oil. The method according to claim 18.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein a first portion of the native plant powder comprises a first native plant powder, and a second portion of the native plant powder comprises either (i) the first native plant powder, or (ii) a second native plant powder having a different nutritional profile from the first native plant powder.

24. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of combining the final composite flower with at least one of another plant powder or another composite flower.

25. A composite flower manufactured according to the method described in any one of claims 18 to 24.

26. A method for manufacturing composite flowers, The step is to form a wall material slurry composed of water, a first portion of native plant powder, protein, and at least one of an emulsifier or co-emulsifier. Traditional plant flours are selected from the group consisting of gluten flour, gluten-free flour, low-carbohydrate seed flour, nut flour or plant flour, and combinations thereof. The protein is selected from the group consisting of pea protein, hemp protein, pumpkin seed protein, rice protein, soy protein, sunflower seed protein, sasha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) protein, chia protein, quinoa protein, whey protein, casein, egg protein, beef protein, chicken protein, fish protein, collagen, and combinations thereof. When an emulsifier is included, it is selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, acacia fiber, xanthan gum, guar gum, gellan gum, carrageenan, carob gum, pectin, starch, soy lecithin, egg lecithin, agar, dextrin, monoglycerides, diglycerides, and combinations thereof. When a co-emulsifier is included, it is selected from the group consisting of calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, phosphate, polyglycerol ester, polysorbate, sorbitan monostearate or sucrose fatty acid ester, and combinations thereof. Steps and The steps include: combining MCT and / or other nutrient oils with the wall material slurry to form a heterogeneous mixture; The steps include subjecting a heterogeneous mixture to high-speed shearing to form an emulsion comprising modified plant powder particles with reduced polysaccharides, and drops or particles of MCT and / or other nutrient oils at least partially encapsulated by a wall material, The steps include subjecting an emulsion to high-pressure nano-sizing to form micro-sized and / or nano-sized composite micelles containing a wall material that at least partially encapsulates droplets or particles of MCT and / or other nutrient oils, The steps include: spray-drying nano-sized composite droplets with heated air to remove water by evaporation, thereby forming partially dried intermediate composite flower particles; The process involves mixing intermediate composite flower particles with a second portion of conventional plant powder to form a final composite flower, wherein at least some of the second portion of conventional plant powder forms aggregates with the intermediate composite flower particles. Includes, The final composite flower particles include modified powder particles with reduced polysaccharides, drops or particles of composite MCT and / or other nutrient oils encapsulated by a wall structure composed of polysaccharides released from the modified plant powder particles, proteins, emulsifiers or co-emulsifiers, and unmodified plant powder particles, at least some of which aggregate with the composite flower particles. method.

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