Oil suspension of edible solids and method for preparing the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an oily compound containing edible solids such as sugars, salt, and spices, and a method for preparing the same, which does not require additional ingredients such as water or stabilizers (e.g., starch), and which provides an enhanced and desirable sensory experience even with a reduced content of edible solids (e.g., carbohydrates). [Solution] A flavor-enhancing oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter between 0.1 μm and 15 μm, wherein the carrier oil is selected from medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, canola oil, coconut oil, peanut butter oil, palm oil, olive oil, fish oil, sunflower seed oil, soybean oil, or any combination thereof, and the edible solid particles include salt particles and are free of stabilizers, making it an oily suspension.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil suspension containing microparticles and nanoparticles of an edible solid. The present invention is further directed to a method for preparing such an oil suspension.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in the food industry, such as the production of chocolate, sweetened peanut butter, etc., there may be a need for sweetening or other flavoring of oils and products having a high oil content. However, since sugar molecules or other polar molecules (e.g., salts) do not readily dissolve in oils or products having a high oil content, this poses a practical problem in the production of oil-based sweet products (sweetened products).

[0003] For example, the sugar may be premixed with water, and the resulting solution is mixed with the oil component, thereby forming an emulsion. The formed emulsion may require the addition of an emulsifier to provide a stable product. Furthermore, while powdered sugar may be likely to mix with the oil agent, if the particles are less than 500 μm (microns), the powdered sugar is regarded as dust. It is known that powdered sugar is highly explosive in free air, and therefore, due to safety regulations, it is required to add components such as starch to the powdered sugar and mix them to reduce the risk of fire. Another known solution is to use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. However, such sweeteners do not necessarily conform to various body functions, and furthermore, the flavors they impart to foods are generally different from those of natural sugars, and therefore, the final products tend to be less satisfactory to consumers.

[0004] As detailed above, water or additional components such as starch may be used in various products, but there are products in which the addition of water or other components is impossible or undesirable. For example, certain products are required to be prepared without water. Certain products, such as omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil, vegetable oils, and omega-6s oils, are very sensitive to oxidation and therefore need to be prepared in an inert, dry environment. As used herein, a dry environment is an environment in which H2O molecules or water are substantially absent. Certain powders and solid products, such as spices, need to be dried to protect them from microbial activity and maintain their sensory properties, and therefore need to be stored in a dry environment during their shelf life. Therefore, the addition of water to such products may be impossible.

[0005] Another consideration when preparing sweetened products is their sugar content. Aside from the complexities detailed above regarding the inclusion of sugar in oily products, the amount of sugar required to provide a sufficiently sweet final product for consumers can be very high. For example, chocolate may contain approximately 50% w / w sugar. Given the well-known disadvantages and complications of excessive sugar (or salt) intake, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, providing a means to reduce the sugar (or salt) content of foods without diminishing consumer satisfaction and preference for such products would be highly advantageous.

[0006] Therefore, there appears to be a need in the art for oily formulations containing edible solids such as sugars, salt, and spices that do not require additional ingredients such as water or stabilizers (e.g., starch), and that provide an enhanced and desirable sensory experience even with a reduced content of edible solids (e.g., carbohydrates). [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Some embodiments of the present invention may be directed to an oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of less than about 50 μm. In some embodiments, the edible solid particles have an average diameter of less than about 15 μm. In some embodiments, the suspension has an edible solid content of about 1% to 30% w / w. In some embodiments, the edible solids are selected from carbohydrates, salts (sodium), and spices. In some embodiments, the oil is selected from medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, canola oil, coconut oil, peanut butter oil, palm oil, olive oil, fish oil, sunflower seed oil, soybean oil, or any combination thereof.

[0008] Some embodiments of the present invention may be directed to a consumable product comprising an oily suspension disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the consumable product may be sweetened fish oil. In some embodiments, the consumable product may contain about 1 to 50% w / w of the oily suspension.

[0009] Some aspects of the present invention may be directed to a method for preparing an oily suspension. This method may include the steps of mixing edible solid raw material particles with a carrier oil to obtain an oil-edible solid raw material particle mixture, and reducing the particle size (particle size) of the edible solid raw material particles in the oil-carbohydrate mixture to obtain an oily suspension, the oily suspension containing edible solid particles having an average particle size of about 5 to 50 μm. In some embodiments, the reduction (making smaller) of particle size may be carried out in one, two, three, four, or five steps, and the particle size of the edible solid in each successive step is reduced (smaller) compared to any previous step.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method may further include a step of obtaining edible solid raw material particles with a particle size lower than 250 μm, and thus reducing the particle size of the edible solid raw material particles may include reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the intermediate reduced size oil-edible solid mixture to about 100 to 0.1 μm, thereby providing the oily suspension. In some embodiments, the reduction step may be carried out with a microfluidizer. In some embodiments, the method may further include a step of obtaining edible solid raw material particles with a particle size of 250 μm or more, and therefore reducing the particle size of the edible solids may include a first step and a second step, the first step of reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the oil-carbohydrate mixture to about 500 to 50 μm, thereby providing the intermediate reduced size oil-edible solid mixture, and the second step of reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the intermediate reduced size oil-carbohydrate mixture to about 100 to 0.1 μm, thereby providing the oily suspension. In some embodiments, the first step may be carried out in a food processor.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second step may be carried out in a microfluidizer. In some embodiments, the microfluidizer is used at a pressure of about 5,000 to 40,000 psi (about 34.5 to about 276 MPa). In some embodiments, the microfluidizer has a channel size of 75 μm to 1100 μm, for example, 87 μm to 200 μm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the oily suspension may contain about 1-30% w / w of edible solids. In some embodiments, the method may further include mixing the oily suspension with additional oil or a high-oil-content product to provide a final sweetened product. In some embodiments, the oily suspension may be mixed with additional oil or a high-oil-content product under inert conditions. In some embodiments, the additional oil is fish oil, so that the final sweetened product is sweetened fish oil.

[0013] In some embodiments, the ingestible product may be prepared according to the methods disclosed herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] The subject matter considered to be the present invention is specifically pointed out and explicitly claimed in the concluding section of this specification. However, the present invention, with respect to both its configuration and method of operation, along with its object, features and advantages, will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description when read together with the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings of the accompanying drawings, not as limiting examples. In those drawings, similar reference numerals indicate corresponding, similar or similar elements.

[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for preparing an oily suspension according to several embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a micrograph showing the original size of natural carbohydrate particles (conventional technology). [Figure 3A] Figure 3A is a micrograph showing the size of carbohydrate particles in an oily carbohydrate suspension after two reduction steps according to several embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B is a micrograph showing the size of carbohydrate particles in an oily carbohydrate suspension after two reduction steps according to several embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a graph showing the volume-weighted distribution % vs. particle size of carbohydrate particles at several stages during the preparation of an embodiment of the oily carbohydrate suspension of the present invention. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is a graph showing the volume-weighted cumulative distribution versus particle size, illustrating the particle size distribution of carbohydrate particles at several stages during the preparation of an embodiment of the oily carbohydrate suspension of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the system of the present invention.

[0016] For the sake of simplification and clarity in the illustrations, it should be understood that the elements shown in the diagrams are not necessarily drawn accurately or to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relative to others for clarity, or several physical components may be included in a single functional block or element. Furthermore, where appropriate, reference figures may be repeated in multiple diagrams to indicate corresponding or similar elements. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Throughout this application, unless otherwise specified or unless it is thought that a person skilled in the art would have a different understanding, the term “about” is intended to cover a range of ±10% of the stated value (or number).

[0018] Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to an oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of less than about 60 μm (e.g., carbohydrate particles, salt particles, spices, etc.). Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to an oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of less than about 50 μm. Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to an oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of less than about 40 μm. Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to an oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of less than about 30 μm. Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to an oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of less than about 20 μm. Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to an oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of less than about 15 μm.

[0019] In some embodiments, the oily suspension may consist only of carrier oil and edible solid particles. In some embodiments, the oily suspension does not contain any stabilizers.

[0020] Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to an oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of about 100 to 0.1 μm, such as about 60 to 5 μm. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles have an average diameter of about 1 μm, such as 800 nm, 700 nm, 600 nm, 500 nm or less. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles have an average diameter of about 5 μm. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles have an average diameter of about 7.5 μm. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles have an average diameter of about 10 μm. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles have an average diameter of about 12.5 μm. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles have an average diameter of about 15 μm.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the oily suspension remains stable as a suspension for about 5 to 60 minutes. As used herein, a stable suspension is a suspension in which most of the mixed solid particles have not settled in the oil, for example, more than 70%, more than 80%, more than 90%, or more of the mixed solid particles have not settled in the oil (e.g., less than 30 vol%, less than 20 vol%, less than 10 vol%, or less phase separation). The parameters that define the sedimentation time until phase separation are mainly particle size and the viscosity of the oil. The larger the particle size, the shorter the sedimentation time. According to some embodiments, the oily suspension remains stable as a suspension for about 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes, 30 minutes, 35 minutes, 40 minutes, 45 minutes, 50 minutes, 55 minutes or 60 minutes. Note that a stable suspension is considered to be a suspension without visible phase separation or with only a few of its particles involved in the phase separation. Further, the oily suspension and / or a product containing it may be provided in any type of vial or container that may be mixed manually or by other suitable means before use, and even if partial or complete separation occurs, the suspension may be restored by stirring or other mixing means and then will remain stable as detailed herein.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the particle size distribution of the edible solid (e.g., saccharide) microparticles and / or nanoparticles in the oily saccharide suspension may be less than 30 μm.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the edible solid content in the oily suspension is about 1% - 30% w / w. According to some embodiments, the edible solid content in the oily suspension is about 1% w / w. According to some embodiments, the edible solid content in the oily saccharide suspension is about 10% w / w. According to some embodiments, the edible solid content in the oily suspension is about 15% w / w. According to some embodiments, the edible solid content in the oily suspension is about 20% w / w. According to some embodiments, the edible solid content in the oily suspension is about 30% w / w.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the amount of the carrier oil in the oily saccharide suspension is about 50% - 99% w / w. According to some embodiments, the amount of the carrier oil in the oily suspension is about 99% w / w. According to some embodiments, the amount of the carrier oil in the oily suspension is about 90% w / w. According to some embodiments, the amount of the carrier oil in the oily suspension is about 85% w / w. According to some embodiments, the amount of the carrier oil in the oily suspension is about 80% w / w. According to some embodiments, the amount of the carrier oil in the oily suspension is about 50% w / w.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the edible solid may be salt (e.g., sea salt), various spices (e.g., pepper, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, oregano, turmeric, cumin, sage, etc.). According to some embodiments, the edible solid in the oily suspension is a saccharide (sugar), and this saccharide is sucrose, fructose, glucose, galactose, lactose, maltose, xylose, glycerol, sorbitol, co The edible solid may be any one of the following: syrup solids, maltodextrin, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame, xylitol, or any combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the edible solid may be any kind of herbal medicine, drug, mineral, lipophilic amino acid or vitamin (e.g., vitamin C powder) and its equivalents. It should be noted that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to any particular source or type of edible solid. Any type or combination of edible solids that can provide a desirable sensory sensation, including the desired flavor, and whose particle size may be reduced to the size according to embodiments of the present invention may be included in the oily suspension of the present invention. It should be further noted that the reduced edible solid particle size implemented according to embodiments of the present invention may enhance the sensory sensation so as to enhance the flavor of the oily suspension compared to corresponding formulations having similar edible solid contents. Therefore, even edible solids that are not commonly used in the food industry, for example as sweeteners, because they do not provide the desired sweetness, may be used according to the present invention. Accordingly, according to some embodiments, the carbohydrate in the oily carbohydrate suspension may be galactose.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the carrier oil in the oily suspension may be selected from any edible oil, such as medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, canola oil, coconut oil, peanut butter oil, palm oil, olive oil, fish oil, sunflower seed oil, soybean oil, or any combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the carrier oil in the oily suspension may be selected from any melted butter, such as cocoa butter, peanut butter, or any combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the carrier oil is saturated oil, unsaturated oil, or any combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the carrier oil is resistant to oxidation. According to some embodiments, the carrier oil is inert. According to some embodiments, the carrier oil is tasteless, odorless, or both. In some embodiments, the oily suspension may contain only the carrier oil and edible solid particles, without the addition of stabilizers and / or water.

[0027] Herein, we refer to Figure 1, which is a flowchart of a method for preparing an oily suspension according to some embodiments of the present invention. In step 110, embodiments may include the step of mixing edible solid particles with a carrier oil to obtain an oil-edible solid mixture. In some embodiments, this mixture may consist only of the carrier oil and edible solid particles, without the addition of stabilizers and / or water. In some embodiments, the mixture may be a stabilizer-free mixture, and accordingly, stabilizers may not be added to either the oil or the mixture. The mixing may be carried out according to any known method using any known mixer or agitator, for example, using a high-shear mechanical mixer illustrated and disclosed in relation to the system in Figure 5. In some embodiments, the raw material edible solids may include any commercially available edible solids, e.g., as-provided sugars, salts and spices (e.g., ready-made products). The particle size of the raw material edible solids may be at least 0.5 mm.

[0028] In step 120, the embodiment may include a step of reducing (making smaller) the particle size of the edible solids in the oil-edible solid mixture, thereby obtaining an oily suspension, which contains edible solid particles having an average particle size of about 0.1 to less than 100 μm. According to some embodiments, the reduction of the particle size of the edible solids is carried out in one step. In some embodiments, the method may further include a step of obtaining edible solid raw material particles with a particle size lower than 250 μm, and therefore, the reduction of the particle size of the edible solid raw material particles may be carried out in one step, which may include reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the oil-edible solid mixture of intermediate reduction size to about 100 to 0.1 μm, thereby providing the oily suspension. In some embodiments, the reduction step may be carried out with a microfluidizer, as disclosed below herein.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method may further include obtaining edible solid raw material particles with a particle size of 250 μm or larger, and therefore, particle size reduction of edible solid particles may be carried out in multiple steps. According to some embodiments, particle size reduction of edible solid particles is carried out in one, two, three, four, five or more steps. According to some embodiments, particle size reduction of edible solid particles is carried out in two steps. According to some embodiments, in each successive step, the average particle size of the edible solids in the oil-edible solid mixture is further reduced compared to the previous step(s).

[0030] According to some embodiments, the reduction of particle size of edible solids comprises first and second steps, the first step of reducing the average particle size of edible solid particles in an oil-edible solid mixture to about 50 to 500 μm, thereby providing an oil-edible solid mixture of intermediate reduced size. Furthermore, the second step may include reducing the average particle size of edible solid particles in an oil-edible solid mixture of intermediate reduced size to less than about 100 μm, thereby providing an oily carbohydrate suspension. According to some embodiments, the second step may include reducing the average particle size of edible solid particles in an oil-edible solid mixture of intermediate reduced size to less than about 50 μm, thereby providing an oily carbohydrate suspension.

[0031] In some embodiments, the above mixing and size reduction may allow the use of stabilizer-free mixtures. The final size of the edible solid particles may be determined such that the particles remain stable in the suspension for about 5–60 minutes, so that no additional stabilizers are required.

[0032] Therefore, certain embodiments of the present invention are directed toward a method for preparing an oily suspension. In some embodiments, the method is The process involves mixing the raw material edible solid with a carrier oil to obtain an oil-edible solid mixture, A process to reduce the average particle size of edible solids in an oil-edible solid mixture to approximately 50-500 μm, thereby providing an oil-edible solid mixture with an intermediate reduced particle size, The process involves further reducing the average particle size of edible solids in an oil-edible solid mixture of intermediate size to less than approximately 100 μm or less than approximately 50 μm, thereby providing an oily suspension. It may include.

[0033] According to several embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 1% to 30% w / w of edible solids. According to several embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 1% w / w of edible solids. According to several embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 10% w / w of edible solids. According to several embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 15% w / w of edible solids. According to several embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 20% w / w of edible solids. According to several embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 30% w / w of edible solids.

[0034] According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 50% to 99% w / w of carrier oil. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 99% w / w of carrier oil. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 90% w / w of carrier oil. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 85% w / w of carrier oil. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 80% w / w of carrier oil. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solid mixture prepared according to the method of the present invention may contain about 50% w / w of carrier oil.

[0035] According to some embodiments, an oil-edible solids mixture of intermediate reduced size is prepared in a processor such as a food processor or a high-shear rotor stator homogenizer, or any other suitable device for reducing the size of solid particles in an oil suspension. According to some embodiments, an oil-edible solids mixture of intermediate reduced size is prepared by operating a food processor, or any other equivalent device capable of providing the desired particle size, at any suitable time interval, and repeating the process any required number of times until the desired particle size is obtained. According to some embodiments, the food processor is operated for about 1 to 5 minutes. According to some embodiments, the food processor is operated for about 3 minutes. According to some embodiments, the food processor is operated at intervals of predetermined length. According to some embodiments, the intervals are about 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 60 seconds, 70 seconds, or 80 seconds. According to some embodiments, the food processor is operated at time intervals of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 times. According to some embodiments, there is a time break of a predetermined length between each interval. According to some embodiments, the interruption between intervals is between 1 and 60 seconds.

[0036] According to some embodiments, further reducing the average particle size of edible solids in an oil-edible solid mixture of intermediate reduced size, thereby obtaining the oily suspension, is performed using a microfluidizer. According to some embodiments, further reducing the average particle size of edible solids in an oil-edible solid mixture of intermediate reduced size, thereby obtaining the oily suspension, is performed using an ultrasonic device (sonicator).

[0037] For example, when using a microfluidizer, further reduction of the average particle size of edible solids in an intermediate-reduction size oil-edible solids mixture may be achieved with a 200 μm channel. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other channels of any known microfluidizer may be used for further reduction of the average particle size of edible solids. According to some embodiments, further reduction of the average particle size of edible solids in an intermediate-reduction size oil-edible solids mixture is achieved with a microfluidizer. In some embodiments, the microfluidizer may have any channel size from 75 μm to 1100 μm, for example, 75 μm, 87 μm, 100 μm, 125 μm, 150 μm, 200 μm, 250 μm, 300 μm, 400 μm, 425 μm, 550 μm and 1100 μm. According to some embodiments, further reduction of the average particle size of edible solids in an oil-edible solids mixture of intermediate reduced size is achieved in both the 200 μm and 87 μm channels of the microfluidizer. According to some embodiments, further reduction of the average particle size of edible solids in an oil-edible solids mixture of intermediate reduced size is achieved in the 87 μm channel of the microfluidizer, bypassing the 200 μm channel of the microfluidizer, or vice versa, in the 200 μm channel of the microfluidizer, bypassing the 87 μm channel of the microfluidizer.

[0038] According to some embodiments, size reduction in a microfluidizer is performed at a pressure of approximately 5,000 to 40,000 psi (approximately 34.5 to approximately 276 MPa). According to some embodiments, size reduction in a microfluidizer is performed at a pressure of approximately 20,000 to 23,000 psi (approximately 138 to approximately 159 MPa).

[0039] According to some embodiments, several rounds are performed using a microfluidizer. According to some such embodiments, the number of rounds is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. According to some embodiments, the number of rounds is 4 to 7. According to some embodiments, the number of rounds is 5 or 6.

[0040] Certain devices, such as food processors and microfluidizers, are exemplified herein. However, it should be noted that any other suitable apparatus capable of providing an oily edible solid suspension having edible solid particles of the required size may be used in accordance with the present invention, as detailed herein.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the oily suspension is mixed with additional oil or a product having a high oil content to provide a final product containing the oily suspension. In some embodiments, the oily suspension may maintain its homogeneity for a time sufficient to carry out some industrial uses, for example, at least 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 minutes, and longer. According to some embodiments, the oily suspension may be mixed with additional oil or a product having a high oil content under inert conditions, for example, under N2 or Ar, to provide a final product. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles may remain homogeneously suspended in the final product for a certain period of time, even if the final product is liquid. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles remain homogeneously suspended in the final product for about 5 to 60 minutes. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles remain homogeneously suspended in the final product for about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, or 60 minutes. As detailed herein, even if complete or partial phase separation occurs, the final product may be mixed by stirring or any other suitable means to restore the homogeneous distribution of the edible solid particles in the final product. Once restored, the homogeneous distribution remains stable for, for example, about 5 to 60 minutes, as detailed herein.

[0042] For example, the oily carbohydrate suspension may be mixed with fish oil to provide a stable, sweetened fish oil suspension. For example, the oily carbohydrate suspension may be mixed with a cocoa product such as cocoa butter to provide a chocolate product with a reduced amount of added sugar. For example, the oily suspension may be mixed with peanut butter to provide sweetened or salted peanut butter. For example, the oily suspension may be mixed with dairy butter to provide sweetened, salted, or spiced dairy butter. For example, the oily suspension may be mixed with olive oil, coconut oil, any other vegetable oil, or any other edible oil to provide sweetened, salted, or spiced edible oil. For example, the oily carbohydrate suspension may be mixed with any type of pharmaceutical product that cannot be mixed with water, vitamins, lipophilic amino acids, or minerals to provide a sweetened, orally administered pharmaceutical product. For example, the oily carbohydrate suspension may be mixed with dairy butter, cream, coconut oil, palm oil, animal fat, or any other edible oil-based product.

[0043] For example, the product may contain 76.7% by weight of fish oil and 3.5% by weight of carbohydrates suspended in 19.8% by weight of a carrier oil (e.g., MCT).

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward an ingestion product comprising about 1% to 50% w / w of the oily suspension. According to some embodiments, the ingestion product comprises about 1% w / w of the oily suspension. According to some embodiments, the ingestion product comprises about 15% w / w of the oily suspension. According to some embodiments, the ingestion product comprises about 20% w / w of the oily suspension. According to some embodiments, the ingestion product comprises about 25% w / w of the oily suspension. According to some embodiments, the ingestion product comprises about 30% w / w of the oily suspension. According to some embodiments, the ingestion product comprises about 35% w / w of the oily suspension. According to some embodiments, the ingestion product comprises about 50% w / w of the oily suspension.

[0045] The product of the present invention may be any oral ingestion product requiring any level of flavoring, including food industry products, pharmaceutical industry products, etc.

[0046] Further embodiments of the present invention are directed toward fish oil products comprising an oily edible solid suspension. According to some embodiments, the fish oil product comprises about 20-30% w / w of the oily suspension. According to some embodiments, the fish oil product comprises about 25% w / w of the oily suspension. According to some embodiments, the fish oil product comprises an oily suspension comprising about 75-95% w / w of carrier oil and about 1-25% w / w of edible solids. According to some embodiments, the fish oil product comprises an oily suspension comprising about 85% w / w of carrier oil and about 15% w / w of edible solids.

[0047] According to some embodiments, a fish oil product containing the oily suspension is prepared according to the method of the present invention described herein.

[0048] Here, we refer to Figure 2 (prior art), an optical microscope image showing the original size of natural carbohydrate crystals. As shown in Figure 2, natural carbohydrate crystals can vary in size from several hundred μm to about 2000 μm, for example, 545 μm.

[0049] Next, refer to Figures 3A and 3B, which are optical microscope images showing carbohydrate particles after two different reduction steps. For example, after a first reduction using a food processor, the size of the carbohydrate particles was reduced to less than 150 μm, as shown in the microscope image presented in Figure 3A. Further reduction using a microfluidizer (second reduction step), for example, reduced the size of the carbohydrate particles to less than 40 μm, as shown in the microscope image presented in Figure 3B.

[0050] Next, we refer to Figure 4A, which shows the volume-weighted distribution versus particle size at several stages in the preparation of embodiments of the oily suspension of the present invention, and Figure 4B, which shows the volume-weighted cumulative distribution versus particle size, which presents the particle size distribution of carbohydrate particles.

[0051] Here, we refer to Figure 4A, which presents graphs showing the volume-weighted distribution % of the premix (oil-based suspension) compared to the subsequent premix after various reduction cycles performed with an 87 μm microfluidizer: 1 cycle (indicated as 1 × 87 μm), 4 cycles (indicated as 4 × 87 μm), and 8 cycles (indicated as 8 × 87 μm). In this graph, the Y axis represents the percentage of particle population at each particle size in μm, and the X axis represents the carbohydrate particle size (in μm). As clearly shown in the graph, the premix has a broad particle distribution (10–100 μm), with the presence of large particles with a median particle size of approximately 40 μm (see the cumulative graph in Figure 4B). The reduction process was performed with a microfluidizer using an 87 μm channel. A reduction in the particle size distribution was observed even after just one cycle. After 4 and 8 cycles, an even greater reduction in the particle size distribution was observed compared to the first cycle.

[0052] Next, refer to Figure 4B, which presents a graph showing the volume-weighted cumulative distribution of the premix (oil-based suspension) as a function of carbohydrate particle size, compared to the premix after various reduction cycles performed in an 87 μm channel microfluidizer: 3 cycles (indicated as 3 × 87 μm), 4 cycles (indicated as 4 × 87 μm), 5 cycles (indicated as 5 × 87 μm), and 8 cycles (indicated as 8 × 87 μm). The y-axis represents the proportion of particles of a particular particle size from the total particles (where 1.0 = 100%). Thus, half (0.5) represents the median particle size. This premix has a median of approximately 40 μm. After already 3 grinding cycles, the median decreased to approximately 20 μm, and after 8 grinding cycles, it decreased to approximately 12 μm. Figure 5 presents a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the system of the present invention. A system 100 for producing an oily suspension according to some embodiments of the present invention comprises a carrier oil source 1 (for example, a tank or container for holding the carrier oil) and a raw material edible solid particle source 2 (for example, a container for providing sugars, salts, spices, etc., in powder form), The system may also include a mixer 3 for mixing the carrier oil with a solid source. In some embodiments, the mixer may be a high-shear mechanical mixer or any other suitable mixer.

[0053] In some embodiments, system 100 may further include a premixer 5 (e.g., a food processor) for performing a first step in reducing the particle size of the edible solid particles of the raw material. For example, the premixer 5 may reduce the particle size from more than 0.5 mm to 50-500 μm. In some embodiments, system 100 may further include a finer grinder 7, which may include one or more channels of a microfluidizer as disclosed herein.

[0054] In some embodiments, system 100 may further include an oil-particulate masterbatch 9. As used herein, the masterbatch is a concentrated formulation of active ingredients (e.g., fragrances, colorants, drugs) which may be subsequently diluted with a carrier matrix such as a polymer, food, or drug to impart the desired color, flavor, etc., of the final product.

[0055] In some embodiments, system 100 may further include an additive source 11, for example, the active ingredient oil may include omega-3s fish oil. Other additives may include flavorings, starch, or other stabilizers. For example, the masterbatch may be mixed with fish oil.

[0056] In some embodiments, the additive may be administered or dispensed in a controlled amount (e.g., by weighing).

[0057] In some embodiments, the system 100 may further include a container 13 for collecting the oily suspension.

[0058] Unless expressly stated otherwise, or as would be understood by those skilled in the art, the embodiments of the methods described herein are not bound by any particular order or sequence. In addition, some of the embodiments of the methods or elements thereof described may occur or be carried out simultaneously, at the same time point, or in parallel.

[0059] It is understood that certain features of the present invention may be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various elements of the present invention described in the context of a single embodiment for the sake of brevity may be provided separately, in any suitable subordinate combination, or as appropriate in any other described embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not considered essential features of those embodiments unless the embodiment would not function without those elements.

[0060] While certain features of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, alterations, and equivalents will come to mind for those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to encompass all such modifications and alterations that fall within the true spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. An oily suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of less than approximately 50 μm.

2. The oily suspension according to claim 1, comprising only the carrier oil and the edible solid particles.

3. The oily suspension according to claim 1, which does not contain a stabilizer.

4. The oily suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the edible solid particles have an average diameter of less than approximately 15 μm.

5. An oily suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having an edible solid content of approximately 1% to 30% w / w.

6. The oily suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the edible solid is selected from the powder phase of carbohydrates, salts, spices, herbal medicines, drugs, minerals, lipophilic amino acids, and vitamins.

7. The oily suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the oil is selected from medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, canola oil, coconut oil, peanut butter oil, palm oil, olive oil, fish oil, sunflower seed oil, soybean oil, or any combination thereof.

8. A method for preparing an oily suspension, A process of mixing edible solid raw material particles with a carrier oil to obtain an oil-edible solid raw material particle mixture, The process involves reducing the particle size of the edible solid raw material particles in the oil-edible solid mixture, thereby obtaining an oily suspension. A method comprising the oily suspension having edible solid particles with an average particle size of approximately 0.1 to 50 μm.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the reduction of the particle size is carried out in one, two, three, four, or five steps, and the particle size of the edible solid in each successive step is reduced compared to any previous step.

10. A process for obtaining edible solid raw material particles with a particle size lower than 250 μm. The further includes reducing the particle size of the edible solid raw material particles, To provide the oily suspension by reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the oil-edible solid mixture of intermediate size to approximately 100 to 0.1 μm. The method according to claim 8, including the method described in claim 8.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the reduction step is performed using a microfluidizer.

12. A process for obtaining edible solid raw material particles with a particle size of 250 μm or larger. The method further includes reducing the particle size of the edible solids, and comprises a first step and a second step. The first step includes reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the oil-edible solid mixture to about 500 to 50 μm, thereby providing an oil-edible solid mixture with an intermediate reduced size. The second step reduces the average particle size of the edible solids in the oil-edible solid mixture of the intermediate reduced size to approximately 100 to 0.1 μm, thereby providing the oily suspension. The method according to claim 8, which includes the action of

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first step is carried out using a food processor.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second step is carried out using a microfluidizer.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the microfluidizer is used at a pressure of about 5,000 to 40,000 psi (about 34.5 to about 276 MPa).

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the microfluidizer has a channel size of 75 μm to 1100 μm.

17. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 16, wherein the oil-edible solid mixture is an oil-edible solid mixture that does not contain a stabilizer.

18. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 17, wherein the oily suspension contains about 1 to 30% w / w of edible solids.

19. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 18, further comprising the step of mixing the oily suspension with additional oil or a product with a high oil content to provide a final sweet product.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the oily suspension is mixed with additional oil or a product with a high oil content under inert conditions.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the additional oil is fish oil, and the final sweetened product is sweetened fish oil.

22. An ingestible product comprising the oily suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

23. The ingestible product according to claim 22, which is a sweet-tasting fish oil.

24. The ingestible product according to claim 22, comprising the oily suspension in an amount of approximately 1-50% w / w.

Images