Oil suspension of edible solids and method for preparing same

Abstract

To provide an oil-based formulation including edible solids such as sugars, salts, and spices, without requiring additional ingredients such as water or stabilizers, the oil-based formulation providing desired organoleptic sensation of enhanced flavor even at a reduced content of the edible solids, and a method of preparing the same.SOLUTION: A flavor-enhanced oil-based suspension includes: a carrier oil; and edible solid particles having an average diameter between 0.1 μm and 15 μm. 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, soy oil, or any combination thereof. The edible solid particles include crystalline sugar and / or crystalline salt, and optionally include spices in addition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to oil suspensions containing microparticles and nanoparticles of edible solids. The present invention is further directed to methods for preparing such oil suspensions. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the food industry, such as in the production of chocolate, sweetened peanut butter, etc., sweetening or other flavoring of oils and products with high oil content may be required. However, this poses a real challenge in the production of oil-based sweetened products (sweetened products), as carbohydrate molecules or other polar molecules (e.g., salts) do not readily dissolve in oils or products with high oil content.

[0003] For example, sugars may be premixed with water, and the resulting solution is then mixed with an oil component to form an emulsion. The resulting emulsion may require the addition of an emulsifier to provide a stable product. Furthermore, while powdered sugars may be easily mixed with oils, particles smaller than 500 μm (microns) are considered dust. Powdered sugar is known to be highly explosive in free air, and safety regulations therefore require the addition of ingredients such as starch to the powdered sugar to reduce the risk of fire. Another known solution is the use of artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. However, such sweeteners are not always compatible with various bodily functions, and the flavor they impart to foods generally differs from that of natural sugars, resulting in a less satisfying final product for consumers.

[0004] As detailed above, additional ingredients such as water or starch may be used in various products, but there are also products for which the addition of water or other ingredients is not possible or desirable. For example, some products require preparation without water. Some products, such as omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil, vegetable oils, and omega-6s oils, are highly sensitive to oxidation and therefore must be prepared in an inert, dry environment. As used herein, a dry environment is an environment substantially free of H2O molecules or water. Certain powdered and solid products, such as spices, must be dried to protect them from microbial activity and maintain their organoleptic properties, and therefore must 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 formulating sweetened products relates to their sugar content. Besides the complications detailed above regarding the inclusion of sugars in oil-based products, the amount of sugar required to provide a final product that is sufficiently sweet for the consumer can be quite high. For example, chocolate may contain approximately 50% w / w sugar. Since the disadvantages and complications of high sugar (or salt) intake, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, are well known, it would be highly advantageous to provide a means by which the sugar (or salt) content of foods could be reduced without reducing consumer satisfaction with and preference for such products.

[0006] Therefore, there appears to be a need in the art for oil-based 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 desirable organoleptic sensations with enhanced flavor, even at reduced edible solids (e.g., sugar) content. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Some aspects of the present invention may be directed to an oil 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, salt, 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 the oily suspension disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the consumable product may be sweetened fish oil. In some embodiments, the consumable product may comprise about 1-50% w / w of the oily suspension.

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

[0010] In some embodiments, the method may further include obtaining edible solid ingredient particles with a particle size below 250 μm, and thus reducing the particle size of the edible solid ingredient particles may comprise reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the intermediate-reduced size oil-food solids mixture to about 100-0.1 μm, thereby providing the oil suspension. In some embodiments, the reducing step may be performed in a microfluidizer. In some embodiments, the method may further include obtaining edible solid ingredient particles with a particle size of 250 μm or greater, and thus reducing the particle size of the edible solids may comprise a first step and a second step, wherein the first step may comprise reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the oil-sugar mixture to about 500-50 μm, thereby providing the intermediate-reduced size oil-food solids mixture, and the second step may comprise reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the intermediate-reduced size oil-sugar mixture to about 100-0.1 μm, thereby providing the oil suspension. In some embodiments, the first step may be carried out in a food processor.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second step may be performed 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, e.g., 87 μm to 200 μm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the oily suspension may comprise about 1-30% w / w edible solids. In some embodiments, the method may further comprise blending the oily suspension with additional oil or a high oil content product, thereby providing a final sweetened product. In some embodiments, the oily suspension may be blended with additional oil or a high oil content product under inert conditions. In some embodiments, the additional oil is fish oil, thereby providing a final sweetened product that is a sweetened fish oil.

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

[0014] The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with its objects, features, and advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding, similar, or similar elements.

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

[0016] It will be understood that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn accurately or to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity, or several physical components may be included in a single functional block or element. Furthermore, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Throughout this application, unless specifically stated otherwise or unless it is believed that a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand differently, the term "about" is intended to cover a range of ±10% of the stated value(s).

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

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

[0020] Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to an oil suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter of about 100-0.1 μm, e.g., about 60-5 μm. According to some embodiments, the edible solid particles have an average diameter of about 1 μm, e.g., 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 oil suspension remains stable as a suspension for about 5 to 60 minutes. As used herein, a stable suspension is one in which the majority of the mixed solid particles do not settle in the oil, e.g., more than 70%, more than 80%, more than 90%, or more of the mixed solid particles do not settle in the oil (e.g., less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%, or less by volume). The parameters that define the settling time until phase separation are primarily particle size and oil viscosity. The larger the particle size, the shorter the settling time. According to some embodiments, the oil suspension remains stable as a suspension for about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, or 60 minutes. Note that a stable suspension is considered to be one in which there is no visible phase separation or in which only a small number of the particles are involved in the phase separation. Furthermore, it should be noted that the oily suspension and / or products containing it may be provided in any type of vial or container that may be mixed by manual stirring or other suitable means before use, and that even if partial or complete separation occurs, the suspension may be reconstituted by stirring or other mixing means and will thereafter remain stable as detailed herein.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the particle size distribution of the edible solid (eg, carbohydrate) microparticles and / or nanoparticles in the oil-based carbohydrate suspension may be less than 30 μm.

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

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

[0025] According to some embodiments, the edible solids 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 solids in the oil suspension are carbohydrates (sugars), which may be one of sucrose, fructose, glucose, galactose, lactose, maltose, xylose, glycerol, sorbitol, corn syrup solids, maltodextrin, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame, xylitol, or any combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the edible solids may be any type of herbal medicine, drug, mineral, lipophilic amino acid, or vitamin (e.g., vitamin C powder), and the like. It should be noted that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to any particular source or type of edible solids. Any type or combination of edible solids that may provide the desired organoleptic sensation, including the required flavor, and that may be reduced in particle size to a size consistent with embodiments of the present invention may be included in the oil-based suspension of the present invention. It is further noted that the reduced edible solid particle size achieved in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may enhance the organoleptic sensation, such that the flavor of the oil-based suspension is enhanced compared to a corresponding formulation with a similar edible solid content. Therefore, edible solids that are not commonly used in the food industry, for example, as sweeteners, because they do not provide the required sweetness may also be used in accordance with the present invention. Thus, according to some embodiments, the carbohydrate in the oil-based carbohydrate suspension may be galactose.

[0026] In some embodiments, the carrier oil in the oil 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. In some embodiments, the carrier oil in the oil suspension may be selected from any melted butter, such as cocoa butter, peanut butter, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the carrier oil is a saturated oil, an unsaturated oil, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the carrier oil is resistant to oxidation. In some embodiments, the carrier oil is inert. In some embodiments, the carrier oil is tasteless, odorless, or both. In some embodiments, the oil suspension may include only the carrier oil and edible solid particles without the addition of stabilizers and / or water.

[0027] Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which is a flowchart of a method for preparing an oil-based suspension according to some embodiments of the present invention. In step 110, embodiments may include mixing edible solid particles with a carrier oil, thereby obtaining an oil-edible solid mixture. In some embodiments, this mixture may include only the carrier oil and edible solid particles, without the addition of a stabilizer and / or water. In some embodiments, the mixture may be a stabilizer-free mixture, and accordingly, no stabilizer may be added to either the oil or the mixture. Mixing may be performed using any known mixer or agitator and according to any known method, for example, using high-shear mechanical mixing as shown and disclosed with respect to the system of FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the starting edible solids may include any commercially available edible solids, such as sugars, salts, and spices as provided (e.g., pre-made). The particle size of the starting edible solids may be at least 0.5 mm.

[0028] In step 120, embodiments may include reducing the particle size of the edible solids in the oil-food solids mixture to obtain an oil suspension, the oil suspension comprising edible solid particles having an average particle size of about 0.1 to less than 100 μm. According to some embodiments, the particle size reduction of the edible solids is performed in one step. In some embodiments, the method may further include obtaining edible solid material particles at a particle size below 250 μm, and thus, reducing the particle size of the edible solid material particles may be performed in one step and may include reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the intermediate-reduced size oil-food solids mixture to about 100 to 0.1 μm, thereby providing the oil suspension. In some embodiments, the reduction step may be performed in a microfluidizer, as disclosed herein below.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method may further comprise obtaining edible solid material particles with a particle size of 250 μm or greater, and therefore particle size reduction of the edible solid particles may be carried out in multiple steps. According to some embodiments, particle size reduction of the edible solid particles is carried out in one, two, three, four, five or more steps. According to some embodiments, particle size reduction of the 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, particle size reduction of edible solids comprises a first and a second step, the first step comprising reducing the average particle size of the edible solid particles in the oil-edible solids mixture to about 50-500 μm, thereby providing an intermediate-reduced size oil-edible solids mixture. Furthermore, the second step may comprise reducing the average particle size of the edible solid particles in the intermediate-reduced size oil-edible solids mixture to less than about 100 μm, thereby providing an oil-based carbohydrate suspension. According to some embodiments, the second step may comprise reducing the average particle size of the edible solid particles in the intermediate-reduced size oil-edible solids mixture to less than about 50 μm, thereby providing an oil-based carbohydrate suspension.

[0031] In some embodiments, the above-described blending and size reduction may allow for the use of a blend that does not contain stabilizers. The final size of the edible solid particles may be determined so that the particles remain stable in suspension for about 5 to 60 minutes, such that no additional stabilizers are required.

[0032] Accordingly, certain embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods for preparing an oily suspension. In some embodiments, the method comprises: mixing the raw edible solids with a carrier oil, thereby obtaining an oil-edible solids mixture; reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the oil-edible solids mixture to about 50-500 μm, thereby providing an oil-edible solids mixture of intermediate reduced size; further reducing the average particle size of the edible solids in the intermediate reduced size oil-edible solids mixture to less than about 100 μm or less than about 50 μm, thereby providing an oil suspension; may include:

[0033] According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solids mixture prepared according to the methods of the present invention may comprise about 1% to 30% edible solids by weight. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solids mixture prepared according to the methods of the present invention may comprise about 1% edible solids by weight. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solids mixture prepared according to the methods of the present invention may comprise about 10% edible solids by weight. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solids mixture prepared according to the methods of the present invention may comprise about 15% edible solids by weight. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solids mixture prepared according to the methods of the present invention may comprise about 20% edible solids by weight. According to some embodiments, the oil-edible solids mixture prepared according to the methods of the present invention may comprise about 30% edible solids by weight.

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

[0035] According to some embodiments, the intermediate-reduced size oil-edible solids mixture 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, the intermediate-reduced size oil-edible solids mixture is prepared by running the food processor, or any other equivalent device capable of providing the required particle size, for any suitable time interval and repeating the process any number of times until the required particle size is achieved. According to some embodiments, the food processor is run for approximately 1 to 5 minutes. According to some embodiments, the food processor is run for approximately 3 minutes. According to some embodiments, the food processor is run for a predetermined length of time interval. According to some embodiments, the interval is approximately 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 60 seconds, 70 seconds, or 80 seconds. According to some embodiments, the food processor is run for one, two, three, four, five, or six time intervals. According to some embodiments, there is a predetermined length of time break between each interval. According to some embodiments, the break between intervals is between 1 second and 60 seconds.

[0036] According to some embodiments, further reducing the average particle size of the food solids in the intermediate reduced size oil-food solids mixture to obtain the oil suspension is performed using a microfluidizer. According to some embodiments, further reducing the average particle size of the food solids in the intermediate reduced size oil-food solids mixture to obtain the oil suspension is performed using an ultrasonicator.

[0037] For example, when using a microfluidizer, further reduction of the average particle size of the food solids in the intermediate-reduction size oil-food solid mixture may be achieved with a 200 μm channel. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, other channels of any known microfluidizer may be used for further reduction of the average particle size of the food solids. According to some embodiments, further reduction of the average particle size of the food solids in the intermediate-reduction size oil-food solid mixture is achieved with a microfluidizer. In some embodiments, the microfluidizer may have any channel size between 75 μm and 1100 μm, such as 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 in the average particle size of the food solids in the intermediate-reduction size oil-food solids mixture is performed in both the 200 μm and 87 μm channels of the microfluidizer. According to some embodiments, further reduction in the average particle size of the food solids in the intermediate-reduction size oil-food solids mixture is performed in the 87 μm channel of the microfluidizer and the 200 μm channel of the microfluidizer is bypassed, or vice versa, in the 200 μm channel of the microfluidizer and the 87 μm channel of the microfluidizer is bypassed.

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

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

[0040] It is noted that although particular devices such as a food processor and a microfluidizer are exemplified herein, any other suitable device capable of providing an oily edible solid suspension having edible solid particles of the required size, as detailed herein, may be utilized in accordance with the present invention.

[0041] In some embodiments, the oil suspension is mixed with additional oil or a product having a high oil content to provide a final product containing the oil suspension. In some embodiments, the oil suspension may maintain its homogeneity for a time sufficient for some industrial uses, e.g., at least 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 minutes, and longer. In some embodiments, the oil suspension may be mixed with additional oil or a product having a high oil content under inert conditions, e.g., under N or Ar, to provide the final product. In some embodiments, the edible solid particles may remain homogeneously suspended in the final product for a period of time, even if the final product is liquid. In 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 phase separation has occurred completely or partially, 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 may remain stable, for example, for about 5 to 60 minutes, as detailed herein.

[0042] For example, the oil-based sugar suspension may be mixed with fish oil to provide a stable, sweet-tasting fish oil suspension. For example, the oil-based sugar suspension may be mixed with a cocoa product such as cocoa butter to provide a chocolate product with reduced sugar content. For example, the oil-based sugar suspension may be mixed with peanut butter to provide a sweetened or salted peanut butter. For example, the oil-based suspension may be mixed with dairy butter to provide a sweetened, salted, or spiced dairy butter. For example, the oil-based sugar suspension may be mixed with olive oil, coconut oil, any other vegetable oil, or any other edible oil to provide a sweetened, salted, or spiced edible oil. For example, the oil-based sugar suspension may be mixed with any type of water-immiscible pharmaceutical, vitamins, lipophilic amino acids, or minerals to provide a sweet-tasting, orally administrable pharmaceutical. For example, the oil-sugar suspension may be mixed with dairy butter, cream, coconut oil, palm oil, animal fat or any other edible fat-based product.

[0043] For example, a product may include 76.7% by weight fish oil, 3.5% by weight carbohydrates suspended in 19.8% by weight carrier oil (eg, MCT).

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

[0045] The product of the present invention may be any orally ingested product requiring any level of flavoring, including food industry products, pharmaceutical industry products, and the like.

[0046] Further embodiments of the present invention are directed to a fish oil product 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, the fish oil product comprising the oily suspension is prepared according to the methods of the present invention described herein.

[0048] Reference is now made to Figure 2 (Prior Art), which is an optical micrograph showing the original size of natural carbohydrate crystals. Natural carbohydrate crystals can vary in size from a few hundred microns to about 2000 microns, e.g., 545 microns, as shown in Figure 2.

[0049] Reference is now made to Figures 3A and 3B, which are optical micrographs showing carbohydrate particles after two different reduction steps. After a first reduction, e.g., using a food processor, the carbohydrate particles were reduced in size to less than 150 μm, as shown in the micrograph presented in Figure 3A. Further reduction (second reduction step), e.g., using a microfluidizer, reduced the carbohydrate particles in size to less than 40 μm, as shown in the micrograph presented in Figure 3B.

[0050] Reference is now made to Figure 4A, which shows the volume weighted distribution versus particle size, and Figure 4B, which shows the volume weighted cumulative distribution versus particle size, presenting the particle size distribution of carbohydrate particles at several stages during the preparation of an embodiment of an oil suspension of the present invention.

[0051] Reference is now made to Figure 4A, which presents a graph showing the volume-weighted percent distribution of a premix (oil suspension) after various numbers of reduction cycles performed in an 87 μm microfluidizer: 1 cycle (labeled 1 × 87 μm), 4 cycles (labeled 4 × 87 μm), and 8 cycles (labeled 8 × 87 μm). In this graph, the Y-axis represents the percent particle population at each particle size in μm, and the X-axis represents carbohydrate particle size (in μm). As clearly shown in the graph, the premix has a broad particle distribution (10–100 μm), with larger particles present with a median particle size of approximately 40 μm (see the cumulative graph in Figure 4B). The reduction process was performed in a microfluidizer using an 87 μm channel. A reduction in the particle size distribution was observed even after one cycle. Even greater reductions in the particle size distribution were observed after 4 and 8 cycles compared to the first cycle.

[0052] Reference is now made to FIG. 4B, which presents a graph showing the volume-weighted cumulative distribution of carbohydrate particles as a function of particle size for a premix (oil suspension) compared to that premix after various numbers of reduction cycles performed in an 87 μm channel microfluidizer: 3 cycles (labeled 3 × 87 μm), 4 cycles (labeled 4 × 87 μm), 5 cycles (labeled 5 × 87 μm), and 8 cycles (labeled 8 × 87 μm). The y-axis refers to the percentage of particles of a particular particle size out of 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 just three milling cycles, the median had dropped to approximately 20 μm, and after eight milling cycles, it had dropped to approximately 12 μm. FIG. 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 may include a carrier oil source 1 (e.g., a tank or container holding the carrier oil), a raw edible solid particle source 2 (e.g., a container providing sugars, salt, spices, etc., e.g., in powder form), and a mixer 3 for mixing the carrier oil with the 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 stage of particle size reduction of the edible solid particles of the raw material. For example, premixer 5 may reduce particle size from greater 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 previously disclosed herein.

[0054] In some embodiments, the system 100 may further include an oil-microparticle masterbatch 9. As used herein, a masterbatch is a concentrated formulation of an active ingredient (e.g., a fragrance, colorant, drug) that may later be diluted with a carrier matrix, such as a polymer, food, drug, etc., to impart a desired final product color, flavor, etc.

[0055] In some embodiments, the 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, starches, or other stabilizers. For example, the masterbatch may be mixed with the fish oil.

[0056] In some embodiments, additives may be dosed or dispensed (eg, metered) in controlled amounts.

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

[0058] Unless expressly stated or as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the method embodiments described herein are not bound to a particular order or sequence. In addition, some of the described method embodiments or elements thereof may occur or be performed simultaneously, at the same point in time, or in parallel.

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

[0060] While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents may occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. 1. A flavor-enhanced oil suspension comprising a carrier oil and edible solid particles having an average diameter between 0.1 μm and 15 μm, 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; the edible solid particles comprise crystalline sugar; the edible solid particles optionally further comprise a spice; Stabiliser-free oily suspension.

2. 2. The oil suspension of claim 1, consisting solely of said carrier oil and said edible solid particles.

3. 3. An oily suspension according to claim 1 or 2, having an edible solids content of between 1% and 30% w / w.

4. 4. An ingestible product comprising 1 to 50% w / w of an oily suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. 1. A method for preparing a flavor-enhanced oil suspension, comprising: mixing edible solid particles with a carrier oil, thereby obtaining an oil-edible solid feed particle mixture; reducing the particle size of the edible solid particles in the oil-edible solid ingredient particle mixture, thereby obtaining an oil suspension; Including, the oil suspension comprises edible solid particles having a reduced size between 0.1 and 15 μm; 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; the edible solid particles comprise crystalline sugar; The edible solid particles optionally further comprise powdered spices, herbal medicines, drugs, minerals, lipophilic amino acids, and / or vitamins; method.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the particle size reduction is carried out in two, three, four or five steps, with the particle size of the edible solids in each successive step being reduced compared to any previous step.

7. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the particle size reduction is performed in a microfluidizer.

8. obtaining said edible solid particles with a particle size below 250 μm; reducing the particle size of the edible solid particles comprises reducing the average particle size of the edible solid from the obtained particle size to between 0.1 μm and 15 μm; The method of claim 5.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the reducing step is performed in a microfluidizer.

10. obtaining said edible solid particles with a particle size of 250 μm or greater; Reducing the particle size of the edible solid comprises a first step and a second step; the first step comprising reducing the average particle size of the edible solid particles in the oil-edible solid feed particle mixture to between 500 and 50 μm, thereby providing an oil-edible solid mixture of intermediate reduced size; the second step comprising reducing the average particle size of the edible solid particles in the intermediate reduced size oil-edible solid mixture to between 0.1 μm and 15 μm, thereby providing the oil suspension. The method of claim 8.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first step is carried out in a food processor.

12. 12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the second step is carried out in a microfluidizer.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the microfluidizer is used at a pressure between 34.5 and 276 MPa (5,000 and 40,000 psi).

14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein the microfluidizer has a channel size between 75 μm and 1100 μm.

15. 15. The method of any one of claims 5 to 14, wherein the oil-edible solid feedstock particle mixture is a stabilizer-free oil-edible solid mixture.

16. 16. A method according to any one of claims 5 to 15, wherein the oily suspension comprises between 1 and 30% w / w edible solids.

17. 17. The method of any one of claims 5 to 16, further comprising the step of mixing the oily suspension with additional oil or a high oil content product, thereby providing a final sweetened product.

18. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the oily suspension is mixed under inert conditions with additional oil or a product with a high oil content.

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