Coating agent and method for coating orally consumable preparations

Abstract

The invention relates to a coating agent containing at least one plant oil (A) in which the proportion of plant wax (B) equals at least 3 wt.%, wherein the coating agent is free of products of animal origin. The invention additionally relates to a method for producing the coating agent and to a method for coating an orally consumable preparation, wherein the orally consumable preparation is selected from the group comprising food, dietary supplements, luxury food items, cosmetic products, or pharmaceuticals.

Description

[0001] Coating agents and methods for coating orally consumable preparations

[0002] The invention relates to a method for producing a coating agent, a coating agent and a method for producing a product with a corresponding coating, in particular for coating an orally consumable preparation, wherein the orally consumable preparation is selected from the group comprising food, food supplements, luxury foods, cosmetic products or pharmaceuticals.

[0003] Candies and sugar confectionery based on a gelling agent, such as gummy candies, gummy bears, jelly products, gum pastilles, or wine gums, are usually poured into a bed of starch or corresponding molds to give the products their desired shape. After hardening and drying in the starch bed, the shaped products are dusted with powder and sent to the final manufacturing step. This last process step gives the products, such as jelly products such as gummy bears, a shiny surface and prevents them from sticking together. Preventing sticking is essential for even filling into the final packaging and for the storage stability of the packaged products. Shine is another important factor in conveying a certain value and quality of the product to the consumer.

[0004] The requirements for jelly products described above, such as

[0005] Anti-sticking and shine are typically achieved with coating and / or glossing agents, also called coating and / or release agents. These coating and glossing agents can be wax dispersions in which waxes of animal or plant origin are finely dispersed in vegetable oils. These coating and glossing agents are applied to the corresponding jelly products, usually in an oiling drum, which ensures that the products are evenly coated or "oiled" with the wax dispersion.

[0006] To produce these wax dispersions, a molten wax, such as beeswax (BW, E901), carnauba wax (CW, E903), or candelilla wax (E902), is dispersed in a vegetable oil, e.g. sunflower oil or MCT oil, and the wax is crystallized in a controlled manner to a specific particle size. If a wax is incorporated in an uncontrolled manner, it can lead to gel-like structures, so-called oleogels, which have an excessive viscosity and are unsuitable for oiling. Such oleogels have been described for all combinations of oils and food-grade waxes, for example: TLT da Silva, DB Arellano, S Martini: Interactions between candelilla wax and saturated triacylglycerols in oleogels, Food Research International, 2019, pages 900-909; JK Winkler-Moser, J Anderson, Frederick C.Felker, Hong-Sik Hwang: Physical properties of beeswax, sunflower wax, and candelilla wax mixtures and oleogels, Food Research International 121 (2019): 900-909, https: / / doi.org / 10.1002 / aocs.12280) .

[0007] Furthermore, carnauba wax is not an optimal product in terms of environmental friendliness, as it can only be obtained in certain regions of Brazil. Price and quality depend on the time and success of the harvest. Beeswax is not suitable for all types of jellies and is not suitable for a vegan diet. Alternatives to the aforementioned waxes are not currently available on the market.

[0008] In addition to its high price, candelilla wax also has other disadvantages, such as an unpleasant taste when mixed with oil.

[0009] EP 1 080 643 B1 discloses the use of a wax derived from sunflower oil as a barrier layer to prevent moisture migration in a food product and to improve the texture of a food product. Sunflower wax is blended with a triglyceride component, wherein the triglyceride component is derived from a plant other than sunflower and is preferably palm oil, shea oil, or cocoa butter.

[0010] The aim of the present invention is to develop a novel coating agent for jelly products that can be produced from natural ingredients regionally available in Europe and is also suitable for consumers who follow a vegan diet. Of particular interest is to provide a coating agent that can be labeled as an E-number-free, so-called "clean label" coating agent. The invention provides a method for producing a coating agent from at least one crude oil, in particular from at least one vegetable crude oil, preferably a crude oil from a single plant species, particularly preferably a crude oil from a single plant variety, comprising the following steps:

[0011] (a) optionally: cooling of the at least one crude oil,

[0012] (b) Separation of at least one, in particular cooled, crude oil into at least two oil fractions, wherein the first oil fraction represents a clear oil fraction and the second oil fraction represents a cloudy oil fraction, and wherein the wax content in the cloudy oil fraction is higher than the wax content in the clear oil fraction

[0013] (c) Combining at least a portion of the first oil fraction and at least a portion of the second oil fraction to obtain the coating composition, wherein the ratio of the portions of the first to the second oil fraction is selected such that the wax content in the resulting coating composition is at least 3 wt. %, preferably in the range from 4 to 30 wt. %, particularly preferably in the range from 5 to 12 wt. %, and most particularly preferably in the range from 6 to 10 wt. In step c), within the scope of the invention, several portions of clear or cloudy oil fraction can also be combined in order to mix a blend, depending on the starting material, which has a higher wax content than the crude oil.

[0014] The separation into at least two oil fractions can be carried out easily after cooling by means of a winterization process. However, for the production of a coating composition according to the invention, at least two oils can be used, as a "clear oil fraction" and a "cloudy oil fraction," which differ in their wax content. Within the scope of separation step b), more than two fractions can also be obtained, of which at least two are further processed in step c). Depending on the desired properties of the coating composition, the invention allows for variable adaptation of the process, which is particularly advantageous when using natural products with regionally and seasonally varying properties.

[0015] Vegetable oils are preferably used, with the "clear oil fraction" and the "cloudy oil fraction" particularly preferably coming from plant material of the same plant genus, in particular the same plant species or even plant variety.

[0016] In a further development of the method according to the invention, it is provided that before step a) for providing the crude oil, a step

[0017] (0) Producing a crude oil from a single plant species, preferably from a single plant variety, in particular by pressing, preferably hot pressing, and / or extracting plant material, preferably from plant material of a single plant species, preferably a single plant variety, particularly preferably sunflower. In this embodiment, the production of the coating agent can be carried out in a simple and economical manner, in particular completely at one location in which the crude oil extraction precedes the separation into the oil fractions and the mixing to obtain the coating agent. In this way, transport routes and

[0018] Storage capacity is saved. In the context of the present invention, the term "crude oil" is used for an oil obtained, in particular, directly from plant material, for example, by pressing. Certain ingredients, in particular waxes, have not yet been separated from such a "crude oil" by a processing step or a separation process, such as refining steps. Fractions of oils and waxes and mixtures of such fractions can also be used as "crude oil" in the context of the invention. A hot-pressed crude oil is preferably used.

[0019] In step (a), at least one oil suitable for the production of a foodstuff is used as crude oil, which preferably has a high natural wax content, preferably at least approx.

[0020] 0.5 wt.% based on the total weight of the oil. Particularly suitable are oxidation-stable crude oils with an iodine number of 60 to 130, which contain essentially unsaturated fatty acids and have more than 65 wt.% oleic acid but less than 16 wt.% linoleic acid. For the purposes of the present invention, such oils are referred to as high oleic oils ("high oleics" = HO).

[0021] Sunflower oil is particularly preferred as the crude oil. High-wax sunflower oils are especially preferred as the crude oil, with a wax content of no more than 2%, preferably from approximately 0.6 to approximately 0.9% by weight. High-oleic sunflower oils (HO) are particularly suitable. The term "HO oils" here refers in particular to those oils which are laid down in the guidelines for edible fats and edible oils of the Federal Republic of Germany and which correspond to the "Codex Standard for Named Vegetable Oils" CODEX-STAN 210-1999 (Amendments 2015) as of May 28, 2019 (see Federal Gazette AT August 18, 2020 B3, GMB1 2020, page 530, last amended by the announcement of March 14, 2024 as Federal Gazette AT April 18, 2024 B2, GMB1 2024, pages 392 to 394, appendices 3 and 4). Suitable HO sunflower oils contain approx. 70 - 92% by weight, preferably approx. 75.0 - 90.7% by weight oleic acid, and less than 20% by weight, preferably approx.2.1 - 17.0 wt.%, linoleic acid, each based on the total mass of the oil.

[0022] In the cooling step (a), the crude oil is brought to 5 to 15 °C for 8 to 48 hours, preferably 12 to 24 hours.

[0023] In step (b), the cloudy oil fraction is separated from the clear oil fraction, which separation can be carried out by any method known to the person skilled in the art and suitable for this purpose, preferably by filtration or decantation.

[0024] The cloudy oil fraction is wax-enriched compared to the crude oil used, while the clear oil fraction is wax-depleted. In other words, the wax content in the cloudy oil fraction is higher than that in the clear oil fraction. Even the oil fraction with enriched wax content complies with the analytical specifications set out in the guidelines for edible fats and oils of the Federal Republic of Germany and the "Codex Standard for Named Vegetable Oils" CODEX-STAN 210-1999 (Amendments 2015) as of May 28, 2019 (see Federal Gazette AT August 18, 2020 B3, GMB1 2020, page 530, last amended by the announcement of March 14, 2024 as Federal Gazette AT April 18, 2024 B2, GMB1 2024, pages 392 to 394) for the corresponding vegetable (crude) oil, and is therefore to be assessed as "oil".

[0025] The clear oil fraction preferably represents sunflower oil. The cloudy oil fraction preferably represents sunflower oil.

[0026] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that after step (b) a further step,

[0027] (bl) filtration of the cloudy oil fraction is carried out, the filtration being carried out at a temperature above 60 °C, preferably between 80 and 90 °C. The residues removed after filtration may contain insoluble plant components.

[0028] In step (c), the first and second oil fractions are combined with constant stirring at a temperature between approximately 60 and approximately 100 °C, preferably at 85 °C ± 5 °C.

[0029] The ratio between the first oil fraction and the second oil fraction in step (c) is selected such that the wax content in the resulting coating composition is at least 3% by weight; preferably at least 5% by weight, preferably between 6 and 30% by weight.

[0030] When combining in step (c), it is preferred that the proportion of the cloudy oil fraction be less than 75 wt.%, particularly preferably between 55 and 20 wt.%, based on the total weight of the resulting mixture. The proportion of the clear oil fraction in step (c) is preferably more than 25 wt.%, particularly preferably between 45 and 80 wt.%, based on the total weight of the resulting mixture.

[0031] The coating agent obtained in step (c) represents a clear and in particular particle-free mixture at approximately 75 °C and a cloudy mixture at room temperature, i.e. at a temperature in the range of 20 °C to 25 °C and atmospheric pressure.

[0032] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that an additional step,

[0033] (d) dispersing the coating agent obtained in step (c), wherein the dispersion takes place at a temperature above or equal to 25 °C, preferably between 28 and 40 °C. By this dispersion of the components undissolved at room temperature in the clear oil, these components are evenly distributed, thus producing a coating agent with homogeneous properties.

[0034] The dispersion in step (d) can be carried out using any device known to the person skilled in the art and suitable for these purposes, preferably using a high-shear mixer (BATCH FORMULA ® PRO1 mixer, GEA) at 810 rpm for up to 30 min, preferably 5 - 15 min.

[0035] The specific energy input, or briefly the "specific energy" or "energy density," in step (d) is up to 76,700 J / kg and preferably lies in the range of 33,000 J / kg to 39,000 J / kg of dispersion. The following formula is used to calculate the specific energy input:

[0036] / J \ Power (W) ■ Mixing time(s) Specific energy — = — - : — — - . . .. .

[0037] \kg / mass of material (kg)

[0038] The specific energy can facilitate transfer to other quantities and / or other devices. For scale-up, the specific energy can initially be kept constant, and, for example, if the mass of the material is known, the power consumed during the mixing time and / or the mixing time can be adjusted accordingly. Based on the results obtained, the specialist can fine-tune the process if necessary.

[0039] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that an additional step,

[0040] (e) cooling the coating agent obtained after step (c) and / or after step (d) to a temperature of at least 10 °C, preferably between 20 and 25 °C, particularly preferably to about 23 °C.

[0041] Preferably, the cooling (e) is carried out under constant stirring and shearing (for example, when working discontinuously in the same apparatus as step (d) as stirring at 16 rpm, high-shear at 630 rpm).

[0042] The objects of the invention are further achieved with a coating composition, which was produced in particular by a process described above. The coating composition according to the invention is a dispersion of particles of plant-derived wax in vegetable oil at a temperature in the range of 20°C to 25°C, wherein the wax content of the coating composition is higher than in the crude oil obtained from plant material from which the plant-derived wax and the vegetable oil originate.

[0043] In particular, the objects were surprisingly achieved by a coating agent comprising at least one vegetable oil (A) in which the proportion of vegetable, in particular plant-derived wax (B) is at least 3 wt. %, wherein the coating agent is suitable for coating a product selected from the group comprising foodstuffs, dietary supplements, luxury foods, cosmetic products, and pharmaceutical products, and is in particular free from products of animal origin, in particular free from beeswax. "Plant-derived" wax is understood to mean the wax naturally occurring in certain oil plants, preferably oilseeds, which is obtained together with the oil due to its similar solubility. The oil can be obtained by pressing, extraction, or a combination of both production processes.In other words, it can be said that oil and wax can come from the same oil plant and are preferably extracted together in a single oil extraction process.

[0044] In an advantageous development of the invention, the coating agent contains vegetable oil (A) and native wax (B) from a single plant variety, and in particular consists of vegetable oil (A) and native wax (B) from a single plant variety. However, within the scope of the invention, the coating agent can also consist of mixtures and, for example, be produced from a vegetable oil from "plant 1" in a mixture with vegetable (oil and) wax from a "plant 2."

[0045] The proportion of wax in the coating composition according to the invention is preferably at least from 4 to 30% by weight, particularly preferably from 5 to 12% by weight, very particularly preferably from 6 to 10% by weight.

[0046] It is preferred that the coating agent according to the invention is free from carnauba wax.

[0047] In the present invention, plant species or varieties that can be used to obtain vegetable oil and that have a high natural wax content are preferably used. These plant species or varieties may also be referred to herein as "oil plants."Preferably, oils and waxes from plant species or plant varieties selected from the group consisting of cotton (Gossypium arboreum), maize (Zea mays), peanut (Arachis hypogaea), soy (Glycine max), palm (Elaeis guineensis), palm kernel, babassu (Attalea speciosa), rapeseed (Brassica napus), safflower (Carthamus tinctoris), rice (Oryza sativa), sunflower (Helianthus annus), linseed (Linum usitatissimum), olive (Olea europaea), grape (Vitis vinerifera), baby's breath (Crambe cordifolia), coconut (Cocos nucifera) and sesame (Sesamum indicum) as well as fractions of oils and waxes of the said plants and mixtures of Oils and waxes of the aforementioned plants and / or their fractions, with sunflower being the particularly preferred plant variety. "Palm" here refers to the oil palm, from whose fruits palm oil is obtained, and from whose kernels palm kernel oil is obtained.

[0048] Vegetable oils are typically obtained from specific parts of the oil plant, such as seeds, kernels, or fruit (flesh), for example, by pressing and / or extraction. The seeds of an oil plant may also be referred to as "oilseeds" or "oil seeds." These "vegetable oils," obtained from specific parts of the oil plant, such as seeds, kernels, or fruit (flesh), contain the plant's own wax.

[0049] The coating agent predominantly comprises vegetable oils, preferably at least 70% by weight, particularly preferably at least 80% by weight. The coating agent can contain a maximum of up to 97% by weight of vegetable oils. It is particularly preferred if the proportion of oil (A) in the coating agent is 94 to 97% by weight. In particular, the coating agent comprises triglycerides of vegetable origin, preferably the coating agent comprises exclusively triglycerides of vegetable origin. These are selected, for example, from the group comprising cottonseed, corn, peanut, soybean, palm, palm kernel, babassu, rapeseed, sunflower and safflower oils, and mixtures thereof. Particularly preferably, the coating agent according to the invention consists exclusively of components of vegetable origin and is thus suitable for a vegan diet.

[0050] Sunflower waxes (Krasin' nilov, VN , Rzchin, VP and Nedacina, NA (1972) Proc. Int. Sunflower Conf. Clermont-Ferrand, France, July, 1972; Popov, A. , Dodova-Anghelova, M. , Ivanov, Ch . P . and Stefanov, K. (1970) Riv. Ital. Sostanze Grasse, 47, 254-256) have been studied in detail in the scientific literature and are close to food-grade waxes in composition and structure.

[0051] In the traditional chemical sense, "waxes" are the esters of higher monohydric alcohols (also called "fatty alcohols") with higher fatty acids. The carbon chain of such fatty alcohols and fatty acids can have more than 22 carbon atoms. Higher molecular weight fatty alcohols are sometimes also referred to as "wax alcohols."

[0052] The composition of the two wax components, such as fatty acid and fatty alcohol, of sunflower wax is very similar to that of beeswax (Lidija Svecnjak, Lesley Ann Chesson, Albino Gallina, Miguel Maia, Marianna Martinello, Franco Mutinelli, Mustafa Necati Muz, Fernando M. Nunes, Francis Saucy, Brett James Tipple, Klaus Wallner, Ewa Was & Todd Alan Waters: REVIEW ARTICLE Standard methods for Apis mellifera beeswax research, Journal of Apicultural Research, 2019, Vol. 58, No. 2, 1-108, https: / / doi.org / 10.1080 / 00218839.2019.1571556; Hepburn, HR (1986) , Composition and Synthesis of Beeswax. In: Honeybees and Wax. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, https: / / doi.org / 10.1007 / 978- 3-642-71458-0 5, Rafael Garces, Cristina de Andres-Gil, Monica Venegas-Calerön, Enrique Martinez-Force, Antonio J. Moreno-Perez, Joaquin J. Salas: Characterization of sunflower seed and oil wax ester composition by GC / MS, a final evaluation, LWT, 173, (114365) , (2023) , http: / / doi.Org / 10.1016 / j .lwt.2022.114365) .The acid part of beeswax and sunflower wax is composed primarily of C20, C22, and C24 fatty acids, while the fatty alcohol part is composed primarily of C22, C24, C26, and C28 fatty alcohols. The combination of fatty acid and fatty alcohol produces C44, C46, ​​and C48 waxes (also referred to as "wax esters" in the literature).

[0053] Natural waxes always contain not only wax esters but also non-esterified components, hydrocarbons and other lipophilic compounds.

[0054] The majority of waxes in sunflower oil come from the hulls of sunflower seeds, which can contain up to 4% waxes (M.K. Gupta, Chapter 5 - Sunflower oil, 128-156, in VEGETABLE OILS IN FOOD TECHNOLOGY Composition, Properties and Uses, Editor: Frank D. Gunstone). Depending on the processing technology used, pressing or solvent extraction, separation of the hulls before processing, a standard sunflower oil can contain 0.02-0.35% or even 1% waxes (S. Martini et al. "Determination of Wax Concentration in Sunflower Seed Oil" JAOCS, Vol. 77, No. 10 (2000), pp. 1087-1093).

[0055] Due to the high melting point of vegetable waxes (approx. 70-80°C) and their low solubility, the presence of even small amounts of wax in oils intended for direct consumption, such as salad oils, can cause a crystalline precipitate that impairs the oil's appearance, brightness, and transparency. All of this can be perceived as a negative quality characteristic by consumers. To process a sunflower "crude" oil into a clear and stable, ready-to-sell sunflower oil, certain constituents are removed through further refining steps. Substances typically removed in these process steps include phospholipids (lecithins), which are removed through aqueous, enzymatic, or acidic extraction, and waxes, which crystallize through a cooling process (winterization) and are then mechanically separated.

[0056] Within the scope of the present invention, it was surprisingly discovered that a good coating agent can be produced from a crude oil, such as crude sunflower oil, in a comparatively simple manner, which prevents a jelly product, preferably a food product, particularly preferably a confectionery, from sticking together. In particular, the coating agent is a crude oil in which the proportion of the wax fraction is increased compared to the naturally occurring content of plant-derived wax. The coating agent according to the invention can be labeled as an E-number-free (clean label) coating agent. It has also been shown that the coating agent according to the invention imparts a gloss to the product surface that is attractive to the consumer. The coating agent according to the invention can be produced in particular by the process described above.The coating agent contains at least one vegetable oil (A) in which the proportion of vegetable, in particular plant-derived, wax (B) is at least 3% by weight, wherein the coating agent is suitable for coating a product selected from the group comprising foodstuffs, food supplements, luxury foods, cosmetic products and pharmaceutical products as well as mixtures of at least two of the said products, and is in particular free from products of animal origin.

[0057] In a particularly simple manner, the invention provides a coating agent that contains vegetable oil (A) and native wax (B) from a single plant variety, and in particular consists of vegetable oil (A) and native wax (B) from a single plant variety. Such a coating agent can be produced directly after extracting oil from material of a corresponding plant, for example, sunflower, without the need to add any further components.

[0058] In a further development of the invention, the vegetable oil (A) and / or the vegetable wax (B), in particular the plant-derived wax (B), has / have an iodine number in the range from 50 to 140, preferably in the range from 60 to 130. Additionally or alternatively, it is provided that the vegetable oil (A) and / or the vegetable wax (B), in particular the plant-derived wax (B), contains / contain essentially unsaturated fatty acids and has / have more than 65% by weight oleic acid, but less than 16% by weight linoleic acid. Such oils and waxes have proven to be particularly oxidation-stable, which has advantages for the long-term stability of coated products.

[0059] The coating agent according to the invention is a dispersion, wherein at room temperature in the continuous oil phase, in addition to the dispersed wax particles, accompanying substances may be present, such as, for example, phospholipids and / or insoluble particles, in which the particle sizes, in particular of the wax particles, at room temperature are between 10 pm and 120 pm, preferably between 20 pm and 100 pm, particularly preferably between 30 pm and 80 pm.

[0060] The particle size is determined using a grindometer or laser light diffraction, for example using a "Mastersizer" device from Malvern Panalytical GmbH.

[0061] The device (grindometer) is available in the relevant determination range of less than 100 micrometers, but there are also grindometers with larger measuring ranges, for example a measuring range below 200 micrometers. The specialist can easily select a suitable device for determining the particle size. The rapid method is based on spreading the material to be tested in a fine, calibrated notch or inclined plane using a scraper. Depending on the size of the particles, they can be spread to different distances in the metallic notch and are thus separated according to their size distribution. The measurement result can be read off the scale line based on the spreading distance.

[0062] When determining particle size distributions using laser light diffraction, for example, with a Malvern "Mastersizer" device, a dispersed particle sample in a measuring cell is irradiated with a laser. The differently sized particles scatter the light relative to the laser beam; large particles scatter light at small angles, while small particles result in large scattering angles. These angle-dependent scattered light intensities are measured and analyzed over a wide angular range. Using this diffraction pattern, the particle size distribution (output as the diameter of sphere equivalents) is iteratively calculated based on Mie theory.

[0063] The coating composition according to the invention is a dispersion in which the oil (A) is a liquid phase at room temperature, in particular in the range from 20°C to 25°C, in which the wax (B) is dispersed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the coating composition according to the invention is a cloudy sunflower oil.

[0064] The coating agent according to the invention can be used as a release agent and / or as a gloss agent. The coating agent according to the invention preferably prevents the sticking together of orally consumable preparations that are individually packaged in a solid or semi-solid form. For example, this prevents jelly products from sticking together. The present invention further provides a process for producing a product, in particular a process for coating an orally consumable preparation, comprising the following steps: a) providing a starting product selected from the group consisting of foodstuffs, dietary supplements, luxury foods, cosmetic products, and pharmaceutical products, as well as mixtures of at least two of the aforementioned products; b) coating the starting product with a coating agent according to any one of claims 6 to 15 to obtain a product,in particular applying the coating agent according to the invention to a product, in particular to an orally consumable preparation, wherein the orally consumable preparation is selected from the group comprising food products, luxury foods, food supplements, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products as well as mixtures of at least two of the said products, and optionally a further step c) packaging the product.

[0065] This coating process can also be referred to as "oiling." This oiling can be carried out using any method known to those skilled in the art and suitable for these purposes. The coating process according to the invention is preferably carried out using an oiling drum, a coating pan, or a similar device, or manually (by hand). In particular, the coating agent is applied to a jelly product containing at least one thickening and / or gelling agent. Any thickening and / or gelling agent known to those skilled in the art and suitable for these purposes can be used as the thickening and / or gelling agent, with hydrocolloids such as gelatin, pectin, starch, agar-agar, and mixtures thereof being preferred. Examples of jelly products that can be mentioned are gummy candies, gummy bears, jelly products, gum pastilles, fruit gums, or wine gums.

[0066] The present invention further provides a product, in particular an orally consumable preparation, comprising at least one coating agent according to the invention as described above, wherein the product is selected from the group comprising food products, luxury foods, food supplements, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, and mixtures of at least two of the aforementioned products. Preference is given to food products, particularly preferably confectionery, and very particularly preferably to jelly products, which contain the coating agent according to the invention. The orally consumable preparation containing the coating agent according to the invention is free from further coating agents that prevent the orally consumable preparation, which is present in a single-dose, solid or semi-solid form, from sticking together.

[0067] The product or orally consumable preparation preferably has a single-dose, solid or semi-solid form, which is produced by pouring or pressing the product into appropriate shapes. Examples of single-dose forms include tablets, coated tablets, or jelly products. Jelly products are preferred, and can be selected from, for example, gummy candies, gummy bears, jelly products, gum pastilles, fruit gums, or wine gums.

[0068] When using the coating agent according to the invention, its proportion of the total mass of the product can be selected to suit the respective application. The coating agent can be present in the product or applied in a proportion ranging from 0.03 wt.% to 0.7 wt.%, preferably in a proportion ranging from 0.05 wt.% to 0.5 wt.%, based on the total weight of the product. The amount of coating agent applied can therefore be approximately 0.05 to approximately 0.5 wt.%, based on the total weight of the product.

[0069] The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying examples and figures, without, however, being limited to the specifically described embodiment. The invention also relates to all combinations of preferred embodiments, provided they are not mutually exclusive. The terms "about" or "approx." in conjunction with a numerical value mean that values ​​at least 10% higher or lower, or 5% higher or lower, and in any case 1% higher or lower, are included. They show:

[0070] Fig. 1: Flow diagram of a process for producing a coating agent in a preferred embodiment of the invention

[0071] Fig. 2 Flow diagram for producing a clear and a cloudy oil fraction according to a further embodiment of the invention

[0072] Fig. 3 Flow diagram for producing the crude oil according to another embodiment of the invention

[0073] Fig. 4: Flow diagram of a process for producing a comparative coating agent containing beeswax or carnauba wax

[0074] Fig. 5: Flow diagram of a process for coating a starting product for producing a product in a preferred embodiment of the invention

[0075] Figure 1 schematically illustrates the process according to the invention for producing a coating agent from at least one crude oil. In particular, at least one vegetable crude oil can be used as the crude oil. Preference is given to a crude oil from a single plant species, particularly preferably a crude oil from a single plant variety. In step (b) of the process, the crude oil is separated into at least two oil fractions 1, 2. The first oil fraction represents a clear oil fraction 1, and the second oil fraction represents a cloudy oil fraction 2, wherein the wax content in the cloudy oil fraction 2 is higher than the wax content in the clear oil fraction 1.

[0076] In a further development of the process, this separation can be preceded by step a) of cooling the crude oil; this variant of the invention is shown in Figure 2. For example, a hot-pressed crude oil can be used. This is then cooled in step a) to obtain a cooled crude oil containing turbidity. This includes the plant's own wax. In step b), the cooled crude oil is then subjected to a separation step to obtain at least a clear oil fraction 1 and a cloudy oil fraction 2.

[0077] As further schematically shown in Figure 1, the clear and cloudy oil fractions are further processed by combining at least a portion of the first oil fraction 1 and at least a portion of the second oil fraction 2 in step c) to obtain the coating agent 3. The ratio of the proportions of first to second oil fraction is selected such that the wax content in the resulting coating agent is at least 3 wt.%, preferably in the range from 4 to 30 wt.%, more preferably in the range from 5 to 12 wt.%, and most preferably in the range from 6 to 10 wt.%.

[0078] The method can be further developed in such a way that, prior to step a) for providing the crude oil, a step 0) for producing the crude oil is carried out. This embodiment is shown schematically in Figure 3. Plant material from a single plant species, preferably from a single plant variety, is pressed and / or extracted. Single-stage and multi-stage pressing and / or single-stage and multi-stage extraction are possible, as are procedures that comprise at least one pressing step and at least one extraction step. Hot pressing is a preferred embodiment for pressing.

[0079] Sunflower is a preferred plant variety for producing crude oil for the process of the invention.

[0080] Example 1: Preparation of a coating composition according to the invention with 8 wt.% plant-based wax from oleic acid-rich sunflower crude oil

[0081] The recovery of a cloudy and a clear sunflower oil fraction from an oleic acid-rich sunflower crude oil, in particular a hot-pressed sunflower crude oil, occurs from the winterization process as shown in Fig. 2.

[0082] The term "high-oleic" sunflower crude oil in Example 1 and the examples and comparative examples described below refers to an "HO oil" according to the definition described above in the Guidelines for Edible Fats and Oils of the Federal Republic of Germany.

[0083] A clear, oleic acid-rich sunflower oil fraction (in an amount constituting 60% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e. 60% by weight of the coating composition), obtained from the winterization process shown in Fig. 2, is placed in a double-walled kettle and heated to 85°C ± 2°C with constant stirring using an anchor stirrer with Teflon scrapers. This clear, oleic acid-rich sunflower oil fraction is then mixed with the cloudy, oleic acid-rich sunflower oil fraction (in an amount constituting 40% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e. 40% by weight of the coating composition) and dissolved completely with stirring. The resulting mixture of these sunflower oil fractions is clear and free of particles at this temperature, with the proportion of plant-derived wax in this mixture being approximately 8% by weight.

[0084] The mixture is then dispersed using a high-shear mixer (BATCH FORMULA® PRO1 mixer, GEAGroup Aktiengesellschaft, Düsseldorf, Germany) at 810 rpm, typically for a period of 13 to 15 minutes, which can be extended to up to 30 minutes if necessary. The mixer's power is 75,000 W, and the amount of processed mixture ("batch size") is 1,760 kg, resulting in an energy density typically ranging from 33,239 J / kg to 38,352 J / kg.

[0085] The homogeneous mixture is cooled to 23°C ± 1°C under constant stirring and occasional shearing in the same device (stirrer at 16 rpm, high-shear at 630 rpm). Upon cooling, the wax components crystallize, and the solution transforms into a dispersion.

[0086] The particle size is controlled using a grindometer and lies in the range between 10 pm and 120 pm. The crystallization of the wax components during cooling, whereby the previously existing solution transforms into a dispersion, takes place at one of the corresponding temperatures described above.

[0087] Procedure always, including all examples and comparison examples explained below.

[0088] Example 2: Preparation of an inventive

[0089] Coating agent with 6 wt.% plant-based wax from crude sunflower oil

[0090] A clear, oleic acid-rich sunflower oil fraction as described in Example 1 (in an amount which constitutes 70% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e. 70% by weight of the coating composition), which is obtained from the winterization process shown in Fig. 2, is placed in a double-walled kettle and heated to 85°C ± 2°C with constant stirring using an anchor stirrer with Teflon scrapers. This clear, oleic acid-rich sunflower oil fraction is then mixed with a cloudy, oleic acid-rich sunflower oil fraction (in an amount which constitutes 30% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e. 30% by weight of the coating composition), which is obtained from the winterization process shown in Fig. 2, and the mixture is completely dissolved with stirring.The resulting mixture of these sunflower oil fractions is clear and particle-free at this temperature, with the proportion of plant-derived wax in this mixture being approximately 6%. The mixture is then dispersed using a high-sheer mixer (BATCH FORMULA® PRO1 mixer, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, Düsseldorf, Germany) at 810 rpm for up to 30 minutes. The homogeneous mixture is cooled to 23°C ± 1°C with constant stirring and occasional shearing in the same device (stirrer at 16 rpm, high-shear at 630 rpm). The specific energy input is also up to approximately 39,000 J / kg dispersion, as in Example 1. The particle size is monitored using a grindometer and ranges between 10 pm and 120 pm.

[0091] Comparison example 1:

[0092] Production of a coating agent containing 8 wt% beeswax in sunflower oil

[0093] Clear, high-oleic sunflower oil as described in Example 1 (in an amount constituting 92% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e. 92% by weight of the coating composition, which is obtained from the winterization process shown in Fig. 2) is placed in a double-walled kettle and, as shown in Fig. 4, heated to 65°C ± 2°C using an anchor stirrer with Teflon scrapers while constantly stirring. The beeswax (in an amount constituting 8% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e. 8% by weight of the coating composition) is then added and completely dissolved while stirring. The wax-in-oil solution is clear and, at this temperature, free of particles.The wax-in-oil mixture is then dispersed using a high-shear mixer (BATCH FORMULA® PRO1 mixer, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, Düsseldorf, Germany) at 810 rpm, typically for a period of 12 to 14 minutes, which can be extended to 30 minutes if necessary. The mixer's power is 75,000 W, and the amount of processed mixture ("batch size") is 1,760 kg, resulting in an energy density typically ranging from 30,682 J / kg to 35,795 J / kg.

[0094] The homogeneous mixture is cooled to 23°C ± 1°C under constant stirring and shearing in the same device (stirrer at 16 rpm, high-shear at 630 rpm). The particle size is monitored using a grindometer and ranges between <30 pm and 80 pm. The product finally passes through a 3 mm sieve and is ready for filling.

[0095] Comparison example 2:

[0096] Production of a coating agent containing 6 wt% beeswax in sunflower oil

[0097] Clear, high-oleic sunflower oil (in an amount constituting 94% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e., 94% by weight of the coating composition), obtained from the winterization process shown in Fig. 2, is placed in a double-walled vessel and heated to 65°C ± 2°C with continuous stirring using an anchor stirrer with Teflon scrapers. Beeswax (in an amount constituting 6% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e., 6% by weight of the coating composition) is then added and completely dissolved with stirring. The wax-in-oil solution is clear and, at this temperature, free of particles. The mixture is then dispersed using a high-shear mixer (BATCH FORMULA® PRO1 mixer, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, Düsseldorf, Germany) at 810 rpm for 30 minutes.The specific energy input is also up to about 36,000 J / kg dispersion, as in Comparative Example 1.

[0098] The homogeneous mixture is cooled to 23°C ± 1°C in the same device under constant stirring and shearing (stirrer at 16 rpm, high-shear at 630 rpm). The particle size is monitored using a grindometer and ranges between <30 pm and 80 pm. Finally, the product passes through a 3 mm sieve and is ready for filling.

[0099] Comparison example 3:

[0100] Preparation of a coating agent containing 8 wt.%

[0101] Carnauba wax in sunflower oil contains

[0102] Clear, high-oleic sunflower oil as described in Example 1 (in an amount constituting 92% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e., 92% by weight of the coating composition), obtained from the winterization process shown in Fig. 2, is placed in a double-walled kettle and heated to 65°C ± 2°C with constant stirring using an anchor stirrer with Teflon scrapers. The carnauba wax (in an amount constituting 8% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e., 8% by weight of the coating composition) is then added and completely dissolved with stirring. The wax-in-oil solution is clear and, at this temperature, free of particles.The mixture is then dispersed using a high-shear mixer (BATCH FORMULA® PRO1 mixer, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, Düsseldorf, Germany) at 810 rpm, typically for a period of 15 to 20 minutes, which can be extended to 30 minutes if necessary. The mixer's power is 75,000 W, and the amount of processed mixture ("batch size") is 1,760 kg, resulting in an energy density typically ranging from 38,352 J / kg to 51,136 J / kg.

[0103] The homogeneous mixture is cooled to 23°C ± 1°C in the same device under constant stirring and shearing (stirrer at 16 rpm, high-shear at 630 rpm). The particle size is monitored using a grindometer and ranges between <30 pm and 80 pm. Finally, the product passes through a 3 mm sieve and is ready for filling.

[0104] Comparison example 4:

[0105] Production of a coating agent containing 6 wt.% carnauba wax in sunflower oil

[0106] Clear, high-oleic sunflower oil (in an amount constituting 94% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e., 94% by weight of the coating composition), obtained from the winterization process shown in Fig. 2, is placed in a double-walled vessel and heated to 65°C ± 2°C with continuous stirring using an anchor stirrer with Teflon scrapers. Carnauba wax (in an amount constituting 6% by weight of the total mass of the finished coating composition, i.e., 6% by weight of the coating composition) is then added and completely dissolved with stirring. The wax-in-oil solution is clear and, at this temperature, free of particles. The mixture is then dispersed using a high-shear mixer (BATCH FORMULA® PRO1 mixer, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, Düsseldorf, Germany) at 810 rpm for 30 minutes.The homogeneous mixture is cooled to 23°C ± 1°C in the same device under constant stirring and shearing (stirrer at 16 rpm, high-shear at 630 rpm). The specific energy input is up to approximately 51,150 J / kg dispersion, as in Comparative Example 3. The particle size is monitored using a grindometer and ranges between <30 pm and 80 pm. The product finally passes through a 3 mm sieve and is ready for filling.

[0107] The sieving of the product before filling mentioned in the examples is carried out due to foreign body safety regulations in food production; it is not mandatory for the production of the coating agent.

[0108] Example 3: Production of a coated product using the example of the coating of gelatin-containing jelly products and the release effect of the coating agent according to the invention on gelatin-containing jelly products. To prepare a starting product, gelatin-based fruit gums were produced as follows: 7 g of gelatin were completely dissolved in 16 g of water at 60°C for one hour. 32 g of sucrose were dissolved in 44 g of glucose syrup (DE 42, 75°Bx) and boiled to a temperature of 118°C. The sugar mass was cooled to 100°C, then 1 g of citric acid monohydrate and, optionally, food coloring were added. The still-hot mass was poured into the starch bed (molding powder) and stored for 17–48 hours before the fruit gums were removed from the powder.

[0109] The coating composition according to the invention from Example 1 is used analogously to the conventional oil dispersions based on beeswax and / or carnauba wax (Comparative Examples 1 to 4). The coating process is shown in Fig. 5.

[0110] The depowdered, essentially starch-free fruit gums are mixed with 0.05 to 0.5 wt. % of the coating agent according to the invention according to Example 1 or 2 or the coating agent according to one of Comparative Examples 1 to 4 and mixed for 2 to 10 minutes. This oiling can be done in a slowly rotating (approx. 15 rpm) oiling drum, a coating pan, or similar equipment, or by hand.

[0111] After the mixing time, the products are ready for packaging or intermediate storage. The release effect was assessed by a panel of experts according to the following scale.

[0112]

[0113] As can be seen from the table above, the coating agent according to the invention exhibits a release effect on gelatin-containing jelly products that is comparable to that of conventional coating agents based on beeswax and / or carnauba wax (Comparative Examples 1 to 4). In contrast to the conventional coating agents based on beeswax and / or carnauba wax, the coating agent according to the invention is made from regionally available, natural ingredients and is also suitable for consumers who follow a vegan diet. The coating agent according to the invention can be described as being based on pure sunflower oil.

[0114] It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the examples described above, but rather can be varied in many ways.

Claims

Patent claims A method for producing a coating agent from at least one crude oil, in particular at least one vegetable crude oil, preferably a crude oil from a single plant species, particularly preferably a crude oil from a single plant variety, comprising the following steps: (a) optionally: cooling the at least one crude oil, (b) Separation of at least one, in particular cooled, crude oil into at least two oil fractions (1, 2), wherein the first oil fraction represents a clear oil fraction (1) and the second oil fraction represents a cloudy oil fraction (2), and wherein the wax content in the cloudy oil fraction (2) is higher than the wax content in the clear oil fraction (1) (c) merging at least a portion of the first Oil fraction (1) and at least a portion of the second oil fraction (2) to obtain the coating agent (3), wherein the ratio of the portions of first to second oil fraction is selected such that the wax content in the coating agent obtained is at least 3% by weight, preferably in the range from 4 to 30% by weight, particularly preferably in the range from 5 to 12% by weight and very particularly preferably in the range from 6 to 10% by weight.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that before step a) for pre-dividing the crude oil, a step (0) Producing a crude oil from a single plant species, preferably from a single plant variety, in particular by pressing, preferably hot pressing, and / or extracting plant material from a single plant species, preferably a single plant variety, particularly preferably sunflower.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that after step (b) a further step, (bl) Filtration of the cloudy oil fraction is carried out, wherein the filtration preferably takes place at a temperature above 60 °C, preferably between 80 and 90 °C.

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in addition a further step, (d) dispersing the coating agent (3) obtained in step (c), wherein the dispersion preferably takes place at a temperature above or equal to 25 °C, preferably between 28 and 40 °C.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the specific energy input in step (d) is up to 76,700 J / kg, wherein the specific energy input is preferably in the range from 33,000 J / kg to 39,000 J / kg.

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in addition a further step, (e) cooling the coating agent (3) obtained after step (c) and / or after step (d) to a temperature of at least 10 °C, preferably between 20 and 25 °C, particularly preferably to about 23 °C.

7. Coating agent (3), in particular produced by a method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the coating agent is a dispersion of particles of plant-derived wax in vegetable oil at a temperature in the range of 20°C to 25°C, the wax content being higher than in the crude oil obtained from plant material from which the plant-derived wax and the vegetable oil originate.

8. Coating agent (3), in particular according to claim 7, containing at least one vegetable oil (A) in which the proportion of vegetable, in particular plant-derived, wax (B) is at least 3% by weight, wherein the proportion of vegetable, in particular plant-derived, wax (B) is preferably in the range from 4 to 30 wt.%, particularly preferably in the range from 5 to 12 wt.% and very particularly preferably in the range from 6 to 10 wt.%, wherein the coating agent is suitable for coating a product which is selected from the group comprising foodstuffs, food supplements, luxury foods, cosmetic products and pharmaceutical products and mixtures of at least two of the products mentioned, and is in particular free from products of animal origin.

9. Coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the coating agent contains vegetable oil (A) and plant-specific wax (B) from a single plant variety and in particular consists of vegetable oil (A) and plant-specific wax (B) from a single plant variety.

10. Coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 to 9 or method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the plant species or plant variety from which the vegetable oil (A) and / or the vegetable wax (B), in particular the plant's own wax (B), originates, is selected from the group comprising cotton (Gossypium arboreum), maize (Zea mays), peanut (Arachis hypogaea), soy (Glycine max), palm (Elaeis guineensis), palm kernel, babassu (Attalea speciosa), rapeseed (Brassica napus), safflower (Carthamus tinctoris), rice (Oryza sativa), sunflower (Helianthus annus), flax (Linum usitatissimum), olive (Olea europaea), grape (Vitis vinerifera), baby's breath (Crambe cordifolia), coconut (Cocos nucifera) and sesame (Sesamum indicum) as well as fractions of oils and waxes of the said plants and mixtures of oils and waxes of the said plants and / or their fractions, sunflower being the preferred plant variety.

11. Coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 to 10 or method according to one of claims 1 to 6 or 10, characterized in that the vegetable oil (A) and / or the vegetable wax (B), in particular the plant-specific wax (B), has an iodine number in the range from 50 to 140, preferably in the range from 60 to 130.

12. Coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 to 11 or method according to one of claims 1 to 6 or 10 or 11, characterized in that the vegetable oil (A) and / or the vegetable wax (B), in particular the plant's own wax (B), contains essentially unsaturated fatty acids and has more than 65% by weight of oleic acid, but less than 16% by weight of linoleic acid.

13. Coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 to 12, characterized in that the coating agent predominantly, preferably at least 70% by weight, particularly preferably at least 80% by weight and very particularly preferably over 90% by weight, vegetable oils, in particular triglycerides of vegetable origin, which are selected, for example, from the group comprising cottonseed, corn, peanut, soybean, palm, palm kernel, babassu, rapeseed, sunflower and safflower oils and mixtures thereof.

14. Coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that it contains a sunflower oil (A) in which the proportion of sunflower wax (B) is at least 3% by weight.

15. Coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 to 14, characterized in that it is a dispersion in which the particle sizes are between 10 and 120 pm.

16. Coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 to 15, characterized in that the water content of the coating agent is less than 1 wt.%, preferably less than 0.5 wt.%.

17. Product (4) comprising a coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 to 16, wherein the product is selected from the group comprising foodstuffs, food supplements, luxury foods, cosmetic products and pharmaceutical products as well as Mixtures of at least two of the said products, wherein the product is preferably an orally consumable preparation. 18.Method for producing a product (4), in particular a method for coating an orally consumable preparation, comprising the following steps: a) providing a starting product (40) which is selected from the group comprising foodstuffs, food supplements, luxury foods, cosmetic products and pharmaceutical products as well as mixtures of at least two of the said products, b) coating the starting product (40) with a coating agent (3) according to one of claims 7 to 16 to obtain a product (4), in particular applying the coating agent according to one of claims 6 to 15 to a product, in particular to an orally consumable preparation, wherein the product is selected from the group comprising foodstuffs, luxury foods, food supplements, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products as well as mixtures of at least two of the said products, and optionally a further step c) packaging the product (4).

19. Product (4) according to claim 17 or method according to claim 18, characterized in that the coating agent (3) is contained or applied in a proportion in the range of 0.03 wt.% to 0.7 wt.%, preferably in a proportion in the range of 0.05 wt.% to 0.5 wt.%, based on the total weight of the product.

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