Structuring fat, food product with spreadable and / or soft texture comprising said fat and process for manufacturing same, and uses of said structuring fat

Abstract

The present invention relates to a structuring fat containing exclusively vegetable oils in its composition, free of palm oil and derivatives thereof, low saturated fat content, anti-obesogenic characteristics and satiety effect. The present invention also relates to a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising said structuring fat, as well as to the process for manufacturing the referred food product with spreadable and / or soft texture. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the uses of the structuring fat for the preparation of products (mainly spreads, cookie fillings, chocolate fillings, bakery fillings and cocoa- containing products).

Description

STRUCTURING FAT, FOOD PRODUCT WITH SPREADABLE AND / OR SOFT TEXTURE COMPRISING SAID FAT AND PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING SAME, AND USES OF SAID STRUCTURING FAT Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a structuring fat containing exclusively vegetable oils in its composition.

[0002] The present invention further refers to a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising the aforementioned structuring fat, as well as to the process for manufacturing the referred food product with spreadable texture.

[0003] Furthermore, the present invention relates to the uses of the structuring fat for the preparation of products (mainly spreads, biscuit fillings, chocolate fillings, bakery fillings and products containing cocoa). Background of the Invention

[0004] According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the obesity is one of the main health public problems in the world, and it is associated with several diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, hyperventilation syndrome, osteoarticular diseases, as well as some types of cancer.

[0005] Different diets have been proposed to treat obesity, from those with low energetic content and nutritional equivalent to those that propose restrictions on certain nutrients, modifying the proportions of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Despite studies showing positive effects, the increase of the levels of obesity in all the world indicates that it is necessary to develop more effective strategies for facing this problem. Thus, the use of natural compounds with the ability to block the absorption of gastrointestinal fats helps to accelerate the weight loss process or prevent the development of obesity in a non-aggressive form, as they are composed of lipids that are present in food.

[0006] In the last years, the adverse effects of trans fatty acids in oils and fatsderived from hydrogenated oils were seen as a worldwide health problem. Moreover, it is highlighted that the excessive consumption of trans fat is directly related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, as it reduces HDL and increases LDL levels, causing the clogging of blood vessels. The WHO recommends that the daily consumption of trans fat does not exceed 1% of the total energy intake value of a diet, and some regulatory bodies such as the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) of Brazil, as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States and the European Commission, have already approved measures with the purpose of banishing the presence of such fat in the food (for example, the RDC 632 of 2022 of ANVISA, which prohibits the use of trans fats in food in Brazil since 2023).

[0007] The development of food products with spreadable textures having a healthier character, as, for example, the spreads containing nuts such as peanuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts and products containing cocoa, still pose a challenge for the food industry, especially in relation to their stability properties to lipid phase migration, and, consequently, occurrence of phase separation, since these products are usually obtained from mixtures, in different proportions, between oils and fats. The liquid phase in free form, in addition to mischaracterizing the product, accelerates the lipid oxidation leading to loss of product shelf life. Currently, this problem is partially resolved or retarded through the use of commercial fats with matrix properties, normally free of trans fatty acids.

[0008] In this scenario, it is highlighted that the increase in the knowledge about crystalline habits of new fats, as well as the effects of fatty acids related to chain length, unsaturation and stereospecific distribution on metabolism and health, has led to a growing interest in the use of new formulations of oils and fats and their production processes to reduce the risks of diseases, as well as improving health. In this sense, the industry has been studying and focusing on the use of possible fat substitutes.

[0009] The process of enzymatic interesterification refers to a type of modification of oils and fats that has been widely used, and which producesstructuring fats. Structuring fat is defined as modified or restructured triacylglycerols obtained by chemical and / or enzymatic interesterification or transesterification. During the synthesis of interesterification, by catalysts, the ester bonds undergo random cleavage resulting in free fatty acids that are distributed, reorganized and rearranged at different positions in the glycerol molecule without modifying its lipid composition. From this restructuring of the positional distribution of fatty acids it is possible to obtain new and improved physicochemical characteristics of plastic fats, such as crystallization, melting point, polymorphism, solid fat content, viscosity and consistency, as well as oxidative stability, when compared to unmodified lipids.

[0010] Most of the products formulated and available in the state of the art are added with monoglycerides, polysaccharides, proteins and hydrocolloids. Commercial structuring fats have a high content of saturated fatty acids and / or the presence of palm or palm kernel and hydrocolloids derivatives. There is currently no product on the market that has low absorption combined with technological properties for application as a structuring agent in products with spreadable textures, as well as capable of promoting satiety and free of palm derivatives.

[0011] Palm oil is one of the most widely used oils worldwide, and is one of the most widely used raw materials for the production of margarines and vegetable fats, thanks to its many functional and versatile properties. In addition to being used in the food industry, palm oil is also widely used in the cosmetics, personal hygiene products and biofuels industries. Between 1980 and 2014, global palm oil production increased 15-fold, from 4.5 million tons to 70 million tons, and demand for palm oil is expected to grow by 1.7% per year until 2050. Due to this widespread use, it is necessary to develop more sustainable alternatives to this oil, since its consumption is directly related to deforestation and, consequently, to environmental problems such as climate change, soil fertility problems and poor water quality, as well as a drastic decline in biodiversity.

[0012] The state of the art presents some healthier alternatives for the production of spreads, with the use of interesterified fats, and referring mainly toproducts with low trans fat content, good storage properties and sensory characteristics similar to the products available on the market. However, one of the obstacles of the state of the art is the supply of spread-type products, cocoa-based products such as table margarine, which do not have a high solids content at refrigeration temperatures (ideally up to 30-35% at 10 °C), which present an alternative to the use of palm oil and derivatives thereof and provide, as a health aspect, greater satiety and lower absorption in products developed with the fat.

[0013] Document US7700146 refers to a process for producing a fat composition suitable for use as confectionery fat. The interesterified fat described in such prior art document is subjected to catalytic hydrogenation in order to obtain a first fat, and wherein the first fat is incorporated into the fat composition. According to such prior art document, fats suitable for use as a second fat are fats containing 70% by weight or more of palm oil or palm oil fractions, or a mixture thereof. Examples of such fats are hydrogenated palm or hydrogenated palm olein, interesterified palm, interesterified palm oil fractions, which may be further fractionated after interesterification or hydrogenation or not, as they are fats with sufficient solid parts to offer sufficient structure to the final fat composition, without providing high levels of trans fatty acids. US7700146 does not refer to a product comprising structuring fat with lower absorption or providing a satiety effect to reduce consumption and obesity, nor does it present an alternative to palm oil and derivatives thereof.

[0014] BR 1120120094300 refers to a solid fat for confectionery products with a healthier character. The fat defined in such prior art document is prepared exclusively from sunflower oil with high stearic and high oleic content, and refers specifically to a non-transesterified fat, produced by dry fractionation at low temperature. The fat comprises in its composition dissaturated triacylglycerols, rich in stearic, arachidic and behenic fatty acids, as well as a trans-free fat and having very low amounts of saturated fatty acids at the sn-2 position and polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, the focus of the prior art document is a non-transesterified fat, produced exclusively from sunflower oil, and which fails to present healthcharacteristics such as greater satiety and lower absorption in products developed with it, as well as referring to a fat poor or free of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

[0015] CN103181420 and AU715480B2 relate to the use of transesterified oil and fat used in the preparation of margarine or spreads. CN103181420 relates to a structured fat containing less saturated fatty acids, especially palmitic acid. AU715480B2 relates to a low-fat spreadable food product, which may contain a water-soluble gel-forming polysaccharide, for example, from 5 to 20% by weight of low DE gelling hydrolyzed starch, such as maltodextrin. Both prior art documents fail to present a product with characteristics directly related to greater satiety and reduced absorption in the developed products.

[0016] In view of the above, it is clear that although the state of the art presents structuring fats with a healthier character, there still remains a problem to be solved in providing a structuring fat and products derived therefrom, which encompass all the advantageous characteristics of storage and durability, as well as having a healthier character and promoting satiety, helping to prevent obesity, and being, at the same time, environmentally friendly, being free of palm and derivatives thereof.

[0017] It is based on this scenario that the invention in question arises, in which a structuring fat containing exclusively vegetable oils in its composition was developed through enzymatic and / or chemical synthesis. The fat developed by the present invention stands out from those already existing in the state of the art, as it mainly refers to a structuring fat and a food product with a spreadable texture having (i) structuring characteristics, (ii) health characteristics, since it is directly related to lower absorption, anti-obesogenic and greater satiety properties, and is free of trans fat, and (iii) sustainability characteristics, as it is free of palm and derivatives thereof. Objectives of the invention

[0018] The objective of the present invention is to provide a structuring fat containing exclusively vegetable oils in its composition. In particular, the objective ofthe present invention is to provide structured fats / lipids with improved nutritional properties, having anti-obesogenic properties, in terms of their physical and chemical characteristics, aiming at the prevention and treatment of obesity, due to the balance between essential and saturated short and long chain fatty acids.

[0019] Furthermore, another objective of the invention is a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising said structuring fat, as well as a process for the manufacture of said food product with a spreadable texture, being free of trans fat and palm oil and derivatives thereof.

[0020] The invention also aims to provide uses for structuring fat in the preparation of products, mainly spreads, biscuit fillings, chocolate fillings, bakery fillings and products containing cocoa) that use it. Summary of the invention

[0021] The objectives discussed above are, in their entirety, achieved by the structuring fat developed, by the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising said fat and the manufacturing process thereof, and by the uses of said structuring fat.

[0022] In one embodiment, a structuring fat is described. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat is formed by a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, a source of monounsaturated fatty acids and a source of long-chain saturated fatty acids in the form.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment, the structuring fat contains in its formulation (i) vegetable oils that are sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids, selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, chestnut oil, almond oil and combinations thereof, (ii) vegetable oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, high oleic sunflower oil, olive oil, high oleic peanut oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil, avocado oil, and combinations thereof, and (iii) vegetable oils that are sources of long-chain saturated fatty acids in the form, selected from the group comprising fully hydrogenated crambe oil, pracaxi oil, peanut oil and combinations thereof.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, a structuring fat is described having the following characteristics: i. it is free of palm and derivatives thereof; and / or ii. it is free of trans fatty acids; and / or iii. it has lower saturated fatty acid content than commercial fat (approximately 30% less); and / or iv. it has lower absorption or a satiety effect to reduce consumption and obesity; and / or v. it is obtained from plant sources, and with a balanced content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids; and / or vi. it has physical, technological properties and migration stability for application in some food products with spreadable and / or soft textures.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat presents technological properties suitable for application in food products such as spreads, biscuit fillings, emulsions, and products containing cocoa, enabling a rapid H3-H4 / H5 transition.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat has about 15 to 50% saturated fatty acids, about 20 to 50% monounsaturated fatty acids and about 10 to 30% polyunsaturated fatty acids in the lipid portion, relative to the total weight of constituent fatty acids.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat has a balanced content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is provided a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising the structuring fat as defined in the present document.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture comprises the following characteristics: i. it is free of palm and derivatives thereof; and / or ii. it is free of trans fatty acids; and / oriii. it has 20 to 40% less saturated fatty acid content than products developed with commercial fat; and / or iv. it has lower absorption and satiety effect to reduce consumption and obesity; and / or v. it comprises the structuring fat obtained from plant sources, and with a balanced content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids; and / or vi. it has a spreadable and / or soft texture with physical, technological properties and migration stability; and / or vii. it is manufactured industrially using the same production lines and equipment that already exist in companies that already manufacture products containing cocoa, spreads and conventional emulsions.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture has about 0 to 20% saturated fatty acids, about 0 to 60% monounsaturated fatty acids and about 0 to 20% polyunsaturated fatty acids in the lipid portion.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture has desired technological properties, selected from adequate consistency at room temperature, creaminess and / or migration stability during shelf life.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture refers to a spread, wherein the spread is selected from the group comprising, various fillings, margarines, pâtés and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture refers to a product containing cocoa.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture refers to a filling for cookies, fillings for chocolates, fillings for baking, with or without cocoa.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food productwith a spreadable texture refers to a table margarine-like emulsion.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising: i. the structuring fat according to the present invention; and / or ii. sugar; and / or iii. dairy products; and / or iv. emulsifiers; and / or v. cocoa powder; and / or vi. nut paste.

[0037] In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising: i. the structuring fat according to the present invention; and / or ii. sugar; and / or iii. emulsifiers; and / or iv. dyes; and / or v. aromas.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food product has a spreadable and / or soft texture that exhibits softness, creaminess, spreadability and desirable melting in the mouth, exhibiting complete melting at about 35 °C.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present invention, a process is provided for manufacturing the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture as defined in the present document, comprising the following steps: a) Carrying out mixing tests between the obtained structuring fats, aiming to find a lipid phase with fusion and crystallization characteristics and technological properties suitable for application in food products with spreadable textures; b) Proceeding with the roasting of the nuts following the appropriate time and temperature protocol; c) Grinding the nuts to the desired size to obtain a uniform paste; d) Separately melting the lipid phase, composed of commercial fattogether with structuring fats, up to a temperature range of about 60 to 70 °C to ensure that the crystalline memory of these raw materials is erased; e) Mixing the lipid phase and the nut paste with appropriate sugar and / or dairy derivatives and / or cocoa powder and / or emulsifiers and / or dyes and / or aromas for about 15 to 20 minutes, in the temperature range of about 50 to 60 °C, under agitation varying from about 48 to 60 rpm in a jacketed mixer, operating at a temperature ranging from about 40 to 60 °C; f) Refining the mass in suitable equipment, such as an impact mill, being cooled internally with water; g) Proceed with the packaging of the product in suitable packaging, at a suitable temperature; h) Cooling the product in a forced air cooling tunnel, using crystallization temperature according to the crystalline habit of the lipid phase used; and i) Storing the products in a BOD chamber under controlled temperature conditions and also at room temperature, in order to assess their physical stability (migration / phase separation).

[0040] In another embodiment of the present invention, it is provided the use of the structuring fat as defined in the present document as the fat phase of a food product with a spreadable texture as defined in the present document.

[0041] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the use of the structuring fat is in the manufacture of a food product with a spreadable texture.

[0042] Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the use of the structuring fat as described in the present document is in the manufacture of a food product with a spreadable texture selected from, but not limited to, the group consisting of cookie fillings, chocolate fillings, bakery fillings, spreads, pâtés, margarine, and / or combinations thereof, and cocoa-containing products. Brief description of the drawings

[0043] Figure 1 shows crystallization thermograms of structuring fat producedwith mixtures of soybean oil, olive oil and fully hydrogenated crambe oil.

[0044] Figure 2 shows solids curves of simple mixture and interesterified samples and of a commercial matrix fat used in the manufacture of spreads.

[0045] Figure 3 represents graphs representing the content of a solid fat obtained according to the present invention.

[0046] Figure 4 is a representative graph comparing the solid fat content (%) of the enzymatic structuring fat developed with up to 18% C22:0 acid with two types of commercial fat for sandwich biscuit filling.

[0047] Figure 5 represents a diagram of the manufacturing process of the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture containing the structuring fat of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 6 represents the postprandial structuring fat absorption curve and the observed anti-obesogenic effect.

[0049] Figure 7 represents an example of a comminution / refining process in a ball mill for a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture.

[0050] Figure 8 represents an example of a packaging stage in the manufacture of a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture.

[0051] Figure 9 represents an example of cooling and crystallization steps in the manufacture of a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture.

[0052] Figure 10 represents an example of a stability study in BOD chambers. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0053] In view of the objectives of the present invention, a structuring fat, a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising said fat and the manufacturing process thereof, as well as the uses of said structuring fat are disclosed. Structuring fat and its composition

[0054] According to the present invention, a structuring fat was developed exclusively using vegetable oils, and obtained through an enzymatic and / or chemicalinteresterification process.

[0055] According to the present invention, the structuring fat contains exclusively vegetable oils in its composition. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat is formed by a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, a source of monounsaturated fatty acids and a source of long-chain saturated fatty acids.

[0056] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the source of polyunsaturated fatty acids is selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, nut oil, almond oil, and combinations thereof.

[0057] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the source of monounsaturated fatty acids is selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, high oleic sunflower oil, olive oil, high oleic peanut oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil, avocado oil, and combinations thereof.

[0058] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the source of long chain saturated fatty acids is selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, fully hydrogenated crambe oil, pracaxi oil, peanut oil and combinations thereof. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the source of long chain saturated fatty acids in the form contains from 20 to 22 carbon atoms.

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the saturated fatty acids are selected from the group consisting primarily of palmitic acid, stearic acid, and behenic acid, and combinations thereof.

[0060] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the monounsaturated fatty acids are selected from the group consisting of oleic acid, and combinations thereof.

[0061] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the polyunsaturated fatty acids are selected from the group consisting of linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and combinations thereof.

[0062] In one embodiment, the structuring fat has about 15 to 50% saturatedfatty acids, about 20 to 50% monounsaturated fatty acids, and about 10 to 30% polyunsaturated fatty acids in the lipid portion relative to the total content of all constituent fatty acids. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat has about 15 to 50% saturated fatty acids, 20 to 50% monounsaturated fatty acids, and about 10 to 30% polyunsaturated fatty acids in the lipid portion in relation to the total content of all constituent fatty acids.

[0063] According to the present invention, a structuring fat having a balanced content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids is developed. Specifically, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the weight ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to polyunsaturated fatty acids is approximately 2 to 1 (2:1).

[0064] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the developed structuring fat is completely free of palm oil, palm kernel oil and derivatives thereof.

[0065] According to the present invention, the structuring fat produced is ideal for use in the manufacture of food products with spreadable textures (spreads, cookie fillings, chocolate fillings, and products containing cocoa), since it has physical, technological and migration stability properties, as well as long-term shelf life. Specifically, according to the present invention, the developed fat promotes greater stabilization of the lipid phase, due to the intrinsic composition (type and concentration of fatty acids) of the fatty acids present in the formulations, which increases the shelf life of products developed with the structuring fat.

[0066] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat presents a solids profile, melting and crystallization properties and rheological behavior compatible with the commercial structuring fat used and marketed for emulsification and stabilization of spreads containing nuts of various types, such as, for example, walnuts, Pará nuts (or Brazil nuts), cashew nuts, baru nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, among others, according to the data presented in Figure 2.

[0067] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the thermal crystallization behavior, as well as the amount of solid fat at different temperatures(solid fat profile) are fundamental analytical measures to indicate the ideal type of application that said structuring fat can serve. Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fats have a crystallization temperature ranging from about 14 °C to -20 °C, as per data presented in Figure 1.

[0068] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the developed fat is used in the manufacture of products selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, products containing cocoa, biscuit filling, chocolate fillings, pâtés and / or margarines.

[0069] According to the present invention, the structuring fat obtained has satisfactory and desirable nutritional functions, such as promoting satiety due to a lower absorption rate (according to the data in Figure 6), aiming to provide health benefits for people with disorders in lipid absorption and metabolism, through anti- obesogenic actions, according to the data in Figure 6.

[0070] According to the present invention, the structuring fat has health properties, in addition to the structuring function. Specifically, according to the present invention, the proposed fat has characteristics such as promoting satiety, and anti- obesogenic properties. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the parts of each component of the structuring fat are defined according to the recommendations of the American Heart Association and the Brazilian and European Society of Cardiology.

[0071] Specifically, according to the present invention, the structuring fat has anti-obesogenic potential, due to the presence of saturated fatty acid C22:00 in different concentrations and positions in glycerol (sn1,3 or and sn2, responsible for inhibiting the action of pancreatic lipase. According to the present invention, the presence of this fatty acid promotes the partial reduction of gastrointestinal lipid absorption by inhibiting pancreatic lipase, since said acid acts to reduce the rate of lipolysis, preventing the hydrolysis and partial absorption of TAGs and, consequently, excretion of fatty acids in the feces, allowing an anti-obesogenic action / effect to occur, as already reported in the published works of the present inventors Silva, R. M., Moreira, D. K. T., Zarricueta, M. L., Macedo, J. A., Macedo, G. A., & Gambero, A.(2019) “The postprandial inflammatory response is attenuated by a dietary structured lipid containing behenic acid. Journal of functional foods”, 58, 350-354 Moreira, D. K. T., Ract, J. N. R., Ribeiro, A. P. B., & Macedo, G. A. (2017) “Production and characterization of structured lipids with antiobesity potential and as a source of essential fatty acids”, Food research international, 99, 713-719 and MOREIRA, Débora Kono Taketa et al. “Synthesis and characterization of structured lipid rich in behenic acid by enzymatic interesterification. Food and bioproducts processing”, v. 122, p. 303- 310, 2020. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fatty acid in question may be present in the range of 5 - 25% of the proposed synthesized fat. The final application of the structuring fat defines the percentage of saturated fatty acids in the sample.

[0072] Therefore, according to the present invention, a structuring fat comprising the following characteristics is disclosed: i. Structuring fat free of palm and derivatives thereof; and / or ii. Structuring fat free of trans fatty acids; and / or iii. Structuring fat having low content of saturated fatty acids; and / or iv. Structuring fat with lower absorption or with a satiety effect to reduce consumption and obesity; and / or v. Structuring fat obtained from vegetable sources, and with a balanced content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids; and / or vi. Structuring fat with physical, technological properties and migration stability for application in some food products with spreadable textures.

[0073] As described in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat has between 20 and 40% lower saturated fatty acid content than commercial fat.

[0074] According to the present invention, the structuring fats obtained by enzymatic and chemical means demonstrated adequate values for application in food products with a spreadable and / or soft texture and present different characteristics despite the formulation being the same.Processes for obtaining structuring fat

[0075] According to the present invention, the structuring fat is obtained through a chemical and / or enzymatic interesterification or transesterification process.

[0076] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a chemical interesterification process is carried out using chemical catalysts for random cleavage of the ester bonds, wherein the free fatty acids are distributed, reorganized and rearranged in different positions in the glycerol molecule without modifying its lipid composition. According to the present invention, the chemical catalysts are selected from the group comprising sodium alkylates, metallic sodium, sodium / potassium mixtures and sodium or potassium hydroxides in combination with glycerol, and / or combinations thereof.

[0077] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat is obtained through an enzymatic interesterification process.

[0078] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an enzymatic interesterification process is carried out through catalysis by lipases. According to the present invention, the lipases used are capable of integrating fatty acids (acyl groups) into specific positions in the glycerol structure and obtaining healthier lipids, i.e., with fewer reaction byproducts such as fatty acid esters, soaps, excess free fatty acids, di- and monoglycerides. Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lipases used present stability at mild temperatures of ≤ 70 °C, and are ecologically sustainable, since they are associated with enzymatic reuse for multiple reactions.

[0079] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lipases used may be regioselective and originate from Aspergillus niger and / or Rhizopus arrhizus, as well as combinations thereof. Still according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lipases used are highly selective in the sn- 1,3 positions, stereoselective that hydrolyze the bonds located in the sn-1 and sn-3 positions at different rates or selective / specific that act particularly for a certain class of fatty acids, regardless of their position.

[0080] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thelipases used are in non-immobilized form (free lipases) or immobilized on solid supports that are reused in batch or continuous bioreactors, thus reducing process costs. According to a preferred embodiment of the present patent application, commercial lipases are used for the production of structuring fat in immobilized form.

[0081] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the chemical and enzymatic interesterification process does not present differences in the fatty acid composition of the simple and interesterified mixtures. According to the present invention, the type of interesterification performed promotes changes only in relation to the distribution and not to the composition of the fatty acids. Food products with a spreadable and / or soft texture developed

[0082] A food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture is provided in accordance with the present invention containing the structuring fat defined in the present invention. Particularly, in accordance with the present invention, it is provided a food product comprising the following characteristics: i. it is free of palm and derivatives thereof; and / or ii. it is free of trans fatty acids; and / or iii. it has 20 to 40% less saturated fatty acid content than products developed with commercial fat; and / or iv. it has lower absorption and satiety effect to reduce consumption and obesity; and / or v. it comprises the structuring fat obtained from plant sources, and with a balanced content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids; and / or vi. it has a spreadable texture with physical, technological properties and migration stability; and / or vii. it is manufactured industrially using the same production lines and equipment that already exist in companies that already manufacture conventional products such as spreads, biscuit fillings, chocolate fillings, bakery fillings and products containing cocoa.

[0083] According to the present invention, a food product with a spreadableand / or soft texture is provided, containing only the proposed structuring fat as the lipid phase. Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the product formulated with all the synthesized fat has had sugar reduction to adapt the sensory profile.

[0084] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture is free of palm oil and derivatives thereof, and has about 0 to 20% saturated fatty acids, about 0 to 60% monounsaturated fatty acids and about 0 to 20% polyunsaturated fatty acids in the lipid portion.

[0085] According to the present invention, food products with spreadable and / or soft textures have desired technological properties, such as adequate consistency and creaminess at room temperature (20 to 25 °C), and stability against migration during shelf life, since they have in their composition a structuring lipid phase with crystalline habit in the beta prima form, capable of resulting in a desired crystallization, with plastic texture at temperatures close to 25 °C, with rapid melting at body temperature (37 °C) during tasting.

[0086] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture refers to a spread. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the spread is selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, pâtés, chocolate and bakery fillings and combinations thereof.

[0087] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food products with a spreadable and / or smooth texture are specifically emulsions, selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to, margarines, butters, and / or combinations thereof.

[0088] According to the present invention, the spreads provided are produced from nuts selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, walnuts, Pará nuts (or Brazil nuts), cashew nuts, baru nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, among others.

[0089] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture is a cookie filling, wherein the cookiefilling is selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, wafer filling, sandwich- type cookie, bakery fillings containing or not chocolates. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the spreadable and / or soft food products comprise a combination of the structuring fat with additional ingredients selected from sugar and / or dairy derivatives, and / or emulsifiers and / or cocoa powder.

[0090] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is provided a food product having a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising: i. 20 to 40% by weight of structuring fat proposed by the invention; and / or ii. 35 to 55% by weight of sugar; and / or iii. 5 to 12% by weight of dairy derivatives; and / or iv. 0.1 to 1.0% by weight of emulsifiers; and / or v. 5 to 15% by weight of cocoa powder; and / or vi. 5 to 20% by weight of nut paste.

[0091] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided a food product having a spreadable and / or soft texture comprising: i. 20 to 40% by weight of structuring fat proposed by the invention; and / or ii. 60 to 80% by weight of sugar; and / or iii. 0.2 to 2.0% by weight of emulsifiers; and / or iv. 1.5 to 2% by weight of dyes; and / or v. 0.05 to 1.00% by weight of aromas.

[0092] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture refers to a cookie filling.

[0093] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sugar may be selected from crystal sugar (Types 1, 2 or 3), refined sugar, confectioner’s sugar, brown sugar, organic sugar, demerara sugar, coconut sugar, artificial sweeteners, fructose syrup, glucose syrup and / or combinations thereof. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sugar consists of Type 3 crystal sugar.

[0094] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the dairy derivatives are selected from the group consisting of whole milk powder, skim milk powder, whey, whey permeate and / or combinations thereof. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dairy derivative consists of skim milk powder.

[0095] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the emulsifiers are selected from the group consisting of lecithin, which may be from soy or sunflower, liquid or powder, polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), and / or combinations thereof. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the emulsifiers consist of liquid lecithin and / or polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR).

[0096] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the dyes are selected from the group consisting of natural dyes, artificial dyes and plant extracts / concentrates. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dye consists of a plant concentrate.

[0097] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the flavors are selected from the group consisting of natural flavors, artificial flavors and nature- identical flavors. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aroma consists of natural aroma.

[0098] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the types of cocoa powder are selected from the group consisting of natural cocoa powder, alkaline cocoa powder and lecithinated alkaline cocoa powder and / or combinations thereof. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa powder consists of alkaline cocoa powder.

[0099] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the types of nuts are selected from the group consisting of walnuts, Para nuts (or Brazil nuts), cashew nuts, baru nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, and / or combinations thereof. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the nuts consist of peanuts.

[0100] The spreads containing cocoa and the biscuit fillings with a soft texture produced with the structuring fat developed according to the present inventionpresented sensory and technological properties, which were pleasant and suitable for the desired characteristics of the product.

[0101] According to the present invention, the food product with a spreadable texture has a satiety effect observed in animals, and, due to its composition reduced by 30% in the total saturated fats of the commercial product, it can be considered a product of nutritional quality.

[0102] The spreadable product according to the present invention is directly associated with an improvement in the user’s quality of life, since it has satisfactory nutritional functions. In particular, the product with a spreadable and / or soft texture according to the present invention has a lower absorption capacity, since it partially inhibits pancreatic lipase. In this sense, the food products with spreadable and / or soft textures developed by the inventors of the present patent application can be consumed and inhibit the development of obesity or dyslipidemia, since it refers to lipids / fats that constitute an energy source that provides less caloric gain.

[0103] Additionally, according to the present invention, food products with spreadable and / or soft textures present suitable technological properties, capable of being produced on the same production lines and equipment currently existing in industrial parks, enabling a rapid H3-H4 / H5 transition.

[0104] According to the present invention, food products with spreadable and / or soft textures produced with enzymatically and / or chemically manufactured structuring fat have softness, spreadability and desirable melting in the mouth, presenting complete fusion from about 35 °C (close to body temperature), similar to matrix fat which is the main lipid base for this type of product.

[0105] Furthermore, according to the inventors of the present invention, no process adjustments were necessary to produce the food products with spreadable and / or soft texture containing the developed structuring fat. Process for the manufacture of products using structuring fat

[0106] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is described a process for the manufacture of food products with a spreadable and / or softtexture containing the aforementioned structuring fat, characterized by the following steps: a) Carrying out mixing tests between the structuring fats obtained according to the present invention, aiming to find a lipid phase with fusion and crystallization characteristics and technological properties suitable for application in food products with spreadable textures; b) Proceeding with the roasting of the nuts following the appropriate time and temperature protocol; c) Grinding the nuts to the desired size to obtain a uniform paste; d) Separately melting the lipid phase, composed of commercial fat together with structuring fats, up to a temperature range of about 60 to 70 °C to ensure that the crystalline memory of these raw materials is erased; e) Mixing the lipid phase and the nut paste with appropriate sugar and / or dairy derivatives and / or cocoa powder and / or emulsifiers and / or dyes and / or aromas for about 15 to 20 minutes, in the temperature range of about 50 to 60 °C, under agitation varying from about 48 to 60 rpm in a jacketed mixer, operating at a temperature ranging from about 40 to 60 °C; f) Refining the mass in suitable equipment, such as an impact mill, being cooled internally with water; g) Proceed with the packaging of the product in suitable packaging, at a suitable temperature; h) Cooling the product in a forced air cooling tunnel, using crystallization temperature according to the crystalline habit of the lipid phase used; and i) Storing the products in a BOD chamber under controlled temperature conditions and also at room temperature, in order to assess their physical stability (migration / phase separation).

[0107] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the following process is carried out for the manufacture of food products with spreadable textures as defined in the present invention: a) Carrying out mixing tests in different proportions between the structuringfats obtained, both through the chemical and enzymatic interesterification processes, aiming to find a lipid phase with melting and crystallization characteristics and technological properties suitable for application in food products with spreadable textures. The resulting fat must present a solids curve and crystalline habit capable of giving a plastic or creamy texture to the product at temperatures close to room temperature (25 °C), with rapid melting during tasting, at temperatures close to body temperature. b) Proceeding with the roasting of the nuts following the appropriate time and temperature protocol (with temperatures ranging from about 120 to about 150 °C; times ranging from about 20 to about 60 minutes) in a rotating electric roaster, without forced air convection; c) Grinding the nuts to the desired particle size to obtain a uniform paste, with the particle size ranging from about 20 to about 40 microns, measured using a digital micrometer; d) Separately melting the lipid phase, composed of the commercial fat together with the structuring fats, up to a temperature range of about 60 to about 70 °C to ensure that the crystalline memory of these raw materials was erased; e) Mixing the lipid phase (20 to 40%) and the nut paste (5 to 20%) with Type 3 crystal sugar (35 to 55%), skimmed milk powder (5 to 12%), alkaline cocoa powder (5 to 15%) and emulsifiers (lecithin and / or polyglycerol polyricinoleate) (0.1 to 1%) for 15 to 20 minutes, in the temperature range of 50 to 60 °C, under agitation varying from 48 to 60 rpm in a jacketed mixer, operating at a temperature ranging from 40 to 60 °C; f) Refining the mass in an impact mill containing a bed of stainless steel balls (30 kg) with different sizes (diameters from 5.0 mm to 9.5 mm), operating at a maximum speed of 75 rpm. The mill was equipped with a jacket and was internally cooled with water at 15 °C (maximum product temperature of 50 °C). The mill parameters were adjusted to obtain products with particle sizes ranging from 15 to 25 microns, measured with a digital micrometer; g) Proceed with the packaging of the product in suitable packaging, at a temperature ranging from 40 to 50 °C; andh) Cooling the product in a forced air cooling tunnel, using a crystallization temperature according to the crystalline habit of the lipid phase used, which may vary from about 5 to 12 °C; and i) Storing the products in a BOD chamber under controlled temperature conditions (15 to 25 °C), and also at room temperature, in order to assess their physical stability (migration / phase separation).

[0108] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, step h) is performed only for products containing 50 to 100% replacement of commercial fat by developed structuring lipids / fats, obtained by chemical or enzymatic process.

[0109] According to the present invention, the products obtained by this process presented melting and crystallization behavior, rheological properties (viscosity and yield point), average diameter and particle size distribution, moisture content, texture and spreadability similar to spreads, products containing cocoa, but presenting greater nutritional value. Proposed uses

[0110] The present invention provides the use of the developed structuring fat as the lipid phase of a food product that contains fat in its composition.

[0111] In particular, the present invention provides the use of structuring fat in the manufacture of a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture. According to a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to the use of structuring fat in the manufacture of a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture with anti-obesogenic potential.

[0112] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the structuring fat is used in the manufacture of food products with spreadable and / or soft textures selected from, but not limited to, cookie fillings, chocolate fillings, fillings for bakery products, spreads, pâtés, margarine, cocoa-containing products and / or combinations thereof.

[0113] The present invention is described below with reference to thefollowing examples, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

[0114] In order that the modalities described herein may be more fully understood, the following examples are provided. It should be understood that these examples are for illustration purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. Examples Example 1 – Process for manufacturing structuring fat through chemical interesterification

[0115] According to the present invention, a chemical interesterification process is carried out in a continuous vacuum system under stirring at 500 rpm, at 100 °C, for 20 to 40 min.

[0116] According to the present invention, during the chemical interesterification process, chemical catalysts selected from the group consisting of sodium alkylates, metallic sodium, sodium / potassium mixtures and sodium or potassium hydroxides in combination with glycerol, and / or combinations thereof, may be used. According to the present invention, the catalyst used is sodium methoxide powder, in a concentration of 0.1 to 0.5% by weight.

[0117] According to the present invention, an amount of 0.1% sodium methoxide was required to inactivate 0.05% free fatty acids and 0.054% sodium methoxide to inactivate 1.0% peroxides present in the mixture of lipid bases (blend of desirable vegetable oils and hardfat).

[0118] Also according to the present invention, the reaction carried out was completed by inactivating the catalyst by adding water or organic acid. Since sodium methoxide has high reactivity and toxicity and significant amounts of intermediate reaction products can be obtained during the synthesis, washing of the structuring fat with distilled water (80 ± 1 °C) in a separatory funnel and under vacuum at 110 °C for 20 minutes was performed during the completion of the chemical interesterification reaction. Example 2 – Process for manufacturing structuring fat through enzymaticinteresterification

[0119] Structured fats rich in C 20 -22 acid were obtained from olive oil, soybean oil and fully hydrogenated crambe oil with anti-obesity effect by inhibition of pancreatic lipase.

[0120] According to the present invention, a lipase Lipozyme TL IM® (Thermomyces lanuginosa) was used for enzymatic interesterification, and its production step occurred in a continuous vacuum system under agitation of 350 rpm at 60 °C between a reaction time that can vary from 4 to 24 hours, with a lipase concentration that varied from 5 to 10% (w / w), previously conditioned by deaeration and drying, according to the manufacturer’s instructions in a batch system, every 30 minutes, under vacuum with agitation of 350 rpm at 70 ± 1 °C with soybean oil.

[0121] The process was performed with the aim of achieving full activity of Lipozyme TL IM®, avoiding substrate hydrolysis and excessive levels of free fatty acids during the reaction. Furthermore, alternative lipases such as Lipozyme RM IM® and Lipozyme / Novozym 435® of non-commercial Rhizopus lipase could have been used in the process. Example 3 – Composition of structuring fat obtained using soybean oil (SO), olive oil (OO) and fully hydrogenated crambe oil (FHCO)

[0122] According to the present invention, a structuring fat composition was obtained using the methods defined in Example 1 and Example 2, having as initial raw material a mixture of soybean oil (SO), olive oil (OO) and fully hydrogenated crambe oil (FHCO).

[0123] According to the present, the fatty acid composition of simple and interesterified mixtures through both chemical and enzymatic interesterification methods did not present differences, since interesterification promotes changes only in relation to the distribution and not the composition of fatty acids.

[0124] Table 1 below describes comparative examples of the fatty acid composition obtained through (i) only the structuring fat proposed by the present invention and obtained by chemical interesterification; (ii) only the structuring fat proposed by thepresent invention and obtained by enzymatic interesterification; (iii) an interesterified sample comprising a simple mixture of commercial fat with the structuring fat of the present invention; and (iv) a sample of a type of commercial fat for comparative purposes: Table 1. Composition in fatty acids (% by weight) Raw materials Samples interesterified Fully Simple Fatty Acids Soybean oil Olive oil hydrogenated Enzymatic Chemical mixture crambe oil C14:0 nd Nd nd nd nd nd C16:0 10.90±0.62 14.50 ± 0.71 7.93 ± 0.12 12.60 ± 0.03 11.95 ± 0.18 11.87 ± 0.03 C16:1 nd Nd nd nd nd nd C17:0 nd Nd nd nd nd nd C17:1 nd Nd nd nd nd nd C18:0 3.96 ± 0.98 2.80 ± 0.71 49.63 ± 0.87 8.70 ± 0.95 8.97 ± 0.24 9.47 ± 0.39 C18:1 26.27±0.86 73.92 ± 0.86 1.61 ± 0.01 41.56 ± 1.62 40.10 ± 0.32 42.30 ± 0.81 C18:2t nd Nd nd nd nd nd C18:2 51.73±1.32 7.86 ± 0.10 0.19 ± 0.02 27.95 ± 0.67 28.15 ± 0.52 26.33 ± 0.30 C18:3t nd Nd nd nd nd nd C18:3 6.19 ± 0.83 0.66 ± 0.04 nd 3.02 ± 0.40 3.20 ± 0.19 2.91 ± 0.13 C20:0 0.64 ± 0.00 0.71 ± 0.08 4.19 ± 0.00 0.88 ± 0.11 1.02 ± 0.10 0.94 ± 0.07 C20:1 nd Nd nd nd nd nd C22:0 0.53 ± 0.37 Nd 36.19 ± 0.90 4.29 ± 0.81 5.54 ± 0.46 5.77 ± 0.11 C22:1 nd Nd nd nd nd nd C24:0 nd Nd nd nd nd nd ∑Saturated 16.04 ± 0.21 18.01 ± 0.08 97.95 ± 0.0226.47 ± 0.37 27.47 ± 0.37 28.05 ± 0.74 ∑Monounsaturated 26.35 ± 0.18 73.92 ± 0.06 1.61 ± 0.03 42.25 ± 0.95 40.73 ± 0.90 42.92 ± 0.06 ∑ Polyunsaturated 57.92 ± 0.06 8.52 ± 0.39 0.19 ± 0.01 30.97 ± 0.02 31.35 ± 0.95 29.25 ± 1.24 The values are expressed in average ± SD (n=3).

[0125] In Table 1, it is possible to note the fatty acid composition of soybean oil (SO), olive oil (OO) and fully hydrogenated crambe oil (FHCO).

[0126] Soybean oil presented high proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (57.92%), such as linoleic acid with 51.73%, which contributes to its oxidative stability and shelf life.

[0127] Olive oil presented a high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid (73.92%). In fully hydrogenated crambe oil, saturated fatty acids predominate (97.95%), rich in stearic acid and behenic acid, responsible for inhibiting the action of pancreatic lipase, presenting anti-obesogenic potential.

[0128] The main fatty acids present in the structuring fat were oleic acid (40.10% and 42.30%), stearic acid (8.97% and 9.47%) and palmitic acid (11.95% and 11.87%). As expected, the fatty acid composition of the simple and interesterified mixtures by the two methods did not show any difference, since interesterification promoted changes only in relation to the distribution and not in relation to the composition of the fatty acids.

[0129] The presence of behenic acid at about 5.77% was also noted, contributing to the therapeutic characteristics of the formulated structuring fat, since it is associated with a partial reduction in gastrointestinal lipid absorption through the inhibition of pancreatic lipase, that is, acting to reduce the lipolysis rate, preventing hydrolysis and partial absorption of TAGs and, consequently, excretion of fatty acids in the feces, allowing an anti-obesogenic action / effect to occur, as already reported by the inventors in the studies of the present inventors Silva, R. M., Moreira, D. K. T., Zarricueta, M. L., Macedo, J. A., Macedo, G. A., & Gambero, A. (2019) “The postprandial inflammatory response is attenuated by a dietary structured lipid containing behenic acid. Journal of functional foods”, 58, 350-354 Moreira, D. K. T., Ract, J. N. R., Ribeiro, A. P. B., & Macedo, G. A. (2017) “Production and characterization of structured lipids with antiobesity potential and as a source of essential fatty acids”, Food research international, 99, 713-719 and MOREIRA, Débora Kono Taketa et al. “Synthesis and characterization of structured lipid rich inbehenic acid by enzymatic interesterification. Food and bioproducts processing”, v. 122, p.303-310, 2020 Da Silva et al., 2019 and Moreira et al., 2017 e 2020.

[0130] According to the present invention, with the aim of industrial- scale food application of the structuring fats produced, the thermal crystallization behavior, as well as the amount of solid fat at different temperatures (solid fat profile) are fundamental analytical measures to indicate the ideal type of application that said structuring fat can meet.

[0131] In this sense, Figure 1 shows the crystallization thermograms of the structuring fat produced with mixtures of soybean oil, olive oil and fully hydrogenated crambe oil, as shown in Table 1 above.

[0132] The simple mixture described in Table 1 exhibited a wide crystallization range, with the greatest overall variation in heat flux in the range of 41 °C to -60 °C. For structured lipids / fats, a narrower crystallization temperature range was observed. The simple mixture showed an intense crystallization process, with a high (well-defined) peak between 38 °C and 40 °C, characteristic of high-melting triacylglycerols, mainly resulting from the presence of fully hydrogenated crambe oil, as well as another narrower peak with crystallization ranges between 0 and -60 °C.

[0133] Therefore, it was concluded that simple mixtures can be represented mainly by trisaturated triacylglycerols (S3), monounsaturated dissaturated triacylglycerols (S2U) and diunsaturated monounsaturated triacylglycerols (U2S). The lipids structured by both chemical interesterification and enzymatic interesterification did not present the first high peak, with initial crystallization starting at 15.03 °C, indicating that the triacylglycerols S3 and S2U were redistributed to U2S and U3 (triunsaturated).

[0134] Table 2 below shows a distribution of triacylglycerol classes, where it is demonstrated that the matrix fat presented higher concentrations of S3 and S2. This class of triacylglycerols is mainly responsible for the increase in solids content, providing structure to products produced with the proposed structuring fat, while U2S are related to their sensory properties, conferring plasticity, as well as U3triacylglycerols are responsible for the increase in lubricity, highlighting that the developed structuring fat presented characteristics of triacylglycerols with greater technological and nutritional functionality for application in spreads. Table 2. Distribution of triacylglycerol classesTriacylglycerols (% w / w) S3 S2U U2S U3 Simple mixture Nd 15.02 ± 0.1 44.56 ± 0.2 40.43 ± 1.0 Chemical Nd 16.71 ± 0.1 45.74 ± 1.2 37.55 ± 1.3 interesterification Enzymatic Nd 17.47 ± 0.2 45.45 ± 2.2 37.50 ± 1.5 interesterification The values are expressed as mean ± SD (n=3). nd = not detected. S3 = trisaturated; S2U = monounsaturated disaturated; U2S = diunsaturated monosaturates; U3 = triunsaturated.

[0135] In this sense, Figure 2 presents the solids curves of the simple mixture, of the interesterified samples and also of a commercial matrix fat used in the manufacture of spreads, biscuit fillings and products containing cocoa. It was observed that the solid fat contents in the simple mixture without lipid modification were higher when compared to the structured lipids, highlighting that the fatty acid contents present in the matrix fat are higher (38.64%). Some studies already carried out in the state of the art report this trend, confirming that normally after an interesterification process there is a reduction in the solid fat content in the mixture, probably due to the decrease in trisaturated triacylglycerols (S3).

[0136] Since the solids profile has a great influence on the melting performance of a fat, it was found that at the temperatures studied, the structured lipid samples obtained by enzymatic and chemical means demonstrated values suitable for application in spreads, a product characterized by softness, spreadability and desirable melting in the mouth, presenting complete melting at 35 °C, similar to the matrix fat that is the main lipid base for this type of product. Spread and tablemargarine products should not have a high solids content at refrigeration temperatures (ideally up to 30 to 35% at 10 °C).

[0137] The structuring fat produced presented an adequate solids profile, meeting the requirements for application in spreadable products, with stability and thermal resistance and at the same time with adequate softness. It also obtained complete melting at 35 °C, providing adequate melting characteristics at body temperature, leaving no sensory residues of waxiness in the mouth. Example 4 – Composition of structuring fat obtained using soybean oil, high oleic peanut oil and fully hydrogenated crambe oil

[0138] Structuring fats, with anti-obesogenic characteristics, were synthesized through chemical and enzymatic interesterification, and prepared from mixtures of soybean oil, high oleic peanut oil in a ratio of 1:1 (w / w %) with gradual addition of crambe hard fat (fully hydrogenated oil), aiming to obtain behenic acid (C22:0) levels in final concentrations between 5 and 25%, evaluating their physicochemical properties as a function of the increase in solid fat, with the purpose of obtaining structured triacylglycerols with distinct physicochemical characteristics and thermal behavior for different types of applications in food manufacturing.

[0139] The synthesis reactions by chemical interesterification were carried out using 0.4% sodium methoxide as a catalyst for 40 minutes under a vacuum system at 500 rpm at 100 °C.

[0140] For enzymatic interesterification, 1 to 10% (w / w) lipase Lipozyme TL IM® (Thermomyces lanuginosa) was used under a continuous vacuum system at 350 rpm at 60 °C for 6 hours. The simple mixtures of oils were melted and homogenized at 100 ± 1 °C for 10 minutes, until complete fusion of the crystals, before each interesterification reaction.Table 3. Proportion of lipid bases in the mixtures toSystems Raw materials Proportions(% m / m) Fully hydrogenated crambe oil 10 Mixture 6 (M6) Soybean oil 45 Peanut oil 45 Fully hydrogenated crambe oil 20 Mixture 12 Soybean oil 40 (M12) Peanut oil 40 Fully hydrogenated crambe oil 32 Mixture 18 Soybean oil 34 (M18) Peanut oil 34 Fully hydrogenated crambe oil 46 Mixture 24 Soybean oil 27 (M24) Peanut oil 27 1. Composition of structuring fat

[0141] The lipid bases used were characterized according to their fatty acid profile, which consists of an important response from a nutritional, technological and economic point of view. Soybean and peanut oils have high levels of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (ω-6 and ω-9). The peanut oil used is considered high oleic (> 70% oleic acid) and also contains behenic acid, both with advantageous technological functionalities for different applications in the food industry.

[0142] Table 4 presents the fatty acid composition of the raw materials (soybean oil, high oleic peanut oil and fully hydrogenated crambe oil) and of the lipid base mixtures before and after chemical and enzymatic interesterification. For soybean oil, the predominant fatty acids were C18:2 (47.87%), C18:1 (25.06%), C16:0 (14.39%) and C18:3 (5.01%). Peanut oil had a high content of C18:1 (70.46%), followed by C16:0 (6.86%), C18:2 (5.45%), C24:0 (4.14%) and C18:0(2.96%), with significant concentrations of C22:0 (5.80%). In the fully hydrogenated crambe oil, the major fatty acids were C22:0 (51.04%), C18:0 (36.30%), C20:0 (5.27%) and C16:0 (4.21%). Regarding the fatty acid composition of the samples by enzymatic interesterification, the main unsaturated fatty acids present among samples E6 to E24 were C18:1 (46.21% to 30.7%), C18:2 (26.08 to 18.5%); the saturated fatty acids had their concentrations increased as there was an increase in C22:0 in the samples with C18:0 of 6.2% in E6 to 16.06% in E24 and C16:0 of 7.04% in E24 with higher concentrations in E12 (9.16%) the C22:0 was adjusted to the samples and then went from 6.56% in E6 to 23.73% in E24. Chemical interesterification showed higher contents of C18:1 (47.70 to 30.80%) and C18:2 (26.19 to 16.23%) for the unsaturated fatty acids; for the saturated ones the highest concentrations were C18:0 (5.73 to 16.82%) and C22:0 (6.01 to 24.38%).

[0143] From a nutritional point of view, the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (2021) recommends a lipid diet totaling up to 20% saturated fatty acids with 55% monounsaturated and 25% polyunsaturated. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that total daily lipid intake should be between 20 and 35%, with a fatty acid content of less than 10% (WHO, 2020), since excessive lipid consumption, especially saturated fatty acids, can become a risk factor for health, causing serious lipid metabolic disorders, such as the development of obesity and consecutively aggravating and / or stimulating chronic non-communicable diseases. The structuring fat with high oleic peanut oil in this study has saturated fatty acid values above this recommendation; however, it is worth noting that they are considered ingredients that will be applied in food formulations, being part of a balanced diet and not totaling the lipid value.The values are expressed as mean ± SD (n=3). nd = not detected. E = enzymatic interesterification; Q = chemical interesterification; M = simple mixtureTable 5. Comparison of the fatty acid composition (% by weight) of the structuring fat with high oleic peanut oil with two types of commercial fat for sandwich biscuit filling. Enzymatic interesterification Commercial fat Fatty acids E18 Fat 1 Fat 2 C12:0 0.10 ± 0.0 0.50 ± 0.0 0.49 ± C14:0 Nd 0.55 ± 0.2 0.58 ± 0.4 C16:0 7.32 ± 0.0 23.75 ± 1.2 25.41 ± 1.4 C16:1 Nd Nd nd C17:0 Nd 0.11 ± 0.1 0.12 ± 0.0 C17:1 Nd Nd nd C18:0 10.77 ± 2.3 8.14 ± 0.4 8.80 ± 0.4 C18:1 34.08 ± 0.0 24.47 ± 0.8 25.63 ± 1.0 C18:2t Nd 0.13 ± 0.0 0.13 ± 0.0 C18:2 25.05 ± 0.2 37.71 ± 1.2 39.43 ± 1.4 C18:3t Nd Nd nd C18:3 1.53 ± 0.2 4.56 ± 0.1 4.74 ± 0.0 C20:0 1.76 ± 0.2 0.61 ± 0.2 0.64 ± 0.1 C20:1 Nd Nd nd C22:0 18.24 ± 0.0 0.39 ± 0.0 0.41 ± 0.2 C22:1 Nd Nd nd C24:0 0.82 ± 2.0 Nd ndThe values are expressed as mean ± SD (n=3). nd = not detected. E18 = enzymatic interesterification with 18% behenic acid.

[0144] The solid fat content is used as a parameter to verify thesolid / liquid ratio of a fat in a wide temperature range, directly influencing its physical properties, such as consistency, stability and sensory attributes. The results show that the interesterified samples have different profiles when compared to their simple mixtures. The structured lipids obtained by enzymatic interesterification present a solid fat content directly proportional to the gradual increase in saturated fats, ranging from 7.33 to 38.95% at 10 °C, with a linear reduction until complete melting between 35 and 55 °C. Chemical interesterification presented a higher solid fat content, with nonlinear behavior even with increasing temperature, which may be characteristic of fats with high concentrations of trisaturated triacylglycerols. Thus, one factor to be considered is a steric hindrance due to the accumulation of minor compounds, such as diacylglycerols, and the high concentration of trisaturated compounds, making it difficult for the catalyst to access the active site due to the high reactive stability of saturated systems, resulting in low efficiency of the chemical interesterification process.

[0145] The structuring fats with high oleic peanut oil presented an adequate solids profile, meeting the requirements for application in spreadable products, with the exception of samples E24 and Q24 with solid fat content of about 38% at 10 °C. The ideal is up to 30 to 35% at 10 °C for spreadable fats. E12, E18 and Q12 presented adequate plasticity and hardness between 20 and 25 °C to compose products with a crystalline structure resistant to deformities, such as bakery fats, confectionery and cookie fillings, which require stability and thermal resistance and at the same time adequate softness. This characteristic was observed for the structuring fat E18 when compared to two commercial fats for sandwich cookie fillings, presenting similar solid fat contents with satisfactory plasticity and spreadability for total and / or partial replacement. Example 5 – Process for the manufacture of a food product with spreadable texture using structuring fat

[0146] According to the present invention, a process for manufacturing products containing said structuring fat is described.

[0147] Specifically, a process for manufacturing a cocoa-containing product with a spreadable texture and using the structuring fat of the present invention is described.

[0148] In the first step, a mixing test is carried out between the obtained structuring fats, aiming to find a lipid phase with fusion and crystallization characteristics and technological properties suitable for application in food products with spreadable textures.

[0149] Immediately after, the nuts are roasted, following an appropriate time and temperature protocol (temperature ranging from 120 to 150 °C and time ranging from 20 to 60 minutes, in a rotating electric roaster), followed by the step of grinding the nuts until the desired particle size to obtain a uniform paste (granulometry ranging from 20 to 40 microns, measured using a digital micrometer).

[0150] After grinding the nuts, a heating step is carried out to melt the lipid phase, composed of commercial fat together with structuring fats, up to a temperature range of 60 to 70 °C to ensure that the crystalline memory of these raw materials is erased.

[0151] After melting, the lipid phase (20 to 40% of the total formulation) and the nut paste (5 to 20% of the total formulation) are mixed with 35 to 55% Type 3 crystal sugar, 5 to 12% skimmed milk powder, 5 to 15% alkaline cocoa powder, 0.1 to 1% liquid soy lecithin and / or polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), in a quantity for 15 to 20 minutes, in the temperature range of 50 to 60 °C, under agitation ranging from 48 to 60 rpm in a jacketed mixer, operating at a temperature ranging from 40 to 60 °C.

[0152] After mixing, the resulting mass is refined in an impact mill, containing a bed of stainless steel balls (30 kg), with different sizes (diameters from 5.0 mm to 9.5 mm), operating at a maximum speed of 75 rpm. The mill used is equipped with a jacket and is internally cooled with water at 15 °C (maximum product temperature of 50 °C). The mill parameters were adjusted to obtain products with particle sizes ranging from 15 to 25 microns, measured using a digital micrometer.

[0153] After passing through the mill, the product was packaged in suitable packaging, at a temperature ranging from 40 to 50 °C, and the product was cooled in a forced air cooling tunnel, using a crystallization temperature ranging from 5 to 12 °C, depending on the crystalline habit of the lipid phase used (for products containing 50 to 100% replacement of commercial fat by developed structuring lipids / fats, obtained by chemical or enzymatic process).

[0154] Finally, the products were stored in a BOD chamber under controlled temperature conditions (15 to 25 °C), and also at room temperature, in order to evaluate their physical stability (migration / phase separation).

[0155] According to the present invention, the products obtained by this process presented melting and crystallization behavior, rheological properties (viscosity and yield point), average diameter and particle size distribution, moisture content, texture and spreadability similar to commercial spreads, but presenting greater nutritional value.

[0156] Table 6 provides an example of the final composition of an example of a product produced according to the aforementioned Practical Example. Table 6 - Composition of a product containing cocoa Ingredients(%w.w)Structuring fat proposed by the 20 to 40% invention Sugar 35 to 55% Dairy ingredients 5 to 12% Cocoa powder 5 to 15% Nut paste 5 to 20% Emulsifiers 0.1 to 1.0%

[0157] Although the above example refers to the manufacture of a product containing cocoa, it is stated that the steps carried out can be used to manufacture other food products with a spreadable texture proposed by the invention, such as biscuit fillings, chocolate fillings, pâtés and margarines.

Claims

SET OF CLAIMS 1. Structuring fat CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it exclusively comprises vegetable oils in its composition, wherein the structuring fat is formed by a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, a source of monounsaturated fatty acids and a source of long-chain saturated fatty acids.

2. Structuring fat, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the source of polyunsaturated fatty acids is selected from the group comprising sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, almond oil, and combinations thereof.

3. Structuring fat, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the source of monounsaturated fatty acids is selected from the group comprising high oleic sunflower, olive oil, high oleic peanut oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil, avocado oil, and combinations thereof.

4. Structuring fat, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the source of long-chain saturated acids is selected from the group comprising fully hydrogenated crambe oil, peanut oil, pracaxi oil, and combinations thereof.

5. Structuring fat, according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the source of long-chain saturated fatty acids contains about 20 to about 22 carbon atoms.

6. Structuring fat, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the saturated fatty acids are selected from the group consisting of stearic acid, behenic acid, palmitic acid and combinations thereof.

7. Structuring fat, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the monounsaturated fatty acids are selected primarily from the group consisting of oleic acid and palmitoleic acid and combinations thereof.

8. Structuring fat, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the polyunsaturated fatty acids are selected from the group consisting of linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and combinations thereof.

9. Structuring fat, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the factthat it has about 15 to 50% saturated fatty acids, about 20 to 50% monounsaturated fatty acids and about 10 to 30% polyunsaturated fatty acids in the lipid portion, in relation to the total weight of constituent fatty acids.

10. Structuring fat, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it has a balanced content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

11. Structuring fat CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it satisfies items (i) to (vi) below: i. Structuring fat free of palm and derivatives thereof; and / or ii. Structuring fat free of trans fatty acids; and / or iii. Structuring fat having low content of saturated fatty acids; and / or iv. Structuring fat with lower absorption or with a satiety effect to reduce consumption and obesity; and / or v. Structuring fat obtained from vegetable sources, and with a balanced content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids; and / or vi. Structuring fat with physical, technological properties and migration stability for application in some food products with spreadable and / or soft textures.

12. Structuring fat, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it has 20 to 40% less saturated fatty acid content than commercial fat.

13. Structuring fat, according to claim 1 or 11, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it is obtained through a chemical and / or enzymatic interesterification or transesterification process.

14. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it comprises the structuring fat as defined in claim 1 or 13.

15. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to claim 14, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it comprises the following characteristics: i. it is free of palm and derivatives thereof; and / or ii. it is free of trans fatty acids; and / or iii. it has about 30% less saturated fatty acid content than products developed with commercial fat; and / oriv. it has lower absorption and satiety effect to reduce consumption and obesity; and / or v. it comprises the structuring fat obtained from plant sources, and with a balanced content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids; and / or vi. it has a spreadable and / or soft texture with physical, technological properties and migration stability; and / or viii. it is manufactured industrially using the same production lines and equipment that already exist in companies that already manufacture conventional products containing or not cocoa, spreads, biscuit fillings, chocolate fillings and fillings for bakery products.

16. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to claim 14 or 15, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it may have reduced sugars to adapt the sensory profile.

17. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to any one of claims 14 to 16, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it is free of palm oil and derivatives thereof.

18. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to any one of claims 14 to 17, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it can have about 0 to 20% saturated fatty acids, about 0 to 60% monounsaturated fatty acids and about 0 to 20% polyunsaturated fatty acids in the lipid portion.

19. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to any one of claims 14 to 18, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it has a greater structure directly related to the increase in the solids content.

20. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to any one of claims 14 to 19, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it has desired technological properties, selected from adequate consistency at room temperature, adequate consistency and creaminess at room temperature and / or migration stability during shelf life.

21. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to anyone of claims 14 to 20, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the spreadable and / or soft food product refers to a spread or a filling.

22. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to any one of claims 14 to 20, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the food product refers to a spread, cookie filling, chocolate filling, bakery filling, containing or not cocoa.

23. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to any one of claims 14 to 20, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the food product refers to a product containing or not cocoa.

24. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to claim 21, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the spread is selected from the group comprising, but not limited to, pâtés, margarines and combinations thereof.

25. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it comprises: i. the structuring fat as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13; and / or ii. sugar; and / or iii. dairy derivatives; and / or iv. emulsifiers; and / or v. cocoa powder; and / or vi. nut paste.

26. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to claim 25, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it comprises: i. 20 to 40% by weight of structuring fat as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13; and / or ii. 35 to 55% by weight of sugar; and / or iii. 5 to 12% by weight of dairy derivatives; and / or iv. 0.1 to 1.0% by weight of emulsifiers; and / or v. 5 to 15% cocoa powder; and / or vi. 5 to 20% nut paste.

27. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture CHARACTERIZEDby the fact that it comprises: i. the structuring fat as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13; and / or ii. sugar; and / or iii. emulsifiers; and / or iv. dyes; and / or v. aromas.

28. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to claim 27, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it comprises: i. 20 to 40% by weight of structuring fat as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13; and / or ii. 60 to 80% by weight of sugar; and / or iii. 0.2 to 2.0% by weight of emulsifiers; and / or iv. 1.5 to 2% dyes; and / or v. 0.05 to 1.00% by weight of aromas.

29. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to claim 28, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it refers to a biscuit filling.

30. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to any one of claims 1 to 29, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it presents suitable technological properties, enabling a rapid H3-H4 / H5 transition.

31. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to any one of claims 1 to 30, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it presents softness, spreadability and desirable melting in the mouth, presenting complete fusion from about 35 °C.

32. Food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture, according to any one of claims 1 to 31, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it is anti-obesogenic.

33. Process for manufacturing the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture as defined in any one of claims 14 to 32 CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it may comprise the following steps: a) Carrying out mixing tests between the obtained structuring fats in orderto find a lipid phase with fusion and crystallization characteristics and technological properties suitable for application in food products with spreadable textures; b) Proceeding with the roasting of the nuts following the appropriate time and temperature protocol; c) Grinding the nuts to the desired size to obtain a uniform paste; d) Separately melting the lipid phase, composed of the structuring fats, up to a temperature range of about 60 to 70 °C to ensure that the crystalline memory of these raw materials is erased; e) Mixing the lipid phase and the nut paste with appropriate sugar, and / or dairy derivatives and / or cocoa powder and / or emulsifiers and / or dyes and / or aromas for about 15 to 20 minutes, in the temperature range of about 50 to 60 °C, under agitation varying from about 48 to 60 rpm in a jacketed mixer, operating at a temperature ranging from about 40 to 60 °C; f) Refining the mass in suitable equipment, such as an impact mill, being cooled internally with water; g) Proceeding with the packaging of the product in suitable packaging, at a suitable temperature; h) Cooling the product in a forced air cooling tunnel, using crystallization temperature according to the crystalline habit of the lipid phase used; and i) Storing the products in a BOD chamber under controlled temperature conditions and also at room temperature, in order to assess their physical stability (migration / phase separation).

34. Use of the structuring fat as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13 CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it is as the lipid phase of a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture as defined in any one of claims 14 to 32.

35. Use according to claim 34, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it is in the manufacture of a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture.

36. Use according to claim 34, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it is in the manufacture of a food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture with anti-obesogenic potential.

37. Use according to claim 34, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the food product with a spreadable and / or soft texture is selected from the group comprising cookie filling, chocolate fillings, fillings for bakery products, spreads, pâtés, margarine, products containing cocoa and / or combinations thereof.

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