Curdlan-containing fat substitute, and preparation method therefor and use thereof

Abstract

A curdlan-containing fat substitute, and a preparation method therefor and a use thereof. The fat substitute comprises curdlan, PGPR, and a lipid. The fat substitute has a 28-day-storage thermal shear syneresis rate of less than or equal to 2.2%, a 28-day-storage instability coefficient of less than or equal to 2.9, and a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.10-0.15. The fat substitute has relatively high thermal shear stability and storage stability.

Description

A fat substitute containing guar gum, its preparation method and application Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a fat substitute containing gluconol, and more particularly to a fat substitute containing gluconol, its preparation method and application, belonging to the field of food science. Background Technology

[0002] Processed cheese, cheese products, and ice cream, among other high-fat foods, are beloved for their unique flavor and texture. However, their fat content often exceeds 10%, and excessive fat intake leads to health problems such as obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, gallstones, and gout. Currently, consumer awareness is becoming more rational, with consumers increasingly favoring healthier, low-fat dairy products. This has resulted in a surge of commercially available weight-loss products, whose market share is rapidly growing.

[0003] However, fat is a significant component of high-fat dairy products such as cheese and ice cream, playing a crucial role in their texture. Currently, the main drawback of reduced-fat and low-fat products is the lack of the qualities characteristic of full-fat products. Specifically, they tend to be dry, hard, powdery, sticky, difficult to chew, and lack smoothness, sometimes even causing aversion and loss of appetite. The challenge is how to produce low-fat products that are beneficial to health while maintaining excellent sensory properties to gain consumer appeal.

[0004] The main structure of dairy products such as cheese and ice cream is a protein matrix, with fat embedded in the protein network in the form of fat globules. Water and other substances fill the gaps between the matrix. During the production of these dairy products, the diameter of the fat globules ranges from 1 to 10 μm. Fat globules of different sizes act as plasticizers and lubricants in the food system, acting as structural disruptors and fillers, hindering cross-linking between protein aggregates, and thus affecting the texture, rheology, water-holding capacity, and other functional properties of the food. Therefore, in low-fat dairy products, the reduced fat content (existing as fat globules) decreases the amount of fillers between the protein matrix, making the protein matrix more compact, resulting in the firm and dry texture of reduced-fat dairy products.

[0005] Currently, numerous studies are emerging to overcome the quality defects of reduced-fat and low-fat dairy products. In summary, there are three main methods: improvements in production processes (such as increasing rennet content and lowering heat treatment temperature), selection of starter cultures (adding auxiliary starter cultures such as Lactobacillus helveticus), and the use of fat analogs and fat substitutes (polysaccharides such as lecithin and carrageenan, as well as protein gelling agents).

[0006] Further research revealed that the improved process requires high precision in parameter settings; low parameter values ​​fail to achieve the desired effect, while high parameter values ​​sometimes result in overly soft dairy products, reducing sensory quality. The continuous action of auxiliary fermentation agents also negatively impacts the texture of dairy products. Even with the addition of certain fat analogs or substitutes, which significantly improve the texture of low-fat dairy products, the texture remains relatively firm compared to corresponding full-fat dairy products. This is because, although polysaccharide and protein-based fat substitutes can be used as fillers embedded in the gel network structure of proteins, their structure and properties are completely different from those of fats. In terms of properties, fat globules in dairy products exhibit a smooth, creamy sensory characteristic, while proteins and polysaccharides, being highly hydrophilic, struggle to achieve the same smooth and creamy sensory characteristics as highly hydrophobic fat globules. Structurally, fat globules fill the protein structure. These fat globules are large (2-10 micrometers), while polysaccharide and protein-based fat substitutes struggle to form such large structures. This makes it difficult to achieve the same fat globule size as in full-fat foods, hindering the prevention of cross-linking of the protein matrix. Consequently, it's difficult for reduced-fat or low-fat products to possess the same texture, rheological properties, and water-holding capacity as their corresponding full-fat counterparts. In short, the texture and taste of currently available reduced-fat or low-fat dairy products still fall short of the quality requirements of full-fat dairy products.

[0007] Processed cheese, cheese products, and ice cream are typical examples of emulsification systems. In the production of full-fat dairy products, fat exists in the form of solid fat globules within this emulsion system. These fat globules are situated within a protein-based gel network. If the fat within these solid fat globules could be replaced with water, the fat content in the final product would be significantly reduced. After gel formation, this structure would function similarly to solid fat globules, filling the protein gel network. Furthermore, since the surface of these globules is also composed of fat, they would provide the same smooth texture as fat globules in reduced-fat and low-fat foods and dairy products. Therefore, this structure allows us to effectively reduce the fat content of foods, especially dairy products, while avoiding the deterioration in texture caused by reduced fat content. We call this droplet structure a W / O emulsion. However, when using W / O emulsions, there are two commercialization challenges: (1) Polyglycerol ricinoleate (PGPR) is the most efficient emulsifier for preparing W / O emulsions, but regulations (such as GB2760) have strict requirements on its usage (the amount used in the product (by mass) shall not exceed 1%). When the proportion of the aqueous phase exceeds 40%, the storage stability of the water-in-oil emulsion formed by 1% (or less) PGPR is low, and water is easily separated from the emulsion, making it difficult to achieve the effect of replacing fat; (2) When applying W / O emulsions to ice cream or cheese, hot stirring is generally required (such as 90-95℃, 5min, 1000rpm or more). Using the existing internal aqueous phase gelation technology, the oil-in-oil emulsion formed by 1% (or less) PGPR can partially prevent the separation of water, but the emulsion after hot shearing is prone to instability, and the colloids in the emulsion aggregate with each other, resulting in a rough texture and making it difficult to achieve the smooth texture of milk fat.

[0008] Therefore, developing a fat substitute containing guar gum with high thermal shear stability and storage stability has become a current research direction. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This invention provides a fat substitute containing gluconol, which has the characteristics of high thermal shear stability and storage stability.

[0010] The present invention also provides a method for preparing a fat substitute containing guar gum, which is simple, easy to implement, and low in cost.

[0011] The present invention also provides an edible product with high stability.

[0012] The present invention also provides the use of a fat substitute containing gluconol for the preparation of edible products, which has the characteristic of being able to replace butter in the production of fat-reducing and low-fat foods.

[0013] This invention provides a fat substitute containing gluconol, comprising gluconol, PGPR, and lipids; the gluconol-containing fat substitute has a thermal shear water separation rate of less than or equal to 2.2% during 28 days of storage; an instability coefficient of less than or equal to 2.9 during 28 days of storage; and a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.10-0.15.

[0014] The fat substitute containing gluconol as described above, wherein the gluconol contains 0.3-3 wt% gluconol, 0.5-4 wt% PGPR, and 40-70 wt% lipids; and / or,

[0015] The fat substitute containing guar gum also includes phytosterol esters, wherein the phytosterol esters have a mass fraction of 0.5-2.5 wt%, and / or;

[0016] The fat substitute containing guar gum also includes lecithin.

[0017] The fatty acid substitute containing guar gum as described above is prepared by a method comprising the following process:

[0018] A fatty acid substitute containing gluconol is prepared by mixing an aqueous raw material including a gluconol solution and an acidity regulator with an oil-phase raw material including PGPR and lipids and then performing a curing process.

[0019] The aqueous raw material has a pH value greater than or equal to 11 and a viscosity of 70-30000 cp. The acidity regulator is selected from at least one of sodium phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, sodium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hexametaphosphate aqueous solution, and sodium tripolyphosphate aqueous solution.

[0020] The present invention also provides a method for preparing a fat substitute containing guar gum, comprising the following steps:

[0021] 1) Mix the aqueous solution of guar gum with an acidity regulator to obtain an aqueous raw material, wherein the pH value of the aqueous raw material is greater than or equal to 11 and the viscosity is 70-30000cp;

[0022] 2) Mix PGPR with lipids to obtain the oil phase feedstock;

[0023] 3) After mixing the aqueous phase raw material and the oil phase raw material, the resulting mixture is subjected to a curing treatment to obtain the fatty substitute containing guar gum;

[0024] The acidity regulator is selected from at least one of sodium phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, sodium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hexametaphosphate aqueous solution, and sodium tripolyphosphate aqueous solution.

[0025] The method for preparing a fat substitute containing guar gum as described above, wherein the pH value of the aqueous phase raw material is less than or equal to 12.8;

[0026] And / or, the curing temperature is 80-150℃, and the curing time is 2s-30min;

[0027] And / or, the temperature of the aqueous raw material is 10-90℃.

[0028] The method for preparing the fat substitute containing guar gum as described above, wherein step 2) further includes mixing phytosterol esters and / or lecithin with PGPR and lipids to obtain an oil phase raw material; and / or,

[0029] After the curing process, the obtained treatment system is subjected to at least one of water bath heating, pasteurization, ultra-pasteurization, and UHT ultra-high temperature sterilization.

[0030] The method for preparing the fatty acid substitute containing gluconol as described above, wherein the mass percentage of gluconol in the gluconol aqueous solution is 0.6-3 wt%; and / or,

[0031] In step 1), after mixing the guar gum aqueous solution with the acidity regulator, the mixture is further heated to 40-70°C under stirring conditions, with a stirring rate of 100-2800 rpm, to obtain an aqueous phase raw material; and / or,

[0032] In step 2), after mixing PGPR with lipids, the mixture is further stirred at 500-2800 rpm to obtain an oil phase feedstock; and / or,

[0033] The aqueous phase raw material is mixed with the oil phase raw material. Specifically, the aqueous phase raw material is added to the oil phase raw material under shearing conditions. After all the aqueous phase raw material is added, the shearing process continues. The shearing process is stopped when the dispersed phase particle size in the treatment system is less than or equal to 30 micrometers.

[0034] The present invention also provides an edible product comprising any of the aforementioned fat substitutes containing gluconol; and / or,

[0035] This includes fat substitutes containing guar gum prepared using any of the methods described above.

[0036] The present invention also provides the use of any of the above-mentioned fat substitutes containing gluconol for the preparation of edible products, wherein a low-fat food is prepared using raw materials including the fat substitutes containing gluconol; and / or,

[0037] Low-fat foods are prepared using ingredients including the aforementioned fat substitute containing guar gum; and / or,

[0038] The preparation of raw materials including the aforementioned fat substitute containing guar gum requires the use of hot shearing or heating processing techniques for food products;

[0039] The foods that require heat shearing or heating processes include at least one of the following: processed cheese, cheese products, fermented milk, ice cream, popsicles, whipped cream, light cream, cream, thick milk, flavored milk, milk-containing beverages, edible oil products, pastries, bread, biscuits, cooked meat products, sauces, and plant-based beverages.

[0040] The present invention also provides the use of any of the above-mentioned fat substitutes containing gluconol for the preparation of edible products, wherein the fat substitutes containing gluconol at least partially replace the oils in the raw materials used to prepare the edible products.

[0041] The fat substitute containing guar gum provided by this invention has the characteristics of high thermal shear stability and storage stability. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 shows a picture of sample A1 after thermal shearing treatment;

[0043] Figure 2 shows a picture of sample B16 after heat shearing treatment;

[0044] Figure 3 shows photographs of samples A1, B1, B3, and B5 after hot shearing and centrifugation.

[0045] Figure 4 shows photographs of samples B7, B9, B11, and B13 after hot shearing centrifugation.

[0046] Figure 5 shows a photograph of sample B18 after hot shearing centrifugation.

[0047] Figure 6 shows a photograph of sample B19 after hot shearing centrifugation;

[0048] Figure 7 shows a photograph of sample B20 after hot shearing centrifugation;

[0049] Figure 8 shows a photograph of sample A21;

[0050] Figure 9 shows a photograph of sample A22;

[0051] Figure 10 shows a photograph of sample A23;

[0052] Figure 11 shows photographs of samples A21, A22, and A23 after hot shearing centrifugation in Experiment Example 1;

[0053] Figure 12 is a photograph of sample B21 after hot shear centrifugation in the test case;

[0054] Figure 13 is a photograph of sample A1. Detailed Implementation

[0055] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below. The specific embodiments listed below are merely descriptions of the principles and features of the present invention, and the examples are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0056] The first aspect of the present invention provides a fat substitute containing guar gum, which includes guar gum, PGPR, and lipids; the fat substitute has a thermal shear water separation rate of less than or equal to 2.2% during 28 days of storage; an instability coefficient of less than or equal to 2.9 during 28 days of storage; and a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.10-0.15.

[0057] The fat substitute containing gluconol provided by this invention is an emulsion comprising gluconol, PGPR (polyglycerol ricinoleate), and lipids. It is understood that the fat substitute containing gluconol provided by this invention also includes water. This invention does not limit the water-oil coating relationship of the fat substitute containing gluconol; in one embodiment, the fat substitute containing gluconol provided by this invention is a water-in-oil emulsion.

[0058] Furthermore, this invention does not limit the specific selection of lipids, and can select commonly used lipids, including animal fats and vegetable oils, that can be used in food production according to actual needs, such as light cream, butter, anhydrous butter, coconut oil, palm oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the lipid is anhydrous butter, in which case a fat substitute containing gluconolactone can be used as light cream or for preparing light cream.

[0059] The fat substitute containing gluconol provided by this invention has a thermal shear rate of less than or equal to 2.2%. The thermal shear rate is negatively correlated with the stability of the emulsion after thermal shear treatment; higher stability corresponds to a lower thermal shear rate. Therefore, the fat substitute containing gluconol provided by this invention exhibits strong stability even after thermal shear treatment.

[0060] Furthermore, the fat substitute containing gluconol provided by this invention has an instability coefficient of less than or equal to 2.9 during a 28-day storage period and a kinetic friction coefficient of 0.10-0.15. The instability coefficient is negatively correlated with the stability of the emulsion after thermal shearing at different storage periods (0-28 days); the higher the stability, the lower the instability coefficient. Therefore, the fat substitute containing gluconol provided by this invention exhibits high stability after thermal shearing treatment at different storage periods, thus possessing strong storage stability.

[0061] The coefficient of kinetic friction reflects the lubrication properties of fat substitutes containing gluconol; the lower the coefficient of kinetic friction, the higher the lubricity of the emulsion. Therefore, the fat substitute containing gluconol provided by this invention also has high lubricity, and when this lipid emulsion is applied to food, it has a more delicate and smooth texture.

[0062] The fat substitute containing guar gum provided by this invention has high thermal shear stability and storage stability, as well as high lubricity.

[0063] In one embodiment, the fat substitute containing gluconol provided by the present invention comprises gluconol by mass fraction of 0.3-3 wt%, PGPR by mass fraction of 0.5-4 wt%, and lipid by mass fraction of 40-70 wt%. Due to the suitable raw material mass ratio, this fat substitute exhibits more prominent characteristics of higher thermal shear stability and storage stability.

[0064] The present invention further provides a fat substitute containing gluconols, in one embodiment of which the fat substitute also includes phytosterol esters, wherein the mass fraction of the phytosterol esters in the fat substitute containing gluconols is 0.5%-2.5%. The present invention does not limit the specific types of phytosterol esters, as long as they meet the requirements for phytosterol esters in Annex No. 3 of the Ministry of Health Announcement of 2010. In one embodiment, the phytosterol esters contained in the fat substitute containing gluconols of the present invention include at least one of β-sitosterol ester, stigmasterol ester, and campesterol ester. As a gelling agent, phytosterol esters, by confining or fixing liquid oils in a thermally reversible, three-dimensional network structure, form a solid-like soft material with specific structural and functional properties, ultimately resulting in a system in which a three-dimensional network and plant oils coexist, giving the fat substitute containing gluconols including phytosterol esters the advantage of more stable physicochemical properties.

[0065] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the fat substitute containing gluconol provided by the present invention also includes another gelling factor - lecithin. By compounding lecithin with phytosterol esters, the structural stability of the fat substitute containing gluconol is further highlighted.

[0066] In one embodiment, the fatty acid substitute containing guar gum provided by the present invention is prepared by a method comprising the following process:

[0067] A fatty substitute containing gluconol is prepared by mixing an aqueous raw material including a gluconol solution and an acidity regulator with an oil-phase raw material including PGPR and lipids and then performing a curing treatment; the aqueous raw material has a pH value greater than or equal to 11 and a viscosity of 70-30000 cp.

[0068] The present invention provides a fat substitute containing gluconolactone, prepared by mixing an aqueous phase raw material and an oil phase raw material. The aqueous phase raw material includes an aqueous solution of gluconolactone and an acidity regulator, wherein the acidity regulator is selected from at least one of sodium phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, sodium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hexametaphosphate aqueous solution, and sodium tripolyphosphate aqueous solution. The present invention does not limit the concentration of the gluconolactone solution and the acidity regulator, as long as the pH value of the aqueous phase raw material is greater than or equal to 11. The oil phase raw material includes PGPR and lipids; the selection range of lipids is the same as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0069] The reason for controlling the viscosity of the aqueous raw material to 70-30000 cp is that a suitable viscosity provides appropriate flowability, which is beneficial for the uniform dispersion of the colloid in the oil phase and also facilitates the operation and control of production equipment. The viscosity of the aqueous raw material is related to the concentration of gellan gum, pH, and temperature. By controlling these three parameters, the viscosity of the aqueous raw material can be adjusted.

[0070] Curing treatment refers to the process of heating a system containing gellan gum to cure the gellan gum. This invention does not limit the specific treatment temperature and time for curing treatment; commonly used treatment conditions in the art can be used.

[0071] The inventors discovered that when glaurin-containing fat substitutes are treated with alkali, their thermal shear stability and storage stability are significantly improved, while also exhibiting a smooth texture similar to milk fat. Therefore, by mixing an acidity regulator with an aqueous solution of glaurin and then subjecting the glaurin to alkali treatment, glaurin-containing fat substitutes with high thermal shear stability and storage stability can be obtained.

[0072] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing a fat substitute containing guar gum, which can be used to obtain any of the fat substitutes containing guar gum provided in the first aspect of the present invention. The preparation method includes the following steps:

[0073] 1) Mix the aqueous solution of guar gum with an acidity regulator to obtain an aqueous raw material with a pH value greater than or equal to 11 and a viscosity of 70-30000 cp.

[0074] 2) Mix PGPR with lipids to obtain the oil phase feedstock;

[0075] 3) After mixing the aqueous phase raw material and the oil phase raw material, the resulting mixture is cured to obtain a fat substitute containing guar gum.

[0076] The acidity regulator is selected from at least one of the following: sodium phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, sodium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hexametaphosphate aqueous solution, and sodium tripolyphosphate aqueous solution.

[0077] The meanings of the kerogen adhesive aqueous solution, acidity regulator, aqueous phase raw material, oil phase raw material, and curing treatment are the same as those mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0078] The present invention provides a method for preparing a fat substitute containing glauconite by alkali treatment of glauconite followed by mixing with an oil phase raw material to obtain a fat substitute containing glauconite with high thermal shear stability and storage stability. This method is simple, easy to implement, and has low preparation cost.

[0079] In one embodiment, step 2) further includes mixing phytosterol esters with PGPR and lipids to obtain an oil phase feedstock. Emulsions prepared using phytosterol esters exhibit higher storage stability.

[0080] In one embodiment, the pH value of the aqueous phase raw material is less than or equal to 12.8, that is, the pH value of the gellan gum aqueous phase raw material is greater than or equal to 11 and less than 12.8. Because the aqueous phase raw material has a suitable pH value, the gellan gum can be alkali-treated at a suitable pH value, thereby producing a gellan gum-containing fatty acid substitute with higher thermal shear stability and storage stability.

[0081] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the curing temperature is 80-150°C, and the curing time is 2s-30min. These curing conditions can more efficiently achieve the curing process of the gellan gum. Specifically, the curing temperature and time can be further coordinated. For example, the curing treatment can be selected from at least one of the following: water bath heating at 80°C-100°C for 1-60min; heating at 80-120°C for 10s-10min; ESL sterilization at 120-140°C for 10-1s; or UHT sterilization at 135-150°C for 10-1s. More specifically, the curing conditions can be selected from at least one of the following: 85°C for 1min; 85°C for 30min; 95°C for 15s / 30s; 90-95°C for 5-10min; 110°C for 15s; 121°C for 10s; 138°C for 6s; and 142°C for 4s.

[0082] Furthermore, controlling the temperature of the aqueous raw material to 10-90℃ can maintain a suitable viscosity, which further facilitates the uniform dispersion of the colloid in the oil phase and the operation and control of the production equipment.

[0083] In one embodiment, step 2) further includes mixing phytosterol esters and / or lecithin with PGPR and lipids to obtain an oil phase raw material. Since phytosterol esters and lecithin have good fat solubility, adding these substances to the oil phase raw material can introduce phytosterol esters and lecithin into the fat substitute containing guar gum provided by this invention.

[0084] Furthermore, after the curing treatment, the resulting treated system is subjected to at least one of the following: water bath heating, pasteurization, ultra-pasteurization, and UHT ultra-high temperature sterilization. These sterilization treatments can extend the product's shelf life.

[0085] In another embodiment, the currant aqueous solution contains currant at a mass percentage of 0.6-3 wt%. A suitable concentration of currant aqueous solution facilitates more complete hydration of the currant and the alkali treatment step. Further, in step 1), after mixing the currant aqueous solution with the acidity regulator, the mixture is further heated to 40-70°C under stirring conditions at a stirring rate of 100-2800 rpm to obtain an aqueous phase raw material. This invention does not limit the method of stirring; in one embodiment, a stirrer is used. The above-mentioned heating and stirring treatment can improve the efficiency of alkali treatment of currant.

[0086] Furthermore, in step 2), after mixing PGPR with lipids, the mixture is further stirred at 500-2800 rpm to obtain an oil phase raw material. This invention does not limit the equipment used for the stirring process; in one embodiment, a stirrer can be used at 1000-2800 rpm, or a high-shear head can be used at 500-2800 rpm. This heat treatment helps improve the uniformity of PGPR dispersion in the lipids, further enhancing the thermal shear stability and storage stability of the resulting lipid emulsion.

[0087] Understandably, when lipids are solid at room temperature, they need to be melted into a liquid at a suitable temperature for use, such as 35-95°C.

[0088] In one embodiment, step 3) further includes shearing the oil phase before mixing the aqueous and oil phase raw materials, with the shearing treatment time being 0.5-10 minutes. This invention does not limit the specific conditions of the shearing treatment; in one embodiment, a high-speed shearing apparatus can be used at a speed of 10,000-20,000 rpm. The above-mentioned shearing treatment helps to improve the uniformity of mixing of the raw materials in the oil phase.

[0089] Furthermore, the aqueous and oil phase raw materials are mixed. Specifically, this includes adding the aqueous raw material to the oil phase raw material under shearing conditions. After all the aqueous raw material has been added, shearing continues until the emulsion particle size in the treatment system is less than or equal to 30 micrometers. The present invention does not limit the specific conditions of the shearing treatment. In one embodiment, a high-shear head can be used to shear at a speed of 1000-3000 rpm for 15-25 minutes. The above-mentioned shearing treatment helps to achieve a more thorough fusion between the aqueous and oil phase raw materials, resulting in a lipid emulsion with higher thermal shear stability and storage stability.

[0090] A third aspect of this invention provides an edible product comprising the glucan-containing fat substitute provided in the first aspect of this invention, or a glucan-containing fat substitute prepared using the method provided in the second aspect of this invention. This invention does not limit the content of the glucan-containing fat substitute in the product; it may include the glucan-containing fat substitute provided by this invention. Because the glucan-containing fat substitute provided by this invention has high thermal shear stability and storage stability, this edible product also exhibits high stability.

[0091] A fourth aspect of this invention provides the use of a fat substitute containing gluconolan for preparing edible products, the use of which includes preparing low-fat or fat-reducing foods using raw materials comprising the fat substitute containing gluconolan provided in the first aspect of this invention. Low-fat or fat-reducing foods are defined as foods with a fat content lower than that of conventional similar foods, while fat-free foods are defined as foods with a fat content ≤1.5 g / 100 ml (liquid) or ≤3 g / 100 g (solid). Since the fat substitute containing gluconolan provided in the first aspect of this invention is a water-oil mixture, it has a lower lipid content compared to pure oils, and therefore can be used to produce low-fat and fat-reducing foods.

[0092] Furthermore, this use also includes the preparation of raw materials for fat substitutes containing gluconolactone that require the use of hot shearing processes or heating; foods that require hot shearing processes or heating include processed cheese, cheese products, fermented milk, ice cream, popsicles, whipped cream, cream, butter, thick milk, flavored milk, dairy beverages, edible oil products (including margarine, etc.), pastries, bread, biscuits, cooked meat products, sauces (including sesame paste, peanut butter, etc.), etc.

[0093] The fifth aspect of the present invention provides the use of a fat substitute containing gluconol for the preparation of edible products, the use comprising using the fat substitute containing gluconol provided in the first aspect of the present invention to at least partially replace milk fat or vegetable oil or mixed oil in the raw materials used to prepare edible products.

[0094] The first aspect of this invention provides a fat substitute containing gluconolactone, which, while possessing properties similar to butter and anhydrous butter, also has the advantage of a lower fat content compared to butter and anhydrous butter. Therefore, using this fat substitute containing gluconolactone to at least partially or completely replace butter or anhydrous butter in the raw materials used to prepare edible products can yield edible products with lower fat content while maintaining a substantially unchanged product texture. Using this fat substitute containing gluconolactone to at least partially or completely replace vegetable oils in the raw materials used to prepare edible products can impart a richer, creamier flavor while maintaining a substantially unchanged product texture, resulting in edible products with even lower fat content.

[0095] The following will provide a detailed description of the fat substitute containing guar gum and its preparation method provided by the present invention, with reference to specific embodiments.

[0096] In all embodiments and comparative examples, the mass of the aqueous phase feedstock was kept constant at 40 wt% of the total feedstock mass, and the mass of the oil phase feedstock was kept constant at 60 wt% of the total feedstock mass.

[0097] Raw material source:

[0098] Kederan Gel: Zhejiang Shangfang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

[0099] PGPR: Pascal (Shanghai) Food Additives Co., Ltd.

[0100] Example 1

[0101] 1) Prepare a gellan gum aqueous solution by dissolving 1.5 wt% of the total raw material mass of gellan gum. Adjust the pH of the gellan gum aqueous solution to 11.4 using sodium phosphate aqueous solution to obtain an aqueous phase raw material. Control the pH of the aqueous phase raw material to 11.4, and the viscosity at 20℃ to 75℃ to be 10000-200 cp (that is, the viscosity is 10000 cp at 20℃ and 200 cp at 75℃). The total mass of the aqueous phase raw material accounts for 40% of the total mass of the raw material.

[0102] 2) Mix 1 wt% of PGPR and 59 wt% of anhydrous butter at 50°C at 2000 rpm for 5 min to obtain the oil phase raw material;

[0103] 3) Slowly add the aqueous phase to the oil phase raw material while shearing at 2000 rpm until the water droplet size in the emulsion is less than or equal to 30 micrometers;

[0104] 4) The above emulsion was subjected to tubular heating at a temperature of 95°C for 30 seconds as a curing treatment to obtain a fat substitute A1 containing guar gum.

[0105] In the above embodiments, the mass of guar gum was 1.5 wt%, the acidity regulator was sodium phosphate solution, the pH value of the aqueous phase raw material was 11.4, the PGPR dosage was 1 wt%, the lipid was anhydrous butter, and the lipid dosage was 59 wt%.

[0106] Examples 2-13 are shown in Table 1. Except for the items listed in Table 1, all other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0107] Examples 2-13 respectively prepared fatty acid substitutes A2-A13 containing guar gum.

[0108] Table 1 Overview of Implementation Methods for Examples 2-13

[0109] Examples 14-26 are essentially the same as Example 1, except that the oil phase raw materials also include phytosterol esters and / or lecithin. Specific implementation methods are shown in Table 2. Except for the items listed in Table 2, all other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0110] Examples 14-26 respectively prepared fatty acid substitutes containing guar gum A14-A26.

[0111] Table 2 Overview of Implementation Methods for Examples 14-26

[0112] Example 27

[0113] This embodiment is basically the same as embodiment 26, except that the curing temperature is 142℃ and the curing time is 4s.

[0114] A fatty acid substitute A27 containing guar gum was prepared.

[0115] Example 28

[0116] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the pH conditions are changed. The pH is adjusted to 11.1, and the viscosity is measured to reach 29500cp when the temperature of the aqueous raw material is 22°C.

[0117] A fatty acid substitute containing guar gum, A28, was prepared.

[0118] Example 29

[0119] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the temperature conditions are changed and the temperature of the aqueous phase is heated to 75°C, so that the viscosity of the aqueous phase raw material is 200cp.

[0120] A fat substitute containing guar gum, A29, was prepared.

[0121] Comparative Example

[0122] Comparative Examples 1-20 are basically the same as Example 1, with the differences listed in Table 3. All other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0123] Comparative Examples 1-20 were prepared to obtain fatty acid substitutes containing guar gum, namely B1-B20.

[0124] Table 3: Overview of Implementation Conditions for Comparative Examples 1-20

[0125] The acidity regulator is listed as "none," indicating that the aqueous raw material in this comparative example does not contain an acidity regulator.

[0126] Comparative Example 21

[0127] This comparative example is basically the same as Example 1, except that sodium phosphate aqueous solution is not used to adjust the pH value of the gellan gum aqueous solution, and the viscosity of the resulting aqueous raw material is 4cp.

[0128] A fat substitute B21 containing guar gum was prepared.

[0129] Experimental Example 1: Thermal Shear Stability Test

[0130] The emulsions prepared in each example and comparative example were stored at 25°C. At 7, 14, and 28 days, each emulsion was placed in a 95°C oil bath. After the core temperature of the emulsion reached 95°C, it was sheared for 20 minutes at 1500 rpm using an electric stirrer. The heat-sheared emulsions were then centrifuged at 40°C, 3000g centrifugal force for 20 minutes. The percentage of precipitated water (including colloids precipitated at the bottom) relative to the original mass of water added was measured; this was the water separation rate. A lower water separation rate indicates higher heat shear stability.

[0131] The water separation rate data are shown in Table 4.

[0132] Table 4. Water separation rate (%) of emulsions after thermal shearing at different storage periods

[0133] Table 4 shows that the water separation rate of the alkali-treated glucon emulsion after thermal shearing at 0, 7, 14, and 28 days was significantly lower than that of emulsions formed by other polysaccharides, as well as the glucon emulsion without specific alkali treatment. Since B18-B21 emulsions exhibited excessive water separation and could not form a uniform emulsion, shelf-life observation, stability testing, and tribological testing were not conducted.

[0134] Figures 1 and 2 are images of samples A1 and B16 after thermal shearing treatment, respectively. As can be seen from the images, sample A1 did not show obvious internal water phase precipitation after thermal shearing treatment, while sample B16 showed water precipitation.

[0135] Figure 3 shows photographs of samples A1, B1, B3, and B5 after hot shear centrifugation, and Figure 4 shows photographs of samples B7, B9, B11, and B13 after hot shear centrifugation. As can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, sample A1 remained water-free after centrifugation, while the other samples showed varying degrees of water separation.

[0136] Figures 5-7 are photographs of samples B18, B19, and B20 after hot shearing centrifugation, respectively. It can be seen that all three samples exhibited water separation.

[0137] Figures 8-10 are photographs of samples A21, A22, and A23, respectively. The results of hot shear centrifugation of the above three samples are shown in Figure 11. As can be seen from Figure 11, no aqueous phase was precipitated in any of the three samples after hot shear centrifugation.

[0138] Figure 12 shows a photograph of sample B21. As can be seen from Figure 12, B21 could not form a uniform emulsion, therefore B21 was not tested in the other test cases.

[0139] Figure 13 is a photograph of sample A1.

[0140] Experimental Example 2: Storage Stability Test

[0141] The emulsions prepared in each example and comparative example (except B19 and B20) were placed at 25°C. At 7, 14, and 28 days, each group of emulsions underwent a 20-minute heat shear treatment at 95°C (no heat shear treatment was performed on day 0). In addition to testing the heat shear stability, stability analysis was also performed using a Turbiscan stability analyzer. The stability index of each group of emulsions was measured 30 minutes after being placed in the Turbiscan, with the instability index of the emulsion at day 0 being set as 0. The lower the instability index, the higher the storage stability of the sample.

[0142] The test results are shown in Table 5.

[0143] Table 5. Instability Index (TSI) of emulsions after thermal shearing at different storage periods.

[0144] Among them, B19 and B20 were not subjected to storage stability tests due to their excessively high water separation rates.

[0145] B21 showed visible colloidal precipitation, therefore no storage stability test was conducted.

[0146] As shown in Table 5, the emulsion formed by guar gum after alkali treatment (pH value greater than 11) had significantly lower instability index after thermal shearing at 0, 7, 14 and 28 days than the emulsions formed by other polysaccharides and the guar gum emulsion without specific alkali treatment, indicating that its stability was significantly higher than other groups.

[0147] Experimental Example 3: Test of Coefficient of Kinetic Friction

[0148] The coefficient of kinetic friction of the samples prepared in each embodiment and comparative example was tested, and the specific methods are as follows:

[0149] Using a friction coefficient measuring instrument (Labthink, MXD-02, Jinan Langguang Electromechanical Technology Co., Ltd.), determine the test speed, stroke, and load. Apply or spray a certain amount of emulsion sample onto a fixed surface, ensuring uniform distribution. Place another sliding surface in contact with the emulsion sample and start the test equipment. Allow the two surfaces to slide relative to each other under the set conditions, recording the data during the friction process. Calculate the friction coefficient based on the test data, which typically involves measuring the frictional force and normal load during the sliding process. The friction coefficient (μ) is calculated using the following formula: μ = Ff / Fn, where Ff is the frictional force and Fn is the normal load.

[0150] The specific method is as follows: Using a friction coefficient meter (Labthink, MXD-02, Jinan Langguang Electromechanical Technology Co., Ltd.), a certain amount of emulsion that has undergone thermal shearing treatment (95℃, 10min, 1500rpm) is applied to the surface of the sliding platform. After cooling to room temperature, the sample is ensured to be evenly distributed. The emulsion sample temperatures are 20℃, 30℃, 40℃, and 50℃. Another slider surface is brought into contact with the emulsion sample, and the testing equipment is started, allowing the two surfaces to slide relative to each other under the set conditions. The frictional force between the slider and the sliding platform is measured by a force sensor, according to GB10006-88. The test delay is 5s, the static friction time is 8s, the test speed is 100mm / min, the slider mass is 38g, and the oscillation coefficient is 80%.

[0151] The test results are shown in Table 6.

[0152] Table 6. Coefficient of kinetic friction of emulsions

[0153] Among them, B19 and B20 were not tested for dynamic friction coefficient due to their excessively high water separation rate.

[0154] As shown in Table 6, the coefficient of friction of the emulsion formed by alkali-treated guar gum is closest to that of butter, proving that the emulsion has the same lubricating properties as butter, while the emulsions formed by other colloids under the same conditions cannot achieve the same lubricating properties as butter.

[0155] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fat substitute comprising gum gellan, wherein, The fat substitute comprises 0.3-3 wt% guar gum, 0.5-4 wt% PGPR, and 40-70 wt% lipids; The thermal shear dehydration rate of the fat substitute containing guar gum during 28 days of storage is less than or equal to 2.2%; the instability coefficient during 28 days of storage is less than or equal to 2.9; and the dynamic friction coefficient is 0.10-0.

15.

2. The fat replacer containing gellan gum according to claim 1, wherein, The fat substitute containing guar gum is prepared by mixing an aqueous raw material including an aqueous solution of guar gum and an acidity regulator with an oil-phase raw material including PGPR and lipids, followed by a curing process. The aqueous raw material has a pH value of 11-12.8 and a viscosity of 70-30000 cp; The curing process is carried out at a temperature of 80-150℃ for 4 seconds to 30 minutes. The aqueous phase material and the oil phase material are mixed, specifically including adding the aqueous phase material to the oil phase material under shearing conditions, continuing shearing after all the aqueous phase material has been added, and stopping the shearing when the dispersed phase particle size in the treatment system is less than or equal to 30 micrometers.

3. The fat substitute containing guar gum according to claim 1, wherein, The fat substitute containing guar gum also includes phytosterol esters, wherein the phytosterol esters have a mass fraction of 0.5-2.5 wt%.

4. The fat replacer containing gellan gum of claim 1, wherein, The fat substitute containing guar gum also includes lecithin.

5. The fat replacer containing curdlan of claim 2, wherein, The acidity regulator is selected from at least one of sodium phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, sodium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hexametaphosphate aqueous solution, and sodium tripolyphosphate aqueous solution.

6. A method of preparing a gum gellan containing fat replacer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, Includes the following steps: 1) Mix the aqueous solution of guar gum with an acidity regulator to obtain an aqueous raw material, wherein the pH value of the aqueous raw material is greater than or equal to 11 and the viscosity is 70-30000cp; 2) Mix PGPR with lipids to obtain the oil phase feedstock; 3) After mixing the aqueous phase raw material and the oil phase raw material, the resulting mixture is subjected to a curing treatment to obtain the fatty substitute containing guar gum; The acidity regulator is selected from at least one of sodium phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, sodium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, sodium hexametaphosphate aqueous solution, and sodium tripolyphosphate aqueous solution.

7. The method of preparing a fat replacer containing gum gellan according to claim 6, wherein, The pH value of the aqueous raw material is less than or equal to 12.

8.

8. The method of preparing a fat replacer containing gum gellan according to claim 6, wherein, The curing process is carried out at a temperature of 80-150℃ for 2 seconds to 30 minutes.

9. The method of preparing a fat replacer containing gum gellan according to claim 6, wherein, The temperature of the aqueous raw material is 10-90℃.

10. The method of preparing a fat replacer containing gum gellan according to claim 6, wherein, Step 2) also includes mixing phytosterol esters and / or lecithin with PGPR and lipids to obtain an oil phase raw material.

11. The method of preparing a fat replacer containing gum gellan according to claim 6, wherein, After the curing process, the obtained treatment system is subjected to at least one of water bath heating, pasteurization, ultra-pasteurization, and UHT ultra-high temperature sterilization.

12. The method of preparing a fat replacer containing gum gellan according to claim 6, wherein, The mass percentage of guar gum in the guar gum aqueous solution is 0.6-3 wt%.

13. The method of preparing a fat replacer containing gum gellan according to claim 6, wherein, In step 1), after mixing the guar gum aqueous solution with the acidity regulator, the mixture is further heated to 40-70°C under stirring conditions, and the stirring speed is 100-2800 rpm to obtain the aqueous phase raw material.

14. The method of preparing a fat replacer containing gum gellan according to claim 6, wherein, In step 2), after mixing PGPR with lipids, the mixture is further stirred at 500-2800 rpm to obtain an oil phase feedstock.

15. The method of preparing a fat replacer containing gum gellan according to claim 6, wherein, The aqueous phase raw material is mixed with the oil phase raw material. Specifically, the aqueous phase raw material is added to the oil phase raw material under shearing conditions. After all the aqueous phase raw material is added, the shearing process continues. The shearing process is stopped when the dispersed phase particle size in the treatment system is less than or equal to 30 micrometers.

16. An edible product, wherein, Includes the fatty acid substitute containing guar gum as described in any one of claims 1-5; and / or, This includes fat substitutes containing guar gum prepared using the method for preparing fat substitutes containing guar gum as described in any one of claims 6-15.

17. Use of the fat substitute containing gum gellan of any one of claims 1-5 for the preparation of an edible product, wherein, Prepare low-fat foods using ingredients including the fat substitute containing guar gum; And / or, Low-fat foods are prepared using ingredients including the fat substitute containing guar gum; And / or, The preparation of raw materials including the aforementioned fat substitute containing guar gum requires the use of hot shearing or heating processing techniques for food products; The foods that require heat shearing or heating processes include at least one of the following: processed cheese, cheese products, fermented milk, ice cream, popsicles, whipped cream, light cream, cream, thick milk, flavored milk, milk-containing beverages, edible oil products, pastries, bread, biscuits, cooked meat products, sauces, and plant-based beverages.

18. Use of the fat substitute containing gum gellan of any one of claims 1-5 for the preparation of an edible product, wherein, The fat substitute containing guar gum is used to at least partially replace the oils in the raw materials used to prepare the edible product.

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