Carbohydrate Composition with Controlled Oligosaccharide Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for reduced-sugar and lower-digestibility carbohydrate compositions that maintain desirable physical and functional properties, such as viscosity and taste, while being suitable for food and beverage products, as existing alternatives like polydextrose and resistant maltodextrin often have high viscosities, dark color, and off-flavors, and require additional treatments.
Innovation Solution
A two-step process involving a treatment step to produce an intermediate composition with reduced sugar and lower digestibility, followed by a separation step to achieve a final product with specific molecular weight distribution and linkage profiles, resulting in a carbohydrate composition with improved viscosity and functional properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional starch-derived syrups with less than 25% sugar are used, then reduced sugar content is achieved, but viscosity becomes extremely high and processing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the molecular weight distribution parameters of the carbohydrate composition, specifically controlling the degree of polymerization (DP) ranges. By producing a composition with predominantly DP3-10 oligosaccharides and limiting higher molecular weight polysaccharides (DP16+), the syrup achieves both reduced sugar content and manageable viscosity for processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a non-uniform molecular weight distribution within the carbohydrate composition, concentrating the material in specific DP ranges (DP3-10) while excluding others. This localized quality control of molecular size allows the syrup to have reduced sugar content without the extreme viscosity problems of traditional low-sugar syrups.
2Quantity of substance
If traditional starch-derived syrups with less than 25% sugar are used, then reduced sugar content is achieved, but polysaccharide concentration increases causing rapid hardening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the molecular weight distribution parameters by controlling the degree of polymerization (DP) ranges. By producing a composition with predominantly DP3-10 oligosaccharides and limiting higher molecular weight polysaccharides (DP16+ to less than 15%), the syrup achieves both reduced sugar content and reduced hardening rate.
3Quantity of substance
If reduced-sugar carbohydrates like polydextrose are used, then sugar content is reduced, but viscosity becomes high and color darkens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the molecular weight distribution parameters, specifically controlling the degree of polymerization (DP) ranges. By producing a composition with predominantly DP3-10 oligosaccharides and limiting higher molecular weight polysaccharides, the syrup achieves reduced sugar content while maintaining lighter color compared to traditional reduced-sugar carbohydrates.
4Quantity of substance
If reduced-sugar carbohydrates like polydextrose are used, then sugar content is reduced, but off-flavors develop requiring additional treatments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the molecular weight distribution parameters by controlling the degree of polymerization (DP) ranges. By producing a composition with predominantly DP3-10 oligosaccharides and limiting higher molecular weight polysaccharides (DP16+ to less than 15%), the syrup achieves reduced sugar content while maintaining neutral taste without requiring additional treatments for off-flavors.
Data Source
AI summary
Carbohydrate compositions having lower digestibility and lower sugar compared to traditional nutritive sweeteners, methods of making the carbohydrate compositions, and food products comprising the carbohydrate compositions are disclosed.