Galactooligosaccharide Milk Ingredient for Sugar Reduction in Beverages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food products, such as cocoa and malt beverages, rely heavily on sugar for taste and texture, but there is a desire to reduce sugar content for health reasons while maintaining consumer liking, and artificial sweeteners do not provide the same texture benefits as sugar.
Innovation Solution
A food ingredient comprising 20-40% milk protein, 35-55% lactose, glucose, and galactooligosaccharide mixture, with 0.1-30% lactose, 8-40% glucose, 0.1-20% galactose, and 40-90% galactooligosaccharides, is used to replace skim milk powder and sucrose, produced through enzymatic conversion of lactose by beta-galactosidase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If sugar content is reduced in food products for health reasons, then health benefits are improved, but taste and texture are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite ingredient system comprising milk protein (20-40%), lactose (0.1-30%), glucose (8-40%), galactose (0.1-20%), and galactooligosaccharides (40-90%). This composite material provides both prebiotic health benefits through high GOS content and maintains desirable taste and texture properties through the balanced sugar and protein composition, thereby resolving the contradiction between reducing sugar content and maintaining product quality.
2Quantity of substance
If artificial sweeteners are used to replace sugar, then sweetness is maintained without energy contribution, but texture benefits are lost and consumer acceptance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters by using naturally occurring sugars (lactose, glucose, galactose) and milk protein instead of artificial sweeteners. The specific parameter ranges (milk protein 20-40%, total sugars 35-55% with GOS comprising 40-90% of the sugar portion) provide both sweetness and texture while maintaining consumer acceptance, thus resolving the contradiction between sugar replacement and texture preservation.
3Quantity of substance
If galactooligosaccharides are produced by beta-galactosidase polymerization of lactose, then prebiotic ingredient is obtained, but yield is limited to below 50%
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the lactose polymerization process by controlling specific parameters: using controlled amounts of beta-galactosidase enzyme, maintaining specific temperature ranges (typically 30-50°C), controlling reaction time (1-24 hours), and adjusting pH levels (5.0-7.0). These parameter optimizations enable the process to achieve yields at the upper end of the 10-50% range, improving productivity while maintaining prebiotic quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves reduced sugar content with maintained taste and texture, contributing prebiotic GOS to the product without significant sensory differences.
Implementation Method 1
beta-galactosidase to produce galactooligosaccharide (GOS). GOS acts as prebiotics
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a food ingredient comprising galactooligosaccharides, a way of producing it and cocoa and/or malt beverage products comprising the ingredient. The food ingredient is produced by adding a beta-galactosidase to a composition comprising non-fat milk solids including lactose. The food ingredient may be used e.g. in cocoa and/or malt beverage products to reduce fat and/or sugar without detrimentally impacting sweetness, taste and/or texture.