Sucrose Polyester Blend Melting Profile for Waxy Mouthfeel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sucrose polyesters used in food products, such as chocolates and confections, often result in an undesirable waxy mouthfeel due to their high solids content at body temperature, which is not preferred by consumers.
Innovation Solution
A blend of sucrose polyesters with specific fatty acid moieties and a process involving transesterification of sucrose molecules with hydrogenated oils containing trans fatty acids, optimizing the melting profile to provide a desired mouthfeel by being solid at room temperature and melting near body temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If sucrose polyesters are hydrogenated to increase melting point, then the melting point increases, but the melting profile remains flat resulting in high solids content at body temperature causing waxy mouthfeel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the fatty acid composition parameters - specifically incorporating trans fatty acids (25-50% of total fatty acid ester moieties) and optimizing the carbon chain distribution (60-100% C18 chains). This changes the melting profile shape from flat to more natural, reducing solids content at body temperature while maintaining adequate melting point, thereby eliminating the waxy mouthfeel problem.
2Quantity of substance
If sucrose polyesters are used as fat substitute in food products, then fat content is reduced, but the mouthfeel is undesirable due to high solids content at body temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite sucrose polyester material with specific molecular structure - combining sucrose moiety with multiple fatty acid ester moieties including trans fatty acids and specific carbon chains (C12-C17 or C19-C22). This composite structure achieves both low fat content (as fat substitute) and desirable mouthfeel by melting near body temperature, unlike conventional sucrose polyesters.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional sucrose polyesters are incorporated into chocolate products, then fat content is reduced, but the products lose the characteristic melting quality that consumers prefer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the fat substitute by incorporating trans fatty acids and optimizing carbon chain length distribution. This results in a melting profile that closely mimics natural fats and oils, allowing chocolate products to maintain their characteristic mouthfeel and melting quality while still achieving reduced fat content.
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 optimized sucrose polyester blend offers a reduced fat content with an improved mouthfeel in food products, as demonstrated by preference in blind testing, providing a consumer-friendly experience similar to traditional chocolate products.
Implementation Method 1
optimizing the melting profile to provide a desired mouthfeel by being solid at room temperature and melting near body temperature
Implementation Method 2
By hydrogenating sucrose polyesters, it is possible to increase the melting point by converting sucrose polyesters containing unsaturated carbon chains into sucrose polyesters containing saturated carbon chains
Implementation Method 3
a process involving transesterification of sucrose molecules with hydrogenated oils containing trans fatty acids
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are compositions that include a blend of sucrose polyesters, wherein each sucrose polyester includes a sucrose moiety and a plurality of fatty acid ester moieties, wherein a percentage range of the combined fatty acid ester moieties of the sucrose polyesters in the blend have a carbon chain that has trans content.