New Patents |

This section features recent applications worldwide for patents m areas relevant to food science and technology. Eacll entry gives a concise summary of the patent application, along with details of where and by whom it has been filed. Due to the large number of patent applications each month, selected patents only,, are featured in each issue of Trends in Food Science & Technology'.

Additives

Sweetness-lnducer miraculin Kan'dmura, N., Makin[), T., I-liran(~, A. and Kurihara, Y. IMitsubishi Oil Co. Ltd. Tnkyu, Japan! PCT International Palenl Applicalion wo 93/I 0676 I199 ~)

A process for the extraction of the sweetness-inducing compound, miracu- lin, from miracle fruit (Richadella dulcifica) is described. An aqueous acidic buffer solution is u,.ed to pro- duce stable miraculin free oI impurities.

Microwave browninp co,nposilion HSu, C.l. ~Nestec SA, Vevev, Swilzerl.'md} United States Patent US 5 1% 219 t lq9 t~

A browning agent that produces the desired golden brown surface on foods possessing a dough crusl (e.g. meat or fruit pies) when they are heated in a microwave is described. The browning agent is manufactured by spray drying an aqueous solution o[ milk solids and a reducing sugar. The aqueous solution is subjected Io enzymic hydrolysis to cor,verl lactose to glucose and galac- tose; this resulls in the presence of Amadori rearrangement compounds in the spray-dried powder. The spray- dried powder may be reconstituted with water and then coated onto the dough crust. Sodium bicarbonate, trisodium phosphate or disodium phosphate may be added to the coating to enhance development of lhe brown colour after microwave heating.

Diaminopyridine compounds Ulrich, iL~., Cerami. A. and Wagle, O.R. lRockeE;',r Uni~ersiiv/Alleon Inc., New York. NY, USA1 Uniled Stales Patent US 5 221 68.~ (19931

Compositions for the inhibition of non- enzymic cross-linking (protein ageing) contain diaminopyridines and their derivatives. Target proteins are con- tacted by these compositions and the carbonyl moiety of early glycosylation products reacts with the diamino- pyridine component, preventing forma- tion of advanced glycosylation end products. This procedure can be used

to inhibit food spoilap.e antl ageing ol animal proteins.

Beverages

Freeze-concentrated beer PolIarcl, DG qOxi(Ir(], UKI UK Patent ,\pphcah(~n Gg 2 261 442 A 119() h

Freeze-concentraled beer can be stored and transported befure reconslitution into potable beer of normal strength (1030°). Freeze concentration of beer is described, whereby the temperature of a high-gravity beer 11090 °] is Io,.vert,d until the waler content freezes: the unfrozen liquor, which consists of the alcohol content and most of the soluble matter, is removed.

Biotechnology

Leuconostoc dextranicum dextran Pucci, M.I. and Kunka, B.S. tQue~.l {nlernation,}l Flavors & Food Ingredients Co.. Brid)z,e'.;ater, ~,l, USA~ United Similes Patent US 5 22 >, 4 H 119£'~I

Leuconostoc dextranicunr NRRL-B- 18242 and the dextran it produces, 'ahich is dried and used in food prod- ucts, are described.

Cereals

Composite dough Abdelrahman. A. iConhnenhd Baking Co.. St Louis. MO. USA} Uniled Stole', Patent US 5 1q2 364 I t t}9 ~;I

A composi te dough comprising an outer convent ona eavened dough and an inner leavened dough svith I~.ss oven spring than the outer dough is de- scribed. The quality cf bakery products produced from the composite dough is similar to that ol products marie entirely of leaveF;ed (tough v,ith good baking properties. A significant level ot fibrous additive (e.g. soy polysaccha ride) may he added to the inner dough to produce a reduced-calorie bread dough with acceptable oven spring properties.

~ - ~ Engineering/packaging

Microwave core heating h,,.m,,nn, 5.A. anti Le~in~on. ~.t.L. ,Cuhmia. NI. L s,\~ UniTed St,lie ~, l>atenl k'S 5 ~2 { 2')I, lqq {)

Novel food products resulting iron'i the microwave core heating of dried k~ods leg. pasta, beans, rice, cereals an(] l)ulses), which browns the products and (,]uses developmenl of a toasty flavour. can be produced in microwave cooking kits.

Oxygen scavenging Sp(.t,r. D.V, R(~herls. WP and ",In%in. C; R. ,W.R. Grace & Co. New '{(irk. N'~ UGAt L'mtud Slates Patent US "; 211 87"3 {1 ()() h

A method of initiating oxygen scaveng- ing by compositions that comprise oxi- dizable organic compounds and tran- sition metal catalysts. The composition, consisting of a substituted or unsubsti- luted ethylenically unsaturated hydro- carbon and a transition metal catalyst, is exposed to radiation ]electron beam or UV light), Inclusion o~ a photoin- itiator or anlioxidant in the scavenging composition facilitales and/or controls the composition's scavenging proper- bes. Oxygen scavenging can be in- itiated in packaging layers Mr arlicl~:, ior oxygen-sensitive food or beverages.

Temperature abuse indicator loporenko, Y. and gerrebi. G. iSociele C(x)l ',arl France) French Patent Application FR 2 684 446 At (lOg3) [in Fren(h[

A temperature abuse indicator for frozen or refrigerated foods comprises a small plastic sachet divided into t\vo chambers; one contains a liquid frozen at the specified limiting temperature; the other contains an absorbent {paper or other material), The two chambers are separated by a seal, penetrated by capillaries. If the temperature exceeds the limiting value, the frozen liquid melts and passes via the capillaries onto the absorbent, causing a readily de- tected change in appearance.

Dried food production Suzuki. Y. I".Vellsun C,e,. Lld. T~I.'~(~. lapan~ European Palent Applicalmn EP (/ :,'~0 7g- M ,Igqtp

A method for the manufacture of dried foods for rapkl reconstitution to a flesh state is described. Clean food material is sorted into suitable shape and size for

Trends in Food Science & [echno[ogv February 1994 iV01.5I h~

New Patents

processing. Cleaned food material is frozen instantaneously with liquid nitro- gen or liquid air. Frozen food is exposed to >-300MPa in a pressure- resistant, closed vessel then vacuum dried. The processed food may be reconstituted with water while retaining nutrients, aroma and taste inherent in the raw material.

---Fruit, vegetables & nuts

Preservation of freshly sliced fruit

Hilgers. L., Harder, l<.B. and Ribbeck, I. (Air Products GrnbH,rSystempack GrnbH. Hattingen, Germany) German Federal Republic Patent Application DE 41 29 224 At (1992.1 [in Germanl

A process for the preservation of freshly cut fruit slices or pieces is based on dipping them (immediately after cutting) in a solution of 0.01-2,O1 CO:/I water at 1-30°C (preferably 15°C) for 0,5-30 r'nin Ipreferably 3rain), followed by hermetic packaging and storage at 5°C.

Low-fat foods

Low-fat potato chips and shoestring potatoes tauter. S. (Los Angeles, CA, USAI United Stales Patent US 5 t94 277 (1993)

A process for preparing potato chips and shoestring potatoes that requires no addition of fat and does not result in the removal of natural potato constituents is described. Slices or strips of potato are microwaved for -6-9rain to give a product having a flavour, texture, co[our and crispness similar to that of deep-fried potato chips ol shoestring potatoes. Potato slices can be steamed or baked prior to microwave heating to reduce microwave heating time by ~50%.

Low-fat chocolate chips Anderson. W.A.. Dulin, D., Loh, P. and Fitch. M.D, (Krah General Foods Inc., N(~rlhfields. IL, USA) United States Patenl US 5 It)[( ,86119931

]he fat (cocoa butterl content of choc- olate chips is reduced to <10% using an aqueous sugar paste containing dispersed hydrated microparticles of cocoa. Food modifying properties of the colloid-like cocoa paste include: an

ticles of cocoa are ~0.1-20pro in size (preferably -0.1-10pro), with an aver- age mean particle size of -2-7 pro. The microparlicles are dispersed uniformly throughout the aqueous paste (water activity -0.8-0.9).

Low-calorie fat mimetics Klemann, L.P. and Finley, I.W. (Nabisco inc.. Parsippany. NJ, USA~ United States Patent US 5 219 60511993)

Novel edible fat mimetic compounds based on siloxy ester derivatives with a C:-C~. backbone are described. Be- tween one and five fatty acid groups in ester or reversed ester linkages, and one or two siloxy groups leach bearing lhree aliphatic, ether or ester groups) are attached to the backbone. Methods of using the new fat mimelics and food compositions incomorating them are given.

Low-fat meat products Gamay, A. (New Berlin, Wl, USA) United States Patent US 5 221 554 (19931

A fractionation process for the pro- duction of low-fat, low-cholesterol, reduced-calorie beef, poultry and sea- food products involves size reduction of food samples in water, adjustment of the ionic strength and pH of the dispersion, and fractionation into fatty materials, connective tissues and ex- tremely low-fat, low-cholesterol muscle particles. Products containing these par- ticles exhibit excellent eating and cook- ing qualities, extended shelf life and free- dom from carcinogens found in broiled high-fat meat.

Reduced-calorie cocoa but ler substitutes stipp, G.K, and Kluesenm, B.W. lProcter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, OH, USA; United States Patent US 5 188 858 (1993)

Reduced-calorie 1,2-propylene glycol diesters in which one ester group con- tains a medium-chain C,,-C~, saturated fatty acid radicaL(s) and the other ester group contains a long-chain C:,,-C:~ saturated fatty acid radical(s) are de- scribed. The esters are obtained by selective esterification of long-chain

saturated fatty acid monoesters or propylene glycol with the respective medium-chain saturated fatty acids or anhydrides. Diesters in which the medium-chain radicals are C, and/or C,. radicals and the long-chain radicals are C:,, and/or C:. radicals are useffll as low-calorie cocoa butter substitutes and hard butters. Chocolate flavoured prod- ucts formulated from these preferred diesters, when properly crystallized, are bloom resistant even when subjected to thermal stress.

Novel foods

Caviar-like foodstuff Vainerman, E.S, and Bakari, I-.I, lMoscow, Russia) PCT [nternallonal Patent Application WO 9.3106751 At [1993)

Caviar-like granules are prepared by heating egg white to _>35°C, introducing egg yolk, oil and a food colouring to achieve a viscous emulsion, and intro- ducing this emulsion dropwise into ed- ible oll heated to 80-95°C. Proportions of the various ingredients are (w/w): egg white, 13-30%; yolk, 48-71%; oil, 9-30%; and colorant, I-3%. The gran- ules have an external layer of denatured egg white and an internal layer of a viscous aggregation.

~ . - - - - , - - - - O i l s and fats

Uniform liquid, pourable shortening Purves, E.R., Halstead, L.D. and Adams, K.D. (Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, OH, USA1 United States Patent US 5 211 981 t1993)

A process for making a unilorm liquid, pourable shortening involves: preparing a melted base oil containing partially hydrogenated oil and, optionally, highly hydrogenated oil; blending a melted emulsifier containing ~30% monoacylglycerol with the base oil so that the monoacylglycerol content of the total blend is 10-16%; and rapidly cooling, partially crystallizing and agitat- ing the melted blend. T'.-,e solid fat index of the shortening is 3-12 at 10°C, 0-7 at 21°C, 0-4 at 27°C, 0-3 at 33°C and -<3 at 40°C.

intense chocolate flavour, similar to f The patents section is compiled froh'l information provided by IFIS (International ] that of'conched' chocolate;and fat-like Food Information Sen.,iceL Lane End House, Shinfield, Reading, UK RG2 9BB mouthfeel, thickener, viscosity control [ (tel. +44-734-883895; fax:+44-734-SBS065L t and stability. The hydrated micropar-

64 Trends in Food Science & Technology February 1994 IVol. 5]