flavour compounds

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

Additives Flash-flow-formed systems

solid

delivery

Cherukuri, S.R., Battist, C.E. and (Fuisz Technologies Ltd, Chantilly, United States Patent US 5 582 855

Perkins, VA,

J.H. USA)

Method of manufacture of discrete spheres of a solid suspension from a solid fat matrix and a non-fat solid substrate with an active ingredient. It is suggested that the spheres may be particularly useful as delivery systems for foods, pharmaceuticals and personal products. The spheres, which are formed by the flash-flow process, have a uniform size and substantially the same encapsulated active content.

Fluoridated

casein

micelles

Berrocal, R., Neeser, J.R. and Tachon, P. (Societe de, Prod&s N&l& SA, CH-1800 Vevey, Switzerland) European Patent Applicalion EP 0 748 591 Al A process

for

the

manufacture

beverage water to

Amylase-treated adherence

powder release

starch

is dissolved the aroma

for

or

coating

Chung-Wal Chiu, Huang, D.P., Kasica, 1.1. and Zu-Feng Xu (National Starch & Chemical Investment Holding Corp., Wilmington, DE, USA) United States Patent US 5 599 569 A method for adhering a seasoning to a food product, which involves the following steps: coating the food product with a solution that contains an effective amount of an amylase-treated starch; adhering to the coating at least one seasoning, flavouring or colorant; and drying the resultant food product. The amylase-treated starch is prepared by steam cooking the starch, and enzymatically hydrolysing the cooked starch with enough amylase and for a sufficient amount of time to achieve a funnel viscosity of 7-80s and a dextrose equivalent of Z-40.

of fluori-

dated casein micelles that may be used in foods or pharmaceutical agents for the control of dental caries or plaque. A solution of a soluble fluorine salt (with a concentration of 100 ppm) is mixed with casein micelles, and the resultant fluoridated casein micelles separated.

Encapsulation compounds

soluble in hot flavour.

of aroma/flavour

Liu, R.T. and Rushmore, D.F. (Nestec SA, Vevey, Switzerland) United States Patent US 5 580 593 A process for encapsulating aroma or flavour compounds for a beverage by forming an oil-in-water emulsion from a vegetable oil, an aqueous medium and a water-soluble, carbohydrate-based film-forming agent. A sufficient amount of the film-forming agent is added so that the aqueous phase of the emulsion contains at least 50% (w/w) of the soluble carbohydrate solids. The oil-inwater emulsion is sprayed onto a soluble beverage powder, whereupon the aqueous layer of each droplet evaporates to form the capsules. The moisture content of the soluble beverage powder after spraying is 15% (w/w). In use, the

Beverages Coffee

bean

treatment

Darboven, A. (1.1. Darboven CmbH D-221 3 Hamburg, Germany) European Application EP 0 755 631 Al [in German]

&

Co., Patent

A process for the improvement of the quality of raw coffee by treatment with water vapour and water at high temperature and pressure; concentrations of the undesirable constituents pyrocatechin, pyrogallol and hydroquinone in the coffee are reduced. Moisture content is adjusted to 2-28%; temperature is adjusted to a value of <95”C; the raw coffee beans are heated for up to 20min at 130-150°C; and the heated coffee beans are treated under pressure (adjusted over the range of 0.1-l .4 bar) for 130-180min, with constant infeed of fresh steam and liberation of steam containing undesirable constituents of the coffee beans; pressure is then released and the coffee beans are held under vacuum to allow the evaporation of moisture until a moisture content of 1 O-l 2% is achieved. Finally, the coffee beans are roasted, giving roasted coffee.

Beverage vitamin

fortified

with

Ca and

D

DeWile, N.T., Chandler, M.A., Mazer, T.B., Ragan, RJ., Snowden, CA., Geraghty, M.E. and Johnson, C.D. (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA) United States Pat,2nt US 5 597 595 Method of manufacture of a low-pH beverage and a beverage concentrate that are fortified with Ca and vitamin U. The beverage, which may be carbonated or non-carbonated, and the concentrate consist of aqueous matrices in which the water-soluble vitamin D IS kept in suspension by a gum and a vegetable oil.

Cereals Instant products

extruded

cereal-legume

Reimerdes, Desjardins, CH-1800 Application

E.H., Dupart, P., Ceromini, 0. and 1.1. (SociM des Produits Nestle SA, Vevey, Switzerland) European Patent EP 0 717 935 Al [in French1

Instant cereal-legume products are manufactured by extrusion cooking a mixture of a cereal product, a legume product and a fat; the finished products have a relatively high moisture content.

Texturized Huber, 03269,

wheat

gluten

C. and Longo, N. (Huber, Sanborton, NH USA) Umted States Patent US 5 593 717

A method of transforming untextured, viscoelastic hydrated vital wheat gluten into a loose-layered, minimally adhering, textured fibre strand. The fibrous product can be used in ground meat products, such as hamburgers. Vital wheat gluten is mixed with flour, shredded and denatured.

Acidified

pastas

Barnes, G.J., Collins-Thompson, D. and Jau Y. Hsu (Nestec SA, Vevey, Switzerland) United States Patent US 5 599 573 A method for the Imanufacture of an acidified pasta product. The pasta product is prepared by: mixing a farinaceous material, an edible acid and water to obtain an acidified dough; forming the acidified dough into a shape to obtain a raw, acidified pasta product; steaming the raw pasta produci to obtain a surfacegelatinized product; contacting the surface-gelatinized product with water to obtain a wet, acidified pasta product; steaming the wet product; and packaging the steamed product.