Novel use of native gellan gum

• US 20030077371A1
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.
• Original Assignee: San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.
• Inventors: Nakao, Yoshiki, Uchida, Kazuro, Asano, Hirokazu, Nishino, Yoshiko, Kako, Mie, Sakanashi, Tomoaki, Kohara, Yukiko, Nishikawa, Tadanobu, Tamiya, Toshinaga, Yamada, Yumiko, Omoto, Toshio, Nakano, Genyo, Nakamura, Hiroo, Okumura, Makoto, Adachi, Norifumi, Morita, Yasuyuki, Yasunami, Nobuharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,147,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/573
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 13/50 Solidified foamed products, e.g. meringues
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 2/183 Natural gums
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 9/1544 Non-acidified gels, e.g. custards, creams, desserts, puddings, shakes or foams, containing eggs or thickening or gelling agents other than sugar; Milk products containing natural or microbial polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose or cellulose derivatives; Milk products containing nutrient fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 3/163 Liquid or semi-liquid tea extract preparations, e.g. gels, liquid extracts in solid capsules
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 5/243 Liquid, semi-liquid or non-dried semi-solid coffee extract preparations; Coffee gels; Liquid coffee in solid capsules A23F5/246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 2200/06 containing beet sugar or cane sugar if specifically mentioned or containing other carbohydrates, e.g. starches, gums, alcohol sugar, polysaccharides, dextrin or containing high or low amount of carbohydrate
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/34 Sweetmeats, confectionery or marzipan; Processes for the preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/346 Finished or semi-finished products in the form of powders, paste or liquids A23G3/343 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/52 Liquid products; Solid products in the form of powders, flakes or granules for making liquid products ; Finished or semi-finished solid products, frozen granules
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/48 Moist feed
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 13/422 Addition of natural plant hydrocolloids, e.g. gums of cellulose derivatives or of microbial fermentation gums
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 13/65 Sausages
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 13/67 Reformed meat products other than sausages
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 17/40 Shell-fish
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 17/70 Comminuted, e.g. emulsified, fish products; Processed products therefrom such as pastes, reformed or compressed products A23L17/65, A23L17/10, A23L17/20, A23L17/40, A23L17/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/19 from powdered or mashed potato products A23L19/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/62 Clouding agents; Agents to improve the cloud-stability
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 21/12 derived from fruit or vegetable solids
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 21/15 derived from fruit or vegetable juices
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 23/00 Soups; Sauces soya sauce A23L27/50; salad dressings, mayonnaise or ketchup A23L27/60; Preparation or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 27/60 : Salad dressings; Mayonnaise; Ketchup
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/212 : Starch; Modified starch; Starch derivatives, e.g. esters or ethers containing starch hydrolysates, e.g. dextrin, A23L29/30
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/231 : Pectin; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/238 : from seeds, e.g. locust bean gum or guar gum starch A23L29/212; pectin A23L29/231
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/244 : from corms, tubers or roots, e.g. glucomannan starch A23L29/212
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/25 : Exudates, e.g. gum arabic, gum acacia, gum karaya or tragacanth
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/256 : from seaweeds, e.g. alginates, agar or carrageenan
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/262 : Cellulose; Derivatives thereof, e.g. ethers
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/269 : of microbial origin, e.g. xanthan or dextran
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/272 : Gellan
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/274 : Pullulan
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/284 : Gelatin; Collagen
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 7/109 : Types of pasta, e.g. macaroni or noodles
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 7/13 : Snacks or the like obtained by oil frying of a formed cereal dough
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 9/12 : Ready-to-eat liquid or semi-liquid desserts, e.g. puddings, not to be mixed with liquids, e.g. water, milk
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/105 : Coating with compositions containing vegetable or microbial fermentation gums, e.g. cellulose or derivatives; Coating with edible polymers, e.g. polyvinyalcohol
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/40 : Foaming or whipping
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0241 : Containing particulates characterized by their shape and/or structure see also A61K8/04, A61K8/11, and A61K8/14, further aspects are classified in A61K2800/40 and subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/73 : Polysaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/731 : Cellulose; Quaternized cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 11/00 : Preparations for care of the teeth, of the oral cavity or of dentures; Dentifrices, e.g. toothpastes; Mouth rinses
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/00 : Compositions of polysaccharides or of their derivatives not provided for in groups C08L1/00 or C08L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/18 : specially adapted for ball-point writing instruments
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/43 : Thickening agents

Abstract

The invention provides a native gellan gum-containing composition, and particularly based on the multifunctionality thereof, provides freeze/thaw-resistant gel compositions and dehydrated gels and jellies available therefrom, rice cake-like gels and rice cake substitutes, copy foods, cold retention compositions and cooling agents. The invention further provides the use of the above composition as additives for the expression of unique functions, for example a dispersion stabilizer, an additive for thickened compositions, a heat resistance-imparting agent, a syneresis inhibitor, a foam stabilizer, and a food palatability/body-improving agent.

Claims

1. A functional composition characterized by comprising native gellan gum.

2. The functional composition according to claim 1 which is a gel composition.

3. The gel composition according to claim 2, the function of which is freeze-thaw resistance.

5. The gel composition according to claim 2 which is obtainable by dehydrating a hydrogel comprising native gellan gum.

6. A jelly obtainable by reconstituting the dehydrated gel composition of claim 5 with water.

7. The gel composition according to claim 2 comprising native gellan gum and glutinous rice.

8. The gel composition according to claim 7 wherein the formulating ratio of native gellan gum to glutinous rice is 1:

3 through 1;

25 (the ratio on a dry solid basis).

9. A substitute rice cake obtainable from the gel composition set forth in claim 7 or 8.

10. The gel composition according to claim 2 for use as a copy food.

11. The gel composition according to claim 10 wherein the copy food is a confection, an artificial fishery produce, an artificial bait, or an infant teeth-hardening article.

12. The gel composition according to claim 10 containing 4˜

30 weight % of native gellan gum based on 100 weight % of water.

13. The gel composition according to claim 12 containing 14˜

20 weight % of native gellan gum based on 100 weight % of water and having an abalone-like mouth-feel.

14. An abalone-like food prepared from the gel composition set forth in claim 13.

15. A method of preparing the gel composition of claim 12 or 13 characterized by heating native gellan gum in the presence of water.

16. The gel composition according to claim 2 which is a functional gel composition comprising native gellan gum and water, the function of which is cold retention.

17. The gel composition according to claim 16 further comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, glycerin, sugar alcohol and saccharide.

18. A composition obtainable by dehydrating the gel composition of claim 16 or 17.

19. A cooling agent comprising the composition set forth in any of claim 16 through claim 18.

20. The cooling agent according to claim 19, whichin the composition set forth in any of claim 16 through claim 18 is laminated on a supporting layer.

21. An additive comprising the functional composition set forth in claim 1.

22. The additive according to claim 21 which is a dispersion stabilizer.

23. The dispersion stabilizer according to claim 22 further comprising microcrystalline cellulose.

24. The dispersion stabilizer according to claim 22 further comprising pectin.

25. The dispersion stabilizer according to claim 24 characterized by the use thereof in the presence of salt.

26. The dispersion stabilizer according to claim 24 or 25 comprising native gellan gum, pectin and salt.

27. A food processing composition or processed food article containing the dispersion stabilizer set forth in any of claim 22 through claim 26.

28. The food processing composition or processed food article according to claim 27, wherein the food is selected from the group consisting of cocoa drink, calcium-enriched drink, milled green tea-containing drink, vegetable or fruit-containing drink, soya milk drink, jelly-containing drink, shiruko drink, soup, misoshiru, liquid seasoning, cake, and bread.

29. A method of producing the food processing composition or processed food article of claim 27 or 28, which comprises a step of dissolving a dispersion stabilizer comprising native gellan gum and pectin in an aqueous solution and then adding salt at an elevated temperature.

31. The method according to claim 29 or 30, whichin the elevated temperature is at least 75 degrees Celsius.

32. The additive according to claim 21 which is a thickened composition additive.

33. The thickened composition additive according to claim 32 characterized by the use thereof in the presence of one or more members selected from the group consisting of tamarind seed gum, tara gum, glucomannan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, pullulan, guar gum, iota-carrageenan, tragacanth gum, microcrystalline cellulose, propylene glycol alginate, water-soluble soybean polysaccharide, ghatti gum, methylcellulose, caccia gum and psyllium gum.

34. The thickened composition additive according to claim 32 comprising one or more members selected from the group consisting of tamarind seed gum, tara gum, glucomannan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, pullulan, guar gum, iota-carrageenan, tragacanth gum, microcrystalline cellulose, propylene glycol alginate, water-soluble soybean polysaccharide, ghatti gum, methylcellulose, caccia gum and psyllium seed gum in combination with native gellan gum.

37. The additive according to claim 21 which is a retort resistance-imparting agent.

38. The retort resistance-imparting agent according to claim 37 which imparts retort resistance to tofu.

39. A tofu stabilized against retort treatment comprising the retort resistance-imparting agent set forth in claim 38.

40. The tofu according to claim 39 containing 0.01˜

0.12 weight % of native gellan gum based on 100 weight % of the tofu.

41. The tofu according to claim 39 or 40 as produced by subjecting a tofu or tofu preparation available from a formula comprising of soya milk, a coagulant and native gellan gum to pasteurization at atmospheric or supra-atmospheric pressure.

42. The additive according to claim 21 which is a syneresis inhibitor.

43. A gel composition with its syneresis inhibited by inclusion of the syneresis inhibitor of claim 42.

44. The gel composition according to claim 43 which comprises 0.1˜

200 weight % of native gellan gum based on the gelling agent.

45. A method of inhibiting syneresis of a gel composition characterized by formulating the syneresis inhibitor of claim 42.

46. A method of inhibiting syneresis of a gel composition according to claim 45 which comprises incorporating 0.1˜

200 weight % of native gellan gum based on the gelling agent.

47. The additive according to claim 21 which is a foam stabilizer.

48. The foam stabilizer according to claim 47 wherein the foam is a meringue.

49. A meringue containing the foam stabilizer of claim 47 or 48.

50. A method of preparing a meringue-characterized by comprising a step of beating or mixing under stirring the white of eggs in the presence of the foam stabilizer set forth in claim 47 or 48.

51. A method of stabilizing the cellular structure of a meringue comprising a step of beating or mixing under stirring the white of eggs in the presence of the foam stabilizer set forth in claim 47 or 48.

52. A chiffon cake obtainable by using the meringue set forth in claim 49.

53. The additive according to claim 21 which is a palatability/body-improving agent.

54. The additive according to claim 53 which is a palatability/body-improving agent for any food containing dairy and gelling ingredients, a fried food, an ice cake, a hard candy or a noodle.

55. The palatability/body-improving agent according to claim 54 which is a food roughening inhibitor for foods containing dairy and gelling ingredients.

56. A food containing dairy and gelling ingredients comprising the palatability/body-improving agent set forth in claim 54 or 55.

57. The food according to claim 56 which is a chilled dessert selected from the group consisting of puddings, mousse, bavarois, jellies and annin tofu.

58. A method of producing the food according to claim 56 or 57 which comprises a step of preparing a food composition containing dairy and gelling ingredients and native gellan gum as a pre-solidification food processing composition, and then solidifying said food composition by chilling in the production of a food containing dairy and gelling ingredients.

59. A method of preventing roughening of the food article according to claim 56 or 57 characterized by using a food composition containing dairy and gelling ingredients and native gellan gum as a pre-solidification food processing composition and solidifying said food composition by chilling in the production of a food containing dairy and gelling ingredients.

60. A method of producing a fried food which comprises using the palatability/body-improving agent of claim 54 as a binder or a component of a fry batter.

61. A fried food obtainable by using the palatability/body-improving agent of claim 54 as a binder or a component of a fry batter.

62. The palatability/body-improving agent according to claim 54 which is a crispness-imparting agent for hard candies.

63. The palatability/body-improving agent according to claim 54 which is a bodying agent for noodles.

64. An ice cake containing the palatability/body-improving agent set forth in claim 54.

65. A hard candy containing the palatability/body-improving agent set forth in claim 54.

66. A noodle containing the palatability/body-improving agent set forth in claim 54.

4. A jelly obtainable by freezing and then thawing a hydrogel comprising native gellan gum.

30. A dispersion stabilizing method comprising a step of dissolving a dispersion stabilizer comprising native gellan gum and pectin in an aqueous solution and then adding salt at an elevated temperature.

35. A method of thickening a food composition characterized in that native gellan gum and one or more members of the group consisting of tamarin seed gum, tara gum, glucomannan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, pullulan, guar gum, iota-carrageenan, tragacanth gum, microcrystalline cellulose, propylene glycol alginate, water-soluble soybean polysaccharide, ghatti gum, methylcellulose, caccia gum and psyllium seed gum are brought into co-existence.

36. A thickened food composition obtainable by bringing native gellan gum and one or more members of the group consisting of tamarind seed gum, tara gum, glucomannan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, pullulan, guar gum, iota-carrageenan, tragacanth gum, microcrystalline cellulose, propylene glycol alginate, water-soluble soybean polysaccharide, ghatti gum, methylcellulose, caccia gum and psyllium seed gum into co-existence.