Probiotic delivery system

• US 20050153018A1
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Cavadini, Christoph, Schaer-Zammaretti, Prisca, Ubbink, Johan Bernard
• Application Number:
  US10/507,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20050153018A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/61
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/18 of live microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/30 from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes, e.g. using yeasts or enzymes, A23K10/10
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/147 Polymeric derivatives, e.g. peptides or proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/163 Sugars; Polysaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/20 Inorganic substances, e.g. oligoelements
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/10 by agglomeration; by granulation, e.g. making powders
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/20 by moulding, e.g. making cakes or briquettes
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/30 by encapsulating; by coating
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/45 Semi-moist feed
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/48 Moist feed
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/065 Microorganisms addition of bacteria for nutritional purposes A23L33/135
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/135 Bacteria or derivatives thereof, e.g. probiotics
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/30 Encapsulation of particles, e.g. foodstuff additives
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/11 Coating with compositions containing a majority of oils, fats, mono/diglycerides, fatty acids, mineral oils, waxes or paraffins
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2200/209 Barrier agent, e.g. layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 35/741 Probiotics probiotic yeast, e.g. saccharomyces A61K36/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/12 Antidiarrhoeals
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/14 Prodigestives, e.g. acids, enzymes, appetite stimulants, antidyspeptics, tonics, antiflatulents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/06 Antihyperlipidemics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/00 : Antiinfectives, i.e. antibiotics, antiseptics, chemotherapeutics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 37/02 : Immunomodulators
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/04 : Preserving or maintaining viable microorganisms immobilised microorganisms C12N11/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to a probiotic delivery system that is preferably added to a food product. In particular, the invention shows that compacted pellets having a volume of at least 0.02 cm³, that comprise, besides viable micro-organisms, arbitrary or eligible components, such as fillers, binder, plasticizer, other functional ingredients and a coating may be added to semi-moist, moist or semi-dry products. The micro-organisms remain viable for a longer time than commercially obtainable preparations of probiotics.

Claims

1. A pellet comprising a compacted inner matrix and at least one coating, wherein the inner matrix comprises viable micro-organisms and the coating comprises a moisture barrier, characterised in that the pellet has a volume of at least 0.02 cm³.

2. Pellet according to claim 1, wherein the inner matrix, before or shortly after the coating, is characterised by a water activity of below 0.3.

3. Pellet according to claim 1, wherein the inner matrix has an envelope density of more than 0.8 g/cm³.

4. Pellet according to claim 1, which comprises 10⁵ to 10¹⁴ viable micro-organisms.

5. Pellet according to claim 1, wherein the inner matrix further comprises at least one component selected from the group of fillers, functional ingredients, lubricants, plasticizers, food-grade binders, and combinations thereof.

6. Pellet according to claim 1, wherein the inner matrix further comprises ingredients selected from the group of digestible starches, resistant starches, other fibre, milled cereals, dried and milled vegetables, cellulose and cellulose derivatives, pet food, maltodextrin, chicory flour, protein isolates, yeast extracts, and mixtures thereof.

7. Pellet according to claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a food-grade moisture barrier.

8. Pellets within a food product, wherein the pellets are the pellets according to any of claim 1 to 7 and the inner matrix of the pellets comprises at least one component of the food product.

9. Delivery system of probiotics, which comprises the pellets according to any of claim 1 to 8.

10. Use of the pellets of any of claim 1 to 8 as a delivery system for probiotics in a moist, semi-moist, or semi-dry food product.

13. A food product comprising the pellets according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the food product and the inner matrix of the pellet share at least one component, ingredient or constituent.

14. Particulate food, food additive, supplement or pharmaceutical product consisting of a mixture of at least two types of particles, one being the probiotic pellet according to any of claims 1 to 8.

11. A process for obtaining a pellets to supplement a food product with viable micro-organisms, which comprises the steps of mixing a preparation of micro-organisms and further components, drying the mixture to an a_w below 0.3, compacting the mixture under pressure to obtain pellets comprising a volume of at least 0.02 cm³, and coating the pellets with a moisture barrier.

12. The process according to claim 12, wherein the further components comprise at least part of the ingredients of the food product.