Microalgal Food Compositions

• US 20130122180A1
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Corbion Biotech, Inc. (Corbion NV)
• Original Assignee: Solazyme Inc.
• Inventors: Brooks, Geoffrey, Franklin, Scott, Avila, Jeff, Decker, Stephen M., Baliu, Enrique, Rakitsky, Walter, Piechocki, John, Zdanis, Dana, Norris, Leslie M.
• Application Number:
  US13/667,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20130122180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/609
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 2/165 Triglycerides
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 2/267 Microbial proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 7/001 Spread compositions characterised by ingredients other than fatty acid triglycerides A23D7/0056
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 7/003 Compositions other than spreads characterised by ingredients other than fatty acid triglycerides A23D7/0053
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 7/0053 Compositions other than spreads
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 7/0056 Spread compositions
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/16 Addition of microorganisms or extracts thereof, e.g. single-cell proteins, to feeding-stuff compositions A23K10/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/158 Fatty acids; Fats; Products containing oils or fats
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/20 for horses
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/40 for carnivorous animals, e.g. cats or dogs
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 17/60 Edible seaweed
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/10 using additives addition of substantially indigestible substances A23L33/21

Abstract

Compositions of microalgae-derived food compositions, including flours and beverages, are disclosed from multiple genera, species, and strains of edible microalgae. Microalgae used in the invention are free of algal toxins and contain varying levels of primarily monounsaturated triglyceride oil. Also provided herein are microalgae-containing baked goods with novel properties compared to preexisting products of the same type, and foods containing microalgae biomass with high levels of lipid. Compositions and methods of the invention also relate to the creation of food products based on eggs, wherein the productions contain various raw materials made from microalgae in different forms. The invention also provides unique and novel strains of microalgae that have been subjected to non-transgenic methods of mutation sufficient to reduce the coloration of biomass produced by the strains.

Claims

1. A food or food ingredient composition comprising a homogenate of microalgal biomass containing predominantly or completely lysed cells in the form of a powder comprising at least 16% triglyceride oil by dry weight.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the average size of particles in the homogenate is less than 100 μ

m, or the average size of particles in the homogenate is 1-15 μ

m.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the microalgal biomass is 45-75% triglyceride oil by dry weight.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least 50% by weight of the triglyceride oil is monounsaturated oil.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least 50% by weight of the triglyceride oil is an 18:

1 lipid and is contained in a glycerolipid form.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein less than 5% by weight of the triglyceride oil is docosahexanoic acid (DHA) (22:

6).

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the triglyceride oil is:

a. less than 2% 14;

0;

b. 13-16% 16;

0;

c. 1-4% 18;

0;

d. 64-70% 18;

1;

e. 10-16% 18;

2;

f. 0.5-2.5% 18;

3; and

g. less than 2% oil of a carbon chain length 20 or longer.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the microalgal biomass is derived from a single strain of microalgae.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the microalgae is a species of the genus Chlorella.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the biomass is derived from an algae that is a color mutant with reduced color pigmentation compared to the strain from which it was derived.

11. A food or food ingredient composition comprising microalgal biomass in the form of whole cell flakes or whole cell powder comprising at least 16% triglyceride oil by dry weight.

12. The composition of claim 11, wherein the microalgal biomass is 45-75% triglyceride oil by dry weight.

13. The composition of claim 11, wherein at least 50% by weight of the triglyceride oil is monounsaturated oil.

14. The composition of claim 11, wherein at least 50% by weight of the triglyceride oil is an 18:

1 lipid and is contained in a glycerolipid form.

15. The composition of claim 11, wherein less than 5% by weight of the triglyceride oil is docosahexanoic acid (DHA) (22:

6).

16. The composition of claim 11, wherein the triglyceride oil is:

a. less than 2% 14;

0;

b. 13-16% 16;

0;

c. 1-4% 18;

0;

d. 64-70% 18;

1;

e. 10-16% 18;

2;

f. 0.5-2.5% 18;

3; and

g. less than 2% oil of a carbon chain length 20 or longer.

17. The composition of claim 11, wherein the microalgal biomass is derived from a single strain of microalgae.

18. The composition of claim 11, wherein the microalgae is a species of the genus Chlorella.

19. The composition of claim 11, wherein the biomass is derived from an algae that is a color mutant with reduced color pigmentation compared to the strain from which it was derived.

20. A method of making a food product including microalgal biomass, comprising:

determining an amount of microalgal biomass to include in the food product based an amount of oil, fat or eggs in a conventional form of the food product, wherein the microalgal biomass comprises at least 16% by dry weight triglyceride oil; and

combining the amount of microalgal biomass with one or more edible ingredients and less than the amount of oil, fat or eggs present in the conventional form of the food product to form the food product including microalgal biomass.