Wax ester compositions

• US 6,123,979 A
• Filed: 10/23/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LC USA LLC (Bunge Limited)
• Original Assignee: Unilever Patent Holdings BV (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Quinlan, Paul Thomas, Hepburn, Paul, Watts, James Vincent, van der Wielen, Reginaldus Petrus J, Smith, Kevin Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): PADEN, CAROLYN A
• Application Number:
  US09/177,381
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 426/611, 426/601, 554/223, 554/224, 560/4, 435/134
• US Class Current: 426/611
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 2/16 Fatty acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 19/093 Addition of non-milk fats or non-milk proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 7/013 Spread compositions
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 9/013 Other fatty acid esters, e.g. phosphatides
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 2200/08 containing cocoa fat if specifically mentioned or containing products of cocoa fat or containing other fats, e.g. fatty acid, fatty alcohol, their esters, lecithin, paraffins
• 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: 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 33/12 Fatty acids or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11C 3/003 by esterification of fatty acids with alcohols C11C3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6454 by esterification
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6472 containing polyunsaturated fatty acid [PUFA] residues, i.e. having two or more double bonds in their backbone

Abstract

Blends of wax-esters with beneficial health properties comprise: ≧ two different wax-esters in amounts of 5-95% and each having m.pt -10° C. to 80° C. blend displaying m.pt: 15 to 45% while >80 wt % of wax-esters in blend have m.pt 20 to 60° C.; wax-esters derived from linear alcohols and linear carboxyl acids either of them having ≧8 C-atoms.

Claims

1. Blend of at least two different wax-esters each present in amounts of 5-95 wt %, said individual wax-esters each having a melting point between -10 and 80°

C. while the blend displays a melting point between 15 and 45°

C. and at least 80 wt % of the wax-esters present in the blend having a melting point between 20 and 60°

C., the wax-esters being derived from a saturated linear alcohol of at least 8 C atoms and a linear mono- or di-unsaturated carboxylic acid of at least 18 C atoms, the alcohol and acid each having an even number of carbon atoms.

2. Blend according to claim 1 wherein-the acid is at least one member of the group consisting of oleic acid and linoleic acid.

4. Blend according to claim 1 or claim 3, wherein the wax-esters contain a saturated alcohol residue with at least 12 C atoms.

5. Blend according to claim 4 wherein the saturated alcohol residue has at least 18 C atoms.

6. Blend according to claim 1 or claim 3, wherein the blend comprises at least one wax-ester derived from a saturated long chain alcohol, having at least 12 C atoms.

7. Blending according to claim 6 wherein the saturated long chain alcohol has at least 18 C atoms.

8. Blend according to claim 1 or claim 3, wherein the trans fatty acid content is less than 5 wt %.

9. Blend according to claim 8 wherein the trans fatty acid content is less than 2 wt %.

10. Blends of wax-esters and triglycerides, which blends contain at least 20 wt % of the blend of wax-esters according to claim 1 or claim 3.

11. Blend of wax-esters and triglycerides according to claim 10, wherein the blend comprises vegetable triglycerides selected from the group consisting of:

liquid oils, fractions of hardened liquid oils, hardened liquid oils, cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalents, palm oil, fractions of palm oil, fish oils, fish oil fractions, hardened fish oils, fractions of hardened fish oils, enzymically made equivalents of the oils mentioned and mixtures of one or more of the oils mentioned.

12. Blend according to claim 10 comprising 30-90 wt % of said blend of wax-esters.

3. Blend of at least two different wax-esters each present in amounts of 5-95 wt %, said individual wax-esters each having a melting point between -10 and 80°

C. while the blend displays a melting point between 15 and 45°

C. and at least 80 wt % of the wax-esters present in the blend having a melting point between 20 and 60°

C., the wax-esters being derived from a saturated or unsaturated linear alcohol of at least 8 C atoms and a linear polyunsaturated carboxylic acid with at least 18 C atoms and having at least 3 unsaturations.

13. Blend according to claim 3 wherein the acid is EPA or DHA.

14. Blend of wax-esters and triglycerides which blends contain at least 20 wt % of a blend of at least two different wax-esters each present in amounts of 5-95 wt %, said individual wax-esters each having a melting point between -10 and 80°

C. while the blend displays a melting point between 15 and 45°

C. and at least 80 wt % of the wax-esters present in the blend having a melting point between 20 and 60°

C., the wax-esters being derived from (1) a saturated or unsaturated linear alcohol of at least 8 C atoms and a linear mono- or di-unsaturated carboxylic acid of at least 18 C atoms, the alcohol and acid each having an even number of carbon atoms or (2) a saturated or unsaturated linear alcohol of at least 8 C atoms and a linear polyunsaturated carboxylic acid with at least 18 C atoms and having at least 3 unsaturations, said triglycerides being vegetable triglycerides selected from the group consisting of;

liquid oils, fractions of hardened liquid oils, hardened liquid oils, cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalents, palm oil, fractions of palm oil, fish oils, fish oil fractions, hardened fish oils, fractions of hardened fish oils, enzymically made equivalents of the oils mentioned and mixtures of one or more of the oils mentioned, said blend displaying an N-value profile (NMR pulse, non-stabilised) of;

N20=5-80,

N30=2-60 and

N35=<

20.

15. Blend according to claim 14 which displays an N-value profile as follows:

N20 of 15-60

N30 of 5-45 and

N35 of <

5.

16. Food composition comprising a lipid phase, which is present for at least 10 wt % and which lipid phase comprises at least 20 wt % of a blend of wax-esters, said blend comprising at least two different wax-esters each present in amounts of 5-95 wt %, said individual wax-esters each having a melting point between -10 and 80°

C. while the blend displays a melting point between 15 and 45°

C. and at least 80 wt % of the wax-esters present in the blend having a melting point between 20 and 60°

C., the wax-esters being derived from (1) a saturated or unsaturated linear alcohol of at least 8 C atoms and a linear mono- or di-unsaturated carboxylic acid of at least 18 C atoms, the alcohol and acid each having an even number of carbon atoms or (2) a saturated or unsaturated linear alcohol of at least 8 C atoms and a linear polyunsaturated carboxylic acid with at least 18 C atoms and having at least 3 unsaturations.

17. Food composition according to claim 16, wherein the food composition comprises at least 20 wt % of lipid phase.

18. Food compositions according to claim 17, wherein the food is selected from the group consisting of:

i) a spread

ii) a confectionery product

iii) ice creams, ice cream coatings, inclusions for ice creams

iv) dressings, mayonnaise, sauces

v) bakery fats

vi) cheese.

19. Food composition according to claim 18 wherein the blend functions as a structuring component with a low caloric content.

20. Process for the preparation of blends of wax-esters of at least two different wax-esters each present in amounts of 5-95 wt %, said individual wax-esters each having a melting point between -10 and 80°

C. while the blend displays a melting point between 15 and 45°

C. and at least 80 wt % of the wax-esters present in the blend having a melting point between 20 and 60°

C., the wax-esters being derived from (1) a saturated or unsaturated linear alcohol of at least 8 C atoms and a linear mono- or di-unsaturated carboxylic acid of at least 18 C atoms, the alcohol and acid each having an even number of carbon atoms or (2) a saturated or unsaturated linear alcohol of at least 8 C atoms and a linear polyunsaturated carboxylic acid with at least 18 C atoms and having at least 3 unsaturations which comprise enzymically converting the fatty acid of at least 18 C-atoms and said alcohol of at least 8 C-atoms to said wax-ester blend.