Use of alternan as a thickening agent and thickening agent compositions containing alternan and another thickening agent

• US 8,541,041 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Cropscience AG (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Cropscience AG (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Pilling, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Heggestad, Helen F
• Application Number:
  US12/921,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20110014345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 426/573, 426/578, 426/589, 426/590, 426/580, 426/658
• US Class Current: 426/578
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/20 containing gelling or thickening agents marmalades, jams, jellies or other similar fruit or vegetable compositions A23L21/10
• 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 29/269 of microbial origin, e.g. xanthan or dextran
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/21 Addition of substantially indigestible substances, e.g. dietary fibres

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of alteman as a thickening agent, in particular for foodstuffs, a thickening agent composition comprising alternan and at least one thickening agent, a foodstuff comprising the thickening agent composition, and a method of increasing the viscosity of foodstuffs.

Claims

1. A thickening agent composition comprising alternan and at least one other thickening agent, wherein said alternan is obtained with the aid of a bacterial enzyme, and wherein said alternan has a weight-average molecular weight in the range from about 10,000,000 g/mol to about 60,000,000 g/mol.

2. The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the other thickening agent is a polysaccharide other than alternan.

3. The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the other thickening agent is starch, starch derivatives, modified starches, starch phosphates, pectins, modified pectins, alginic acid, alginates, guar flour, tragacanth, gum arabic, gelatin, carob-seed flour, galactomannan, xanthan, carrageen, karaya gum, tara gum, tamarind gum, gellan gum, mannan, maltodextrins, cellulose, derivatized cellulose, dextran or mixtures of two or more of these substances.

4. The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the other thickening agent is starch, modified starches, starch derivatives, starch phosphates, alginates, carrageen, derivatized cellulose or mixtures of two or more of these substances.

5. The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the alternan and the other thickening agent are in a weight ratio from 10:

1 to 1;

10.

6. The thickening agent composition of claim 1, in the form of a powder.

7. A method of thickening foodstuffs, foodstuff starting products or foodstuff intermediates comprising adding the thickening agent composition of claim 1.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the foodstuff is sauces, meat juices, soups, dressings, dips, milk products, bakery products or doughs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the milk product is yoghurt, cream, full-fat milk, skimmed milk, buttermilk, sour milk, kefir, whey, mousse, jelly, pudding, spreads, jam, or ice cream.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the yoghurt is drinking yoghurt.

11. A foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate, comprising the thickening agent composition of claim 1.

12. The foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate of claim 11, wherein the foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate is sauces, meat juices, soups, dressings, dips, milk products, bakery products or doughs.

13. The foodstuff of claim 12, wherein the milk product is yoghurt, cream, full-fat milk, skimmed milk, buttermilk, sour milk, kefir, whey, mousse, jelly, pudding, spreads, jam, or ice cream.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the yoghurt is drinking yoghurt.

15. A method of increasing the viscosity of foodstuffs, foodstuff starting products or foodstuff intermediates, comprising adding the thickening agent composition of claim 1 to the foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising submitting the foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate to a heat treatment.

17. The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the bacterial enzyme is alternan sucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides.

18. A kit comprising alternan and at least one other thickening agent, wherein said alternan is obtained with the aid of a bacterial enzyme, and wherein said alternan has a weight-average molecular weight in the range from about 10,000,000 g/mol to about 60,000,000 g/mol.

19. The kit of claim 18, wherein the other thickening agent is starch, starch derivatives, modified starches, starch phosphates, pectins, modified pectins, alginic acid, alginates, guar flour, tragacanth, gum arabic, gelatin, carob-seed flour, galactomannan, xanthan, carrageen, karaya gum, tara gum, tamarind gum, gellan gum, mannan, maltodextrins, cellulose, derivatized cellulose, dextran or mixtures of two or more of these substances.

20. The kit of claim 18, wherein the other thickening agent is starch, modified starches, starch derivatives, starch phosphates, alginates, carrageen, derivatized cellulose or mixtures of two or more of these substances.

21. The kit of claim 18, wherein the alternan and the other thickening agent are in a weight ratio from 10:

1 to 1;

10.