Prune-based nutrient-rich materials and related processes

• US 10,820,603 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2018
• Issued: 11/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marija Djekic-Ivankovic
• Original Assignee: Marija Djekic-Ivankovic
• Inventors: Djekic-Ivankovic, Marija
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawla, Jyoti
• Application Number:
  US16/012,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20180360062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 426640
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/02 Dehydrating; Subsequent reconstitution dried cooked potatoes A23L19/12
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/09 Mashed or comminuted products, e.g. pulp, purée, sauce, or products made therefrom, e.g. snacks A23L19/01, A23L19/10, A23L27/63 and A23L21/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/20 Extruding
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs

Abstract

A prune paste and related process including drying plums according to a temperature profile tailored to produce prunes retaining at least 75% of nutrients from the plums (vitamin K, vitamin C, and minerals comprising iron, potassium and phosphorus). A prune-based product and related process including the combination of the prune paste and at least one nutrient-rich material comprising beans, seeds, spices and concentrates of nutrients. The at least one nutrient-rich material may be selected to synergistically enhance bioavailability of other specific nutrients from the prune paste. The prune-based product may be consumed to reduce constipation, iron deficiency or insufficiency, osteoporosis and related bone diseases and/or cardiovascular risks.

Claims

1. A process for producing a prune-based product from plums, the process comprising:

manually removing pit, petiole and residue from the plums to produce cleaned plums;

drying the cleaned plums according to a temperature profile tailored to produce prunes retaining at least 75% of nutrients from the plums, the nutrients comprising vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, potassium and phosphorus; and

combining the prunes with at least one nutrient-rich material to produce the prune-based product having a moisture content between 15 wt % and 30 wt %.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein combining the prunes with the at least one-nutrient rich ingredient comprises:

grinding the prunes to produce an extrudable prune paste having a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30 wt %; and

mixing the prune paste with the at least one nutrient-rich material.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein combining the prunes with the at least one nutrient-rich material comprises mixing the prune paste with the at least one nutrient-rich material at a speed reducing or minimizing degradation of nutrients.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein combining the prunes with the at least one-nutrient rich ingredient comprises:

mixing the prunes with the at least one nutrient-rich material to produce a prune-based mixture; and

grinding the prune-based mixture to produce an extrudable prune paste having a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30 wt %.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the drying comprises:

subjecting the cleaned plums to a first temperature level during a first period; and

then

subjecting the plums to a second temperature level during a second period;

the second temperature level and second duration being lower than the first temperature level and first duration respectively, to produce the prunes and where the moisture content is between 25 wt % and 35 wt %.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the first temperature level is between 40°

C. and 65°

C. and the first duration is between 8 hours and 12 hours; and

wherein the second temperature level is between 30°

C. and 60°

C. and the second duration is between 3 hours and 5 hours.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the drying is performed to produce prunes having a content of available simple sugars decreased by at least 5% in comparison to traditional prunes.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein combining the prunes with the at least one nutrient-rich material is performed with at least 50 wt % of prunes, optionally with at least 80 wt % of prunes.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein combining the prunes with the at least one nutrient-rich material comprises selecting the at least one nutrient-rich material to synergistically enhance bioavailability of specific nutrients from the prunes.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein combining the prune paste with the at least one nutrient-rich material comprises mixing the prune paste with the at least one nutrient-rich material at a temperature between 25°

C. and 35°

C.

11. The process of claim 1, comprising shaping the prune-based product into a desired shape.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein shaping the prune-based product comprises at least one of:

extruding the prune-based product into a bar shape, a spaghetti shape, or a band shape; and

cutting the prune-based product to produce bar segments, bite-sized segments, band, spaghettis of given length or analogs thereof.

13. The process of claim 1, further comprising coating the shaped prune-based product with at least one layer of another nutrient-rich material.

14. The process of claim 1, comprising drying the prune-based product at room temperature.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one nutrient-rich material comprises seeds, beans, other fruits than plum, vegetables, spices, at least one concentrate of a nutrient or a combination thereof.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the at least one concentrate of a nutrient comprises vitamin D, vitamin A, calcium or a combination thereof.

17. The process of claim 15, wherein the beans are cocoa beans in the form of cocoa powder and the seeds comprise chia seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, raspberry seeds, blackberry seeds, chokeberry seeds or related seeds.

18. The process of claim 1, comprising combining at least 80 wt % of the prune paste having a moisture content between 20% and 30%, a non-heme iron content between 10 mg and 20 mg, a vitamin K content between 48 μ

g and 60 μ

g, a vitamin C content between 5 mg and 8 mg, a potassium content between 1000 mg and 1250 mg, a calcium content between 100 and 150 mg per 100 g of prune-based product, and a content of available simple sugars decreased by at least 10% in comparison to traditional prunes.

19. A process for producing a prune paste from plums, the process comprising:

manually removing pit, petiole and residue from the plums to produce cleaned plums;

drying the cleaned plums according to a temperature profile tailored to produce prunes retaining at least 75% of nutrients from the plums, the nutrients comprising vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, potassium and phosphorus; and

grinding the prunes to produce an extrudable prune paste having a moisture content between 20 wt % and 30 wt %.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein the prunes have a content of available simple sugars decreased by at least 10% in comparison to traditional prunes.