A granulated butter-flavoured product.

Butter is a very popular food made of butter fat or cream, milk solids, and natural coloring, and may also contain salt. The fat content of butter is usually about 80%.

Although butter is very high in cholesterol, containing about 220 mg cholesterol/100g, and very high in calories, more than 700 calories/100g, butter is nevertheless an extremely popular product. The popularity of butter is mainly due to its unique and characteristic flavour which is the basis for its wide acceptance and utilization as an ingredient in food products. Health experts have recommended the elimination from or reduction of butter in the diet in order to reduce and control the ingestion of cholesterol. This is due to high cholesterol diets having been associated with increased incidence in heart disease.

Physicians have also recommended the elimination or reduction of butter from the diet because of the high caloric content.

The art has recognized the need for a product having the typical and characteristic flavour of butter but without the cholesterol and the high caloric content of butter. U.S. Patent no. 3,653,921 describes a method for preparing a butter flavour composition consisting of lipolyzed butter oil. The product of this patent provides a highly effective substitute for the flavour of butter. However, the product is best used by first mixing with hot water prior to use.

U.S. Patent No. 4,414,229,describes a process for the preparation of a spread having natural butter flavour. The butter flavour spread of this patent provides highly effective butter flavour in the form of a spread and is substantially free of cholesterol but does provide a higher caloric content than does the butter flavour composition of U.S. Patent No. 3,653,921.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a composition which can easily be used without first being mixed with water and which provides both natural butter flavour and the mouthfeel of butter without the high cholesterol and high caloric content of butter.

It is another object of the present invention to provide butter flavoured granules and method of preparation thereof, which granules can be simply sprinkled on hot, moist foods to provide natural butter flavour without cholesterol and with very little caloric content.

According to the present invention there is provided a granulated butter flavoured product comprising a natural butter flavour component including an oil soluble component, and preferably also including a water soluble component, a fat and maltodextrin having a low dextrose equivalent (DE), the DE preferably being less than 5, all distributed in an inert carrier which may be maltodextrin of a higher DE. The product may also include salt to taste.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the amount of fat is from 1 to 20% by weight of the composition, further preferably from 5 to 20% by weight. The fat is most preferably a vegetable oil.

The amount of salt is preferably from 1 to 10% by weight.

The amount of low DE maltodextrin is preferably from 1 to 10% by weight, the DE thereof being preferably less than 5. Most preferably this maltodextrin is derived from potato.

The butter flavour component, which consists at least of an oil soluble component and preferably also includes a water soluble component, is preferably present in an amount of from 0.05 to 10% by weight, most preferably from 1 to 5% by weight. All percentages by weight are of the final product on a dry solids basis.

The oil soluble component of the butter flavour component may be an enzyme modified butter oil (EMBO) or lipolyzed butter oil (LBO).

EMBO or LBO is obtained by incubating either milk fat, derived directly from whole milk, or butter oil derived from butter with a lipase (esterase) enzyme as described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 2,794,743. During the incubation period the enzyme catalytically releases fatty acids from the butter fat and results in certain end products. Specific action of the lipase system releases volatile, flavourful, fatty acids including butyric, caproic, caprylic and capric acids in much greater molar concentrations than, but together with, long chain fatty acids. To control the flavour development in the finished product, the system is heated to completely destroy the enzyme activity and to reduce the bacterial counts to very low levels.

The water soluble component may be distillates from butter or cultured milk. This product, also known as starter distillate, is the mixture of flavour compounds distilled from butter or cultured milk. It contains the flavour compounds which are volatile with water at 212°F. While the major component of starter distillate is diacetyl, the starter distillate as a whole, however, gives a flavour which is much more pleasant than that of synthetic diacetyl because of the presence of other flavour substances produced by bacteria used in culturing the milk. Starter distillate is obtainable commercially as "starter distillate".

The water soluble butter flavour component is used in the composition of the present invention in an amount of up to 1% by weight of the final product, and preferably in an amount of from 0.05 to 0.5% of the final product on a dry solids basis.

The above mentioned components are mixed with an inert carrier such as dextrins, whey solids, corn syrup solids and the like. The most preferred inert carrier is maltodextrin, namely maltodextrins with a DE of from 10 to 20.

The preferred ranges of components of the compositions of the present invention are set forth below: <tables id="tabl0001" num="0001"><table frame="all"><tgroup cols="2" colsep="1" rowsep="0"><colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="78.75mm" /><colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="78.75mm" /><thead valign="top"><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" /><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="center"><u style="single">Percent By Weight</u></entry></row></thead><tbody valign="top"><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Low DE potato maltodextrin (less than 5 DE)</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="right">1-10; pref. 2-8</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Vegetable oil</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="right">1-20; pref. 5-10</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Salt</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="right">0-10; pref. 1-3</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">EMBO</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="right">0.5-10; pref. 1-5</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Water soluble butter flavour component (starter distillate)</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="right">0.0-1.0; pref. 0.05-0.5</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Emulsifier (lecithin)</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="right">0-1.0; pref. 0.01-0.05</entry></row><row rowsep="1"><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Maltodextrin (10 DE-20 DE)</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="right">q.s. 100%</entry></row></tbody></tgroup></table></tables>

A particularly preferred product comprises a natural butter flavour component consisting of enzyme modified butter oil or lipolyzed butter oil in an amount of from 0.5 to 10% by weight, and starter distillate in an amount of up to 1% by weight, a fat in an amount of from 1 to 20% by weight, maltodextrin having a dextrose equivalent of less than 5 in an amount of from 1 to 10% by weight and an inert carrier.

A preferred process for making the product of the present invention comprises first preparing a 50 to 60% solids emulsion of the components of the granulated product, heating the emulsion to from 120 to 160°F, homogenizing the emulsion by passing the emulsion through a homogenizer to form a stable emulsion, and spray drying the stable emulsion under pressure of an inert gas and at a temperature of about 210°F. The stable emulsion is preferably conveyed to a spray tower equipped with pressure nozzles and with the provision, for the introduction of an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide (preferably carbon dioxide). The emulsion is then sprayed by means of the inert gas at an exit air temperature at the spray tower of about 210°F and utilizing a carbon dioxide pressure of 15 psig.

The resulting dry product has a bulk density of from 20 to 35g100cc and preferably from 22 to 30g/100cc. The final product exhibits the following characteristics; <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>1. It has only 4 calories/gram yet has the flavour intensity of about 10g of butter, for over 94% savings in calories.</li><li>2. It has no cholesterol.</li><li>3. It has the natural flavour of butter.</li><li>4. It dissolves instantly upon contact with wet and hot foods, thus providing not only the flavour but also the mouthfeel of butter.</li><li>5. It has an extended shelf-life and is extremely stable to oxidation.</li></ul>

The following examples are given to further illustrate the present invention. The scope of the invention is not, however, meant to be limited to the specific details of the examples.

EXAMPLE 1

A mixture of 5% (all percentages are by weight) of maltodextrin from potato having a DE of 3, 5% vegetable oil, 2% salt, 4% EMBO, 1% starter distillate, 0.5% lecithin and 82.5% maltodextrin having a DE of 10 is emulsified with water of equal amount and the emulsion is heated to a temperature of about 140°F. The emulsion is passed through a homogenizer to form a stable emulsion which is then conveyed to a spray tower equipped with pressure nozzles. The resulting emulsion is spray dried under a carbon dioxide pressure of 15 psig at a temperature of about 210°F.

The resulting dry product has a bulk density of about 25g/cc. The product has a caloric content of about 4 calories per gram, each gram having the flavour intensity of about 10g of butter. The butter flavour is natural butter flavour and all components of the granular product are natural.

The granules may be sprinkled on a hot, wet food such as cooked string beans and cooked potatoes, to provide both the flavour and mouthfeel of butter.

The product has a long shelf-life. The product is extremely stable to oxidation.

EXAMPLE 2

Example 1 is repeated, however utilizing the components in the following percentages; 4% maltodextrin DE 1, 6% vegetable oil, 1% salt, 3% EMBO, 0.5% starter distillate, 0.5% lecithin, and 85% maltodextrin 10 DE

The resulting product has substantially the same characteristics as the product of Example 1.