TEMPERATURE-RESISTANT FORMULATION CONTAINING NATURAL COLORING AGENT FOR FOOD

Abstract

The invention relates to a temperature stable formulation having a water soluble natural coloring agent, which formulation is a water-in-oil emulsion, in which the coloring agent is contained in the aqueous phase and is stable at an increased temperature, e.g. at at least 72° C. The coloring agent can be thermally instable at the pH of the food, into which the formulation was mixed.

Claims

1. Temperature-stable formulation for a food, the formulation being a water-in-oil emulsion, in the aqueous phase of which a hydrophilic coloring agent is contained, with an emulsifier in the continuous oil phase, wherein the coloring agent at the pH value of the food is instable at an increased temperature, wherein the aqueous phase is adjusted to a pH value at which the coloring agent is stable at the increased temperature,. and the aqueous phase has a mean droplet size of at maximum 1.5 μm in the oil phase.

2. Formulation according to claim 1, wherein the coloring agent contains betanin and the aqueous phase has a pH value equal to or lower than 5.5.

3. Formulation according to that it is contained in a claim 1, wherein the food is a meat product or sausage product, including an addition of nitrite curing salt reduced by 40 to 50%.

4. Formulation according to claim 1, wherein the coloring agent contains chlorophyll and the aqueous phase has a pH value of 7.5 to 8.5.

5. Formulation according to claim 4, wherein the salt content of the aqueous phase is adjusted to an ionic concentration corresponding to 0.1 to 1.5 wt.-% NaCl.

6. Formulation according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of polyglycerol-polyricinoleate, polyglycerol ester, phospolipids, mono- and diglycerides of food fatty acids, citric acid esters of food fatty acids, a mixture with or consisting of lysophosphatidyl cholin, phosphatidyl cholin, phosphatidyl ethanol amine, phospho inositole and citric acid esters of food fatty acids (CITREM), and mixtures thereof

7. Formulation according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous phase is free from an auxiliary solvent.

8. Formulation according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous phase contains a thickening agent which is selected from the group consisting of milk protein, gelatin, carob seed flour, carrageen, agar-agar, pectin, and mixtures thereof.

9. Process for the production of a temperature stable formulation for food, the process comprising steps of: dissolving coloring agent in water, adjusting the pH value of the water to a value at which the coloring agent essentially is stable against increased temperatures, for production of the aqueous phase, mixing of fat of the oil phase with the at least one emulsifier for producing the oil phase, temperature adjusting of the aqueous phase and of the oil phase each to the same temperature, prior to or subsequent to the temperature adjusting, bringing together the aqueous phase and the oil phase and producing a pre-emulsion having a mean droplet size of the aqueous phase in the oil phase of 2 to 30 μm, finely dispersing the pre-emulsion for producing the emulsion having a size distribution of the droplets in the aqueous phase with a mean diameter of at maximum 2 μm.

10. Process according to claim 9, wherein the coloring agent has betanin and the pH value of the water is adjusted to 3 to 5.5.

11. Process according to claim 9, wherein the coloring agent has chlorophyll and the pH value of the water is adjusted to 7.5 to 8.5.

12. Process according to claim 9, wherein the emulsion as a formulation of the coloring agent is mixed with a food and subsequently heated to a temperature of at least 60° C., wherein the food has a pH value at which the coloring agent outside the formulation at least at this temperature disintegrates.

13. Process according to claim 9, applied to production of meat products and sausage products, further comprising adding the formulation to a minced meat mass, to obtain a sausage meat, and that the sausage meat is subsequently heated to a temperature of at least 60° C.

14. Process according to claim 13, wherein the meat mass is admixed with an addition of curing salt reduced by at least 40%.

15. Process according to claim 13, wherein nitrite corresponding to at maximum 0.8 to 1.2 wt.-% curing salt with 0.5 wt.-% sodium nitrite, in relation to the total mass, is added to the meat mass.

16. Food, including a formulation according to claim 1, wherein the food has been heated to a temperature of at least 72° C.

Description

[0039] The invention will now be explained by means of examples with reference to the figures, which show in [0040] FIG. 1 the color values green (−a*) measured for compositions with parsley extract in a formulation according to the invention after pasteurization, and [0041] FIG. 2 the color values (a*) measured for cooked sausage with beetroot powder in formulation according to the invention, and [0042] FIG. 3 the color values (a*) measured for cooked sausage with beetroot powder in formulation according to the invention, and [0043] FIG. 4 the color values (a*) measured for cooked sausage with beetroot powder in formulation according to the invention.

EXAMPLE 1: SANDWICH SPREAD ON THE BASIS OF AVOCADO

[0044] The fruit flesh of avocado upon contact with air is subject to browning which can be reduced by addition of acid. As coloring agent a green plant extract, e.g. from parsley, shall be added, which at acidic pH values is not stable against higher temperatures as they occur upon pasteurization.

[0045] Green parsley extract is suspended to 10 wt.-% in 100 g water. Preferably the water has a content of 1 wt.-% NaCl. The pH value is adjusted to 8.0, e.g. by addition of thinned aqueous caustic soda. This aqueous phase is united with a solution of 4 wt.-% polyglycerol-polyricinoleate in sunflower oil in a ratio of 30:70 wt.:wt., each temperature adjusted to 30° C., and is dispersed by means of shearing dispersion by a rotor-stator system at 250 to 800 rpm to a pre-emulsion. This pre-emulsion subsequently is dispersed by means of a high pressure homogenizer in two stages (200 bar/50 bar) to the emulsion, which forms the formulation. The droplets of the aqueous phase in the formulation had a mean size (d.sub.2,3) of 0.6 μm.

[0046] 87.75 wt.-% avocado purée,

[0047] 3.0 wt.-% lemon juice,

[0048] 1.5 wt.-% onion in granular form,

[0049] 0.75 wt.-% garlic in granular form,

[0050] 1.0 wt.-% table salt,

[0051] 0.5 wt.-% ground pepper,

[0052] 0.5 wt.-% carob seed flour, and

[0053] 5.0 wt.-% formulation

were homogeneously mixed in order to prepare a first composition, and filed into glasses.

[0054] The glasses were closed with lids and warmed for 10 min to 72° C. for pasteurization.

[0055] As a second composition

[0056] 89.4 wt.-% avocado purée,

[0057] 3.2 wt.-% lemon juice,

[0058] 0.8 wt.-% onion in granular form,

[0059] 0.5 wt.-% garlic in granular form,

[0060] 0.55 wt.-% table salt,

[0061] 0.3 wt.-% ground pepper,

[0062] 0.25 wt.-% carob seed flour, and

[0063] 5.0 wt.-% formulation

were homogenously mixed and warmed for 10 min to 72° C. for pasteurization.

[0064] For a comparative mixture, the same ingredients, but instead of the formulation with parsley extract, were adjusted to pH 8, admixed with 1 wt.-% NaCl and pasteurized immediately. The amount of parsley extract was the same in the first and second compositions as well as in the comparative mixture.

[0065] The color values for green (−a*), represented in FIG. 1, show that the formulation according to the invention, respectively the color by the formulation, essentially is stable at pasteurization, even if the contained coloring agent chlorophyll at the acidic pH of the mixture would lose its color at pasteurization, as it is observed for the comparative mixture. In FIG. 1, the respective left column shows the second formulation, the right column the comparative mixture, each after 1 h, 24 h, 168 h storage at 4° C. following pasteurization.

EXAMPLE 2: COOKED SAUSAGE

[0066] Beetroot powder was suspended at 60° C. to 56 wt.-% in water. Optionally, 0.5 wt.-% pectin (CM 203) is added as a thickening agent. The pH value is adjusted to 4.4 to produce the aqueous phase. As emulsifier, polyglycerol-polyricinoleate (E467) is dissolved to 4 wt.-% in sunflower oil to produce the oil phase. The aqueous phase and the oil phase were temperature adjusted to 45° C. and united in a 70:30 weight ratio, then dispersed by means of a rotor-stator system at 500 to 800 rpm to a pre-emulsion. The pre-emulsion is dispersed by a high pressure homogenizer in two stages 200 bar/50 bar to the emulsion, which forms the formulation. The droplets of the aqueous phase had a mean size (d.sub.2,3) of 0.6 μm in the continuous oil phase.

[0067] For producing sausage meat, this formulation was admixed during mincing to 0.6, 1.2, or 2 wt.-% in relation to the total mass, to a sausage meat of

[0068] 40 wt.-% pork meat S III,

[0069] 20 wt.-% belly of pork S V,

[0070] 10 wt.-% cheek of pork S VI,

[0071] 10 wt.-% neck fat of pork S VII,

[0072] 20 wt.-% filling (water ice) and,

each in relation to the total mass, as ingredients 1.8 wt.-% nitrite curing salt, 0.3 wt.-% sodium diphosphate, 0.05 wt.-% sodium ascorbate. The nitrite curing salt contained 0.5 wt.- % sodium nitrite.

[0073] The minced sausage meat was filled into sausage casing and heated at a chamber temperature of 80° C. to a core temperature of 72° C.

[0074] The measured color values for red (a*), represented in FIG. 2, show that the coloring agent formulation according to the invention at a treatment at higher temperature is stable, even if the coloring agent contained at the pH of approximately 5.8 of the mixture would lose its color upon heating. In FIG. 2 the columns for each concentration of the beetroot formulation (RBF) from left to right show the color value subsequent to heating each on day 1, day 8, day 15, day 22, day 29, and day 43 of the subsequent storage at 4° C. For comparison, the same sausage mass, but without coloring agent (control) and with 0.1 wt.-% beetroot powder respectively, optionally in water (RB native) was treated in parallel, wherein this concentration is equal to the concentration of the beetroot powder in 0.6 wt.-% of the

[0075] formulation. The undyed sausage meat had a very low red color, the sausage meat with beetroot powder (RB native) a small red color, which reduced with increasing storage duration, while sausage meat with beetroot formulation according to the invention (RBF 0.6%, RBF 1.2% and RBF 2.0%) showed a more intensive red color, which also during the storage duration still had a sufficient intensity. It showed in detail that the color was also present in the fringe areas of the sausage. This shows the suitability of the formulation also for the production of foods, which are treated by an increased temperature, as the fringe areas of the sausage during the heating were exposed to the chamber temperature, which lay above the core temperature attained.

[0076] In an alternative composition, the above mentioned sausage mass with the same composition, but with a proportion of nitrite curing salt reduced by 40 to 50% (1.08 to 0.9 wt.-% nitrite curing salt (0.5 wt.-% sodium nitrite), in relation to the total mass) was produced. The lacking amount of salt was equalized by addition of 0.4 to 0.5 wt.-% table salt (sodium chloride).

[0077] In a further alternative composition, the above mentioned sausage mass with 1.8 wt.-% nitrite curing salt or having a content of nitrite curing salt reduced by 40 to 50% and addition of table salt to a total of 1.8 wt.-% nitrite curing salt and table salt was mixed, but with replacing the meat constituents by such having a smaller amount of muscle meat. In this sausage meat, the addition of the formulation could equalize the pale color of meat constituents, so that the sausage meat had a pleasant pink to red color.

[0078] This example also shows that an appealing color of the sausage is obtained using the formulation at a lower proportion of muscle meat and/or at a lower content of nitrite curing salt.

EXAMPLE 3: COOKED SAUSAGE

[0079] A sausage filing having the same composition as in example 2 was admixed with 0.36 wt.-%, 0.72 wt.-%, or 1.20 wt.-% of a formulation according to the invention as a coloring agent, which formulation was produced by [0080] dissolving 56 wt.-% beetroot powder in water at 60° C., [0081] adjusting the pH to 4.4 for producing the aqueous phase, [0082] mixing of sunflower oil with 0.3 wt.-% lysophosphatidyl cholin, 1.85 wt.-% phosphatidyl cholin, 1.0 wt.-%. phosphatidyl ethanol amine, 0.3 wt.-% phospho inositol (in summary designated as E322) and 2.5 wt.-% citric acid esters of food fatty acids (E472c), [0083] temperature adjusting of the aqueous phase with the oil phase to 45° C. and mixing in a weight ratio aqueous phase:oil phase of 70:30,
dispersing to a pre-emulsion by means of a rotor stator system at 500 to 800 rpm with subsequent finely dispersing with an Ultra-Turrax at 22000 rpm for 2 min, with a high pressure homogenizer in two stages at 80 to 200 bar/50 bar, and/or a colloid mill at 500 to 3000/min.

[0084] The minced sausage meat mixed with the formulation was filled into sausage casing and heated at a chamber temperature of 80° C. to a core temperature of 72° C., subsequently allowed to cool, cut into slices, packed airtight in foil, and stored at 4° C.

[0085] The cooked sausage showed a sufficiently strong and stable color, which was more intensive and more stable than the undyed sausage meat (control) produced as a comparison, or than sausage meat with native beetroot powder in water (RB native). The measured color values a* are shown in FIG. 3 for the added concentration of beetroot formulation (RBF), wherein the columns from left to right show the color value after the heating each on day 1, day 8, day 15, day 22, day 29, and day 43 of the subsequent storage at 4° C. The control was sausage meat without coloring agent addition, RB native was beetroot powder, optionally in water, at 0.1 wt.-%, wherein this concentration is equal to the concentration of the beetroot powder in 0.36 wt.-% of the formulation. The results show that the formulation results in a more stable color for the storage duration.

EXAMPLE 4: COOKED SAUSAGE

[0086] A sausage meat of the same composition as an example 2 was admixed with 0.36 wt.-%, 0.72 wt.-%, or 1.20 wt.-% of a formulation according to the invention as coloring agent, which was produced by [0087] dissolving 56 wt.-% beetroot powder in water at 60° C., [0088] adjusting the pH to 4.4 for producing the aqueous phase, [0089] mixing of sunflower oil with 0.3 wt.-% lysophosphatidyl cholin, 1.85 wt.-% phosphatidyl cholin, 1.0 wt.-%. phosphatidyl ethanol amine, 0.3 wt.-% phospho inositole (in summary designated as E322), 0.7 wt.-% polyglycerol-polyricinoleate (E476) and 2.5 wt.-% citric acid esters of food fatty acids (E472c), [0090] temperature adjusting of the aqueous phase with the oil phase to 45° C. and mixing in a weight ratio aqueous phase: oil phase of 70:30,
dispersing to a pre-emulsion by means of a rotor stator system at 500 to 800 rpm with subsequent finely dispersing with an Ultra-Turrax at 22000 rpm for 2 min, with a high pressure homogenizer in two stages at 80 to 200 bar/50 bar, and/or a colloid mill at 500 to 3000/min.

[0091] The sausage meat mixed with the formulation and minced, was filled into sausage casings and was heated at a chamber temperature of 80° C. to a core temperature of 72° C., subsequently allowed to cool, cut into slices, packed airtight in foil, and stored at 4° C.

[0092] This cooked sausage had a sufficiently strong and stable color, which was more intensive and more stable than the undyed sausage meat (control) produced as a comparison, or than sausage meat with native beetroot powder in water (RB native). The measured color values a* are shown in FIG. 4 for the added concentrations of beetroot formulation (RBF), wherein the columns from left to right show the color value subsequent to heating on day 1, day 8, day 15, day 22, day 29, and day 43 each of the subsequent storage at 4° C. The control was sausage meat without coloring agent addition, RB native was the beetroot powder, optionally in water, at 0.1 wt.-%, wherein this concentration is equal to the concentration of the beetroot powder in 0.36 wt.-% of the formulation. These results show that the formulation results in a color more stable over the storage duration.