METHOD OF MAKING OLEOGEL

Abstract

Provided is a method of making an ethylcellulose oleogel comprising cooling a mixture of ethylcellulose polymer and oil from 100 C. to 35 C. at a rate of 0.6 C./min or slower.

Claims

1. A method of making an ethylcellulose oleogel comprising cooling a mixture of ethylcellulose polymer and oil from 100 C. to 35 C. at a rate of 0.6 C./min or slower.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps, prior to the cooling, of (a) bringing together ethylcellulose polymer and oil to form a mixture, wherein the ethylcellulose polymer has a softening point of 100 C. or higher, (b) heating the mixture to a temperature Tmix equal to or above the softening point, (c) agitating the mixture at temperature Tmix, (d) cooling the mixture to 100 C.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ethylcellulose polymer has ethoxyl substitution content of 47% to 50%.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the food oil comprises one or more triglycerides extracted from plants.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the oleogel either comprises no surfactant or comprises surfactant in a weight ratio of surfactant to ethylcellulose polymer of 0.02:1 or less.

6. An ethylcellulose oleogel made by the process of claim 1.

Description

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1

[0036] 200 g of oil was mixed with 20 g ethylcellulose polymer. The mixture was heated to 165 C. with stirring with a propeller mixer at 300 rpm, then cooled quickly to 135 C. with stirring at 100 rpm, then cooled slowly to 120 C. with stirring at 20 rpm. The hot mixture was poured into the wells of the metal block and set at room temperature to cool in an uncontrolled manner Cooling rate between 100 C. and 35 C. was faster than 1 C./min.

PREPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2

[0037] 200 g of oil was mixed with 20 g ethylcellulose polymer. The mixture was heated to 150 C. with stirring with a propeller mixer at 400 rpm, and held at 150 C. for 40 minutes. Then the mixture was cooled slowly to 120 C. with stirring at 75 rpm. The hot mixture was poured into the wells of the metal block and set into a drying cabinet for controlled cooling. The cooling rate from 100 C. down to 35 C. started at approximately 0.83 C./min and gradually fell to approximately 0.1 C./min, and the average cooling rate was 0.31 C./min. At 35 C., the metal block was removed from the drying cabinet and allowed to reach room temperature (23 C.).

EXAMPLE 3: TEST RESULTS

[0038] Three different oils were tested in both the comparative method of Comparative Example 1 and the inventive method of Preparative Example 2. Results were as follows:

TABLE-US-00001 oil Benefit sunflower 38% omega-9 canola 25% standard canola 40%

[0039] For all the oils, the inventive method provided a dramatic improvement in retaining oil in the oleogel.