EXTRUSION-STABLE POLY-UNSATURATED FATTY-ACID COMPOSITIONS FOR FOOD PRODCUTS

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of encapsulated particles containing PUFAs embedded in a protein matrix for the preparation of extruded food, to the PUFA-supplemented extruded food and to the process for the preparation thereof.

Claims

1. A process for preparing an extruded ready-to-eat cereal food product comprising the steps of: (a) adding encapsulated particles in the form of beadlets containing a poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) to an extrudable cereal food material, wherein the beadlets are comprised of a PUFA embedded in a cross-linked gelatine or gelatine sugar matrix and, optionally, an internal lubricant and/or further ingredients, wherein the PUFA content embedded in the beadlets is from 10-60% (b) mixing and extrusion cooking the extrudable cereal food material at high temperature between 100 C. to 180 C. in an extruder to obtain a homogeneous extrusion cooked cereal food material mixture thereof, (c) extruding the extrusion cooked cereal food material mixture from the extruder and cutting the extruded mixture into pieces, and optionally, (d) coating and/or drying the pieces to form the extruded ready-to-eat cereal food product.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises adding the components to a screw extruder.

3. The extruded food product according to claim 1, wherein the extruded food is human ready-to-eat cereal food product.

Description

EXAMPLE

[0036] 118.5 g of dried fish gelatin, 23.4 g fructose, 20.9 g glycerol and 17.2 g sodium ascorbate were placed in a 1000 ml double wall vessel, 140 ml of de-ionized water were added and the mixture was brought into solution while stirring with a micer disc at 500 revolutions/minute (rpm) and approx. 40 C. This solution is called matrix solution. Thereupon, 132.2 g of ROPUFA 30 n-3 Food Oil (a refined fish oil blend with minimum 30% n-3 PUFAs [at least 25% DHA, EPA and DPA] in form of triglycerides stabilized with mixed tocopherols, ascorbyl palmitate and containing rosemary extract) were emulsified in this matrix and stirred for 10 minutes. During the emulsification and stirring the micer disc was operated at 4800 rpm. After this emulsification the internal phase of the emulsion had an average particle size of about 254 nm (measured by laser diffraction). The emulsion was diluted with 310 ml of de-ionized water and the temperature was held at 70 C.

[0037] Subsequently 1300 g of corn starch (fluidized with silicic acid) were placed in a laboratory spray pan and cooled to at least 0 C. The emulsion was sprayed into the spray pan using a rotating spray nozzle in two parts. The thus-obtained particles coated with corn starch were sieved off (sieve fraction 0.125 to 0.63 mm) from the excess corn starch and dried at room temperature using a stream of air. There were obtained 389 g of particles coated with corn starch which had outstanding flow properties, were completely dry and could be handled very well.

[0038] For heat treatment portions of 100 g of the above particles were placed in a fluid bed dryer (Retsch) and heated to 135 C. for 20 minutes. This heat treatment results in a cross-linking of the gelatin matrix (Maillard reaction). The DHA/EPA content of the final product was 9.0% (DHA: 5.3%; EPA: 3.7%), the degree of cross-linking 94% and loss on drying 1.2%. The cross-linking degree is determined by dispersing the product in water at 55 C. during 15 minutes at a concentration of 20% and determination of the released PUFA oil.

[0039] Breakfast cereals with this extrusion stable form were produced on a horizontal twin screw extruder (Buhler, Switzerland) in accordance with methods well-known in the art.

[0040] The following composition was used to prepare an extruded cereal product:

TABLE-US-00001 % (w/w) Rice flour 65 Corn flour 20 Sugar 10 NaCl 1 PUFA beadlets 1 Water q.s. ad 100

[0041] Process Parameters:

[0042] I/d=16; screw speed 380 rpm; drepressure 67 bar; die temperature 156 C.

[0043] The cereals after extrusion were coated with a sugar syrup (75% sucrose in water) in a coating pan and subsequently dried in a fluid bed dryer.

[0044] The uncoated breakfast cereals thus obtained were subjected to an assessment by a trained taste panel. The sensory analysis was performed by means of descriptive analysis by using interval scales in terms of fishiness.

[0045] The organoleptic properties of these cereals were found clearly superior when compared with cereals supplemented with not-crosslinked matrix PUFA containing beadlets.