Açai-based food composition and method of preparation of açai-based food composition

Abstract

The present invention refers to aai-based food composition comprising: aai pulp, vinegar, dedo-de-moa chili pepper, one or more flavor adding ingredients chosen from onion, garlic, tomato or their mixtures; thickening agents chosen from starch, corn sugar or mixtures thereof; salt and sugar. The present invention further relates to a method of preparation the aai-based food composition.

Claims

1. An aai-based food composition, stable at room temperature, consisting of i) an aai Pulp in a concentration between 51% and 70% by weight; ii) a vinegar in a concentration between 5% to 10% by weight; iii) a dedo-de-moa chili pepper (Capsicum baccatum species) in a concentration between 0.01% to 0.5% by weight; iv) one or more flavor adding ingredients chosen from an onion, in a concentration of 1%, a garlic in a concentration of 1%, a tomato puree or concentrate in a concentration of 13%; v) one or more thickening agents chosen from starch in a concentration between 0.5 to 4%, corn sugar in a concentration between 2% to 7% by weight or mixtures thereof; vi) a salt in a concentration between 0.01% to 5% by weight; and vii) a cane sugar in a concentration between 5% to 15% by weight.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the aai pulp is of thick, medium, or fine type.

3. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the acai pulp is of medium type.

4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the vinegar is of the fruity type, chosen from apple cider, grape, pineapple, guava or their mixtures.

5. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the vinegar concentration is 8% by weight.

6. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the dedo-de-moa chili pepper (Capsicum baccatum species) is present in a concentration of 0.3% by weight.

7. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the starch is chosen from cassava starch, wheat, corn or their mixtures.

8. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the starch is present in a concentration of 2% by weight.

9. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the corn sugar is present in a concentration of 4% by weight.

10. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the salt is present in a concentration of 1% by weight.

11. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the cane sugar is present in a concentration of 11% by weight.

12. The composition according to claim 10, wherein the aai pulp is 51% by weight.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(1) The present invention refers to an aai-based food composition comprising: aai pulp; vinegar; dedo-de-moa chili pepper; one or more flavor adding ingredients chosen from onion, garlic, tomato or their mixtures; one or more thickening agents chosen from starch, corn sugar or mixtures thereof; salt; and sugar.

(2) The aai pulp is the product extracted from the edible part of the fruit of the aai tree (Euterpe oleraceae Mart.), being also known as aai wine. The aai wine refers to the expression used by the populations of the Amazon region and Para state to characterize the aai pulp obtained by maceration of the aai fruit, in continuous washing with warm water. This rudimentary processing can be done manually or, more recently, with the help of cylindrical mixers fitted with robust stirrers that, with the continuous aid of washing water, remove the pulp from the surface of the fruits, thus forming the aai wine or aai pulp.

(3) Depending on the amount of water added, the aai wine or aai pulp can be classified into: Thick or special aai (type A): it is the pulp added with water and filtered, presenting above 14% of total soluble solids and a very dense appearance; Medium or regular aai (type B): it is the pulp added with water and filtered, presenting between 11% and 14% of total solids and a dense appearance; Thin or popular aai (type C): it is the pulp added with water and filtered, presenting 8% to 11% of total solids and a less dense appearance.

(4) The aai pulp or aai wine used in the present invention can be chosen between thick, medium or fine aai; being the medium aai used in a preferential way.

(5) The aai-based food composition, according to the present invention, comprises aai pulp in a concentration above 50% by weight, preferably between 51% to 70% by weight. Preferably, the composition comprises 51% by weight of aai pulp.

(6) The present composition comprises fruity vinegar, chosen from apple, grape, pineapple, guava or mixtures thereof. Preferably, apple cider vinegar is used.

(7) The concentration of vinegar in the food composition varies between 5% to 10% by weight, preferably 8% by weight.

(8) The dedo-de-moa chili pepper (Capsicum baccatum species) is present in the food composition at levels below 0.5% by weight, especially in the range that varies between 0.5% to 0.01% by weight. Preferably, the aai-based food composition of the present invention comprises 0.3% by weight of dedo-de-moa chili pepper.

(9) According to the invention, the flavor adding ingredients are vegetables that add aromatic diversity, are nutritious and when added with sweet and salty notes, along with the acidity of the vinegar make the flavor of aai stand out. The flavor adding ingredients can be chosen from onion, garlic, tomato or their mixtures and can be used in dehydrated or concentrated form. The flavor adding ingredients are present in a concentration ranging from 1% to 30% by weight.

(10) Preferably, the aai-based food composition comprises tomato puree or concentrate in a concentration of 13% by weight; onion at a concentration of 1% by weight and garlic at a concentration of 1% by weight.

(11) The thickening agents present in the composition can be chosen from starch, corn sugar or their mixtures, and the starch can be chosen from cassava starch, wheat, corn or their mixtures. Preferably, the aai-based food composition comprises cassava starch.

(12) According to the invention, starch is used in a concentration ranging from 0.5% to 4% by weight, preferably 2% by weight; while corn syrup is present in a concentration ranging from 2% to 7% by weight, preferably 4% by weight.

(13) The salt is present in a concentration ranging from 0.01% to 5% by weight, preferably 1% by weight. Sugar is present in a concentration ranging from 5% to 15% by weight, preferably 11% by weight.

(14) Optionally, the aai-based food composition also comprises other ingredients, such as banana, strawberry, paprika, carrot, peach palm (pupunha palm heart), or their mixtures.

(15) The present invention also refers to a method for preparing aai-based food composition, wherein said method comprises the following steps: a. adding water to a tank, followed by starting tank agitation; b. adding one or more thickening agents to the tank containing water; c. heating the mixture obtained in the step (b); d. adding one or more flavor adding ingredients and pepper; e. adding aai pulp; f. adding sugar; g. adding vinegar; h. heating the composition obtained in the step (g); i. cooling of the composition obtained in the step (h).

(16) According to the method described here, the heating of steps (c) and (h) occurs at 90 C., and in step (h) the composition is kept heated for 5 minutes.

(17) Once the composition described above is cooled, a salty food composition is obtained, with a creamy texture, stable at room temperature and which can be made available to the consumer in individual sachets or plastic bottles.

(18) FIG. 1 illustrates the flowchart of the method of preparation of the food composition, according to steps (a) to (i) specified above.

Example

(19) The following is an example of the aai-based food composition of the present invention, which are intended only to illustrate a configuration of the present invention, and the example given is only illustrative and not limiting.

(20) TABLE-US-00001 Ingredient Concentration (%) Tomato puree/concentrate 13 Medium Acai 51 Apple cider vinegar 8 Salt 1 Onion 8 Corn syrup 4 Starch 2 Sugar 11 Garlic 0.5 Pepper 0.3 Water 8.2