# US 2018/0020702 A1 · Method and device for the biotechnological reduction of sugars in fruit educts for the purpose of obtaining reduced-sugar fruit products

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- Number: US 2018/0020702 A1
- Document ID: US20180020702A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/552,114
- Filed: 2015-02-20
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-20
- Assignees: Gustav Lermer GmbH & Co KG
- Applicants: Gustav Lermer GmbH & Co KG
- Inventors: Thomas LOETZBEYER; Astrid JAEGER; Rosina WESTERMEIER
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180020702A1

## CPC

- A23L 2/84: using microorganisms or biological material, e.g. enzymes
- A23L 2/02: containing fruit or vegetable juices
- A23L 2/382: {fermented (fermented nut meats or seeds A23L25/40; fermented milk preparations A23C9/12; addition of bacteria for nutritional purposes A23L33/135)}
- A23L 5/25: {using enzymes}
- A23L 19/00: Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof (marmalades, jams, jellies or the like A23L21/10; treating harvested fruit or vegetables in bulk A23N)
- A23L 33/20: Reducing nutritive value; Dietetic products with reduced nutritive value
- C12N 1/16: Yeasts; Culture media therefor
- C12N 1/20: Bacteria; Culture media therefor
- A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
- C12Y 101/03004: Glucose oxidase (1.1.3.4)
- C12Y 111/01006: Catalase (1.11.1.6)
- C12Y 302/01026: Beta-fructofuranosidase (3.2.1.26), i.e. invertase
- C12Y 503/01018: Glucose isomerase (5.3.1.18)
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION
- C12Y: ENZYMES

## Abstract

An inventive method and a device for the biotechnological reduction of sugar substances in fruit educts for the purpose of obtaining low-sugar fruit products characterized by enzymatic and/or fermentative reaction processes. Said method is characterized by a closed-loop control process, by means of which the pH value in the low-sugar fruit product is adjusted to a predetermined higher value, as compared to the pH value in the fruit educt, in such a way that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 30% by weight to less than 40% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.6 and 1.0 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 40% by weight to less than 50% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.7 and 1.1 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 50% by weight to less than 65% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.8 and 1.2 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 65% by weight to less than 80% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.9 and 1.3 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 80% by weight, the pH value is increased between 1.0 and 1.4 pH units; wherein the aforementioned pH values may also turn out to be higher or lower by up to 0.1 or up to 0.2 pH units; and/or wherein, in the case of fermentatively formed sugar alcohols having a % by weight fraction of up to 3.0% by weight, the increase in the pH value with the simultaneous reduction of the sugar substances may turn out to be less by up to 0.3 pH units, as compared to a purely enzymatic process, wherein preferably both values correlate to each other, in particular, linearly. The present invention can be used to obtain, in particular, low-sugar fruit products, such as fruit purées or fruit preparations or fruit powder or whole fruit beverages (smoothies) or fruit juices and/or vegetable juices (regardless of whether bottled undiluted as NFC juice or rediluted as fruit juice from fruit juice concentrate) or comparable fruit beverages that can be characterized as alcohol-free.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Method for the biotechnological reduction of sugar substances in fruit educts for the purpose of obtaining low-sugar fruit products by
enzymatic and/or fermentative reaction processes
characterized by
a closed-loop control process, by means of which the pH value in the low sugar fruit product is adjusted to a predetermined higher value, as compared to the pH value in the fruit educt, in such a way
that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 30% by weight to less than 40% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.6 and 1.0 pH units; or
that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 40% by weight to less than 50% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.7 and 1.1 pH units; or
that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 50% by weight to less than 65% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.8 and 1.2 pH units; or
that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 65% by weight to less than 80% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.9 and 1.3 pH units; or
that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 80% by weight, the pH value is increased between 1.0 and 1.4 pH units;
wherein the aforementioned pH values may also turn out to be higher or lower by up to 0.1 or up to 0.2 pH units; and/or
wherein, in the case of fermentatively formed sugar alcohols having a % by weight fraction of up to 3.0% by weight, the increase in the pH value with the simultaneous reduction of the sugar substances may turn out to be less by up to 0.3 pH units, as compared to a purely enzymatic process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Method, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that in the case of fermentatively formed sugar alcohols, the resulting low pH value correlates linearly to the % by weight fraction of the sugar alcohols in such a way that, for example,
at 1.0% by weight of fermentatively formed sugar alcohols, the pH value increase turns out to be less by 0.1 pH units, and
at 2.0% by weight of fermentatively formed sugar alcohols, the pH value increase turns out to be less by 0.2 pH units, and
at 3.0% by weight of fermentatively formed sugar alcohols, the pH value increase turns out to be less by 0.3 pH units.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Method, as claimed in claim 1, characterized by an
enzymatic conversion of sucrose into glucose and fructose by means of invertase; and/or
enzymatic conversion of fructose into glucose by means of glucose isomerase.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Method, as claimed in claim 1, characterized by an
enzymatic degradation of glucose to form gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide by means of glucose oxidase
with simultaneous use of catalase to convert the resulting hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

Method, as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that during the enzymatic reaction processes by means of glucose oxidase and catalase, the required oxygen is supplied, wherein the oxygen supply is adjusted preferably to saturations between 5% and 60%, in particular, between 10% and 40%, even more preferably between 30% and less than 40%.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

Method, as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the oxygen is blown uniformly into a device for carrying out the method.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Method, as claimed in claim 1, characterized by a
fermentative degradation of fructose and/or glucose to form sweetening sugar alcohols by means of special microorganisms, such as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Monitiella tomentosa, and Candida magnoliae,
under preferably aerobic conditions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

Method, as claimed in claim 1, characterized by a
fermentative degradation of fructose and/or glucose to form sweetening sugar alcohols by means of special microorganisms, such as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Monitiella tomentosa, and Candida magnoliae,
under preferably anaerobic conditions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

Method, as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that such microorganisms are used that grow in the fruit educt and in the presence of the fruit's own bactericides and, in so doing, form preferably sweetening sugar alcohols, such as erythritol.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

Method, as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that for anaerobic fermentation before and/or during the use of anaerobic microorganisms, the removal of oxygen is carried out completely enzymatically by means of glucose oxidase and catalase reactions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

Method, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the adjustment to a higher pH value is carried out, preferably in an automated manner, during the reaction processes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

Method, as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the adjustment to a higher pH value is carried out by adding tasteless salts and/or salt suspensions, such as, in particular, magnesium oxide and/or magnesium oxide suspension.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

Device for carrying out the method, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least:
means for adjusting a pH value by metering in an acidity regulator to a higher value, as compared to the pH value in the fruit educt; and/or
means for the uniform introduction of oxygen up to a content that is compatible with the sensitive secondary ingredients in the fruit educt,
are provided in this device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

Device, as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that it is designed
so as to be closed
and/or
to work at room temperature.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

Low-sugar fruit products, obtained by a method, as claimed in claim 1, such as fruit purées or fruit preparations or fruit powder or whole fruit beverages (smoothies) or fruit juices and/or vegetable juices or comparable fruit beverages that can be characterized as alcohol free.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

Method, as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that such microorganisms are used that grow in the fruit educt and in the presence of the fruit's own bactericides and, in so doing, form preferably sweetening sugar alcohols, such as erythritol.