Food thickener composition and method
AssigneeGrain Processing Corporation
InventorJianteng Xu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Liquid thickener compositions are provided. The compositions may be used to thicken foods and other products. The compositions include at least one gum or thickener and one or more hydration or swelling inhibitors. The inhibitors decrease the viscosity of the concentrated thickener composition, but then permit the composition to function as a thickener upon dilution. Such compositions may provide for thickener compositions that are readily flowable and that require decreased mixing compared to other thickener compositions.
Claims31
A liquid food thickener composition comprising:
- water;
- a swelling gum in an amount of about 1 to about 20 wt. %;
- and
- a swelling inhibitor comprising a salt and an oligosaccharide, the salt and oligosaccharide each being present in an amount that decreases the swelling of the swelling gum such that a viscosity of the liquid food thickener composition is less than a viscosity of a comparative combination of the swelling gum and either one of the salt and oligosaccharide alone when at the same concentrations, and a viscosity of the swelling gum without any swelling inhibitor is less than the viscosity of the comparative combination of the swelling gum at the same concentration and either one of the salt and oligosaccharide alone.
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A liquid food thickener composition comprising:
- water;
- a first gum in an amount of about 1 to about 20 wt. %;
- a second gum in an amount of about 0.001 to about 0.1 wt. %;
- a first hydration inhibitor component in an amount of about 0.1 to about 10 wt. %;
- and
- a second hydration inhibitor component in an amount of about 2 to about 55 wt. %.
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A method of preparing a liquid food thickener composition comprising the steps of:
- dissolving about 2 to about 55 wt. % maltodextrin in water at an elevated temperature;
- cooling the dissolved maltodextrin to a relatively lower temperature;
- adding a gum in an amount of about 1 to about 20 wt. %;
- and
- adding salt in an amount of about 0.1 to about 10 wt. % prior to the addition of the gum.
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A method of thickening an aqueous food composition, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the aqueous food composition;
- and
- adding a liquid food thickener composition, the liquid food thickener composition comprising water, a swelling gum, and a swelling inhibitor, the swelling inhibitor including a salt and an oligosaccharide,
- the salt and oligosaccharide each being present in an amount that decreases the swelling of the swelling gum such that a viscosity of the liquid food thickener composition is less than a viscosity of a comparative combination of the swelling gum and either one of the salt and oligosaccharide alone when at the same concentrations, and a viscosity of the swelling gum without any swelling inhibitor is less than the viscosity of the comparative combination of the swelling gum at the same concentration and either one of the salt and oligosaccharide alone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.