Oil-coated microparticulated gellan gum
AssigneeMonsanto Company
InventorsOfori J. Amankonah, Raymond C. Valli, Dana A. Zdanis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is oil-coated microparticulated gellan gum microparticles which are useful as a fat replacer, as an encapsulant and/or as a delivery system for food ingredients in low- or no-fat food matrix. The microparticles are substantially spherical and have particle sizes ranging between about 0.1-10 microns. Primarily, these microparticles have particle sizes ranging between 0.1-5.0 microns. The microparticles have a narrow size distribution, with about 70-80% ranging between the 0.1-5.0 micron size. The particles have a high degree of deformability and surface hydrophobicity.
Claims15
A composition comprising substantially spherical oil-coated microparticles, wherein between about 70-80% of the microparticles have particle size diameters between about 0.1-5.0 microns, and wherein the microparticles consist essentially of gellan gum.
A process for preparing oil-coated gellan gum microparticles consisting essentially of gellan gum comprising:
- a) simultaneously introducing oil and gellan gum solution into a microfluidizer operated at a pressure between about 8,000 and 10,000 psi.;
- b) forming gellan gum microparticulates and coating the gellan gum microparticulates with oil;
- and
- c) removing excess oil.
A process for preparing oil-coated gellan gum microparticles, consisting essentially of gellan gum having one or more surface functional materials adhering to the oil coat, comprising:
- a) simultaneously introducing oil and gellan gum solution into a microfluidizer operated at a pressure between about 8,000 and 10,000 psi.;
- b) forming gellan gum microparticulates and coating the gelan gum microparticulates with oil to form an oil-coated microparticulated gellan gum composition;
- c) removing excess oil;
- and
- d) applying a surface functional material to the oil coating by blending oil-coated microparticulated gellan gum with the surface functional material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.