# US 8,541,041 B2 · Use of alternan as a thickening agent and thickening agent compositions containing alternan and another thickening agent > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,541,041 B2 - Document ID: US8541041B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/921,022 - Filed: 2009-03-06 - Published: 2011-01-20 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-03-07 - Assignees: Bayer CropScience AG - Applicants: Jens Pilling - Inventors: Jens Pilling - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541041B2 ## CPC - A23L 33/21: Addition of substantially indigestible substances, e.g. dietary fibres - A23L 29/20: containing gelling or thickening agents (marmalades, jams, jellies or other similar fruit or vegetable compositions A23L21/10) - A23L 29/212: Starch; Modified starch; Starch derivatives, e.g. esters or ethers (containing starch hydrolysates, e.g. dextrin, A23L29/30) - A23L 29/269: of microbial origin, e.g. xanthan or dextran - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) ## Abstract The invention relates to the use of alteman as a thickening agent, in particular for foodstuffs, a thickening agent composition comprising alternan and at least one thickening agent, a foodstuff comprising the thickening agent composition, and a method of increasing the viscosity of foodstuffs. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thickening agent composition comprising alternan and at least one other thickening agent, wherein said alternan is obtained with the aid of a bacterial enzyme, and wherein said alternan has a weight-average molecular weight in the range from about 10,000,000 g/mol to about 60,000,000 g/mol. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the other thickening agent is a polysaccharide other than alternan. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the other thickening agent is starch, starch derivatives, modified starches, starch phosphates, pectins, modified pectins, alginic acid, alginates, guar flour, tragacanth, gum arabic, gelatin, carob-seed flour, galactomannan, xanthan, carrageen, karaya gum, tara gum, tamarind gum, gellan gum, mannan, maltodextrins, cellulose, derivatized cellulose, dextran or mixtures of two or more of these substances. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the other thickening agent is starch, modified starches, starch derivatives, starch phosphates, alginates, carrageen, derivatized cellulose or mixtures of two or more of these substances. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the alternan and the other thickening agent are in a weight ratio from 10:1 to 1:10. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The thickening agent composition of claim 1, in the form of a powder. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method of thickening foodstuffs, foodstuff starting products or foodstuff intermediates comprising adding the thickening agent composition of claim 1. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the foodstuff is sauces, meat juices, soups, dressings, dips, milk products, bakery products or doughs. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the milk product is yoghurt, cream, full-fat milk, skimmed milk, buttermilk, sour milk, kefir, whey, mousse, jelly, pudding, spreads, jam, or ice cream. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the yoghurt is drinking yoghurt. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate, comprising the thickening agent composition of claim 1. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate of claim 11, wherein the foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate is sauces, meat juices, soups, dressings, dips, milk products, bakery products or doughs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The foodstuff of claim 12, wherein the milk product is yoghurt, cream, full-fat milk, skimmed milk, buttermilk, sour milk, kefir, whey, mousse, jelly, pudding, spreads, jam, or ice cream. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the yoghurt is drinking yoghurt. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method of increasing the viscosity of foodstuffs, foodstuff starting products or foodstuff intermediates, comprising adding the thickening agent composition of claim 1 to the foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising submitting the foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate to a heat treatment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The thickening agent composition of claim 1, wherein the bacterial enzyme is alternan sucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides. ### Claim 18 A kit comprising alternan and at least one other thickening agent, wherein said alternan is obtained with the aid of a bacterial enzyme, and wherein said alternan has a weight-average molecular weight in the range from about 10,000,000 g/mol to about 60,000,000 g/mol. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The kit of claim 18, wherein the other thickening agent is starch, starch derivatives, modified starches, starch phosphates, pectins, modified pectins, alginic acid, alginates, guar flour, tragacanth, gum arabic, gelatin, carob-seed flour, galactomannan, xanthan, carrageen, karaya gum, tara gum, tamarind gum, gellan gum, mannan, maltodextrins, cellulose, derivatized cellulose, dextran or mixtures of two or more of these substances. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The kit of claim 18, wherein the other thickening agent is starch, modified starches, starch derivatives, starch phosphates, alginates, carrageen, derivatized cellulose or mixtures of two or more of these substances. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The kit of claim 18, wherein the alternan and the other thickening agent are in a weight ratio from 10:1 to 1:10.