US20130034647A1 - Modified thaumatin preparation - Google Patents
Modified thaumatin preparation Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20130034647A1 US20130034647A1 US13/414,281 US201213414281A US2013034647A1 US 20130034647 A1 US20130034647 A1 US 20130034647A1 US 201213414281 A US201213414281 A US 201213414281A US 2013034647 A1 US2013034647 A1 US 2013034647A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- aqueous solution
- thaumatin
- weight
- water
- soluble
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 235000010436 thaumatin Nutrition 0.000 title claims abstract description 106
- 239000000892 thaumatin Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 106
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 48
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 45
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- 239000007864 aqueous solution Substances 0.000 claims description 95
- -1 carbohydrate compound Chemical class 0.000 claims description 30
- 150000003839 salts Chemical class 0.000 claims description 28
- 229920001206 natural gum Polymers 0.000 claims description 27
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 25
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 25
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims description 18
- 238000002425 crystallisation Methods 0.000 claims description 18
- 229920000084 Gum arabic Polymers 0.000 claims description 13
- 235000010489 acacia gum Nutrition 0.000 claims description 13
- 239000000205 acacia gum Substances 0.000 claims description 13
- 229920001282 polysaccharide Polymers 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000005017 polysaccharide Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 claims description 2
- 241000978776 Senegalia senegal Species 0.000 claims 1
- 150000004676 glycans Chemical class 0.000 claims 1
- 102000004169 proteins and genes Human genes 0.000 description 21
- 108090000623 proteins and genes Proteins 0.000 description 21
- 235000014633 carbohydrates Nutrition 0.000 description 17
- 239000011557 critical solution Substances 0.000 description 17
- 239000013078 crystal Substances 0.000 description 17
- 244000215068 Acacia senegal Species 0.000 description 12
- 235000003599 food sweetener Nutrition 0.000 description 11
- 239000003765 sweetening agent Substances 0.000 description 11
- 239000000796 flavoring agent Substances 0.000 description 9
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- 229920002774 Maltodextrin Polymers 0.000 description 8
- FAPWRFPIFSIZLT-UHFFFAOYSA-M Sodium chloride Chemical compound [Na+].[Cl-] FAPWRFPIFSIZLT-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 8
- 229940035034 maltodextrin Drugs 0.000 description 8
- HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M Sodium hydroxide Chemical compound [OH-].[Na+] HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 6
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- CZMRCDWAGMRECN-UGDNZRGBSA-N Sucrose Chemical compound O[C@H]1[C@H](O)[C@@H](CO)O[C@@]1(CO)O[C@@H]1[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](CO)O1 CZMRCDWAGMRECN-UGDNZRGBSA-N 0.000 description 6
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- 230000000873 masking effect Effects 0.000 description 6
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- 240000007326 Thaumatococcus daniellii Species 0.000 description 5
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- 150000004804 polysaccharides Chemical class 0.000 description 5
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 5
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 5
- 235000005266 Thaumatococcus daniellii Nutrition 0.000 description 4
- 229910052783 alkali metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 150000001340 alkali metals Chemical class 0.000 description 4
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 4
- 235000019658 bitter taste Nutrition 0.000 description 4
- 150000004820 halides Chemical class 0.000 description 4
- LPUQAYUQRXPFSQ-DFWYDOINSA-M monosodium L-glutamate Chemical compound [Na+].[O-]C(=O)[C@@H](N)CCC(O)=O LPUQAYUQRXPFSQ-DFWYDOINSA-M 0.000 description 4
- 239000004223 monosodium glutamate Substances 0.000 description 4
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- 238000001291 vacuum drying Methods 0.000 description 4
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- 206010013911 Dysgeusia Diseases 0.000 description 3
- WQZGKKKJIJFFOK-GASJEMHNSA-N Glucose Natural products OC[C@H]1OC(O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@@H]1O WQZGKKKJIJFFOK-GASJEMHNSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 229910052784 alkaline earth metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 150000001342 alkaline earth metals Chemical class 0.000 description 3
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 3
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- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000003623 enhancer Substances 0.000 description 3
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- 229920000591 gum Polymers 0.000 description 3
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- 241000416162 Astragalus gummifer Species 0.000 description 2
- 229920002245 Dextrose equivalent Polymers 0.000 description 2
- GUBGYTABKSRVRQ-QKKXKWKRSA-N Lactose Natural products OC[C@H]1O[C@@H](O[C@H]2[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)C(O)O[C@@H]2CO)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H]1O GUBGYTABKSRVRQ-QKKXKWKRSA-N 0.000 description 2
- TWRXJAOTZQYOKJ-UHFFFAOYSA-L Magnesium chloride Chemical compound [Mg+2].[Cl-].[Cl-] TWRXJAOTZQYOKJ-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 description 2
- WCUXLLCKKVVCTQ-UHFFFAOYSA-M Potassium chloride Chemical compound [Cl-].[K+] WCUXLLCKKVVCTQ-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 2
- 229920001615 Tragacanth Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 239000008122 artificial sweetener Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000021311 artificial sweeteners Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 238000000498 ball milling Methods 0.000 description 2
- 235000019636 bitter flavor Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 150000001720 carbohydrates Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 230000001013 cariogenic effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000003750 conditioning effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 235000005911 diet Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 230000000378 dietary effect Effects 0.000 description 2
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- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000001914 filtration Methods 0.000 description 2
- 235000013373 food additive Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 239000002778 food additive Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000007710 freezing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008014 freezing Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000011194 good manufacturing practice Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000008101 lactose Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000004062 sedimentation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 235000011121 sodium hydroxide Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920001285 xanthan gum Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 235000010493 xanthan gum Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 239000000230 xanthan gum Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229940082509 xanthan gum Drugs 0.000 description 2
- FYGDTMLNYKFZSV-URKRLVJHSA-N (2s,3r,4s,5s,6r)-2-[(2r,4r,5r,6s)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(2r,4r,5r,6s)-4,5,6-trihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol Chemical compound O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](CO)O[C@H]1OC1[C@@H](CO)O[C@@H](OC2[C@H](O[C@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H]2O)CO)[C@H](O)[C@H]1O FYGDTMLNYKFZSV-URKRLVJHSA-N 0.000 description 1
- LUEWUZLMQUOBSB-FSKGGBMCSA-N (2s,3s,4s,5s,6r)-2-[(2r,3s,4r,5r,6s)-6-[(2r,3s,4r,5s,6s)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(2r,4r,5s,6r)-4,5,6-trihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol Chemical compound O[C@H]1[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](CO)O[C@H]1O[C@@H]1[C@@H](CO)O[C@@H](O[C@@H]2[C@H](O[C@@H](OC3[C@H](O[C@@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H]3O)CO)[C@@H](O)[C@H]2O)CO)[C@H](O)[C@H]1O LUEWUZLMQUOBSB-FSKGGBMCSA-N 0.000 description 1
- IXPNQXFRVYWDDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 1-methyl-2,4-dioxo-1,3-diazinane-5-carboximidamide Chemical compound CN1CC(C(N)=N)C(=O)NC1=O IXPNQXFRVYWDDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229920001817 Agar Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 244000106483 Anogeissus latifolia Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000011514 Anogeissus latifolia Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 229920002498 Beta-glucan Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000001884 Cassia gum Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920001412 Chicle Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920002871 Dammar gum Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004860 Dammar gum Substances 0.000 description 1
- 241000196324 Embryophyta Species 0.000 description 1
- LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethanol Chemical compound CCO LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229920002148 Gellan gum Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920002581 Glucomannan Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920002907 Guar gum Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000001922 Gum ghatti Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920000569 Gum karaya Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920000161 Locust bean gum Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 240000001794 Manilkara zapota Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000011339 Manilkara zapota Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 241001465754 Metazoa Species 0.000 description 1
- 229920000881 Modified starch Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 206010067482 No adverse event Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 208000008589 Obesity Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 241000218657 Picea Species 0.000 description 1
- 229920000175 Pistacia lentiscus Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 244000090599 Plantago psyllium Species 0.000 description 1
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- 229920002472 Starch Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 241000934878 Sterculia Species 0.000 description 1
- 240000004584 Tamarindus indica Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000004298 Tamarindus indica Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 208000025371 Taste disease Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 239000008272 agar Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000010443 alginic acid Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000783 alginic acid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920000615 alginic acid Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229960001126 alginic acid Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 150000004781 alginic acids Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 125000000539 amino acid group Chemical group 0.000 description 1
- 150000001413 amino acids Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000021028 berry Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000004067 bulking agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000010418 carrageenan Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000679 carrageenan Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920001525 carrageenan Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229940113118 carrageenan Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 235000019318 cassia gum Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000003518 caustics Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007385 chemical modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000008373 coffee flavor Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012141 concentrate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003111 delayed effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 208000002925 dental caries Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 235000018823 dietary intake Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000029087 digestion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229940079593 drug Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 230000002708 enhancing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 235000015219 food category Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000010492 gellan gum Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000216 gellan gum Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229940046240 glucomannan Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 235000010417 guar gum Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000665 guar gum Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229960002154 guar gum Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 235000019314 gum ghatti Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000005802 health problem Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000010903 husk Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007062 hydrolysis Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006460 hydrolysis reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000010494 karaya gum Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000231 karaya gum Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229940039371 karaya gum Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 235000010420 locust bean gum Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000711 locust bean gum Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007774 longterm Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910001629 magnesium chloride Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000005360 mashing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000019656 metallic taste Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000019426 modified starch Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000021096 natural sweeteners Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000013615 non-nutritive sweetener Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000002773 nucleotide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 125000003729 nucleotide group Chemical group 0.000 description 1
- 235000020824 obesity Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000009928 pasteurization Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008447 perception Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000419 plant extract Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920000867 polyelectrolyte Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001184 polypeptide Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000001103 potassium chloride Substances 0.000 description 1
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- 239000002244 precipitate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 102000004196 processed proteins & peptides Human genes 0.000 description 1
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- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000746 purification Methods 0.000 description 1
- CVHZOJJKTDOEJC-UHFFFAOYSA-N saccharin Chemical compound C1=CC=C2C(=O)NS(=O)(=O)C2=C1 CVHZOJJKTDOEJC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 235000019608 salt taste sensations Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000007873 sieving Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000010413 sodium alginate Nutrition 0.000 description 1
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- 241000894007 species Species 0.000 description 1
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- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000010491 tara gum Nutrition 0.000 description 1
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- 238000000108 ultra-filtration Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000019607 umami taste sensations Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- UHVMMEOXYDMDKI-JKYCWFKZSA-L zinc;1-(5-cyanopyridin-2-yl)-3-[(1s,2s)-2-(6-fluoro-2-hydroxy-3-propanoylphenyl)cyclopropyl]urea;diacetate Chemical compound [Zn+2].CC([O-])=O.CC([O-])=O.CCC(=O)C1=CC=C(F)C([C@H]2[C@H](C2)NC(=O)NC=2N=CC(=CC=2)C#N)=C1O UHVMMEOXYDMDKI-JKYCWFKZSA-L 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
- A23L27/00—Spices; Flavouring agents or condiments; Artificial sweetening agents; Table salts; Dietetic salt substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof
- A23L27/30—Artificial sweetening agents
- A23L27/31—Artificial sweetening agents containing amino acids, nucleotides, peptides or derivatives
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23V—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION
- A23V2002/00—Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
Definitions
- the present invention relates to processes for preparing compositions containing thaumatin having desired properties. More particularly but not exclusively, it relates to compositions containing thaumatin having particular organoleptic properties, and to processes for their manufacture.
- Thaumatin is a particularly interesting example, with many advantages.
- Thaumatin comprises a group of very closely related naturally-occurring proteins, each having a single polypeptide chain of 207 amino acid residues linked by 8 disulphide bridges, giving a molecular weight of around 22,000. There are no unusual or rarely-occurring amino acids in the chain, which means that hydrolysis (e.g. on digestion) is most unlikely to produce any substances associated with dietary intolerances.
- Thaumatin is obtained from the West African plant Thaumatococcus daniellii.
- the Katemfe fruit from this plant has long been known as a source of sweetness, but was only reported in European scientific literature in 1855. It is now extracted on a commercial basis from Katemfe fruit, yielding a product that is roughly 2000 to 3000 times sweeter than sucrose (on a weight for weight basis).
- the effective “Calorie content” for a given sweetness level is hence close to zero.
- FDA Food and Drug Administration
- the USA classifies thaumatin as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe).
- Thaumatin was approved in 1988 by the predecessor of EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) and in 1985 by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Under the relevant European Directives, thaumatin may be used as a sweetener at certain maximum levels, depending on the food category involved, while when used as a flavour enhancer it can be used in any food made under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). Thaumatin has passed every animal and human safety study carried out to date, with no adverse reactions observed.
- Thaumatin is also stable in freeze-dried form and in solution in water or aqueous alcohol. It survives pasteurisation and UHT processing conditions, and as a coating has survived dry temperatures up to 140° C. In aqueous solution, it is stable over a wide pH range. Thaumatin appears to have no cariogenic effects.
- Thaumatin is not a complete replacement for sucrose, however. While it produces an intense sweetness, this is recognisably different to that of sucrose. The onset of the sweet taste is often delayed, while the perception of sweetness can then linger for longer than for sucrose. At high usage levels, a liquorice-like aftertaste can remain.
- thaumatin has several further properties that distinguish it from other natural and artificial sweeteners.
- thaumatin has been found to be more effective in masking many bitter, sour or metallic tastes than would be expected from its sweetness alone. This is beneficial both in foods (the metallic aftertaste of saccharine can be masked in addition to synergetically enhancing sweetness) and in pharmaceuticals (where many active components delivered by mouth have unpleasant tastes).
- thaumatin enhances a wide range of non-sweetener flavour compounds, including savoury flavours, and in particular those considered “aggressive”.
- savoury flavours include synergies with natural flavour enhancers, such as 5′ nucleotides and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
- MSG monosodium glutamate
- Thaumatin may thus be considered as much a flavour enhancer as it is a simple sweetener.
- thaumatin could be “tailored” to produce any one of the above effects more than the others, it being rare to require all of the above properties at once.
- the flesh of the Katemfe fruit is excised from the seeds and is frozen for transport and storage. This flesh is “mashed” in an aqueous extraction step, filtered and treated with caustic soda. After sedimentation, the supernatant is decanted off, filtered and then concentrated and purified by membrane techniques. The concentrate is then induced to crystallise by reducing the temperature to well below 0° C. The crystals are vacuum-dried, granulated by ball-milling, sieved and blended with materials such as maltodextrin, gum arabic, lactose and the like to produce a convenient dry powder product containing a standard level of thaumatin protein.
- a method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 5% by weight of one or more water-soluble carbohydrate compounds.
- said one or more water-soluble carbohydrate compounds comprise at least one polysaccharide.
- carbohydrate compounds generally refers to all carbohydrates except those that might be considered natural gums.
- Natural gums may include, but are not limited to, agar, alginic acid, beta-glucan, carrageenan, cassia gum, chicle gum, dammar gum, gellan gum, glucomannan, guar gum, gum arabic, gum ghatti, gum tragacanth, karaya gum, locust bean gum, mastic gum, psyllium seed husks, sodium alginate, spruce gum, tamarind gum, tara gum, and xanthan gum.
- the natural gum is a polyelectrolyte natural gum.
- said aqueous solution further comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
- said metal salt comprises a halide.
- Said metal salt may comprise an alkali metal.
- Said metal salt may comprise an alkaline earth metal.
- Said aqueous solution may have a pH of greater than 3, optionally of greater than 5.
- the method preferably comprises the step of reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to ⁇ 15° C. or below.
- the method may further comprise the step of reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to an initial temperature between 0° C. and 5° C. and maintaining it at said initial temperature for at least ten minutes, prior to said step of reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to ⁇ 15° C. or below.
- a method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted for use as a sweetness enhancer, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises greater than 5% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound.
- said aqueous solution comprises up to 15% by weight of said carbohydrate compound.
- said aqueous solution comprises between 7.5% and 12.5% by weight of said carbohydrate compound.
- the carbohydrate compound may comprise a polysaccharide, optionally a poly (dextrose).
- said aqueous solution further comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum.
- said aqueous solution may then comprise up to 15% by weight of said natural gum.
- Said natural gum may comprise gum arabic.
- Said aqueous solution preferably contains at least 10% by weight of thaumatin protein.
- said aqueous solution comprises up to 20% by weight of thaumatin protein.
- the aqueous solution may comprise between 12.5% and 17.5% by weight of thaumatin protein.
- said aqueous solution additionally comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
- said metal salt comprises a halide.
- Said metal salt may comprise an alkali metal.
- said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 5.
- said aqueous solution has a pH of 7 or lower.
- Said aqueous solution may have a temperature prior to cooling of at least 25° C., optionally up to 35° C.
- said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to ⁇ 15° C. or below, optionally to ⁇ 25° C. or below.
- said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution over a period of at least 20 minutes, optionally over at least 30 minutes.
- composition comprising thaumatin, adapted for use as a sweetness enhancer, comprising thaumatin crystals produced according to a method as described in the second aspect above.
- a method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted to enhance salty, umami and other savoury flavours, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 5% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum.
- said aqueous solution comprises up to 15% by weight of said water-soluble natural gum.
- said aqueous solution comprises between 7.5% and 12.5% by weight of said water-soluble natural gum.
- Said water-soluble natural gum may comprise gum arabic.
- said aqueous solution further comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound.
- the aqueous solution may then comprise up to 5% by weight of said water-soluble carbohydrate compound.
- Said carbohydrate compound may comprise a polysaccharide, optionally a poly (dextrose).
- Said aqueous solution preferably comprises up to 10% by weight thaumatin protein.
- said aqueous solution comprises at least 1% by weight thaumatin protein.
- the aqueous solution may comprise between 3 and 8% by weight thaumatin protein.
- said aqueous solution additionally comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
- said metal salt comprises a halide.
- Said metal salt may comprise an alkali metal.
- Said metal salt may comprise an alkaline earth metal.
- said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 2.
- said aqueous solution has a pH of 5 or lower.
- Said aqueous solution may have a temperature prior to cooling of up to 25° C.
- said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to ⁇ 15° C. or below.
- the step of cooling the aqueous solution may comprise reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution over a period of at least 30 minutes, optionally over at least 40 minutes.
- the method further comprises an initial conditioning step, prior to said step of cooling the aqueous solution, wherein the aqueous solution is held at a temperature between 0° C. and 5° C. for at least 20 minutes, optionally for up to 60 minutes.
- a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted to enhance salty, umami and other savoury flavours, and comprising thaumatin crystals produced according to a method as described in the fourth aspect above.
- a method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted to mask sour and bitter flavours, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 10% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum.
- said aqueous solution comprises up to 15% by weight of said water-soluble natural gum.
- said aqueous solution comprises between 12% and 14% by weight of said water-soluble natural gum.
- Said water-soluble natural gum may comprise gum arabic.
- said aqueous solution further comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound.
- the aqueous solution may then comprise up to 5% by weight of the water-soluble carbohydrate compound.
- Said carbohydrate compound may comprise a polysaccharide, optionally a poly (dextrose).
- Said aqueous solution preferably comprises at least 10% by weight thaumatin protein.
- said aqueous solution comprises up to 15% by weight thaumatin protein.
- the aqueous solution may comprise between 12% and 14% by weight thaumatin protein.
- said aqueous solution comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
- said metal salt comprises a halide.
- Said metal salt may comprise an alkali metal.
- Said metal salt may comprise an alkaline earth metal.
- said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 5.
- said aqueous solution has a pH of 7 or lower.
- Said aqueous solution may have a temperature prior to cooling of at least 25° C., optionally up to 35° C.
- said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to ⁇ 15° C. or below.
- said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution over a period of at least 30 minutes, optionally at least 40 minutes.
- the method may further comprise an initial conditioning step, prior to said step of cooling the aqueous solution, wherein the aqueous solution is held at a temperature between 0° C. and 5° C. for at least 20 minutes, optionally for up to 60 minutes.
- a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted to mask sour and bitter flavours, and comprising thaumatin crystals produced according to a method as described in the sixth aspect above.
- the existing process for extracting thaumatin and producing commercially-usable compositions comprising thaumatin generally has the following sequence of steps.
- the Katemfe fruit is not a true “fruit”, but comprises the “aril”, a fleshy sac covering or attached to each seed (more familiar examples may be the edible “seeds” of the pomegranate, or the so-called yew “berry”).
- Thaumatin is naturally secreted in the aril, and there are well known cultivation techniques to produce high and reliable thaumatin levels therein.
- the first extraction step is an aqueous “mashing” of the arils, which is followed by a primary filtration of the mash liquor.
- Caustic treatment of the filtered liquor comprises treatment with sodium hydroxide, followed by a settlement/sedimentation step.
- the thaumatin remains in solution in the supernatant.
- the supernatant is decanted and cleaned of remaining suspended solids by a filtration step, followed by an ultrafiltration step.
- thaumatin concentration and membrane purification steps are then carried out, to produce a highly concentrated solution of substantially pure thaumatin.
- the thaumatin concentration may be up to 20% w/v at this stage, and the pH has typically fallen to the range pH2.5 to pH3.0.
- This “critical solution” is then induced to form crystals of thaumatin by reducing its temperature to well below 0° C. (a final temperature of ⁇ 20° C. may be employed, for example). This precipitates a very high proportion of the thaumatin as a crop of fine crystals.
- Vacuum drying of the separated crystals is carried out at temperatures ranging from the crystallisation temperature up to ambient temperature or slightly above.
- the dried crystals are granulated to a desired particle size by ball-milling, followed by dry sieving to remove oversize particles (typically using a 60 mesh to 80 mesh sieve) and blending with suitable bulking agents such as maltodextrin, gum arabic or lactose powders (as appropriate to the planned end-use) to give a thaumatin composition containing a desired % w/w of thaumatin protein.
- the methods of the present invention differ from the above known production method mainly in the composition of the critical solution prior to crystallisation, although non-standard temperature profiles for the crystallisation step have also been found to be of benefit.
- the aqueous solution comprises 1) about 10% to about 20% by weight of thaumatin, 2) about 5% to about 15% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, 3) about 1% to about 15% of a water-soluble natural gum, and 4) is at a pH between about 5 and 7.
- a thaumatin composition providing increased enhancement of the sweet taste of other sweeteners was prepared by modifying the above prior art procedure from the pre-crystallisation “critical solution” onwards.
- the critical solution in this first example comprised:
- the remainder of the critical solution comprised water. Percentages are expressed as percentages by weight of the critical solution as a whole.
- the crystallisation step was then carried out by reducing the temperature to ⁇ 25° C. over a period of approximately 30 minutes.
- Vacuum drying of the resultant crop of crystals was carried out at temperatures gradually rising from ⁇ 25° C. up to ambient temperature, completing drying at 22° C.
- the dried crystals were ball-milled under standard conditions, sieved and the sub-80 mesh fraction was blended with maltodextrin to give a series of thaumatin-containing compositions containing a range of known levels of thaumatin protein.
- compositions of the first example were compared in organoleptic tests with thaumatin compositions made conventionally, the compositions of the first example produced significantly greater enhancement of the sweetness of other sweeteners than conventional compositions, at the same net levels of thaumatin protein by weight.
- the aqueous solution comprises 1) about 1% to about 10% by weight of thaumatin, 2) about 1% to about 5% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, 3) about 5% to about 15% of a water-soluble natural gum, and 4) is at a pH between about 2 and 4.
- a thaumatin composition providing improved enhancement of salt and “umami”/MSG flavours was prepared by modifying the above prior art procedure from the pre-crystallisation “critical solution” onwards.
- the remainder of the critical solution comprised water. Percentages again expressed by weight.
- the crystallisation step in this example was carried out in two stages.
- the temperature of the critical solution was initially reduced to 2 to 4° C. and maintained in that range for a dwell time of about 45 minutes.
- the critical solution was then reduced further in temperature, reaching a minimum temperature of ⁇ 15° C. after a further period of approximately 30 minutes.
- Vacuum drying of the resultant crop of crystals was carried out at temperatures gradually rising from ⁇ 15° C. up to ambient temperature, completing drying at 22° C.
- the dried crystals were ball-milled under standard conditions, sieved and the sub-60 mesh fraction was blended with gum arabic to give a series of thaumatin-containing compositions containing a range of known levels of thaumatin protein.
- Organoleptic tests were carried out to compare the thaumatin compositions of the second example with thaumatin compositions made conventionally.
- the tests compared the enhancement of a “savoury” flavour, comprising a salty flavour and a MSG/“umami” flavour.
- a target savoury flavour could be achieved with lower levels of salt/MSG, with lower levels of thaumatin protein, or lower levels of both. Higher levels of thaumatin could be used without introducing a noticeable sweet taste.
- the aqueous solution comprises 1) about 10% to about 15% by weight of thaumatin, 2) about 1% to about 5% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, 3) about 10% to about 15% of a water-soluble natural gum, and 4) is at a pH between about 5 and 7.
- a thaumatin composition providing improved masking of bitter/sour tastes was prepared by modifying the above prior art procedure from the pre-crystallisation “critical solution” onwards.
- the remainder of the critical solution comprised water, and percentages are again expressed by weight.
- the crystallisation step in the third example was then carried out in two stages.
- the temperature of the critical solution was initially reduced to 2 to 4° C., and was maintained in that range for a dwell time of about 40 minutes.
- the critical solution was then cooled further, reaching a minimum temperature of ⁇ 15° C. after a period of approximately 30 minutes.
- Vacuum drying of the resultant crop of crystals was carried out at temperatures gradually rising from ⁇ 15° C. up to ambient temperature, completing drying at 22° C.
- the dried crystals were ball-milled under standard conditions, sieved and the sub-80 mesh fraction was blended with maltodextrin to give a series of thaumatin-containing compositions containing a range of known levels of thaumatin protein.
- Organoleptic tests were carried out to compare the thaumatin compositions of the third example with the thaumatin compositions made conventionally.
- the masking of a series of sour and/or bitter tastes was examined.
- the thaumatin compositions of the third example showed significantly greater masking effect against such tastes than did the conventionally-produced compositions.
- thaumatin has a sufficiently complex structure that crystallisation in the presence of other species (particularly saccharides) may result in a range of subtly different crystals forms with differing organoleptic properties.
- maltodextrin and gum arabic other polysaccharides may be used, such as poly (dextroses) with a range of DE (Dextrose Equivalent) values, or starches or modified starches.
- polysaccharides such as poly (dextroses) with a range of DE (Dextrose Equivalent) values, or starches or modified starches.
- xanthan gum or gum tragacanth might be used.
- Potassium chloride may be used in place of sodium chloride, and in the second and third examples, magnesium chloride may be used (NB but not for a sweetness enhancer composition, as in the first example).
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Abstract
The present invention relates to processes for preparing compositions containing thaumatin having desired properties. More particularly but not exclusively, it relates to compositions containing thaumatin having particular organoleptic properties, and to processes for their manufacture.
Description
- This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/449,951, filed Mar. 7, 2011, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- The present invention relates to processes for preparing compositions containing thaumatin having desired properties. More particularly but not exclusively, it relates to compositions containing thaumatin having particular organoleptic properties, and to processes for their manufacture.
- The consumer demand for sweet-tasting products appears ever-increasing. However, the traditional naturally-derived sweeteners, particularly sucrose, suffer from the major drawbacks that they are high in energy content (“high in Calories”), leading to a risk of obesity and associated health problems. They are also associated with tooth decay.
- There has hence been an enormous amount of work on developing synthetic sweeteners, which have little or no cariogenic effect, and which are far sweeter than sucrose, gram for gram, so that they may be used at lower levels, contributing fewer so-called “empty Calories” to the consumers' dietary intake. However, many of the products developed have proven to have undesirable properties, such as aftertaste, mouth feel or dietary intolerances amongst a substantial proportion of consumers. Additionally, to be as sure as possible that an artificial sweetener is safe (particularly in long-term use) requires lengthy and expensive testing.
- There is hence also significant interest in alternative naturally-occurring sweeteners. Thaumatin is a particularly interesting example, with many advantages.
- Thaumatin comprises a group of very closely related naturally-occurring proteins, each having a single polypeptide chain of 207 amino acid residues linked by 8 disulphide bridges, giving a molecular weight of around 22,000. There are no unusual or rarely-occurring amino acids in the chain, which means that hydrolysis (e.g. on digestion) is most unlikely to produce any substances associated with dietary intolerances.
- Thaumatin is obtained from the West African plant Thaumatococcus daniellii. The Katemfe fruit from this plant has long been known as a source of sweetness, but was only reported in European scientific literature in 1855. It is now extracted on a commercial basis from Katemfe fruit, yielding a product that is roughly 2000 to 3000 times sweeter than sucrose (on a weight for weight basis). The effective “Calorie content” for a given sweetness level is hence close to zero. In line with the natural origin and long history of use of thaumatin, it is very widely approved for use as a sweetener and food additive. For example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA classifies thaumatin as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe). Thaumatin was approved in 1988 by the predecessor of EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) and in 1985 by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Under the relevant European Directives, thaumatin may be used as a sweetener at certain maximum levels, depending on the food category involved, while when used as a flavour enhancer it can be used in any food made under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). Thaumatin has passed every animal and human safety study carried out to date, with no adverse reactions observed.
- Thaumatin is also stable in freeze-dried form and in solution in water or aqueous alcohol. It survives pasteurisation and UHT processing conditions, and as a coating has survived dry temperatures up to 140° C. In aqueous solution, it is stable over a wide pH range. Thaumatin appears to have no cariogenic effects.
- Thaumatin is not a complete replacement for sucrose, however. While it produces an intense sweetness, this is recognisably different to that of sucrose. The onset of the sweet taste is often delayed, while the perception of sweetness can then linger for longer than for sucrose. At high usage levels, a liquorice-like aftertaste can remain.
- Nevertheless, thaumatin has several further properties that distinguish it from other natural and artificial sweeteners.
- It has been found to act synergistically with other low-calorie sweeteners, producing significantly higher perceived sweetness than would be expected from the levels of thaumatin and the other sweetener present.
- Additionally, thaumatin has been found to be more effective in masking many bitter, sour or metallic tastes than would be expected from its sweetness alone. This is beneficial both in foods (the metallic aftertaste of saccharine can be masked in addition to synergetically enhancing sweetness) and in pharmaceuticals (where many active components delivered by mouth have unpleasant tastes).
- Thirdly, thaumatin enhances a wide range of non-sweetener flavour compounds, including savoury flavours, and in particular those considered “aggressive”. One example is the boosting of coffee flavour without generating bitter notes. In savoury products, there appears to be a more complex enhancement, involving synergies with natural flavour enhancers, such as 5′ nucleotides and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Thus, the taste element known from Japanese as “umami” can be enhanced without engaging the health risks perceived in some quarters from high MSG contents.
- Thaumatin may thus be considered as much a flavour enhancer as it is a simple sweetener.
- However, it would still be beneficial if thaumatin could be “tailored” to produce any one of the above effects more than the others, it being rare to require all of the above properties at once. One might also for example wish to enhance a savoury taste without introducing noticeable sweetness, or enhance sweetness without masking a sour or bitter note. On the other hand, it is both a real and a perceived advantage of thaumatin that it is a natural plant extract, so chemical modification of the protein chain, for example, is unlikely to be an acceptable approach.
- The process for extracting thaumatin essentially proceeds as follows (a more complete description is given in the examples below).
- The flesh of the Katemfe fruit is excised from the seeds and is frozen for transport and storage. This flesh is “mashed” in an aqueous extraction step, filtered and treated with caustic soda. After sedimentation, the supernatant is decanted off, filtered and then concentrated and purified by membrane techniques. The concentrate is then induced to crystallise by reducing the temperature to well below 0° C. The crystals are vacuum-dried, granulated by ball-milling, sieved and blended with materials such as maltodextrin, gum arabic, lactose and the like to produce a convenient dry powder product containing a standard level of thaumatin protein.
- It would be beneficial if variations in said conventional production process could be used to modify selectively the balance of properties of the thaumatin compositions produced.
- It is hence an object of the present invention to provide a process for the production of thaumatin compositions that provides some or all of the above benefits and obviates some or all of the above problems. It is also an object of the present invention to provide thaumatin compositions having said modified properties.
- According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 5% by weight of one or more water-soluble carbohydrate compounds.
- Preferably, said one or more water-soluble carbohydrate compounds comprise at least one polysaccharide.
- For purposes of this application, the term “carbohydrate compounds” generally refers to all carbohydrates except those that might be considered natural gums.
- Natural gums may include, but are not limited to, agar, alginic acid, beta-glucan, carrageenan, cassia gum, chicle gum, dammar gum, gellan gum, glucomannan, guar gum, gum arabic, gum ghatti, gum tragacanth, karaya gum, locust bean gum, mastic gum, psyllium seed husks, sodium alginate, spruce gum, tamarind gum, tara gum, and xanthan gum. In certain embodiments of the invention, the natural gum is a polyelectrolyte natural gum.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution further comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
- Advantageously, said metal salt comprises a halide. Said metal salt may comprise an alkali metal. Said metal salt may comprise an alkaline earth metal.
- Said aqueous solution may have a pH of greater than 3, optionally of greater than 5.
- The method preferably comprises the step of reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to −15° C. or below.
- The method may further comprise the step of reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to an initial temperature between 0° C. and 5° C. and maintaining it at said initial temperature for at least ten minutes, prior to said step of reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to −15° C. or below.
- According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted for use as a sweetness enhancer, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises greater than 5% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound. Preferably, said aqueous solution comprises up to 15% by weight of said carbohydrate compound. Advantageously, said aqueous solution comprises between 7.5% and 12.5% by weight of said carbohydrate compound. The carbohydrate compound may comprise a polysaccharide, optionally a poly (dextrose).
- Preferably, said aqueous solution further comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum. Advantageously, said aqueous solution may then comprise up to 15% by weight of said natural gum. Said natural gum may comprise gum arabic.
- Said aqueous solution preferably contains at least 10% by weight of thaumatin protein. Advantageously, said aqueous solution comprises up to 20% by weight of thaumatin protein. The aqueous solution may comprise between 12.5% and 17.5% by weight of thaumatin protein.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution additionally comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt. Advantageously, said metal salt comprises a halide. Said metal salt may comprise an alkali metal.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 5. Advantageously, said aqueous solution has a pH of 7 or lower.
- Said aqueous solution may have a temperature prior to cooling of at least 25° C., optionally up to 35° C. Preferably, said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to −15° C. or below, optionally to −25° C. or below. Advantageously, said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution over a period of at least 20 minutes, optionally over at least 30 minutes.
- According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composition comprising thaumatin, adapted for use as a sweetness enhancer, comprising thaumatin crystals produced according to a method as described in the second aspect above.
- According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted to enhance salty, umami and other savoury flavours, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 5% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum. Preferably, said aqueous solution comprises up to 15% by weight of said water-soluble natural gum. Advantageously, said aqueous solution comprises between 7.5% and 12.5% by weight of said water-soluble natural gum. Said water-soluble natural gum may comprise gum arabic.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution further comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound. Advantageously, the aqueous solution may then comprise up to 5% by weight of said water-soluble carbohydrate compound. Said carbohydrate compound may comprise a polysaccharide, optionally a poly (dextrose).
- Said aqueous solution preferably comprises up to 10% by weight thaumatin protein. Advantageously, said aqueous solution comprises at least 1% by weight thaumatin protein. The aqueous solution may comprise between 3 and 8% by weight thaumatin protein.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution additionally comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt. Advantageously, said metal salt comprises a halide. Said metal salt may comprise an alkali metal. Said metal salt may comprise an alkaline earth metal.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 2. Advantageously, said aqueous solution has a pH of 5 or lower.
- Said aqueous solution may have a temperature prior to cooling of up to 25° C. Preferably, said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to −15° C. or below.
- The step of cooling the aqueous solution may comprise reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution over a period of at least 30 minutes, optionally over at least 40 minutes. Advantageously, the method further comprises an initial conditioning step, prior to said step of cooling the aqueous solution, wherein the aqueous solution is held at a temperature between 0° C. and 5° C. for at least 20 minutes, optionally for up to 60 minutes.
- According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted to enhance salty, umami and other savoury flavours, and comprising thaumatin crystals produced according to a method as described in the fourth aspect above.
- According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted to mask sour and bitter flavours, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 10% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution comprises up to 15% by weight of said water-soluble natural gum. Advantageously, said aqueous solution comprises between 12% and 14% by weight of said water-soluble natural gum. Said water-soluble natural gum may comprise gum arabic.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution further comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound. Advantageously, the aqueous solution may then comprise up to 5% by weight of the water-soluble carbohydrate compound. Said carbohydrate compound may comprise a polysaccharide, optionally a poly (dextrose).
- Said aqueous solution preferably comprises at least 10% by weight thaumatin protein. Advantageously, said aqueous solution comprises up to 15% by weight thaumatin protein. The aqueous solution may comprise between 12% and 14% by weight thaumatin protein.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt. Advantageously, said metal salt comprises a halide. Said metal salt may comprise an alkali metal. Said metal salt may comprise an alkaline earth metal.
- Preferably, said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 5. Advantageously, said aqueous solution has a pH of 7 or lower.
- Said aqueous solution may have a temperature prior to cooling of at least 25° C., optionally up to 35° C. Preferably, said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution to −15° C. or below. Advantageously, said step of cooling the aqueous solution comprises reducing the temperature of the aqueous solution over a period of at least 30 minutes, optionally at least 40 minutes.
- The method may further comprise an initial conditioning step, prior to said step of cooling the aqueous solution, wherein the aqueous solution is held at a temperature between 0° C. and 5° C. for at least 20 minutes, optionally for up to 60 minutes.
- According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composition comprising thaumatin, said composition being adapted to mask sour and bitter flavours, and comprising thaumatin crystals produced according to a method as described in the sixth aspect above.
- Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example.
- The existing process for extracting thaumatin and producing commercially-usable compositions comprising thaumatin generally has the following sequence of steps.
- Excision of arils of the fruit of Thaumatacoccus danielii: the Katemfe fruit is not a true “fruit”, but comprises the “aril”, a fleshy sac covering or attached to each seed (more familiar examples may be the edible “seeds” of the pomegranate, or the so-called yew “berry”). Thaumatin is naturally secreted in the aril, and there are well known cultivation techniques to produce high and reliable thaumatin levels therein.
- Rapid freezing of discrete excised arils, followed by bulk freezing for transport and cold storage of the arils.
- The first extraction step is an aqueous “mashing” of the arils, which is followed by a primary filtration of the mash liquor.
- Caustic treatment of the filtered liquor comprises treatment with sodium hydroxide, followed by a settlement/sedimentation step. The thaumatin remains in solution in the supernatant.
- The supernatant is decanted and cleaned of remaining suspended solids by a filtration step, followed by an ultrafiltration step.
- Membrane concentration and membrane purification steps are then carried out, to produce a highly concentrated solution of substantially pure thaumatin. The thaumatin concentration may be up to 20% w/v at this stage, and the pH has typically fallen to the range pH2.5 to pH3.0.
- This “critical solution” is then induced to form crystals of thaumatin by reducing its temperature to well below 0° C. (a final temperature of −20° C. may be employed, for example). This precipitates a very high proportion of the thaumatin as a crop of fine crystals.
- Vacuum drying of the separated crystals is carried out at temperatures ranging from the crystallisation temperature up to ambient temperature or slightly above.
- The dried crystals are granulated to a desired particle size by ball-milling, followed by dry sieving to remove oversize particles (typically using a 60 mesh to 80 mesh sieve) and blending with suitable bulking agents such as maltodextrin, gum arabic or lactose powders (as appropriate to the planned end-use) to give a thaumatin composition containing a desired % w/w of thaumatin protein.
- The methods of the present invention differ from the above known production method mainly in the composition of the critical solution prior to crystallisation, although non-standard temperature profiles for the crystallisation step have also been found to be of benefit.
- In some embodiments, the aqueous solution comprises 1) about 10% to about 20% by weight of thaumatin, 2) about 5% to about 15% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, 3) about 1% to about 15% of a water-soluble natural gum, and 4) is at a pH between about 5 and 7. These embodiments provide increased enhancement of the sweet taste of other sweeteners.
- In a first example embodying the present invention, a thaumatin composition providing increased enhancement of the sweet taste of other sweeteners was prepared by modifying the above prior art procedure from the pre-crystallisation “critical solution” onwards.
- The critical solution in this first example comprised:
-
Thaumatin protein 15% Maltodextrin 10% Gum arabic 8% Sodium chloride 0.5% pH 6 Temperature 30° C. - The remainder of the critical solution comprised water. Percentages are expressed as percentages by weight of the critical solution as a whole.
- The crystallisation step was then carried out by reducing the temperature to −25° C. over a period of approximately 30 minutes.
- Vacuum drying of the resultant crop of crystals was carried out at temperatures gradually rising from −25° C. up to ambient temperature, completing drying at 22° C.
- The dried crystals were ball-milled under standard conditions, sieved and the sub-80 mesh fraction was blended with maltodextrin to give a series of thaumatin-containing compositions containing a range of known levels of thaumatin protein.
- When the thaumatin compositions of the first example were compared in organoleptic tests with thaumatin compositions made conventionally, the compositions of the first example produced significantly greater enhancement of the sweetness of other sweeteners than conventional compositions, at the same net levels of thaumatin protein by weight.
- In some embodiments, the aqueous solution comprises 1) about 1% to about 10% by weight of thaumatin, 2) about 1% to about 5% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, 3) about 5% to about 15% of a water-soluble natural gum, and 4) is at a pH between about 2 and 4. These embodiments provide increased enhancement of salt and umami taste.
- In a second example embodying the present invention, a thaumatin composition providing improved enhancement of salt and “umami”/MSG flavours was prepared by modifying the above prior art procedure from the pre-crystallisation “critical solution” onwards.
- The critical solution of this second example comprised:
-
Thaumatin protein 6% Maltodextrin 3% Gum arabic 10% Sodium chloride 0.5% pH 3 Temperature 25° C. - The remainder of the critical solution comprised water. Percentages again expressed by weight.
- The crystallisation step in this example was carried out in two stages. The temperature of the critical solution was initially reduced to 2 to 4° C. and maintained in that range for a dwell time of about 45 minutes. The critical solution was then reduced further in temperature, reaching a minimum temperature of −15° C. after a further period of approximately 30 minutes.
- Vacuum drying of the resultant crop of crystals was carried out at temperatures gradually rising from −15° C. up to ambient temperature, completing drying at 22° C.
- The dried crystals were ball-milled under standard conditions, sieved and the sub-60 mesh fraction was blended with gum arabic to give a series of thaumatin-containing compositions containing a range of known levels of thaumatin protein.
- Organoleptic tests were carried out to compare the thaumatin compositions of the second example with thaumatin compositions made conventionally. In this example, the tests compared the enhancement of a “savoury” flavour, comprising a salty flavour and a MSG/“umami” flavour. A target savoury flavour could be achieved with lower levels of salt/MSG, with lower levels of thaumatin protein, or lower levels of both. Higher levels of thaumatin could be used without introducing a noticeable sweet taste.
- In some embodiments, the aqueous solution comprises 1) about 10% to about 15% by weight of thaumatin, 2) about 1% to about 5% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, 3) about 10% to about 15% of a water-soluble natural gum, and 4) is at a pH between about 5 and 7. These embodiments provide improved masking of bitter and/or sour taste.
- In a third example embodying the present invention, a thaumatin composition providing improved masking of bitter/sour tastes, was prepared by modifying the above prior art procedure from the pre-crystallisation “critical solution” onwards.
- The critical solution of the third example comprised:
-
Thaumatin protein 13% Maltodextrin 2% Gum arabic 13% Sodium chloride 0.5% pH 6 Temperature 30° C. - The remainder of the critical solution comprised water, and percentages are again expressed by weight.
- The crystallisation step in the third example was then carried out in two stages. The temperature of the critical solution was initially reduced to 2 to 4° C., and was maintained in that range for a dwell time of about 40 minutes. The critical solution was then cooled further, reaching a minimum temperature of −15° C. after a period of approximately 30 minutes.
- Vacuum drying of the resultant crop of crystals was carried out at temperatures gradually rising from −15° C. up to ambient temperature, completing drying at 22° C.
- The dried crystals were ball-milled under standard conditions, sieved and the sub-80 mesh fraction was blended with maltodextrin to give a series of thaumatin-containing compositions containing a range of known levels of thaumatin protein.
- Organoleptic tests were carried out to compare the thaumatin compositions of the third example with the thaumatin compositions made conventionally. In this example, the masking of a series of sour and/or bitter tastes was examined. The thaumatin compositions of the third example showed significantly greater masking effect against such tastes than did the conventionally-produced compositions.
- At present, it is believed that it is the composition and pH of the critical solution that has the main effect on the organoleptic performance of the resulting composition, while the crystallisation temperature profile is probably modifying the physical crystal form and size as much as it affects the particular crystal form of the thaumatin. The current theory is that thaumatin has a sufficiently complex structure that crystallisation in the presence of other species (particularly saccharides) may result in a range of subtly different crystals forms with differing organoleptic properties.
- While the above examples use mainly maltodextrin and gum arabic, other polysaccharides may be used, such as poly (dextroses) with a range of DE (Dextrose Equivalent) values, or starches or modified starches. Instead of gum arabic, xanthan gum or gum tragacanth might be used. Potassium chloride may be used in place of sodium chloride, and in the second and third examples, magnesium chloride may be used (NB but not for a sweetness enhancer composition, as in the first example).
Claims (30)
1. A method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 5% by weight of at least one water-soluble carbohydrate compound.
2. (canceled)
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said water-soluble carbohydrate compound comprises a polysaccharide.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said water-soluble carbohydrate compound comprises a poly(dextrose) compound.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said aqueous solution further comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said natural gum comprises gum arabic.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 5.
9. (canceled)
10. A method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 5% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said aqueous solution further comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound.
12. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
13. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said aqueous solution has a pH of less than 5.
14. (canceled)
15. A method for the production of a composition comprising thaumatin, comprising the step of so cooling an aqueous solution containing dissolved thaumatin as to cause crystallisation of thaumatin therefrom, wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 10% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum.
16. A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said aqueous solution further comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound.
17. A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
18. A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 5.
19-38. (canceled)
39. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum, and up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
40. A method according to claim 39 wherein said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 5.
41. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, and up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
42. A method according to claim 41 , wherein said aqueous solution has a pH of less than 5.
43. A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said aqueous solution additionally comprises at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, and up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
44. A method according to claim 43 , wherein said aqueous solution has a pH of at least 5.
45-50. (canceled)
51. A composition comprising an aqueous solution, wherein said aqueous solution comprises dissolved thaumatin, greater than 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum, and up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
52. A composition comprising an aqueous solution according to claim 51 , wherein said aqueous solution comprises dissolved thaumatin, greater than 5% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, at least 1% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum, and up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
53. A composition comprising an aqueous solution according to claim 51 , wherein said aqueous solution comprises dissolved thaumatin, greater than 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, at least 5% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum, and up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
54. A composition comprising an aqueous solution according to claim 51 , wherein said aqueous solution comprises dissolved thaumatin, greater than 1% by weight of a water-soluble carbohydrate compound, at least 10% by weight of a water-soluble natural gum, and up to 1% by weight of a water-soluble metal salt.
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US13/414,281 US20130034647A1 (en) | 2011-03-07 | 2012-03-07 | Modified thaumatin preparation |
US14/245,402 US9282757B2 (en) | 2011-03-07 | 2014-04-04 | Modified thaumatin preparation |
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US201161449951P | 2011-03-07 | 2011-03-07 | |
US13/414,281 US20130034647A1 (en) | 2011-03-07 | 2012-03-07 | Modified thaumatin preparation |
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Citations (2)
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US20080260925A1 (en) * | 2007-04-23 | 2008-10-23 | Galen Paul Zink | Means for replacing common sugars if foods for enhanced nutrition |
US20120040057A1 (en) * | 2009-02-18 | 2012-02-16 | Ferri Dino C | Confectioneries providing mouth-moistening refreshment |
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US9314048B2 (en) * | 2007-03-14 | 2016-04-19 | The Concentrate Manufacturing Company Of Ireland | Beverage products with non-nutritive sweetener and bitterant |
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Patent Citations (2)
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US20080260925A1 (en) * | 2007-04-23 | 2008-10-23 | Galen Paul Zink | Means for replacing common sugars if foods for enhanced nutrition |
US20120040057A1 (en) * | 2009-02-18 | 2012-02-16 | Ferri Dino C | Confectioneries providing mouth-moistening refreshment |
Cited By (1)
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US20170111321A1 (en) * | 2015-10-14 | 2017-04-20 | Adp, Llc | Customized Web Services Gateway |
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