| Nutritionally enhanced pasta -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Nutritionally enhanced pastaRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Products Per Se, Or Processes Of Preparing Or Treating Compositions Involving Chemical Reaction By Addition, Combining Diverse Food Material, Or Permanent Additive, Basic Ingredient Is Starch Based Batter, Dough Product, Etc., Alimentary PasteNutritionally enhanced pasta description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070148302, Nutritionally enhanced pasta. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to nutritionally enhanced pasta, and more particularly, to pasta with increased protein levels which maintains the organoleptic characteristics of conventional pasta. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The nutritional quality of pasta, and often its taste and texture, generally depend upon the flour used to form the pasta. For instance, pasta made with whole grain flours, such as whole wheat pasta, is nutrient-rich because it contains bran and germ. However, the whole grain flour pasta generally does not have the textural characteristics desired by the consumer and its dough is difficult to process into the desired pasta shapes. Pasta formulas containing large amounts of protein, such as 20 percent or more, make the pasta dough hard to extrude and produces a product exhibiting rubbery characteristics or an extremely firm texture. [0003] Most pasta, as a result, is made with durum wheat, which is hard wheat with increased levels of highly functional protein (gluten). Typically flours used to produce pasta have about 10 to about 13 percent protein. Durum wheat is desired for pasta because it makes dough that sticks together well and holds its shape, which are features preferred for pasta manufacture. More importantly, the durum wheat flour also produces pasta having a textural characteristic desired by the consumers-a firm, yet chewy pasta generally characterized as "al dente." Most high quality pasta is made with durum wheat semolina, which is a more coarsely ground wheat flour. However, in these flours, the germ and bran have been removed and, therefore, the fiber and nutritional values are generally lower than the whole grain flours. [0004] In today's weight- and health-conscience society, high protein and low carbohydrate foods are often desired as part of a modified diet that may result in weight loss. As a result, attempts have been made to modify traditional foods with higher levels of protein and lower levels of carbohydrates to satisfy this consumer demand. However, such food reformulation is often difficult because, while the reformulated food may have higher levels of protein and lower levels of carbohydrates, it may not have the mouthfeel or organoleptic properties of conventional food. To achieve consumer acceptance of the nutritionally enhanced products, it is preferred to achieve textural, mouthfeel, and organoleptic properties similar to the conventional foods they are replacing. [0005] Formulating nutritionally enhanced pasta, such as high-protein and low-carbohydrate pasta, is no exception. Increasing the protein levels in pasta, either through fortification with other sources of protein (i.e., soy protein, wheat gluten, or dairy proteins) or by using higher protein flours, is wrought with difficulties. Prior attempts at producing a high protein, low carbohydrate pasta through the selection of specific ingredients generally produces pasta that exhibits chewy and rubbery mouthfeel characteristics, which are not typically desired by the consumer. [0006] Moreover, high levels of highly functional protein (i.e., levels greater than about 13 percent in the raw materials) in pasta dough are also difficult to process. Protein sources such as gluten, wheat protein isolates, and soy protein isolates, when used to manufacture pasta dough, would fall in this difficult-to-process category. For instance, such high levels of protein in pasta dough are often more difficult to extrude, particularly at very high levels of incorporation, such as levels greater than about 18 to about 20 percent protein in the dough. During pasta manufacture, gluten in pasta dough absorbs water and swells to form a cross-linked network, which is typically referred to as gluten development. However, higher levels of gluten in pasta dough absorb higher levels of water that can result in a rapid and extensive gluten development to form pasta dough that is highly elastic, and which has a tendency to exhibit a property called "balling" during processing. Highly elastic pasta dough is very difficult to process using extruders. For instance, very elastic dough obtained through strong protein-protein interactions will result in high press pressures and will be hard to process. Moreover, the dough will also have a tendency to ball or adhere to the paddles or other surfaces of the mixer. Furthermore, if the material has a strong tendency to ball, such material will not feed properly from the blender into the press, causing intermittent flow with associated defective product or creating extremely high pressures at the press with problems in process control. [0007] On the other hand, fortifying pasta dough with other low functionality proteins or using alternative flours to increase the protein levels in the pasta also does not form a satisfactory product. For example, pasta dough has previously been processed with dairy or whey proteins and/or corn, rice, or soy flour to achieve high protein pasta. However, these protein sources generally have poor network forming characteristics and, therefore, do not create desirable pasta. Levels of these low functionality proteins, especially above about 5 percent, typically form dough that does not produce the desired texture of a semolina product because of poor ability to create a strong protein network. [0008] Accordingly, there is a desire for nutritionally enhanced pasta with increased protein levels that can be processed through traditional pasta manufacturing equipment that also exhibits textural, mouthfeel, and organoleptic properties of conventional pasta. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] The invention relates to nutritionally enhanced pasta dough and a method of manufacture thereof to form a nutritionally enhanced pasta product that has a texture similar to semolina-based pasta. Moreover, the nutritionally enhanced pasta dough described herein can also be extruded through conventional pasta manufacturing equipment with minimal or no alterations from the conditions used to manufacture conventional pasta dough. That is, the nutritionally enhanced pasta dough has an elasticity such that it exhibits an extruder or press pressure similar to that of a conventional pasta dough. [0010] Preferably, the nutritionally enhanced pasta dough has a protein source in an amount such that the nutritionally-enhanced pasta product has greater than about 13 percent protein, and most preferably, about 20 to about 35 percent protein. For instance, the nutritionally enhanced pasta dough includes high levels of wheat flour, vital gluten, wheat protein isolates, soy protein isolates, or combinations thereof to achieve the protein enhancement. While conventional pasta dough having high levels of such proteins typically has an undesirable texture and/or is difficult to extrude, it has been discovered that the addition of a texture modifying agent to the pasta dough modifies the elasticity of the dough to enable conventional extrusion and forms a product having a texture similar to a more conventional, semolina-based pasta product. [0011] In one form, the texture modifying agent includes an enzyme, preferably a proteolytic enzyme, in an amount sufficient to provide the desired texture and elasticity. Preferably, the texture modifying agent includes about 50 to about 500 ppm of the proteolytic enzyme in the dough, which may be endo-peptidases, exo-peptidases, or mixtures thereof. In particular, it has been discovered that papain, bromelain, proteases of microbial origin, or combinations thereof provide the desirable characteristics (i.e., semolina-like texture and extrudability) even to a pasta dough having about 30 to about 35 percent protein. [0012] Optionally, the texture modifying agent also includes a reducing agent. While not wishing to be limited by theory, it is believed that the inclusion of a reducing agent relaxes the dough by inhibiting the formation of protein-protein interactions that might form a stronger protein network, which would create a rubbery texture and an elasticity unsuitable for extrusion. If included in the formula, it is preferred that the dough contain about 50 to about 200 ppm of the reducing agent. Preferable reducing agents are ascorbic acid, L-cysteine, sorbic acid, fumaric acid, or mixtures thereof. [0013] Optionally, the texture modifying agent may further include other dough modifiers that also interfere with the formation of protein-protein interactions. For instance, the texture modifying agent may include about 5,000 to about 20,000 ppm (i.e., about 0.5 to about 2.0 percent) of glyceryl monoestearate, mono- and di-glycerides, or mixtures thereof in the dough. [0014] The nutritionally enhanced pasta dough of the prevent invention can be processed through conventional pasta manufacturing equipment. To ensure adequate blending of the texture modifying agent, it is preferred that the texture modifying agent be mixed with the process water prior to blending with the remaining ingredients. However, it has been discovered that the nutritionally enhanced pasta dough can be blended and extruded with less water than conventional pasta dough under similar processing conditions. For example, it has been discovered that by adding the texture modifying agent, as described above, about 20 to about 30 percent less water can be used in the manufacturing process. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0015] In general, the invention provides for the use of a texture modifying agent added to nutritionally enhanced pasta dough so that the dough can be processed through common pasta manufacturing equipment and exhibit characteristics similar to those of conventional pasta. The nutritionally-enhanced pasta dough [hereinafter dough or pasta dough] is formed from whole grain, multigrain, high protein sources, low carbohydrate sources, reduced carbohydrate sources as well as mixtures thereof to provide pasta dough having levels of protein greater than traditional pasta dough. Even with high levels of protein, the texture-modifying agent permits the nutritionally enhanced pasta dough to be extruded in conventional pasta manufacturing equipment and to form a pasta product with a texture similar to typical semolina-based pasta. For purposes of this invention, conventional, typical, or semolina-based pasta is pasta formed from durum wheat having less than or equal to about 13 percent protein that exhibits a firm and chewy pasta characterized as "al dente." [0016] The nutritionally enhanced pasta dough includes a protein source such that the dough forms a pasta product having levels of protein greater than about 13 percent. Preferably, the dough include a source of gluten, such as wheat flour, vital gluten, wheat protein isolates, soy protein isolates, or combinations thereof, in an amount so that the pasta product has greater than about 13 percent protein and, more preferably, about 20 to about 35 percent protein. Conventional high protein pasta dough with these protein levels, while nutritionally preferred because of the increased levels of protein, typically forms a pasta product that is tough and rubbery and often not desired by the consumer. Moreover, due to rapid and excessive gluten development during processing, such conventional pasta dough is also difficult to extrude using traditional extrusion techniques. As a result, in order to obtain the desired textural and processing qualities with pasta dough having such high levels of protein, the texture modifying agent is added to the pasta dough. [0017] In one form, the texture-modifying agent is an enzyme, preferably a proteolytic enzyme (i.e., an enzyme having protease activity). Preferably, the enzyme is papain, bromelain, proteases of microbial origin, and combinations thereof. Most preferably, the proteases of microbial origin are derived from Aspergillus Orizae. [0018] While not wishing to be limited by theory, it is believed that enzymes with endo- or exo-peptidase activity, such as papain, bromelain or the like, can hydrolyze or break peptide bonds in protein and polypeptides to achieve dough elasticity suitable for extrusion and a texture comparable to conventional pasta. In addition, it has been discovered that microbial proteases derived from Aspergillus Orizae can be used to reduce the extent of gluten development and the level of protein network formation in the finished dry pasta product. [0019] Again, while not wishing to be limited by theory, it is believed that the enzymes minimize gluten development by breaking peptide bonds and cleaving amino acid groups from the protein and polypeptide chains. As a result, protein-protein interactions and other reactions with the proteins are reduced and perhaps even minimized. Accordingly, depending on whether internal or external bonds are to be hydrolyzed, enzyme blends may be utilized to achieve various processing or final product characteristics. [0020] Many factors determine whether an enzyme is suitable as the texture-modifying agent. For example, the level of enzyme addition, the characteristics of the particular enzyme, the specific activity of the enzyme (i.e., endo- or exo-peptidase activity, and the like), and the type of protein used in the formula are all factors that may affect whether or not the specific enzyme can function as the texture-modifying agent. In general, however, the higher the protein level, the higher the level of enzyme required, and vice versa. At a minimum, a particular enzyme is suitable for the texture-modifying agent if the enzyme provides the pasta dough with a rheology suitable for extrusion through conventional pasta manufacturing equipment (i.e., as described below) and forms a pasta product having a texture of typical semolina-based products. Continue reading about Nutritionally enhanced pasta... Full patent description for Nutritionally enhanced pasta Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Nutritionally enhanced pasta patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Nutritionally enhanced pasta or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Rheologically balanced high fiber ingredient for food products Next Patent Application: Sugar free aerated confection Industry Class: Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Nutritionally enhanced pasta patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 3.81695 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
