Freezable low-calorie spoonable dressing and method for their production

Reference Number: N 04-04

Inventors: Sekula, Bernard Charles; Golden, Rosemary Antoinette

USPTO Link: 6039998

Invention Summary

The fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin compositions (sometimes referred to herein as "EPG" in the singular form and as "EPGs" in the plural form) are made by incorporating propylene oxide (sometimes referred to herein as "oxypropylene" or "PO") groups into a typical triglyceride fat as described in White. The average number of PO groups which are incorporated into a triglyceride is called the propoxylation number. The melting profile and other characteristics of the composition can be modified by adjusting the propoxylation number of a triglyceride, combining (i.e., employing as ingredients in a recipe) two or more different EPGs (i.e., having different propoxylation numbers) with the same fatty acid composition, combining two or more EPGs having different fatty acid compositions and having the same or different propoxylation numbers, and any combination thereof which provides the desired melting profile characteristics.

The invention exhibits freeze-thaw stability, that is the emulsion does not experience complete emulsion break upon thawing after a period of being continuously frozen, superior to that of conventional spoonable dressings made with blended salad oil. Spoonable dressings prepared with EPGs demonstrated only slight oil separation upon thawing after being frozen for about 24 days. In comparison, however, conventional mayonnaise formulations prepared with blended salad oil, such as soybean oil, exhibited complete emulsion break after being frozen for about 4 days.

In addition to freeze-thaw stability, the invention provides a reduced calorie spoonable dressing which employs EPG as a replacement for all or some of blended salad oil in the mayonnaise. The dressing comprising EPG has similar organoleptic characteristics as full fat dressing. The organoleptic qualities of the invention are significantly better than can be achieved with carbohydrate-based fat extenders or replacers.

EPG compositions with propoxylation numbers from about 3 to about 16 are used as full or partial replacement of conventional oil in a dressing preparation. An embodiment of the spoonable dressing composition of the invention employs as fat replacement ingredients in a dressing recipe a fully hydrogenated soybean fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin composition having a propoxylation number of about 5, that is about 5 oxypropylene units per unit of glycerin, (referred to herein as "FHEPG-05 soyate") or a fully hydrogenated soybean fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin composition having a propoxylation number of about 14, that is about 14 oxypropylene units per unit of glycerin, (referred to herein as "FHEPG-14 soyate") or a combination thereof.