ITMI20071187A1 - FOOD COMPOSITION WITH CHEESE ACTIVITY PROCEDURE PROCEDURE FOR ITS PREPARATION AND ITS USE IN FOOD FIELD - Google Patents

Description

Description of the Invention entitled

"FOOD COMPOSITION WITH FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY BASED ON CHEESE, PROCEDURE FOR ITS PREPARATION AND ITS USES IN THE FOOD FIELD"

The present invention relates to a composition based on functional activity cheese, in particular a composition of grated cheese and prebiotic fibers which possesses beneficial properties for the organism but which also has the advantage of offering a better shelf life than conventional grated cheeses. the invention also relates to a process for the preparation of said grated cheese and its uses for the preparation of foods, in particular, of pre-packaged foods.

The intestinal microflora residing in the intestine is responsible for numerous activities in favor of the body's health, including resistance to infections, the modulation of the immune system, the reduction of allergies. The ability of some probiotic microorganisms to carry out this action has been reported in the scientific literature.

Prebiotics are substances that cannot be assimilated by the body, generally non-digestible carbohydrates, which favor the growth of useful bacteria in the colon,

Foods with functional properties, otherwise known as "functional" foods, are those foods that provide the consumer, in addition to their share of nutrients, also with additional benefits that go beyond the simple nutritional content of the specific food.

For example, "functional" cheeses are known which are cheeses with added beneficial components for the body, such as probiotic lactic bacteria or essential substances such as minerals, vitamins, etc. These cheeses are usually prepared by adding these components to the milk before the cheese-making process.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new cheese-based composition, having functional properties, comprising in particular, but not limited to, prebiotic agents, obtainable through an original preparation process.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a new composition based on grated cheese that offers a prolonged shelf life and therefore a longer shelf life.

Thus, according to one of its aspects, the present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one grated cheese and one or more prebiotic fibers.

According to the present invention, by "at least one cheese" is meant any cheese, or mixture of cheeses, which has a consistency such that it can be grated, for example hard cheeses but also mature stretched curd cheeses. The milk of origin for the preparation of the cheese is irrelevant for the purposes of the present invention and can, for example, be freely chosen from cow's milk, sheep's milk, goat's milk, buffalo's milk and their mixtures.

Examples of cheeses according to the invention are grana, parmesan, bra, edam, gouda, cheddar, sbrinz, bitto, emmenthaler, gruyère, pecorino, asiago, montasio, comté and provolone and cheeses in general, commonly grated cheeses, spindles for grating including cheeses deriving from organic farming or Nop certification.

A preferred cheese according to the present invention is selected from grana padano, parmigiano reggiano and their blends.

According to a particularly preferred aspect, the cheese present in the composition has a very low water content

Cheeses that originally have a humidity higher than about 30%, are advantageously treated in order to eliminate excess water, as will be better described later.

According to the present invention, by "prebiotic fibers" (hereinafter also only "prebiotic") is meant to indicate any substance with a prebiotic action. Examples of prebiotic fibers are fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), inulins, isomaltooligosaccharides, arabic-galactan, lactylol, lactosaccharose, lactulose, pyrodextrins, soy oligosaccharides, transgalacto-oligosaccharides and xyloloolides. Arabian-galactan is a new generation prebiotic and represents a particularly preferred prebiotic according to the invention.

The cheese of the invention can comprise a single prebiotic fiber or a mixture of said prebiotic fibers.

Other prebiotic fibers can however be used according to the invention, see for example what is described in C. Casiraghi - L. Morelli: '7 non-nutritious bioactive components in Nutrition Health Wellness, pp. 189-215; Volume 2006, edited by C. Agostani-E. Lanzola of the ITEMS -Istituto Danone series.

Also according to the invention, the term "prebiotic fibers" includes beta-glucans.

According to an embodiment, the present invention relates to a composition as defined above, which comprises from 1 to 20% by weight of one or more prebiotic fibers, preferably from 5 to 15%, advantageously around 10%.

In the present description, unless otherwise indicated, all percentages are intended as percentages by weight and, where possible, with respect to the total weight of the final composition.

According to another of its aspects, the present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one grated cheese, one or more prebiotic fibers and one or more additional components selected from elements, probiotic bacteria, Omega 3, anti-oxidants and fat-soluble vitamins. However, other components can be added.

The term "elements" in this description indicates any natural element or mixture of elements, beneficial for the human and animal organism, whose presence is acceptable in the composition of the invention. Examples of elements are calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, etc.

The term "vitamins" in this description indicates any vitamin or mixture of vitamins whose presence is acceptable in the composition of the invention. Examples of vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, K, folic acid, etc.

According to a preferred embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises at least one grated cheese, one or more prebiotic fibers and one or more additional components selected from calcium, calcium lactate, vitamin D and their mixtures.

The additional components according to the present invention can be present in the composition in quantities compatible with the recommended daily dose (RDA).

If desired or necessary, stabilizing agents can also be added to the composition of the invention, for example anti-packing E551 or tricalcium phosphate or other products that facilitate sliding, generally in the ratio of about 1-2%.

The composition of the invention is prepared according to a process which includes:

(a) if necessary, dehydrate Palmeno grated cheese to a humidity of less than about 30%, for example between 25% and 31%;

(b) adding the selected prebiotic fibers to the grated cheese thus obtained; And

(c) possibly weigh and / or dose and / or package the composition thus obtained.

Step (a) of the process of the invention is necessary for all cheeses with a humidity higher than about 30%, to obtain a cheese for the purposes of processing and stability of the composition. It has in fact been noted that the simple mixing of grated cheeses having a high humidity, for example a humidity higher than 30%, and prebiotic fibers leads to the formation of lumps and the formation of an uneven dispersion of the components.

The drying of step (a) can be carried out with any method known to the art. For example, the mass of grated cheeses can be ventilated with hot air, at a temperature that can vary according to the type of cheese or the mixture of cheeses chosen, for example at a temperature between 35 and 90 ° C, in suitable devices , for example in fluid bed dryers. The exhausted air will preferably be expelled through filters.

The dried cheeses in step (a) are mixed with the prebiotic fibers by any method, for example by feeding the prebiotic fibers into a mixer which keeps the cheeses stirred and mixing the composition thus obtained so as to make it homogeneous.

The composition thus obtained can, if desired, be dosed and / or weighed and / or packaged according to the methods known to the art, with the equipment conventionally used in the grated cheese industry. Packaging will preferably take place in a modified atmosphere, for example in a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

The additional components possibly present in the composition of the invention can be added both to the milk before cheesemaking and to the already grated cheese, that is, during step (b) of the process described above.

Any stabilizers can also be added in step (b) of the process.

The composition of the invention is very stable and has an improved shelf-life compared to conventional grated cheeses.

In fact, the presence of prebiotic fibers, which are particularly dry and tend to absorb moisture, allows the composition to be stabilized and the free moisture content to be lowered, which makes the composition particularly stable and not very susceptible to degradation.

Stability studies have been carried out and it has been shown that the composition of the invention, packaged in a conventional way, i.e. according to the methods currently used in the industry of this specific food field, normally in a modified atmosphere, has a shelf-life of more than 150 days. , up to 180 days or more. It is understandable that this improved shelf life makes the composition of the invention particularly advantageous with respect to conventional fresh grated cheeses, since such a shelf life is unthinkable for currently commercially available grated cheeses.

The composition of the invention can be used in the same way as conventional grated cheeses, that is, it can be used raw or cooked and can also be frozen.

As mentioned, compared to conventional grated cheeses, the composition of the invention has numerous advantages, in nutritional and technological terms.

In fact, from the nutritional point of view, the composition of the invention allows to bring beneficial components for the body without the need to change in any way the consumer's eating habits who, with the simple replacement of the grated cheese usually used with the composition a based on the cheese of the invention, he will be able to take a functional food beneficial for his organism while continuing to feed and cook without changing his habits.

The prebiotic fibers and any additional components contained in the composition have a triple beneficial effect on the consumer:

1. decrease the caloric content of the dose used without compromising the organoleptic qualities of the product,

2. provide the consumer with a quantity of prebiotic fiber capable of favorably modifying the balance between the various bacterial components of the intestinal microflora,

3. they can help increase the absorption of important elements such as calcium from food.

Furthermore, the surprising and unexpected advantage of being able to create a cheese-based food product whose shelf life is much higher than that of cheeses currently available on the market by about 80%, represents an improvement of great technological and industrial interest. For example, thanks to its longer and longer conservation, it allows the product to be marketed even in places far from production, since the product maintains the organoleptic qualities of fresh grated cheese unaltered for several months.

The composition of the invention can be added to food preparations, such as ready meals, frozen, canned, wrapped or otherwise preserved.

Food preparations with functional activity, including the composition of the invention constitute another object of the present invention.

The following examples illustrate the invention in a non-limiting way.

Example 1

General procedure for the preparation of a composition based on cheese and prebiotic fibers

Figure 1 is a flowsheet illustrating the process below. Starting from hard cheeses, with humidity standards between 35% and 40% through a traditional grating operation of the cheese positioned in the hopper with sliding loading belts and keeping my pressure constant at about 2 atmospheres, a tresco grated product is reached which transported, it undergoes a first handling and a first cleaning through a circular screen. Then, with conveyor belts, the cheese is sent to the first removable loading section where it will be subjected to a second mixing. If necessary, the humidity of the product is lowered by ventilated evaporation with hot air generated by a heating coil, after filtering the ambient air inside fluid bed drying machines that maintain an air temperature between 35 ° C and 90 ° C depending on the product of origin and expelling the exhausted air after filtration. It is thus possible to reach an optimal moisture content at the exit of the process between about 25% and 31% By applying a concentric movement and adding the fibers through an auger, the product is stabilized and optimized, which is ready to be transported by means of conveyor belts. loading into weighing cells, where, depending on the formats, the bagging machine prepares the finished product in bags or boxes containing a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

The stored product loses free moisture during storage thanks to the hygroscopic properties of the fibers contained therein.

Example 2

Preparation of a composition of Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano and Arabinogalattano

Operating as in example 1, a cheese composition is prepared from a mixture of Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano (about 5G% -50%) by adding about 10% arabinogalactan (percentage by weight based on the total weight of the final composition).

Example 2

Preparation of a composition of Grana Padano grating cheese and arabinogalactan, transgalact-oligosaccharides

By operating as in example 1, a mixture of Grana Padano and grated cheeses is prepared (about 70% -30%) by adding arabinogalactan in an amount of about 10% and transgai act-oligosaccharides in a measure of about 10% (percentage by weight on the envelope of the total weight of the final composition).

Example 3

Preparation of a composition of grana padano, pecorino, fiber and calcium By operating as in example 1, a composition of cheese is prepared from a mixture of grana padano and pecorino (about 50% -50%) by adding fibers in the ratio of about 10% (percentage by weight based on the total weight of the final composition) and calcium in the ratio of about 10%.

Example 4

Stability test

Stability of the composition of the iron 1

The composition of example 2 was subjected to a stability test.

A sample of the composition was evaluated after 6 months of storage with the following results:

Microorganisms c.f.u./g

Salmonetta Listerìa Staph. Coliforms celi Molds Yeasts Cyostrids spp. mono- aureus sulfitocytogenes reducers absent absent

in 25 g in 25 g <100 <100 <100 200 4.000 <100

humidity 13.07%

fat on as it is 28.0%

fat on! dry 32.21%

pH 5.27

sodium chloride 2.14%

Example 5

Effectiveness test

The evaluation of the efficacy of the product was tested following the following protocol '.

Objective of the study

Verify the ability of a composition of the invention of Example 2 "product A" to modify the composition of the intestinal microflora of man, in particular to increase the content of bifidobacteria and / lactobacilli.

Experimental design

Healthy volunteers were assigned to a controlled, open-label study.

Sample size

As this is a pilot study, 12 samples were considered sufficient to be tested.

Selection of volunteers:

Admission criteria for the colonization test:

Subjects:

• of both sexes

• Aged between 18 and 65 guns

• that the week before administering product A they did not take fermented milk, fresh cheeses and food supplements containing lactic bacteria.

• that the week prior to the administration of product A they have not taken food and / or food supplements containing prebiotic fibers,

• who have given written consent to participate in the test, after reading the appropriate information form

Exclusion criteria

Subjects:

• who are subjected to pharmacological treatments aimed at modifying or influencing the intestinal bacterial flora

• that do not fall within the inclusion criteria

Duration of the study

The duration of the study in each subject was 35 days and divided as follows: • 7 days of pre-treatment or wash-out (during this period the subject must not take fermented milk, fresh cheeses and dietary / ethical products containing lactic bacteria) .

• 21 days of administration of product A

• 7 days of treatment suspension and follow-up.

Pre and post-study analysis

The evaluation of the beneficial effects of the product was examined on frozen fecal samples, collected at the end of each of the three time phases of the test.

The samples were collected in sterile containers for microbiological analysis and stored at -20 ° C until the time of analysis which will be carried out using the DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) molecular technique.

Before the start of the administration phase of the product (at the end of the wash-out phase) an analysis was made on the faeces of the subjects to be treated to assess the amount of beneficial flora present. At the end of the administration period, an analysis was carried out to evaluate the amount of beneficial flora at the end of the administration of the product in question.

At the end of the follow-up period, the last analysis was made to evaluate the amount of beneficial flora remaining after the end of the administration of the product in question.

The stool samples were always carried out under the same conditions. Results

The test carried out according to the protocol reported above demonstrated the efficacy of product A in positively modifying the intestinal bacterial flora, with a significant increase in the group of bifidobacteria, bacteria associated with the maintenance of well-being and health.

Claims (19)

Claims 1. A composition comprising at least one grated cheese and one or more prebiotic fibers. 2. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one cheese is selected from grana, parmigiano reggiano, bra, edam, gouda, cheddar, io sbrinz, bitto, remmenthaler, gruyère, pecorino, needle phases, montasio, comté and provolone and their blends. 3. Composition according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said cheese is selected from grana padano, parmigiano reggiano and their blends. 4. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said prebiotic fibers are selected from fructo-oigosaccharides (FOS), inulins, isomalt-oligosaccharides, arabino-galactan, latibol, lactosaccharose , lactulose, pyrodextrins, oligosaccharides from soy, transgalamotigosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides and beta-glucans. 5. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said prebiotic fiber is Arabino-galactan. 6. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises from 1 to 20% by weight of one or more prebiotic fibers. 7. Composition according to claim 6, characterized in that preferably from 5 to 15% by weight of one or more prebiotic fibers. 8. Composition according to claim 7, characterized in that it contains around 10% by weight of one or more prebiotic fibers. 9. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it also comprises one or more additional components selected from elements, probiotic bacteria. Omega 3, antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins. 10. Composition according to claim 9, characterized in that said additional components are selected from vitamins A, D, E, K, calcium lactate and folic acid, 11. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it also includes elements beneficial for the human and animal organism. 12. Composition according to claim 11, characterized in that said elements are selected from calcium, magnesium, selenium and zinc. 13. Food preparations with functional activity, comprising the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12. 14. Food preparations according to claim 13 which are ready meals, frozen, canned, wrapped or otherwise preserved. 15. Process for preparing a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 14 which comprises: (a) if necessary, dehydrate 1 <5> at least one grated cheese to a humidity of less than about 30%; (b) add the selected prebiotic fibers and any additional components and beneficial elements to the grated cheese thus obtained; And (c) possibly weigh and / or dose and / or package the composition thus obtained. 16. Process according to claim 15, characterized in that in step (c) the composition is packaged in a modified atmosphere. 17. Process according to any one of claims 15 or 16, characterized in that said cheese is as defined in claims 2 or 3. 18. Process according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that said prebiotic fibers are as defined in claims 4 or 5. 19. Composition obtained according to any one of claims 15 to 18.