RU2826845C2 - Liquefied potato product and method - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to production of a liquid product from whole raw potatoes, which can be used for production of various food products. Such a liquid potato product can be obtained from raw potatoes by pre-treatment of potatoes, gelatinisation of pre-treated potatoes and subsequent shearing treatment of at least a portion of said gelatinised potato raw material in the presence of oil to obtain a liquid potato product. By the end of the shearing treatment step, the temperature of the liquid potato product rises to at least 77 °C.

EFFECT: invention ensures production of a liquid potato product which can be used for manufacture of various healthy food products, such as gravies and sauces.

15 cl, 8 dwg, 7 tbl, 2 ex

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[1] This application claims priority under 35 United States Code § 119(e) to provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/859,542, entitled “LIQUIFIED POTATO PRODUCT AND PROCESS,” filed June 10, 2019, and also claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 16/894,095, entitled “LIQUIFIED POTATO PRODUCT AND PROCESS,” filed June 5, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY

1. Field of technology

[2] The present invention relates generally to potato-based products that can be used to produce various food products. More generally, the present application relates generally to the production of liquid potato products that can be used to produce various health food products.

2. Description of the technical field

[3] There is increasing attention to the production of healthy food products, mainly derived from vegetables and other organic plant-based products. For example, various food manufacturers produce gravies, sauces and other food products using nuts or cauliflower as a base component. However, these existing food products may have one or more disadvantages, such as unpleasant taste, unsatisfactory texture, allergy risk, high production cost and unhealthy formulation in general. Thus, there remains a need to identify and efficiently produce healthy food products from plant-based raw materials.

ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

[4] A method for producing a liquid potato product comprising: (a) providing a starting potato raw material comprising a potato component having an initial moisture content; (b) at least partially gelatinizing said starting potato raw material to obtain a gelatinized potato raw material having a second moisture content, wherein said second moisture content is less than 50 percent lower than said initial moisture content; and (c) shear processing at least a portion of said gelatinized potato raw material in the presence of oil to obtain a liquid potato product.

[5] A method for producing a liquid potato product comprising: (a) providing a potato raw material comprising a potato component; (b) at least partially gelatinizing said potato raw material to produce a gelatinized potato raw material; and (c) shear treating at least a portion of said gelatinized potato raw material to produce a liquid potato product that exhibits one of the following rheological properties measured at 12.5°C:

i. Y _1-5 is at least 50 percent greater than Y _5-10 , Y _10-15 and/or Y _15-20 ;

ii. Y _1-5 is greater than Y _10-20 , Y _20-30 and/or Y _30-40 ; and

iii. Y _1-10 is at least 25 percent greater than Y _10-20 , Y _20-30 and/or Y _30-40 ;

wherein the specified rheological properties are measured after storing the liquid potato product for 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours at 6 °C.

[6] A liquid potato product for producing a food product, said liquid potato product containing from 5 to 80 mass percent potatoes, wherein said liquid potato product exhibits two or more of the following rheological properties measured at 12.5 °C:

i. Y _1-5 is at least 50 percent greater than Y _5-10 , Y _10-15 and/or Y _15-20 ;

ii. Y _1-5 is greater than Y _10-20 , Y _20-30 and/or Y _30-40 ; and

iii. Y _1-10 is at least 25 percent greater than Y _10-20 , Y _20-30 and/or Y _30-40 ;

wherein the specified rheological properties are measured either immediately after obtaining the liquid potato product, or after storing the liquid potato product for 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours at 6 °C.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF GRAPHIC MATERIALS

[7] Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the following graphical figures:

[8] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary system for producing a liquid P that can be used to at least partially convert one or more potato-containing raw materials into liquid P and food products containing liquid P;

[9] Fig. 2 is a graph showing the rheological profiles at 0-3 days of a potato product obtained using a conventional shear processing method;

[10] Fig. 3 is a graph showing the rheological profiles at 0-3 days of liquid product P obtained using the shear processing method according to the present invention described in Example 1;

[11] Fig. 4 is a graph showing the shear stress versus shear rate for the samples from Example 1 on day 0 (liquid potato without other root crops);

[12] Fig. 5 shows a graph showing the shear stress as a function of shear rate for the samples from Example 1 on day 3;

[13] Fig. 6 is a graph showing the rheological profiles at 0-3 days of liquid product P obtained using the shear processing method according to the present invention described in Example 2;

[14] Fig. 7 is a graph showing the shear stress versus shear rate for the samples from Example 2 at day 0 (liquid potato containing 15 wt% other root vegetables); and

[15] Fig. 8 is a graph showing the shear stress versus shear rate for the samples from Example 2 at 1 day.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[16] The present invention generally relates to the production of a liquid P, which is a liquid product at least partially obtained from potatoes, and to the use of the liquid P to produce various food products. Some embodiments of the present invention may include a potato liquefaction system for converting potatoes and other root vegetables into a valuable liquid product, such as liquid P. As described in more detail below, it has been found that the system described herein is capable of producing a special liquid potato product, i.e., liquid P, which can be used to produce various types of food products exhibiting one or more desired characteristics.

[17] In this context, the term "liquid P" may be used interchangeably with "liquid potato product" and both refer to a substance containing at least 5 weight percent potato and having a dynamic viscosity in the range of 70 to 250,000 cP at a shear rate of 4 ¹ /s and at a temperature of 12.5 °C to 95 °C.

[18] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary system 10 for producing liquid P, which can be used to at least partially convert one or more types of raw materials containing potatoes into liquid P and food products containing liquid P. It should be understood that the system for producing liquid P shown in Fig. 1 is only one example of a system in which the present invention can be implemented. Thus, the present invention can find application in many other systems in which it is necessary to efficiently and effectively produce liquid P. A more detailed description of the example system shown in Fig. 1 is given below.

[19] As shown above in Fig. 1, the system 10 for producing liquid P may include a potato source 12 for supplying one or more types of potatoes to the system 10. The potato source 12 may be, for example, a loading bin, a storage bin, a railroad car, a delivery van, or any other device that can accommodate or provide storage for potatoes and other types of vegetables.

[20] In various embodiments, the potato raw material 14 obtained from the potato source 12 may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of potatoes. Typically, in various embodiments, the potatoes supplied from the potato source 12 may consist of any variety of Solanum tuberosum. Examples of potato varieties may include, for example, Shepody potatoes, Bintje potatoes, American Blue potatoes, Royal potatoes, Innate potatoes, Maris Piper potatoes, Focus potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, Lady Balfour potatoes, Kennebec potatoes, Colette potatoes, Chieftain potatoes, Innovator potatoes, Russet Burbank potatoes, Purple potatoes, Russet potatoes, Bamberg potatoes, or combinations thereof.

[21] In various embodiments, the potato obtained from the potato source 12 may comprise whole raw potatoes.

[22] In various embodiments, the potato raw material 14 may contain at least 25, 50, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 or 99 weight percent of one or more types of potatoes relative to the total weight of the raw material stream.

[23] In some embodiments, the potato source 12 may also provide one or more other types of root vegetables, such as parsnips, celery root, sweet potatoes, onions, red beets, carrots, or combinations thereof. As used herein, the term "root vegetable" refers to the edible underground portion of a plant that has a higher fiber content than peeled potatoes.

[24] In various embodiments, the potato raw material 14 may contain at least 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 weight percent and/or less than 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35 or 30 weight percent of one or more root vegetables relative to the total weight of the potato raw material.

[25] Returning to Fig. 1, the potato raw material 14 from the potato source 12 may be sent to a pre-processing system 16 for further processing prior to any subsequent cooking and processing steps. In the pre-processing unit 16, the potato raw material 14 may be subjected to one or more types of processing, including, for example, washing, peeling, mashing, water bathing, microwave heating, radio frequency heating, magnetic heating, pulsed electric field heating, dicing, shredding, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the potato raw material 14 may be washed, peeled, washed again to remove any remaining peel, and then cut into cubes of a certain size. In one or more embodiments, potatoes and other root vegetables present in potato raw material 14 may be cut into cubes having an average width of at least 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 or 0.25 inches (0.25, 0.38, 0.51 or 0.64 cm) and/or less than 0.75, 0.6 or 0.5 inches (1.90, 1.52 or 1.27 cm).

[26] The peeling step may be optional for the potato component in the potato raw material 14. Thus, in some embodiments, the potatoes in the potato raw material 14 may be uncleaned. Alternatively, the potato raw material 14 may be peeled. In one or more embodiments, the potato component in the potato raw material 14 is uncleaned and may be further peeled in the pre-treatment unit 16 to obtain an at least partially peeled potato component.

[27] After exiting the pre-treatment unit 16, the pre-treated potato raw material 18 is then loaded into the blanching and gelatinization system 20. In the blanching and gelatinization system 20, the pre-treated potato raw material 18 can be processed by any known method or technology for at least partially gelatinizing at least a portion of the potatoes in the potato raw material. In various embodiments, the blanching and gelatinization system 20 can comprise any system or device in which the gelatinization process of the pre-treated potato raw material 18 can be carried out, such as a microwave device, a hot water bath, an autoclave, or any other device known in the art.

[28] Typically, the gelatinization process may include any heat treatment that can provide at least partial gelatinization of the potatoes in the pre-treated potato raw material 18. Such technologies may include, for example, microwave treatment, boiling, steaming, blanching, or combinations thereof.

[29] In some embodiments, the gelatinization process includes blanching. Typically, in various embodiments, the blanching process may include: (i) contacting the pre-treated potato raw material 18 with hot water and/or steam and (ii) subsequently contacting the heat-treated potato raw material with an aqueous solution to produce gelatinized raw material 22. In some embodiments, the aqueous solution may contain one or more chelating agents and/or pH modifying agents, such as citric acid, EDTA, a phosphate compound, or a combination thereof.

[30] It should be noted that in various embodiments, the gelatinization process does not include a pureeing step. Thus, in such embodiments, the gelatinized potato raw material is not considered to be “pureeed.”

[31] Without being limited by theory, it is believed that the blanching step may help remove unwanted enzymes from the potato raw material, remove the skin from the potato (if still present), and modify the texture of the potato and other root vegetables in the potato raw material.

[32] In some embodiments, the first stage of the blanching process may include contacting the pre-treated potato raw material 18 with heated water for a period of time of at least 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 minutes and/or less than 30, 25, 20, 15 or 10 minutes. In such embodiments, said aqueous heat treatment may be carried out at about atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of at least 50 °C, 55 °C, 60 °C, 65 °C, 70 °C, 75 °C or 80 °C. Additionally or alternatively, in various embodiments, the aqueous heat treatment may be carried out at a temperature of less than 150 °C, 125 °C, 100 °C, 95 °C, 90 °C, 85 °C, 80 °C, 75 °C, 70 °C, 65 °C, 60 °C, or 55 °C.

[33] In some embodiments, the first stage of the blanching process may include contacting the pre-treated potato raw material 18 with pressurized steam for a period of at least 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 minutes and/or less than 30, 25, 20, 15, or 10 minutes. In such embodiments, the steam treatment may be conducted at a gauge pressure of at least 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, or 125 psig (68.9, 172.4, 344.7, 517.1, 689.5, or 861.8 kPag) and/or less than 300, 250, 200, 175, or 160 psig. (2068.4, 1723.7, 1379.0, 1206.6 or 1103.2 kPa excess) and at a temperature of at least 100 °C, 125 °C or 150 °C and/or less than 300 °C, 250 °C, 200 °C or 185 °C.

[34] In some embodiments, the second stage of the blanching process can be carried out at a temperature of at least 10 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C, 40 °C, 45 °C, 50 °C, 55 °C, 60 °C, 65 °C, 70 °C, 75 °C or 80 °C and/or less than 150 °C, 125 °C, 100 °C, 95 °C, 90 °C, 85 °C, 80 °C, 75 °C, 70 °C, 65 °C or 60 °C. Additionally or alternatively, in various embodiments, the second stage of the blanching process can be carried out for a period of time of less than 10, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 minute.

[35] In some embodiments, the gelatinization process removes very little water and/or solids from the pre-treated potato raw material 18. Unlike known gelatinization technologies that result in partial dehydration of the potato raw material, the gelatinization technology according to the present description can help to retain more of the water, moisture, and solids naturally present in the potato. For example, in various embodiments, the moisture content (by weight) in the gelatinized potato raw material 22 can be less than 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 or 3 percent less than the moisture content in the pre-treated potato raw material 18. In other words, the moisture content in the gelatinized potato raw material 22 is at least 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96 or 97 percent relative to the moisture content in the pre-treated potato raw material 18.

[36] After exiting the gelatinization system 20, at least a portion of the gelatinized potato raw material 22 may be fed into a shear processing device 24. In the shear processing device 24, the gelatinized potato raw material 22 may be subjected to a specific temperature and shear conditions necessary to produce the liquid P 26. Without being limited by theory, the shear processing step may be carried out at a specific temperature, pressure and/or shear conditions to allow complete gelatinization of the starch in the gelatinized potato raw material 22, facilitating the formation of the liquid P. Typically, in various embodiments, the temperature of the gelatinized potato raw material 22 should reach at least 67 °C to fully gelatinize the starch in the raw material during the shear processing step. Such a temperature may be provided by shear rates and conditions and/or an external heating source (e.g., a heating jacket around the shear processing device). Thus, in various embodiments, the shear processing step may be a variant of hot grinding due to the stated temperature requirements. In this context, "shearing" refers to mechanical processing that induces a specific fluid shear rate that alters the original microstructure. For example, shearing may involve grinding of particles.

[37] The shear processing device 24 may include any shear processing device known in the art that is capable of providing the high shear force necessary to produce the liquid P 26 from the gelatinized potato raw material 22. Examples of shear processing devices may include, for example, a food processor, a high shear mixer equipped with blades, or a high-speed turbine with a protective casing. In some embodiments, the shear processing device 24 may include a high-speed turbine with a protective casing, wherein the rotational speed of the turbine may affect the temperature and time conditions of the shear processing process.

[38] In various embodiments, the shearing step can be performed at a temperature of at least 10 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C, or 40 °C and/or less than 150 °C, 125 °C, 100 °C, 90 °C, 80 °C, or 75 °C, and for a period of at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 minutes and/or less than 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, or 15 minutes. Additionally or alternatively, in various embodiments, the shearing can be performed at a pressure of at least 1, 5, 10, or 14 psig. (6.9, 34.5, 68.9, or 96.5 kPa g) and/or less than 1000, 900, 800, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100, 50, 25, 20, or 15 psig (6895, 6205, 5516, 4826, 4137, 3447, 2758, 2068, 1379, 689, 345, 172, 138, or 103 kPa g).

[39] In various embodiments, one or more oils and/or water are added to the shear processing device 24 along with the gelatinized potato raw material 22. In some embodiments, the one or more oils and/or water can be added directly to the gelatinized potato raw material 22 before the raw material 22 is loaded into the shear processing device 24. In alternative embodiments, the one or more oils and/or water can be added to the liquid P 26 after it exits the shear processing device 24. These oils and water can be appropriate to achieve the desired viscosity of the liquid P, and can also contribute certain flavor and textural properties to the finished liquid P. Exemplary oils can include, for example, vegetable oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, coconut oil, palm oil, corn oil, avocado oil, walnut oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, or combinations thereof.

[40] In some embodiments, oil is added to the shearing step, but water is not added. In other embodiments, water may be added to the shearing step, but oil is not added. In other embodiments, both water and oil are added to the shearing step along with the gelatinized potato raw material 22.

[41] The various characteristics and properties of liquid P are described below. It should be noted that although all of the following characteristics and properties may be listed individually, it is envisaged that each of the following characteristics and/or properties of liquid P are not mutually exclusive and may be combined and presented in any combination, provided that the combination of characteristics is not contradictory. In addition, it should be noted that all weight percentages relating to compositions of liquid P are expressed relative to the total weight of the composition of liquid P, unless otherwise indicated.

[42] In various embodiments, liquid P comprises at least 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 or 40 weight percent and/or less than 99, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55 or 50 weight percent of a potato component originally derived from potatoes in the starting potato raw material, relative to the total weight of the composition of liquid P.

[43] In various embodiments, liquid P may comprise up to 90 weight percent of one or more additional complex carbohydrates, such as root vegetables other than potatoes. In some embodiments, the additional complex carbohydrates used to form liquid P may have a higher fiber content than the potatoes used to form liquid P. Examples of additional complex carbohydrates suitable for use in liquid P include root vegetables such as parsnips, celery root, sweet potatoes, onions, red beets, carrots, or combinations thereof. For example, in various embodiments, liquid P comprises at least 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 or 20 weight percent and/or less than 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15 or 10 weight percent of one or more root vegetables originally present in the starting potato raw material, relative to the total weight of the composition of liquid P. In some embodiments, liquid P has a weight ratio of potatoes to root vegetables of at least 0.1:1, 0.5:1, 1:1, 1.5:1 or 2:1 and/or less than 10:1, 9:1, 8:1, 7:1, 6:1, 5:1, 4:1 or 3:1.

[44] In various embodiments, oil is added in a sufficient amount such that the liquid P contains at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 weight percent and/or less than 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, or 25 weight percent oil relative to the total weight of the composition of the liquid P. In some embodiments, the liquid P has a weight ratio of potato to oil of at least 0.1:1, 0.5:1, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, or 7:1 and/or less than 100:1, 75:1, 50:1, 40:1, 30:1, or 20:1.

[45] In various embodiments, water is added in a sufficient amount such that liquid P contains at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 weight percent and/or less than 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, or 25 weight percent water relative to the total weight of the composition of liquid P.

[46] In various embodiments, optional flavors, optional additives, and other optional vegetables and fruits can be added to the shear processing device 24 along with the gelatinized potato raw material 22. Such flavors can include, for example, spices, meat, cheese, herbs, other flavors needed in the final food product, or combinations thereof. Examples of additives that can be added can include, for example, protein additives (e.g., whey protein, chickpeas, soy, or combinations thereof), additional dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, or combinations thereof. Other vegetables and fruits that can be added at this stage can include, for example, Capsicum peppers (including sweet peppers and hot peppers), onions, spinach, cabbage, mushrooms, mangoes, artichokes, beans, corn, olives, tomatoes, or combinations thereof. In various embodiments, flavors, additives, and other vegetables and fruits are added in a sufficient amount so that the liquid P contains at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, or 20 weight percent and/or less than 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, or 25 weight percent flavors, additives, other vegetables and/or fruits relative to the total weight of the composition of the liquid P. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the liquid P may not contain added water and/or flavors.

[47] In alternative embodiments, the above-mentioned root vegetables may be separately added to the shear processing device 24 together with the gelatinized potato raw material 22. In such embodiments, one or more root vegetables may or may not be added to the potato raw material before loading the gelatinized potato raw material 22 into the shear processing device 24. Furthermore, in those embodiments in which one or more root vegetables are added directly to the shear processing device 24 separately from the gelatinized potato raw material 22, said root vegetables may be subjected to the pre-treatment and gelatinization steps described herein to obtain gelatinized root vegetable raw material for the shear processing device 24. In such embodiments, the root vegetables may be subjected to the pre-treatment and gelatinization steps without potatoes.

[48] In some embodiments, the gelatinized potato raw material 22 is not subjected to a mashing or retrogradation step prior to the shearing step. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that during the production process described herein, retrogradation may not occur due to the presence of a certain amount of water at each stage of said production process, the pH of each stage, the fiber content of the potato raw material due to the presence of root vegetables, and oil added during the shearing step.

[49] Due to the special shear processing method and additives, fluid P 26 can be in the form of a viscous flowable liquid that has a shiny and smooth appearance. Fluid P described herein can exhibit the desired rheological profile without the need for thickeners such as starches, gums, flour, etc., which may be considered undesirable additives by many consumers. For example, fluid P can contain less than 1, 0.5, 0.1, 0.05, or 0.01 weight percent of at least one thickener relative to the total weight of the composition of fluid P.

[50] In various embodiments, the resulting P 26 fluid may have a viscosity at 12.5 °C or 25 °C of at least 100, 250, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000, 4500, or 5000 cP and/or less than 250,000, 200,000, 150,000, 100,000, 90,000, 80,000, 70,000, 60,000, 50,000, 40,000, 30,000, 25,000, or 20,000 cP.

[51] Without being limited by theory, it is believed that the high shear conditions used to produce fluid P contribute to its unique rheological profile. In one or more embodiments, fluid P is a non-Newtonian fluid having a non-linear relationship between shear stress and shear rate.

[52] In various embodiments, fluid P may exhibit a shear stress at 12.5 °C of at least 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, or 450 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 ¹ /s. Additionally or alternatively, in various embodiments, fluid P may exhibit a shear stress at 12.5 °C of less than 900, 800, 700, 600, 500, 450, 400, 350, 300, 250, 200, 150, 125, 100, 75 or 50 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 0, 5, 10, 15 or 20 ¹ /s. It should be noted that the above rheological measurements can be applied to fluid P immediately after its receipt or after its storage for 24 hours ("day 1"), 48 hours ("day 2") or 72 hours ("day 3") at 6 °C.

[53] It has been found that the presence of a complex carbohydrate-based material, such as fiber and other root vegetables, in the composition of liquid P can affect the rheological properties of the composition. In this context, "complex carbohydrate-based material" includes a higher content of complex carbohydrate compared to peeled potato. As noted above, the complex carbohydrate-based material may include other root vegetables (i.e. root vegetables that are not potatoes).

[54] In various embodiments, fluid P may exhibit one of the following shear stress profiles at 12.5 °C after storing fluid P for 24 hours (“day 1”), 48 hours (“day 2”), or 72 hours (“day 3”) at 6 °C:

i. a shear stress of at least 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 75, 100, 125 or 150 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 5 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 75, 100, 125 or 150 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 10 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 35, 40, 45, 50, 75, 100, 125 or 150 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 15 ¹ /s, and/or a shear stress of at least 40, 45, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, or 400 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 20 ¹ /s, if fluid P does not contain complex carbohydrate-based materials such as other root vegetables, or less than 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, or 1 weight percent complex carbohydrate-based materials such as other root vegetables; or

ii. a shear stress of at least 150, 175, 200, 225 or 250 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 5 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375 or 400 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 10 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375 or 400 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 15 ¹ /s, and/or a shear stress of at least 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375 or 400 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 20 ¹ /s, if the fluid P comprises at least 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 or 25 weight percent of at least one complex carbohydrate-based material, such as other root vegetables.

[55] As noted above, fluid P may be a non-Newtonian fluid and hence may exhibit a non-linear rheological profile. In this context, “Y ₁ ”, “Y ₅ ”, “Y ₁₀ ”, “Y ₁₅ ”, “Y ₂₀ ”, “Y ₃₀ ” and “Y ₄₀ ” refer to the shear stress values (dynes/cm ² ) of fluid P at 12.5 °C under a shear rate of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 ¹ /s, respectively. Furthermore, in this context, “Y _1-5 ”, “Y _5-10 ”, “Y _10-15 ”, “Y _15-20 ”, “Υ _1-10 ”, “Y _10-20 ”, “Y _20-30 ”, and “Y _30-40 ” refer to the change in shear stress values between Y ₁ and Y ₅ , Y ₅ and Y ₁₀ , Y ₁₀ and Y ₁₅ , Y ₁₅ and Y ₂₀ , Y ₁ and Y ₁₀ , Y ₁₀ and Y ₂₀ , Y ₂₀ and Y ₃₀ , and Y ₃₀ and Y ₄₀ , respectively.

[56] In various embodiments, fluid P may exhibit at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 of the following rheological properties:

i. Y _1-5 ≠ Y _5-10 ≠ Y _10-15 ≠ Y _15-20 ;

ii. Y ₁₀ is at least 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 or 300 percent greater than Y _10-15 and/or Y _15-20 ;

iii. Y _1-5 is at least 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 or 300 percent greater than Y _5-10 , Y _10-15 and/or Y _15-20 ;

iv. Y _5-10 is at least 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 or 300 percent greater than Y _10-15 and/or Y _15-20 ;

v. Y _1-5 is greater than Y _10-20 , Y _20-30 and/or Y _30-40 ; and/or

vi. Y _1-10 is at least 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, or 150 percent greater than Y _10-20 , Y _20-30 , and/or Y _30-40 .

[57] It should be noted that the above rheological measurements may be applicable to liquid P immediately after its receipt or after its storage for 24 hours (“day 1”), 48 hours (“day 2”) or 72 hours (“day 3”) at 6 °C. In addition, the rheological properties described above may be measured at 12.5 °C. If this document claims to measure rheological properties and more than one storage criterion (e.g. “the stated rheological properties were measured after storing the stated liquid potato product for 24 hours at 6 °C, 48 hours at 6 °C or 72 hours at 6 °C”), then infringement of copyright on the stated rheological properties may occur if the infringing product exhibits the stated rheological property under any of the stated storage criteria (e.g. after storage for 24 hours at 6 °C). In other words, to determine whether copyright has been infringed in relation to the above hypothetical claim, rheological tests must be conducted at each of the specified storage criteria (e.g. after storage for 24 hours at 6°C, after storage for 48 hours at 6°C, and after storage for 72 hours at 6°C).

[58] Due to the high shear process described herein, the composition of fluid P can exhibit a unique particle distribution obtained directly from the shear processing. When microscopically observed using an OMAX M834SLPLAN-C50U3 compound microscope in bright field mode, the Lugol's iodine-stained fluid P samples can be characterized by a lower content and smaller particle size of starch, as well as the presence of a continuous, non-dispersed starch matrix. In contrast, the conventional product obtained by low shear milling contains many visible potato particles ranging in size from 100 to 600 μm and does not contain a continuous, non-dispersed starch matrix.

[59] As shown in Fig. 1, at least a portion of the liquid P 26 can be sent to a food manufacturing plant 28, where the liquid P 26 can be used to produce various food products. Examples of food products that the liquid P can be used to produce include, for example, gravies, sauces, dressings, soups, imitation dairy products, spreads, confectionery, beverages, and any other food product containing liquid and/or semi-solid components. In some embodiments, the food product includes a gravy.

[60] In various embodiments, food products prepared with liquid P may comprise at least 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, or 70 weight percent of liquid P relative to the total weight of the food product. Additionally or alternatively, in various embodiments, food products prepared with liquid P may comprise less than 99, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, or 40 weight percent of liquid P relative to the total weight of the food product.

[61] The present invention can be further illustrated by the following examples of embodiments thereof, it being understood that the examples given are included for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention unless otherwise specifically stated.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[62] The method for producing liquid P according to the present invention was tested and compared with a conventional method for producing potato-based food products. Both methods used the same composition described below in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Ingredient Mass percentage Innovator Potatoes (diced) 25 Sunflower oil 10 Water 65

[63] The original potato material was cut into 3/8 inch (0.95 cm) cubes. In addition, the potato cubes were pre-blanched, gelatinized, treated with citric acid and frozen. The potatoes were then slowly defrosted in a microwave oven (1200 W, 110 V, Panasonic Rotary model NSD997S). The diced and defrosted potatoes were then mixed with the oil and water fractions and poured into a Vitamix mixer (Vitamix 5200 model VM0103, 11.5 A, 110 V with variable speed). It was at this point that the conventional method and the method according to the present invention described herein began to differ.

[64] For the conventional method, the Vitamix was run on low speed (3-4 on the indicator) for 2-3 minutes until a thick, smooth puree was obtained. The shearing was gentle enough that there was no noticeable increase in temperature. The product was then heated in a microwave reactor with stirring until the temperature reached 165-170 °F (74-77 °C).

[65] For the process of the present invention (i.e., producing liquid P), the Vitamix was run at high speed (10 on the indicator) for 5-10 minutes until a characteristic change in appearance was observed, where the product became glossy with a pronounced sheen and the drive power of the motor increased noticeably. Due to the amount of mechanical work applied to the product, by the end of the shearing process the temperature had risen to approximately 170-180 °F (77-82 °C).

[66] For both methods, the finished product was allowed to stand for 30 min at room temperature and then a portion was transferred to the sample chamber of a rheometer (Brookfield DV3TRVTJ with small sample adapter kit, using an SC4-28 spindle and a TC-650 AP water bath controller) where it was placed in a temperature-controlled water bath (set to 12.5 °C). The rheometer spindle was then installed into the product. This product represents the “day 0” product. The remaining product was stored in a refrigerator (4 to 8 °C) and samples were removed for rheometer measurements at 24, 48, and 72 h, which were designated as “day 1”, “day 2”, and “day 3” samples, respectively.

[67] Once the sample temperature reached 12.5 °C, the rheometer was started according to a recorded program. During the program, the spindle rotated at a specified rotational speed, which, together with the wall-to-wall distance between the spindle and the chamber, produced a specified shear rate in the sample. In this way, the corresponding torque could be measured, which is directly converted into the actual shear stress (dyne/cm). The program was performed in a stepwise manner, using a series of rotational speeds at 30 second intervals, to create a range of shear rates spanning from 0 to 67.2 ¹ /s. Once the maximum shear rate of 67.2 ¹ /s was reached, the program returned the spindle speed at 30 second intervals back to zero (as shown in Tables 2–4 below). Thus, the result was two sets of data, one “up” and one “down”. The obtained shear stress values were then plotted against the shear rate for both sets of data (i.e., for the samples prepared by the conventional method and the method according to the present invention). Tables 2 and 3 below present the shear stress values for the upward movement and one value for the downward movement at 0, 1, 2, and 3 days after preparation of the samples by the conventional method and the method for preparing fluid P according to the present invention described herein. Figs. 2 and 3 present the rheological profiles of the conventional samples and fluid P, respectively, at 0-3 days.

TABLE 2 Step Shear rate ( ¹ /s) Normal, 0 day at 12.5°C Normal, 1 day at 12.5°C Normal, 2 days at 12.5°C Normal, 3 days at 12.5°C 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2.8 4.2 1.4 1.4 3 0.28 7 11.2 2.8 1.4 4 0.7 9.8 12.6 7 4.2 5 1.4 11.2 14 8.4 5.6 6 2.8 18.2 19.6 15.4 8.4 7 5.6 33.6 32.2 21 14 8 11.2 46.2 46.2 30.8 19.6 9 22.4 64.4 64.4 42 29.4 10 33.6 78.4 78.4 50.4 37.8 11 44.8 89.6 89.6 58.8 43.4 12 56 99.4 99.4 65.8 49 13 67.2 109.2 107.8 72.8 56 14 0 0 0 0 0 15 56 98 98 65.8 50.4 16 44.8 84 84 56 42 17 33.6 70 70 46.2 35 18 22.4 54.6 54.6 35 26.6 19 11.2 36.4 37.8 23.8 16.8 20 5.6 25.2 26.6 15.4 11.2 21 2.8 16.8 19.6 11.2 7 22 1.4 12.6 14 8.4 5.6 23 0.7 8.4 12.6 5.6 1.4 24 0.28 8.4 8.4 5.6 2.8

TABLE 3 Step Shear rate ( ¹ /s) Liquid P, 0 day at 12.5 °C Liquid P, 1 day at 12.5°C Liquid P, 2 days at 12.5 °C Liquid P, 3 days at 12.5 °C 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4.2 8.4 5.6 11.2 3 0.28 19.6 30.8 37.8 57.4 4 0.7 26.6 40.6 51.8 79.8 5 1.4 35 49 68.6 100.8 6 2.8 46.2 64.4 91 131.6 7 5.6 61.6 85.4 121.8 172.2 8 11.2 86.8 116.2 165.2 228.2 9 22.4 127.4 162.4 229.6 306.6 10 33.6 159.6 198.8 278.6 362.6 11 44.8 187.6 229.6 320.6 408.8 12 56 212.8 257.6 355.6 448 13 67.2 235.2 282.8 386.4 481.6 14 0 0 0 0 0 15 56 207.2 252 345.8 435.4 16 44.8 177.8 219.8 303.8 385 17 33.6 147 184.8 257.6 330.4 18 22.4 113.4 147 207.2 268.8 19 11.2 74.2 100.8 142.8 191.8 20 5.6 49 71.4 102.2 138.6 21 2.8 35 51.8 74.2 102.2 22 1.4 25.2 42 57.4 78.4 23 0.7 21 32.2 44.8 61.6 24 0.28 15.4 26.6 33.6 44.8

[68] Table 4 also provides a direct comparison of the measured shear stress values at day 0 and day 3 for the samples prepared by the conventional method and the P-liquid method.

TABLE 4 Step Shear rate ( ¹ /s) Normal, 0 day at 12.5°C Normal, 3 days at 12.5°C Liquid P, 0 day at 12.5 °C Liquid P, 3 days at 12.5 °C 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2.8 1.4 4.2 11.2 3 0.28 7 1.4 19.6 57.4 4 0.7 9.8 4.2 26.6 79.8 5 1.4 11.2 5.6 35 100.8 6 2.8 18.2 8.4 46.2 131.6 7 5.6 33.6 14 61.6 172.2 8 11.2 46.2 19.6 86.8 228.2 9 22.4 64.4 29.4 127.4 306.6 10 33.6 78.4 37.8 159.6 362.6 11 44.8 89.6 43.4 187.6 408.8 12 56 99.4 49 212.8 448 13 67.2 109.2 56 235.2 481.6 14 0 0 0 0 0 15 56 98 50.4 207.2 435.4 16 44.8 84 42 177.8 385 17 33.6 70 35 147 330.4 18 22.4 54.6 26.6 113.4 268.8 19 11.2 36.4 16.8 74.2 191.8 20 5.6 25.2 11.2 49 138.6 21 2.8 16.8 7 35 102.2 22 1.4 12.6 5.6 25.2 78.4 23 0.7 8.4 1.4 21 61.6 24 0.28 8.4 2.8 15.4 44.8

[69] Fig. 4 is a graph showing a comparison of shear stress versus shear rate for the samples on day 0, and Fig. 5 is a graph showing a comparison of shear stress versus shear rate for the samples on day 3. As shown in Fig. 4, the liquid product P obtained by the process of the present invention exhibits a higher viscosity and a slightly non-Newtonian rheology compared to the product obtained by the conventional process on day 0. As shown in Fig. 5, the rheological differences between the liquid product P and the conventional product became much more pronounced on day 3. More specifically, Fig. 5 shows that the liquid product P can achieve a much higher viscosity (as evidenced by the higher shear stress) compared to the conventional product, the viscosity of which actually decreased from day 0 to day 3. In addition, the liquid product P exhibits a pronounced non-Newtonian rheology at lower shear rates (less than 10 ¹ /s). Thus, liquid product P exhibits and can achieve over time a much more favorable rheological profile than the conventional product. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that such a rheological profile of liquid product P may be at least partially due to the high shear conditions used to produce it.

[70] Thus, Figs. 4 and 5 show how liquid product P exhibits and maintains the desired rheological properties at 12.5 °C, which almost exactly reflect the desired rheological profiles of some food products such as gravies.

Example 2

[71] The process for producing liquid P according to the present invention was tested and compared with a conventional process for producing potato-based food products. The same composition described in Table 5 below was used in both processes. It should be noted that the same processing methods described in Example 1 were used for the shearing steps used in the conventional process and in the process according to the present invention. The only difference in this example was the use and presence of root vegetables, which were added together with the potatoes, water and oil in the Vitamix mixer. In addition, the rheological methods from Example 1 were also used to study the obtained samples.

TABLE 5 Ingredient Mass percentage Innovator Potatoes (diced) 25 Sunflower oil 10 Water 50 Parsnip 7.5 Celery root 7.5

[72] Table 6 below shows the shear stress values obtained in the “up” movement and one value in the “down” movement at days 0, 1, 2 and 3 for the samples obtained by the method for producing fluid P according to the present invention described in this document. Fig. 6 shows the rheological profiles of fluid P at days 0-3.

TABLE 6 Step Shear rate ( ¹ /s) Liquid P, 0 day at 12.5 °C Liquid P, 1 day at 12.5°C Liquid P, 2 days at 12.5 °C Liquid P, 3 days at 12.5 °C 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9.8 - - 86.8 3 0.28 102.2 259 347.2 369.6 4 0.7 133 385 568.4 673.4 5 1.4 166.6 464.8 676.2 817.6 6 2.8 208.6 557.2 800.8 961.8 7 5.6 267.4 662.2 946.4 1093 8 11.2 343 793.8 1117 1274 9 22.4 448 961.8 1326 1502 10 33.6 519.4 1067 1459 1723 11 44.8 579.6 1156 1562 1777 12 56 632.8 1226 1648 1777 13 67.2 680.4 1285 1716 1777 14 0 0 0 0 0 15 56 611.8 1187 1600 1777 16 44.8 536.2 1081 1487 1718 17 33.6 455 967.4 1345 1565 18 22.4 364 834.4 1189 1382 19 11.2 250.6 660.8 968.8 1137 20 5.6 176.4 530.6 800.8 945 21 2.8 127.4 432.6 670.6 799.4 22 1.4 95.2 355.6 561.4 674.8 23 0.7 72.8 289.8 462 553 24 0.28 51.8 211.4 315 333.2

[73] Table 7 below shows the shear stress values obtained in the upward movement and one value in the downward movement for samples obtained by the conventional method and the method for producing liquid P according to the present invention, at 0 day and at 1 day at 25 °C.

TABLE 7 Step # Shear rate ( ¹ /s) Normal, 0 day at 25°C Normal, 1 day at 25°C Liquid P, 0 day at 25 °C Liquid P, 1 day at 25°C 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 8.4 19.6 5.6 16.8 3 0.28 28 50.4 28 128.8 4 0.7 39.2 68.6 39.2 201.6 5 1.4 58.8 93.8 51.8 253.4 6 2.8 120.4 126 72.8 312.2 7 5.6 175 154 92.4 379.4 8 11.2 232.4 189 119 456.4 9 22.4 288.4 242.2 162.4 550.2 10 33.6 331.8 275.8 196 604.8 11 44.8 362.6 302.4 224 645.4 12 56 392 327.6 249.2 681.8 13 67.2 415.8 351.4 271.6 708.4 14 0 0 0 0 0 15 56 373.8 319.2 239.4 638.4 16 44.8 327.6 273 205.8 568.4 17 33.6 275.8 226.8 169.4 498.4 18 22.4 218.4 173.6 130.2 417.2 19 11.2 152.6 116.2 85.4 313.6 20 5.6 107.8 85.4 57.4 240.8 21 2.8 75.6 61.6 40.6 189 22 1.4 47.6 40.6 28 148.4 23 0.7 32.2 28 22.4 120.4 24 0.28 21 18.2 15.4 86.8

[74] Fig. 7 is a graph showing a comparison of the shear stress versus the shear rate for the samples on day 0, and Fig. 8 is a graph showing a comparison of the shear stress versus the shear rate for the samples on day 1. As shown in Fig. 7, the liquid product P obtained by the method of the present invention actually exhibits a lower viscosity compared to the product obtained by the conventional method on day 0. However, as shown in Fig. 8, the rheological differences between the liquid product P and the conventional product become more noticeable and significantly different over time, as evidenced by the data on day 1. More specifically, Fig. 8 shows that the liquid product P can achieve a much higher viscosity (as evidenced by the higher shear stress) after one day compared to the conventional product. Thus, while the rheological profile of the conventional product begins to decrease after several days, the liquid P can maintain and achieve the desired rheological profile, which corresponds to the desired texture of food products such as gravies.

[75] In addition, liquid product P exhibits a distinct non-Newtonian rheology at lower shear rates (less than 10 ¹ /s). Thus, liquid product P exhibits and can achieve over time a much more favorable rheological profile than the conventional product. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that such a rheological profile of liquid product P may be at least partially due to the high shear conditions used to prepare it.

[76] Thus, Fig. 8 shows how liquid product P exhibits and maintains the desired rheological properties at 25 °C, which almost exactly reflect the desired rheological profiles of some food products such as gravies.

DEFINITIONS

[77] It should be understood that the following is not an exhaustive list of terms with a given definition. Other definitions may be provided in the description above, such as when used to accompany a particular term in context.

[78] In this context, singular terms mean one or more.

[79] As used in this context, the term "and/or" in a list of two or more elements means that any one of the listed elements may be used alone, or any combination of two or more of the listed elements may be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and/or C, then the composition may contain A only; B only; C only; A and B in combination; A and C in combination, B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.

[80] In this context, the terms “comprising,” “comprises,” and “contain” are open-ended transitional terms used to transition from the subject matter listed before the term to one or more elements listed after the term, without the element or elements listed after the transitional term necessarily being the only elements that make up the subject matter.

[81] In this context, the terms “having”, “has” and “have” have the same non-limiting meaning as “containing”, “contains” and “contain” specified above.

[82] In this context, the terms “including,” “include,” and “included” have the same non-limiting meaning as “comprising,” “contains,” and “contain” as defined above.

[83] In this context, the term "potato component" refers to the component of potato raw material obtained only from potatoes.

NUMERICAL RANGES

[84] Numerical ranges are used throughout the specification to quantify certain parameters relating to the present invention. It should be understood that when numerical ranges are recited, such ranges should be construed to provide literal support for the limitations of claims that recited only the lower value of the range, as well as the limitations of claims that recited only the upper value of the range. For example, the recited numerical range of 10 to 100 provides literal support for a claim that recited "greater than 10" (without an upper limit) and for a claim that recited "less than 100" (without a lower limit).

ITEMS NOT LIMITED TO THE DESCRIBED IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS

[85] The preferred forms of the present invention described above are to be used merely as an illustration and should not be used in a limiting sense to interpret the scope of the present invention. Modifications to the illustrative embodiments presented above can be readily made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[86] Accordingly, the inventors of the present invention express their intention to rely on the doctrine of equivalents to determine and evaluate the reasonably fair scope of the present invention as it relates to any device that does not substantially depart from the literal scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Claims (47)

1. A method for obtaining a liquid potato product, comprising: (a) providing a starting potato raw material containing a potato component having the original moisture content; (b) at least partially gelatinizing said initial potato raw material to obtain a gelatinized potato raw material having a second moisture content, said second moisture content being at least 50 percent of said initial moisture content; and (c) shear processing at least a portion of said gelatinized potato raw material in the presence of oil to obtain said liquid potato product, wherein by the end of step (c) of shear treatment the temperature of the liquid potato product rises to at least 77°C. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein by the end of stage (c) of shear processing the temperature of the liquid potato product increases to 77-82°C. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that said gelatinization includes blanching of said initial potato raw material, wherein said blanching includes: (i) heating of said initial potato raw material to obtain potato raw material subjected to heat treatment, and (ii) bringing said potato raw material subjected to heat treatment into contact with an aqueous solution to obtain said gelatinized potato raw material. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that said shear treatment is carried out at a temperature of at least 10°C and less than 125°C and for a period of time from 1 to 60 minutes. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said oil comprises vegetable oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, coconut oil, palm oil, corn oil, avocado oil, walnut oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, or combinations thereof, wherein said oil is added in a sufficient amount so that said potato product contains from 1 to 75 weight percent of said oil. 6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that said liquid potato product contains at least from 1 to 75 mass percent of added water and from 5 to 90 mass percent of said potato component. 7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that said liquid potato product exhibits two or more of the following rheological properties measured at 12.5°C: i) Y _1-5 ≠ Y _5-10 ≠ Y _10-15 ≠ Y _15-20 ; ii) Y ₁₀ is at least 50 percent greater than Y _10-15 and/or Y _15-20 ; iii) Y _1-5 is at least 50 percent greater than Y _5-10 , Y _10-15 and/or Y _15-20 ; and iiii) Y _5-10 is at least 50 percent greater than Y _10-15 and/or Y _15-20 , where "Y" represents the shear stress in dynes per square centimeter (dynes/ ^cm2 ) and the subscript values used for "Y" represent the shear rates or shear rate ranges per second ( ¹ /s) at which the shear stress "Y" is measured, wherein said rheological properties are measured after storage of said liquid potato product under one or more of the following time and temperature conditions: a) 24 hours at 6°C, b) 48 hours at 6°C and c) 72 hours at 6°C. 8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that said liquid potato product exhibits one of the following shear stress profiles at 12.5°C after storing said liquid potato product for 72 hours at 6°C: i) a shear stress of at least 15 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 5 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 25 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 10 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 35 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 15 ¹ /s and/or a shear stress of at least 40 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 20 ¹ /s, if said liquid potato product contains less than 10 weight percent of at least one complex carbohydrate-based material other than said potato component; or ii) a shear stress of at least 150 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 5 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 200 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 10 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 225 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 15 ¹ /s and/or a shear stress of at least 250 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 20 ¹ /s, if said liquid potato product contains at least 10 weight percent of at least one complex carbohydrate-based material other than said potato component. 9. A method for obtaining a liquid potato product, comprising: (a) providing a potato raw material containing a potato component; (b) at least partially gelatinizing said initial potato raw material to obtain gelatinized potato raw material; and (c) shear processing at least a portion of said gelatinized potato raw material to obtain said liquid potato product that exhibits two or more of the following rheological properties measured at 12.5°C: i) Y _1-5 is at least 50 percent greater than Y _5-10 , Y _10-15 and/or Y _15-20 ; ii) Y _1-5 is greater than Y _10-20 , Y _20-30 and/or Y _30-40 ; and iii) Y _1-10 is at least 25 percent greater than Y _10-20 , Y _20-30 and/or Y _30-40 ; where "Y" represents the shear stress in dynes per square centimeter (dynes/ ^cm2 ) and the subscript values used for "Y" represent the shear rates or shear rate ranges per second ( ¹ /s) at which the shear stress "Y" is measured, wherein said rheological properties are measured after storage of said liquid potato product under one or more of the following time and temperature conditions: a) 24 hours at 6°C, b) 48 hours at 6°C and c) 72 hours at 6°C, wherein by the end of step (c) of shear treatment the temperature of the liquid potato product rises to at least 77°C. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein by the end of stage (c) of shear processing the temperature of the liquid potato product increases to 77-82°C. 11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that said liquid potato product exhibits at least three of the said rheological properties. 12. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that said liquid potato product exhibits one of the following shear stress profiles at 12.5°C after storage of said liquid potato product for 72 hours at 6°C: i) a shear stress of at least 15 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 5 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 25 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 10 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 35 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 15 ¹ /s and/or a shear stress of at least 40 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 20 ¹ /s, if said liquid potato product contains less than 10 weight percent of at least one complex carbohydrate-based material other than said potato component; or ii) a shear stress of at least 150 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 5 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 200 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 10 ¹ /s, a shear stress of at least 225 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 15 ¹ /s and/or a shear stress of at least 250 dynes/ ^cm2 at a shear rate of 20 ¹ /s, if said liquid potato product contains at least 10 weight percent of at least one complex carbohydrate-based material other than said potato component. 13. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that said gelatinization includes blanching of said initial potato raw material, wherein said blanching includes: (i) heating of said initial potato raw material to obtain potato raw material subjected to heat treatment, and (ii) bringing said potato raw material subjected to heat treatment into contact with an aqueous solution to obtain said gelatinized potato raw material. 14. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that said shear treatment is carried out at a temperature of at least 10°C and less than 125°C and for a period of time from 1 to 60 minutes. 15. The method according to item 9, characterized in that said liquid potato product contains: (a) from 1 to 75 mass percent of added water, (b) from 5 to 90 mass percent of the said potato component and (c) from 1 to 75 weight percent of at least one oil.