Pelletized colorants comprising a pigment-protein complex and food products including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11659852-B2
Application number	US-202017125628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 1, 2016
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

According to embodiments, a dry powdered composition which may be reconstituted to provide a gelatin product includes powdered gelatin and a pelletized colorant. The pelletized colorant includes a pigment-protein complex and at least one encapsulating agent for encapsulating the pigment-protein complex. The pelletized colorant has a rate of dissolution a rate of dissolution of less than 2 grams/minute in water having an initial temperature of from about 95° C. to about 100° C. Methods of making food products with the pelletized colorant are also disclosed. In embodiments, when the food products are measured on the L*a*b* color space, the food products have an L* value of about 49 to about 57, an a* value of about −10 to about −16, and a b* value of from about −11 to about −20.5.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pelletized colorant for a food product comprising a homogeneous mixture of:
from about 0.1 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of a pigment-protein complex; and
from about 60 wt. % to about 99.9 wt. % water-soluble liquid binding agent, wherein the amounts of the pigment-protein complex and water-soluble liquid binding agent are based on the combined weight of the pigment-protein complex and water-soluble liquid binding agent,
the water-soluble liquid binding agent comprising one or more of simple sugar in liquid form, corn syrup, honey, mizuame, molasses, maple syrup, agave, fructo oligo saccharides, brown rice syrup, and invert syrup, the pelletized colorant having a rate of dissolution of less than 2 grams/minute in water having an initial temperature of from about 95° C. to about 100° C.

2. The pelletized colorant of claim 1 , wherein the pigment-protein complex is in particulate form having particle sizes from about 2 micrometers to about 0.5 millimeters.

3. The pelletized colorant of claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble liquid binding agent comprises corn syrup.

4. The pelletized colorant of claim 1 , further comprising up to about 85 wt. % dry diluent by weight of the pelletized colorant.

5. The pelletized colorant of claim 4 , wherein the dry diluent includes at least one of sucrose, maltodextrin, a granular sugar, cyclodextrin, a grain flour, a starch, fiber, and a protein.

6. The pelletized colorant of claim 1 , wherein the dry diluent comprises sucrose.

7. The pelletized colorant of claim 1 , wherein the pigment-protein complex comprises a phycocyanin.

8. The pelletized colorant of claim 1 , wherein the pigment-protein complex comprises spirulina.

9. A powdered gelatin composition comprising gelatin and the pelletized colorant of claim 1 .

10. The powdered gelatin composition of claim 9 , wherein the gelatin is included in an amount from about 1 wt. % to about 20 wt % based on the weight of the powdered gelatin composition.

11. The powdered gelatin composition of claim 9 , further comprising a food grade acid in an amount from about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. % based on the weight of the powdered gelatin composition.

12. The powdered gelatin composition of claim 11 , wherein the powdered gelatin composition includes from about 0 wt % to about wt, fumaric acid and from about 1 wt % to about 5 wt % adipic acid based on the weight of the powdered gelatin composition.

13. The powdered gelatin composition of claim 9 , further comprising sodium citrate and disodium phosphate.

14. The powdered gelatin composition of claim 9 , wherein the powdered gelatin composition is substantially free of synthetic colorants.

15. The powdered gelatin composition of claim 9 , wherein the pigment-protein complex comprises spirulina.

16. A method of making a powdered gelatin composition comprising:
mixing powdered gelatin with a pelletized colorant, the pelletized colorant comprising a homogeneous mixture of:
from about 0.1 wt. % to about 40 wt. % pigment-protein complex; and
from about 60 wt. % to about 99.9 wt. % water-soluble liquid binding agent, wherein the amounts of the pigment-protein complex and water-soluble liquid binding agent are based on the combined weight of the pigment-protein complex and water-soluble liquid binding agent,
wherein the water-soluble liquid binding agent comprises one or more of simple sugar in liquid form, corn syrup, honey, mizuame, molasses, maple syrup, agave, fructo oligo saccharide, brown rice syrup, and invert syrup, wherein the pelletized colorant has a rate of dissolution of less than 2 grams/minute in water having an initial temperature of from about 95° C. to about 100° C.

17. The method of claim 16 , the method further comprising forming the pelletized colorant by:
blending a pigment-protein complex with the water-soluble liquid binding agent to form a homogeneous pigment-protein complex blend; and
pelletizing the pigment-protein complex blend to form the pelletized colorant.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pelletized colorant further comprises dry diluent in an amount of up to about 85 wt. % based on the weight of the pelletized colorant.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the dry diluent comprises one or more of sucrose, maltodextrin, a granular sugar, cyclodextrin, a grain flour, a starch, fiber, and protein.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the water-soluble liquid binding agent comprises corn syrup; and
the pelletized colorant further comprises a dry diluent wherein the dry diluent comprises sucrose.

Assignees

• Kraft Foods Group Brands Llc

Inventors

• Mcpherson Andrew E
• Topinka John
• Cooper Sara K

Classifications

• A23L29/35

  Degradation products of starch, e.g. hydrolysates, dextrins; Enzymatically modified starches · CPC title

• A23L29/284

  Gelatin; Collagen · CPC title

• A23L5/42 Primary

  Addition of dyes or pigments, e.g. in combination with optical brighteners · CPC title

• A23L5/40 Primary

  Colouring or decolouring of foods · CPC title

• A23L29/30

  containing carbohydrate syrups; containing sugars; containing sugar alcohols, e.g. xylitol; containing starch hydrolysates, e.g. dextrin (products from apiculture A23L21/20; artificial sweetening agents A23L27/30) · CPC title