Spreadable protein compositions

The present invention provides a spreadable nonfat protein composition comprising an edible nonfat solid, a sweetener in the range of about 40% to 80% percent of total weight of the composition and a sweetness inhibiting amount of the sweetness inhibiting agent (.+-.)2-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-propanoate or salts thereof. The spreadable nonfat protein composition can be used to create a variety of nonfat edible foodstuffs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to an edible foodstuff, more specifically a 
spreadable nonfat protein composition that is shelf stable. 
2. Description of Related Art 
Heart disease continues to be a leading health problem in modern societies. 
The typical modem diet contains large quantities of saturated fat and 
cholesterol derived from the high amount of fat found in typical processed 
foods. A diet with an increased intake of fat can raise total blood 
cholesterol above recommended levels and a high fat intake has also been 
demonstrated to raise the level of the deleterious form of cholesterol 
known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Total blood cholesterol levels 
above 200 mg/dl and those in which LDL is abnormally elevated 
significantly increase one's health risk contributing to coronary heart 
disease and decreased lifespan. By decreasing the intake of dietary fat, 
total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels can be reduced thereby 
improving health and increasing longevity. 
One means to maintain recommended levels of dietary cholesterol and fat is 
to eat fewer fatty foods. Eating less fat is also the best way to lose 
body fat. However, many consumers believe that following a healthy low-fat 
diet means a lifestyle of self-deprivation because nonfat or lowfat foods 
are perceived to be unappealing. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to 
provide a food that combined the consumer appeal of high fat foods (i.e., 
qualities such as taste and texture) without the high fat content. Nonfat 
or low-fat foods which are not perceived as bland or boring would be 
beneficial as part of a healthy, reduced fat diet. It would be highly 
desirable to provide a non- or low-fat protein composition for use in a 
variety of foodstuffs having a total fat content about 1% to about less 
than 10%. Additionally, it would be preferably to have such a composition 
be spreadable given the large number of consumer foodstuffs having this 
characteristic. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to edible foodstuffs prepared from a 
spreadable nonfat protein composition comprising an edible nonfat solid, a 
sweetener in the range of about 40 to 80 percent of total weight of the 
composition and a sweetness inhibiting amount of a sweetness inhibiting 
agent. 
It is a further object of the present invention to produce the spreadable 
nonfat protein composition by increasing the amount of sweetener used in 
the composition while preventing the perception of excessive sweetness 
through the use of the sweetness inhibiting agent of the formula 
(.+-.)2-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-propanoate. 
It is a further object of the present invention to produce a variety of 
spreadable nonfat foodstuffs comprising the spreadable nonfat protein 
composition of the application. Examples include, but are not restricted 
to, such spreadable nonfat foodstuffs as: peanut butter, butter, cheese 
spreads, dressings and dips. 
It is a further object of the present invention to produce spreadable 
nonfat foodstuffs having less than 7% moisture content thus rendering them 
shelf stable with the addition of a preservative spreadable nonfat 
foodstuffs having less than 3% moisture content render them shelf stable 
without the need for preservatives. 
It is a further object of the present invention to eliminate the amount of 
fat normally present in spreadable nonfat foodstuffs while preserving the 
flavor and texture of regular fat spreadable foodstuffs. It is a further 
object of the present invention to produce spreadable nonfat foodstuffs 
with the attributes and qualities of full fat spreadable foodstuffs while 
maintaining a non- or low fat character. 
It is also the object of the present invention to produce spreadable nonfat 
foodstuffs that are nutritionally equivalent to conventional spreadable 
fat foodstuffs. 
A further object of the present invention is to produce a nonfat peanut 
butter using defatted peanut flour which closely approximates conventional 
peanut butter in texture and has a rich roasted peanut flavor, the flavor 
being retained over a normal shelf life, either when refrigerated or when 
stored. 
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to 
those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description 
and claims. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Before the present compositions and formulations are described, it is to be 
understood that this invention is not limited to the particular 
compositions and formulations described herein, as such compositions and 
formulations may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the 
terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular 
embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present 
invention which will be limited only by the appended claims. 
It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the 
singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the 
context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a 
composition" includes mixtures of different composition, reference to "an 
inhibiting agent" can include one or more of such agents, and reference to 
"a method of production" include reference to equivalent steps and methods 
known to those skilled in the art, and so forth. 
Unless defined otherwise, all foodstuff terms used herein have the same 
meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to 
which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar 
or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or 
testing of the invention, the preferred methods and materials are now 
described. All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by 
reference to describe and disclose specific information for which the 
reference was cited in connection with. 
Any publications discussed above are provided solely for their disclosure 
prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to 
be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to 
antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention. 
The term nonfat as used herein in regards to a nonfat spreadable protein 
composition or foodstuffs made therefrom means a composition whose fat 
content is less than 10%, preferably less than 5%, and most preferably 
less than 3%. All percentages described herein are percentages of total 
weights of the composition unless mentioned otherwise. 
Nonfat solids that can be used in the spreadable nonfat protein composition 
of the present invention include any defatted nut particles such as 
milled: peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, sesame 
seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, any edible nut 
or any combination thereof; also included are milk protein, soy protein, 
rice protein or any combination thereof. The nonfat solid comprises in the 
range of about 20% to about 55% of the total percentage of the spreadable 
nonfat protein composition. 
The fiber source of the nut and seed spread can be utilized to provide a 
high fiber contribution per serving size, while reducing the fat. 
Sweetening agents, such as a liquid sweetener or sweetener combined with 
water can be used in the spreadable nonfat protein composition of the 
present invention. Particular sweetening agents that can be used include 
sugar, liquid honey, beet sugar, sucrose, corn syrup, fructose, maltose, 
dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, mannitol, cane sugar, brown sugar, 
sorbitol, unrefined cannery sugar, molasses, maple syrup, or any 
combination thereof. The total amount of sweetener used is in the range of 
about 40% to about 80% of the total percentage of the composition. More 
preferably the total amount of sweetener used range is about 50% to 70% 
and most preferably the range is about 60% to 65%. A sweetness inhibiting 
agent is used to prevent the perception of too much sweetness when using 
sweeteners in the range prescribed in the present invention. A preferred 
sweetness inhibiting amount of the sweetness inhibiting agent used herein 
has been determined to be in the range of about 0.1 % to about 4.0%. In a 
preferred embodiment, the sweetness inhibiting agent is 
(.+-.)2-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-propanoate or salts thereof. The chemical 
(.+-.)2-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-propanoate, the sodium salt is known as 
Lactisole, is also known under the trademark name Envision.TM. by the 
Domino Sugar Company. 
Lactisole is a novel compound that contributes to the flavor balance of 
foods. Lactisole is synthesized chemically, however, the free acid, 
(.+-.)2-(4-methoxyphenoxy) propanoic acid occurs naturally in coffee 
beans. Papers detailing the methodology and evidence for the natural 
occurrence have been published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food 
Chemistry (Rathbone, E. B. et al., Occurance of 2-(4-methoxyphenoxy) 
propanic acid in roasted coffee beans, J. Agric. Fd. Chem. 37(1):54-58 
(1989), and Rathbone, E. B. et al., Chirality of 2-(4-methoxyphenoxy) 
propanoic acid in roasted coffee beans, J. Agric. Fd. Chem. 37(1):58-60 
(1989). These papers have been reviewed by the International Organization 
of the Flavor Industry (IOFI) and both the free acid and the sodium salt 
(Lactisole) have been accorded nature-identical status. Extensive studies 
have shown Lactisole is stable to normal food manufacturing processes. 
Lactisole's properties were discovered and patented in U.S. Pat. No. 
5,045,336. The simple aromatic carboxylic acid structure of Lactisole is 
similar to many flavoring agents that are permitted for use in foods 
worldwide, and which in some cases have been consumed for many centuries. 
Lactisole has been subjected to a comprehensive safety evaluation 
programme which took account of its chemical structure and proposed use in 
food. This safety evaluation programme has confirmed that Lactisole is 
safe for use in food at the levels proposed in the present application. 
Additional or optional ingredients including natural and/or artificial 
flavors can be added to the spreadable nonfat protein composition. These 
colorings, seasonings, preservatives, flavorings, and the like may be 
added in the range of about 0.5% to about 25% to make particular nonfat 
edible foodstuffs such as: peanut butter, hazelnut/chocolate spreads, 
butter-like spreads, cheese spreads, cracker dips, dressings and the like. 
Flavorings may be obtained from any suppliers known to those in the art 
such as Cumberland Packaging or Kraft Cheeses. 
For example, when making a nonfat butter, nonfat milk rather than peanut 
flour is used as the protein component of the composition. Butter 
flavorants are added to produce a nonfat butter. When making a 
hazelnut/chocolate spread, milk protein replaces the peanut flour and a 
2:1 ratio of hazelnut powder to defatted chocolate is added as a 
flavorant. Likewise for cheese spreads, milk, soy or rice protein is 
substituted for the nonfatted flour while various cheese flavorings are 
added to generate the resulting cheese spread. Flavorants can also be 
added to the peanut butter spreads during the milling of the peanut flour 
to provide flavored peanut spreads. Other sample flavorings that can be 
added to the nonfat protein spread compositions are listed in Table 1. 
TABLE 1 
______________________________________ 
TYPE SUPPLIER 
______________________________________ 
Cheddar Cheese Mid America Farms #3536 
Nacho cheese Heller #B2066 
Smoke Flavored Baldmore Spices #SN38213 
Maple Flavored Mother Murphy's #7203 
Banana Mother Murphy's #378 
Cocoa Powder Bd & F Man 10/12 Alkalized* 
______________________________________ 
*Cocoa Powder is sometimes but not always Alkalized. 
Peanut butter flour or other defatted flours can be used in the spreadable 
nonfat protein composition of the present invention. Peanut butter flour 
comprises milled defatted peanut particles that can be produced by any 
method commonly known to those in the art. Methods for extracting peanut 
oil from peanuts are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,599 to Mitchell, for 
instance, describes a method for making fully defatted or partially 
defatted flavorless shelf stable peanut particles (flakes) or flour by 
forming an aqueous mix of finely ground raw peanuts, drying the mix into a 
thin stratum and extracting the oil with a solvent, such as hexane. 
Peanuts may also be partially or fully defatted by extraction with 
supercritical carbon dioxide. Low fat peanut flour are prepared by 
pressing and then milling ether raw or roasted peanuts as described in 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,947,599 and 4,113,889. The defatted peanut butter flour 
can comprise milled peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, 
milk protein, soy beans, any edible nut or any combination thereof As used 
herein, the term "peanut flour" means a fully defatted peanut material 
having less than 1% peanut oil. A typical commercially available defatted 
peanut flour will have an analysis of about 40% protein, 30% fat, 2.5% 
fiber, 19% carbohydrates, and the balance water. A whitening agent, 
titanium dioxide in the range of about 0.1% to about 2.0% is added only to 
the nut butter compositions of the present invention to prevent darkening 
as they age. 
Salt is also present in the spreadable nonfat protein composition in the 
range of about 1.5% to about 40% of the total weight of the composition. 
The water content of the composition is preferably less than about 4% by 
weight and the water activity (according to standard measures) is 
preferably less than about 7.5 water activity. The pH of the composition 
is neutral, in the range of about 6.8 to 7.4 pH. 
Table 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the spreadable nonfat protein 
composition of the present invention. All the edible foodstuffs described 
herein are variants from this basic composition differing primarily in the 
type of edible protein employed (i.e., milk protein, rice protein, soy 
protein or defatted nut flour) and the types of flavorings or seasonings 
added (e.g., butter-like, cheese, chocolate, ect.). 
TABLE 2 
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Spreadable Nonfat Protein Composition 
Ingredient Percentage 
______________________________________ 
Manitol Syrup 52.7% 
Defatted protein 28.5% 
Envision .TM. 13.7% 
Glycerine 2.1% 
Salt 1.5% 
Flavoring 0.9% 
*FoodGlu .TM. (Optional) 
0.26% 
______________________________________ 
*"FOODglu" is made from three GRAS ingredients, Rice, Konjac (yarn root) 
and Gellen Gum. It has the ability to bind foods together while giving 
them the mouth feel of fat. The label should read "Rice, Konjac (yam 
root)." (The Gellen Gum is used as a processing aid). It is FDA and 
USDAapproved for use in all types of foods including meat and poultry. 
FOODglu is synergistic with a great many additives, including gums such a 
xanthan, carrageenan, guar, locust bean, and cellulose, plus protein 
isolates, hydrolyzed starch, etc. The addition of one or more of these 
items to FOODglu can give a thicker viscosity or even a gel quality if 
needed in the chosen application. To produce a rigid geI, a very small 
amount of alkaline material, such as sodium carbonate or biocarbonate can 
be added to enhance the jelling properties as the pH is raised. 
The following examples illustrate methods of making various nonfat 
foodstuffs using the spreadable nonfat protein composition of the 
invention. Other methods are contemplated and will be known to those in 
the art as long as they adhere to the compositions indicated herein.

EXAMPLE 1 
NONFAT PEANUT SPREAD 
The following example illustrates a nonfat peanut spread made using the 
spreadable nonfat protein composition of the present invention. 
To be labeled "peanut butter" under the applicable regulations of the 
United States Food and Drug Administration, the peanut ingredients must 
comprise at least 90% of the weight of the finished product, 21 C.F.R. 
.sctn.164.150. If more than 10% of the peanut product consists of 
non-peanut ingredients, then the product may be termed a "peanut spread," 
21 C.F.R. .sctn.102.23(a) so long as it meets all of the conditions set 
forth in 21 C.F.R. .sctn.102.23 (b). One of these conditions is that the 
protein content of the product is at least 24% by weight of the finished 
product. 
Nonfat peanut flour (obtained either commercially or produced according to 
the methods known in the art) is rehydrated and is fed into a suitable 
mill. The milling operation continues until the maximum particle size of 
the flour is reduced to less than about 200 microns in diameter. Particles 
larger than about 200 microns produce a gritty feel in the mouth that most 
consumers find unpleasant and not characteristic of conventional peanut 
butter. Additional milling will produce a smoother texture and in fact, a 
maximum particle size of 150 microns is more desirable, and a maximum size 
of no more than about 75 microns is most preferred. 
The finely ground and blended ingredients do not require any additional 
cooking as the peanuts are roasted before being defatted and processed. 
When the desired texture has been reached, the peanut butter product may be 
conveyed to processing equipment for shelf stable packaging. At this stage 
the peanut butter-like product has a desirable peanut taste 
characteristic, texture similar to that of peanut butter. It also has a 
fat content that is greatly reduced (by as much as 80-95%) below the fat 
content of conventional peanut butter. 
Table 3 demonstrates a suitable formula to achieve a nonfat peanut butter 
foodstuff using the spreadable nonfat protein composition of the present 
invention. 
TABLE 3 
______________________________________ 
Fully 
Ingredient Fat Reduced 
______________________________________ 
Manitol Syrup 52.7% 
Defatted peanut flour 
28.5% 
Envision .TM. 13.7% 
Glycerine 2.1% 
Salt 1.5% 
Flavoring 0.9% 
FoodGlu .TM. 0.26% 
Titanium Dioxide .05% 
TOTAL 
______________________________________ 
A content analysis of a sample of the peanut butter of example 1 was 
conducted by Food Products Laboratory, Inc. of Portland Oreg. The results 
of the analysis are presented in table 4. 
TABLE 4 
______________________________________ 
Ingredient 
______________________________________ 
Water 16.45 mg 5.265 g nd.* 
Total Vit A 0.0 RE 0.0 RE 0.0% 
A-Retinol 0.0 RE 0.0 RE 0.0% 
A-Carotenoid 
0.0 RE 0.0 RE 0.0% 
Thiamin-B1 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Riboflavin-B2 
0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Niacin-B3 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Niacin Eguiv. 
0.0007 mg 0.0002 mg 0.0% 
Vitamin B6 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Vitamin B12 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Folate 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Pantothenic 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Vitamin C 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Vitamin D 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Vit E-Alpha Eq. 
0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Calcium 0.9083 mg 0.2907 mg 0.0% 
Copper 0.0006 mg 0.0002 mg 0.0% 
Iron 0.0287 mg 0.0092 mg 0.1% 
Magnesium 0.0402 mg 0.0129 mg 0.0% 
Manganese 0.0024 mg 0.0008 mg nd. 
Phosphorus 0.0001 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Potassium 0.1801 mg 0.0576 mg 0.0% 
Selenium 0.0605 mg 0.0194 mg nd. 
Sodium 773.7 mg 247.6 mg 10.3% 
Zinc 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
Alcohol 0.0 g 0.0 g 0.0% 
Caffeine 0.0 mg 0.0 mg 0.0% 
______________________________________ 
*nd. = not determined 
The analysis concluded that the nonfat peanut butter had a total fat 
content of 1.3% and a level of water activity of 0.759. 
Additionally, a nutritional analysis was conducted. The results are 
presented in Table 5. 
TABLE 5 
______________________________________ 
NUTRITION FACTS 
______________________________________ 
Serving Size (32 g) 
Servings per Container 
Amount Per Serving 
Calories 100 Calories from Fat 0 
______________________________________ 
% Daily Value* 
______________________________________ 
Total Fat 0 g 1% 
Saturated Fat 0 G 
0% 
Cholesterol 0 mg 0% 
Sodium 250 mg 10% 
Total Carbohydrate 20 g 
7% 
Dietary Fiber 2 g 
7% 
Sugars 16 g 
Protein 5 g 
Vitamin A 0% - Vitamin C 0% - Calcium 2% - Iron 2% 
______________________________________ 
*Percentages (%) of a Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. 
Individual Daily Values may vary higher or lower depending on 
caloric requirements: 
______________________________________ 
2000 2500 
Nutrient Calories Calories 
______________________________________ 
Total Fat Less than 65 g 80 g 
Sat Fat Less than 20 g 25 g 
Cholesterol Less than 300 g 300 g 
Sodium Less than 2400 g 2400 g 
Total Carbohydrate 300 g 375 g 
Fiber 25 g 30 g 
______________________________________ 
1 g Fat = 9 calories 
1 g Carbohydrates = 4 calories 
1 g Protein = 4 calories 
______________________________________ 
INGREDIENTS: 
______________________________________ 
Tru-Sweet 55 High Fructose Corn SyrupAMZ 
21.29 g 
Toasted, Defatted Peanut Flour 
9.05 g 
Sweetness inhibitor (Lactisole) 
0.7985 g 
Salt 0.6388 g 
N & A Roasted Peanut Flavor (VDF) 
0.1065 g 
Natural Peanut Flavor concentrate (VDF) 
0.1065 g 
Titanium Dioxide WJ 0.0064 g 
______________________________________ 
EXAMPLE 2 
NONFAT BUTTER 
A nonfat butter-like spread is created according to the same method as the 
non fat peanut butter in Example 2, except that milk protein replaces the 
peanut flour protein and the peanut whitening agent, titanium dioxide is 
not used. 
EXAMPLE 3 
NONFAT CHOCOLATE/HAZELNUT SPREAD 
A nonfat chocolate/hazelnut spread (similar to the spread marketed under 
the trade name Nuttella.TM.) is created according to the same formula as 
the non fat peanut butter in Example 2, except that milk protein replaces 
the peanut flour protein, the peanut whitening agent titanium dioxide is 
not used and a flavoring of hazelnut powder:defatted chocolate in the 
ratio of 2:1 is added. 
EXAMPLE 4 
NONFAT CHEESE SPREAD 
A nonfat cheese spread is created according to the same formula as the non 
fat peanut butter in Example 2, except that milk protein replaces the 
peanut flour protein, the peanut whitening agent titanium dioxide is not 
used and a cheese flavoring is added. 
Although the invention has been described with reference to the presently 
preferred embodiment, it should be understood that various modifications 
can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims.