DIETARY FIBER PRODUCTS AND PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SAME

Abstract: Dietary fibers have their properties modified by applying a shock wave to a dispersion of the fibers in a fluid carrier. The shock wave is applied by pressure from a piston, in either a single or a series of compressive strokes or pulses exerted on the dispersion. The resulting pressure treated dietary fiber exhibits reduced calories, higher insoluble fiber content, reduced moisture absorption properties, and greater uniformity from batch to batch.

Description: DIETARY FIBER PRODUCTS AND PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SAME Technical Field The invention relates to dietary fibers and more particularly to novel dietary fiber products and the process and apparatus for producing same. Disclosure of the Invention Dietary fibers are used in a variety of food applications as both a means to reduce overall fat and calorie content for the ultimate food product and as a bulking agent replacement for products with reduced sugar or sweeteners. Used as a fat replacer, dietary fibers are employed as a fat mimic, approximating the mouth feel and texture of fat while affording a lower calorie alternative. As a bulking agent, dietary fibers are employed in efforts to reduce sugar and other sweeteners especially from baked goods such as snack food, cakes, pies and bread products. In such products when the sugar content is reduced a bulking agent is used to return the desired mass, texture and mouth feel to the product. Dietary fibers are generally fibers derived from corn, wheat, cellulose, oats, or other natural grains. Generally a dietary fiber is high in insoluble (i.e. indigestible) fiber content, ideally low in calories and low in fat content. Most dietary fibers offer great promise as an improved dietary additive to food products, but there are also several drawbacks. Dietary fibers tend to absorb many times their weight in moisture, requiring longer bake times for baked goods incorporating such fiber ingredients. Newer dietary fibers derived from corn also provide very high calories, much the same as found in various starches. The uniformity of dietary fiber features and properties often varies significantly from batch to batch and they are therefore not reliable in many processed food products. Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide improved dietary fibers in which at least some of these drawbacks are reduced. It is another object to provide a process for producing the above- mentioned improved fibers. It is still another object to provide apparatus for producing these improved fibers. These and other objects which will appear are achieved in accordance with the invention as follows. Briefly, we have discovered that the use of high pressure pulses, applied to dietary fibers, can have the result of converting the fibers to ones which exhibit reduced moisture absorption, higher insoluble fiber content, reduced calories, reduced fat content and also provide a more uniform dietary fiber from batch to batch. This pressure pulse is applied to the original dietary fibers while they are in a slurry of water containing dispersed dietary fiber particulates, with the pressure being applied in the form of abrupt pressure increases induced by mechanical means. In this document, these abrupt pressure increases will sometimes be referred to as "pressure shock waves" . However, it is recognized that they may not really fit the theoretical definition of "shock waves" . Such abrupt pressure increases, or pressure shock waves, are believed to transmit energy in three basic forms: high compression forces; heat via friction; cavitation. Studies of cavitation show that the heat produced during a cavitation effect can be very high, if only for a short period of time. Without intending to be bound by this explanation, Applicants theorize that pressure shock waves applied to a dispersion, e.g. slurry containing dietary fibers can produce a modified form of dietary fibers through the effects of the heat energy caused by cavitation and the compressive forces produced by the pressure shock wave application. In any case, whether that theory is correct or not, experiments described below have clearly demonstrated that such modified dietary fibers are indeed produced in accordance with the present invention and that these exhibit the following modified properties: Immediate and permanent reduction of calories. Reduction in moisture absorption properties. Increase in the proportion of insoluble fibers. Decrease of fat content within the fiber. Greater uniformity between production batches. For further details, reference is made to the discussion which follows, in light of the accompanying drawings, wherein Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the process for modifying dietary fibers in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an overall illustration of apparatus for carrying out the process of dietary fiber modification through pulse pressure treatment; Figure 3 is a more detailed illustration of the piston component of the pressure treatment apparatus of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a diagram of the baffled chamber component of the pressure treatment apparatus; and Figure 5 is a diagram of a baffle ring used in the baffled chamber component of the pressure treatment apparatus. Detailed Description of the Invention and Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Referring to Figure 1 , this shows the process of the invention, in "skeleton" flow-diagram format. In this Figure, a treatment vessel 101 contains a fluid carrier material 103, e.g. water, to which are added raw dietary fibers 102. Agitation provided by a mixer 104 turns this mixture into a slurry in which the dietary fibers are dispersed throughout. Once properly mixed, the slurry dispersion is delivered to the pressure treatment device 106, whereupon a single pressure treatment may be applied to the fiber slurry. However, in some instances it may be preferable to provide multiple cycles of pressure treatment through a repetition of the treatment process. Such repetition is indicated by arrow 107. The pressure treatment consists of the application of a single, or continuously recurring pressure shock waves to the slurry 105. The pressure treatment is measured in applied or compressive pressure as a function of the time period the pressure is applied to the slurry 105. The pressure levels can be as low as 1 psi to as high as 90,000 psi from the equipment provided for test purposes. Time durations range from 0.001 to 1 full second, with most treatment time periods being in the range of 0.1 to 0.25 seconds. Pressure is applied in the preferred embodiment via a piston pressure applicator as shown in Figures 2 and 3. However other designs are possible for the application of the pressure treatment, such as ones using multiple pistons for pressure application. The pressure treated fiber slurry 108 exits the pressure treatment device 106 by being pumped and may be subjected to additional pressure treatments as illustrated in the re-cycle loop 107, or it may be directed to a filtration device 109 which acts to remove the solid, pressure treated particulates from the slurry, generally producing a wet cake 1 10 which is then delivered to the appropriate drying mechanism 1 1 1 to produce the dry powder, pressure treated dietary fiber product 1 12. Many dietary fibers 102 are simply processed in water 103 forming a slurry which is filtered at step 109 after the pressure treatment. The drying device 1 1 1 may be an oven, spray drier, vacuum dryer, fluid bed dryer, flash dryer or any other mechanism which will remove the residual moisture 103 from the pressure treated fiber, resulting in a dry powder form 1 12. A preferred embodiment of apparatus suitable for modifying dietary fibers in accordance with the invention is shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. Before proceeding, it is noted that this apparatus is substantially the same as disclosed in a prior U.S. patent of one of the co-inventors of the present application. That prior patent is Redding Patent No. 5,271 ,881 , issued December 21 , 1993. Therefore, no invention is claimed herein for that apparatus, as such. Rather, the present invention resides in (a) the use of such apparatus to (b) process a starting material which is completely different from the prior patent, and thereby (c) obtaining an unexpected new result. The present starting material is conventional (commercially available) dietary fiber, the process is shock treatment, and the result is modified dietary fiber, exhibiting properties not previously obtainable. Turning now to the overall view of Figure 2, the apparatus includes an air operated converted hydraulic pump 2 with a piston acting as the means for exerting a pressure pulse on the material which is pumped through the apparatus. A reservoir 5 is placed at the input of the apparatus. The reservoir 5 is usually not heated but may be in some cases by heating coils, not shown. The reservoir 5 may also be stirred to allow the dietary fibers to be dispersed prior to passing through the apparatus. The dietary fibers can be provided to the reservoir 5 in either of the following states: a) A heated mixture b) A mixture at ambient conditions c) A mixture or slurry containing dispersed particulates which are undissolved in a liquid carrier For purposes of identification all these various states in which the target chemical compound may be introduced into the device are hereinafter collectively called the pre-mix 40 (Figure 2). Referring again to Figure 2, a transfer conduit 6 leads to pressure applicator assembly 2. Transfer conduit 6 may be heated with heating coils to maintain the temperature of the pre-mix 40 as it passes to and from the pressure applicator assembly 2. At opposite ends of the pressure applicator assembly 2 are placed valves 3 and 4, which may be solenoid valves, manually operated valves or an automatic check valve system. Pressure assembly 2 consists of valves 3 and 4 on opposite ends of compression chamber 1 , connected to the fluid flow conduit channel 6. Connected to compression chamber 1 is pressure applying device 2 which has a movable piston 20 within housing 42, as seen in Figure 3. Movable piston 20 is displaced within housing 42 by motor 22. The motor 22 may be hydraulic, air powered or electrically or combustion powered. The output transfer conduit 7 is connected to the exit valve 4 and leads to a separate baffled chamber 23. Pressure treated materials exit the compression chamber 1 , travel through the output valve 4 and encounter transfer conduit 7, which is of significantly smaller inner diameter that the input transfer conduit 6. This smaller inner diameter acts to develop a back pressure within the fluid flow which helps output valve 4 to stay closed longer, thereby helping to maintain the elevated pressure created within the compression chamber 1 to last for a longer period of time. Bernoulli principles are employed to alter the fluid flow at the point where the flow channel diameters decrease in size. The speed of the fluid flow is increased at this point but also a back-pressure is built up within the fluid, which is used to keep the spring loaded output check valve 4 closed longer than would normally be possible in a conventional hydraulic pump assembly. Transfer conduit 7 may be heated by a heating coil (not shown) to maintain the temperature of the treated mix. Attached to the output transfer conduit 7 is a baffled chamber 23, shown in more detail in Figure 4. Such a chamber consists of a number of baffles 55 placed directly in the fluid flow, for the purpose of inducing turbulence in the fluid and adding to the back pressure effect within the transfer conduit 7 against the output valve 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure applicator system 2 is a modified form of hydraulic pump which is air operated. Compressed air 30 is delivered though an air conduit 8 into the air motor 22, passing through an air filter 9, a regulator 10, an air flow oil reservoir 12, a 1 /4 turn air valve 13, and an air inflow port 16 to the air motor 22. The air filter 9 is used to drain water from the compressed air supply 30. The regulator 10 controls the air pressure, which is displayed on the pressure gauge 1 1 . Minute oil droplets are introduced into the compressed air supply 30 as the air flows over an oil reservoir 12. This is used to lubricate the air motor 22. The air motor cycles the piston 20 forward and backward as a result of the compressed air flow. The number of strokes of a piston 20, as shown in Figure 3, is controlled by the 1 /4 turn air valve 13. A dial is placed on the 1 /4 turn air valve 13 at a 90 degree incremental basis. At setting zero, the valve is fully closed and no air flows to the air motor 22. At setting nine, which is at the 90 degree mark to the horizontal, the valve is fully open and the full volume and force of the compressed air 30 is delivered to the air motor 22. At setting zero the air motor is off. At setting nine the motor 22 is at full speed. The 1 /4 turn air valve 13 is therefore the speed controller of the pressure applying device 2, acting to cycle the piston 20 at its highest number of strokes. In the case of this embodiment the air motor 22 exhausts spent air though a muffler 15 which is connected to the outflow air port 17 of the air motor 22. Pre-mix 40 is passed through the apparatus illustrated in Figure 2 and is pressure treated as the piston 20 strikes downward during its up and down displacement cycle within the pressure applicator housing 2. The valves 3 and 4 may be closed while the piston 20 is applying pressure to the pre-mix 40 trapped between the valves in the compression chamber 1. Alternatively the valve action may be adjusted to provide a semi-continuous flow, wherein check valves are used in both the inlet valve 3 and the outlet valve 4. As the piston 20 is raised, in its negative pressure cycle, a quantity of pre-mix 40 is drawn into the compression chamber 1 , past inlet valve 3, while outlet valve 4 is closed. As the piston 20 begins its pressure application or downward stroke both valves 3 and 4 may be closed for a period of time, allowing full pressure to build up within the compression chamber 1 . On outflow the output valve 4 opens and the pressure within the chamber 1 causes the pressure treated pre-mix 40 to flow from the compression chamber 1 out of the device through the output transfer conduit 7, into the baffled chamber 23, finally exiting the system through exit conduit 24. Figure 3 is a partly cut-away view of the piston pressure applying device 2. Compressed air 30 enters the device at the air input port 1 6 and acts to force the piston 20 downward through a nose housing 42 into the compression chamber 1 . There a quantity of pre- mix 40 has been delivered past the input valve 3 which is shown as a spring loaded check valve. The pre-mix is trapped at this point between input valve 3 and output valve 4, which is a female outflow spring loaded check valve. As the piston 20 is forced downward by the air motor 22 it strikes the surface of the pre-mix 40 and generates a shock wave through the pre-mix. A series of seals and gaskets are placed along the compression chamber to provide isolation of the pre-mix from the rest of the pressure applicator's assemblage. These are illustrated at 21 and 50 in Figure 3. In a conventional hydraulic pump, as the piston 20 drove downward, the output valve 4 would immediately open and allow the flow to move onward. In this case, the output valve 4 is designed to have higher tension on its check valve springs so that more pressure is required to force its opening. The result is that as the piston 20 comes downward into the compression chamber 1 , both the input 3 and output 4 valves are kept in a closed position. This allows the piston 20 to generate the shock wave as it hits the pre-mix 40. If solenoid valves are used, the timing of the opening and the closing of the valves, especially the output valve 4, is adjusted to maximize the generation of the pressure shock wave generated by the piston 20 action against the pre-mix 40. The time during which the pre-mix 40 is exposed to the pressure build up within the compression chamber 1 is determined by the opening of output valve 4 and this is tied to the stroke rate determined by the 1/4 turn air valve 13. From the output channel 7, the treated material, now called the "post-mix" 44, flows into a baffled chamber 23 and finally out of the system through an exit channel 24. The baffled chamber 23 impedes the fluid flow enough for back pressure to build up against the output valve 4, keeping it closed even longer with just a step down in fluid flow channel diameters. Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the baffled chamber 23. The housing 54 of the chamber 23 is sufficiently long to allow turbulence to build up in the post-mix 44. The length of the chamber may be varied to accommodate various treatment effects. Pressure treated fluid (post-mix) 44 enters the chamber 23 through inflow nozzle 57 which is contained within the inner diameter 56 of the hollow chamber housing 54. A series of baffles 55 are placed along the interior length of the chamber 23 to further create turbulence as the pressure treated fluid passes through the chamber. In the preferred embodiment, the baffles are actually a series of rings with projecting tabs as shown in the cross- section of Figure 5. These tabs stick from the rings into the fluid flow, acting like baffles, and creating enhanced turbulence and shear within the pressure treated fluid 44. While not wishing to be bound to this explanation, Applicants theorize that piston 20 acts to generate cavitation within the compression chamber 1 as the piston 20 generates its pressure shock wave effect. The shock wave acts to liberate trapped gases within the pre-mix, thereby generating heat. The heat energy so released is thought to be a major factor in the modification of the physical properties of the fiber material within the pre-mix 40. Applicants further theorize that the pressure shock wave generated within the compression chamber 1 by the action of the piston 20 has the effect of compressing the material into a tighter space. The so-compacted material would exhibit altered physical properties. The turbulence in chamber 23 also causes a back pressure effect upon the output check valve 4 shown in Figures 2 and 3. This back pressure effect causes a delay in the opening of the output check valve 4 and thereby enhances the length of time that pressure is applied to the target sample. After encountering the turbulence caused by the baffles, the pressure treated fluid 59 exits the chamber 23 through outflow nozzle 58. In Figure 2 the inflow tubing leading to the chamber 23 is of smaller diameter than the outflow of the compression chamber 1 of the pressure applicator device 2. This step down in flow diameters helps to create the pressure shock wave effect within the compression chamber 1 by keeping output check valve 4 closed for a longer period of time. The outflow from the baffled chamber 23 is carried from the apparatus through outflow channel 24, and can then be delivered to a collection tank, or directly to a drying apparatus. Below are reports of experiments performed on dietary fiber using the apparatus described above, in order to show the effects of proceeding in accordance with the present invention. Also included are comparisons with such fiber which has not been treated in accordance with the invention. EXPERIMENT 1 : PRESSURE TREATMENT OF CELLULOSE BASED DIETARY FIBER - ONE PASS A slurry containing raw untreated cellulose based dietary fiber, known as Ron-2, supplied by JWS Delavau Company, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was made using 17% dietary fiber in 83% ambient tap water. The slurry was agitated for several minutes using an air stirrer until the fiber was totally dispersed. The slurry was then filtered using a buchner funnel attached to a vacuum pump, producing a wet cake of dietary fiber. The wet cake was then dried under a heat lamp for 48 hours until a dried, fine, white, free flowing powder resulted. This produced a control sample. A second slurry containing raw untreated cellulose based dietary fiber, known as Ron-2, supplied by JWS Delavau Company, was made using 17% dietary fiber in 83% ambient tap water. The slurry was agitated for several minutes using an air stirrer until the fiber was totally dispersed. The slurry was then fed to a machine known as the Delta Processor Unit Model No. D-001 , supplied by Encapsulation Systems Inc., of Darby, Pennsylvania, which corresponds to the apparatus shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the above technical description of that apparatus. The unit was set for 90 psi inlet feed pressure. The effective pressure is multiplied 144 times to produce 12,960 lbs. of compressive pressure. The slurry was treated for one pass through the machine. The treated slurry was then filtered using a buchner funnel attached to a vacuum pump, producing a wet cake of dietary fiber. The wet cake was then dried under a heat lamp for 48 hours until a dried, fine, white, free flowing powder resulted. This produced the sample identified as the Pressure Treated Cellulose Fiber. Next the samples were analyzed using prescribed procedures, by Medallion Laboratories, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, an independent laboratory, to determine the properties of the pressure treated fiber vs. the control fiber. Table 1 below illustrates the results found for water (moisture) holding capacity. Table 2 lists the physical properties found. Table 3 compares reproducibility data with regard to moisture holding capacity over 5 different samples. Table 4 compares the pressure treated cellulose fiber from Experiment 1 to other conventional dietary fibers, ranking those fiber products by their water holding capacity. TABLE - 1 COMPARISON OF PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER WITH RAW CELLULOSIC FIBER WATER HOLDING CAPACITY FIBER TYPE WATER REDUCTION VS. RAW HOLDING FIBER RAW FIBER 526% 0.0% PRESSURE 360% - 32% TREATED FIBER A size comparison was made to provide equivalent sized particulates for the water holding study. This eliminated a difference in particle size as the explanation of the cause in such a dramatic reduction in water holding capacity. From this data it can be clearly seen that the pressure treatment caused a significant reduction in water holding capacity. TABLE - 2 COMPARISON OF PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSIC FIBER WITH RAW CELLULOSIC FIBER FEATURE RAW FIBER PRESSURE TREATED FIBER PARTICLE SIZE (microns) 50 50 FAT, ACID HYDROLYSIS 0% 0.2% INSOLUBLE FIBER 89.72% 95.08% SOLUBLE FIBER 0% 0% TOTAL DIETARY FIBER 89.72% 95.08% PROTEIN 0.05% 0.07% MOISTURE 5.21 % 5.72% ASH 0.176% 0.229% CALORIES/100 GRAMS 20.0 2.0 CALORIES FROM FAT 2.0 0.02 CARBOHYDRATES, 4.8% 0% AVAIL. CARBOHYDRATES, 94.6% 93.8% TOTAL Tests conducted by Medallion Laboratories, Minneapolis, MN The pressure treated sample is both extremely high in insoluble dietary fiber and extremely low in calorie content, (only 2 calories/100 grams) and high in insoluble fiber content (95.08%), while it also has a low water (moisture) holding capacity (360%), compared to conventional ceilulosic fibers which hold as much as 526% water (see Table 1 ). A key feature of the pressure treated dietary fiber is its extremely low calorie content for ceilulosic fiber: 2.0 calories vs. 20/cgm for the raw untreated cellulose fiber. This effect of the pressure processing is also reflected in the Carbohydrates Available number, which was 4.8% for the raw untreated cellulose fiber and 0% for the pressure treated sample. This is an indicator that the fat content of the fiber has been reduced via the pressure processing treatment. The insoluble fiber content has increased in the pressure treated dietary fiber from 89.72% to 95.08%. TABLE - 3 COMPARISON OF PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER TO RAW CELLULOSIC FIBER WATER HOLDING CAPACITY REPRODUCIBILITY STUDY SAMPLE WATER HOLDING CAPACITY RAW CELLULOSE FIBER 1 st Sample 526% RAW CELLULOSE FIBER 2nd Sample 566% RAW CELLULOSE FIBER 3rd Sample 446% RAW CELLULOSE FIBER 4th Sample 540% RAW CELLULOSE FIBER 5th Sample 526% RAW CELLULOSE FIBER Average 521 % PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER - 1st Sample 360% PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER - 2nd Sample 362% PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER - 3rd Sample 360% PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER - 4th Sample 361 % PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER - 5th Sample 358% PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER - Average 360% From this data it can be seen that the Pressure Treated Cellulose Fiber sample holds far less moisture than the raw control fiber and is more consistent and reproducible from batch to batch. TABLE - 4 COMPARISON OF VARIOUS DIETARY FIBER PRODUCTS FIBER TYPE WHC TDF SF FAT COLOR TASTE White Oat 800% 18% 8% 12% WHITE GRAIN Raw Cellulose 526% 90% < 1 % < 1 % TAN FINE White Wheat 500% NA NA 5% WHITE GRAIN PRESSURE 275% 95% < 1 % < 1 % TAN FINE TREATED CELLULOSE Oat Bran 320% 18% 8% 12% WHITE NEUT Wheat Bran 300% 44% < 1 % 5% BROWN CER. Corn Bran 290% NA NA NA BROWN GRAIN Starch Fiber 200% 30% 2% < 1 % WHITE NEUT WHC = Water Holding Capacity TDF = Total Dietary Fiber SF Soluble Fiber Neut = Neutral Taste Cer. = Cereal NA Data Not Available EXPERIMENT 2: COMPARISON OF CELLULOSE BASED DIETARY FIBER WHICH HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO MULTIPLE PRESSURE TREATMENTS A slurry containing raw untreated cellulose based dietary fiber, known as Ron-2, supplied by JWS Delavau Company, was made using 1 7% dietary fiber in 83% ambient tap water. The slurry was agitated for several minutes using an air stirrer until the fiber was totally dispersed. The slurry was then filtered using a buchner funnel attached to a vacuum pump, producing a wet cake of dietary fiber. The wet cake was then dried under a heat lamp for 48 hours until a dried, fine, white, free flowing powder resulted. This produced a control sample. A second slurry containing raw untreated cellulose based dietary fiber, known as Ron-2, supplied by JWS Delavau Company, was made using 17% dietary fiber in 83% ambient tap water. The slurry was agitated for several minutes using an air stirrer until the fiber was totally dispersed. The slurry was then fed to a machine known as the Delta Processor Unit Model No. D-001 , supplied by Encapsulation Systems Inc., which corresponds to the apparatus illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the above technical description of that apparatus. The unit was set for 90 psi inlet feed pressure. The effective pressure is multiplied 144 times to produce either 12,960 lbs. of pressure respectively. The slurry was treated for five passes through the machine. The treated slurry was then filtered using a buchner funnel attached to a vacuum pump, producing a wet cake of dietary fiber. The wet cake was then dried under a heat lamp for 48 hours until a dried, fine, white, free flowing powder resulted. This produced the sample identified as the Pressure Treated Cellulose Fiber - 905. Next the samples were analyzed by prescribed procedures to determine the properties of the pressure treated fiber vs. the control fiber. Table 5 illustrates the results found for water holding capacity. Table 6 lists the physical properties found. TABLE - 5 COMPARISON OF PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER MULTIPLE TREATMENT VERSIONS TO RAW CELLULOSIC FIBER WATER HOLDING CAPACITY PRESSURE ORIGINAL WATER REDUCTION % AFTER TREATMENT CAPACITY PRESSURE TREATMENT None 526% 0% 12,960 LBS 360% -32% 1-PASS 12,960 LBS 250% -52% 5-PASSES TABLE - 6 COMPARISON OF PRESSURE TREATED CELLULOSE FIBER MULTIPLE TREATMENT PASSES WITH RAW CELLULOSIC FIBER FEATURE RAW CELL. PRESSURE X 5 PASSES PARTICLE SIZE 20 20 passes mesh size FAT, ACID HYDROLYSIS 0% 0.2% INSOLUBLE FIBER 89.72% 95.08% SOLUBLE FIBER 0% 0% TOTAL DIETARY FIBER 89.72% 95.08% PROTEIN 0.05% 0.07% MOISTURE (AFTER DRYING) 5.21 % 5.72% ASH 0.176% 0.229% CALORIES/100 GRAMS 20.0 2.0 CALORIES FROM FAT 2.0 0.02 CARBOHYDRATES, AVAIL 4.8% 0% CARBOHYDRATES, TOTAL 94.6% 93.8% From this data it can be seen that the pressure treated sample which was passed through the treatment process for multiple cycles, identified as the Pressure Treated Cellulose Fiber - 905 sample, holds far less moisture than either the raw control fiber or the original pressure treated fiber which was subject to only one treatment pass. In this particular case, there was no difference in the final analytical results between the dietary fiber which was treated for only one pass when compared with the multiple treated dietary fiber. EXPERIMENT 3: PRESSURE TREATMENT OF OAT DIETARY FIBERS A slurry containing raw untreated oat fiber was made using 17% dietary fiber in 83% ambient tap water. The slurry was agitated for several minutes using an air stirrer until the fiber was totally dispersed. The slurry was then filtered using a buchner funnel attached to a vacuum pump, producing a wet cake of dietary fiber. The wet cake was then dried under a heat lamp for 48 hours until a dried, fine, white, free flowing powder resulted. This produced a control sample. A second slurry containing the raw oat based dietary fiber was made using 17% dietary fiber in 83% ambient tap water. The slurry was agitated for several minutes using an air stirrer until the fiber was totally dispersed. The slurry was then fed to the Delta Processor Unit Model No. D-001 , supplied by Encapsulation Systems Inc., which corresponds to the apparatus illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the above technical description of that apparatus. The unit was set for 90 psi inlet feed pressure. The effective pressure is multiplied 144 times to produce 12,960 lbs. of compressive pressure respectively. The slurry was treated for one pass through the machine. The treated slurry was then filtered using a buchner funnel attached to a vacuum pump, producing a wet cake of dietary fiber. The wet cake was then dried under a heat lamp for 48 hours until a dried, fine, white, free flowing powder resulted. This produced the sample identified as the Pressure Treated Oat Fiber. Several oats fibers were tested including "Snowite" and "Soft-N- Wite" supplied by Canadian Harvest Corp. of Cambridge, Minnesota, and Oat Fiber supplied by Opta Food Ingredients Corp. of Boston, Massachusetts. TABLE - 7 COMPARISON OF PRESSURE TREATED OAT FIBER WITH RAW OAT FIBER WATER HOLDING CAPACITY OAT FIBER TYPE ORIGINAL WATER WATER HOLDING CAPACITY CAPACITY AFTER PRESSURE TREATMENT SNOWITE 3.70% 2.59% SOFT-N-WITE 4.50% 2.37% OPTA OAT FIBER 8.50% 7.15% NO 780-35-029 From this data it can be clearly seen that oat fibers also enjoy a reduced water holding capacity after pressure treatment in accordance with the present invention. TABLE - 8 PARTIAL LISTING OF VARIOUS DIETARY FIBER PRODUCTS SUITABLE FOR ENHANCEMENT VIA PRESSURE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRESENT INVENTION WHITE OAT FIBER CELLULOSE FIBER WHITE WHEAT FIBER OAT BRAN WHEAT BRAN CORN BRAN STARCH BASED FIBERS BLEACHED CORN FIBER FIBERS DERIVED FROM RICE BRAN CORN HUSKS SOY FIBER REFINED OAT FIBER COMBINATIONS OF ANY BLENDS OF ABOVE FIBERS IN A NUMBER OF THE ABOVE RAW STATE WITH THEIR FIBERS PRESSURE TREATED VERSIONS FIBERS DERIVED FROM OAT ANY OTHER SUBSTANCE USED HUSKS AS A DIETARY FIBER A key discovery of the pressure treatment is that a reduction in calories is possible depending upon the amount of pressurization employed. In the instance of the ceilulosic fibers, the calories dropped from 20 calories/100 grams to just 2 calories/100 grams. While Applicants do not wish to be bound by the following explanation, this reduction may be due to the following effects within the fiber created by the pressure treatment. 1 ) An increase in the insoluble (i.e. indigestible) fiber component of the fiber, essentially making more of the material indigestible, and thereby reducing absorbed calories. In the instance of the ceilulosic fiber, the insoluble fiber was originally 89.72%, but after pressure treatment the insoluble fiber component was raised to 95.5%, a 6 percentage point increase in indigestible fiber content (refer to Table 1 ) . This reorganization of the structure and functionality of the material after pressure treatment into a more indigestible form could account for the reduction in calories. 2) As further evidence of the effects of digestible component reorganization, the "carbohydrates available" test revealed a reduction in carbohydrates from 4.8% in the raw sample to 0.0% for the pressure treated sample. This indicates that a significant portion of the material was reorganized into a more indigestible form. 3) The reduction in carbohydrates also exhibits lower calories derived from fat content from 2.0 calories/gram to 0.02 calories/gram in the instance of the ceilulosic fiber. This suggests that the fat component of the material can be destructured as a result of the pressure treatment, resulting in lower calories. 4) The carbohydrate branching structure may have been altered, possibly through a process of pressure induced cross linking of the polymer chains or base sugars composing the carbohydrate molecule, thereby resulting in less bio-available fat content, and therefore in lower tested calories.

Claims: We Claim: 1. A process for modifying the properties of dietary fibers, comprising the step of applying a pressure shock wave to said fibers. 2. The dietary fiber product obtained by the process of Claim 1. 3. The use of a machine, which is adapted to apply at least one pressure pulse to a substance, so as to apply said pulse to a dispersion of dietary fibers in a carrier medium, thereby to produce a shock wave in said dispersion. 4. A dietary fiber product modified through the application of at least one pressure pulse and exhibiting substantially different properties from the same dietary fiber before having been so modified. 5. The modified product of Claim 4 which exhibits substantially reduced caloric content, moisture absorption capacity, and available carbohydrate, and increased content of insoluble fibers. 6. The modified product of Claim 5 which also exhibits greater reproducibility of properties from one modified product batch to another modified batch. 7. The modified product of Claim 5 in which the available carbohydrate is substantially zero. 8. The process of Claim 1 wherein the step of applying a pressure shock wave is performed more than once. 9. The process of Claim 1 , wherein the step of applying of the pressure shock wave is performed by a piston impacting on a confined quantity of said dispersion.

Inventors: HARDEN JEROME, REDDING BRUCE K JR, HARDEN, JEROME, REDDING, BRUCE, K., JR.
Applicants: DELTA FOOD GROUP INC, HARDEN JEROME, REDDING BRUCE K JR, DELTA FOOD GROUP, INC., HARDEN, JEROME, REDDING, BRUCE, K., JR.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A21D6
IPC codes: A21D2, A23L1