New Patents

] This section features recent applications worldwide for patents in areas relevant to food
science and technology. Each entry gives a concise summary of the patent application,
along with details of where and by whom it has been filed. Owing to the large number
of patent applications each month, selected patents only are featured in each issue of
Trends in Food Science

& Technology.

Additives
Tamarind extract
Zablocki,
Deerfield,
791

L. and Pecore, S. (NutraSweet

Co.,
IL, USA) United States Patent US 5 474

Tamarind
extract
for use as a replacement
for phosphoric
acid,
citric
acid
and other
acids
that are added
to soft
drinks.
Beverages
containing
the extract
have an improved
shelf life, as a result
of a higher
pH, and also a flavour
profile equivalent
to or better
than beverages sweetened
with aspartame.

New aspartame derivative

Nofre, C. and Tinti, J.M. (France) French
Application FR 2 719 591 Al [in French]

Patent

A process
for the manufacture
of a
new sweetener
for use in foods,
etc.,
that comprises
N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)L-cu-aspartyll-L-hexahydroxyphenylalanine
l-methyl
ester.
The process
is
based
on the hydrogenation
of a mixture
of aspartame
and
3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde
in an aqueous/ethanolic
solution
at pH 4.5-5.0
in the presence
of a palladium
or platinum
catalyst.

Easy-handling concentrated
thickener system
Guillou,

V.,

Knipper,

M.

and

Morvan,

(RhGne-Poulenc
Chimie, France) French
Application FR 2 721 533 Al [in French]

in Food Science

Gas sensing system

Marsh, R.A., Starnes, R.K., Scarrott, J.W., Smith,
R.E. and Turner, C.E. (Ranks Hovis McDougall
plc, Windsor, UK SL4 3ST) UK Patent Application
GB 2 289 944 A

A gas sensing
system
for measuring
the
concentration
of gas emanating
from
a flowing
medium
(e.g. foods
flowing
along a pipe). The sensor may be used
to detect
gases in flowing
foods
such
as preserves
and alcoholic
beverages,
and
is particularly
intended
for the
detection
of SO, in jams.
The equipment comprises
a gas-permeable
membrane across
a chamber
housing
a gas
sensor.
The sensor
has predetermined
operating
ranges
and is able to adjust
the characteristics
of the gas permeating
this membrane
(e.g. by gas purge
or
temperature
control)
such that the final
gas characteristics
are within
the sensor
range.

Bakery products
Yeasts for refrigerated doughs
Gysler, C., Hottinger,
H. and Niederberger,
P.
(Nestec SA, Vevey, Switzerland)
United States
Patent US 5 480 798

Strains
of Saccharomyces
cerevisiae
that are suitable
for use in bread products baked from refrigerated
dough.
The
strains are substantially
inactive
at a refrigeration
temperature
range of 3-10C
and recover
their activity
at 13-14C.

More rapid production of

ciabatta-type bread
degli Angeli, A. (M.G.
Milan, Italy) European
0 686 349 A2

salt

& Technology

Analytical methods

Leitner, H. and Sadler, R. (Bodegas y Vinedos

Santa Ana SA, Cuaymallen, Mendoza, Argentina/
Fundacion
Universidad
National
de Cuyo)
European Patent Application EP 0 690 124 A2
reverse
osmosis
process
for the removal
of alcohol
from
beverages
that
does not affect the sensory
properties
of
the original
beverage.

Confectionery
Proteinaceous chewing gum base
Cook, R.B. (Opta Food Ingredients

Inc., Bedford,

MA, USA) United States Patent US 5 482 722

A proteinaceous
chewable
base for use
in confections,
which
reduces
stickiness
but retains
elastic
properties
compared
with
traditional
products.
Applications
include
a biodegradable
and non-stick
chewing
gum, and chewing
gum bases
containing
prolamine.

Dairy

M.

Gregory, C. and Singh, H. (Gregory, Encino, CA

91316, USA) PCT International Patent Application
WO 95/l 8546 Al

Trends

Beverages
Alcohol removal by reverse osmosis

Patent

A concentrated
thickener
system
for
foods, etc., comprises
a thickening
agent
that is not viscous
in a nonpolar
medium,
but develops
a thickening
action
in an
aqueous
medium.
This permits
handling
and use of the concentrate
as a lowviscosity
medium,
which
develops
high
viscosity
only on dilution.
The thickener
concentrate
contains:
a surface-active
agent
that
is soluble
in a nonpolar
medium;
an organic
acid salt that is insoluble
in the nonpolar
medium;
a polar
medium
at a concentration
sufficient
to
solubilize
l-80%
of the organic
acid
salt; and an emulsifier.

Calcium-ascorbate-based
substitutes

A salt substitute
containing
calcium
ascorbate
as the major
component
is
characterized
by an appealing
salt-like
flavour
and has a pH of 4-5. The salt
substitute
also contains
NaCI,
sodium
ascorbate,
free ascorbic
acid and KCI as
minor constituents.

dough
mix; this shortens
the time required
for
maturing
and
leavening,
making
the process
more
economical.
The
method
involves
the
following
stages:
kneading,
during
which
a culture broth
that contains
bacteria
and
yeast is added to the dough; maturing;
degassing;
division
into sized
pieces;
leavening
in a cabinet
for 20-30min
and stretching;
and baking.

September

Braibanti spa, I-20122

Patent Application
EP

A method
for the industrial
production
of ciabatta-type
bread,
which
includes
the addition
of a culture
broth
to the

1996

[Vol. 71

Probiotic cultured milk beverage

Kuma, Y., Setoyama, T., Maruyama,
H. and
Kawai, M. (Kabushiki
Kaisha Yakult Honsha,
Tokyo, Japan) United States Patent US 5 466 472

Method
of manufacture
of a cultured
milk
beverage
containing
>3 X 10
cells/ml
of one or more
types of lactic acid bacteria
selected
from
Lactobacillus
casei, L. acidophilus,
L. helveticus and L. jugurti.
The beverage
also
contains
a mixture
of a galactooligosaccharide
and a galactosyldisaccharide.

Engineering/packaging
Ozone fumigation process
Bundschuh, G. and Rilling, S. (Bundschuh, 13189
Berlin, Germany) German Federal Republic Patent
Application DE 44 26 648 Al [in German1

A process
sterilization

for the preservation

of a wide
range

of

and/or
foods,

307