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EP-4734772-A1 - EXTRUSION-ENCAPSULATED CALCIUM SALTS AS OPACIFYING/WHITENING AGENTS

EP4734772A1EP 4734772 A1EP4734772 A1EP 4734772A1EP-4734772-A1

Abstract

An opacity modifying agent in dry particulate form as an alternative t titanium dioxide is described herein. The opacity modifying agent may comprise a calcium salt encapsulated in a water- insoluble protein matrix via extrusion encapsulation, leading to the encapsulated calcium salt having higher opacity than that of the unencapsulated calcium salt. In embodiments, the opacity modifying agent may comprise calcium carbonate encapsulated in an alkaline rice protein extract having a whiteness approaching that of calcium carbonate. Processes for producing the opacity modifying agents, as well as their uses in food, cosmetic, or personal care products are also described herein.

Inventors

  • Nikolov, Plamen
  • ELIZONDO, Pablo

Assignees

  • Capol Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230630

Claims (20)

  1. 1. An opacity modifying agent in dry particulate form comprising or consisting essentially of a calcium salt encapsulated in a water-insoluble protein matrix via extrusion encapsulation, wherein the opacity of the encapsulated calcium salt is greater than that of the unencapsulated calcium salt.
  2. 2. The opacity modifying agent of claim 1, wherein the calcium salt comprises or consists of: calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium pantothenate, calcium silicate, calcium lactobionate, calcium phosphate, monobasic calcium phosphate, calcium ascorbate, calcium sorbate, calcium acetate or diacetate, calcium hexametaphosphate, calcium pyrophosphate, calcium alginate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, calcium glycerophosphate, calcium hydroxide, calcium iodate, calcium lactate, calcium oxide, calcium propionate, calcium stearate, calcium sulfate, calcium disodium (or calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA)), and/or other calcium salts or calcium salts derivatives.
  3. 3. The opacity modifying agent of claim 1 or 2, wherein the calcium salt comprises or consists of calcium carbonate.
  4. 4. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water-insoluble protein matrix comprises or consists of a water-insoluble plant protein matrix.
  5. 5. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the water-insoluble protein matrix comprises or consists of a water-insoluble alkaline protein extract.
  6. 6. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the water-insoluble protein matrix comprises or consists of a water-insoluble rice protein extract.
  7. 7. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the water-insoluble protein matrix comprises or consists of a water-insoluble soy protein extract or a water-insoluble pea protein extract.
  8. 8. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the water-insoluble protein matrix is produced from a protein extract raw material having a whiteness similar to that of the unencapsulated calcium salt.
  9. 9. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the water-insoluble protein matrix and/or the opacity modifying agent has whiteness defined by the CIELAB and CIELCh coordinates: L* value from 84 to 100; a* value from 0 to 2; b* value from 0 to 16; C* value from 0 to 16; and h° value from 80 to 87.
  10. 10. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the water-insoluble protein matrix is or is from a protein extract characterized by the conversion of cysteine to its oxidized cystine form.
  11. 11. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising about 20-50% by weight of the calcium salt, and about 50-80% by weight of the water-insoluble protein matrix.
  12. 12. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising greater than 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 or 30% by weight of the calcium salt, and up to 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, or 80% by weight of the water-insoluble protein matrix.
  13. 13. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising about 30% to about 45% by weight of the calcium salt, and about 55% to about 70% by weight of the water-insoluble protein matrix.
  14. 14. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the calcium salt is calcium carbonate present at 30-40% by weight, and the water-insoluble protein matrix is an alkaline rice protein extract present at 60-70% by weight.
  15. 15. The opacity modifying agent of any one of claims 1 to 14, which has an average particle size of about 10 to about 30 microns.
  16. 16. The opacity modifying agent as defined in any one of claims 1 to 15 for use as an additive in a food product (e.g., a confectionary), a cosmetic product, or in a personal care product.
  17. 17. Use of the opacity modifying agent as defined in any one of claims 1 to 15 as an additive in a food product (e.g., a confectionary), a cosmetic product, or in a personal care product.
  18. 18. A method for increasing the opacity of a calcium salt, the method comprising encapsulating the calcium salt in a water-insoluble protein matrix via extrusion encapsulation.
  19. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method produces the opacity modifying agent as defined in any one of claims 1 to 15.
  20. 20. A process for producing an opacity modifying agent in dry particulate form, the process comprising: (i) providing a calcium salt to be encapsulated and a water-insoluble protein-rich mixture; (ii) mixing the calcium salt, the water-insoluble protein-rich mixture, and water in an extruder at high shearing and pressure to raise the temperature, thereby enabling the formation of a melt; (iii) cooling the melt and extruding at temperatures comprising 45-60 °C to facilitate melt formation and/or encapsulation of the calcium salt; and (iv) drying and pulverising or grinding the extruded mixture into a dry particulate form.

Description

EXTRUSION-ENCAPSULATED CALCIUM SALTS AS OPACIFYING/WHITENING AGENTS The present description relates to opacifying and/or whitening agents suitable for use in the food, cosmetic, and personal care industries, as alternatives to titanium dioxide. More specifically, the present description relates opacifying and/or whitening agents based on calcium salts encapsulated in a waterinsoluble protein matrix via extrusion encapsulation. BACKGROUND Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a water insoluble inorganic compound that has been widely used as a white pigment and opacifier. For many years, TiO2 has been used as an agent for coloring or whitening in a variety of foods, including baked goods, candies and other confectionery goods, dairy products, etc. It is also used in pet foods. Other known applications for TiO? include the fields of pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, paints, and more. TiO2 is known to be well-suited for the above-mentioned applications due to its chemical structure allowing for good light refraction and due to particle size, which allows for even dispersion in a formulation. In early 2022, the European Union banned the use of TiO? as a food additive due to the identification of potential carcinogenic effects, with the possibility of other jurisdictions following suit in light of growing consumer pressure. In light of this, there have been significant efforts to develop safer alternatives to TiCF for use as opacifiers and/or whitening agents, particularly in the food, cosmetic, and personal care industries. However, significant challenges exist in this regard, with a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reciting that “there are no good alternatives to titanium dioxide that can provide similar pigment/opacity properties” and that “indicated replacements require studies and regulatory filings which would take significant time, up to 10 years or more and reformulation cost estimates range from $600,000 to $ 1.8 million per product depending on the complexity of the product, which would be passed on to the consumer” (de Beider, 2022). Alternatives to TiCF that have been considered include starched-based products such as com and rice starches, as well as rice flours, alone or in combination with other substances. Starches, however, tend to retain moisture and large quantities may be required when compared to TiCF. Therefore, there is a need for the development of new and safer opacifiers and/or whitening agents as alternatives to TiCF. SUMMARY In a first aspect, described herein is an opacity modifying agent in dry particulate form comprising or consisting essentially of a calcium salt encapsulated in a water-insoluble protein matrix via extrusion encapsulation, wherein the opacity of the encapsulated calcium salt is greater than that of the unencapsulated calcium salt. In a further aspect, described herein is a method for increasing the opacity of a calcium salt, the method comprising encapsulating the calcium salt in a water-insoluble protein matrix via extrusion encapsulation. In a further aspect, described herein is a process for producing an opacity modifying agent in dry particulate form. The process generally comprises: (i) providing a calcium salt to be encapsulated and a water-insoluble protein-rich mixture; (ii) mixing the calcium salt, the water-insoluble protein-rich mixture, and water in an extruder at high shearing and pressure to raise the temperature, thereby enabling the formation of a melt; (iii) cooling the melt and extruding at temperatures comprising 45-60 °C to facilitate melt formation and/or encapsulation of the calcium salt; and (iv) drying and pulverising or grinding the extruded mixture into a dry particulate form. In a further aspect, the opacity modifying agent described herein may be for use as an additive in a food product (e.g., a confectionary), a cosmetic product, or in a personal care product. In a further aspect, described herein is a food, cosmetic, or personal care product comprising the opacity modifying agent as described herein. General Definitions Headings, and other identifiers, e.g., (a), (b), (i), (ii), etc., are presented merely for ease of reading the specification and claims. The use of headings or other identifiers in the specification or claims does not necessarily require the steps or elements be performed in alphabetical or numerical order or the order in which they are presented. The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more”, “at least one”, and “one or more than one”. As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (and any form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and any form of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing” (and any form of containing, such as “cont