Stabilized semisolid food products
The invention relates to compositions and methods for stabilizing and enhancing the viscosity of semisolid compositions, and to the production of stabilized alcohol-containing semisolid food products. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to novel stabilizers for semisolid compositions, to alcohol-containing semisolid food compositions comprising them, and to processes for the preparation and use thereof. Further, the invention in embodiments thereof provides non-liquid food products containing a high alcohol content, which are stable at room temperature and do not necessitate the use of gelling agents or other chemical stabilizers.
1 . An alcohol-containing semisolid food composition comprising 3-40% w/w ethanol, 25-65% w/w water and protein at a concentration selected from the group consisting of 3-10% w/w soy protein and 10-18% w/w whey protein, wherein the composition maintains a stable semisolid consistency of 2-30 Pa·S at 20° C. for at least 72 hours, as determined by a Brookfield viscometer measured at 20° C. at a constant shear rate of 100 l/s after 3 seconds.
2 . The composition of claim 1 , which maintains said stable semisolid consistency at 4° C. for at least 1-4 weeks, as determined by a Brookfield viscometer measured at 20° C. at a constant shear rate of 100 l/s after 3 seconds.
3 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein said food composition is selected from the group consisting of a condiment, sauce, confectionary, filling, pudding, cheese, spread, dessert, yogurt, and pate.
4 . The composition of claim 1 , which exhibits non-Newtonian pseudoplastic properties in the absence of added gel forming agents.
5 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising 3-20% w/w ethanol.
6 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising 6-15% w/w ethanol.
7 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising 30-60% w/w water.
8 . The composition of claim 6 , comprising 30-60% w/w water.