Edible fat continuous spreads
The invention relates to a method of preparing an edible fat continuous spread comprising a dispersed aqueous phase and crystalline non-esterified plant sterol, said method comprising the steps of preparing a fat continuous emulsion and mixing said emulsion with fast re-crystallized non-esterified plant sterol.
1. Method of preparing an edible fat continuous spread comprising a dispersed aqueous phase, 20 to 80 wt % fat and 0.1 to 20 wt % crystalline non-esterified plant sterol, said method comprising the steps of
a. providing an aqueous phase (A);
b. providing a fat phase (B);
c. preparing a fat continuous emulsion (C) comprising the step of mixing aqueous phase (A) and fat phase (B);
d. providing a fat slurry (D) comprising crystalline non-esterified plant sterol and vegetable oil;
e. mixing fat slurry (D) with fat continuous emulsion (C);
wherein fat slurry (D) comprises re-crystallized non-esterified plant sterol prepared by re-crystallizing the non-esterified plant sterol from a mixture comprising vegetable oil and heat dissolved non-esterified plant sterol by cooling said mixture at a cooling rate of at least 2.5 degrees Celsius per second and wherein the average particle size of the resulting crystalline non-esterified plant sterol is smaller than 20 micron.
2. Method according to claim 1 wherein the re-crystallized non-esterified plant sterol is prepared by re-crystallizing the non-esterified plant sterol from a mixture comprising vegetable oil and heat dissolved non-esterified plant sterol by cooling said mixture at a cooling rate of at least 3, degrees Celsius per second.
3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the cooling rate is 4 to 15 degrees Celsius per second.
4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the cooling rate is 5 to 10 degrees Celsius per second.
5. Method according to claim 1 wherein the re-crystallized non-esterified plant sterol is prepared by re-crystallizing the non-esterified plant sterol from a mixture comprising vegetable oil and heat dissolved non-esterified plant sterol by cooling said mixture, said mixture having a temperature of 100 to 150 degrees Celsius.
6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the temperature of the mixture is from 110 to 135 degrees Celsius.
7. Method according to claim 1 wherein the re-crystallized non-esterified plant sterol is prepared by re-crystallizing the non-esterified plant sterol from a mixture comprising vegetable oil and heat dissolved non-esterified plant sterol by cooling said mixture and the resulting mixture has a temperature of less than 60 degrees Celsius.
8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the temperature of the resulting mixture is from 20 to 60 degrees Celsius.
9. Method according to claim 1 wherein fat slurry (D) comprises non-esterified plant sterol and vegetable oil in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 1:10.
10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the fat slurry (D) comprises non-esterified plant sterol and vegetable oil in a weight ratio of 1:1.5 to 1:6.
11. Method according to claim 1 wherein the average particle size of the resulting crystalline non-esterified plant sterol is smaller than 15 micron.
12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the average particle size of the resulting crystalline non-esterified plant sterol is from 5 to 15 micron.
13. Method according to claim 1 wherein fat slurry (D) and fat continuous emulsion (C) are mixed in a weight ratio of 1:10 to 4:1.
14. The method according to claim 13 wherein fat slurry (D) and fat continuous emulsion (C) are mixed in a weight ratio of 1:5 to 2:1.
15. Method according to claim 1 wherein the edible fat continuous spread comprises 25 to 60 wt % fat.
16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the edible fat continuous spread comprises 30 to 50 wt % fat.
17. Method according to claim 1 wherein the edible fat continuous spread comprises 15 to 75 wt % water.
18. Method according to claim 1 wherein the edible fat continuous spread comprises 2 to 15 wt % crystalline non-esterified plant sterol.
19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the edible fat continuous spread comprises 4 to 10 wt % crystalline non-esterified plant sterol.
20. Method according to claim 1 wherein the edible fat continuous spread comprises less than 1 wt % of sweetener.