Fiber-containing carbohydrate composition

1. A process for making a slowly-digestible or digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition, the process comprising

providing an aqueous feed composition that comprises a monosaccharide and at least one linear saccharide oligomer, the aqueous feed composition including at least 70% by weight on a dry solids basis of monosaccharides and saccharide oligomers, the monosaccharide and linear saccharide oligomer being provided by a starch hydrolyzate; and

reacting the aqueous feed composition at a total solids concentration of at least 90% by weight in the presence of at least one acid catalyst that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds at a pH of no more than 4 and a temperature of at least about 149° C. for a time of 0.1-15 minutes sufficient to produce a product saccharide composition in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers, and in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three is at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis, the product saccharide composition being primarily digestion resistant or primarily slowly digestible as measured by the Englyst Assay, the product saccharide composition including less than 50% on a dry solids basis of residual monosaccharides,

wherein the saccharide oligomers have a degree of polymerization in the range of 2 to 30.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous feed composition is a corn syrup.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous feed composition is made by hydrolysis of corn starch.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous feed composition consists essentially of a starch hydrolysate.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one acid catalyst is hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or a combination thereof.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one acid catalyst is a combination of hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the acid catalyst is residual acid that is present in the aqueous feed composition from previous processing.

8. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising, before reacting the aqueous feed composition, adding at least one acid catalyst to the aqueous feed composition.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a pH of about 1.0 to about 2.5.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process does not include a hydrogenation step.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed in a continuous flow through a reactor or a pipe.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the product saccharide composition comprises a minor amount of residual monosaccharides, and wherein the process further comprises removing at least some residual monosaccharides from the product saccharide composition by fractionation.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process does not include removing residual monosaccharides from the product saccharide composition by fractionation.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one acid catalyst is hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or a combination thereof; and

wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed in a continuous flow through a reactor or a pipe.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the aqueous feed composition consists essentially of a corn starch hydrolysate.

16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the slowly-digestible or digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition is not a polydextrose.

17. A primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers, and in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three is at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis, the carbohydrate composition including less than 50% on a dry solids basis of residual monosaccharides, the carbohydrate composition being primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant as measured by the Englyst Assay, the carbohydrate composition being made by a process according to claim 1 .

18. A primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers, and in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three is at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis, the carbohydrate composition including less than 50% on a dry solids basis of residual monosaccharides, the carbohydrate composition being primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant as measured by the Englyst Assay, the carbohydrate composition being made by a process according to claim 14 .

19. A process for making a slowly-digestible or digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition, the process comprising

providing an aqueous feed composition that is a syrup comprising a monosaccharide and at least one linear saccharide oligomer and having a dextrose equivalence of 26-63, the aqueous feed composition including at least 70% by weight on a dry solids basis of monosaccharides and saccharide oligomers, the monosaccharide and at least one linear saccharide oligomer being provided by a starch hydrolyzate; and

reacting the aqueous feed composition at a total solids concentration of at least about 70% by weight in the presence of at least one acid catalyst that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds at a pH of no more than 4 and a temperature of at least about 70° C. for a time sufficient to produce a product saccharide composition in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers, and in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three is at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis, the product saccharide composition being primarily digestion resistant or primarily slowly digestible as measured by the Englyst Assay, the product saccharide composition including less than 50% on a dry solids basis of residual monosaccharides,

wherein the saccharide oligomers have a degree of polymerization of 2 to 30.

20. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the aqueous feed composition is a corn syrup.

21. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one acid catalyst is hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or a combination thereof.

22. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one acid catalyst is a combination of hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid.

23. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a pH of about 1.0 to about 2.5.

24. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed in a continuous flow through a reactor or a pipe.

25. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the product saccharide composition comprises a minor amount of residual monosaccharides, and wherein the process further comprises removing at least some residual monosaccharides from the product saccharide composition by fractionation.

26. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the process does not include removing residual monosaccharides from the product saccharide composition by fractionation.

27. The process according to claim 19 , wherein

the at least one acid catalyst is hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or a combination thereof; and

wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed in a continuous flow through a reactor or a pipe.

28. The process according to claim 25 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a pH of about 1.0 to about 2.5.

29. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a solids concentration of at least 90% by weight, at a temperature of at least about 149° C., for a time of about 0.1 minute to about 15 minutes.

30. The process according to claim 28 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed in a continuous flow through a reactor or a pipe.

31. The process according to claim 28 , wherein the at least one acid catalyst is hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or a combination thereof.

32. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a temperature of at least about 80° C.

33. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the process does not include a hydrogenation step.

34. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the slowly-digestible or digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition is not a polydextrose.

35. A primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers, and in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three is at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis, the carbohydrate composition including less than 50% on a dry solids basis of residual monosaccharides, the carbohydrate composition being primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant as measured by the Englyst Assay, the carbohydrate composition being made by a process according to claim 19 .

36. A primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers, and in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three is at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis, the carbohydrate composition including less than 50% on a dry solids basis of residual monosaccharides, the carbohydrate composition being primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant as measured by the Englyst Assay, the carbohydrate composition being made by a process according to claim 28 .

37. A process for making a slowly-digestible or digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition, the process comprising

providing an aqueous feed composition that comprises a monosaccharide and at least one linear saccharide oligomer, the aqueous feed composition including at least 70% by weight on a dry solids basis of monosaccharides and saccharide oligomers, the monosaccharide being dextrose and each of the at least one linear saccharide oligomers being a linear dextrose oligomer; and

reacting the aqueous feed composition at a total solids concentration of at least about 70% by weight in the presence of at least one acid catalyst that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds at a pH of no more than 4 and a temperature of at least about 70° C. for a time sufficient to produce a product saccharide composition in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers, and in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three is at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis, the product saccharide composition being primarily digestion resistant or primarily slowly digestible as measured by the Englyst Assay, the product saccharide composition including less than 50% on a dry solids basis of residual monosaccharides,

wherein the saccharide oligomers have a degree of polymerization of 2 to 30, and

wherein the slowly-digestible or digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition is not a polydextrose.

38. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the aqueous feed composition is a corn syrup.

39. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the aqueous feed composition is made by hydrolysis of corn starch.

40. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the aqueous feed composition consists essentially of a starch hydrolysate.

41. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a solids concentration of at least about 75%.

42. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a solids concentration of at least about 80%.

43. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the at least one acid catalyst is hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or a combination thereof.

44. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the at least one acid catalyst is a combination of hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid.

45. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the acid catalyst is residual acid that is present in the aqueous feed composition from previous processing.

46. The process according to claim 37 , further comprising, before reacting the aqueous feed composition, adding at least one acid catalyst to the aqueous feed composition.

47. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a pH in the range of about 1.0 to about 2.5.

48. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the process does not include a hydrogenation step.

49. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a temperature of at least about 80° C.

50. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed in a continuous flow through a reactor or a pipe.

51. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a total solids concentration of at least 90% by weight, at a temperature of at least about 149° C., for a time of about 0.1 minute to about 15 minutes.

52. The process according to claim 50 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed in a continuous flow through a reactor or a pipe.

53. The process according to claim 52 , wherein the at least one acid catalyst is a combination of hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid.

54. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the product saccharide composition comprises a minor amount of residual monosaccharides, and wherein the process further comprises removing at least some residual monosaccharides from the product saccharide composition by fractionation.

55. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the process does not include removing residual monosaccharides from the product saccharide composition by fractionation.

56. The process according to claim 37 , wherein the reacting of the aqueous feed composition in the presence of the at least one acid catalyst is performed at a temperature of at least about 80° C. and at a total solids concentration of at least about 80%.

57. A primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers, and in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three is at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis, the composition including less than 50% on a dry solids basis of residual monosaccharides, the composition being primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant as measured by the Englyst Assay, the carbohydrate composition being made by a process according to claim 37 .

58. A primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers, and in which the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three is at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis, the composition including less than 50% on a dry solids basis of residual monosaccharides, the composition being primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant as measured by the Englyst Assay, the carbohydrate composition being made by a process according to claim 52 .

59. A method for making a food product comprising providing a food composition suitable for combination with a carbohydrate material, and combining the food composition with the primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition according to claim 17 .

60. The method according to claim 59 , wherein the food product is selected from baked foods, breakfast cereal, anhydrous coatings, dairy products, confections, jams and jellies, beverages, fillings, extruded and sheeted snacks, gelatin desserts, snack bars, cheese and cheese sauces, edible and water-soluble films, soups, syrups, sauces, dressings, creamers, icings, frostings, glazes, pet food, tortillas, meat and fish, dried fruit, infant and toddler food, and batters and breadings.

61. A method for making a food product comprising providing a food composition suitable for combination with a carbohydrate material, and combining the food composition with the primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition according to claim 18 .

62. The method according to claim 61 , wherein the food product is selected from baked foods, breakfast cereal, anhydrous coatings, dairy products, confections, jams and jellies, beverages, fillings, extruded and sheeted snacks, gelatin desserts, snack bars, cheese and cheese sauces, edible and water-soluble films, soups, syrups, sauces, dressings, creamers, icings, frostings, glazes, pet food, tortillas, meat and fish, dried fruit, infant and toddler food, and batters and breadings.

63. A method for making a food product comprising providing a food composition suitable for combination with a carbohydrate material, and combining the food composition with the primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition according to claim 35 .

64. The method according to claim 63 , wherein the food product is selected from baked foods, breakfast cereal, anhydrous coatings, dairy products, confections, jams and jellies, beverages, fillings, extruded and sheeted snacks, gelatin desserts, snack bars, cheese and cheese sauces, edible and water-soluble films, soups, syrups, sauces, dressings, creamers, icings, frostings, glazes, pet food, tortillas, meat and fish, dried fruit, infant and toddler food, and batters and breadings.

65. A method for making a food product comprising providing a food composition suitable for combination with a carbohydrate material, and combining the food composition with the primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition according to claim 36 .

66. The method according to claim 65 , wherein the food product is selected from baked foods, breakfast cereal, anhydrous coatings, dairy products, confections, jams and jellies, beverages, fillings, extruded and sheeted snacks, gelatin desserts, snack bars, cheese and cheese sauces, edible and water-soluble films, soups, syrups, sauces, dressings, creamers, icings, frostings, glazes, pet food, tortillas, meat and fish, dried fruit, infant and toddler food, and batters and breadings.

67. A method for making a food product comprising providing a food composition suitable for combination with a carbohydrate material, and combining the food composition with the primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition according to claim 57 .

68. The method according to claim 67 , wherein the food product is selected from baked foods, breakfast cereal, anhydrous coatings, dairy products, confections, jams and jellies, beverages, fillings, extruded and sheeted snacks, gelatin desserts, snack bars, cheese and cheese sauces, edible and water-soluble films, soups, syrups, sauces, dressings, creamers, icings, frostings, glazes, pet food, tortillas, meat and fish, dried fruit, infant and toddler food, and batters and breadings.

69. A method for making a food product comprising providing a food composition suitable for combination with a carbohydrate material, and combining the food composition with the primarily slowly-digestible or primarily digestion-resistant carbohydrate composition according to claim 58 .

70. The method according to claim 69 , wherein the food product is selected from baked foods, breakfast cereal, anhydrous coatings, dairy products, confections, jams and jellies, beverages, fillings, extruded and sheeted snacks, gelatin desserts, snack bars, cheese and cheese sauces, edible and water-soluble films, soups, syrups, sauces, dressings, creamers, icings, frostings, glazes, pet food, tortillas, meat and fish, dried fruit, infant and toddler food, and batters and breadings.