Method for the preparation of a monoglyceride hydrate product
The present invention relates to a method for preparing a monoglyceride hydrate product, which product may be used as an emulsifier in various food and non-food applications. The present invention further relates to the monoglyceride hydrate product obtainable by said method. The invention further relates to a monoglyceride hydrate product, comprising monoglycerides, with saturated fatty acid residues, water and non-hydrogenated monoglycerides and/or diglycerides having unsaturated fatty acid residues.
1. A method for preparing a monoglyceride hydrate product, comprising, sequentially:
(a) mixing a monoglyceride composition having an iodine value of 15 or lower with water at a temperature of about 50° C. to about 90° C., wherein the ratio of monoglycerides to water ranges from 4:1 to 1:5;
(b) cooling the mixture of step (a) to a temperature at least about 2° C. below the Krafft temperature of the monoglyceride composition, such that at least a part of the monoglycerides crystallizes and at least partly precipitates from the water, due to the lowering of the temperature of the mixture to at least about 2° C. below the Krafft temperature of the monoglyceride composition, resulting in an aqueous mixture comprising the monoglyceride in crystalline form;
(c) mixing the mixture of step (b) with a co-emulsifier comprising nonhydrogenated monoglycerides and/or diglycerides and having an iodine value of 25 or higher; and
(d) homogenizing the mixture of step (c),
wherein the monoglyceride hydrate product obtained in step (d) comprises:
(i) 15 to 80% by weight monoglycerides having an iodine value of 15 or lower;
(ii) 0.5 to 20% by weight non-hydrogenated monoglycerides and/or diglycerides having an iodine value of 25 or higher; and
(iii) 5 to 80% by weight water.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of monoglycerides to water ranges from 1:1 to 1:3.5.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least 75% by weight of the monoglycerides of the monoglyceride composition of step (a) comprises fatty acid residues with a chain length between 12 and 22 carbon atoms.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least 75% by weight of the monoglycerides of the monoglyceride composition of step (a) comprise fatty acid residues chosen from stearic acid, myristic acid, pentadecylic acid, palmitic acid and/or margaric acid.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the iodine value of the monoglyceride composition is 10 or lower.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water of step (a) comprises less than 10 mg per liter minerals.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the monoglycerides and/or diglycerides of the co-emulsifier are chosen from cis-unsaturated monoglycerides, cis-unsaturated diglycerides, saturated diglycerides or a combination thereof.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of unsaturated trans-fatty acid residues to cis-fatty acids residues in the fatty acid chains of the monoglycerides and/or diglycerides of the co-emulsifier is less than 5%.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least 75% by weight the monoglycerides and/or diglycerides of the co-emulsifier comprise fatty acid residues are chosen from oleic acid, linoleic acid, a-linolenic acid, y-linolenic acid or a combination thereof.
10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adding a microbial growth inhibitor before, after or during any of the steps (a) to (d).
11. A method for preparing a monoglyceride hydrate product, comprising, sequentially:
(a) mixing a monoglyceride composition having an iodine value of 15 or lower with water at a temperature of about 50° C. to about 90° C., wherein the ratio of monoglycerides to water ranges from 4:1 to 1:5;
(b) cooling the mixture of step (a) to a temperature at least about 2° C. below the Krafft temperature of the monoglyceride composition, such that at least a part of the monoglycerides crystallizes and at least partly precipitates from the water, due to the lowering of the temperature of the mixture to at least about 2° C. below the Krafft temperature of the monoglyceride composition, resulting in an aqueous mixture comprising the monoglyceride in crystalline form;
(c) mixing the mixture of step (b) with a co-emulsifier comprising non-hydrogenated monoglycerides and/or diglycerides and having an iodine value of 25 or higher; and
(d) homogenizing the mixture of step (c).
12. A monoglyceride hydrate product obtainable by the method according to claim 1 , wherein the total amount of monoglycerides in the product is between 15 and 45% by weight.