Reduced calorie food product and methods of making
A reduced calorie nutrient enriched food product is produced by converting sucrose to monosaccharides and by selectively separating high molecular weight nutrients and sucrose in a food product such as a juice. The sucrose may be converted to non-digestible oligosaccharides. The process may also include separating a feed juice into a solids-rich fraction and a clarified juice fraction; treating the clarified juice fraction to form a high molecular weight-rich and oligosaccharide-rich fraction that can be combined with the solids-rich fraction to form a reduced calorie nutrient enriched liquid.
1. A method for producing a juice product comprising:
providing a feed juice;
separating the feed juice into a solids-rich fraction and a clarified juice fraction;
enzymatically treating the clarified juice fraction to hydrolyze disaccharides to monosaccharides;
passing the enzymatically treated clarified juice fraction through a membrane having a molecular weight cutoff between 190 to 210 Daltons to selectively separate high molecular weight nutrients to produce a high molecular weight nutrient (HMWN)-rich juice fraction and a first HMWN-depleted fraction, wherein the first HMWN-depleted fraction contains a greater amount of glucose and fructose than the HMWN-rich fraction; and,
bioconverting the glucose and fructose in the HMWN-depleted fraction to form oligosaccharides.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining the HMWN-rich juice fraction with the solids-rich fraction to form a reduced calorie nutrient enriched liquid.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising bioconverting sugars present in the HMWN-rich fraction to form a HMWN-rich, sucrose-reduced, and oligosaccharide-rich fraction.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the bioconverting includes hydrolyzing sucrose, forming oligosaccharides, or a combination of hydrolyzing sucrose and forming oligosaccharides.
5. The method of claim 3 further comprising mixing the HMWN-rich, sucrose-reduced, and oligosaccharide-rich fraction with the solids-rich fraction to form a reduced calorie nutrient enriched liquid.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to the bioconverting, passing the first HMWN-depleted fraction through a membrane to form a high Brix fraction and a low Brix fraction.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising combining the low Brix fraction with the HMWN-rich fraction to form a dilute HMWN-rich fraction.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising passing the HMWN-rich fraction through a membrane to form a purified HMWN-rich fraction and a second HMWN-depleted fraction.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising combining the HMWN-rich fraction with the solids rich fraction.
10. The method of claim 7 further comprising passing the dilute HMWN-rich fraction through a membrane to form a purified HMWN-rich fraction and a second HMWN-depleted fraction.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising combining the purified HMWN-rich fraction with the solids rich fraction.
12. The method of claim 10 further comprising combining the first HMWN-depleted fraction and the second HMWN-depleted fraction.
13. The method of claim 6 further comprising adding the oligosaccharides to the solids rich fraction.
14. The method of claim 6 further comprising passing the oligosaccharides through a membrane to form an oligosaccharide-rich fraction.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising adding the oligosaccharide-rich fraction to the solids rich fraction.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising adding the oligosaccharide-rich fraction to the solids rich fraction and the purified HMWN-rich fraction.