Novel food products containing betaine

Abstract

The present invention is directed to food or nutritional products containing betaine. Also disclosed are methods for lowering the activity of water (A ω ) and retarding microbial spoilage in an intermediate food or nutritional product, comprising including betaine and a humectant in said food or nutritional product.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A food or nutritional product comprising, by weight, from about 2 to about 15% water, from about 1 to about 15% betaine, from about 5 to about 25% by weight of a pharmaceutically acceptable humectant, and from about 5 to about 90% protein other than betaine, based upon the total weight of the food or nutritional product, wherein the A ω  of said food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.90.  
     
     
         2 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 1  wherein the A ω  of said food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.75.  
     
     
         3 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 2  wherein the A ω  of said food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.67.  
     
     
         4 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 1  comprising from about 2 to about 8% by weight betaine.  
     
     
         5 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 4  comprising from about 3 to about 5% by weight betaine.  
     
     
         6 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 1  comprising from about 7 to about 12% by weight water.  
     
     
         7 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 6  comprising from about 8 to about 9% by weight water.  
     
     
         8 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 1  comprising from about 25 to about 75% by weight protein other than betaine.  
     
     
         9 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 8  comprising from about 30 to about 60% by weight protein other than betaine.  
     
     
         10 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 1 , wherein said food or nutritional product is in the form of a bar.  
     
     
         11 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 1 , wherein said pharmaceutically acceptable humectant is selected from the group consisting of glycerine, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof  
     
     
         12 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 11 , wherein said humectant comprises glycerine.  
     
     
         13 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 11 , wherein said humectant comprises a mixture of glycerine and propylene glycol.  
     
     
         14 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 1 , comprising from about 8 to about 15% by weight of said humectant.  
     
     
         15 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 1  comprising, by weight, from about 8 to about 9% water, from about 3 to about 5% betaine, and from about 30 to about 60% protein other than betaine, based upon the total weight of the food or nutritional product, wherein the A ω  of said food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.67.  
     
     
         16 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 15  comprising from about 5 to about 12% by weight glycerine and from about 1 to about 3% by weight propylene glycol.  
     
     
         17 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 1  further comprising a mono- or di-glyceride.  
     
     
         18 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 17 , wherein said mono- or di-glyceride is diacylglycerol.  
     
     
         19 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 16  further comprising from about 2 to about 8% diacylglycerol.  
     
     
         20 . A reduced carbohydrate food or nutritional product having an A ω  no greater than about 0.90 comprising, by weight: 
 from about 1 to about 15% betaine;  
 from about 2 to about 15% water;  
 from about 5 to about 25% of a pharmaceutically acceptable humectant;  
 from about 5 to about 90% protein other than betaine; and  
 up to about 5% total sugars,  
 based upon the total weight of the food or nutritional product, wherein no more than about 30% of the calories in said reduced carbohydrate food or nutritional product are attributable to carbohydrates.  
 
     
     
         21 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 20  wherein the A ω  of said food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.75.  
     
     
         22 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 21  wherein the A ω  of said food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.67.  
     
     
         23 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 20  comprising from about 2 to about 8% by weight betaine.  
     
     
         24 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 23  comprising from about 3 to about 5% by weight betaine.  
     
     
         25 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 20  comprising from about 7 to about 12% by weight water.  
     
     
         26 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 25  comprising from about 8 to about 9% by weight water.  
     
     
         27 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 20  comprising from about 20 to about 75% by weight protein other than betaine.  
     
     
         28 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 27  comprising from about 30 to about 60% by weight protein other than betaine.  
     
     
         29 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 20  comprising, by weight: 
 from about 3 to about 5% betaine;  
 from about 8 to about 9% water; and  
 from about 30 to about 60% protein other than betaine, based upon the total weight of the food or nutritional product, wherein the A ω  of said food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.67.  
 
     
     
         30 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 20 , wherein said food or nutritional product is in the form of a bar.  
     
     
         31 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 20 , wherein said pharmaceutically acceptable humectant is selected from the group consisting of glycerine, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         32 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 31 , wherein said pharmaceutically acceptable humectant comprises glycerine.  
     
     
         33 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 31 , wherein said pharmaceutically acceptable humectant comprises a mixture of glycerine and propylene glycol.  
     
     
         34 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 20 , comprising from about 8 to about 15% by weight of said pharmaceutically acceptable humectant.  
     
     
         35 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 34  comprising from about 5 to about 12% by weight glycerine and from about 1 to about 3% by weight propylene glycol.  
     
     
         36 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 20  further comprising a mono- or di-glyceride.  
     
     
         37 . A food or nutritional product according to  claim 36 , wherein said mono- or di-glyceride comprises diacylglycerol.  
     
     
         38 . A method of lowering the A ω  of an intermediate-moisture food or nutritional product, said method comprising including in said food or nutritional product from about 1 to about 15% by weight betaine and from about 5 to about 25% by weight of a pharmaceutically acceptable humectant selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, sugar alcohols, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 38 , wherein the A ω  of said intermediate-moisture food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.90.  
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 39  wherein the A ω  of said intermediate moisture food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.75.  
     
     
         41 . A method according to  claim 40  wherein the A ω  of said intermediate moisture food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.67.  
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 38  comprising including from about 2 to about 8% by weight betaine in said food or nutritional product.  
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 42  comprising including from about 3 to about 5% by weight betaine in said food or nutritional product.  
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 38  wherein said food or nutritional product comprises from about 7 to about 12% by weight water.  
     
     
         45 . A method according to  claim 44  wherein said food or nutritional product comprises from about 8 to about 9% by weight water.  
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 38  wherein said food or nutritional product comprises from about 25 to about 75% by weight protein other than betaine.  
     
     
         47 . A method according to  claim 46  wherein said food or nutritional product comprises from about 30 to about 60% by weight protein other than betaine.  
     
     
         48 . A method according to  claim 38 , wherein said food or nutritional product is in the form of a bar.  
     
     
         49 . A method according to  claim 38 , wherein said polyhydric alcohol is selected from the group consisting of glycerine, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         50 . A method according to  claim 49 , wherein said polyhydric alcohol comprises glycerine.  
     
     
         51 . A method according to  claim 38 , comprising including from about 8 to about 15% by weight of said pharmaceutically acceptable humectant in said food or nutritional product.  
     
     
         52 . A method according to  claim 51 , comprising including from about 5 to about 12% by weight glycerine and from about 1 to about 3% by weight propylene glycol in said food or nutritional product.  
     
     
         53 . A method according to  claim 52 , comprising including from about 3 to about 5% by weight betaine in said food or nutritional product.  
     
     
         54 . A method for retarding microbial spoilage of a food or nutritional product containing from 2 to about 15% by weight water, said method comprising including in said food or nutritional product from about 1 to about 15% by weight betaine and from about 5 to about 25% by weight of a pharmaceutically acceptable humectant selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, sugar alcohols, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         55 . A method according to  claim 54 , wherein the A ω  of said intermediate-moisture food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.90.  
     
     
         56 . A method according to  claim 55  wherein the A ω  of said intermediate-moisture food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.75.  
     
     
         57 . A method according to  claim 56  wherein the A ω  of said intermediate-moisture food or nutritional product is no greater than about 0.67.  
     
     
         58 . A method according to  claim 55  comprising including from about 2 to about 8% by weight betaine in said food or nutritional product.  
     
     
         59 . A method according to  claim 58  comprising including from about 3 to about 5% by weight betaine in said food or nutritional product.  
     
     
         60 . A method according to  claim 54  wherein said food or nutritional product comprises from about 7 to about 12% by weight water.  
     
     
         61 . A method according to  claim 60  wherein said food or nutritional product comprises from about 8 to about 9% by weight water.  
     
     
         62 . A method according to  claim 54  wherein said food or nutritional product comprises from about 25 to about 75% by weight protein other than betaine.  
     
     
         63 . A method according to  claim 62  wherein said food or nutritional product comprises from about 30 to about 60% by weight protein other than betaine.  
     
     
         64 . A method according to  claim 54 , wherein said food or nutritional product is in the form of a bar.  
     
     
         65 . A method according to  claim 54 , wherein said polyhydric alcohol is selected from the group consisting of glycerine, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         66 . A method according to  claim 65 , wherein said polyhydric alcohol comprises glycerine.  
     
     
         67 . A method according to  claim 54 , comprising including from about 8 to about 15% by weight of said pharmaceutically acceptable humectant in said food or nutritional product.  
     
     
         68 . A method according to  claim 67 , comprising including from about 5 to about 12% by weight glycerine and from about 1 to about 3% by weight propylene glycol in said food or nutritional product.  
     
     
         69 . A method according to  claim 68 , comprising including from about 3 to about 5% by weight betaine in said food or nutritional product.