Acidulate composition and methods for making and utilizing the same

Abstract

A baking additive for enhancing the shelf-life and maintaining the volume of a baked product, and methods for producing and using the same. The baking additive comprises a blend of an non-encapsulated acidulate and an acidulate having a fat-based encapsulating coating that is degradable by heat. The combination of the encapsulated and non-encapsulated provides strategic release of the acidulates throughout the baking process such when the baking additive is added to a dry dough mix, the acidulates can sufficiently decrease the pH of the dry dough mix to prevent microbial contamination without interfering with glutton elasticity or the chemical leavening system.

1 . A baking additive comprising:
 a first quantity of acidulate comprising acidulate particles;   a second quantity of acidulate;   an edible, heat degradable, encapsulating coating surrounding each of the particles of the first quantity of acidulate, the encapsulating coating being at least partially degradable by heating the coating to a predetermined temperature; and   wherein the second quantity of acidulate of the baking additive is capable of decreasing the pH of a dough mix upon adding the baking additive with the first and second quantities of acidulate to the dough mix and wherein the first quantity of acidulate of the baking additive is capable of decreasing the pH of a dough based product that is obtained from heating the dough mix with the baking additive over the predetermined temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The baking additive of  claim 1 , wherein the first quantity of acidulate is selected from a group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, lactic acid, and ascorbic acid. 
     
     
         3 . The baking additive of  claim 1 , wherein the second quantity of acidulate is selected from a group consisting of citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, lactic acid, and ascorbic acid. 
     
     
         4 . The baking additive of  claim 1 , wherein the first quantity of acidulate and the second quantity of acidulate comprise fumaric acid. 
     
     
         5 . The baking additive of  claim 1 , wherein the first quantity of acidulate and the second quantity of acidulate are combined at a ratio of about 1:1 by weight. 
     
     
         6 . The baking additive of  claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating coating of each of the particles of the first quantity of acidulate comprises between about 0.1% to about 70.0% of the total coated particle weight. 
     
     
         7 . The baking additive of  claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating coating comprises a fat-based coating. 
     
     
         8 . The baking additive of  claim 7 , wherein the fat-based coating comprises at least two fats. 
     
     
         9 . The baking additive of  claim 8 , wherein the fat-based coating comprises a first solidified oil and a second solidified oil. 
     
     
         10 . The baking additive of  claim 9 , wherein the first solidified oil and the second solidified oil are combined at a ratio of about 1:1 by weight. 
     
     
         11 . The baking additive of  claim 7 , wherein the melting point of the fat-based coating is between about 138 degrees Fahrenheit and about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         12 . The baking additive of  claim 7 , wherein the melting point of the fat-based coating is between about 105 degrees Fahrenheit and about 122 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         13 . The baking additive of  claim 8 , wherein the melting point of the fat-based coating is between about 105 degrees Fahrenheit and about 122 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         14 . A method of producing a preservative enhancing baking additive comprising the steps of:
 providing a first quantity of acidulate comprising acidulate particles;   providing a second quantity of acidulate comprising acidulate particles;   encapsulating the particles of the first quantity of acidulate with an edible, heat degradable coating; and   blending the first quantity of acidulate with the second quantity of acidulate to form a composition;   wherein the acidulate particles of the second quantity of acidulate are not encapsulated within a coating.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first quantity of acidulate and the second quantity of acidulate comprise fumaric acid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the coating comprises a fat-based coating. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the fat-based coating comprises at least two fats. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of encapsulating the particles of the first quantity of acidulate with an edible, heat degradable coating further comprises the steps of:
 mixing a first fat with a second fat;   melting the first fat and the second fat such that the first fat and the second fat combine into a fluid state; and   coating the first quantity of acidulate with the fluid state.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of encapsulating each of the particles of the first quantity of acidulate with an edible, heat degradable coating further comprises the step of using an encapsulation technique selected from the group consisting of hot-melt encapsulation, spray drying, extrusion, coacervation, fluid bed coating, and liposome entrapment. 
     
     
         20 . A method of producing a baked product containing a preservative, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a first quantity of acidulate comprising acidulate particles,   providing an edible, heat degradable, encapsulating coating surrounding each of the particles of the first quantity of acidulate, the coating being at least partially degradable by heating to a predetermined temperature;   providing a second quantity of acidulate comprising acidulate particles, each acidulate particle of the second quantity of acidulate not comprising a coating thereon, and   blending the first quantity of acidulate and the second quantity of acidulate together to form a baking additive;   adding the baking additive to a dough mix for a baked product, wherein the second quantity of acidulate reduces the pH of the dough mix to increase the antimicrobial effect of the preservative contained therein;   processing the dough mix to obtain a dough batter;   heating the dough batter above the predetermined temperature, thereby causing the gradual release of the first quantity of acidulate by degrading the encapsulating coating to reduce the pH of the baked product.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the dough mix further comprises a leavening system comprising a yeast, and the method further comprises the step of proofing the dough batter such that the leavening system leavens the dough batter. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the dough mix further comprises a leavening system comprising a leavening acid and a leavening base and wherein during the step of processing the dough mix to obtain a dough batter, the coating on each of the particles of the first quantity of acidulate prevents the first quantity of acidulate from reacting with the leavening base. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the baked product comprises a tortilla. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the predetermined temperature comprises a temperature between about 105 degrees Fahrenheit and about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         25 . The baking additive of  claim 20 , wherein the first quantity of acidulate and the second quantity of acidulate are blended together in a 1:1 ratio by weight.