Process for making a flowable nondigestible oil

Abstract

A flowable nondigestible oil composition having a Consistency in a temperature range of 20° C. to 40° C. of less than about 600 P.sec (n−1) . The flowable nondigestible oil contains a liquid polyol polyester having a complete melt point less than 37° C., and a solid polyol polyester having a complete melt point of at least about 37° C., wherein the solid polyol polyester contains a solid saturated polyol polyester capable of forming crystallized spherulites. The flowable nondigestible oil is made by a process which includes the steps of melting completely the nondigestible oil, reducing the temperature of the melted nondigestible oil to a first crystallization temperature less than the onset crystallization temperature of the solid saturated polyol polyester, holding the nondigestible oil at the first crystallization temperature for a time sufficient to crystallize a portion of the solid saturated polyol polyester into crystallized spherulites, further reducing the temperature to an ambient crystallization temperature, and holding the polyol polyester composition for a time sufficient to crystallize the remaining portion of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester. The process is accompanied by shearing of the composition during the crystallization of the remaining portion of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester. The process is generally completed within 5 hours, usually within about 2 hours.

1 - 19 . (canceled)  
     
     
         20 . A process for making a flowable nondigestible oil composition having a Consistency in a temperature range of 20° to 40° C. of less than about 600 P.sec (n−1) , the nondigestible oil comprising a liquid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point less than 37° C., and a solid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point of at least about 37° C., the solid polyol fatty acid polyester comprising a solid saturated polyol polyester, the process comprising the steps of: 
 a) melting completely the nondigestible oil comprising the solid polyol fatty acid polyester and the liquid polyol fatty acid polyester,    b) crystallizing a portion of the solid saturated polyol polyester into a plurality of crystallized spherulites, thereby forming a partially crystallized polyol polyester composition,    c) crystallizing a remaining portion of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester from the partially crystallized polyol polyester composition, and    d) shearing the partially crystallized polyol polyester composition during the step of crystallizing the remaining portion of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester.    
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 20  wherein the step b) of crystallizing comprises the steps of: 
 i) reducing the temperature of the melted nondigestible oil to a first crystallization temperature less than the onset crystallization temperature of the solid saturated polyol polyester, and    ii) holding the nondigestible oil at the first crystallization temperature for a time sufficient to crystallize the portion of the solid saturated polyol polyester into the plurality of crystallized spherulites.    
     
     
         22 . The process according to  claim 21  wherein the step c) of crystallizing comprises the steps of: 
 i) reducing the temperature of the partially crystallized polyol polyester composition to a second crystallization temperature, and    ii) holding the polyol polyester composition at the second crystallization temperature for a time sufficient to crystallize the remaining portion of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester, wherein the second crystallization temperature is less than an onset crystallization temperature of the remaining portion of solid polyol fatty acid polyester.    
     
     
         23 . The process according to  claim 22  wherein the remaining portion of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester comprises a solid diversely esterified polyol polyester.  
     
     
         24 . The process according to  claim 22  wherein the flowable nondigestible oil composition comprises, by weight, 50-99% of the liquid polyol fatty acid polyester, and 1-50% of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester.  
     
     
         25 . The process according to  claim 24  wherein the first crystallization temperature is about 2° C. or more below the onset crystallization temperature of the solid saturated polyol polyester.  
     
     
         26 . The process according to  claim 24  wherein the flowable nondigestible oil composition has a Consistency in a temperature range of 20°-40° C. of less than about 400 P.sec (n−1) .  
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 26  wherein the Consistency in a temperature range of 20°-40° C. is less than about 200 P.sec (n−1) .  
     
     
         28 . The process according to  claim 27  wherein the Consistency in a temperature range of 20°-40° C. is less than about 100 P.sec (n−1) .  
     
     
         29 . The process according to  claim 23  wherein solid saturated polyol polyester is selected from hepta-substituted saturated fatty acid polyol polyester, octa-substituted saturated fatty acid polyol polyester, and mixtures thereof, having C20-C24 saturated fatty acid radicals, and wherein the solid diversely esterified polyol polyester is selected from hepta-substituted diversely esterified polyol polyester, octa-substituted diversely esterified polyol polyester, and mixtures thereof, having fatty acid radicals comprising a) long chain saturated fatty acid radicals, and b) dissimilar fatty acid radicals which are dissimilar from the long chain saturated fatty acid radicals and are selected from the group consisting of i) long chain unsaturated fatty acid radicals, ii) short chain saturated fatty acid radicals, and iii) mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         30 . The process according to  claim 29  wherein the solid saturated polyol polyester comprises octa-behenate sucrose polyester, and wherein the solid diversely esterified polyol polyester comprises octa-saturated sucrose polyester wherein the esters are selected from behenate and a mixture of C18:1 and C18:2 unsaturate.  
     
     
         31 . The process according to  claim 30  wherein the flowable nondigestible composition comprises from about 5% to about 15% by weight of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester and from about 85% to about 95% by weight of the liquid polyol fatty acid polyester.  
     
     
         32 . The process according to  claim 21  wherein the holding of step bii) is for a time of from about 15 minutes to about 45 minutes.  
     
     
         33 . The process according to  claim 32  wherein the second crystallization temperature is from about 5° C. to about 55° C.  
     
     
         34 . The process according to  claim 33  wherein the step ci) of reducing temperature comprises reducing the temperature at a rate of from about 0.3 to about 0.7° C. per minute.  
     
     
         35 . The process according to  claim 23  wherein step of holding the polyol polyester composition at the second crystallization temperature further comprises the step of holding the composition at a tempering temperature of from about 5° C. to about 15° C., and for a time of from about 5 minutes to about 20 minutes.  
     
     
         36 . The process according to  claim 35  wherein shearing in applied during the step of tempering.  
     
     
         37 . The process according to  claim 23  wherein a diluting amount of the liquid polyol polyester is added to the crystallized composition in a ratio of from about 0.5:1 to about 0.1:1.  
     
     
         38 . The process according to  claim 37  wherein the temperature of the diluting liquid polyol polyester is about 5° C. to about 25° C.  
     
     
         39 . The process according to  claim 33  wherein the step ci) of reducing temperature comprises reducing the temperature at a rate of from about 3° C. to about 80° C. per minute.  
     
     
         40 . A process for making a flowable nondigestible oil composition having a Consistency in a temperature range of 20° to 40° C. of less than about 600 P.sec (n−1) , the nondigestible oil comprising a liquid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point less than 37° C., and a solid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point of at least about 37° C., the solid polyol fatty acid polyester comprising a solid saturated polyol polyester, the process comprising the steps of: 
 a) melting completely the nondigestible oil comprising the solid polyol fatty acid polyester and the liquid polyol fatty acid polyester,    b) crystallizing a portion of the solid saturated polyol polyester into a plurality of crystallized spherulites, thereby forming a partially crystallized polyol polyester composition,    c) crystallizing a remaining portion of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester from the partially crystallized polyol polyester composition,    wherein the crystallizing of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester is completed in less than 5 hours.    
     
     
         41 . A process for making a flowable nondigestible oil composition comprising a liquid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point of less than about 37° C., and a solid polyol fatty acid polyester having a complete melt point of at least about 37° C., which process comprises the steps of: 
 a) melting the nondigestible oil comprising the solid polyol fatty acid polyester and the liquid polyol fatty acid polyester,    b) crystallizing at least a substantial portion of the solid polyol fatty acid polyester, and    c) shearing the nondigestible oil composition during the step of crystallizing, thereby forming the solid polyol fatty acid polyester into crystallized particles,    wherein the flowable nondigestible oil has a Consistency in a temperature range of 20° to 40° C. of less than about 600 P.sec (n−1) .