Food ingredients and food products treated with an oxidoreductase and methods for preparing such food ingredients and food products

Abstract

A method of making an aldobionate product is described. The method may include providing a milk product having one or more reducing sugars, and maintaining a pH of the milk product at about 5.5 or more by adding a buffer compound to the milk product. The method may also include adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the milk product, where at least a portion of the reducing sugar is oxidized into the aldobionate product. In addition, a method of making an aldobionate product is described that includes the steps of providing a milk product comprising a reducing sugar, mixing oxygen into the milk product, and adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the milk product, where at least a portion of the reducing sugar is oxidized into the aldobionate product.

1 . A method of making an aldobionate product, the method comprising: 
 providing a milk product comprising a reducing sugar;    maintaining a pH of the milk product at about 5.5 or more by adding a buffer compound to the milk product; and    adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the milk product, wherein at least a portion of the reducing sugar is oxidized into the aldobionate product.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aldobionate product comprises aldobionic acid or an aldobionate salt.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aldobionate salt is selected from the group consisting of a sodium aldobionate, a calcium aldobionate, an ammonium lactobionate, a magnesium aldobionate, and a potassium aldobionate.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aldobionate product is selected from the group consisting of a lactobionate whey and a lactobionate nonfat milk.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the milk product is selected from the group consisting of whole milk, skim milk, cheese, whey, whey retentate, milk retentate, permeate, lactose, and delactose permeate.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer compound comprises calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxidoreductase enzyme is selected from the group consisting of hexose oxidase, glucose oxidase, galactose oxidase, pyranose oxidase, and lactose oxidase.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises introducing oxygen into the milk product.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the oxygen is supplied from compressed air.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the oxygen is supplied by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and catalase enzyme.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a peroxide conversion enzyme to convert hydrogen peroxide generated by the oxidoreductase enzyme into oxygen and water.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the peroxide conversion enzyme comprises a catalase enzyme.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aldobionate product is dried to form a solid.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the drying of the aldobionate product comprises spraying an aqueous solution of the product into a heated area, wherein at least a portion of the water evaporates from the spray and leaves behind the solid as a powder.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the drying of the aldobionate product comprises crystallizing the compound to form a cake, and evaporating at least a portion of the water in the cake.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the solid comprises a non-fat dry milk.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the aldobionate product comprises a lactobionate compound.  
   
   
       18 . A method of making an aldobionate product, the method comprising: 
 providing a milk product comprising a reducing sugar;    mixing oxygen into the milk product; and    adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the milk product, wherein at least a portion of the reducing sugar is oxidized into the aldobionate product.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises maintaining a pH of the milk product at about 5.5 or more by adding a buffer compound to the milk product.  
   
   
       20 . A method of making a milk product concentrate comprising at least one non-reducing sugar, the method comprising: 
 providing a milk product comprising a reducing sugar;    filtering the milk product to produce a retentate comprising the milk product concentrate;    mixing oxygen into the retentate; and    adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the retentate to oxidize at least a portion of the reducing sugar to the non-reducing sugar.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the milk product comprises whey or skim milk.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the milk product concentrate comprises a lactobionate whey protein concentrate or a lactobionate milk protein concentrate.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the mixing of the oxygen into the retentate comprises injecting the oxygen into the retentate.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the method comprises maintaining a pH of the retentate at about 5.5 or more by adding a buffer compound to the retentate.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the milk product concentrate is used in a coating for a foodstuff.  
   
   
       26 . A method of making a milk product concentrate comprising at least one non-reducing sugar, the method comprising: 
 providing a milk product comprising a reducing sugar;    filtering the milk product to produce a retentate comprising the milk product concentrate;    maintaining a pH of the retentate at about 5.5 or more by adding a buffer compound to the retentate; and    adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the retentate to oxidize at least a portion of the reducing sugar to the non-reducing sugar.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the method comprises mixing oxygen into the retentate.  
   
   
       28 . A method of making an aldobionate product, the method comprising: 
 separating a milk product into a permeate and retentate;    mixing oxygen into the permeate;    oxidizing at least a portion of reducing sugar in the permeate to the aldobionate product by adding oxidoreductase enzymes to the permeate; and    drying the permeate to form a powdered composition comprising the aldobionate product.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the powdered composition also comprises one or more minerals.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the retentate is a milk product concentrate.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the reducing sugar is lactose and the aldobionate product is lactobionic acid.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the aldobionate product comprises one or more salts of lactobionic acid selected from the group consisting of a sodium aldobionate, a calcium aldobionate, an ammonium aldobionate, a magnesium aldobionate, and a potassium aldobionate.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the method comprises adding a buffer compound to the permeate to maintain a pH of the permeate at about 5.5 or more.  
   
   
       34 . A method of making an aldobionate product, the method comprising: 
 separating a milk product into a permeate and retentate;    adding a buffer compound to the permeate to maintain a pH of the permeate at about 5.5 or more;    oxidizing at least a portion of reducing sugar in the permeate to the aldobionate product by adding oxidoreductase enzymes to the permeate; and    drying the permeate to form a powdered composition comprising the aldobionate product.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the method comprises mixing oxygen into the permeate.  
   
   
       36 . A process of making an aldobionate product, the process comprising: 
 crystallizing at least a portion of a reducing sugar in a milk product to form a mixture of crystallized reducing sugar and a delactose permeate;    adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the crystallized reducing sugar to convert at least a portion of the crystallized sugar to the aldobionate product; and    drying the aldobionate product to form a powder.    
   
   
       37 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the milk product comprises a permeate formed by separating skim milk into the permeate and a retentate.  
   
   
       38 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the milk product comprises a permeate formed by separating whey into the permeate and a retentate.  
   
   
       39 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the process comprises mixing oxygen into the crystallized reducing sugar.  
   
   
       40 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the process comprises providing a buffer compound to maintain a pH of the crystallized reducing sugar at about 5.5 or more.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the delactose permeate comprises residual reducing sugar, and the oxidoreductase enzyme is added to the delactose permeate to convert at least a portion of the residual reducing sugar to the aldobionate product.  
   
   
       42 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the drying of the aldobionate product comprises spraying the aldobionate product into a heated area, wherein moisture is evaporated from the product and the dry powder is formed.  
   
   
       43 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the aldobionate product powder is added to a non-food product selected from the group consisting of cosmetics, detergents, and organ transplant preservation compounds.  
   
   
       44 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the reducing sugar is lactose and the aldobionate product is lactobionic acid.  
   
   
       45 . A process of making an aldobionate product, the process comprising: 
 crystallizing at least a portion of a reducing sugar in a milk product to form a mixture of crystallized reducing sugar and a delactose permeate comprising residual reducing sugar;    adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the delactose permeate to convert at least a portion of the residual reducing sugar to the aldobionate product; and    drying the aldobionate product to form a powder.    
   
   
       46 . The process of  claim 45 , wherein the process comprises mixing oxygen into the delactose permeate.  
   
   
       47 . The process of  claim 45 , wherein the process comprises providing a buffer compound to maintain a pH of the delactose permeate at about 5.5 or more.  
   
   
       48 . The process of  claim 45 , wherein the milk product comprises a permeate formed by separating skim milk into the permeate and a retentate.  
   
   
       49 . The process of  claim 45 , wherein the milk product comprises a permeate formed by separating whey into the permeate and a retentate.  
   
   
       50 . A method of making cheese comprising: 
 converting raw milk into a mixture of curds and whey,    separating the curds from the whey, wherein the curds are used to make the cheese;    mixing oxygen into the whey while adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the whey to oxidize a reducing sugar to an aldobionate product; and    adding the aldobionate product to the cheese.    
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the method comprises maintaining a pH of the whey at about 5.5 or more by adding a buffer compound to the whey.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the buffer compound comprises calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the aldobionate product comprises at least one non-reducing sugar.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein at least one non-reducing sugar comprises lactolactone.  
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the method comprises adding a peroxide conversion enzyme to convert hydrogen peroxide generated by the oxidoreductase enzyme into oxygen and water.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the peroxide conversion enzyme comprises a catalase enzyme.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein an amount of oxidoreductase enzyme provided is about 0.1 gram to about 20 grams, by weight, per kilogram of the reducing sugar.  
   
   
       58 . A method of making nonfat milk comprising a lactobionate product, the method comprising: 
 separating raw milk into a fat portion and skim milk;    mixing oxygen into the skim milk; and    adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the skim milk to oxidize lactose to the lactobionate product.    
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the fat portion of the raw milk is converted into cream.  
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the method comprises maintaining a pH of the skim milk at about 5.5 or more by adding a buffer compound to the skim milk.  
   
   
       61 . A process of making a cheese, the process comprising: 
 mixing oxygen and an oxidoreductase enzyme with a milk product to form a mixture comprising an aldobionate product;    combining the mixture with a cheese precursor to make an admixture; and    processing the admixture to form the cheese.    
   
   
       62 . The process of  claim 61 , wherein the milk product is selected from the group consisting of whole milk, skim milk, cheese, whey, whey retentate, milk retentate, permeate, lactose, and delactose permeate.  
   
   
       63 . The process of  claim 61 , wherein the process comprises maintaining a pH of the permeate at about 5.5 or more by adding a buffer compound to the milk product.  
   
   
       64 . A method of cooking a foodstuff in fat or oil that reduces absorption of the fat or oil by the foodstuff, the method comprising: 
 (a) providing a foodstuff coated with a whey composition comprising a whey protein and an aldobionate product, wherein the whey protein comprises one or more proteins present in, or derived from, whey; and    (b) heating the coated foodstuff in the fat or oil, whereby the whey composition forms a film on the foodstuff to reduce the absorption of the fat or oil by the coated foodstuff relative to a corresponding uncoated foodstuff, and to reduce browning of the foodstuff.    
   
   
       65 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein the foodstuff comprises cheese.  
   
   
       66 . A foodstuff composition comprising an oxidoreductase enzyme and a catalase enzyme, wherein the enzymes create a sugar oxidization cycle where the oxidoreductase enzyme oxidizes a reducing sugar to a lactone, and a hydrogen peroxide that is converted by the catalase into oxygen (O 2 ) and water, wherein the oxygen generated by the catalase is used to further the reaction catalyzed by the oxidoreductase to remove the reducing sugar from the foodstuff composition, and wherein the sugar oxidization cycle continues until all the reducing sugar in the foodstuff has been converted into the aldobionic acid.