Stabilizers and Compositions and Products Comprising the Same

Abstract

Compositions comprising microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose ether, and salt are provided together with methods for making them. Additionally, there are also described edible food products and industrial suspensions formed from these compositions.

1 . A composition comprising microcrystalline cellulose, a salt, and at least one water-soluble cellulose ether having a degree of substitution of about 0.6 to about 1.5, wherein the weight ratio of the microcrystalline cellulose and the cellulose ether is from about 50:50 to about 90:10 and the concentration of the salt is about 2% to about 6% by dry weight of the composition. 
     
     
         2 .- 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the cellulose ether is an alkali metal carboxymethylcellulose. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4  wherein the cellulose ether is sodium carboxymethylcellulose. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein the sodium carboxymethylcellulose has a degree of substitution of from about 0.9 to about 1.5. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein the sodium carboxymethylcellulose has a degree of substitution of from about 0.9 to about 1.2. 
     
     
         8 .- 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises a dry blend of the microcrystalline cellulose, salt, and at least one water-soluble cellulose ether having a degree of substitution of about 0.6 to about 1.5. 
     
     
         16 .- 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . An edible food product comprising a composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . The edible food product of  claim 18  wherein the food product is an emulsion, sauce, retorted soup, food dressing, pasteurized, ultra pasteurized, HTST, UHT, and retort processed beverage, ultra high temperature and retort processed protein and nutritional beverage, ultra high temperature processed low pH protein-based beverage, ultra high temperature Ca fortified beverage, ultra high temperature milk-based beverage, ultra high temperature and retort processed milk cream, low pH frozen dessert, aerated dairy food system, aerated non-dairy food system, cultured dairy product, bakery or confectionery filling, or bakery cream. 
     
     
         20 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method comprising:
 mixing microcrystalline cellulose with a water-soluble cellulose ether, wherein the weight ratio of the microcrystalline cellulose and the cellulose ether is from about 50:50 to about 90:10;   adding a salt solution to the microcrystalline cellulose/water-soluble cellulose ether mixture to form a moist mixture, wherein concentration of the salt is about 2% to about 6% by dry weight of the mixture;   extruding the moist mixture; and   drying the extruded moist mixture.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the extruded moist mixture is dried by fluidized bed drying, flash drying or bulk drying. 
     
     
         31 .- 45 . (canceled)