Surface-reacted calcium carbonate in food

Abstract

The present invention refers to an edible composition comprising water and/or at least one edible oil and a surface-reacted calcium carbonate having a volume median particle size d50 from 0.1 to 90 μm, an edible coating and/or filling comprising the surface-reacted calcium carbonate, a food product or pharmaceutical product or neutraceutical product at least partially coated and/or filled with the edible composition, a method for producing a food product or pharmaceutical product or neutraceutical product at least partially coated and/or filled with the edible composition and the uses of the surface-reacted calcium carbonate as whitening agent or opacifier and/or sweetness reduction agent and/or calorie reduction agent in an edible coating and/or filling of a food product or pharmaceutical product or neutraceutical product, as a replacement agent for titanium dioxide in an edible coating and/or filling of a food product or pharmaceutical product or neutraceutical product as well as for reducing the dry time of an edible composition being at least partially applied on the surface of and/or filled into a food product or pharmaceutical product or neutraceutical product.

1 . An edible composition comprising:
 water and/or at least one edible oil; and   a surface-reacted calcium carbonate having a volume median particle size d 50  from 0.1 to 90 μm, wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is a reaction product of natural ground calcium carbonate or precipitated calcium carbonate with carbon dioxide and one or more H 3 O +  ion donors, wherein the carbon dioxide is formed in situ by the H 3 O +  ion donors treatment and/or is supplied from an external source.   
     
     
         2 . The edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate has a volume median particle size d 50  from 0.1 to 75 μm. 
     
     
         3 . The edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate has a specific surface area of from 15 m 2 /g to 200 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         4 . The edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein
 i) the natural ground calcium carbonate is selected from the group consisting of marble, chalk, limestone, and mixtures thereof, or   ii) the precipitated calcium carbonate is selected from the group consisting of precipitated calcium carbonates having an aragonitic, vateritic or calcitic crystal form, and mixtures thereof.   
     
     
         5 . The edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one H 3 O +  ion donor is selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, sulphurous acid, phosphoric acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, an acidic salt, acetic acid, formic acid, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is present in an amount from 1.0 to 50.0 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the edible composition. 
     
     
         7 . The edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one edible oil is selected from the group comprising palm oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, olive oil and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the edible composition further comprises one or more additives selected from the group consisting of icing sugar, starches, preservatives, antioxidants, stabilizers or texture modifier, proteins, emulsifier, flavours, artificial sweetener, sugar, polyols, defoaming agents, surfactants, colorants, plasticizers, and film-forming agents. 
     
     
         9 . The edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the edible composition further comprises at least one natural ground calcium carbonate (NGCC) and/or at least one precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC). 
     
     
         10 . The edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the edible composition is a food coating, sugar coating, sugar-free coating, nutra coating, food decoration, food filling, pharmaceutical coating, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . An edible coating and/or filling comprising:
 a surface-reacted calcium carbonate having a volume median particle size d 50  from 0.1 to 90 μm, wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is a reaction product of natural ground calcium carbonate or precipitated calcium carbonate with carbon dioxide and one or more H 3 O +  ion donors, wherein the carbon dioxide is formed in situ by the H 3 O +  ion donors treatment and/or is supplied from an external source.   
     
     
         12 . A food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product at least partially coated and/or filled with the edible composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product according to  claim 12 , wherein the food product is selected from cakes, cookies, candies, cereals, cereal bars, chips, chewing gum, and ice cream wafer, or the pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product is selected from tablets, mini-tables, pellets, capsules, and granules. 
     
     
         14 . Method for producing a food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product of  claim 12 , the method comprising the steps of
 a) mixing water and/or at least one edible oil with a surface-reacted calcium carbonate having a volume median particle size d 50  from 0.1 to 90 μm, wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is a reaction product of natural ground calcium carbonate or precipitated calcium carbonate with carbon dioxide and one or more H 3 O +  ion donors, wherein the carbon dioxide is formed in situ by the H 3 O +  ion donors treatment and/or is supplied from an external source, for obtaining an edible composition, and   b) applying the edible composition obtained in step a), one or more times, at least partially on the surface of a food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product, or filling the edible composition obtained in step a) into a food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein applying the edible composition obtained in step a) at least partially on the surface of a food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product in step b) is carried out by brushing or pouring, pan coating, curtain or dip coating, fluidized bed coating, hot melt coating and/or compression coating or the filling of the edible composition obtained in step a) into a food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product in step b) is carried out by injecting the edible composition into the food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product. 
     
     
         16 . A food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product comprising an edible coating and/or filling, the edible coating and/or filling comprising:
 the edible composition of  claim 1 , wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is a whitening agent or opacifier and/or sweetness reduction agent and/or calorie reduction agent.   
     
     
         17 . A food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product comprising an edible coating and/or filling, the edible coating and/or filling comprising:
 the edible composition of  claim 1 , wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is a replacement agent for titanium dioxide in the food product or pharmaceutical product.   
     
     
         18 . The edible composition of  claim 1 , wherein the edible composition dries with reduced time when at least partially applied on the surface of and/or filled into a food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product as compared to a corresponding edible composition comprising less or none of the surface-reacted calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         19 . A food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product at least partially coated and/or filled with the edible composition according to  claim 11 . 
     
     
         20 . The edible coating and/or filling of  claim 11 , wherein the edible coating and/or filling is an edible coating and/or filling of a food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product, wherein:
 the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is a whitening agent or opacifier and/or sweetness reduction agent and/or calorie reduction agent, or   the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is a replacement agent for titanium dioxide in the food product or pharmaceutical product, or   the edible coating and/or filling dries with reduced time when at least partially applied on the surface of and/or filled into the food product or pharmaceutical product or nutraceutical product as compared to a corresponding edible coating or filling comprising less of the surface-reacted calcium carbonate or that is free of the surface-reacted calcium carbonate, or   a combination thereof.