IL28237A - Vitamin-enriched cereals - Google Patents

Description

RAN 6001/10 Various processes for the vitamin supplementatio of cereal foodstuffs, particularly rice, are known in the art. ' , For the most part, however, certain disadvantages have been found to inhere in the known processes. For example, while a number of the prior art processes are relatively simple to carr out, their usefulness is diminished greatly by the fact that the ' supplemental vitamins are washed out'- of the final product ' when it is placed in water. Certain prior art ' processes obviated, or at least minimized, this undesirable feature.

A majority of such processes utilized some form of coating · technique to protect the product against vitamin losses.

To a large extent, however, coating techniques have proved to be commercially impractical since they are time-consuming and require the use of expensive apparatus. Often times the cost of coating the vitamins exceeded the value of the vitamins themselves.

The present invention aims at an amelioration of this situation. It provides in its broadest aspect. Vitamin-enriched . cereals containing a vitamin supplement comprising (l) a vitamin or a mixture of vitamins and (2) a farinaceous material as a carrier for said vitamins, said supplement' being in a form resembling a cereal grain in size, shape and appearance.

The vitamin supplement-1used in the practice of this' invention resembles in appearance, shape and size, cereal grains. The vitamin supplement Is produced by distributing a vitamin, or a • vitamin mixture, throughout a paste produced by mixing water and . a farinaceous product derived, for example, from wheat or rice.

Using conventional equipment and apparatus, for example, a pasta press, the paste-like mass is transformed, for example, i j into tubular-like strings of desired diameter or elongated I strips of desired width and thickness, following which such ■ strings or strips are cut to the desired length and dried. j The form in which the paste is extruded,' i.e. as strings, j into .the cereal foodstuff is variable. In general, the j ! j ' I amount of supplement which is used in any particular instance ; will be governed by the level of vitamin, or vitamin mixture, to be achieved in the final product. The quantity of supplement ; 1 ] needed to achieve such level of vitamin supplementation will ■ , depend upon the vitamin content of the supplement. Under . | ordinary circumstances, however, a ratio of about 1 part of the j grain-like vitamin supplement will be used for each 50 to „500 parts by weight of cereal foodstuff to be supplemented. In the preferred embodiment of th© AnvQtttion, Uttiere will fcfc l©y<≥d a ratio of about 1 part by weight of the vitamin supplement fo each 100 to 200 parts by weight of the cereal foodstuff to be supplemented. Where, however,a supplement of this invention contains active ingredients other than vitamin components, for example, where it contains amino acids, calcium salts, etc., there can be used a ratio of about 1 part by weight of the supplement for up to about each 20 parts by weight ,of the cereal foodstuff to be supplemented.

The vitamin supplements of this invention are manufactured in. a physical form which resembles the cereal feedstuff to be fortified. In the preferred practice of the invention, the supplements- are so manufactured as to resemble rice grains and they are used to supplement rice with added vitamins.

The manner in which the vitamin compositions of this invention are incorporated into the cereal foodstuff will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art. They are simply added to, and mixed with, the grain-like cereal foodstuff. Special manufacturing equipment is not required. The latter feature is a distinct advantage over the presently known processes for the vitaminization of cereal foodstuffs, such as, rice.

In addition to ease of manufacture, both of the supplements and the supplemental foodstuff, the present invention provides other distinct advantages. For example, in certain of the known processes, vitaminization of rice is carried out by- adding rlo© grain© which are highly vitaminized to rice grains which are not vitamin supplemented. When vitamin B2 is present in the vitaminized rice, the rice grains have a distinctive , yellow discoloration. This is attributable to the fact that the vitamin is concentrated in the outer layers of the rice.

When the vitaminized rice grains and the non-vitaminized rice grains are mixed, the two types of grains are clearly distinguishable. This creates the distinct possibility that the consumer will reject the product in the belief that ■ the discolored grains are impure or at least inferior in quality. The practice of the present invention eliminates or at least minimizes the discoloration problem. In the present ' products, the vitamins are especially uniformly distributed throughout the farinaceous carrier with the result that little 1 or no discoloration, due to the vitamin B2 content, can be observed. The prior art recognized and sought to solve the problem by coating the grains with a pigment. The products of the present invention can be colored, if desired. However, unlike the known processes, where pigmentation is accomplished by coating the grains necessitating the use of costly apparatus, pigmentation of the products of the present I invention is readily carried out simply by adding the pigment to the paste from which the grain-like supplements are produced.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects .of the present ■ invention, reference can be had to the following examples, which are given as illustrations of the invention. ' Example 1 In this example 2.0 grams of thiamine hydrochloride, 3.5 grams of sodium riboflavin * -phosphate and .25.0 grams of niacinamide were dissolved in 50.0 grams of distilled water. After dilution with an additional 725 grams of water the ' solution was added to, and mixed with, 2.5 kg. of hard wheat ' grits In a band mixer. A paste-like mass was thus obtained. The paste-like mass was thereafter charged into a pasta press and elongated tubular strings, resembling spaghetti, having a diameter of 2.5 mm. were obtained. The strings were then cut to a length of about 6 mm. The product was allowed to dry.

The grain-like product which was thus obtained, resembled rice grains in appearance, size and shape. The grain-like product was added torice, a ratio of 1 part by weight of the ' vitamin supplement for each 200 parts by weight of rice . being provided. There was thus obtained a Vitamin-supplemented ; rice, each 100 grams of which contained 0.^ mg.. of vitamin i Bi, 0.6 mg. of vitamin B2, 5.0 mg. of niacinamide.

Example 2 In this example, 2.0 grams of thiamine hydrochloride, 2.7 grams of pyrldoxlne hydrochloride, .55 grams of sodium riboflavin 5' -phosphate and 25.0 grams of niacinamide were dissolved in 50.0 grams of distilled water. The solution was further diluted with 510 grams of water. The solution, thus obtained, was added to, and mixed with, 1.65 kg. of hard wheat grits in a band mixer. A paste-like mass was thus produced. The paste-like mass was compressed in a pasta press to form elongated tubular strings resembling spaghetti.

These strings, which had a diameter of about 2.5 mm., were cut to lengths of 6 mm. and dried. · The grain-like product, thus obtained, resembled rice grains in appearance, size and shape. Thereafter, 1 kg. of the vitamin supplement was added to, and mixed with, 300 kg. of rice to obtain a vitamin-supplemented rice, each 100 grams of which contained 0.4 mg. of vitamin Bij 0.6 mg. of vitamin B2; 0.52 mg. of vitamin Be; and 5.0 mg. of niacinamide.

Example 5 In this example, 2.0 grams of thiamine hydrochloride, 3.0 grams of riboflavin, 25.0 grams of niacinamide and 50.0 grams of dry vitamin A powder containing 500,000 I.U. of vitamin per gram were added to, and mixed with, 2420 kg. of wheat flour in a band mixer. A wheat flour derived from Durum wheat, a type of flour conventionally used in the production of spaghetti, was employed. Thereafter, 775.0 grams of water was added to the mixture and a paste-like mass was thus obtained. i The paste-like mass was added to, and extruded from, a pasta press in the form of tubular strings, diameter of about 2.5 mm., resembling spaghetti. The strings were then cut to a length of about 6 mm. and dried.

After drying, the vitamin supplement, which resembled rice grains in appearance, size and shape, was mixed with rice in a ratio of 1 part by weight of vitamin supplement for each i 200 parts by weight of rice. The vitamin-supplemented rice contained, per 100 grams, 0.4 mg. of vitamin Bi, 0.6 mg. of vitamin B2, 5.0 mg. of niacinamide, 5,000 I.U. of vitamin A.

Example In this example, 2.0 grams of thiamine hydrochloride, 3.0 grams of riboflavin, 25.0 grams of niacinamide, 50.0 grams of dry vitamin A powder containing 500, 000 I.U. of vitamin A per gram and 250 grams of methionine were added to, and mixed with, 2170 kg. of wheat meal. The mixture was mixed with 68o grams of water to form a paste-like mass.

The paste-like mass thus obtained was charged into, and extruded from) a pasta press in the form of tubular strings, diameter . about 2.5 rn . , resembling spaghetti. The strings were cut into lengths of about 6 mm. and dried.

After drying, the vitamin supplement, which in appearance, shape and size resembled rice grains, were mixed with rice, there being provided a ratio of one part by weight of vitamin supplement for each 200 parts by weight of rice. There was obtained ' a vitaminized rice product containing in each 100 grams, OA mg. j Ί of vitamin Bi, 0.6 mg. of vitamin B2, 5.0 mg. of niacinamide, j 5,000 I.U. of vitamin A and 10 grams of methionine. 1 ;

Claims (15)

Having now particularly described and -ascertained' the' / nature of our. said invention and in what, mariner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:./

1. Vitamin-enriched cereals containing a vitamin supplement comprising (l) a vitamin or a mixture of vitamins, and (2) a farinaceous material as a carrier for said vitamins •said .supplement being in a form resembling a cereal grain in size, shape and appearance.

2. Cereals as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the vitamin' supplement contains about -0.2$ to about 20$ by weight of active material..

3. · Cereals as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the supplement contains vitamin Β^·, vitamin B^, vitamin Bg and/or niacinamide. '

4. Cereals as claimed in Claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the supplement contains additionally amino acids. -

5. · Cereals as claimed in any one of Claims- 1 to wherein the farinaceous material used as carrier is derived from wheat or rice.

6. Cereals as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 comprising a vitamin supplement in the form of rice grains in admixture with rice grains.

7. :7. Cereals- as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 comprising from about 50 to 500 parts by weight of cereal grains for each part by weight of the vitamin supplement present therein.

8. A process for the manufacture of vitamin enriched cereal which comprises preparing a paste containing (l) a vitamin or a mixture of vitamins, (2) a farinaceous material as a carrier for said vitamin and (3) water, shaping the paste into a form resembling cereal grains in size, shape and appearance, drying the vitamin supplement thus obtained and adding same to cereal grains to be vitamin enriched.

9. A process as claimed in Claim 8, wherein a vitamin supplement is added containing about 0.2$ to about 20$ by weight of active material.

10. A process as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, wherein a supplement is used containing vitamin B^, vitamin B^, vitamin Bg and/or niacinamide.

11. A process as claimed in Claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein a supplement is used containing additionally amino acids.

12. A process as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein a supplement is used the farinaceous material thereof used as carrier is derived from wheat or rice.

13. A process as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 12, wherein the vitamin supplement in the form of rice grains is added to rice grains.

14. A process as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 13 which comprises the steps of (a) mixing (l) a vitamin or a mixture of vitamins, (2) a farinaceous material and (3) a quantity of water sufficient to form a paste therewith, (b) extruding said paste through an orifice of desired shape and size to form an elongated pastelike mass, (c) cutting said mass to desired length, (d) drying the cut particles thus obtained, and (e) addin said dried particles to cereal grains, there being used in said process a quantity. of ingredient (l) to provide a dry vitamin supplement containing from about 0.2 to about 20 by weight of said ingredient (l),

15. * A process as, claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 13 which comprises adding to about 50 to 500 parts by weight of cereal grains to be vitamin enriched, one part by weight of the vitamin supplement. - Dated this 2nd day of July, 1967