Salts of 6-o-acyl ascorbic acid for yeast-raised baked products

Abstract

Salts of ascorbic acid 6-acylates (both the D-isoascorbic and L-ascorbic isomers) are provided which have significant utility as multi-functional, easily dispersible additives for yeast-leavened doughs or batters and serve as biologically active sources of vitamin C even when added to the dough or batter during preparation thereof and subjected to baking or frying temperatures. The additives hereof are also functional as dough conditioners, anti-staling agents, and shortening sparing agents, and also serve to maintain or even enhance loaf volume in resultant breads and the like and permit incorporation of protein supplements such as soy flour into such products without deleteriously affecting desirable organoleptic properties thereof. The 6-O-acyl ascorbate salts of the invention are compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein M and Q are different and respectively taken fom the group consisting of --H and --OH, R represents an aliphatic group having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms, inclusive, and X is a salt-forming member selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. A method of synthesizing the above acyl ester salts is also provided which includes the step of reacting the free acid form of the ester with a stoichiometric quantity of a base taken from the group consisting of the sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium compounds of (1) an acid that is a weaker acid than the ester, and (2) an acid which can be removed from the reaction mixture by volatilization. The reaction is carried out in a compatible solvent which dissolves the ester and the reacting base or salt and does not hinder the desired reaction.