Fat-like bulking agent for aqueous foods comprising microcrystalline

Abstract

Microcrystalline cellulose intimately admixed with a galactomannan gum such as guar gum, in an aqueous medium and then dried, preferably by spray drying, forms a novel aggregate comprising a powder whose particles are spheroidal in shape. The resulting material may be used e.g., as a low-calorie fat-like material in certain foods. Optionally, a third, edible, component such as a lipophilic material, or a hydrophilic material, such as a proteinaceous material or a polysaccharide, or mixtures thereof, may be incorporated in this composition to enhance taste and/or other desired properties. When this composition, in colloidal form, is added to such foods as salad dressings or dairy products as a fat substitute, it imparts a fat-like mouth feel and consistency without the caloric value of fat. In a further embodiment of this invention it has been found that the spherical particles may be broken down under high energy shear conditions to form a fibrous material which, when dispersed in water, also imparts fat-like properties to foodstuffs.