Physically coated cellulose as low calorie flour replacements

Abstract

Particulate cellulosic material such as microcrystalline cellulose, .alpha.-cellulose, and/or cellulose acylated with C.sub.2 to C.sub.24 aliphatic acids to a degree of substitution of about 0.05 or less, and mixtures thereof, are physically coated with an edible hydrophobic polymer to provide low calorie flour/starch replacements for edible compositions. Typical coating polymers include cellulose esters of one or more C.sub.2 to C.sub.24 aliphatic acids; cellulose ethers such as methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, natural waxes such as carnauba wax, candelilla wax, rice bran wax, bees wax, and mixtures of these; petroleum waxes such as polyethylene and paraffin waxes; proteins, preferably hydrophobic, such as zein, glutenin and the like, and mixtures thereof. In preferred embodiments, the low calorie flour replacements are made in a hot melt process with intense mixing in the absence of emulsifiers and gums. Some embodiments of the invention are particularly useful as low calorie flour replacements for baked products such as cookies.