The present invention is concerned with a spread comprising from 5-35% by weight of a continuous fat phase and 95-65% by weight of a dispersed aqueous phase containing less than 200 ppm of protein, wherein the fat phase comprises at least 25% by weight of butter oil or a fraction thereof and the aqueous phase contains a gelling hydrocolloid or a combination of gelling hydrocolloids at a concentration level of at least 3 times the critical concentration level of said gelling hydrocolloid or combination of gelling hydrocolloids, the volume weighted mean droplet size of the aqueous phase being less than 25 microns.

The spreads according to the present invention are easy spreadable, do not loose water on spreading and give a strong butter impression.

Die kalorienarme Butter besteht aus Vorzugs- oder Tafel­butter, einer ersten wässrigen Phase mit einer leicht sau­ren Puffersubstanz und einer zweiten wässrigen Phase mit Milcheiweissen.

Eine einem Butterfettgehalt bis 60 Gew.-%, bezogen auf das Endprodukt, entsprechende Menge Vorzugs- und/oder Tafelbut­ter wird auf eine Verarbeitungstemperatur von 15 - 25°C ge­bracht und in einer dicht verschliessbaren Maschine durch mit hoher Scherkraft arbeitende Schneidmesser gestossen. Während des anschliessenden Mischens und Knetens der fein­geschnittenen Vorzugs- und/oder Tafelbuttermasse wird vor­erst die erste wässrige Phase mit 2 - 8 Gew.-%, bezogen auf das Endprodukt, natürlichem Milchsäurekonzentrat, welches die wässrige Phase des Endprodukts auf einem pH von 5 - 6,5 puffert, dann die zweite wässrige Phase mit 4 - 10 Gew.-%, bezogen auf das Endprodukt, Alkali- und/oder Erdalkali-­Caseinat zugegeben werden. Dabei werden die Komponenten durch das Kneten unter einem durch Reibungswärme bewirkten Temperaturanstieg von 3 - 5°C innig vermischt.

A low fat spread having a low pH is prepared from an aqueous phase comprising water, a gelling agent, salt, lactic acid and fermented reconstituted skim milk solids and a fat phase comprising milk fat, monoglyceride emulsifier and a colouring agent. The aqueous and fat phases are mixed together to form a water-in-oil emulsion which is pumped by a positive displacement pump through a scraped surface heat exchanger to form a spread. The relatively low content of milk fat solids as a source of protein yields a low fat spread with a protein content in the aqueous phase of 0.1% to 0.4% which is easily processed and which has good organoleptic properties.

Process for preparing an edible spread of fat content lower than butter or margarine including the steps of forming an admixture of plastic dispersion (A) having a continuous fat phase and a discontinuous aqueous phase, which aqueous phase has a pH above 4.7 and contains protein selected from the group consisting of milk protein, soy protein and mixtures thereof, and an aqueous composition (B) having a pH at or below 4.7 and containing hydrocolloid, the aqueous composition (B) being substantially free of milk protein and soy protein, and subjecting the admixture of (A) and (B) to a working treatment at a temperature at which (A) remains plastic. The spread so obtained has a continuous fat phase and two distinct aqueous phases, one having the characteristics of the aqueous phase of (A), the other the characteristics of (B).

A method for preparing a margarine having a fat content of a least 50% or preferably about 60% and having a high content of butter fat without admixing butter oil, whereby cream having a fat content of about 40% is cooled to a temperature of between +5 and +15'C and is stored at said temperature for a period of between 6 and 24 hours, whereafter the cream is subjected to a pressure of such strength that the cream emulsion is broken. The broken emulsion is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the butter fat and is mixed with margarine conventional ingredients and with cured and/or uncured oils and/or fats in such amount that the total fat content of the margarine to be prepared is 50-70% or preferably about 60%, whereby the amount of butter fat from the cream is between 42 and 100% of the total fat content of the margarine. The mixture is emulsified while maintaining the raised temperature by a vigorous mechanical working, for instance stirring, whereby a water-in-oil emulsion is formed. The emulsion is pasteurized and is thereafter cooled and worked in a margarine and is packed for distribution or storing.

A method of manufacturing a low calorie spread having a relatively high amount of milk fat, in which a protein containing water phase is brought to emulsify in a fat phase comprising butter fat and butter strange oils and/or fats to directly form a water in oil emulsion having a total fat amount 36-40% or more. The preparation of the fat phase is started by cooling cream to a temperature of +3-+ 15°C and storing the cream at said temperature for a period of between 6 and 24 hours than subjecting the cream to a pressure of such magnitude thatthe cream emulsion is broken up. The broken cream emulsion is separated on a sieve like plate or drum whereby a fraction of butter particles are collected and a fraction of butter milk is drained. The collected butter particles are heated to a temperature above the melting point of the butter fat and are mixed with the butter strange fats and/ or oils and possibly with further fat soluble ingredients, and a water phase comprising a protein concentrate of any known type and prepared in any conventional way is brought to emulsify in said fat phase to provide the water-in-oil emulsion, and finally the emulsion is pasteurized, cooled and packed.

A process for producing a reduced fat spread, comprising churning an oil-in-water-cream in the absence of an air/water interface, to encrease its viscosity up to a value close to or equal to the peak viscosity, achieve partial phase inversion and obtain a spread with substantially the same level of fat as the starting cream, said spread comprising a network of aggregated fat and both encapsulated and free aqueous phase.

Une préparation laitière pouvant être chauffée pour servir de nappage comprend un mélange homogène de protéines laitières, de matières grasses laitières et d'eau, les proportions relatives, en poids, de ces trois composants étant respectivement de 2,3 à 7%, de 30 à 60% et de 30 à 65%. La préparation est obtenue par mélange de beurre avec du fromage frais et/ou de la crème.

The present invention relates to a solid butter composition comprising a fat phase and at least 25 percent by weight with respect to the total weight of the butter composition of an aqueous phase, the fat phase comprising one or more fractions of substantially water free milk fat and being substantially free of vegetable oils, the aqueous phase comprising acidified sweet buttermilk. The sweet buttermilk has preferably been acidified to a pH of between approximately 4 and the pH of sweet buttermilk. Preferably, 51-100 % by weight of the aqueous phase is constituted by acidified sweet buttermilk, the remaining being mainly water.