Olive cream obtained from by-products of the mechanical extraction process of virgin olive oils (pomace and/or olive paté), is characterized by low fat and sodium content , rich in fiber and bioactive phenolic compounds. By exploiting the chemical-physical properties of innovative raw materials, the new spreadable product, obtained through a chemical or biological debittering process, is characterized by a high nutritional and health quality. The olive cream is also made functional by inoculating it with probiotic microorganisms.
Patent Status
PENDING
Priority Number
102022000018024
Priority Date
02/09/2022
License
ITALY
Market
The invention leads to the production of new food products not yet on the market, which can be added to other already commercially consolidated products as a spreadable product, condiment (dressing/topping) or ingredient for complex product formulations. In addition, a “squeezable” version is also available. This application enables the valorization of olive oil by-products through their use in human nutrition, contributing to the sustainability of olive oil production and the circular economy of agri-food supply chains.
Problema
The proposed food product constitutes a new food product by adding value to a raw material such as olive paté (obtained from the mechanical extraction of virgin olive oil) or pomace (obtained from de-stoned olive paste). Neither products have been used industrially for food production before. Consequently, the patented product is only partially comparable to food products currently on the market, such as olive paté, which, however, use as raw material the pitted table olives previously debittered with salt concentrates of between 5% and 7%. The differences between the new product and the olive pate currently available on the market are:
An unsolved problem, which is an integral part of the patent activity, is the reduction by a chemical or biological debittering process of the bitter note of the olive creams obtained from these by-products, which otherwise are not suitable for human direct consumption due to their high phenolic content.
Current Technology Limits
The invention thus outlined leads to the production of new food products, never entered on the market and, therefore, particularly innovative, to be added to other products already commercially consolidated, such as spreadable creams, ready-to-use sauces for seasoning pasta or meat and sauces which can be joined to the use of ketchup. The present invention relates to a process for producing a spreadable olive cream with reduced fat and sodium content, with functional properties and with higher added value. The formulation of the new product starts from the valorization of innovative raw materials, such as the by-products of the mechanical extraction of virgin olive oil (pomace and/or olive paté), which from waste are converted into a co-production and reducing the associated disposal costs by applying a model of environmental sustainability. In order to make the product pleasant to direct human consume while maintaining the high health properties related to the high concentration of phenolic compounds, the bitter note is reduced by developing two innovative chemical or biological debittering processes. The biological process involves the addition of an inoculum with probiotic microorganisms that make the olive cream a functional product. In this way, a final product is obtained with high health and sensory properties and with a lower fat and sodium chloride content compared to the olive pates currently on the market.
Killer Application
Our Technology and Solution
The final product is very different from the others similar foodstuffs present in the market such as patè, cream or olive stuffinig. These foods, characterized by a higher content of oil and sodium cloride, are obtained by table olives and not by olive oil co-products. On the contrary, the olive cream of this patent shows a limited residual oil content lower than 5 % d.w.. The new olive cream represents a functional food, source of natural antioxidants and fibers, and eventually of compounds produced during the deamarization and/or frementation processsuch as metabolites released by enzimatic activity of microorganisms. These post-biotic compounds are potentially rich of biological and functional properties. These metabolites can enrich the functional value of the product increasing its health effect for the consumer. The innovative olive cream can be used as a spreadable product, condiment (dressing/topping), or ingredient for the production of foodstuffs such as bakery products, stuffed products and so on. Furthermore, a squeezable version could be obtained.
Advantages
Roadmap
Main steps of the industrial process:
TRL
Team
