ES2993573B2 - Vegetable spread made from olives and avocado, shelf-stable without refrigeration for more than 12 months - Google Patents

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0003] Vegetable spreadable product of olives and avocado, preservable without refrigeration for more than 12 months

[0005] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention belongs to the field of agri-food.

[0009] A first object of the present invention is a process for producing a novel spreadable vegetable product based on olives and avocado that can be preserved for more than 12 months without refrigeration.

[0011] A second object of the present invention is the spreadable vegetable product of olives and avocado obtained by the above procedure.

[0013] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Currently, various avocado-based products are available in commercial establishments. These avocado products typically have a very low avocado content (3-13%) and require refrigeration to maintain their properties for a certain period. In addition to avocado, the main ingredients in these products usually include salt, spices, citric acid, preservatives, antioxidants, and stabilizers, most of which are artificial. Furthermore, in many of these products, only 30-40% of the ingredients correspond to typical guacamole ingredients.

[0017] One of the main reasons is that products with a high percentage of avocado should be consumed almost immediately, as the oxidation of the monounsaturated fatty acids it contains causes a rapid degradation of its appearance and organoleptic properties.

[0019] Document ES2438623B1 describes a process for preserving avocado pulp comprising mixing the avocado pulp with a number of elements such as water in a ratio of at least 4:1, ascorbic acid, potassium sorbate, dilute acetic acid, sucrose and salt, as well as subjecting the mixture to two consecutive pasteurization stages.

[0020] In view of all this, there is still a need in the art for a procedure capable of ensuring the maintenance of the organoleptic properties of the avocado for a long period of time without the need for cold and without using artificial substances.

[0022] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The inventors of this application have developed a process for obtaining a spreadable vegetable product with a high avocado content that can be preserved without refrigeration for more than 12 months. Specifically, the spreadable vegetable product of the present invention contains 70-80% olive and 15-25% avocado.

[0026] A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a procedure for obtaining said spreadable vegetable product, said procedure having the steps described in claim 1.

[0028] A second aspect of the present invention is directed to a spreadable vegetable product, said product having the composition described in claim 5.

[0030] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Procedure for producing the spreadable vegetable product of olive and avocado

[0034] The process devised by the inventors of this application for producing the olive and avocado spreadable vegetable product capable of being preserved for more than 12 months without refrigeration is described in detail below. In this context, the expression “without refrigeration” means that the product does not need to be kept refrigerated at temperatures of approximately 2-5°C, but can be kept at room temperature, for example, around 20°C.

[0036] As previously mentioned, the main characteristic of the spreadable vegetable product described in this application is its high avocado content, much higher than products supposedly based solely on avocado, such as guacamole. Specifically, the spreadable vegetable product of the invention contains approximately 15% to 25% avocado, as well as approximately 70-80% olives. This composition, and particularly the high avocado content, implies very rapid degradation of the product under normal conditions, which should also normally be kept refrigerated.

[0038] In the present invention, a manufacturing process and a composition have been designed which, in combination, greatly increase the shelf life of the product, also eliminating the need for refrigeration. The manufacturing process mainly comprises the following steps:

[0040] 1. Condition the olive, initially with 7-10% salt and an acidity of 0.6-0.8%, by subjecting it to a water bath for 24-48 hours until reaching a salt concentration of 1.0-1.25%.

[0042] Cooked green olives are normally stored in brine to maintain their properties. Brine is composed mainly of water, salt, and acids, having a salt concentration of between 7% and 10% and a pH in the range of 3.5 to 4.5.

[0044] This brine has an excessively strong flavor, so it is necessary to subject the olives to a desalting process. To this end, according to the invention, the olives are subjected to a water bath for 24-48 hours, until they reach a salt concentration of 1.0-1.25%.

[0046] Washing olives with water for a long time can lead to bacterial contamination. Therefore, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antifungal substances are added during the time the olives are stored in water to ensure microbiological safety.

[0048] 2. Grind the olives together with the garlic in a grinder.

[0050] To the olives, whose salt content has already been reduced thanks to the water baths, garlic is now added, and both are mixed in a blender or industrial grinder until a homogeneous texture without lumps is created.

[0052] 3. Place the crushed olives and garlic into a mixer, along with at least avocado pulp, flavorings, spices, vegetable fiber, tocopherol, olive oil and natural coloring.

[0054] The olive and garlic mixture is placed in a mixer along with several additional ingredients intended to enhance the organoleptic characteristics of the final product. The main additional ingredients include, besides olive oil, flavorings and spices primarily intended to improve the taste of the final product, as well as other ingredients to ensure the preservation of the product's organoleptic properties, such as vegetable fiber, tocopherol, and natural coloring. The mixture may also include other ingredients.

[0056] The function of the main ingredients mentioned is briefly described below:

[0058] a) Color preservation

[0060] Color loss is a common consequence of pasteurizing products with a high percentage of avocado. Currently, there are various food additives designed to reduce color loss, as well as artificial colorings such as brilliant green (E133), acid green (E142), green S (E142), etc.

[0062] In the present invention, however, the use of natural colorants is chosen, such as chlorophyll, turmeric, spinach, parsley, matcha or, particularly preferred, spirulina concentrate.

[0064] However, these natural colorants are less stable than artificial colorants, meaning they can deteriorate, primarily due to heat. To prevent this, the present invention combines these natural colorants with tocopherol, ensuring color stability for an extended period without the need for artificial colorants. Tocopherol also provides several additional advantages, such as reducing the oxidative rancidity process.

[0066] b) Oxidative rancidity

[0068] Oxidative rancidity is a common consequence in avocado-based products due to their high vegetable fat content. Tocopherol, in addition to increasing the stability of natural colorants, prevents fat rancidity.

[0070] c) Dissociation of fat

[0072] Fat dissociation in avocados can occur when avocados are subjected to high temperatures for an extended period. This happens when fatty acids separate from the glycerol molecule that binds them, resulting in the release of free fatty acids. This process is more likely when avocados are subjected to high temperatures for a prolonged time, such as during pasteurization. Fat dissociation can affect the nutritional quality and flavor of avocados.

[0074] In the present invention, the dissociation of fat is prevented by the addition of vegetable fibers, as well as by precisely selecting the parameters of the pasteurization process, which will be described later. The vegetable fibers also act as a thickening agent.

[0076] 4. Mix for 20-30 minutes until you get a creamy sauce with a pH below 4.

[0078] Once all the aforementioned ingredients have been added to the mixer, it is run for 20-30 minutes, until a creamy texture with a pistachio-green color is achieved. At this point, the pH should still be below 4.

[0080] 5. Place the mixture in a plastic container and heat seal by applying a vacuum.

[0082] The pre-mixed product is pumped from the mixer to a packaging hopper for filling. The containers are transparent plastic bottles into which the desired amount of mixture is poured. Preferably, the containers are filled almost to the brim, and heat sealing is carried out so that the plastic sealing film of the container is in contact with the top surface of the product inside. This, along with the application of a vacuum to remove air from inside the container, reduces the amount of oxygen inside, thus reducing oxidation and spoilage of the packaged product.

[0084] 6. Pasteurize the container by subjecting it to a temperature of between 60°C-75°C for between 30 and 40 minutes.

[0086] After heat sealing, the containers are placed in a pasteurizer to undergo the heating necessary for pasteurization. The containers are then subjected to a temperature of between 60°C and 75°C for 30 to 40 minutes.

[0088] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the pasteurization process is carried out using a water pasteurizer programmed at 75°C in cycles of 200 containers. The containers are kept in the pasteurizer for 35 minutes after the coldest points of the water have reached a temperature of 60°C. That is, the containers are not introduced into the pasteurizer until the temperature of the coldest points has reached 60°C. These parameters have been carefully selected to ensure that the temperature and time to which the containers are subjected do not cause rancidity of the fat, color changes, or, in general, loss of the product's organoleptic properties.

[0090] Olive and avocado spreadable vegetable product obtained by the above procedure

[0092] The composition of the spreadable vegetable product of the present invention is now described in more detail.

[0094] As mentioned, the spreadable plant-based product comprises 70-80% olive and 15-25% avocado, and is obtained by the process described above in this document. In addition to olive and avocado, the product comprises at least the following ingredients: garlic, flavorings, spices, vegetable fiber, tocopherol, olive oil, and spirulina concentrate. Besides these ingredients, it may also include acidulants and antioxidants.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS 1. A process for producing a vegetable spreadable product of olives and avocado that can be stored without refrigeration for more than 12 months, comprising 70-80% olives and 15-25% avocado, characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps: - condition the olive, initially with 7-10% salt and an acidity of 0.6-0.8%, by subjecting it to a water bath for 24-48 hours until reaching a salt concentration of 1.0-1.25%; - crush the olives together with the garlic in a grinder; - Place the crushed olives and garlic in a blender, along with avocado pulp, flavorings, spices, vegetable fiber, tocopherol, olive oil and natural coloring; - Blend for 20-30 minutes until you get a creamy sauce with a pH lower than 4; - Place the mixture in a plastic container and heat seal it using a vacuum; and - pasteurize the container by subjecting it to a temperature between 60°C and 75°C for 30 to 40 minutes. 2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of adding antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal substances to the olives during the water bath. 3. Process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the natural colorant is spirulina concentrate. 4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pasteurization process is carried out by means of a water pasteurizer programmed to 75°C in cycles of 200 containers, said containers being kept in the pasteurizer for 35 minutes from the moment when the coldest points of the water have reached a temperature of 60°C. 5. A vegetable spreadable product of olives and avocado that can be preserved without refrigeration for more than 12 months, comprising 70-80% olives and 15-25% avocado, said vegetable product being obtained by the process of any of the preceding claims, which further comprises at least the following ingredients: garlic, flavorings, spices, vegetable fiber, tocopherol, olive oil, and spirulina concentrate. 6. Spreadable vegetable product according to claim 5, further comprising acidulants and antioxidants.