1. A method for preparing food products such as soups, pastes, jams, sauces and the like which are fully or partially vegetable or fruit based with reduced serum separation, the said method comprising the steps of preparing an aqueous, pectin containing mass of fruit and/or vegetables, which is substantially free of pectin depolymerising enzymes in a known manner; adding pectinesterase to the said mass; incubating said mass under known conditions to reduce serum separation and increase the viscosity of the said aqueous mass; and producing the desired food products from the said mass in a known manner.

2. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of adding divalent cations to said mass.

3. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pectin is endogenous HM pectin.

4. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said mass is a tomato juice, tomato slurry, tomato paste, salsa, and ketchup.

5. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pectinesterase is derived from a fungus of genus Aspergillus or the Genera Fusarium, Sclerotonia or Penicillium.

6. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pectinesterase is substantially free from pectin depolymerising enzymes.

7. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said aqueous mass is derived from broccoli, pepper, mustard, apples, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, grapes, lime, pears, carrots, peas, cauliflower, or berries, such as blackcurrant, blue¬berries, strawberries, and raspberries.

8. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said effective amount of pectinesterase is from 5.5 to 550 PEU, preferably from 15 to 135 PEU, better from 25 to 110 PEU, still better from 40 to 95 PEU, and more preferably from 55 to 80 PEU/kg vegetable soluble solids.

9. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the content of pectin in said mass is from 0.1%w/W to 10%w/W, preferably from 0.2%w/W. to I.OXw/W.

10. the method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein sugar (0-60XW/W), acetic acid (0-10Xw/W) and/or salt (0-10%w/W) is added.

11. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pH value of said mass is from 2.5 to 7.5, preferably from pH 3 to pH 5.

12. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said incubation step is performed for a period from 5 to 60 minutes, preferably from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.

13. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said incubation step is performed at a temperature from 10 to 60°C, preferably from 15 to 50°C.

14. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the food product is selected from amongst jam, marmalade, jelly, juice, paste, soup, dressing, sauce, condiment, ketchup, mustard, salsa, chutney, and desserts like pudding and mousse.

15. A method for preparing food products such as soups, pastes, jams, sauces and the like substantially as herein described and exempli fi ed.

activities luaiesnik, t . ,). et al 1950, Arch, of Biochem., 29,
432-440. Meurens, M., 1978, Rev. Ferment. Ind. Aliment., 33, 95-
104), since the presence ot such activities will substantially
break down the pectin.
It is a well known problem that several products that are fully or partially vegetable or fruit based, such as ketchup, mustard and' jam, weep" or separate on standing. The processes used result in an indelicate appearance of the product. Furthermore use of the product on e.g. bread or rolls results in the bread or roll getting soaked and disintegrate. Similarly other products such as fruit soups and yoghurts separate and develop an unattractive appearance.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method of causing a decrease of the serum separation in an aqueous mass containing methoxylated pectin without the need for addition of stabilising agents, such as externally added hydrocolloids, modified starch etc.
Accordingly the present invention provides a method for preparing food products such as herein describ-ed that are fully or partially vegetable or fruit based, comprising the steps of : a) providing an aqueous mass containing pectin, substantially free from pectin depo1ymeris1ng enzymes,

b) determining by known means an effective amount of pect inest erase for said mass, and
r, ) incubating said mass under known conditions with said effective amount of pectinest erase.
Surprisingly it has been found that no other stabilising agent is needed in relation to the method according to the invention.
Hereby the method according to the invention offers the unique feature that the serum separation can be reduced or even avoided without the addition of any further external agents, whereby the only external agent being added is an effective amount of petcinest erase, and optionally divalent ions, such as alkaline earth ions, especially calcium ions.

roll getting soaked and disintegrate. Similarly other products such as fruit soups and yoghurts separate and develop an unattractive appearance.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method of causing a decrease of the serum separation in an aqueous mass containing methoxylated pectin without the need for addition of stabilising agents, such as externally added hydrocolloids, modified starch etc.
Accordingly the present invention provides a method for preparing food products such as soups, pastes, jams, sauces and the like which are fully or partially vegetable or fruit based with reduced serum separation, the said method comprising the steps of preparing an aqueous, pectin containing mass of fruit and/or vegetables, which is substantially free of pectin depolymerising enzymes in a known manner; adding pectinesterase to the said mass; incubating said mass under known conditions to reduce serum separation and increase the viscosity of the said aqueous mass; and producing the desired food products from the said mass in a known manner.
Surprisingly it has been found that no other stabilising agent is needed in relation to the method according to the invention.
Hereby the method according to the invention offers the unique feature that the serum separation can be reduced or even avoided

WE CLAIM :
1. A method for preparing food products such as soups, pastes, jams, sauces and the like which are fully or partially vegetable or fruit based with reduced serum separation, the said method comprising the steps of preparing an aqueous, pectin containing mass of fruit and/or vegetables, which is substantially free of pectin depolymerising enzymes in a known manner; adding pectinesterase to the said mass; incubating said mass under known conditions to reduce serum separation and increase the viscosity of the said aqueous mass; and producing the desired food products from the said mass in a known manner.
2. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of adding divalent cations to said mass.
3. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pectin is endogenous HM pectin.
4. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said mass is a tomato juice, tomato slurry, tomato paste, salsa, and ketchup.
5. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pectinesterase is derived from a fungus of genus Aspergillus or the Genera Fusarium, Sclerotonia or Penicillium.

6. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pectinesterase is substantially free from pectin depolymerising enzymes.
7. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said aqueous mass is derived from broccoli, pepper, mustard, apples, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, grapes, lime, pears, carrots, peas, cauliflower, or berries, such as blackcurrant, blue¬berries, strawberries, and raspberries.
8. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said effective amount of pectinesterase is from 5.5 to 550 PEU, preferably from 15 to 135 PEU, better from 25 to 110 PEU, still better from 40 to 95 PEU, and more preferably from 55 to 80 PEU/kg vegetable soluble solids.
9. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the content of pectin in said mass is from 0.1%w/W to 10%w/W, preferably from 0.2%w/W. to I.OXw/W.

10. the method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein sugar (0-60XW/W), acetic acid (0-10Xw/W) and/or salt (0-10%w/W) is added.
11. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pH value of said mass is from 2.5 to 7.5, preferably from pH 3 to pH 5.

12. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein
said incubation step is performed for a period from 5 to 60
minutes, preferably from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.
13. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein
said incubation step is performed at a temperature from 10 to
60°C, preferably from 15 to 50°C.
14. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims,
wherein the food product is selected from amongst jam, marmalade,
jelly, juice, paste, soup, dressing, sauce, condiment, ketchup,
mustard, salsa, chutney, and desserts like pudding and mousse.
15. A method for preparing food products such as soups, pastes,
jams, sauces and the like substantially as herein described and
exempli fi ed.