The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to the broad field of fortified food products. More in particular, it refers to the iron fortification of a dairy product. The invention also relates to the use of edible coatings for fortification of iron and to a method of preparing the same.
Background
Worldwide three major types of micronutrient deficiencies or hidden hunger viz. iron, . vitamin A and iodine are commonly observed. The signs of such malnutrition are 'hidden', as individuals may 'look alright' but suffer from extremely negative health impacts leading to illness, blindness, premature death, reduced productivity and impaired mental development, particularly among women and children. According to the recent World Health Organization global anemia prevalence estimates, in the year 2011 about 41.9% of women of reproductive age suffered with anemia and 1.8% suffered with severe anemia (WHO, 2015). People suffering from hidden hunger have diets that are deficient in micronutrients. Since the human body does not produce minerals, it is totally dependent on an external supply of iron, either nutritional or supplementary. The recommended daily allowance for iron intake is from 10 to 18 mg per day, and is dependent on age and sex. Children, women up to the time of menopause, and expectant and nursing mothers are in the group with higher requirements of iron.
Among all other approaches, food-based approaches have been said to represent the most desirable and sustainable methods of preventing micronutrient malnutrition that are designed to increase micronutrient intake through the diet. There is a consensus that enrichment or fortification is an effective long-term approach to improve the iron status of populations. Food fortification is a process in which one or more essential micronutrients are added into food whether it is present naturally or not to overcome demonstrated deficiency and provide health benefits. Fortification can help to increase nutrient level, control the deficiency of micronutrients and correct the deficiency disorders. There are different types of fortification viz. mass, targeted, market-driven, household and bio-fortification. Mass fortification is fortification of widely consumed foods e.g. milk and milk products, cereals, etc. Milk is relatively poor in iron (0.2-0.4 mg/L), which varies depending on the species, season and stage of lactation. Milk and milk products, being widely consumed by all age groups and inherently deficient in iron is usually chosen for iron fortification. However, challenges exist in iron fortification of milk and milk products as it affects the organoleptic properties especially the colour and flavour.
The ideal product for food fortification is the one that supplies highly bioavailable iron, does
not diminish the nutritional value of the food vehicle through nutrient oxidation, does not
alter its sensory properties, can be used to fortify solid and liquid foods, is resistant to food
processing and is low in cost so that it can be accessible to the entire population. The
selection of iron compound for fortification is important in order to avoid interactions of iron IPO DELHI 02-12-2015 17:'02
2

with food vehicle or the total meal because a minor change in organoleptic characteristics of the food will result in consumer rejection. When an iron compound is added, it is necessary to evaluate possible changes in food colour, taste or appearance with time and storage under adverse temperature and humidity conditions. Solubility, chemical reactivity, bioavailability and cost are other important issues when selecting an iron compound. For instance, ferrous sulphate is a highly bioavailable and relatively inexpensive compound, however, because of its high reactivity, it produces undesirable changes in some fortified foods. On the other hand, elemental iron (reduced, electrolytic or carbonyl) is also inexpensive, however, it has been reported to have a low bioavailability. Iron compounds listed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) include elemental iron, ferrous ascorbate, ferrous carbonate, ferrous citrate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous lactate, ferrous sulphate, ferric ammonium citrate, ferric chloride, ferric citrate, ferric pyrophosphate and ferric sulphate.
Interest in edible films and coatings has been increasing due to their compatibility for use in food industries and environment friendly nature. Although there is no compositional difference between edible films and coating, they differ in their thickness and the way they are applied. Films are formed separately by casting process and. then are applied on food surface, but the coatings are formed directly on food surface either by spraying, dipping, and spreading. Film can be separated from food surface but the coating generally is considered as an integral part of final product. Both can be applied on food surface or in-between the food components. They help in reducing moisture loss, fat migration, flavor loss and to incorporate antimicrobials, anti-browning agents, antioxidants, colors, flavors, sweeteners, nutraceuticals, vitamins, minerals there by enhancing shelf life and nutritional quality. Protein-based edible films are prepared by heat denaturation of protein in a suitable solvent and then evaporation of the solvent. Generally, water or ethanol is used as solvent in most of the protein film preparations. Milk protein, corn protein, gelatin, soy protein, wheat gluten protein etc. were investigated for film forming properties and applied in edible food packaging. Prior art suggests that edible films and coatings have been used as vehicles for delivery of minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium in baby carrots, fresh and frozen strawberries, rice, etc. and vitamins such as ascorbic acid and tocopherol in strawberries, raspberries, pumpkin, etc.
Paneer is a variety of fresh soft cheese prepared by heat and acid coagulation of milk. Its market in India is growing continuously with about 30% a year in the south and about 10%-15% in the north. It is a rich source of high quality animal protein, fat, minerals especially calcium and phosphorous and vitamins. However, paneer is as such a poor source of iron (lmg/lOOg) and there is loss of quality whey proteins during its preparation. Whey proteins are considered to have diverse properties including functional and therapeutic attributes. Hence, there is a need to improve the nutritional qualities of paneer. Prior art suggests that innovations were made for manufacturing intermediate moisture paneer (Patent No. 224108; 472/MUM/2004), retort processed paneer (2000/DEL/2010), paneer with nonconventional coagulating agent i.e. calcium lactate (711/KOL/2004), paneer with improved taste attributes (2105/CHE/2011), paneer with extended shelf life using an edible coating formulation (667/DEL/2012), etc. IPO DELHI 02-12-2015 17:02
3

A number of iron salts with good bioavailability are disclosed in previous studies as potential fortificants for dairy products. However, there is no such study relevant to iron fortification of paneer using edible coatings. Edible films and coatings are considered as emerging method for food fortification. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an iron-. fortified paneer through edible coatings, which could lead to improved nutritional quality.
Objectives of the Invention
1. An object of the present invention is to propose a process for the preparation of paneer with enhanced nutritional quality.
2. Another object of this invention is to propose a process for fortification of paneer using edible coatings.
3. Yet another object of this invention is to propose a process for the preparation of paneer with enhanced iron content.
4. Still another object of this invention is to propose a process for the preparation of paneer with enhanced whey protein content.
5. Yet another object of this invention is to propose a process for the preparation of paneer with reasonably high iron bioaccessibility of iron.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the ensuing description.
Summary of the Invention
The invention relates to the development of a process for iron fortification of paneer using edible biopolymers and an iron salt so as to obtain a nutritionally rich product suitable for all age group people. It comprises of immersing or soaking of paneer in the ratio of 1:1.5 in an aqueous solution of whey protein concentrate plasticized with glycerol (4-5%) and also containing an iron salt, ferrous suphate heptahydrate (FeS04 7H2O) (100-400 ppm). Paneer immersed in the soaking or coating solution was allowed to equilibrate for 10-30 minutes at room temperature (30°C), and then air-dried using a hand held electric hot air blower (40-60°C) for 10-15 minutes: Surface dried coated paneer was packaged using multilayered polyamide pouches and stored under refrigerated temperature (7±2°C).
Detailed Description
The process has been developed for manufacturing paneer with enhanced nutritional quality in terms of iron and protein using relatively simple process interventions. The process standardized for paneer manufacture can easily be adopted by the dairy industry to diversify their product mixes and provide wholesome and nutritious product to consumers. This invention relates to a process for iron fortification of paneer using edible biopolymer. The standardization trials involved two phases. In first phase, whey protein concentrate solution, which was plasticized with glycerol, was taken and iron salts available for fortification were mixed at different levels with the solution and an appropriate iron salt and its level that did not affect the quality attributes of paneer was selected. In the second phase, the process IPO- DELHI 02-12-2015 i?:©2 •
4

parameters such as volume of solution, cube size and dipping time were optimized using the central composite rotatable design (CCRD) of response surface methoddlogy (RSM)7The coating solution was prepared by mixing whey protein concentrate containing 70% protein (on dry basis) and 4-5% of glycerol (plasticizer) with water followed by addition of FeSCM 7H20 (100-400 ppm). The pH of solution was adjusted to 7.0±0.2 by using 1 N NaOH solution followed by heating the solution to 90 °C for 30 min with continuous stirring. Furthermore, the solution was filtered and cooled to room temperature followed by degassing and then used for coating of paneer. The flow diagram for preparation of iron-fortified paneer using whey protein concentrate based coating is given in Figure 1. The optimized process comprises dipping paneer cubes of size 1-2 cm in the coating solution, in the ratio of 1:1.5, for 10-30 minutes. Later, the paneer cubes were subjected to surface drying using an electric hand held hot air blower (40-50°C) for 10-15 minutes. The product was then packaged using multilayered polyamide pouches and stored under refrigerated temperature (7±2°C).

WE CLAIM
I. A process for manufacturing of iron fortified and whey protein enriched paneer comprising the steps of:
i. Preparation of aqueous solution of whey protein concentrate (WPC) (70% protein on dry basis) plasticized with glycerol and incorporation of iron salt wherein the solution comprises of 4-5% glycerol and 100-400 ppm of ferrous sulphate heptahydrate.
ii. Soaking of paneer in WPC solution in the ratio of 1:1.5
iii. Allowing paneer to equilibrate in the solution for 10-30 minutes at room temperature (30°C).
2. Paneer as claimed in claim 1, was subjected to surface drying with hot air blower (40-60°C) for 10-15 minutes to obtain coated paneer.
3. Packing in multilayer polyamide pouches and storage at refrigeration temperature
(7±2°C)
4. A process that yields paneer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coated paneer had 94 ppm (on dry matter basis) of iron while the uncoated paneer had 31 ppm (on dry matter basis).
5. A process that yields paneer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coated paneer had 22 g of protein while uncoated paneer had about 18 g per 100 g.
6. A process that yields paneer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coated paneer had an in vitro bioaccessibility of 59%.