Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
A method for reducing the available calories in a food composition having an edible oil component, which method comprises replacing from 10 to 100 percent of the edible oil in such food composition with a fatty acid ester of a polyoxyalkylene having the property of being substantially hydrolyzed after ingestion by intestinal digestion into a mixture comprising fatty acids and an essentially non-caloric water-soluble or water-dispersible polyoxyalkylene.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
67 words
A method for reducing the available calories in a food composition having an edible oil component, which method comprises replacing from 10 to 100 percent of the edible oil in such food composition with a fatty acid ester of a polyoxyalkylene having the property of being substantially hydrolyzed after ingestion by intestinal digestion into a mixture comprising fatty acids and an essentially non-caloric water-soluble or water-dispersible polyoxyalkylene.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the polyoxyalkylene is formally derived by interaction of any suitable initiator with members of the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the polyoxyalkylene has a sufficient molecular weight to essentially prevent intestinal absorption.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the polyoxyalkylene has a number-average molecular weight (M n ) from about 800 to about 4,000.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 4, wherein the polyoxyalkylene has a number-average molecular weight (M n ) from about 1,400 to about 1,800.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 5, wherein the polyoxyalkylene is a random difunctional copolymer composed of 40 percent oxyethylene and 60 percent oxypropylene having a number-average molecular weight (M n ) of 1,670 and a narrow molecular weight distribution with a weight-average to number-average molecular weight ratio (M w /M n ) of 1.05.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 3, wherein one or more of the hydroxyl groups of said polyoxyalkylene are derived as ethers, the resulting ethers retaining sufficient free hydroxyl groups to remain water-soluble or water-dispersible.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the fatty acids are any saturated or unsaturated, naturally occurring or synthetic fatty acids having sufficient lipophilic character to effect a change in said polymeric alcohol to an oil-like physical state after esterification.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the fatty acids have from about 12 to about 22 carbon atoms.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 9, wherein the fatty acids are either stearic or oleic acid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the polymer fatty acid ester is a di-stearate ester of a difunctional polyoxyalkylene random copolymer, said copolymer being composed of 40 percent oxyethylene and 60 percent oxypropylene having a number-average molecular weight (M n ) of 1,670 and a narrow molecular weight distribution with a weight-average to number-average molecular weight ratio (m w ym n ) of 1.05.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric alcohol comprises at least one-half of the polymeric fatty acid ester by weight.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the polymeric alcohol comprises at least two-thirds of the polymeric fatty acid ester by weight.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer fatty acid ester has all of the available hydroxyl groups esterified with fatty acids.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1, wherein sufficient edible oil is replaced with polymer fatty acid ester to provide a total reduction in available calories in the food composition of at least 10 percent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 15, wherein sufficient edible oil is replaced with polymer fatty acid ester to provide a total reduction in available calories in the food composition of at least 25 percent.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 16, wherein sufficient edible oil is replaced with polymer fatty acid ester to provide a total reduction in available calories in the food composition of at least 33 percent.