INFUSION MIXTURE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF FINE PARTICULATE AND A METHOD FOR MAKING AN INFUSION MIXTURE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an infusion mixture substantially free of fine particulate and a method for making the infusion mixture. More particularly, the present invention is directed to infusion bags comprising beverage precursor and an agglomeration of fine particulate wherein, for example, the infusion bags, when handled, placed in packaging and/or subjected to solvent infusion, are substantially free of fine particulate leakage. Moreover, the method of making the infusion mixture of this invention results in the elimination of waste material during production since fine particulate is agglomerated and used when filling, for example, infusion bags before the same are sealed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A common procedure for making beverages, like coffee or tea-based beverages, is one which makes use of infusion bags made from a water permeable paper or material having a beverage precursor (like tea leaf) contained therein. Another procedure is one which employs filter paper and beverage precursor for use in a conventional brewing machine. The infusion bag and filter paper, both in combination with beverage precursor, are typically contacted with a solvent, like water, for a few minutes in order to obtain a desired beverage.

Unfortunately, when working with beverage precursor, such as tea leaf or ground coffee bean, useful precursor is lost during end use product manufacturing processes. This is true because beverage precursor, like tea leaf, may be ground, blended, bagged and unbagged, sifted and subjected to various conveyors and hoppers, resulting in particulate or particles of beverage precursor having an approximate diameter of less than about 275 microns (i.e., fine particulate of tea leaf). The majority of the beverage precursor having an approximate diameter of less than about 275 microns is typically discarded because if the same was utilized and sold in end use product, it would contaminate desired beverage prepared therefrom by leaking through the filter paper or infusion bag employed

in the infusion or brewing process. In fact, the amount of fine particulate that does normally reach end use product typically will contaminate beverage prepared therefrom. Moreover, the fine particulate that makes it into end use product can soil clothing and kitchen work space, making the beverage preparation process non-enjoyable for consumers.

It is of increasing interest to develop an infusion mixture that is substantially free of fine particulate. This invention, therefore, is directed to beverage precursor that is substantially free of fine particulate and mixed with an agglomeration of fine particulate to produce an infusion mixture. Moreover, the present invention is directed to a method for making the infusion mixture by agglomerating fine particulate and adding the resulting agglomeration of fine particulate back to the beverage precursor it may have originated from, or to an independent beverage precursor.

Efforts have been disclosed for making beverage precursors. In International Patent Application published as WO 99/37540, infusion packages, like tea bags and coffee bags, are described.

Other efforts have been disclosed for making beverage precursors. In U.S. Patent Application published as 2005/0048186 A1 , an infusion system for beverages is described.

Still other efforts have been disclosed for making beverages. In U.S. Patent Application published as 2004/0086620 A1 , a method for delivering flavor compounds to a beverage is described.

Even other efforts have been disclosed for making beverages. In Japanese Public Patent Disclosure Bulletin No. H10-327754, a method for producing solid tea is described.

None of the additional information above describes beverage precursor (and a method for making an infusion mixture with the same) wherein the beverage precursor is substantially free of fine particulate and can be mixed with an agglomeration of fine particulate that may have originated from the beverage precursor or an independent beverage precursor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to an infusion mixture comprising:

(a) beverage precursor; and (b) an agglomeration of fine particulate wherein the agglomeration of fine particulate comprises fine particulate originating from the beverage precursor or from an independent beverage precursor.

In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for making the infusion mixture of the first aspect of this invention.

In a third aspect, the present invention is directed to a beverage made from the infusion mixture of the first aspect of this invention.

Infusion bags, as used herein, are meant to include, without limitation, pods, square or rectangular-like bags, triangular or tetrahedral bags, as well as sachets having beverage precursor suitable for use in, for example, a large brew basket found in a brewing machine like the one described in U.S. Patent No. 6,786,136.

Beverage precursor means any material that may be contacted with a solvent, like water, to produce a ready-to-drink beverage, where beverage can include a drinkable soup. Beverage precursor is not meant to include an agglomeration of fine particles as defined herein. Such a beverage precursor preferably includes, without limitation, precursor used to make hot chocolate, ground coffee bean or tea leaf (e.g., derived from Camellia sinensis, or herbal teas like those comprising cinnamon, ginger, hibiscus, malted barley, chicory, fennel, lemon grass, chamomile, licorice root-based teas, mixtures thereof and the like). Independent beverage precursor means a beverage precursor that is not the source of fine particulate that is used as a component of the infusion mixture. Fine particulate means a single particulate and not an agglomeration of fine particulates, and preferably, a particulate material resulting from the processing of the beverage precursor being used. Substantially free means almost no visible fine particulate observed. Approximate diameter, as used herein, means the largest diameter measurement that may be taken on a particulate (i.e., particle) of beverage precursor to give a particle size distribution (as may be measured with a ruler or with a Tyler Sieve). Fine particulate also means having an approximate diameter of less than about 275 microns, and preferably,

from about 0.5 microns to about 225 microns. Agglomerated or agglomeration, as used herein, means a collection or mass of more than one fine particle or particulate and is meant to include masses made with pressure (including processes that utilize compaction and extrusion steps) as well as masses made with fluid and/or drying steps, like those prepared from coagulation steps. Particulate and particle may be used interchangeably, and are meant to mean the same. Infusion mixture, as used herein, means a mixture of beverage precursor substantially free of fine particulate, and comprising an agglomeration of fine particulate. The agglomeration of fine particulates used in this invention, like the beverage precursors, can be contacted with a solvent to produce a beverage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As previously stated, the only limitation with respect to the type of beverage precursor that may be used in this invention is that it is one which is suitable to result in a beverage after being contacted with a solvent, and preferably, a beverage suitable for human consumption. Illustrative and preferred examples of the types of beverage precursor that may be used in this invention include precursor used to make hot chocolate, ground coffee bean, precursor for a drinkable soup and tea leaf. In a most preferred embodiment, the beverage precursor is a superior tea leaf such as the tea leaf made commercially available from Unilever Foods under the Lipton ^® Tea name.

Typically, the beverage precursor employed in this invention has an approximate diameter (or particle size distribution) of at least about 275 microns, and preferably, from about 285 microns to about 1 ,500 microns, and most preferably, from about 400 microns to about 1 ,250 microns, including all ranges subsumed therein. Therefore, when an agglomeration of fine particulate is made, the agglomeration of fine particulate should have an approximate diameter or particle size distribution consistent with the sizes of the beverage precursor it is being combined with. Such a distribution is desired so that beverage precursor will not leak through the solvent permeable paper used to make, for example, infusion bags or filter paper. Moreover, such a distribution is desired in order to ensure good infusion so that beverage can be made within a time frame acceptable to consumers. In a preferred embodiment, the diameters of the pores within the solvent permeable paper are at least about 20%, and preferably, at least about 35%, and most preferably, from about 40 to about 90% smaller than the approximate diameters of the

beverage precursor and agglomeration of fine particulate being used in the infusion mixture.

When preparing raw beverage precursor (e.g., harvested green tea leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant), the leaves may be withered, comminuted, fermented and then fired so that the leaves are dried. When green tea is desired, leaf is not normally exposed to the fermentation process and partial fermentation may be used to produce intermediate-type teas known as oolong tea. Subsequent to treating the leaves, the same are often cut, torn and/or curled to produce the desired beverage precursor.

Once the desired beverage precursor (e.g., tea leaf) is obtained, again, the same is subjected to end use manufacturing process steps which typically include blending and sifting. After blending and sifting, from about 2 to about 8% by weight of the total weight of beverage precursor produced is lost as fine particulate.

In the present invention, it has been unexpectedly discovered that the fine particulate, which is typically discarded, can be agglomerated and added back to beverage precursor suitable for employment in end use product. Surprisingly, when such agglomeration of fine particulate is used, no negative impact is observed when comparing beverage product made according to this invention with beverage product made from a beverage precursor having substantially all of its particles with an approximate diameter of at least about 275 microns, and no agglomeration of fine particulate.

The recovered fine particulate may be agglomerated using, for example, commercially available tumble/growth, pressure, or heat/sintering agglomeration processing equipment.

Pressure (pneumatic or hydraulic) agglomeration is often preferred with or in the absence of binder. Especially preferred is an agglomeration process that utilizes compaction and extrusion steps to form agglomerates that look like whiskers. Such whiskers have an approximate diameter of at least about 275 microns, consistent with the approximate diameters defined herein for the beverage precursor. In an especially preferred embodiment, and when the agglomeration of fine particulate is in the form of whiskers, the whiskers have an approximate diameter from about 700 to about 1 ,000 microns, including all ranges subsumed therein. The length of such whiskers is from about 1 ,000 to about 5,000 microns, but preferably from about 3,000 to about 4,500 microns in length. The apparatus that is suitable to make the agglomeration of fine particulate of this

invention is commercially available and sold by suppliers like LCI Corporation, Bepex International, LLC and Prater Industries. While such suppliers typically make equipment for pelletizing fine powders of vegetables and/or chemicals, none are known to have applied the same in order to make agglomerations of fine particulate of beverage precursor as defined herein.

The binder that may optionally be used in the process for making the agglomeration of fine particulate of this invention is any liquid suitable for human consumption. Preferably, the binder is water (including flavored or sweetened water), juice or the very type of beverage that results from the beverage precursor the agglomeration of fine particulate is being combined with. Therefore, for example, if the beverage precursor is tea leaf, the binder may be a tea beverage.

Typically, when binder is used, the binder makes up less than about 10%, and preferably, from about 4 to about 9%, and most preferably, from about 5 to about 8% by weight of the agglomeration of fine particulate after drying. To achieve this, often a slurry of fine particulate and binder is made with often from about 45 to about 85%, and preferably, from about 50 to about 80%, and most preferably, from about 65 to about 75% by weight binder, based on total weight of the slurry and including all ranges subsumed therein. The slurry is then preferably transformed into whiskers (i.e., needles) as defined herein via a process that employs a compaction and extrusion apparatus with temperature in the range from about 10°C to about 95°C and pressure in the range from about atmospheric to about 2,000 psi, and preferably, from about 400 psi to about 1 ,000 psi, including all ranges subsumed therein. An often preferred apparatus is one sold under the name Extrudomix EM-2 by Bepex International, LLC, an apparatus that provides flexibility for round whole plate selection. The wet whiskers produced are preferably dried, via any art recognized technique that can yield an agglomeration of fine particulate having the desired amount of binder. Preferably, an oven dryer is used.

Another processing alternative is to shape the agglomeration of fine particulate in such a way that it substantially mimics the look of the infusion precursor being used and that already has an approximate diameter of at least about 275 microns. Industrial techniques that utilize compression and cutters (like rollers) may be used and especially when it is desirable to make an agglomeration of fine particulate that resembles, for example, tea leaf fragments in a tea bag. When such an agglomeration of fine particulate is made, it

typically has a thickness from about 100 to about 400, and most preferably, from about 100 to about 300 microns, including all ranges subsumed therein.

It is, again, preferred that the agglomeration of fine particulate is made from fine particulate resulting from the beverage precursor it is being combined with. When combining beverage precursor and agglomeration of fine particulate, typically the resulting mixture (i.e., infusion mixture) comprises from about 1 to about 10%, and preferably, from about 2 to about 7%, and most preferably, from about 3 to about 6% by weight agglomeration of fine particulate, based on total weight of the mixture of the agglomeration of fine particulate and beverage precursor, and including all ranges subsumed therein.

In an especially preferred embodiment, the mixture of beverage precursor and agglomeration of fine particulate is packaged in an infusion bag wherein the solvent permeable paper is available from suppliers like MB Papeles Especiales SA and Xangzhou Xinhua Paper Industry Co., Ltd.

When making the infusion bag, often the same has from about 1 to about 12 grams, and preferably, from about 1.25 to about 7 grams, and most preferably, from about 1.5 to about 3.5 grams of infusion mixture, including all ranges subsumed therein. When filter paper is used in lieu of an infusion bag, the consumer should be instructed to use an amount of infusion mixture consistent with the bag fill weights defined above. Typically, from about 1.5 to about 3.5 grams of infusion mixture is employed when a 1 cup or 8 oz. beverage serving is desired.

The infusion bags can have a string or draw strings and the same may be stringless. Methods for making such infusion bags include those which prepare envelopes with solvent permeable paper, the envelopes being formed by two rectangular layers that are heat sealed together around the edges. Other methods (like those described in European Patent EP 0 706 474 B1 ) include working with permeable paper in tubular form so that tetrahedral shaped packets or bags may be made. Often, it is desirable to shape the infusion bags so that they resemble Unilever Food beverage products sold under the Lipton ^® and PG Tips brand names.

It is within the scope of this invention to add optional ingredients like natural and/or artificial flavors, sweeteners and/or aromas to the infusion mixture defined herein. When optional additives are employed, they typically make us less than about 20% by weight of the total weight of the infusion mixture plus optional additive. Also, it is within the scope of this invention for the beverage precursor and agglomeration of fine particulate to comprise caffeine or to be classified as decaffeinated.

The Examples which follow are provided to facilitate an understanding of the invention, and the examples are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Example 1

Raw tea leaf was processed and a superior black tea was made in a manner similar to the one described in European Patent No. 1 276 384 B1. For about every 100 grams of black tea made and transferred to a tea bag production line, 90 grams were isolated as beverage precursor as defined in this invention and 10 grams were collected as fine particulate, also as defined in this invention.

The fine particulate was collected (made into a slurry with about 40% by weight water) and extruded as whiskers, utilizing an Extrudomix EM-2 compaction extruder. The whiskers (agglomeration of fine particulate) had an approximate diameter of about 300 microns and were about 2,000 microns long.

The whiskers made were mixed with tea leaf (beverage precursor) having an approximate diameter of about 300 microns. The resulting infusion mixture (having about 3% by weight agglomeration of fine particulate) was packaged in standard tetrahedral-shaped tea bags to a fill weight of about 2.27 grams.

Example 2

The tetrahedral shaped tea bags made according to the process described in Example 1 were used to make individual cups of tea (boiling water was the solvent). One tea bag was used for about every eight ounces of boiling water.

The tea beverage made with the tetrahedral bags having an infusion mixture consistent with this invention was compared to tea beverage made from commercially available tea bags having beverage precursor (fill weight of about 2.27g) and free of an agglomeration of fine particulate. A group of 10 panelists assessed the beverages and concluded that the beverage made according to this invention had substantially the same color and taste as the beverage made with the conventional tea bag. The results unexpectedly indicate that fine particulate, which is typically discarded, may be agglomerated and added back to beverage precursor and used to make a beverage having characteristics satisfactory to consumers.