TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for the preparation of beverages having reduced sugar content.

BACKGROUND

High caloric intake is well-known for being associated with various concerns, such as weight gain and related health problems. As a result, consumers are becoming increasingly health- and weight-conscious, and the calorie capacity of foods and beverages is becoming a very significant consideration. Food and beverage manufacturers are marketing health and wellness products having lower calorie contents, in order to attract such consumers. A significant market now exists for low- calorie foods and beverages.

However, low-calorie foods and beverages tend to lack flavor due to low perceived sweetness. Manufacturers have tried to address this issue by adding high amounts of artificial sweeteners and flavoring agents. For example, low-calorie orange juice is produced by diluting reduced sugar orange juice and adding large quantities of artificial sweeteners, coloring and flavorings agents to make it resemble natural orange juice. However, certain artificial ingredients are inherently not natural and believed to cause serious health problems. Therefore, most of the known artificially sweetened juices and/or other beverages including milk and beer are not well-received by consumers. This is particularly true with low-calorie beverages.

A number of processes for reducing the sugar content of beverages, such as fruit juices and other beverages have been described. For example, US 5,403,604 relates to a process for separating sugars from a fruit juice to form a high Brix/acid (B/A) ratio fruit juice fraction and a low Brix/acid (B/A) ratio fruit juice fraction. This process comprises: (a) passing a fruit juice through an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane to form: (i) a UF retentate comprising water, cloud, oil soluble flavors, oil soluble colors and pulp, and (ii) an UF permeate; (b) passing the UF permeate from step (a) through a nanofiltration (NF) membrane that has a low permeability to fruit juice sugars to form (i) an NF retentate having a high sugar content and (ii) an NF permeate having a low sugar content; (c) optionally concentrating the NF permeate to remove water: (d) optionally recirculating the removed water from step (c) to any other step in said process; (e) adding a portion of the UF retentate from step (a) to the high sugar content NF retentate of step (b) to form a high B/A ratio fruit juice fraction; and (f) adding a portion of the UF retentate from step (a) to the low sugar content NF permeate of step (b) or to the concentrated low sugar content composition of step (c) to form a low B/A ratio fruit juice fraction whereby the high B/A ratio fruit juice fraction and the low B/A ratio fruit juice fraction resemble natural fresh juice with the major exception of the sugar content.

US 9,220,291 is directed to a method for producing a juice product. The method of US 9,220,29 comprises: providing a juice; processing the juice to selectively remove more sucrose than monosaccharides to produce a stream of clarified low-calorie juice; and producing a juice product from the clarified low-calorie juice, wherein sugar content of the juice product comprises 0 to 30% sucrose w/w, and wherein the juice product contains no artificial sweeteners.

US 2011/165310 discloses a method for treating a sugar-containing natural consumable product for lowering its sugar content. The method disclosed in US 2011/165310 includes the steps of: (a) passing a stream of a sugar-containing natural consumable product into contact with a bed of material capable of chromatographically separating sugar from the natural consumable product; and (b) chromatographically separating a sugar-diminished natural consumable product from the bed.

WO 2014/161998 is directed to a process for reducing the alcohol content and/or the sugar content of a beverage, said process comprising the steps of: a. contacting the beverage with a particulate porous adsorbent material; and b. separating the beverage from the particulate porous adsorbent material; the particles of the porous adsorbent material having been treated externally with a hydrophobic coating.

WO 2019/106564 discloses a method of lowering the sugar content of beverages, which comprises: contacting a first adsorbent with a beverage, the first adsorbent being active so as to have selectivity for polysaccharides, to treat the beverage and obtain a treated beverage; hydrolyzing the polysaccharides bound to the first adsorbent into monosaccharides after the beverage has contacted the first adsorbent; and, washing the first adsorbent with a solution to remove the hydrolyzed monosaccharides. WO 2020/064973 relates to a method for producing orange juice. The method comprises ultra-filtering raw orange juice to produce an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate, nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate to produce a nanofiltered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate, mixing the ultra-filtered retentate and the nano-filtered permeate to produce orange juice having a sugar content in the interval 67% to 77% of the sugar content of the raw orange juice, pasteurizing the orange juice, and aseptically filling packets with the orange juice produced by the mixing.

WO 2021/220131 discloses an aromatic water drink obtained from a fruit juice comprising a reduced Brix degree of at least 50% compared to the fruit juice. The aromatic water drink of WO 2021/220131 is produced following the steps of: providing a fruit juice, performing a nanofiltration of said fruit juice or adjusted fruit juice through a nanofiltration membrane; and recovering the permeate water from said nanofiltration to obtain the aromatic water drink, wherein the permeate water has a reduced Brix degree by at least 50% compared to the fruit juice.

Also, isolation and production of sugar compositions from natural sources for use as natural sweeteners is of increasing interest. For example, GB 2407573 relates to a process of recovering arabinose and optionally at least one other monosaccharide from vegetable fiber rich in heteropolymeric arabinose. The process of GB 2407573 comprises the following steps: (a) controlled hydrolysis of vegetable fiber in an aqueous solution to produce an aqueous hydrolyzate containing arabinose, at least one other monosaccharide and optionally poly-, oligo- and/or disaccharides, (b) optional neutralization of said aqueous hydrolyzate, followed by at least one of the following steps (c) and (d): (c) fractionation of said aqueous hydrolyzate to obtain a fraction enriched in arabinose, at least one other sugar fraction (d) crystallization of arabinose.

There is an unmet need for improved procedure for the preparation of juices having reduced sugar content, which preserves natural beneficial compounds, such as vitamins.

SUMMARY

The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with compositions and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above- described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other advantages or improvements.

The present invention provides improved processes for treating beverages. Specifically, the invention provides system and methods for reducing the sugar content of a beverage including fruit or vegetable juice, milk or beer and for isolating a sugar fraction from the beverage, which may be further employed in the industry.

Thus, according to some embodiments, there is provided a system for reducing the sugar content of a beverage, wherein the system comprises: (i) at least one ultrafiltration (UF) unit comprising: a housing defining an inner UF chamber fluidly coupled to a UF inlet port, a UF permeate outlet port, and a UF retentate outlet port; and at least one UF filter disposed within the UF housing; (ii) at least one nanofiltration (NF) unit comprising: a housing defining an inner NF chamber, wherein the inner NF chamber is fluidly coupled to an NF inlet port, which is fluidly coupled to the UF permeate outlet port, wherein the inner NF chamber is further fluidly coupled to a NF permeate outlet port and to an NF retentate outlet port; and at least one NF filter disposed within the inner NF chamber; (iii) a liquid pump configured to pump the ultrafiltered permeate from the inner UF chamber to the inner NF chamber through the UF permeate outlet port and NF inlet port and to facilitate nano-filtering of the ultra-filtered permeate through the at least one NF filter, at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar; and (iv) a treated beverage outlet port.

It is to be understood herein that the beverage can be a fruit or vegetable juice, milk, beer, or any other sugar containing beverage whereas one or more operational parameters of the system can be adjusted for example according to the beverage to be treated and/or according to the desired characteristics of the resultant treated beverage.

According to some embodiments, the liquid pump is configured to facilitate the nano-filtering of the ultra-filtered permeate through the at least one NF filter, at a TMP of 10 to 65 Bar. In some embodiments, the liquid pump is configured to facilitate the nano-filtering of the ultra-filtered permeate through the at least one NF filter, at a TMP of 10 to 20 Bar, 10 to 30 Bar, 10 to 40 Bar, 10 to 50 Bar, 10 to 60 Bar, 10 to 65 Bar, 15 to 25 Bar, 20 to 30 Bar, 25 to 35 Bar, 30 to 40 Bar, 35 to 45 Bar, 40 to 50 Bar, 45 to 55 Bar, 50 to 60 Bar, or 55 to 65 Bar. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the system further comprises a controller for increasing the TMP during at least a part of the nanofiltration. According to some embodiments, the controller can be the same controller that controls all the operations of the system. According to some embodiments, the controller can be a specific controller for controlling the TMP. According to some embodiments, the controller controls or regulates (for example, increases) the TMP by controlling the liquid pump. According to some embodiments, the controller controls or regulates (for example, increases) the TMP by controlling the opening / closing and/or open/close extent of a valve or by controlling other components effecting the TMP. According to some embodiments, the controller increases the TMP continuously. According to some embodiments, the controller increases the TMP periodically or in discrete steps. According to some embodiments, the controller can be a pre-programmed controller to automatically regulate the TMP according to a predetermined pattern.

According to some embodiments, at least one of the UF filtration unit and the NF filtration unit comprises a crossflow filtration unit.

According to some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one adsorption unit comprising: a housing in the form of an elongated tube column, which is defining an inner adsorption chamber, which contains at least one adsorbent disposed therein, wherein the at least one adsorbent comprises a zeolite, and is active so as to have a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids; and an adsorption unit inlet port fluidly coupled with the NF permeate outlet port.

According to some embodiments, the NF inlet port is connected to the UF permeate outlet port though a UF-NF pipe; and the adsorption unit inlet port is connected to the NF permeate outlet port though a NF-adsorbent pipe.

According to some embodiments, wherein the liquid pump is configured to pump the nano-filtered permeate from the inner NF chamber to the inner adsorption chamber through the NF permeate outlet port and the adsorption unit inlet port. According to some embodiments, the same liquid pump can be used to pump the nanofiltered permeate. According to some embodiments, the system can comprise an additional (booster) pump to pump the NF permeate.

According to some embodiments, the system further comprises a treated beverage container in fluid communication with the treated beverage outlet port, wherein the pump is further configured to pump the treated beverage from the inner adsorption chamber into the treated beverage container through the treated beverage outlet port.

According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to pump the NF permeate as the treated beverage from the NF unit into the treated beverage container through the treated beverage outlet port for example via an adsorption bypass line.

According to some embodiments, the UF retentate outlet port is connected to the treated beverage container through a UF-container pipe, and wherein the pump is further configured to pump the UF retentate to the treated beverage container using the pump.

According to some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one centrifugation unit comprising: a housing defining an inner centrifugation chamber, wherein the inner centrifugation chamber is fluidly coupled to a centrifugation inlet port, wherein the inner centrifugation chamber is further fluidly coupled to a centrifuged aqueous medium outlet port and to centrifuged solid outlet port, wherein the centrifuged aqueous medium outlet port is fluidly coupled with the UF inlet port; and a centrifuge disposed within the inner centrifugation chamber; wherein the pump is configured to pump the aqueous medium from the inner centrifugation chamber to the inner UF chamber through the aqueous medium outlet port and the UF inlet port.

According to some embodiments, the centrifuged aqueous medium outlet port is connected to the UF inlet port through a centrifuge-UF pipe. According to some embodiments, the centrifuged solid outlet port is connected to the treated beverage container.

It is to be understood herein that all the connections between various units, chambers, containers, tanks, and/or ports described herein as being connected/coupled to each other can be regulated by respective valves, and accordingly are to be understood as being selectively connectable/couplable to each other. In other words, all the connections between various units, chambers, containers, tanks, and/or ports described herein as being connected/coupled to each other are to be understood as being controlled by valves for selectively opening some connection/couplings and closing some connections/couplings simultaneously to use various units, chambers, containers, tanks, and/or ports described herein in different combinations based for example on the requirements associated with the beverage being treated. For instance, in some examples, the centrifugation unit may not be used and the beverage to be treated can be fed directly into the UF unit. In some examples, the adsorption unit may not be used and the NF permeate can be directly fed from the NF unit to the treated beverage container. In some examples, the UF retentate and/or solids from the centrifugation unit may not be fed to the treated beverage container. Thus, accordingly all the connections (the ones specifically described as well as not specifically described herein) can be regulated by respective valves. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the UF filter has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa and the NF filter has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150-500 Da.

According to some embodiments, at least one of the UF filtration unit and the NF filtration unit comprises a crossflow filtration unit. According to some embodiments, either or both of the ultrafiltration and nanofiltration is performed using crossflow filtration technique. According to some embodiments, at least the nanofiltration is performed using crossflow filtration technique.

The invention further provides methods for reducing the sugar content of a beverage and for isolating a sugar fraction from the beverage. Specifically, the present method includes an optional (based on the beverage and/or the desired result) initial step of performing a solid separation step, e.g., a centrifugation, for removing insoluble solid components, such as pulp, for example in the embodiments in which the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, so that the next step may be conducted easily, according to some embodiments. Then, the method includes ultra-filtering (UF) the beverage to produce a UF retentate and an UF permeate, which is then being nano-filtered (NF) to produce a NF permeate and a NF retentate, according to some embodiments. The NF retentate is isolated and dried to produce a sugar composition according to the present invention, according to some embodiments, and the NF permeate is then optionally subjected to a zeolite adsorption and filtered. In another optional step an additive, such as the UF retentate and/or a flavoring agent, is then added to the nano-filtered retentate or to the adsorption filtrate. The nano-filtered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product is then isolated to provide a reduced sugar beverage, according to some embodiments, advantageously, the method of the present invention reduced at least 30% of the total sugars and at least 80% of the sucrose from the beverage, while maintaining nutritional compounds.

Thus according to some embodiments the present invention provides a method of reducing the sugar content of a beverage, the method comprising: (a) providing a beverage; (b) ultra-filtering the beverage through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa to produce an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate; and (c) nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar, wherein the nanofiltration membrane has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150-500 Da to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate.

According to some embodiments, the method comprises nano-filtering the ultrafiltered permeate through the nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP of 10 to 65 Bar. In some embodiments, the method comprises nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate through the nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP of 10 to 20 Bar, 10 to 30 Bar, 10 to 40 Bar, 10 to 50 Bar, 10 to 60 Bar, 10 to 65 Bar, 15 to 25 Bar, 20 to 30 Bar, 25 to 35 Bar, 30 to 40 Bar, 35 to 45 Bar, 40 to 50 Bar, 45 to 55 Bar, 50 to 60 Bar, or 55 to 65 Bar. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises increasing the TMP during at least a part of step (c). According to some embodiments, the TMP can be controlled by the controller described above. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be controlled by controlling a pump facilitating the TMP. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be controlled by controlling one or more valves or other components effecting the TMP. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be increased continuously. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be increased periodically or in discrete steps. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be increased according to a predetermined pattern.

According to some embodiments the present invention provides a method of reducing the sugar content of a beverage, the method comprising: (a) providing a beverage; (b) ultra-filtering the beverage through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa to produce an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate; (c) nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150-500 Da to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate; (d) contacting at least one adsorbent with the nano-filtered permeate to produce an adsorbed composition and a liquid medium, and filtering the adsorbed composition from liquid medium to form an adsorption filtrate, wherein the at least one adsorbent comprises a zeolite, and wherein the at least one adsorbent has a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids; (e) optionally adding at least one additive to the nano-filtered permeate or to the adsorption filtrate; and (f) isolating the nano-filtered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product of step (e) as an isolated treated beverage product, which comprises at least 30% less sugar than the untreated beverage prior to step (a).

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises step (e). According to some embodiments, the method further comprises step (e), wherein the additive comprises the ultra-filtered retentate of step (b).

According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice and the ultra-filtered retentate comprises vitamin C. According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice and the ultra-filtered retentate comprises 0.1 to 50 mg/ 100 ml vitamin C.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice and the fruit or vegetable juice is a fruit juice and the isolated treated beverage product is an isolated treated fruit juice product. According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit juice and the fruit juice is a citrus fruit juice and the isolated treated fruit juice product is a reduced-sugar citrus fruit juice. According to some embodiments, the citrus fruit juice is selected from the group consisting of orange juice, grapefruit juice, clementine juice, mandarine juice and combinations thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, step (b) comprises ultra-filtering the beverage through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa.

According to some embodiments, step (c) comprises nano-filtering the ultrafiltered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 180-500 Da. According to some embodiments, step (c) comprises nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 300-500 Da, including each value and subrange within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, wherein step (c) comprises nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar. According to some embodiments, the TMP is in the range of 10 to 40 Bar.

According to some embodiments, at least one of the ultra-filtering and the nanofiltering comprises crossflow filtering. According to some embodiments, either or both of the ultrafiltration and nanofiltration is performed using crossflow filtration technique. According to some embodiments, at least the nanofiltration is performed using crossflow filtration technique.

According to some embodiments, the beverage provided in step (a) comprises insoluble solid dispersed in an aqueous medium, and wherein step (b) comprises separating at least part of the insoluble solids from the beverage through the ultrafiltration.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice and the fruit or vegetable juice is a fruit juice, wherein the insoluble solids comprise fruit juice pulp, and wherein step (b) comprises separating at least part of the pulp from the aqueous medium.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice and the disaccharides comprise sucrose, and the monosaccharides comprise fructose, glucose or a combination thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice and the isolated treated juice has a ratio of sucrose to total sugars below 70% w/w. According to some embodiments, the treated juice has a ratio of sucrose to total sugars of about 30%-60%.

According to some embodiments, the method comprises step (d).

According to some embodiments, step (d) comprises passing the nano-filtered permeate though a column comprising the at least one adsorbent to produce an adsorbed composition within the column and an adsorption filtrate exiting the column.

According to some embodiments, the zeolite is selected from zeolites having a

Si/Al molar ratio of at least 10: 1. According to some embodiments, the zeolite comprises at least one of Y Zeolite H ⁺ and Y Zeolite Ca.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice and the method comprises step (e), wherein the additive comprises an untreated fruit or vegetable juice.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice and the fruit or vegetable juice provided in step (a) has an initial Brix/acidity ratio, and the isolated treated fruit or vegetable juice has a treated Brix/acidity ratio which is at least 10% lower than the initial Brix/acidity ratio.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit juice and the isolated NF Permeate comprises 50% to 80% less sucrose than the untreated fruit juice prior to step (a). According to some embodiments, the isolated treated fruit juice product comprises at least 30% less sugar than the untreated fruit juice prior to step (a). According to some embodiments, the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice and the isolated treated fruit or vegetable juice product comprises 50% to 80% less sucrose than the untreated fruit or vegetable juice provided in step (a). According to some embodiments, the isolated treated fruit or vegetable juice product comprises at least 50% less sucrose than the untreated fruit or vegetable juice provided in step (a).

Throughout the text, it is to be understood that the phrase “50% less sucrose” and similar embodiments (i.e., with different compounds or values), means that per volume unit the weight of the sucrose is reduced by 50% or more through the method. Thus, if a starting beverage has total sucrose concentration of 8 gr/ml, the isolated treated beverage will have total sucrose concentration of 4 gr/ml or less.

According to some embodiments, the method comprises step (e) wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of: a taste masking agents, a sweetener, a preservative or any combination thereof.

According to some embodiments, the taste masking agent comprises a natural extract selected from the group consisting of: cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, coconut, ginger, licorice and a combination thereof.

According to some embodiments, the sweetener is a carbohydrate or proteinbased sweetener. According to some embodiments, the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of: date, Stevia, agave fruit, honey, apple, Erythritol, Sweetango, maple, and a combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the sweetener comprises Incredo (Douxmatok), sweelin™ (Amai), or both.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is milk. According to some embodiments, the beverage has total sugars including disaccharides comprising lactose. According to some embodiments, the treated milk comprises at least 50% less lactose than the untreated milk provided in step (a). According to some embodiments, the treated milk has 50% to 90% less lactose than the untreated milk, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the treated milk has 80% less lactose than the untreated milk. According to some embodiments, the milk contains calcium, protein, along with other minerals and vitamins. According to some embodiments, the untreated milk comprises 4.7 g lactose per 100 g of milk. According to some embodiments, the untreated milk has brix in the range of 5% to 15%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the treated milk has brix in the range of 4% to 8%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is beer. According to some embodiments, the beverage has total sugars including disaccharides comprising maltose, and monosaccharides comprising glucose. According to some embodiments, the treated beer comprises at least 30% less total sugars than the untreated beer provided in step (a). According to some embodiments, the treated beer has 30% to 80% less total sugars than the untreated beer, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the beer which is to treated by the present method may include solid components in the form of additives. According to some embodiments, the untreated beer comprises total sugars in the range of 0.07g to 0.25 per 100 ml of beer. According to some embodiments, the untreated beer has brix in the range of 3% to 15%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the treated beer has brix in the range of 0.1% to 5%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the method comprises providing a system for reducing the sugar content of a beverage, wherein the system comprises: (i) at least one ultrafiltration (UF) unit comprising: a housing defining an inner UF chamber fluidly coupled to a UF inlet port, a UF permeate outlet port, and a UF retentate outlet port; and at least one UF filter disposed within the UF housing wherein the UF filter comprises an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa; (ii) at least one nanofiltration (NF) unit comprising: a housing defining an inner NF chamber, wherein the inner NF chamber is fluidly coupled to an NF inlet port, which is fluidly coupled to the UF permeate outlet port, wherein the inner NF chamber is further fluidly coupled to a NF permeate outlet port and to an NF retentate outlet port; and at least one NF filter disposed within the inner NF chamber, wherein the NF filter comprises a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150-500 Da; (iii) a liquid pump configured to pump the ultra-filtered permeate from the inner UF chamber to the inner NF chamber through the UF permeate outlet port and NF inlet port and to facilitate nano-filtering of the ultra-filtered permeate through the nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar; and (iv) a treated beverage outlet port; wherein step (b) is performed in the UF unit and step (c) is performed in the NF unit.

According to some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one adsorption unit comprising: a housing in the form of an elongated tube column, which is defining an inner adsorption chamber, which contains at least one adsorbent disposed therein, wherein the at least one adsorbent comprises a zeolite, and is active so as to have a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids; an adsorption unit inlet port fluidly coupled with the NF permeate outlet port; wherein step (d) is performed in the adsorption unit.

According to some embodiments, the liquid pump is further configured to: pump the nano-filtered permeate from the inner NF chamber to the inner adsorption chamber through the NF permeate outlet port and the adsorption unit inlet port, and the method further comprises: pumping the ultra-filtered permeate from the inner UF chamber to the inner NF chamber through the UF permeate outlet port and NF inlet port using the pump; and pumping the nano-filtered permeate from the inner NF chamber to the inner adsorption chamber through the NF permeate outlet port and the adsorption unit inlet port using the pump. According to some embodiments, the system further comprises a treated beverage container in fluid communication with the treated beverage outlet port, and the method further comprises pumping the treated beverage from the inner adsorption chamber into the treated beverage container through the treated beverage outlet port using the pump.

According to some embodiments, the method comprises pumping the NF permeate from the NF unit as the treated beverage to the treated beverage container.

According to some embodiments, the UF retentate outlet port is in fluid communication with the treated beverage container, and wherein the method further comprising pumping the UF retentate to the treated beverage container using the pump.

According to some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one centrifugation unit comprising: a housing defining an inner centrifugation chamber, wherein the inner centrifugation chamber is fluidly coupled to a centrifugation inlet port, wherein the inner centrifugation chamber is further fluidly coupled to a centrifuged aqueous medium outlet port and to centrifuged solid outlet port, wherein the centrifuged aqueous medium outlet port is fluidly coupled with the UF inlet port; and a centrifuge disposed within the inner centrifugation chamber; wherein the pump is configured to pump the aqueous medium from the inner centrifugation chamber to the inner UF chamber through the aqueous medium outlet port and the UF inlet port; wherein the method further comprises pumping the aqueous medium from the inner centrifugation chamber to the inner UF chamber through the aqueous medium outlet port and the UF inlet port using the pump.

According to some embodiments, the centrifuged solid outlet port is connected to the treated beverage container, and wherein the method further comprising transferring the solids from the inner centrifugation chamber to the treated beverage container, through the solid outlet port.

It is to be understood herein that the method can comprise controlling valves of all the connections/couplings described herein between various units, chambers, containers, tanks, and/or ports for selectively opening some connection/couplings and closing some connections/couplings simultaneously to use various units, chambers, containers, tanks, and/or ports in different combinations based for example on the requirements associated with the beverage being treated. For instance, in some examples, the centrifugation may not be performed and the beverage to be treated can be fed directly into the UF unit. In some examples, the adsorption may not be performed and the NF permeate can be directly fed from the NF unit to the treated beverage container. In some examples, the UF retentate and/or solids from the centrifugation unit may not be fed to the treated beverage container. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a reduced-sugar beverage prepared according to the method of the present invention.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a reduced-sugar beverage comprising: beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration and nanofiltration; and is substantially devoid of: beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration but impermeable to nanofiltration, wherein the ultrafiltration is performed through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa and the nanofiltration is performed at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar through a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150-500 Da.

According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration is performed at a TMP of 10 to 65 Bar. In some embodiments, the nanofiltration is performed at a TMP of 10 to 20 Bar, 10 to 30 Bar, 10 to 40 Bar, 10 to 50 Bar, 10 to 60 Bar, 10 to 65 Bar, 15 to 25 Bar, 20 to 30 Bar, 25 to 35 Bar, 30 to 40 Bar, 35 to 45 Bar, 40 to 50 Bar, 45 to 55 Bar, 50 to 60 Bar, or 55 to 65 Bar. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the beverage further comprises beverage compounds which are impermeable to ultrafiltration.

According to some embodiments, the reduced-sugar beverage comprises a reduced-sugar juice comprising an isolated citrus juice fraction, and the citrus juice fraction further comprises citrus juice pulp. According to some embodiments, the reduced-sugar beverage comprises the isolated citrus juice fraction and an untreated fruit juice. According to some embodiments, a corresponding untreated citrus juice has an initial Brix/acidity ratio, and the isolated citrus juice fraction has a treated Brix/acidity ratio which is at least 10% lower than the initial Brix/acidity ratio. According to some embodiments, the citrus juice fraction comprises at least 20% less sugar than a corresponding untreated fruit juice. According to some embodiments, the citrus fruit juice is selected from the group consisting of: orange juice, grapefruit juice, clementine juice, mandarine juice and combinations thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the reduced- sugar beverage has a ratio of sucrose to total sugars below 70%.

As used herein, the term “fraction” refers to a composition of matter obtained by performing fractionation in order to separate a specific component or a specific group of components from a mixture containing several different constituents. An “isolated citrus juice fraction” refers to a mixture of compounds isolated from a natural fruit juice, as long as the composition is not identical to the natural fruit juice and does not include compounds, which are not present in said natural juice.

According to some embodiments, the reduced-sugar beverage comprises a reduced-sugar milk comprising at least 50% less lactose than a corresponding untreated milk. According to some embodiments, the reduced-sugar beverage comprises a reduced-sugar milk comprising at least 80% less lactose than a corresponding untreated milk. According to some embodiments, the treated milk has 50% to 90% less lactose than the untreated milk, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, the reduced-sugar beverage comprises a reduced-sugar beer comprising at least 30% less total sugars than a corresponding untreated beer. According to some embodiments, the treated beer has 30% to 80% less total sugars than the untreated beer, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration is conducted with a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 300-500 Da. According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration is conducted with a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 180-500 Da, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, the reduced-sugar beverage further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of: a taste masking agents, a sweetener, a preservative or any combination thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, at least one of the ultrafiltration and the nanofiltration is performed through a crossflow filtration unit. According to some embodiments, either or both of the ultrafiltration and nanofiltration is performed using crossflow filtration technique. According to some embodiments, at least the nanofiltration is performed using crossflow filtration technique.

According to some embodiments, the reduced-sugar beverage is prepared by the method of the present invention.

According to some embodiments, there is provided reduced-sugar beverage comprising: beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration and nanofiltration and zeolite adsorption; and is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration but impermeable to nanofiltration beverage compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration and nanofiltration but impermeable to zeolite adsorption, wherein the zeolite has higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids. According to some embodiments, the zeolite is selected from zeolites having a Si/Al molar ratio of at least 10: 1; or wherein the zeolite comprises at least one of Y Zeolite H ⁺ and Y Zeolite Ca.

According to some embodiments, the reduced-sugar beverage is prepared by the method of the present invention.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a method for producing an isolated beverage sugar composition from a beverage, the method comprising: (a) providing a beverage; (b) ultra-filtering the aqueous medium through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa to produce an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate; (c-i) nano-filtering the ultrafiltered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar, wherein the nanofiltration membrane has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150-500 Da to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nano- filtered retentate, wherein the nano-filtered retentate comprises at least part of the beverage sugar; and (c-ii) isolating and optionally drying the beverage sugar of the nano-filtered retentate to produce an isolated beverage sugar composition comprising the beverage sugar.

According to some embodiments, step (c-ii) comprises drying the beverage sugar of the nano-filtered retentate.

According to some embodiments, step (c-i) comprises nano-filtering the ultrafiltered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 300-500 Da. According to some embodiments, step (c-i) comprises nano-filtering the ultrafiltered permeate through the nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP of 10 to 65 Bar.

According to some embodiments, at least one of step (b) and step (c-i) comprises filtering through a crossflow filtration membrane.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises step (d) of contacting at least one adsorbent with the nano-filtered permeate to produce an adsorbed composition and a liquid medium, and filtering the adsorbed composition from liquid medium to form an adsorption filtrate, wherein the at least one adsorbent comprises a zeolite, and wherein the at least one adsorbent has a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids, thereby producing an isolated beverage sugar composition comprising the beverage sugar.

According to some embodiments, the beverage is fruit or vegetable juice, and the beverage sugar composition comprises fruit sugar composition, wherein the fruit sugar composition has Brix in the range of 10 to 70%.

According to some embodiments, there is provided an isolated beverage sugar composition prepared by the method of the present invention.

According to some embodiments, there is provided an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition which has Brix in the range of 10% to 50%, pH in the range of 3 to 4, density in the range of 1.01 gr/ml to 1.10 gr/ml, acid content of 0.3% to 1% w/w, sucrose 10% to 50% w/w, glucose 1% to 5% w/w, fructose 1% to 5% w/w and vitamin C 5 mg/100 ml to 50 mg/100 ml.

According to some embodiments, the isolated citrus fruit sugar composition has conductivity of 3500 pS to 5000 pS.

According to some embodiments, the isolated citrus fruit sugar composition has total sugars 10% to 50% w/w.

According to some embodiments, the isolated citrus fruit sugar composition has total amino acid of 0.3% to 1.5% w/w.

According to some embodiments, there is provided an isolated beverage sugar composition, which comprises: beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration but impermeable to nanofiltration; and is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds which are permeable to nanofiltration wherein the ultrafiltration is performed through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa and the nanofiltration is performed through a nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar, wherein the nanofiltration membrane has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150— 500 Da.

According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration is performed at a TMP of 10 to 65 Bar through the nanofiltration membrane.

According to some embodiments, at least one of the ultrafiltration and the nanofiltration is performed through a crossflow filtration unit.

According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration is conducted with a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 300-500 Da.

According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage sugar composition comprises isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, wherein the citrus juice is selected from the group consisting of: orange juice, clementine, mandarin, grapefruit juice and combinations thereof.

According to some embodiments, the isolated citrus fruit sugar composition has Brix in the range of 10 to 70%.

According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage sugar is prepared by the method of the present invention.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a method for producing a concentrate of a reduced sugar beverage, the method comprising: (a) providing a beverage; (b) ultra-filtering the beverage through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa to produce an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate; (c) nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar, wherein the nanofiltration membrane has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150-500 Da to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate; (d) optionally contacting at least one adsorbent with the nano-filtered permeate to produce an adsorbed composition and a liquid medium, and filtering the adsorbed composition from liquid medium to form an adsorption filtrate, wherein the at least one adsorbent comprises a zeolite, and wherein the at least one adsorbent has a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids; (e) optionally adding at least one additive to the nano-filtered permeate or to the adsorption filtrate; and (f) isolating the nano-filtered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product of step (e) as an isolated treated beverage product, which comprises at least 30% less sugar than the untreated beverage prior to step (a); and (g) concentrating isolated treated beverage product to a concentrate of a reduced sugar beverage, which has Brix in the range of 50% to 70%.

It is to be understood herein that the steps (a) to (f) correspond to the steps (a) to (f) of any of the methods described herein and can be performed according to any of the embodiments of the methods described herein. According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage can be the NF permeate. According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage can be the adsorbent filtrate. According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage can be the addition product of step (e).

It is to be further understood herein that the beverage can be any of the beverages described herein, and concentrating the treated beverage into a concentrate thereof provides a more commercially viable product. For instance, the concentrate can be stored and transported more conveniently than the beverage itself. According to some embodiments, the concentrate of a reduced sugar beverage comprises a concentrate of a reduced sugar fruit or vegetable juice.

According to some embodiments, step (g) includes eliminating a certain amount of water content from the treated beverage to achieve the desired concentrate.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a concentrate of a reduced sugar beverage prepared by the method of any one of the embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, the concentrate has a treated Brix/acidity ratio which is at least 5% lower than the initial Brix/acidity ratio of a corresponding concentrate of the untreated beverage provided in step (a). According to some embodiments, the concentrate has a treated Brix/acidity ratio which is at least 8% lower than the initial Brix/acidity ratio of a corresponding concentrate of the untreated beverage provided in step (a).

According to some embodiments, a corresponding concentrate of the initially provided beverage in step (a) has a brix/acidity ratio of 10 to 17. According to some embodiments, the final concentrate product has a brix/acidity ratio of 10 to 15.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a concentrate of a reduced sugar fruit or vegetable juice which has Brix of up to 65% a brix/acidity ratio of 10 to 15%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. The Brix and/or brix/acidity ratio of the concentrate of the reduced sugar fruit or vegetable juice depends on the fruit or vegetable juice that it has been prepared from and/or the Brix and/or brix/acidity ratio of the untreated juice initially provided. According to some embodiments, the fruit or vegetable juice is a citrus fruit juice and the citrus fruit juice is selected from the group consisting of orange juice, grapefruit juice and both. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include some, all, or none of the above advantages. One or more technical advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions and claims included herein. Moreover, while specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include all, some or none of the enumerated advantages.

In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the figures and by study of the following detailed descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure l is a schematic illustration of a system for producing of a reduced sugar content beverage, and an isolated beverage sugar fraction, according to some embodiments; and

Figure 2 is a block diagram representing a process for the preparation of a reduced sugar content beverage, and an isolated beverage sugar fraction, according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, various aspects of the disclosure will be described. For the purpose of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the different aspects of the disclosure. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the disclosure may be practiced without specific details being presented herein. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the disclosure.

Before the present disclosure is described in greater detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular embodiments described, and as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims.

According to some embodiments, the present invention provides system and methods for the preparation of reduced-sugar beverage from natural or prepared beverage. The methods employ various steps performed at a specific order, which results in a treated beverage, which typically has only up to 1 to 2 gr disaccharide per 100 ml beverage. Specifically, the method of the present invention uses, sequentially, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and, optionally, zeolite adsorption in order to remove excess sugars. Then, optionally, the method includes reconstitution of the ultrafiltration retentate to the sugar-reduced beverage, according to some embodiments. Additionally, the present invention provides a sugar extract produced upon isolating and optionally drying the (previously ultra-filtered) nanofiltration retentate, which is described herein.

Thus, the sugar-reducing method of the invention removes naturally-occurring sugar and produces low sugar beverages, while aiming at maintaining the natural origin of the beverage and its sensory and nutritional characteristics. The present method removes sugars from a complex mixtures in a substantially selective manner, without mixing any non-natural chemical substance to it and without significantly changing its chemical composition, other than removing sugar and, optionally, organic acids. The present method is such that it allows for reducing the sugar content in the beverage typically by 30% or more without significantly impacting the beverage sensory and nutritional value beyond sugar reduction.

According to various embodiments of the system and methods described herein, the beverage can be a fruit or vegetable juice, milk, beer, or other beverage comprising complex sugars, specifically including disaccharides and monosaccharides. The embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter relate to selectively removing the disaccharides while maintaining the sensory and nutritional characteristics of the beverage. Specifically, in scenario where the beverage being treated is a faiit juice or a vegetable juice, according to some embodiments, the product isolated juice maintains at least 80% of the original vitamin C content. According to some embodiments, the beverage can contain sugars including only monosaccharides and no disaccharides. Some examples of such beverages include apple juice and grape juice. With respect to such beverages, presently disclosed subject matter relate to selectively removing at least a part of sugars while maintaining the sensory and nutritional characteristics of the beverage.

Finally, the present invention provides a system for producing the reduced- sugar beverage and beverage sugar fraction of the present invention. It is to be understood herein that for the purposes of the present description, the sugar fraction extracted from the beverage has been generally referred to herein as beverage sugar. The system includes, according to some embodiments, an ultrafiltration unit, a nanofiltration unit and, optionally, an adsorption unit, according to some embodiments.

Reference in now made to Figure 1, which schematically illustrates a system 100, which is elaborated herein and is configured to receive an untreated beverage and produce a reduced-sugar beverage, generally referred to herein as treated beverage or isolated treated beverage as well, therefrom. According to some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to reduce the sugar content of a fruit or vegetable juice, milk, beer, or other beverages including sugar content comprising disaccharides and monosaccharides. According to some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to simultaneously produce reduced-sugar beverage and an isolated beverage sugar composition from a natural or prepared beverage.

The system 100 of Figure 1 comprises four main modules, each of which is configured to separate or isolate different constituents of the liquid composition it receives, according to some embodiments. It is to be understood that the composition received in each module may be the original untreated beverage (e.g., for the first module) or any of the intermediate beverage compositions treated in previous modules and entering the next module.

The main modules or assemblies of the present system 100 comprise: a centrifugation unit 110, an ultrafiltration (UF) unit 120, a nanofiltration (NF) unit 130 and an adsorption unit 140. The terms “module”, “assembly” and “unit” are used herein interchangeably. It is to be understood herein that not necessarily all the four modules 110, 120, 130, and 140 are used for treating all the beverages, and these modules can be selectively used (or selectively bypassed) based for example on the beverage being treated and/or requirements of the resulting treated beverage. For instance, in some embodiments, the centrifugation unit 110 and/or the adsorption unit 140 may not be used, and accordingly are to be understood as being optional. The system 100 has been described herein as including all these modules for the sake of clarity of the description. Additional units in system 100 include a treated beverage container 150 and isolated sugar composition container 160, and are dependent on the use of the system 100, as elaborated below.

According to some embodiments, the system 100 includes a centrifugation unit 110 as schematically shown in Figure 1. In general, according to some embodiments, the function of the centrifugation unit 110 is to receive natural untreated beverage and to separate the undissolved solids (e.g., the juice pulp if the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice) from the liquid aqueous beverage.

According to some embodiments, centrifugation unit 110 comprises a centrifugation unit housing 112, which defines an inner centrifugation chamber 114. According to some embodiments, the inner centrifugation chamber 114 is fluidly coupled to a centrifugation inlet port 116.

According to some embodiments, the untreated beverage, which is the starting material or composition of the present process, is inserted to the system 100 through the centrifugation inlet port 116. According to some embodiments, the centrifugation inlet port 116 is connected to a beverage inlet port 105 through which the beverage is inserted to the system 100. The beverage inlet port 105 may be, for example a funnel through which the beverage is conveniently inserted or is a liquid pipe connected to a beverage source. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. Thus, according to some embodiments, the beverage inlet port 105 is a funnel. According to some embodiments, the beverage inlet port 105 comprises a pipe connected to a beverage source. According to some embodiments, the beverage inlet port 105 comprises a pipe connected to a beverage source. According to some embodiments, specifically if the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the system 100 further comprises a juice extractor (e.g., a juicer; not shown in Figure 1), which is configured to squeeze juice from fruits or vegetables and transfer the squeezed juice to the system 100 through the juice inlet port 105.

According to some embodiments, in addition to the centrifugation inlet port 116, the centrifugation unit 110 has two outlet ports, the centrifuged aqueous medium outlet port 118, for the centrifuged aqueous medium and the centrifuged solid outlet port 119, for the separated solids.

According to some embodiments, the centrifugation unit 110 comprises a centrifuge 115 disposed within the inner centrifugation chamber 114. The term “centrifuge” as used herein refers to a device that uses centrifugal force to separate various components of a fluid. This is achieved by spinning the fluid at high speed within a container, thereby separating fluids of different densities or liquids from solids. It works by causing denser substances and particles to move outward in the radial direction. At the same time, objects that are less dense are displaced and move to the center.

According to some embodiments, the centrifuge 115 is configured to separate solid components of a beverage from its liquid components. According to some embodiments, the centrifuge 115 is configured to operate at a rotational rate of 20 to 200 RPM. According to some embodiments, the centrifuge 115 is configured to operate at least at a rotational rate of about 50 RPM.

As used herein, the term “about” refers to a range of values ± 20%, or ± 10% of a specified value. For example, the phrase “the percentage is about 5% w/w “ includes ± 20% of 5, or from 4% to 6%, or from 4.5% to 5.5%. Similarly, “about 50 RPM” refers to ± 20% of 50 RPM, or from 40 to 60 RPM, or from 45 to 55 RPM.

According to some embodiments, the inner centrifugation chamber 114 fluidly coupled to a centrifuged aqueous medium outlet port 118. According to some embodiments, the centrifuged aqueous medium outlet port 118 is fluidly coupled with the UF inlet port 126, which is described herein. As used herein, the term “fluidly coupled” means that two or more components are connected to one another such that a gas or liquid or liquid containing solids may be conveyed between them. According to some embodiments, any of the recitations of the term “fluidly coupled” refers to an arrangement, wherein liquid or gas or any flowy mixture of solid, liquid, and/or gas may be conveyed between different components of the system 100. According to some embodiments, any of the recitations of the term “fluidly coupled” refers to an arrangement, wherein dry or wet solids may be conveyed therethrough.

According to some embodiments, the centrifuged liquid outlet port 118 is connected to the UF inlet port 126 through a centrifuge-UF pipe 1112. The centrifuge- UF pipe 1112 may be flexible or rigid, as long as it may convey liquids, such as beverage therein. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the centrifuge-UF pipe 1112 comprises a centrifuge- UF flow valve 212, configured to regulate liquid flow from the centrifugation unit 110 to the UF unit 120. According to some embodiments, the centrifuge-UF flow valve 212 is a unidirectional valve, which is configured to regulate liquid flow in the direction from the centrifugation unit 110 to the UF unit 120.

According to some embodiments, the inner centrifugation chamber 114 fluidly coupled to a centrifuged solid outlet port 119. According to some embodiments, the centrifuged solid outlet port 119 is connected with the treated beverage container 150, which is described herein. As detailed above, the centrifuged solid outlet port 119 is the port, though with the separated solids (e.g., the pulp if the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice) exits the centrifugation unit 110. According to some embodiments, the centrifuged aqueous medium outlet port 118 and the centrifuged solid outlet port 119 is the same port, used alternately or selectively for solids and for liquids.

According to some embodiments, the centrifuged solid outlet port 119 is coupled to the treated beverage container 150 through a centrifuge-treated beverage container pipe 1115. The centrifuge-treated beverage container pipe 1115 may be flexible or rigid, as long as it may convey dry or wet solids. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the centrifuge-treated beverage container pipe 1115 comprises a centrifuge-treated beverage container flow valve 251, configured to regulate solid or liquid flow from the centrifugation unit 110 to the treated beverage container 150. According to some embodiments, the centrifuge-treated beverage container flow valve 251 is a unidirectional valve, which is configured to regulate liquid flow in the direction from the centrifugation unit 110 to the treated beverage container 150.

According to some embodiments, the system 100 further comprises at least one pump (not shown). According to some embodiments, the pump(s) is connected to any one or more of the units of the system 100 (e.g., to the centrifugation unit 110, the UF unit 120, the NF unit 130, and/or the adsorption unit 140; each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention), and configured to mechanically displace liquid or solid components between the different components of the system 100.

According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to pump liquids from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the inner UF chamber 124 through the aqueous medium outlet port 118 and the UF inlet port 126.

It is to be understood herein that in some embodiments, the beverage inlet port 105 can be fluidly coupled directly to the UF inlet port 126 via a centrifuge bypass line CBL being regulated by a centrifuge bypass valve CBV. In some embodiments, the centrifugation unit 110 may not be used, especially when the beverage does not have solid components and/or because the solid components are filtered by the ultrafiltration unit 120. In such embodiments, the centrifuge bypass valve CBV can be opened and the beverage can be fed directly to the UF inlet port 126 without feeding the same to the centrifugation inlet port 116, and accordingly, the centrifuge-UF flow valve 212 and the centrifuge-treated beverage container flow valve 251 can be closed. According to some embodiments, the centrifuge bypass valve CBV is a unidirectional valve, which is configured to regulate liquid flow in the direction from the beverage inlet port 105 to the UF unit 120. According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to pump liquids from the beverage inlet port 105 to UF unit 120 through the centrifuge bypass line CBL and the UF inlet port 126. According to some embodiments, based on the desired results, a part of the untreated beverage can be fed into the UF unit 120 after processing in the centrifugation unit 110 while a part of the untreated beverage can be fed directly via the centrifuge bypass line CBL to the UF unit 120.

Reference is now made to the ultrafiltration (UF) unit 120. According to some embodiments, the UF unit 120 comprises a UF unit housing 122, which defines an inner UF chamber 124. According to some embodiments, the inner UF chamber 124 is fluidly coupled to the UF inlet port 126.

According to some embodiments, the aqueous medium separated from the solids in the centrifugation unit 110 or the untreated beverage from the beverage inlet port 105 is inserted to the UF unit 120 through the UF inlet port 126.

According to some embodiments, in addition to the UF inlet port 126, the UF unit 120 has two outlet ports, a UF permeate outlet port 128, for the UF permeate, and a UF retentate outlet port 129, for the separated UF retentate.

According to some embodiments, the UF unit 120 comprises a UF filter 125 disposed within the inner UF chamber 124.

As used herein, the terms “UF filter” and “ultrafilter” are interchangeable and refer to any filter capable of separating components of a solution or mixture on the basis of molecular size and/or shape, and has a filter membrane with pore size of about 0.01 to about 0.1 microns, or micrometers, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. In one example, an ultrafilter may operate such that under an applied pressure difference across an ultrafiltration membrane, solvent and small solute species pass through the membrane and are collected as permeate while larger solute species are retained by the membrane and recovered as a concentrated retentate.

According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 is configured to separate solid components of a beverage from its liquid components. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 is configured to retain at least a portion of vitamin C contained in beverages, specifically for example in case the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, such as orange juice. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 is configured to retain at least 0.1%, at least 0.5%, at least 1%, at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, or at least 50%, of vitamin C contained in fruit juices. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-100 kilodalton (kDa). According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-99 kDa. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-90 kDa. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-75 kDa. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-50 kDa. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-25 kDa. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-15 kDa. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-10 kDa.

According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 is configured to operate at a pressure of about 2 to about 8 Bar, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to operate at a pressure of 40 to 100 PSI, 45 to 95 PSI, 50 to 90 PSI, 55 to 85 PSI, 60 to 80 PSI or 65 to 75 PSI. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the UF filter 125 is configured to operate at a pressure of 40 to 100 PSI, 45 to 95 PSI, 50 to 90 PSI, 55 to 85 PSI, 60 to 80 PSI or 65 to 75 PSI. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, upon application of the pump, the pressure at the retentate side of the UF filter 125 is in the range of 35 to 95 PSI, 40 to 90 PSI, 45 to 85 PSI, 50 to 80 PSI, 55 to 75 PSI or 60 to 70 PSI. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to operate, such that the UF retentate volume flow rate between the pump and the UF filter 125 is in the range of 6 to 12, 7 to 11, 8 to 10 or 8.5 to 9.5 liters per minute. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to operate, such that the UF permeate volume flow rate at the side of UF filter 125, which is distal from the pump, is in the range of 1 to 2, 1.25 to 1.75 or 1.4 to 1.6 liters per minute. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the UF unit 120 is a crossflow filtration unit and the ultrafiltration is performed by crossflow filtration technique. The beverage can be filtered through the UF membrane (also referred to herein as UF filter) in multiple filtration cycles while flowing tangentially along one or more UF membranes using the crossflow filtration technique.

According to some embodiments, the pump is driven by a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). According to some embodiments, the pump is operated by a VFD of about 35Hz.

According to some embodiments, the inner UF chamber 124 is fluidly coupled to a UF permeate outlet port 128. According to some embodiments, the UF permeate outlet port 128 is fluidly coupled with the NF inlet port 136, which is described herein.

According to some embodiments, the UF permeate outlet port 128 is connected to the NF inlet port 136 through a UF-NF pipe 1213. The UF-NF pipe 1213 may be flexible or rigid, as long as it may convey liquids, such as the beverage therein. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the UF-NF pipe 1213 comprises a UF-NF flow valve 213, configured to regulate liquid flow from the UF unit 120 to the NF unit 130. According to some embodiments, the UF-NF pipe 1213 is a unidirectional valve, which is configured to regulate liquid flow in the direction from the UF unit 120 to the NF unit 130.

According to some embodiments, the inner UF chamber 124 is fluidly coupled to the UF retentate outlet port 129. According to some embodiments, the UF retentate outlet port 129 is fluidly coupled with the treated beverage container 150, which is described herein. As detailed above, the UF retentate outlet port 129 is the port, through with the separated UF retentate exits the UF unit 120. According to some embodiments, the UF permeate outlet port 128 and the UF retentate outlet port 129 is the same port, used alternately or selectively for solids and for liquids.

According to some embodiments, the UF retentate outlet port 129 is coupled to the treated beverage container 150 through a UF-treated beverage container pipe 1215. The UF- treated beverage container pipe 1215 may be flexible or rigid, as long as it may convey liquids and/or solids. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the UF- treated beverage container pipe 1215 comprises a UF- treated beverage container flow valve 215, configured to regulate solid or liquid flow from the UF unit 120 to the treated beverage container 150. According to some embodiments, the UF- treated beverage container flow valve 215 is a unidirectional valve, which is configured to regulate liquid flow in the direction from the UF unit 120 to the treated beverage container 150.

According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to pump liquid and/or solid materials from the inner UF chamber 124 to the inner NF chamber 134 through the UF permeate outlet port 128 and the NF inlet port 136. According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to pump liquid and/or solid materials from the inner UF chamber 124 to the treated beverage container 150 through the UF retentate outlet port 129.

Reference is now made to the nanofiltration (NF) unit 130. According to some embodiments, the NF unit 130 comprises aNF unit housing 132, which defines an inner NF chamber 134. According to some embodiments, the inner NF chamber 134 is fluidly coupled to the NF inlet port 136.

According to some embodiments, the UF permeate separated from the corresponding retentate in the UF unit 120 is inserted to the NF unit 130 through the NF inlet port 136. According to some embodiments, the NF inlet port 136 is connected to the UF unit 120 through the UF-NF pipe 1213. The UF-NF pipe 1213 and the UF- NF flow valve 213 are elaborated above.

According to some embodiments, in addition to the NF inlet port 136, the NF unit 130 has two outlet ports, a NF permeate outlet port 138, for the NF permeate, and a NF retentate outlet port 139, for the separated NF retentate. According to some embodiments, the NF unit 130 comprises a NF filter 135 disposed within the inner NF chamber 134.

As used herein, the terms “NF filter” and “nanofilter” are interchangeable and refer to any filter capable of separating components of a solution or mixture on the basis of molecular size and/or shape, and has a filter membrane with pore size of about 0.5 to about 10 nanometers, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. In one example, a nanofilter may operate such that under an applied pressure difference across a nanofiltration membrane, solvent and small solute species pass through the membrane and are collected as permeate while larger solute species are retained by the membrane and recovered as a concentrated retentate.

According to some embodiments, the NF filter 135 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150 to 500 Dalton (Da), including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the NF filter 135 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 180 to 500 Dalton (Da). According to some embodiments, the NF filter 135 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 200 to 500 Dalton (Da). According to some embodiments, the NF filter 135 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 225 to 500 Dalton. According to some embodiments, the NF filter 135 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 250 to 500 Dalton. According to some embodiments, the NF filter 135 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 275 to 500 Dalton. According to some embodiments, the NF filter 135 has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 300 to 500 Dalton.

According to some embodiments, the NF filter 135 is configured to operate at a pressure of about 2 to about 8 Bar, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to operate at a pressure of 75 to 400 PSI, 100 to 350 PSI, 125 to 350 PSI, 150 to 300 PSI, 175 to 275 PSI or 200 to 250 PSI. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the NF filter 135 is configured to operate at a pressure of 75 to 400 PSI, 100 to 350 PSI, 125 to 350 PSI, 150 to 300 PSI, 175 to 275 PSI or 200 to 250 PSI. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, upon application of the pump, the pressure at the retentate side of the NF filter 135 is in the range of 75 to 400 PSI, 100 to 350 PSI, 125 to 350 PSI, 150 to 300 PSI, 175 to 275 PSI or 200 to 250 PSI. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to operate, such that the NF retentate volume flow rate between the pump and the NF filter 135 is in the range of 6 to 12, 7 to 11, 8 to 10 or 8.5 to 9.5 liters per minute. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the system 100 is configured to operate, such that the NF permeate volume flow rate at the side of NF filter 125, which is distal from the pump, is in the range of 2.25 to 3.78, 2.5 to 3.5 or 2.75 to 3.25 liters per minute. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the NF unit 130 is a crossflow filtration unit and the nanofiltration is performed by crossflow filtration technique. The beverage can be filtered through the NF membrane (also referred to herein as NF filter) in multiple filtration cycles while flowing tangentially along one or more NF membranes using the crossflow filtration technique.

According to some embodiments, the pump is driven by a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). According to some embodiments, the pump is operated by a VFD of about 35Hz.

According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to facilitate the nanofiltration of the ultra-filtered permeate through the NF filter, at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar. According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to facilitate the nanofiltration of the ultra-filtered permeate through the NF filter, at a TMP of 10 to 65 Bar, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to facilitate the nanofiltering of the ultra-filtered permeate through the at least one NF filter, at a TMP of 10 to 20 Bar, 10 to 30 Bar, 10 to 40 Bar, 10 to 50 Bar, 10 to 60 Bar, 10 to 65 Bar, 15 to 25 Bar, 20 to 30 Bar, 25 to 35 Bar, 30 to 40 Bar, 35 to 45 Bar, 40 to 50 Bar, 45 to 55 Bar, 50 to 60 Bar, or 55 to 65 Bar. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the system further comprises a controller (not shown) for increasing the TMP during at least a part of the nanofiltration. According to some embodiments, the controller for increasing the TMP during a part of or whole of the nanofiltration either continuously or in discrete (periodic or aperiodic) steps time to time. According to some embodiments, the controller can be the same controller that controls all the operations of the system. According to some embodiments, the controller can be a specific controller for controlling the TMP. According to some embodiments, the controller controls or regulates (for example, increases) the TMP by controlling the liquid pump. According to some embodiments, the controller controls or regulates (for example, increases) the TMP by controlling the opening / closing and/or open/close extent of a valve or by controlling other components effecting the TMP. According to some embodiments, the controller increases the TMP continuously. According to some embodiments, the controller increases the TMP periodically or in discrete steps. According to some embodiments, the controller can be a preprogrammed controller to automatically regulate the TMP according to a predetermined pattern.

According to some embodiments, the inner NF chamber 134 is fluidly coupled to a NF permeate outlet port 138. According to some embodiments, the NF permeate outlet port 138 is fluidly coupled with the adsorption inlet port 146, which is described herein.

According to some embodiments, the NF permeate outlet port 138 is connected to the adsorption inlet port 146 through aNF-adsorption pipe 1314. The NF-adsorption pipe 1314 may be flexible or rigid, as long as it may convey liquids, such as the beverage therein. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the NF-adsorption pipe 1314 comprises a NF- adsorption flow valve 314, configured to regulate liquid flow exiting the NF unit 130. According to some embodiments, the NF-adsorption flow valve 314 is a unidirectional valve, which is configured to regulate liquid flow in the direction from the NF unit 130 to the adsorption unit 140 or the treated beverage container 150.

According to some embodiments, the inner NF chamber 134 is fluidly coupled to the NF retentate outlet port 139. According to some embodiments, the NF retentate outlet port 139 is fluidly coupled with the isolated sugar composition container 160, which is described herein. As detailed above, the NF retentate outlet port 139 is the port, though with the separated NF retentate exits the NF unit 130.

The isolated sugar composition container 160 is configured to contain the sugar fraction, which is the NF retentate, and may be used in the industry. According to some embodiments, the isolated sugar composition may be further dried. Suitable drying devices include a blower for air/gas flow drying, a heater for promoting evaporation or a vacuum device. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the NF retentate outlet port 139 is coupled to the isolated sugar composition container 160 through a NF-sugar container pipe 1316. The NF-sugar container pipe 1316 may be flexible or rigid, as long as it may convey liquids and/or solids. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the NF-sugar container pipe 1316 comprises NF-sugar container flow valve 316, configured to regulate solid or liquid flow from the NF unit 130 to the isolated sugar composition container 160. According to some embodiments, the NF-sugar container flow valve 316 is a unidirectional valve, which is configured to regulate flow in the direction from the NF unit 130 to the isolated sugar composition container 160.

According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to pump liquid and/or solid materials from the inner NF chamber 134 to the inner adsorption chamber 144 through the NF permeate outlet port 138 and the adsorption inlet port 146. According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to pump liquid and/or solid materials from the inner NF chamber 134 to the isolated sugar composition container 160 through the NF retentate outlet port 139.

Reference is now made to the adsorption unit 140. According to some embodiments, the adsorption unit 140 comprises an adsorption unit housing 142, which defines an inner adsorption chamber 144. According to some embodiments, the inner adsorption chamber 144 is fluidly coupled to the adsorption inlet port 146.

According to some embodiments, the adsorption unit housing 142 in the form of an elongated tube column.

According to some embodiments, the NF permeate separated from the corresponding retentate in the NF unit 130 is inserted to the adsorption unit 130 through the adsorption inlet port 146, which is regulated by an adsorption inlet valve 147, described herein further below. According to some embodiments, the adsorption inlet port 146 is connected to the NF unit 130 through the NF-adsorption pipe 1314. The NF-adsorption pipe 1314 and the NF-adsorption flow valve 314 are elaborated above.

According to some embodiments, in addition to the adsorption inlet port 146, the adsorption unit 140 has an adsorption outlet port 148 for the liquid not adsorbed within the inner adsorption chamber 144. According to some embodiments, the adsorption unit 140 comprises at least one adsorbent 145 disposed within the inner adsorption chamber 144.

According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent 145 comprises a zeolite. According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent 145 is active so as to have a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides. According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent 145 is active so as to have a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for organic acids.

According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent 145 is selected from zeolites having a Si/Al molar ratio of at least 10: 1. According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent 145 comprises at least one of Y Zeolite H ⁺ and Y Zeolite Ca. According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent 145 adsorbent is associated with a carrier selected from beads, granules, fibers, tubes, high-porosity scaffold, and combinations thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the carrier comprises beads. According to some embodiments, the beads are of approximately 0.1 millimeter to approximately 15 millimeters in diameter. According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent 145 is a powder embedded into the beads. According to some embodiments, the beads comprise a food grade material comprising at least one of hydrogels, organic resins, glass, polymers, carbons, and ceramics. According to some embodiments, the beads are made of a porous material. According to some embodiments, the beads or granules comprise pores of approximately 0.1 micrometers (pm) to approximately 100 pm in diameter. According to some embodiments, the granules are approximately 1 mm to approximately 15 mm in diameter. According to some embodiments, the beads comprise a non-porous material coated with zeolite powder. According to some embodiments, the carrier comprises at least one of fibers and tubes. According to some embodiments, the surface of the fibers and the tubes is coated with a zeolite powder.

According to some embodiments, the adsorption unit 140 is configured to operate at a pressure of about 1 to about 10 Bar, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, the inner adsorption chamber 144 is fluidly coupled to the adsorption outlet port 148. According to some embodiments, the adsorption outlet port 148 is fluidly coupled with the treated beverage container 150, which is described herein. According to some embodiments, the adsorption outlet port 148 is connected to the treated beverage container 150 through an adsorption-treated beverage pipe 1415 and a treated beverage outlet port 149. The adsorption-treated beverage pipe 1415 may be flexible or rigid, as long as it may convey liquids, such as the beverage therein. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the adsorption-treated beverage pipe 1415 comprises an adsorption- treated beverage flow valve 415 between the adsorption outlet port 148 and treated beverage outlet port 149, configured to regulate liquid flow from the adsorption unit 140 to the treated beverage outlet port 149 and thereby to the treated beverage container 150. According to some embodiments, the adsorption-treated beverage flow valve 415 is a unidirectional valve, which is configured to regulate liquid flow in the direction from the adsorption unit 140 to the treated beverage outlet port 149.

According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to pump liquid and/or solid materials from the inner adsorption chamber 144 to the treated beverage container 150 through the adsorption outlet port 148 and the treated beverage outlet port 149.

It is to be understood herein that in some embodiments, the adsorption unit 140 is bypassed or is not used, and the NF permeate outlet port 138 is fluidly coupled directly to the treated beverage outlet port 149 via an adsorption bypass line ABL being regulated by an adsorption bypass valve ABV. In such embodiments, the adsorption bypass valve ABV can be opened and the NF permeate can be fed as treated beverage directly to the treated beverage container 150 via the treated beverage outlet port 149, without feeding the NF permeate to the adsorption unit 140. The adsorption bypass line is connected to the NF-adsorption pipe 1314 upstream of the adsorption inlet valve 147. According to some embodiments, the system 100 can comprise a separate fluid connection between the NF permeate outlet port 138 and the treated beverage outlet port 149 (or directly to the treated beverage container 150), exclusive of the NF- adsorption pipe 1314. In the illustrated embodiment, to bypass the adsorption unit 140, the adsorption inlet valve 147 and the adsorption-treated beverage flow valve 415 can be closed, and the adsorption bypass valve ABV can be opened. According to some embodiments, the adsorption bypass valve ABV is a unidirectional valve, which is configured to regulate liquid flow in the direction from the NF permeate outlet port 138 to the treated beverage outlet port 149 or the treated beverage container 150. According to some embodiments, the pump is configured to pump liquids from the NF permeate outlet port 138 to the treated beverage outlet port 149 or the treated beverage container 150 through the adsorption bypass line ABL. According to some embodiments, based on the desired results, a part of the NF permeate can be fed into the treated beverage container 150 after processing in the adsorption unit 140 while a part of the NF permeate can be fed directly via the adsorption bypass line ABL to the treated beverage container 150.

According to some embodiments, the treated beverage container 150 is configured to contain liquids and solids, such as the treated beverage exiting the NF unit 130 and/or the adsorption unit 140, and optionally, the solids exiting the centrifugation unit 110 and/or the UF retentate exiting the UF unit 120. According to some embodiments, the treated beverage container 150 comprises a mixing device configured to mix the contents received therewithin.

Reference in now made to Figure 2, which is a block diagram representing a method for the preparation of a reduced sugar content beverage, and an isolated beverage sugar fraction, according to some embodiments.

According to some embodiments, the method for reducing the sugar content of a beverage, comprises the following main steps: (a) providing a beverage; (b) ultrafiltering the beverage to produce an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate; (c) nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate; (d) optionally contacting at least one adsorbent with the nano-filtered permeate to produce an adsorbed composition and a liquid medium, and filtering the adsorbed composition from liquid medium to form an adsorption filtrate, wherein the at least one adsorbent comprises a zeolite, and wherein the at least one adsorbent has a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids; e) optionally adding at least one additive to the nano-filtered permeate or to the adsorption filtrate; and (f) isolating the nano-filtered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product of step (e) as an isolated treated beverage product, which comprises at least 30% less sugar than the untreated beverage prior to step (a).

The main steps, (a) to (f) are reflected in Figure 2 in blocks: 1000 (corresponding to step (a)); 1020 (corresponding to step (b)); 1030 (corresponding to step (c)); 1040 (corresponding to optional step (d)); and 1050 (corresponding to step (f)). Thus, various embodiments referring to specific blocks similarly apply to the corresponding method steps, and vice versa.

According to some embodiments, the present method is used for reducing the sugar content of a beverage, which is either fruit or vegetable juice, milk, beer, or any other beverage, which includes sugar. Then the method comprises the following main steps: (a) providing a beverage; (b) ultra-filtering the beverage to produce an ultrafiltered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate; (c) nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate; (d) optionally contacting at least one adsorbent with the nano-filtered permeate to produce an adsorbed composition and a liquid medium, and filtering the adsorbed composition from liquid medium to form an adsorption filtrate, wherein the at least one adsorbent comprises a zeolite, and wherein the at least one adsorbent has a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids; (e) optionally adding at least one additive to the nano-filtered permeate or to the adsorption filtrate; and (f) isolating the nano-filtered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product of step (e) as an isolated treated beverage product, which comprises at least 30% less sugar than the untreated beverage prior to step (a).

According to some embodiments, the method for producing an isolated beverage sugar composition from a beverage comprises the following main steps: (a) providing a beverage; (b) ultra-filtering the aqueous medium to produce an ultrafiltered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate; (c-i) nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate, wherein the nano-filtered retentate comprises at least part of the fruit or vegetable sugar; and (c-ii) isolating and optionally drying the sugar of the nano-filtered retentate to produce an isolated beverage sugar composition comprising the beverage sugar.

The main steps, (a) to (b), (c-i) and (c-ii) are reflected in Figure 2 in blocks: 1000 (corresponding to step (a)); 1020 (corresponding to step (b)); 1030 (corresponding to step (c-i)); and 1034 (corresponding to step (d-ii)). Thus, various embodiments referring to specific blocks similarly apply to the corresponding method steps, and vice versa.

The terms “reduced-sugar”, “reduced-sugar content” and “reduced-sugar concentration”, which are used when referring to the present method of reducing the sugar content of a beverage, are interchangeable and refer, according to some embodiments, to a method, which receives a starting composition having a first concentration/content of sugars and produces an end composition having a second concentration/content of sugars, which is lower than the first concentration/content. In different embodiments the terms “reduced-sugar”, “reduced-sugar content” refer to the end product produced by such method.

Reference is now made back to Figure 2, which portrays some embodiments of the present methods. The method begins in block 1000, according to some embodiments, of providing an untreated beverage, which can be a fruit or vegetable juice, milk, beer, or any other beverage containing sugar content including disaccharides and optionally monosaccharides. It is to be understood that the specified exemplary embodiments of Figure 2 may be applied to other sugar-containing beverages, which may be depleted of sugars through the present method, according to some embodiments.

Block 1000, according to some embodiments, relates to step (a) of providing a beverage. According to some embodiments, the beverage comprises insoluble solids dispersed in an aqueous medium. Specifically, when relating to fruit-derived juices, it is known that such juices, when squeezed from the fruit consist mostly of an aqueous medium mixed with insoluble fruit pulp.

As utilized herein, the term "pulp" refers to that portion of a fruit or vegetable which remains after removal of the juice from the fruit/vegetable and typically includes various ratios of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectic material, and other water insoluble materials.

According to some embodiments, the insoluble solids comprise fruit juice pulp. According to some embodiments, step (a) comprises providing a fruit juice, which comprises fruit juice pulp dispersed in an aqueous juice medium.

According to some embodiments, the fruit juice is selected from the group consisting of citrus fruits, apple juice, apricot juice, banana juice, blackberry juice, blueberry juice, cherry juice, cranberry juice, grape juice, guava juice, mango juice, passion fruit juice, papayajuice, peach juice, pineapple juice, coconutjuice, plum juice, pear juice, pomegranates, raspberry juice and mixtures thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the fruit juice is a citrus juice. According to some embodiments, the citrus juice is selected from the group consisting of: orange juice, grapefruit juice, citron juice, clementine juice, lemonade, tangerine juice and mixtures thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the fruit juice is orange juice, grapefruit juice or a mixture thereof. According to some embodiments, the fruit juice is orange juice. According to some embodiments, the fruit juice is grapefruit juice. According to some embodiments, the fruit juice is apple juice.

According to some embodiments, the vegetable juice is selected from the group consisting of: carrot juice and beet juice.

According to some embodiments, the untreated juice has an initial Brix/acidity ratio of 12.5 to 18.5.

The empirical Brix/acid ratio, found by dividing the acid-corrected and temperature-corrected Brix by the % titratable acidity w/w as citric acid (B/A ratio), is one of the most commonly used indicators of juice quality as well as fruit or vegetable maturity.

According to some embodiments, the natural juice provided in step (a) (block 1000) has Brix of 7 to 15%, 9% to 13% or 10% to 12%. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, step (a) further comprises providing a fruit or vegetable and squeezing the fruit or vegetable to produce the untreated fruit or vegetable juice. According to some embodiments, the squeezing is performed by a juice extractor (e.g., a juicer). According to some embodiments, the squeezing is performed by a juice extractor), which is configured to squeeze juice from fruits or vegetables, and step (a) further comprises transferring the squeezed juice to the system 100 through the juice inlet port 105.

According to some embodiments, step (a) comprises providing milk, which comprises naturally existing sugars including disaccharides such as lactose. According to some embodiments, the milk which is to treated by the present method may include solid components in the form of additives. According to some embodiments, the milk contains calcium, protein, along with other minerals and vitamins. According to some embodiments, the untreated milk comprises 4.7 g lactose per 100 g of milk. According to some embodiments, the untreated milk has brix in the range of 5% to 15%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the treated milk has brix in the range of 4% to 8%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, step (a) comprises providing beer, which comprises naturally existing sugars including disaccharides such as maltose and monosaccharides such as glucose. According to some embodiments, the beer which is to treated by the present method may include solid components in the form of additives. According to some embodiments, the untreated beer comprises total sugars in the range of 0.07g to 0.25 per 100 ml of beer. According to some embodiments, the untreated beer has brix in the range of 3% to 15%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the treated beer has brix in the range of 0.1% to 5%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

Block 1010 shown in Figure 2 relates to an optional step of separating solids from the aqueous medium of the beverage. Specifically, according to some embodiments, the method comprises separating at least part of the solids from the aqueous medium after step (a). According to some embodiments, in scenarios where the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the method comprises separating at least part of the pulp from the aqueous medium. According to some embodiments, in scenarios where the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the method comprises separating at least 10-80% of the pulp from the aqueous medium.

According to some embodiments, separating at least part of the solids from the aqueous medium includes one or more of centrifugation and filtration. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the step of separating solids from the aqueous medium of the beverage does not include ultrafiltration. According to some embodiments, the step of separating solids from the aqueous medium of the beverage does not include nanofiltration. According to some embodiments, the step of separating solids from the aqueous medium of the beverage (block 1010) does not include any one of ultrafiltration and nanofiltration.

According to some embodiments, the step of block 1010 comprises separating at least part of the solids from the aqueous medium using a centrifuge. According to some embodiments, the step of block 1010 comprises separating at least part of the solids from the aqueous medium using centrifuge 115. According to some embodiments, the step of block 1010 comprises separating at least part of the solids from the aqueous medium using a centrifuge at a rotational rate of about 50 RPM.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the aqueous medium from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the inner UF chamber 124 through the aqueous medium outlet port 118 and the UF inlet port 126. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the aqueous medium from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the inner UF chamber 124 through the centrifuge-UF pipe 1112. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises pumping the aqueous medium from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the inner UF chamber 124 through the aqueous medium outlet port 118 and the UF inlet port 126 using the pump. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises pumping the aqueous medium from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the inner UF chamber 124 through the centrifuge-UF pipe 1112 using the pump.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises combining the insoluble solids separated in the step of block 1010 with the isolated treated beverage product (block 1100).

According to some embodiments, the step of block 1010 further comprises transferring the insoluble solids from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the treated beverage container 150, through the solid outlet port 119.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises combining the insoluble solids of the step of block 1010 with the isolated treated beverage product of step (f) (blocks 1050 and 1100).

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the insoluble solids from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the treated beverage container 150. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the insoluble solids from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the treated beverage container 150 through the centrifuged solid outlet port 119. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the insoluble solids from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the treated beverage container 150 through the centrifuge-treated beverage container pipe 1115. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises regulating the flow of the insoluble solids from the inner centrifugation chamber 114 to the treated beverage container 150 by the centrifuge-treated beverage container flow valve 251.

According to some embodiments, specifically when the optional step of block 1010 is not performed, the method comprises transferring the untreated beverage directly to the inner UF chamber 124 through the centrifugation bypass line CBL and the UF inlet port 126.

Block 1020 shown in Figure 2 relates to the ultrafiltration (UF) of the aqueous medium (or in some embodiments, specifically when the step of block 1010 is not performed, the untreated beverage). This is described in step (b) herein. Specifically, according to some embodiments, step (b) includes ultra-filtering the aqueous medium to produce an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate.

According to some embodiments, step (b) (block 1020) comprises ultra-filtering the beverage through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-100 kDa, 5-90 kDa, 5-80 kDa, 5-70 kDa, 5-60 kDa, 5-50 kDa, 5- 40 kDa, 5-30 kDa, 5-25 kDa, 5-20 kDa, 5-15 kDa or 5-10 kDa. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and subrange within the specified range. According to some embodiments, step (b) (block 1020) comprises ultra-filtering the beverage through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-10 kilodaltons (kDa).

According to some embodiments, step (b) (block 1020) comprises ultra-filtering the beverage at a pressure of about 2 to about 8 Bar, including each value and subrange within the specified range. According to some embodiments, step (b) (block 1020) comprises ultra-filtering the beverage at a pressure of 40 to 100 PSI, 45 to 95 PSI, 50 to 90 PSI, 55 to 85 PSI, 60 to 80 PSI, or 65 to 75 PSI. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, during step (b), the pressure at the retentate side of the UF filter 125 is in the range of 35 to 95 PSI, 40 to 90 PSI, 45 to 85 PSI, 50 to 80 PSI, 55 to 75 PSI, or 60 to 70 PSI.

According to some embodiments, during step (b) the UF retentate volume flow rate is in the range of 6 to 12, 7 to 11, 8 to 10 or 8.5 to 9.5 liters per minute. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, during step (b) the UF permeate volume flow rate at the side of UF filter 125, which is distal from the pump, is in the range of 1 to 2, 1.25 to 1.75 or 1.4 to 1.6 liters per minute. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, step (b) (block 1020) comprises ultra-filtering by crossflow filtration technique. The beverage can be filtered through the UF filter 125 in multiple filtration cycles while flowing tangentially along one or more UF membranes using the crossflow filtration technique.

According to some embodiments, the pump is driven by a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). According to some embodiments, the pump is operated by a VFD of about 35Hz.

According to some embodiments, step (b) is performed in the UF unit 120. According to some embodiments, the ultrafiltration of step (b) is performed by the UF filter 125.

As detailed herein the ultrafiltration of step (b) produces an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate.

The term “permeate” refers to the fraction of the feed that has permeated through the membrane; the permeate is the stream depleted of at least a portion of the retained species. The term “retentate” refers to the fraction of the liquid composition that has been retained by the membrane; the retentate is the stream enriched in the retained species.

Block 1021 shown in Figure 2 relates to the UF permeate produced by the ultrafiltration of step (b).

According to some embodiments, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) has a total sugar concentration of 4 gr to 15 gr, 5 gr to 12 gr, 5.5 gr to 11 gr, or 6.5 gr to 10 gr sugars per 100 gr permeate. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the total sugars in the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) comprise disaccharides including sucrose (for example, when the beverage is fruit or vegetable juice), lactose (for example, when the beverage is milk), or maltose(for example, when the beverage is beer), and monosaccharides including one or more of fructose (in juice), galactose (in milk) and/or glucose. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) has a total disaccharide concentration of 2 gr to 8 gr 2.5 gr to 6 gr 3 grto 5 gr or 3.5 grto 4.5 gr disaccharides per 100 gr permeate. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the disaccharide in the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) comprise sucrose, lactose, maltose or combinations. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the disaccharide in the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) consist essentially of sucrose. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate has a sucrose concentration of 2 gr to 8 gr 2.5 gr to 6 gr 3 gr to 5 gr or 3.5 gr to 4.5 gr sucrose per 100 gr permeate. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) has a ratio of disaccharides to total sugars of 35% to 65%, 40% to 60% or 45% to 55% w/w. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate has a ratio of sucrose to total sugars of 35% to 65%, 40% to 60% or 45% to 55% w/w. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) has a ratio of disaccharides to monosaccharides of 1.1 : 1 to 1 : 1.1, 1.25: 1 to 1 : 1.25, 1.5: 1 to 1 : 1.5 or 2: 1 to 1 :2. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate has a ratio of sucrose to monosaccharides of 1.1 : 1 to 1 : 1.1, 1.25: 1 to 1 : 1.25, 1.5: 1 to 1 : 1.5 or 2: 1 to 1 :2. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate has a ratio of sucrose to glucose of about 2: 1, 2.5: 1 or 1 : 1 to 3: 1. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the monosaccharides comprise fructose, glucose, galactose or a combination thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are separated from the corresponding retentate upon their properties and the properties of the UF filter 125.

According to some embodiments, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are permeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of: 5-100 kDa, 5-90 kDa, 5- 80 kDa, 5-70 kDa, 5-60 kDa, 5-50 kDa, 5-40 kDa, 5-30 kDa, 5-25 kDa, 5-20 kDa, 5-15 kDa or 5-10 kDa. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are permeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff of 5-10 kilodalton (kDa).

It is to be understood that throughout the description of the present invention reference is occasionally made to organic compounds in order to refer to the natural beverage composition or any fraction thereof, which is not the water constituent or the minerals. Natural organic compounds can typically include sugars, proteins, calcium, and fats.

As used herein, “substantially devoid” means that a preparation or composition according to the invention that generally contains less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 3% or less than 1% w/w of the stated substance. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) has Brix in the range of 8% to 12% or 9 to 11%. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) has pH in the range of 2.5 to 4.5 or 3 to 4. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) has acid content in the range of 0.4% to 0.8% w/w.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) has density in the range of 1.035-1.045 gr/ml.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) has conductivity in the range of 3700-4700 gr/ml pS.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF permeate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1021) comprises vitamin C in a concentration of 0.1 to 50 mg per 100ml of the permeate.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the ultra-filtered permeate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the inner NF chamber 134. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the ultrafiltered permeate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the inner NF chamber 134 through the UF permeate outlet port 128 and the NF inlet port 136. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the ultra-filtered permeate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the inner NF chamber 134 through the UF-NF pipe 1213. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises regulating the flow of the ultra-filtered permeate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the inner NF chamber 134 by the UF-NF flow valve 213. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises pumping the ultra-filtered permeate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the inner NF chamber 134 using the pump.

Block 1022 shown in Figure 2 relates to the UF retentate produced by the ultrafiltration of step (b).

According to some embodiments, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are separated from the corresponding permeate upon their properties and the properties of the UF filter 125.

According to some embodiments, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are impermeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of: 5-100 kDa, 5-90 kDa, 5-80 kDa, 5-70 kDa, 5-60 kDa, 5-50 kDa, 5-40 kDa, 5-30 kDa, 5-25 kDa, 5-20 kDa, 5-15 kDa or 5-10 kDa. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are impermeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff of 5-10 kilodalton (kDa).

According to some embodiments, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) comprises the solids present in the beverage. According to some embodiments, step 1010 is not performed and UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) comprises 10% to 80% of the solids originally in the beverage, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) has Brix in the range of 10% to 13%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) has pH in the range of 3 to 4, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) has density in the range of 1.040-1.055 gr/ml, including each value and subrange within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) has conductivity in the range of 4000-5000 pS, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) has acid content in the range of 0.4% to 1%, including each value and subrange within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) comprises sucrose at a concentration of 4 gr o 5.5 gr per 100 gr retentate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) comprises glucose at a concentration of 1.7 gr to 2.7 gr per 100 gr retentate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) comprises fructose at a concentration of 1.9 gr to 2.9 gr per 100 gr retentate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, the UF filter comprises polyether sulfone. According to some embodiments, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the UF retentate produced in step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) comprises vitamin C at a concentration of 0.1 to 50 mg per 100 ml retentate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

Surprisingly, under the present method conditions, for example, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, a large portion of the vitamin C present in citrus juices was found to be retained in the UF filter. Advantageously, combining the UF retentate with the treated fruit juice product can restore most of the vitamin C.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises step (e), which includes combining the ultra-filtered retentate of step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) with the product of step (c) or (d) (dashed arrow from block 1022 to block 1100). According to some embodiments, the method further comprises combining at least some of the ultra-filtered retentate of step (b) (blocks 1020 and 1022) with the isolated treated beverage product of step (f) (dashed arrow from block 1022 to block 1100).

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the ultra-filtered retentate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the treated beverage container 150. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the ultra-filtered retentate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the treated beverage container 150 through the UF retentate outlet port 129. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the ultra-filtered retentate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the treated beverage container 150 through the UF-treated beverage container pipe 1215. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises regulating the flow of the ultra-filtered retentate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the treated beverage container 150 by the UF-treated beverage container flow valve 215. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises pumping the ultrafiltered retentate from the inner UF chamber 124 to the treated beverage container 150 using the pump.

Block 1030 shown in Figure 2 relates to the nanofiltration (NF) of the UF permeate obtained in step (b). This is described in step (c) herein. Specifically, according to some embodiments, step (c) includes nano-filtering the UF permeate obtained in step (b) to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate.

According to some embodiments, step (c) (block 1030) comprises nano-filtering the UF permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 100 - 1000 Dalton, 120 - 800 Dalton, 130 - 700 Dalton, 150 — 500 Dalton, 180 - 500 Dalton, 200 - 500 Dalton, 225 - 500 Dalton 250 - 500 Dalton, 275 - 500 Dalton or 300 - 500 Dalton. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, step (c) (block 1030) comprises nano-filtering the UF permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 300-500 Daltons.

As detailed herein step (c) includes nano-filtering the UF permeate through one or more nanofiltration membranes. According to some embodiments, step (c) comprises nano-filtering the UF permeate obtained in step (b) to produce a nanofiltered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate, wherein the nano-filtering is performed through one or more nanofiltration membranes. According to some embodiments, the nano-filtering is performed through a plurality of nanofiltration membranes. According to some embodiments, the nano-filtering is performed through a plurality of nanofiltration membranes, wherein at least one of the nanofiltration membranes has a molecular weight cutoff as defined herein (e.g. in the range of 150-500 or 300-500 Da). According to some embodiments, the nano-filtering is performed through a plurality of nanofiltration membranes, wherein each one of the nanofiltration membranes has a molecular weight cutoff as defined herein (e.g. in the range of 1 SO- SOO or 300-500 Da).

According to some embodiments, step (c) (block 1030) comprises nano-filtering at a TMP of at least 10 bar. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises increasing the TMP during at least a part of step (c). According to some embodiments, the TMP can be controlled by the controller described above. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be controlled by controlling a pump facilitating the TMP. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be controlled by controlling one or more valves or other components effecting the TMP. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be increased during a part of or whole of the nanofiltration either continuously or in discrete (periodic or aperiodic) steps time to time. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be increased continuously. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be increased periodically or in discrete steps. According to some embodiments, the TMP can be increased according to a predetermined pattern. According to some embodiments, step (c) (block 1030) comprises nano-filtering by crossflow filtration technique. The beverage can be filtered through the NF filter 135 in multiple filtration cycles while flowing tangentially along one or more NF membranes using the crossflow filtration technique.

It is to be understood herein that performing the nanofiltration at TMP of at least 10 bar is beyond routine choice and yields unexpected results. For instance, the beverages being treated by the present method and system are complex liquids (juices, milk, beer, etc.) having large molecules, small molecules, suspended compounds, soluble and/or insoluble big molecules, and using high pressures for filtration thereof is not generally expected to render desirable results. In fact, on the contrary, as a general expectation, a higher TMP would be expected to result in poor separation and consequently, higher sugar content in the permeate. Surprisingly, filtering (specifically nano-filtering) at a high TMP of at least 10 bar provided the unexpected results of sugar reduction in the NF permeate.

During the analysis of the process of treating a beverage, it was observed that at a low inlet pressure (and consequently TMP), the brix values of the resultant treated beverage was undesirably high. Upon increasing the TMP, specifically to and above 10 bar, a substantial and significant drop in the brix values of the resultant treated beverage was observed. Further, it was observed that at a constant inlet pressure, while keeping all other parameters constant, the brix of the resultant treated beverage kept on increasing as the time passed during the treatment process. Subsequently, upon increasing the inlet pressure (and consequently the TMP) to an increased value, while not changing any other parameter, the brix value dropped, thereby indicating that the efficiency of the filtration process increased with increasing TMP. Subsequently, at the constant value of the inlet pressure, the brix of the resultant treated beverage again started increasing as the time passed. Thereafter, further increasing the inlet pressure to a further increased value, while not changing any other parameter, the brix value drops again. Accordingly, it is to be noted herein that to maintain a desired sugar reduction of the treated beverage, the TMP has to be maintained at a minimum value (for example, at least 10 bar) and/or even to be increased (continuously or in discrete steps) during the nanofiltration process. According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration can be performed at an increasing TMP during at least a part of the filtration step, whereas the increase can be continuous or in discrete steps. It is to be understood herein that the use of crossflow filtration technique is also beyond routine choice and yields unexpected results. For instance, the beverages being treated by the present method and system are complex liquids having big molecules, as well as disaccharides, and using crossflow filtration would not be a routine and/or obvious choice for filtration thereof. For instance, even though there has been a long existing need of separating disaccharides from beverages to achieve healthier beverages, filtration thereof using crossflow filtration has never been performed in the industry.

According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration can be performed at a high TMP due to crossflow filtration technique, among other possibilities including performing the nanofiltration at high TMP (as specified herein) without using the crossflow filtration technique. In other words, according to some embodiments, the nanofiltration can be performed at a high TMP (as specified herein) without using the crossflow filtration.

According to some embodiments, step (c) (block 1030) comprises nano-filtering the UF permeate at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of 10 to 65 Bar, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the step (c) (block 1030) comprises nano-filtering the UF permeate at a TMP of 10 to 20 Bar, 10 to 30 Bar, 10 to 40 Bar, 10 to 50 Bar, 10 to 60 Bar, 10 to 65 Bar, 15 to 25 Bar, 20 to 30 Bar, 25 to 35 Bar, 30 to 40 Bar, 35 to 45 Bar, 40 to 50 Bar, 45 to 55 Bar, 50 to 60 Bar, or 55 to 65 Bar. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, step (c) (block 1030) comprises nano-filtering the beverage at a pressure of 150 to 300 PSI, 175 to 250 PSI, 200 to 250 PSI or 200 to 225 PSI. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, during step (c), the pressure at the retentate side of the NF filter 135 is in the range of 150 to 300 PSI, 175 to 250 PSI, 200 to 250 PSI or 200 to 225 PSI. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, during step (c) the NF retentate volume flow rate is in the range of 6 to 12, 7 to 11, 8 to 10 or 8.5 to 9.5 liters per minute. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, during step (c) the NF permeate volume flow rate at the side of NF filter 135, which is distal from the pump, is in the range of 2 to 4, 2.5 to 3.5 or 2.8 to 3.2 liters per minute. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, step (c) entails application of VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) of about 35Hz to about 40Hz. According to some embodiments, step (c) entails application of VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) of about 40Hz.

According to some embodiments, step (c) is performed in the NF unit 130. According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration of step (c) is performed by the NF filter 135.

As detailed herein the nanofiltration of step (c) produces a nano-filtered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate.

Block 1031 shown in Figure 2 relates to the NF permeate produced by the nanofiltration of step (c).

According to some embodiments, the NF permeate produced in step (d) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has a total sugar concentration of 3 to 6 gr sugars per 100 ml permeate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the total sugars in the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) comprises disaccharides including sucrose (for example, when the beverage is fruit or vegetable juice), lactose (for example, when the beverage is milk), or maltose(for example, when the beverage is beer), and monosaccharides including one or more of fructose (in juice), galactose (in milk) and/or glucose. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has a total disaccharide concentration of 1 to 2 gr sugars per 100 ml permeate, including each value and subrange within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the disaccharide in the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) comprises sucrose, lactose, maltose, or combinations. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the disaccharide in the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) comprises sucrose. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate has a sucrose concentration of 1 to 2 gr sugars per 100 ml permeate, including each value and subrange within the specified range. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate has a ratio of disaccharides to total sugars of 1 : 1 to 1 :8, 1 : 1.5 to 1 :6, 1 :2 to 1 :5 or 1 :2.5 to 1 :5. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate has a ratio of sucrose to total sugars of 1 : 1 to 1 :8, 1 : 1.5 to 1 :6, 1 :2 to 1 :5 or 1 :2.5 to 1 :5. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate has a ratio of sucrose to glucose of 1:0.5 to 1 :4, 1 : 1.25 to 1 :3, 1 : 1 to 1 :2.5 or 1 : 1.25 to 1 :2.5. According to some embodiments, the monosaccharides comprise fructose, glucose, galactose or a combination thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is milk, the disaccharide in the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) comprises lactose. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is milk, the untreated beverage has total sugars including disaccharides comprising lactose. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is milk, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has at least 50% less lactose than the untreated milk provided in step (a) (block 1000). According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is milk, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has 50% to 90% less lactose than the untreated milk provided in step (a) (block 1000), including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is milk, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has 80% less lactose than the untreated milk provided in step (a) (block 1000).

According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is beer, the disaccharide in the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) comprises maltose. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is beer, the untreated beverage has total sugars including disaccharides comprising maltose, and monosaccharides comprising glucose. According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is beer, the NF permeate has at least 30% less total sugars than the untreated beer provided in step (a) (block 1000). According to some embodiments, in the scenario when the beverage is beer, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has 30% to 80% less total sugars than the untreated beer provided in step (a) (block 1000), including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are separated from the corresponding retentate upon their properties and the properties of the NF filter 135. Thus, according to some embodiments, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight above 150 Dalton, above 180 Dalton, above 200 Dalton, above 250 Dalton, above 275 Dalton, above 300 Dalton, above 400 Dalton, or above 500 Dalton. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the NF permeate is substantially devoid of natural beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight above 500 Dalton. According to some embodiments, the NF permeate comprises beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight below 500 Dalton, below 400 Dalton, below 300 Dalton, below 200 Dalton, below 180 Dalton, or below 150 Dalton. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the NF permeate comprises beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight below 180 Dalton. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate comprises vitamin C.

According to some embodiments, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are permeable to an NF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of 100 - 1000 Dalton, 120 - 800 Dalton, 130 - 700 Dalton, 150 - 500 Dalton, 180 - 500 Dalton, 200 - 500 Dalton, 225 - 500 Dalton, 250 - 500 Dalton or 300 - 500 Dalton. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are permeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff of 5-10 kilodalton (kDa) and to an NF membrane having molecular weight cutoff of 300-500 Dalton.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario where the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has Brix in the range of 2% to 6% or 2.5% to 5.5%. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario where the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has pH in the range of 2.5 to 4.5 or 3 to 4. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario where the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has acid content in the range of 0.3% to 0.8% w/w, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario where the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has density in the range of 1.01-1.03 gr/ml, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario where the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) has conductivity in the range of 3000-4500gr/ml pS, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario where the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1031) comprises vitamin C in a concentration of 5 to 50 mg per 100ml of the permeate.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the NF permeate comprises 50% to 80% less sucrose than the untreated fruit or vegetable juice of step (a), including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the nano-filtered permeate from the inner NF chamber 134 to the inner adsorption chamber 144. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the nano-filtered permeate from the inner NF chamber 134 to the inner adsorption chamber 144 through the NF permeate outlet port 138 and the adsorption inlet port 146. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the nano- filtered permeate from the inner NF chamber 134 to the inner adsorption chamber 144 through the NF-adsorption pipe 1314. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises regulating the flow of the nano-filtered permeate from the inner NF chamber 134 to the inner adsorption chamber 144 by the NF-adsorption flow valve 314. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises pumping the nano-filtered permeate from the inner NF chamber 134 to the inner adsorption chamber 144 using the pump.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the nano-filtered permeate from the inner NF chamber 134 directly to the treated beverage container 150 via the adsorption bypass line ABL, while bypassing the adsorption unit 140. For example, as shown by a solid line from block 1031 to block 1050. In some examples, the solid line can be from block to 1031 to block 1100.

Block 1032 shown in Figure 2 relates to the NF retentate produced by the nanofiltration of step (c).

According to some embodiments, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are separated from the corresponding permeate upon their properties and the properties of the nanofilter 135. Thus, according to some embodiments, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight above any one of the molecular weight cutoffs specified for the nanofilter, but below any one of the molecular weight cutoffs specified for the ultrafilter. Thus, according to some embodiments, the NF retentate comprises beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight in the range of 150 to 20,000 Dalton, 150 to 10,000 Dalton, 150 to 7,500 Dalton, 150 to 5,000 Dalton, 180 to 20,000 Dalton, 180 to 10,000 Dalton, 180 to 7,500 Dalton, 180 to 5,000 Dalton, 200 to 20,000 Dalton, 200 to 10,000 Dalton, 200 to 7,500 Dalton, 200 to 5,000 Dalton, 250 to 20,000 Dalton, 250 to 10,000 Dalton, 250 to 7,500 Dalton, 250 to 5,000 Dalton or 300 to 5,000 Dalton. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight in the range of about 300 to about 10,000 Dalton. According to some embodiments, the NF retentate is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight above about 5 kilodalton (kDa). According to some embodiments, the NF retentate is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight above about 10 kilodalton (kDa). According to some embodiments, the NF retentate is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight below about 150 Dalton. As detailed below, since the isolated sugar composition (also referred to herein as beverage sugar composition or isolated beverage sugar composition) of the present invention comprises the above NF retentate, the isolated sugar composition is also characterized as above, according to some embodiments.

According to some embodiments, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are impermeable to a NF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of: 100 - 1000 Dalton, 120

- 800 Dalton, 130 - 700 Dalton, 150 - 500 Dalton, 180 - 500 Dalton, 200 - 500 Dalton, 250 - 500 Dalton, 275 - 500 Dalton or 300 - 500 Dalton, but permeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of: 5-100 kDa, 5-90 kDa, 5- 80 kDa, 5-70 kDa, 5-60 kDa, 5-50 kDa, 5-40 kDa, 5-30 kDa, 5-25 kDa, 5-20 kDa, 5-15 kDa or 5-10 kDa. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the NF retentate (as well as the isolated sugar composition of the invention) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are permeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff of 5-10 kilodalton (kDa), but impermeable to a NF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of 180

- 500 Dalton. According to some embodiments, the NF retentate (as well as the isolated sugar composition of the invention) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are permeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff of 5-10 kilodalton (kDa), but impermeable to a NF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of 300

- 500 Dalton.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) has Brix in the range of 10% to 50%, including each value and subrange within the specified range. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) has Brix of about 22.5%. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) has pH in the range of 3 to 4, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) has density in the range of 1.01-1.10 gr/ml, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) has conductivity in the range of 3500-5000 pS, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) has acid content in the range of 0.3% to 1%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises sucrose at a concentration of 10 gr to 50 gr per 100 gr retentate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises glucose at a concentration of 1 gr to 5 gr per 100 gr retentate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises fructose at a concentration of 1 gr to 5 gr per 100 gr retentate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises vitamin C at a concentration of 5 to 50 mg per 100 ml retentate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises total sugars at a concentration of 10 to 50 gr per 100 gr retentate, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, the NF retentate produced in step (c) (blocks 1030 and 1032) comprises total amino acid content in the range of 0.3% to 1.5%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

A number of batches of the isolated citrus fruit sugar composition prepared according to the present methods were analyzed for various parameters or characteristics and the mean and standard deviations of the observed values were as follows:

Reference is now made specifically to the method for producing an isolated beverage sugar composition. Some of the steps of this method are elaborated above, e.g., with respect to blocks 1000, 1010, 1020, 1021, 1022, 1025, 1030, 1031 and 1032 and steps (a), (b), (c), (c-i) and (c-ii). Reference is further made to the isolated sugar composition (block 1200), which is formed from the NF retentate described above, according to some embodiments.

Thus, according to some embodiments, the is provided a method for producing an isolated beverage sugar composition from a beverage, the method comprising: (a) providing a beverage; (b) ultra-filtering the aqueous medium through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa to produce an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate; (c-i) nano-filtering the ultrafiltered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150-500 Da to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nanofiltered retentate, wherein the nano-filtered retentate comprises at least part of the beverage sugar; and (c-ii) isolating and optionally drying the beverage sugar of the nano-filtered retentate to produce an isolated beverage sugar composition comprising the beverage sugar.

It is to be understood that some of the embodiments and details above, which describe corresponding steps (e.g., steps (a)-(c)), as well as system elements and terminology, apply to the corresponding steps of the present method for producing an isolated beverage sugar composition. Also, it is to be understood that embodiments described with relation to block 1032 refer to the nano-filtered retentate of step (c-i).

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the nano-filtered retentate from the inner NF chamber 134 to the isolated sugar composition container 160. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the nano-filtered retentate from the inner NF chamber 134 to the isolated sugar composition container 160 through the NF retentate outlet port 139. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the nano-filtered retentate from the inner NF chamber 134 to the isolated sugar composition container 160 through the NF-sugar container pipe 1316. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises regulating the flow of the nano-filtered retentate from the inner NF chamber 134 to the isolated sugar composition container 160 by the NF-sugar container flow valve 316.

Block 1034 shown in Figure 2 relates to drying and isolating the NF retentate. As detailed above, according to some embodiments, the isolated sugar composition container 160 may include a device configured to dry the isolated sugar composition from residual water. Suitable drying devices include a blower for air/gas flow drying, a heater for promoting evaporation or a vacuum device. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. Thus, according to some embodiments, step (c- ii) comprises air drying, gas drying, vacuum drying and or heated drying of the nanofiltered retentate. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

Block 1200 shown in Figure 2 relates to the isolated sugar composition produced by the method of the present invention.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated fruit or vegetable sugar composition, the isolated fruit or vegetable sugar composition comprises 20 to 40 gr sucrose per 100 gr fruit or vegetable sugar composition. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated fruit or vegetable sugar composition, the isolated fruit or vegetable sugar composition comprises 5 to 15 gr glucose per 100 gr fruit or vegetable sugar composition. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated fruit or vegetable sugar composition, the isolated fruit or vegetable sugar composition comprises 5 to 15 gr fructose per 100 gr fruit or vegetable sugar composition. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated fruit or vegetable sugar composition, the isolated fruit or vegetable sugar composition has Brix in the range of 30% to 70%. Each of these embodiments is including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage sugar composition is prepared by the method of the present invention. According to some embodiments, there is provided the present isolated beverage sugar composition for use as a sweetener.

According to some embodiments, there is provided an isolated beverage sugar composition, which comprises beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration but impermeable to nanofiltration; and is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds which are permeable to nanofiltration.

According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage sugar composition is further substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds which are impermeable to ultrafiltration.

The details of the nanofiltration and ultrafiltration, including membrane cutoff values, are well elaborated above.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, and accordingly the isolate sugar composition is an isolated fruit or vegetable sugar composition, the fruit is selected from the group consisting of citrus fruits, apple, apricot, banana, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, grape, guava, mango, passion fruit, papaya, peach, pineapple, coconut, plum, pear, pomegranates and raspberry. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the fruit is a citrus fruit. According to some embodiments, the citrus fruit is selected from the group consisting of: orange, grapefruit, citron, clementine, lemon and tangerine. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the fruit is orange or grapefruit. According to some embodiments, the fruit is orange. According to some embodiments, the fruit is grapefruit. According to some embodiments, the fruit is apple.

According to some embodiments, there is provided an isolated citrus fruit sugar composition, which comprises citrus juice organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration but impermeable to nanofiltration; and is substantially devoid of citrus juice organic compounds which are permeable to nanofiltration.

According to some embodiments, the isolated citrus fruit sugar composition is further substantially devoid of citrus juice organic compounds which are impermeable to ultrafiltration. According to some embodiments, the isolated citrus fruit sugar is prepared by the method of the present invention.

Reference is made back to the present method of reducing sugars in beverages.

Block 1040 shown in Figure 2 relates to the zeolite adsorption of the NF permeate obtained in step (c). This is described in optional step (d) herein. Specifically, according to some embodiments, step (d) comprises contacting at least one adsorbent with the nano-filtered permeate to produce an adsorbed composition and a treated beverage product. According to some embodiments, step (d) includes contacting the at least one adsorbent with the centrifuged nano-filtered permeate to produce an adsorbed composition and a treated beverage product. According to some embodiments, step (d) is performed in the adsorption unit 140.

Advantageously, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the method of the present invention throughout the UF, NF and adsorption steps was surprisingly found to maintain the large majority of vitamin C in the permeate or in the UF retentate, while substantially reducing the sucrose (and other sugars) content, according to some embodiments. Thus, according to some embodiments, vitamin C is not adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent.

According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent is described above when discussing the system 100, and it is designated the at least one adsorbent 145. Therefore, the relevant embodiment relating to the at least one adsorbent 145 similarly apply for the methods of the present invention.

According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent comprises a zeolite. According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent being active so as to have a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides. According to some embodiments, the at least one adsorbent being active so as to have a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for organic acids. According to some embodiments, disaccharides comprise sucrose, lactose, maltose or combinations, and the monosaccharides comprise fructose, glucose, galactose or a combination thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, step (d) comprises passing the nano-filtered permeate though a column comprising the at least one adsorbent to produce an adsorbed composition within the column and a treated beverage product exiting the column. Zeolites, in powder or granular form include, for example, strong dealuminated zeolites and NaX type zeolites. Other Zeolites include, for example, Zeolite Y (Type Y Zeolites) compositions, for example, including: Z-5: zeolite Y hydrogen powder with surface area of 730m ² /g and at SiO2:AhO3 molar ratio of 5: 1, commercially available as Alfa Aesar 45866; Z-30: zeolite Y hydrogen powder and with surface area of 780m ² /g and SiO2:Ah03 molar ratio of 30: 1, commercially available as Alfa Aesar 45870; and, Z-80: zeolite Y hydrogen powder and with surface area of 780m ² /g and SiCh: AI2O3 molar ratio of 80: 1, commercially available as Alfa Aesar 45866.

Other Y Zeolites (Type Y Zeolites), for example include, Y Zeolite H ⁺ (Hydrogenated), Y Zeolite Na (Sodium), Y Zeolite K (Potassium), Y Zeolite Ca (Calcium), all in cationic form.

According to some embodiments, the zeolite is selected from zeolites having a Si/Al molar ratio of at least 10: 1. According to some embodiments, the zeolite comprises at least one of Y Zeolite H ⁺ and Y Zeolite Ca.

According to some embodiments, step (d) is performed in the adsorption unit 140. According to some embodiments, the adsorption of step (d) is performed on the at least one adsorbent 145.

According to some embodiments, step (d) is performed at a pressure of about 1 to about 10 Bar, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

As detailed herein the adsorption of step (d) produces an adsorbed fraction (block 1042) a non-adsorbed fraction (block 1041).

Block 1042 shown in Figure 2 relates to the fraction adsorbed in the adsorbent in step (d).

According to some embodiments, the adsorbed fraction produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1042) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are separated from the corresponding non-adsorbed fraction upon their properties and the properties of the at least one adsorbent 145.

According to some embodiments, the adsorbed fraction produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1042) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are adsorbed to the at least one adsorbent 145. According to some embodiments, the adsorbed fraction produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1042) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are: impermeable to a NF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of:

100 - 1000 Dalton, 120 - 800 Dalton, 130 - 700 Dalton, 150 - 500 Dalton, 180 - 500 Dalton, 200 - 500 Dalton, 225 - 500 Dalton, 250 - 500 Dalton, 275 - 500 Dalton or 300 - 500 Dalton, but permeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of: 5-100 kDa, 5-90 kDa, 5-80 kDa, 5-70 kDa, 5-60 kDa, 5-50 kDa, 5-40 kDa, 5-30 kDa, 5-25 kDa, 5-20 kDa, 5-15 kDa or 5-10 kDa; and which are adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and subrange within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, the adsorbed fraction comprises beverage organic compounds, which are permeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff of 5-10 kilodalton (kDa), but impermeable to a NF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of 180 - 500 Dalton and are adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145. According to some embodiments, the adsorbed fraction comprises beverage organic compounds, which are permeable to a UF membrane having molecular weight cutoff of 5-10 kilodalton (kDa), but impermeable to a NF membrane having molecular weight cutoff in the range of 300 - 500 Dalton and are adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145.

The adsorbed fraction is also referred herein as adsorbed composition.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the adsorbed composition produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1042) has Brix in the range of 0.5% to 4%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the adsorbed composition produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1042) comprises sucrose at a concentration of 0.5 gr to 2 gr per 100 gr adsorbed composition, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the adsorbed composition produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1042) comprises glucose at a concentration of 0 gr to 1 gr per 100 gr adsorbed composition, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the adsorbed composition produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1042) comprises fructose at a concentration of 0 gr to 1 gr per 100 gr adsorbed composition, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

Block 1041 shown in Figure 2 relates to the non-adsorbed fraction produced by the adsorption of step (d).

The non-adsorbed fraction is also referred herein as adsorption filtrate.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the non-adsorbed fraction produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1041) has a total sugar concentration in the range of 1 gr to 5.5 gr per 100 ml of the non-adsorbed fraction, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the total sugars in the non-adsorbed fraction produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1041) comprise disaccharides including sucrose, lactose, and/or maltose and monosaccharides including fructose, galactose, and/or glucose. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the non-adsorbed fraction produced in step (d) has a total disaccharide concentration in the range of 0 gr to 1.5 gr per 100 ml of the non-adsorbed fraction, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the disaccharides in the non-adsorbed fraction comprise sucrose. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the non-adsorbed fraction has a sucrose concentration in the range of 0 gr to 1.5 gr per 100 ml of the non-adsorbed fraction, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the nonadsorbed fraction has a ratio of disaccharides to total sugars of 1 :2 to 1 : 100, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the nonadsorbed fraction has a ratio of sucrose to total sugars of 1 :2 to 1 : 100, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the non- adsorbed fraction has Brix in the range of 1% to 5%, including each value and subrange within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the non-adsorbed fraction produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1041) has a ratio of disaccharides to monosaccharides of 1 :4 to 1 : 100, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the non-adsorbed fraction has a ratio of sucrose to monosaccharides of 1 :4 to 1 : 100, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the non-adsorbed fraction has a ratio of sucrose to glucose of 1 :6 to 1 : 100, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, the non-adsorbed fraction produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1041) comprises beverage organic compounds, which are separated from the corresponding adsorbed fraction upon their properties and the properties of the at least one adsorbent 145. Thus, according to some embodiments, the non-adsorbed fraction is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, which are adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145. Also, at this point, the liquid material has already undergone both UF and NF filtration, maintaining the permeates. Thus, according to some embodiments, the non-adsorbed fraction produced in step (d) (blocks 1040 and 1041) is (i) substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, which are adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145; and (ii) substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight above 150 Dalton, above 180 Dalton, above 200 Dalton, above 250 Dalton, above 300 Dalton, above 400 Dalton, or above 500 Dalton. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the non-adsorbed fraction comprises beverage organic compounds, which have molecular weight below 500 Dalton and are non-adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145.

It is to be understood that the “non-adsorbed fraction” shown in block 1041 refers to the treated beverage product of step (d).

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the treated beverage product of step (d) from the inner adsorption chamber 144 to the treated beverage container 150. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the treated beverage product of step (d) from the inner adsorption chamber 144 to the treated beverage container 150 through the treated beverage outlet port 149. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises transferring the treated beverage product of step (d) from the inner adsorption chamber 144 to the treated beverage container 150 through the adsorption- treated beverage pipe 1415. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises regulating the flow of the treated beverage product of step (d) from the inner adsorption chamber 144 to the treated beverage container 150 by the adsorption-treated beverage flow valve 415. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises pumping the treated beverage product of step (d)from the inner adsorption chamber 144 to the treated beverage container 150 using the pump.

According to some embodiments, the steps of the blocks 1040, 1041, and 1042 are not performed, and the NF permeate is directly fed to the treated beverage container 150 via the adsorption bypass line ABL, as described above.

Block 1050 shown in Figure 2 relates to the isolation of the nano-filtered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product of step (e) as an isolated treated beverage product. This is described in step (f) herein. Specifically, according to some embodiments, step (f) comprises isolating the nanofiltered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product of step (e) as an isolated treated beverage product.

Block 1100 shown in Figure 2 relates to the treated beverage product. According to some embodiments, as detailed herein the treated beverage product of the present invention comprises the nano-filtered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product of step (e) upon the isolation step (f).

The compositions and characteristics of the nano-filtered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product of step (e) are as detailed herein.

According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage product comprises at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50% w/w, at least 55% w/w, or at least 60% w/w less sugar than the untreated beverage provided in step (a). Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the isolated treated beverage product comprises at least 75%, at least 80% w/w, at least 85% w/w, or at least 90% w/w less sucrose than the untreated fruit or vegetable juice of step (a). Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage product comprises the product provided upon performing steps (a)-(c), (f) and optionally (d) and/or (e). The composition of the isolated treated beverage product is as described above for the product of step (c), (d) or (e) after performing step (f).

According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage product comprises the combination of (i) the product provided upon performing steps (a)-(c), (f) and optionally (d) and/or (e); and (ii) the UF retentate of the beverage.

Reference is now made to the composition of this combination. According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage product is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, which are adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145. According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage product comprises beverage organic compounds, which are non-adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145.

According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage product is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, having molecular weight in the range of 150 to 20,000 Dalton, 150 to 10,000 Dalton, 150 to 7,500 Dalton, 150 to 5,000 Dalton, 180 to 20,000 Dalton, 180 to 10,000 Dalton, 180 to 7,500 Dalton, 180 to 5,000 Dalton, 200 to 20,000 Dalton, 200 to 10,000 Dalton, 200 to 7,500 Dalton, 200 to 5,000 Dalton, 250 to 20,000 Dalton, 250 to 10,000 Dalton, 250 to 7,500 Dalton, 250 to 5,000 Dalton, 300 to 20,000 Dalton, 300 to 10,000 Dalton, 300 to 7,500 Dalton or 300 to 5,000 Dalton. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention and including each value and sub-range within the specified range. According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage product is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds, having molecular weight in the range of about 300 Dalton to about 5,000 Dalton.

According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage product comprises beverage organic compounds, having molecular weight below 150 Dalton, below 180 Dalton, below 200 Dalton, below 250 Dalton or below 300 Dalton. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage product comprises beverage organic compounds, having molecular weight above 5,000 Dalton, above 6,000 Dalton, above 7,000 Dalton or above 8,000 Dalton. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage product comprises beverage organic compounds, having molecular weight below 150 Dalton, below 180 Dalton, below 200 Dalton, below 250 Dalton or below 300 Dalton and beverage organic compounds having molecular weight above 5,000 Dalton, above 6,000 Dalton, above 7,000 Dalton or above 8,000 Dalton.

According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage product comprises beverage organic compounds that are (i) non-adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145, (ii) having molecular weight below 300 Dalton, and (iii) having molecular weight above 5,000 Dalton; and is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds that are (i) adsorbable to the at least one adsorbent 145, and (ii) having molecular weight in the range of about 300 Dalton to about 5,000 Dalton. According to some embodiments, the isolated beverage product comprises beverage organic compounds that are, (i) having molecular weight below 300 Dalton, and (ii) having molecular weight above 5,000 Dalton; and is substantially devoid of beverage organic compounds that have molecular weight in the range of about 300 Dalton to about 5,000 Dalton.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the isolated treated beverage product is an isolated reduced-sugar citrus fruit or vegetable juice. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the isolated treated beverage product is an isolated reduced-sugar citrus fruit or vegetable juice, the citrus fruit or vegetable juice is selected from the group consisting of: orange juice, grapefruit juice and both. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the untreated fruit or vegetable juice has an initial Brix/acidity ratio, and the isolated treated fruit or vegetable juice has a treated Brix/acidity ratio which is at least 10% lower than the initial Brix/acidity ratio. According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the isolated treated fruit or vegetable juice has a Brix/acidity ratio in the range of 8.5- to 18.5, including each value and sub-range within the specified range.

According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, isolated treated fruit juice further includes fruit juice pulp. According to some embodiments, isolated treated fruit juice further includes fruit juice pulp derived from the same fruit. It is to be understood that “derived from the same fruit refers to the plant genus and not necessarily to the same specific fruit. For example, pulp derived from a first orange (or number of fruits) may be incorporated into the isolated treated fruit juice derived from a second orange (or number of fruits). According to some embodiments, for example in the scenario when the beverage is a fruit or vegetable juice, the method further comprises in step (e) adding fruit juice pulp to the nano-filtered permeate or to the adsorption filtrate.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises in step (e) adding an untreated beverage to at least at least a portion of the treated beverage. According to some embodiments, the at least a portion of the isolated treated beverage is mixed with the untreated portion of the beverage, such that the end product comprises at least 10% by volume of the untreated portion of the beverage.

According to some embodiments, step (e) comprises adding to the isolated treated beverage an additive selected from the group consisting of: a bitterness masking agents, a sweetener, a preservative or any combination thereof.

According to some embodiments, the bitterness masking agent comprises a natural extract selected from the group consisting of: cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, coconut, ginger, licorice and a combination thereof.

According to some embodiments, the sweetener is a carbohydrate or proteinbased sweetener.

According to some embodiments, the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of: date, Stevia, agave fruit, honey, apple, Erythritol, Sweetango, maple, Incredo (Douxmatok), sweelin™ (Amai)and a combination thereof.

According to some embodiments, the sweetener comprises Incredo (Douxmatok), sweelin™ (Amai), or both.

Incredo by Douxmatok is known in the art, and it is an artificial sweetener comprising a modified carbohydrate, sweelin™ by Amai is known in the art, and it is a sweetener comprising a sweet protein.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises mixing the isolated treated beverage with the NF retentate and/or the solids. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention. According to some embodiments, the method further comprises adjusting the pH of the isolated treated beverage. According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage further comprises a pH adjusting agent.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises aseptically filling packets with the isolated treated beverage.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a reduced-sugar beverage prepared according to the method of the present invention. It is to be understood that the “reduced-sugar beverage” refers to the composition of the isolated treated beverage.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a reduced-sugar beverage comprising: beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration and nanofiltration; and is substantially devoid of: beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration but impermeable to nanofiltration, beverage compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration and nanofiltration, wherein the ultrafiltration and nanofiltration are as described in any one of the embodiments of the present invention.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a reduced-sugar beverage comprising: beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and zeolite adsorption; and is substantially devoid of: beverage organic compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration but impermeable to nanofiltration, beverage compounds which are permeable to ultrafiltration and nanofiltration but impermeable to zeolite adsorption, wherein the zeolite has higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids.

All the terms in the embodiment directed to the reduced-sugar beverage can be appreciated in light of the embodiments directed to methods and product, which generally describe beverages. The embodiments directed to reduced-sugar beverage may refer to any one of the specific beverages specified herein and to combinations thereof. According to some embodiments, the beverage is a citrus fruit juice and the citrus fruit juice is selected from the group consisting of: orange juice, grapefruit juice and both. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the beverage further comprises beverage compounds which are impermeable to ultrafiltration. According to some embodiments, the treated beverage further comprises solids extracted from the untreated beverage. According to some embodiments, the reduced-sugar beverage further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of: a bitterness masking agents, a sweetener, a preservative or any combination thereof. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

According to some embodiments, the ultrafiltration is conducted with an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa. According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration is conducted with a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 180-500 Da. According to some embodiments, the nanofiltration is conducted with a nanofiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 300-500 Da.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a method for producing a concentrate of a reduced sugar beverage, the method comprising: (a) providing a beverage; (b) ultra-filtering the beverage through an ultrafiltration membrane, which has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 5-20 kDa to produce an ultra-filtered permeate and an ultra-filtered retentate; (c) nano-filtering the ultra-filtered permeate through a nanofiltration membrane, at a TMP (Trans Membrane Pressure) of at least 10 Bar, wherein the nanofiltration membrane has molecular weight cutoff in the range of 150-500 Da to produce a nano-filtered permeate and a nano-filtered retentate; (d) optionally contacting at least one adsorbent with the nano-filtered permeate to produce an adsorbed composition and a liquid medium, and filtering the adsorbed composition from liquid medium to form an adsorption filtrate, wherein the at least one adsorbent comprises a zeolite, and wherein the at least one adsorbent has a higher relative selectivity for disaccharides than for monosaccharides and, optionally, for organic acids; (e) optionally adding at least one additive to the nano-filtered permeate or to the adsorption filtrate; and (f) isolating the nano-filtered permeate of step (c), the adsorption filtrate of step (d) or the addition product of step (e) as an isolated treated beverage product, which comprises at least 30% less sugar than the untreated beverage prior to step (a); and (g) concentrating isolated treated beverage product to a concentrate of a reduced sugar beverage, which has Brix in the range of 50% to 70%.

It is to be understood herein that the steps (a) to (f) correspond to the steps (a) to (f) of any of the methods described herein and can be performed according to any of the embodiments of the methods described herein. According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage can be the NF permeate. According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage can be the adsorbent filtrate. According to some embodiments, the isolated treated beverage can be the addition product of step (e). It is to be further understood herein that the beverage can be any of the beverages described herein, and concentrating the treated beverage into a concentrate thereof provides a more commercially viable product. For instance, the concentrate can be stored and transported more conveniently than the beverage itself. According to some embodiments, the concentrate of a reduced sugar beverage comprises a concentrate of a reduced sugar fruit or vegetable juice.

According to some embodiments, step (g) includes eliminating a certain amount of water content from the treated beverage to achieve the desired concentrate.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a concentrate of a reduced sugar beverage prepared by the method of any one of the embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, the concentrate has a treated Brix/acidity ratio which is at least 5% lower than the initial Brix/acidity ratio of a corresponding concentrate of the untreated beverage provided in step (a). According to some embodiments, the concentrate has a treated Brix/acidity ratio which is at least 8% lower than the initial Brix/acidity ratio of a corresponding concentrate of the untreated beverage provided in step (a).

According to some embodiments, a corresponding concentrate of the initially provided beverage in step (a) has a brix/acidity ratio of 10 to 17. According to some embodiments, the final concentrate product has a brix/acidity ratio of 10 to 15.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a concentrate of a reduced sugar fruit or vegetable juice which has Brix of up to 65% a brix/acidity ratio of 10 to 15%, including each value and sub-range within the specified range. The Brix and/or brix/acidity ratio of the concentrate of the reduced sugar fruit or vegetable juice depends on the fruit or vegetable juice that it has been prepared from and/or the Brix and/or brix/acidity ratio of the untreated juice initially provided. According to some embodiments, the fruit or vegetable juice is a citrus fruit juice and the citrus fruit juice is selected from the group consisting of: orange juice, grapefruit juice and both. Each possibility represents a separate embodiment of the invention.

EXAMPLES

Example 1 : preparation of a reduced sugar orange juice

Example 1A: ultrafiltration The following steps were taken:

• Assemble the filtration system with a UF membrane with an MWCO of 5kDa- lOkDa.

• Load orange juice NFC into the feed tank.

• Record the initial parameters: volume and Brix of the NFC. o Volume: 10L o Brix: 11.3%

• Drain the dead volume of water out of the retentate line into a beaker and monitor the Brix value, until the Brix is similar to the initial Brix of the NFC in the tank.

• Drain the dead volume of water out of the permeate line into a beaker and monitor the Brix value, until the Brix is similar to the initial Brix of the NFC in the tank.

• Record the drained volume (retentate & permeate). o V retentate 800ml o V permeate 150ml

• Initiate filtration by adjusting the pump pressure, retentate pressure, and retentate flow. Record and monitor permeate flow. o VFD = 35Hz

O P pump ^— 71 psi

O P retentate ^— 65psi

O Q retentate ^— 9 1/min

O Q permeate ^— 1.5 1/min

• Collect the UF permeate into clean bottles.

• At the end of each bottle, record time and Brix value. o 1 ^st bottle: Volume = 2L Brix = 10.3% o 2 ^nd bottle: Volume = 2L Brix = 10.2% o 3 ^rd bottle: Volume = IL Brix = 10.7%

• Upon filtration completion, collect the retentate and record total volume and Brix value. o Volume = 3.5L Brix = 12.9%

Example IB: nanofiltration • Assemble the filtration system with NF membrane with an MWCO of 300- 500Da.

• Load UF permeate from the previous step into the feed tank.

• Record the initial parameters: volume and Brix value of the UF permeate. o Volume: 5L o Brix: 10.3%

• Drain the dead volume of water out of the retentate line into a beaker and monitor the Brix value, until the Brix is similar to the initial Brix of the UF permeate.

• Drain the dead volume of water out of the permeate line into a beaker and monitor the Brix value, until the Brix is stabilized on values between 2.5- 4.5%.

• Record the drained volume (retentate & permeate). o V retentate 600ml o V permeate 100ml

• Initiate filtration by adjusting the pump pressure, retentate pressure, and retentate flow. Record and monitor permeate flow. o VFD = 40Hz o P pump ^— 19psi

O P retentate ^— 21 I psi

O Q retentate ^— 9 1/min

O Q permeate ^— 3 1/min

• Collect the permeate into clean bottles.

• At the end of each bottle, record time and Brix value. o 1 ^st bottle: Volume = 2L Brix = 3.8% o 2 ^nd bottle: Volume = IL Brix = 4.4%

• Upon filtration completion, collect the retentate and record total volume and Brix value. o Volume = IL Brix = 22.5%

Example 1C: adsorption

• Record the NF permeate volume and Brix value. o Volume = 3L Brix = 4.1%

• Weight zeolite Y according to the formula: m zeolite Y = V NF permeate / 10. o m zeolite Y = 300gr

• Mix the NF permeate fraction with zeolite Y. Stir for 30 minutes.

• Pour the solution into a Buchner funnel with a 5- 15 pm filtration paper.

• Initiate the vacuum pump.

• Collect filtratei into a clean bottle. Record the volume and Brix value. o V Filtratei ^— 2.7L Brix = 3.0%

• Add a volume of water according to the formula: V water V Initial NF permeate ^— V Filtratei- o V water 300ml.

• Collect filtrate2 into a clean bottle. Record the volume and Brix value. o V Filtrate2 ^— 300ml Brix = 3.1%

• If the Brix value of filtrate2 is similar to filtratei, combine the filtrates in the same bottle.

• Perform a regeneration process of the Zeolite Y.

Example ID: Final product preparation

There are two options for final product preparation:

1. Mix of UF Retentate & NF Permeate

2. Mix of UF Retentate & Adsorption Filtrate

Example IE: Natural orange sugar - Concentration of NF retentate

• Record the initial parameters: Volume and Brix of the NF Retentate. o Volume = IL o Brix = 22.5%

• Calculate the end volume of the syrup by using the desired Brix value (-65%). o Calculated end volume = 346ml

• Assemble the evaporation system.

• Turn on the heating bath.

• Turn on the pump and slowly decrease the pressure to a value of 50mbar

• Evaporate the required volume in order to get the desired Brix value.

• Slowly release the pressure using the pressure relief valve.

• Collect the sample and measure the Brix. If too high, dilute with the evaporated water. If too low, continue the evaporation process.

• Upon evaporation completion, collect the concentrate and record total volume and Brix value. o Volume = 365ml o Brix = 61.5%

Example IF: Concentration of reduced sugar fruit juice

• A nano-filtered permeate was prepared according to Example IB.

• Record the initial parameters: Volume and Brix of the final product - reduced sugar NFC. o Volume = IL o Brix = 7.9%

• Calculate the end volume of the syrup by using the desired Brix value (-65%). o Calculated end volume = 122ml

• Assemble the evaporation system.

• Turn on the heating bath.

• Turn on the pump and slowly decrease the pressure to a value of 50mbar

• Evaporate the required volume in order to get the desired Brix value.

• Slowly release the pressure using the pressure relief valve.

• Collect the sample and measure the Brix. If too high, dilute with the evaporated water. If too low, continue the evaporation process.

• Upon evaporation completion, collect the concentrate and record total volume and Brix value. o Volume = 125ml o Brix = 63.5%

Example 2: preparation of a reduced sugar orange juice

Example 2A: ultrafiltration (UF) process

The following steps were taken:

• Load 3000kg of orange juice NFC into the ultrafiltration unit having a UF membrane with an MWCO of 5kDa-20kDa.

• Set relevant parameters for UF process.

• Activate filtration.

• Record and monitor process parameters.

• After reaching level of 1750kg in UF permeate tank, stop UF process.

Example 2B: nanofiltration (NF) process

The following steps were taken: • Load the UF permeate into the nanofiltration unit having a UF membrane with an MWCO of 150 - 500 Da.

• Set relevant parameters for NF process. o TMP: lOOpsi

• Activate filtration.

• Record and monitor process parameters.

• After reaching level of 1250kg in NF permeate tank, stop NF process. Example 2C: Final product preparation

The following steps were taken:

• Transfer NF permeate to UF retentate tank.

• Mix NF permeate and UF retentate for 10 minutes. Approximate total weight of 2500kg.

Following analysis were observed:

Example 3 : preparation of a reduced sugar lactose milk.

Example 3A: ultrafiltration (UF) process.

The following steps were taken:

Example 3 A: Ultra-filtration (UF) Process.

• Assemble the filtration system with a UF membrane with an MWCO of lOkDa.

• Load skim milk into the feed tank. o Volume: 10L o Brix: 10.8%

• Initiate filtration by adjusting the pump pressure, retentate pressure, and retentate flow. Record and monitor permeate flow.

• Collect the UF permeate into clean bottles.

• At the end of each bottle, record time and Brix value. o 1 ^st bottle: Volume = 2L Brix = 5.0% o 2 ^nd bottle: Volume = 2L Brix = 5.4% o 3 ^rd bottle: Volume = 2L Brix = 6.2%

• Upon filtration completion, collect the retentate and record total volume and Brix value. o Volume = 3L; Brix = 20.5%

Example 3B: Nano-filtration (NF) Process

• Assemble the filtration system with NF membrane with an MWCO of 150- 300Da

• Load UF permeate from the previous step into the feed tank. o Volume: 6L o Brix: 5.5%

• Initiate filtration by adjusting the pump pressure, retentate pressure, and retentate flow. Record and monitor permeate flow.

• Collect the permeate into clean bottles.

• At the end of each bottle, record time and Brix value. o 1 ^st bottle: Volume = 2L Brix = 0.4% o 2 ^nd bottle: Volume = 2L Brix = 0.6%

• Upon filtration completion, collect the retentate and record total volume and Brix value. o Volume = 1.2L; Brix = 20.7%

Example 3C: Final Milk product preparation

• Mix of UF Retentate & NF Permeate

• Record total volume and Brix value o Volume = 7L o Brix = 7.5%

Example 4: preparation of a reduced sugar beer.

Example 4A: ultrafiltration (UF) process.

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91) ISA/EP Assemble the filtration system with a UF membrane with an MWCO of lOkDa.

• Load beer (Stella / Corona) into the feed tank.

• Record the initial parameters: volume and Brix of the beer. o Volume: 9.9L o Brix: 5.4%

• Initiate filtration by adjusting the pump pressure, retentate pressure, and retentate flow. Record and monitor permeate flow.

• Collect the UF permeate into clean bottles.

• At the end of each bottle, record time and Brix value. o 1 ^st bottle: Volume = 2L; Brix = 3.1% o 2 ^nd bottle: Volume = 2L; Brix = 3.2% o 3 ^rd bottle: Volume = 2L; Brix = 3.4% o 4 ^th bottle: Volume = 1.9L; Brix = 3.8%

• Upon filtration completion, collect the retentate and record total volume and Brix value. o Volume = 1.5L; Brix = 12%

Example 4B: nanofiltration (NF) process

• Assemble the filtration system with NF membrane with an MWCO of 150- 300Da

• Load UF permeate from the previous step into the feed tank.

• Record the initial parameters: volume and Brix value of the UF permeate. o Volume: ~8L o Brix: 3.5%

• Initiate filtration by adjusting the pump pressure, retentate pressure, and retentate flow. Record and monitor permeate flow.

• Collect the permeate into clean bottles.

• At the end of each bottle, record time and Brix value. o 1 ^st bottle: Volume = 2L; Brix = 2.0% o 2 ^nd bottle: Volume = 2L; Brix = 2.1% o 3 ^rd bottle: Volume = 2L; Brix = 2.5%

• Upon filtration completion, collect the retentate and record total volume and Brix value. o Volume = 1.5L; Brix = 6.2%

• Place the NF membrane into a preservative solution.

Example 4C: Final Beer product preparation.

• Mix of UF Retentate & NF Permeate.

• Record total volume and Brix value. o Volume = 7L o Brix = 4.7%

Although the invention is described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that numerous alternatives, modifications and variations that are apparent to those skilled in the art may exist. It is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components and/or methods set forth herein. Other embodiments may be practiced, and an embodiment may be carried out in various ways. Accordingly, the invention embraces all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.