Field of the invention The present invention is directed to a liquid tea concentrate which will be diluted before consumption. In particular, the present invention is directed to a liquid tea and honey concentrate which addresses flocculation upon storage for prolonged periods of time in either the concentrate or the diluted state. Background of the invention

Recent consumer trends indicate preference for flavored water over plain water for palatability. While various flavored water enhancers are in the market, none deliver significant tea and honey solids, in a concentrated liquid form, which is preservative free and acid stable against flocculation.

Flocculation or cream formation in liquid tea products has long been a problem. From a consumer perspective, flocculation is not aesthetically pleasing and may be perceived as microbial fouling of the beverage. The factors that affect cream formation are concentration of polyphenol and caffeine, pH, temperature, metal ions and polymeric materials like proteins and polysaccharides. Control or elimination of one or more of these components will reduce the kinetics of flocculation in tea. Conventionally, use of stabilizing agents can reduce the size of the tea based particles thus reducing the visual impact of flocculation.

Concentrates based on tea prepared with cell wall lysis enzymes are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,036,982 and 6,413,570. U.S. Patent Nos. 5,919,500 and 5,952,023 and U.S. Patent No. 5,925,389 disclose enzymatically treated black tea extract. While these patents had covered the stability of this enzyme treated tea powder/concentrate in acidic environment, none of them had covered the stability of very concentrated tea solids in an extremely acidic environment and in the presence of honey.

However, as more "natural" and appealing tea products are sought by consumers, there is a need to eliminate the use of stabilizers and preservatives and/or produce a substantially clear liquid product.

Summary of the invention The present invention is based on the unexpected discovery that cell wall degrading enzyme treated tea is the only tea powder than can withstand the extreme conditions of the concentrated product described herein, as well as the reconstituted product formed from the concentrate. In particular, claimed is a liquid tea and honey concentrate composition comprising: tea solids from cell wall degrading enzyme treated tea, naturally containing polyphenol; honey; glycerin; food grade acid to bring the pH to about 2 to less than about 3; is substantially preservative free; and stable for at least about 22 weeks and, preferably at least about 12 months to at least about 15 months.

The composition of the tea and honey concentrate is about 1 % to about 16% tea, preferably about 3%; about 1 % to 50% honey, preferably about 10% to about 30% honey, more preferably about 20% honey; glycerin; food grade acid; and other optional components, including but not limited to flavor and/or color. The concentrate is formulated at a low pH of less than about 3, preferably about 2 to less than about 3, more preferably about 2.3 to about 2.8 depending on the flavor variety and other ingredients present. To maintain a clean label and the goodness of tea perception, the concentrate composition is substantially preservative free. The reconstituted product includes a meaningful level of about 0.02% to about 0.15 wt.% tea solids, preferably about 0.04% to about 0.12 wt.% tea solids.

Honey contains proteins and sugars which significantly aggravate the conditions for flocculation.

Total solids level in the concentrate is about 55% to about 75%, preferably about 65%. Alternatively, the solids level in the concentrate can be expressed in Brix from about 50 Brix to about 70 Brix, preferably about 60 Brix.

Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction, physical properties of materials and/or use are to be understood as modified by the word "about." All amounts are by weight of the final composition, unless otherwise specified.

The term "Brix" is meant to include a measure of total dissolved solids content.

Comprising, as used herein, is meant to include consisting essentially of and consisting of. In other words, the term is defined as not being exhaustive of the steps, components, ingredients, or features to which it refers. All ranges identified herein are meant to include, implicitly, all ranges subsumed therein if reference to the same is not explicitly made. The term "conventional tea powders" as used within the meaning of the present invention means tea powders not treated with enzymes such as cell wall degrading enzymes.

Flocculation, as used herein in connection with liquid tea concentrates and reconstituted liquid tea products, is normally referred to as tea cream and/or particle formation and/or sedimentation and/or haze. Once the particles are formed, the liquid no longer appears clear, and thereby results in undesirable visual impact. The observed flocculation is sometimes abbreviated herein as "Floe." It has now been determined that pH, concentration and temperature are rate determining factors for flocculation.

The term "stable" as used within the meaning of the present invention means physical stability upon storage at ambient conditions as evidenced by lack of flocculation. Stable as used herein means stable for a period of at least about 22 months, preferably at least about 12 months to at least about 15 months.

Substantially, as used herein, means about 0.01 % more or less.

Tea leaf, as used herein, means tea leaf prior to extraction. Tea solids, as used herein, means tea solids dissolved in extract, in concentrated extract, or soluble solids in dried extract.

All percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified. Detailed description of the invention

A composition of natural, substantially clear, liquid tea and honey concentrated form composition is provided, which is preservative free and acid stable against flocculation, even in the absence of stabilizers. The concentrated liquid is designed for dilution to form a reconstituted product by drop-wise dispensing of the concentrate into water, thereby forming a finished reconstituted beverage product.

The composition of the tea and honey concentrate is about 1 % to about 16% of unique tea solids, preferably about 3% tea solids; about 1 % to 50% honey, preferably about 10% to about 30% honey, more preferably about 20% honey; glycerin; food grade acid; and other optional components, such as including but not limited to flavor and/or color. The concentrate composition is substantially preservative free. The reconstituted product includes a meaningful level of about 0.02% to about 0.15 wt.% tea solids, preferably about 0.04% to about 0.12 wt.% tea solids.

The concentrated liquid product is prepared at very acidic pH of less than about 3, preferably about 2 to less than about 3, more preferably about 2.3 to about 2.8 depending on the flavor variety and other ingredients present.

The concentrated liquid is stable against flocculation at the acidic conditions for extended periods of time, e.g. over about 22 weeks, preferably at least about 12 to at least about 15 months. The reconstituted liquid product, formed by dilution of the concentrated liquid, is also stable for about 1 week, preferably about 1 to about 2 days. Preferably the tea and honey concentrate, as well as the reconstituted product, are stable for about 12 months.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the flocculation observed when using conventional tea powders is caused the interaction of polyphenols (from tea) and polymeric sugar and protein (from honey) within a high acid system (low pH). It has been proven that cell wall degrading enzyme treated tea powder is the only tea powder that can withstand the extreme conditions for the concentrated liquid product, i.e. very acidic pH, very high honey content, and very high tea solids content.

Tea Solids

It was found that conventional tea powders, Black and Green, exhibited flocculation in the tea and honey concentrate and/or in the reconstituted beverage on storage, even upon cold storage for short periods of about 48 hours. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that, upon storage, colloidal particles aggregate to form Floe. For example, a complex of polyphenol and caffeine, which are both naturally found in tea, is believed to result in flocculation in beverages.

Therefore, specially treated tea powders are used for purposes of the present invention to ameliorate flocculation.

Black or green tea leaf, or a combination, may be used as a starting point material. Preferably, green tea leaf is used. Green tea is known to contain polyphenols. Green tea mostly contains monomeric catechins and a small amount of oligomers such as proanthocyanidins. Proanthocyanidins are known to bind to proteins causing flocculation in beverages. Specially treated tea powders may be prepared as follows: brewing of tea leaves, extraction with water to form tea leaf extraction slurry (no tannase is used), separating the liquid extract from extracted tea leaf, and spray drying/evaporation of the liquid extract to form tea powder. The tea is treated with cell wall degrading enzymes applied either directly on tea leaf or on tea leaf extraction slurry to form the specially treated tea powder.

The tea and honey concentrate is formulated with about 1 % to about 16% of the tea solids, preferably about 3% tea solids. A meaningful level of at least about 0.02% tea solids is included in reconstituted product, and may be included up to about 0.15 wt.% in the reconstituted product. Preferably, the reconstituted product contains about 0.04% to about 0.12 wt.% tea solids. Cell Wall Degrading Enzyme

Cell wall degrading enzymes are selected from the group consisting of cellulase, hemicellulase, pectinase, dextranase, protease, lysozyme, lipase, and mixtures thereof.

Among suitable cell wall degrading enzymes are CELLUCLAST, ACAGAIN, and VISCOZYME, all available from Novozymes. Preferred cell wall degrading enzyme is VISCOZYME brand, a mixture of enzymes.

Honey

Honey contains proteins and sugars which significantly aggravate the conditions for flocculation. Honey can be analyzed to find that it has predominantly simple sugars, 80 wt.% glucose, fructose and sucrose. Honey also contains polyphenols and high molecular weight proline-rich proteins. Although not much was known about the effect of honey in tea based drinks on flocculation, without wishing to be bound by theory, honey was now found to contribute proline-rich proteins which, upon interaction with polyphenols from tea (particularly green tea), contribute to flocculation. It is further believed that low pH accelerates flocculation. Pectins and caffeine are also believed to interact with the above components to induce flocculation.

Honey is included in the tea concentrate in amounts of about 1 weight percent to about 50 weight percent, preferably about 30 weight percent. Honey is available from Blossom Hill or Dabur Ltd. Acidic Conditions

Any food grade acid may be used, such as including but not limited to citric, malic, sorbic, succinic, and/or tartaric acids.

Preferably the acid is citric and/or malic acid, due to the complementary flavor profile. Citric acid is available from Sigma Chemicals.

A stable liquid concentrate is formulated at pH of about 2 to less than about 3, preferably about 2.3 to about 2.8

The reconstituted beverage has a pH of about 5.

Bulking Agent

Bulking agent is included in the concentrate composition. Suitable materials are glycerin/glycerol, sorbitol, propylene glycol (PEG's) and mixtures thereof.

Preferred is glycerin, I. P. grade, available from Mediplus Pharma Lab, Bangalore, India.

Glycerin contributes to the total solids content of the concentrate, and therefore the reconstituted product as well. The level of bulking agent in the concentrate should be at about 10% to about 60%, preferably about 25% to about 55%.

Aqueous Water makes up the balance of the concentrate composition. Generally, the water content in the concentrate is about 30 %. The diluted beverage will be consumed immediately or will be stored for about 1 to 2 days by consumers. Dilution may be about 5 fold (i.e., 1 :5) to about 60 fold (i.e., 1 :60) in cold water at about 4 deg. C to about 10 deg. C. Preferably, dilution is 30 fold (i.e., 1 :30).

The Concentrate

A tea and honey concentrate is formed by mixing all ingredients. A finished beverage is formed by dilution of the tea and honey concentrate with water.

To maintain the goodness of tea perception, the concentrate composition is substantially preservative free; substantially free from corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup; and substantially free from stabilizers (such as gums). Preferably, the concentrate consists essentially of tea solids, honey, glycerin, food grade acid, and water.

Total solids level in the concentrate is about 55% to about 75%, preferably at least about 60%, more preferably about 65% to about 67%. Tea solids, honey and glycerin contribute to the total solids content.

The tea and honey concentrate has a high total dissolved solids from about 50 Brix to about 70 Brix, preferably about 60 Brix.

Optional but Preferred Components

Optional but preferred components include sweetener, flavorants, and food grade colorants. Colorants considered as natural are preferred, such as caramel color and carrot juice extract for redness.

As an optional but preferred feature, the inventive concentrates are resistant to microbial degradation, as well as being able to maintain flavor and color over long storage periods.

The examples below are provided to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. The examples are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Examples

In summary, conventional green teas tested failed the flocculation test when combined with a meaningful amount of honey. Only one green tea tested worked: Viscozyme treated on

(a) Leaf; and/or

(b) Extract.

EXAMPLE 1 - Honey Causes Flocculation with Conventional Tea Powder

This experiment demonstrates that substantial amounts of honey cause flocculation in an otherwise stable conventional green tea extract at pH of about 2.6.

No floe was observed in w/o honey formulations of reconstituted conventional green tea extract at pH of about 2.6. Honey was added to comprise 14% of the reconstituted tea-honey mixture, at a pH of about 2.6. Flocculation was visually observed.

The data are summarized in the Table below.

TABLE 1

1 - Conventional tea powder, available from Martin Bauer Company.

2 - Conventional tea powder prepared by brewing of tea leaves, extraction to form tea leaf extraction slurry, and spray drying/evaporation to form a tea powder.

As can be seen from the table above, green tea liquid products exhibited no flocculation in the absence of honey. Addition of honey resulted in flocculation. Where flocculation was observed in the Table above, it occurred in both tea concentrate and in the reconstituted beverage. Th is example demonstrates that honey significantly contributes to flocculation of tea concentrate and prepared beverage.

EXAMPLE 2

This example demonstrates that tea powder that is treated with Viscozyme can overcome the extreme conditions for flocculation caused by honey and pH of 2.6 as demonstrated in Example 1 . The data are shown in the Table below.

TABLE 2

The results are further illustrated with reference to the accompanying figures.

FIGURE 1A is a representation of EXAMPLE 2; Sample AB003 concentrate, after 48 hours of storage at ambient temperature. Brownish muddy sediment, or Floe, may be observed in the concentrate after storage. FIGURE 1 B is a representation of EXAMPLE 2; Sample 607k concentrate, after 48 hours of storage at ambient temperature. Brownish muddy sediment, or Floe, may be observed in the concentrate after storage. FIGURE 1 C is a representation of EXAMPLE 2; Sample 2A. FIG. 1 C-1 is for concentrate, after 48 hours of storage at ambient temperature. FIG 1 C-2 is for reconstituted beverage (4g per 8 fl oz water) after 48 hours of storage at ambient temperature.

FIGURE 1 D is a representation of EXAMPLE 2; Sample 2B. FIG. 1 D-1 is for concentrate, after 48 hours of storage at ambient temperature. FIG 1 D-2 is for reconstituted beverage (4g per 8 fl oz water) after 48 hours of storage at ambient temperature. Both the concentrate and the reconstituted beverage appear clear and free from flocculation.

While the present invention has been described herein with some specificity, and with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous variations, modifications and substitutions of that which has been described which can be made, and which are within the scope and spirit of the invention. It is intended that all of these modifications and variations be within the scope of the present invention as described and claimed herein, and that the inventions be limited only by the scope of the claims which follow, and that such claims be interpreted as broadly as is reasonable. Throughout this application, various publications have been cited. The entireties of each of these publications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.