AND PRODUCT"

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to a process for manufacturing a "crystal clear" cold water soluble, chill stable, and acid stable ready-to-drink tea, as well as to the product produced thereby.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The production of cold water soluble ready-to-drink iced tea beverages which are crystal clear, cold water soluble and stable when the formulation is acidified for balanced fruit flavors and/or microbiological stability has been difficult to achieve, when using either fresh brewed tea solids or instantized tea ingredients. When all natural, real brewed tea based products are to be produced, preparation of clear beverages is especially difficult due to tea cream formation and acid instability. This is especially evident when the preferred black teas are employed.

Cold extraction of vegetable matter is disclosed in German patent application DE 3203100A1 disclosure date 8/4/83 and Canadian patent 927664.

A cloud system for beverage mixes containing methoxy pectin is disclosed in U.S. 4,529,613.

JP 4045744 discloses ultrafiltration of green tea to preserve it by removing high molecular weight components one of which is pectin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Preparation of instant teas is well known in the art and generally involves extraction of tea through innumerable well known processes. The extract may then be treated enzymatically or chemically to render it soluble in cold water and to, in some cases, develop desirable color. The extract is also preferably clarified by known means such as filtration or centrifugation. The extract is then concentrated and dried preferably to a level of 5% moisture or less again by means known to the art. Preparation of tea solids for subsequent dissolution is disclosed in, for example, GB patent 2,208,096A and U.S. 3,666,484 both of which are incorporated by reference herein.

In one embodiment of this invention such powdered instant teas are substantially dissolved in water to form tea solutions which are then treated according to the processes of the invention with gum arabic.

In another embodiment the invention also involves the extraction of tea or blends of tea, preferably low creaming black teas at temperatures of less than 180VF using a preferred water to leaf ratio of 4:1 to 30:1 preferably in a fixed or static bed extractor. The tea extract, which can be black, green, oolong or mixtures of these is used to formulate a "ready to drink" tea beverage at pH 4.5 or below. The amount of tea extract used to formulate the beverage is regulated to provide a concentration of tea solids in the beverage of 0.3% or less. Sweeteners, acids and other flavors can be added to achieve beverages with desired flavor characteristics.

Gum arabic according to the invention is added at a beverage concentration of 50-500 ppm to impart improved flavor and produce acid stability.

In one aspect the unique combination of low temperature extraction of low creaming teas in a fixed bed extractor to create a tea extract free from leaf fines, the use of this extract to deliver tea solids to a beverage at 0.3% or less and the addition of the selected gum arabic results in the preparation of all natural brewed tea based ready-to-drink products. The product, produced using this process, whether instant tea or fresh brewed tea extract is employed, can be packaged into cans, bottles or brick packs by thermal processing or by the use of preservatives for microbiological stability. These products remain substantially crystal clear and free from sedimentation when stored under refrigerated or ambient temperatures for at least 6 months. In addition, the product prepared using this inventive process is significantly preferred when tested using research panels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Instant teas prepared by methods well known to those skilled in the art can be used to advantage with the process of the invention. Most instant teas when used to create acidified ready-to-drink beverage develop haze and floe upon storage.

Black teas, particularly those selected to have a low cream index and which produce highly colored infusions are essentially preferred for the process but, of course, Green and Oolong teas may also be employed if appropriate care is taken.

Preferably, black tea with the above characteristics is

extracted with water at a temperature of about 6θV to 180V at water to leaf ratios of from about 4:1 to 30:1. Higher or lower water to leaf ratios could be employed but are impractical. It is preferred to extract the tea at about 90°F at a water to leaf ratio of 10:1.

The extraction process is conducted in a vessel such as a column where tea leaf remains static or fixed as a bed of from 6 inches to 20 inches, but most preferably 14-15 inches. Extraction of the tea leaves in such a static bed allows for good yield of tea solids and the resulting extract is substantially free of insoluble materials. Extraction of the tea as a loose leaf in agitated extractors such as a kettle or in continuous extractors can also produce extracts of the desired chemical composition and flavor for producing the desired low creaming ready-to-drink beverage but require additional processing through equipment such as centrifuges or filters to remove leaf fines. Extraction of the tea at low temperature selectively removes desirable tea flavor components, color, and results in a polyphenol profile which will not form tea cream when formulated into beverages at a tea solids level of 0.3% or less. When black teas which are high cream formers are extracted at low temperature, or black teas are extracted at elevated temperatures, these teas will form cream in beverage formulations

Unless the cream is removed or the tea is treated using chemicals or enzymes. These steps are costly and result in loss of tea flavor.

Preparation of tea beverages either instant or fresh brewed with fruit flavors requires acidification to a pH of 2.5-4.5 to result in formulations with a desirable flavor balance. Fruit flavored beverages prepared from either brewed tea

solids or instant tea solids when rendered cold water soluble by methods known to those skilled in the art can be initially clear, especially if the extraction process described above is followed, but gradually develop haze. Sedimentation of solids from these beverages occurs after storage for periods of time ranging from as short as a week to as long as 6-12 weeks. The haze and sediment which forms is not typical tea cream but rather is an insoluble complex which forms as a result of exposure to acidic conditions below about pH 4.5. The formation of this insoluble complex, which results in floe and haze is accelerated by elevated temperature (120V&") and is retarded by refrigerated storage. This insoluble complex is different from tea cream which is chiefly composed of caffeine and the tea polyphenols, theaflavins and thearubigens. This complex is low in caffeine and contains high molecular weight materials of 1000 daltons or more. The floe and haze resulting from this complex can be solubilized by raising the pH of the solution above about 4.5 but rapidly returns when the beverage is acidified below about pH 4.5. It has been found that the addition of gum arabic at concentrations from about 50 ppm to 500 ppm on a beverage basis preferably 100 to 300 ppm will significantly reduce the development of haze and prevents sedimentation of material from beverages in the pH range of 2.5 to 4.5. Beverages prepared using either the instant tea or the tea extract from the process described above will remain crystal clear and sediment free when formulated at pH 4.5 and below. It the addition of gum arabic to tea beverage formulations well significantly improve the acceptability of the product when evaluated for flavor using research test panels.

In practice the acidified tea beverages can be stabilized by the addition of 50-500 ppm of gum arabic such as on a beverage basis. Higher levels of gum arabic can be employed but induce

changes is flavor and beverage acceptability. The gum arabic for example is solubilized in water and can be added to the tea solution prior to acidification or following addition of flavoring components and acid. It is preferred to add the gum arabic prior to acidification to provide the maximum benefit of the gum arabic. The gum arabic could also be dry blended with the tea leaves and rendered soluble during the extraction process. The resulting beverage can be packaged and preserved by the addition of antimicrobial agents such as sodium benzoate and sorbic acid or by thermal processing.

Gum arabic or acacia is a dried gummy exudation obtained from the stems and branches of Acacia Senegal (L.) Willd and is described in a Monograph entitled Food Chemical Codex 1984 page 7 and in Lewis, R.J. Food additivies Handbook New York van Nostraand Reinhold (1989) AQQ 500 page 66. Methods for analysis of acacia can be found in "Gums and Stabilizers for the Food Industry 4" Ed. by Phillips et al. IRL Press Washington D.C. pages 489 to 496 (1988) . This gum has been described as a natural polysaccharide having a molecular weight of 240,000 and has been used in food for various purposes such as Emulsifier, flavoring agent, formulation aid, humectant, stabilizer, surface finalizing agent and thickener in many different types of foodstuffs at various levels. It is a heteropolymolecular substance consisting of molecules differing not only in molecular mass but also chemically in the relative proportion and mode of linking of the monomer sugar units. The gum contains galactose, arabinose, rhamnose and glucuronic acid residues and the main structural feature is a backbone of -galactopyranose units linked through the 1,3 positions with side chains of 1,6 linked galactopyranose units terminating in glucuronic acid or 4-0-methyl glucuronic acid residues. In addition it has been found that there is a small amount of protein present within the material which

forms an integral part of the structure.

EXAMPLE 1

Fresh brewed extracts of black tea were prepared by extraction of 500 pounds of low creaming black tea blend. The tea was filled into a cylindrical column extractor 5 feet in diameter by 3 feet in height. The bed of tea when filled into the extractor had a bed height of 10 inches. Water at 90V was sprayed onto the surface of the bed of tea until 600 gallons of water was added. The resulting brewed tea extract was used to prepare a syrup from which ready-to-drink beverages would be prepared. The beverage syrup was formulated by adding 1461.25 grams of high fructose corn sweetener to 720 grams of black tea extract followed by the addition of a lemon flavor system. Water was added to adjust the final volume to 12.5 Kg. The syrup was split into 5 batches of 2400 grams. Various amounts of gum arabic (0.06 g, 0.12g, 0.24g, 0.36g, and 0.0 g (control) were each first dry blended with 4.608 grams of citric acid and the resulting blend dissolved into a 2400 g batches of beverage syrup. The beverages were hot packed into 16 ounce glass bottles at 190V . The products were placed into storage at 120 ¹ /F and evaluated for development of cloud and for flavor quality.

After one week of storage the control product without gum arabic had begun to develop a significant quantity of haze and showed slight sedimentation. The samples containing gum arabic all were substantially clearer than the control and were free from sediment. All gum arabic samples were tasted versus control products and were found to be unaffected by the addition of the gum arabic hydrocolloid.

All parts, percentages and proportions contained herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.

It is understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in the light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application and the scope of the appended claims. All parts and proportions herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.