Patent Application
20230148631
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to European patent application 21383037.5 filed on Nov. 16, 2021, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a brewable beverage in a cold liquid and controlled effervescence and more particularly, to a tonic substitute.
Tonic originates from shamans and healers from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, who were the first to use quinine. Tonic, these days, is a type of refreshing beverage, characterized by its bitter taste and in that it contains large quantities of gas. In the past, the original used only to consist of two ingredients, carbonated water and quinine. Later, they started to add two other ingredients, citric acid and sugar, to mask the bitter taste of the quinine.
Quinine, (C20H24N2O2) is a natural, white, crystalline alkaloid with antipyretic, antimalarial and analgesic properties produced by some species of the genus Cinchona. It has a very bitter taste and is a stereoisomer of quinidine. It has traditionally been used to combat the effects of malaria. It is responsible for the bitter taste of tonic.
Carbonated water consists of carbonic acid (H2CO3), which is responsible for its fizzy form. Citric acid is a tricarboxylic organic acid. It is present in most fruits, especially in citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges. Its molecular formula is C6H8O7. Within tonic, its function is to counteract the bitter taste of quinine.
Sucrose, whose chemical formula is C12H22O11, is, in the broadest use of the word, called sugar, also known as <<common sugar>> or <<table sugar>>. Sugar can be classified according to its origin (from sugar cane or beet), but also according to its degree of refinement or its characteristics. For example, white sugar, brown sugar, icing sugar, among others.
Tonic, therefore, is a carbonated soft drink with quinine. Quinine is an alkaloid extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree and has digestive and nervous antipyretic, analgesic and anti-malarial tonic properties-hence the name of the beverage. Notwithstanding, being a carbonated beverage, it generates a large amount of gas during consumption, which can be annoying or harmful.
Spanish patent application publication number ES2283170 for PROCEDURE FOR THE OBTAINING OF A SODA WATER SOLUBLE CARBONATE describes a process for obtaining a water-soluble carbonated soft drink, characterized by mixing a proportion by weight of 1.58 per cent saccharin, 2.74 per cent cyclamate, 0.61 per cent aspartame, 8.53 per cent sodium bicarbonate, 26.81 per cent malic acid, 3.66 per cent citric acid, 3.05 per cent CMC-Na, 46.31 per cent dextrose and 6.70 per cent aroma plus colour authorized according to specific purity criteria for food products. The concentrate is divided into doses suitable for at least one consumption, and in the case of powders, granules or syrup, it is deposited into molds that will mark the shape and dimensions of the product. The extracts can be caffeine, orange, pineapple or tropical fruit.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,107 for EFFERVESCENT BEVERAGE POWDER AND TABLETED BEVERAGE COMPOSITIONS describes that it has now been found that the mixture of tartaric acid, citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, with a weight ratio of approximately 2:1:4, respectively, is an effervescent pair that is especially useful for the preparation of solid flavoring materials that dissolve by themselves, producing, after the addition of water, delicately flavored beverages such as coffee, tea and the like. Surprisingly, this particular weight combination of tartaric and citric acids and the salt resulting from the effervescent action does not make the soft beverages unpalatable. The taste of coffee prepared from tablets containing this effervescent pair and an extract of dry coffee is, for all practical purposes, indistinguishable from coffee prepared from the extract per se. A particular advantage of the tablet form in contrast to a granulated flavour extract is, of course, the ability to prepare, reproducibly and conveniently from the tablets, a cup, jug, pot etc., of the beverage with the desired concentration. In addition to the solid flavoring or extract and the effervescent pair, one or more ingredients such as sugar, artificial sweeteners, powdered cream and the like can be added.
Published international application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) number WO 01/00038 A1 for AN EFFERVESCEENT GREEN TEA EXRACT FORMULATION provides a water-soluble formula in a solid state in granular or tablet form. The formulation is a natural product formulation containing an extract of green tea plant extract in combination with other ingredients that create an effervescent liquid composition when the formulation is dispensed in a liquid. The liquid form of administration, as well as the effervescent properties of the dissolved formulation, increase the bioavailability of the beneficial components of the green tea plants, such as polyphenols, increasing the rate and amount of absorption in the human body. The formulation may include additional components such as plant extracts, vitamins, ionic minerals and substances that are supposedly beneficial to health.
Finally, published international application under the PCT number WO/1997/29642 for EFFERVESCENT TABLET OBTAINED FROM AROMATIC PLANT INFUSION EXTRACT describes an effervescent tablet including 38.13% sodium bicarbonate, 35.97% citric acid, 8.33% anhydrous sodium carbonate, 0.90% saccharin sodium and 16.67% concentrated extract of aromatic herbs, as well as an authorized effervescent excipient. The water must be hot or warm.
However, none of the documents mentioned in the state of the art describes a brewable beverage in a cold liquid made from different aromatic botanical vegetable and/or fruit species, in addition to other ingredients that can replace tonic beverages in their individual use as a soft drink or in combination with high-proof beverages such as gin.
This invention relates to a range of infusions (brewable beverages) that can be substitutes for tonic in their individual use as a soft drink or combined with alcoholic beverages. The products claimed in this invention are differentiated from tonics known in the state of the art in that they do not contain gas or added sugars, as well as an innovative format. In addition, the product is brewable both in cold water, and in a high-proof beverage, at a temperature equal to or below room temperature, providing the desired sensory attributes in the resulting beverage.
The resulting product will be differentiated from the reference beverage by not adding gas to the resulting beverage. In addition, it will include effervescent ingredients in order to enhance the aromas of the final product. The selection of the ingredients responsible for providing the aromas and flavours is fundamental as they are key to sensory acceptance by consumers. Therefore, one objective of the invention is to develop a range with different sensory nuances, made from a selection of botanical vegetable or fruit species that, in an optimal proportion, provide a taste and smell to the final beverage. In addition, a controlled effervescence will be developed to enhance the appreciation of flavors and aromas without generating gas during consumption.
Therefore, one objective of the invention is to select ingredients capable of forming the new infusions, as well as those responsible for producing the effervescence. As well as to study and design the conditioning treatments of the ingredients, in order to ensure correct dispersibility and solubility in the liquid mixture, and to be able to achieve sensory attributes that can be satisfactorily accepted by consumers. Therefore, a stage of exhaustive study of botanical and effervescent ingredients was required in order to undertake the most suitable selection, as well in terms of conditioning technologies, in order to optimize their stability within the bag and their behavior during infusion.
These objectives are achieved with a composition according to claim 1. Particular and/or preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims. As well, additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
In the development of the brewable beverage of the invention, different ingredients were investigated. The tests conducted to obtain the optimal final composition of the brewable beverage are detailed below.
On the one hand, the flavoring ingredients that will make up the infusion were analyzed and, on the other hand, the ingredients that will provide a controlled effervescence that will optimize the nuances of aroma provided by the aforementioned ingredients and offer consumers a complete experience. As basic ingredients, in terms of flavor, it was deemed essential to have those ingredients capable of providing the typical bitterness of tonic, as well as sweeteners that provide sweetness to the product. The following ingredients were therefore selected:
Due to the large number of combinations and flavors currently used in the production of mixed drinks with tonic, specifically gin and tonic, a first extensive selection of ingredients was made to study all the possibilities in the development of the products. This selection was possible thanks to the analysis performed in the previous task, the following flavoring compounds being those selected: juniper, rose hip, orange, lemon, lime, ginger, blueberries, strawberries, fruits of the forest/red berries, turmeric, hibiscus, basil, parsley, passion fruit, celery, lavender, liquorice, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, orange blossom, peppermint, black pepper, vanilla, mango, green coffee, rooibos. These ingredients were sought in any of their available formats, such as aromas, extracts, plants, etc. They could also come from the peel or bark, pulp, leaves, flower or root.
The combination between them, as well as the doses of each one, would be defined in subsequent formulation design tasks, from which a final selection of the flavoring ingredients to be used based on the results obtained in the organoleptic evaluations.
The mechanism of action of the effervescence is achieved by a simple reaction that occurs between an acid with a sodium carbonate or bicarbonate in the presence of water. Below, an example is described in which bicarbonate and water react initially, giving rise to a hydrogencarbonate ion (HCO3−) and the sodium ion (Na+). It is this hydrogencarbonate ion that reacts with an organic acid and gives rise, among other compounds, to carbon dioxide, a gas that forms small rising bubbles that explode on contact with air. Due to the fact that this reaction takes place with a minimum quantity of water, both the production and preservation of the product range to be developed must be designed to minimize contact with water.
Effervescence is a phenomenon that occurs between a weak acid and a salt, as mentioned above. This chemical reaction is dependent on different factors which must be monitored and evaluated in the development of the brewable mixture. The main factors that affect it are the temperature of the dilution medium, the concentration of the reagents and the contact surface of the particles responsible for developing this phenomenon. For this reason, the technical strategies proposed for the search for controlled effervescence are detailed below:
Based on everything studied, in order to provoke the effervescence reaction in the range of products to be developed, combinations of different ingredients would be tested, with the objective of evaluating the type of effervescence they produce, as well as the possible contribution of flavors. Those selected were the following:
Next, a study was carried out on those requisites or possible conditioning treatments that would be required to adapt the ingredients that would make up the brewable mixture, mainly seeking optimum humidity and granulometry, so as to favour their solubility in the liquid medium, providing consumers with pleasant sensory nuances in a given time, reminiscent of the refreshing beverage.
First of all, knowing that the product was intended for cold infusion, it was necessary to consider several critical points:
Therefore, bearing these aspects in mind, it was important to know both the size of the particle on which the ingredients were to be processed and the format of the infusion bag, considering both the pyramid-shaped nylon bag and the filter paper bag for the subsequent tests. The final selection would be made in subsequent tests after performing the relevant tests. On the other hand, based on the company's experience, as well as bearing in mind the importance of particle size for cold infusion, the parameters initially defined in terms of particle size were:
These are the ideal sizes for the company's production, both for good infusion and packing. Therefore, all the ingredients are ordered in these size ranges from the suppliers and are checked upon reception by means of a sieving process.
Should larger particle sizes be required, a combination of grinding and sieving techniques would be used to obtain these optimal dimensions, according to the type of ingredients. These techniques will initially be tested in the laboratory, so that the information collected can subsequently be passed on to the ingredient suppliers. The equipment used will be mills of different capacities, in order to achieve smaller granulometries, which will need to be classified using sieves.
If, on the other hand, the particle size is smaller than the limitations imposed by the infusion bag format, other types of technique, such as encapsulation or compaction should be used to form agglomerates. A possible example could be quinine or effervescent ingredients, which are usually available in a low granulometry.
Encapsulation systems are usually applied to fruit juices due to their physico-chemical properties, thus achieving better results. This technique is normally used to monitor the mechanisms of material transfer and its kinetics for different purposes, such as achieving a prolonged release over time, as well as improving performance during infusion, thus obtaining a continuous or sustained dosage over time, the attributes of the ingredients lasting longer in the beverage. Another of its functions could be to protect the ingredients from moisture absorption, a very critical requirement in this type of product, both for prolonging the useful life of the products and improving their performance.
On the other hand, the possibility of achieving the formation of an agglomerate to achieve a larger granulometry for some of the ingredients has also been studied. There are different methods of achieving granulation:
In these densification techniques by means of the compression of the powdered ingredients, another ingredient with a binding function is often required, the moisture content of the mixture also being an essential control parameter in order to facilitate the pelletisation process. For this reason, an analysis of the most frequently used binders in the manufacture of tablets was also conducted in order to select those that could be used, should it be necessary to use this technique:
The possible disadvantages of adding a binder would be:
As well as bearing these factors in mind, it was necessary to analyse if each binder required a solution for its use, or whether they could be used dry. The binders initially considered as the best option were methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and maltodextrin.
However, other possible treatments to be applied and which would be borne in mind in subsequent activities once product development began, were dehydration and freeze-drying, which were performed on fruits. These techniques are normally used due to the fact that excessively hygroscopic final products are achieved with other alternatives, which can cause product deterioration problems.
Firstly, dosage tests were performed individually for each flavoring ingredient to ascertain the organoleptic characteristics it provides, especially color, smell and taste in order to be able to design the most suitable combinations, as well as which attributes are enhanced or minimized with each one of them. The flavoring products are those previously indicated and have been tested in various proportions between 5 and 30%, depending on the intensity of their characteristics. In the tests, a sensory analysis was performed in the liquid medium, as well as a verification of the granulometry, and whether there was any kind of leakage from the infusion bag as a result.
Thus, it has been possible to determine the dosage ranges in which each of the ingredients is desired so that, in subsequent tasks, they can be mixed together. These dosage ranges are as follows: juniper: 3-8%, rose hip: 2-5%, orange: 4-12%, lemon: 4-10%, ginger: 3-6%, blueberries: 8-15%, strawberries: 8-15%, turmeric: 3-5%, hibiscus: 5-10%, basil: 5-7%, fruits of the forest: 8-15%, parsley: 5-7%, passion fruit: 8-15%, celery: 4-8%, lavender: 1-5%, liquorice: 1-5%, cinnamon: 5-15%, cardamom: 5-10%, star anise: 4-8%, orange blossom: 8-12%, peppermint: 3-5% and black pepper: 0.5-2%.
Once the ingredients and characteristics are known, a battery of tests was performed with combinations of these ingredients, adjusting each combination with different doses of the ingredient mixture in order to define the combination of tastes and adjusting the color, smell and taste of each of the ingredients. These batteries of tests are developed by mixing the ingredients, homogenizing, bagging and sealing. Once the samples have been prepared, they are placed in a glass with 200 ml of cold water to check the infusion. The samples are evaluated at various times, a few minutes after placing the bags in the water, after 30 minutes and after 60 minutes. This procedure is due to the purpose of the product, since, when used to accompany alcoholic beverages, the bag will remain for a long time in the consumer's glass or beaker. This has made it possible to detect certain problems in some of the formulations, for example, that, with the passage of time, some of the recipes designed gave a very dark color to the beverage, or an excessively intense taste, for which reasons these formulations were discarded or modified in future tests.
After performing each test, each formulation was evaluated organoleptically, taking the attributes of color, smell and taste into account. In general, the main conclusions obtained for each taste were the following:
In these first tests, in general, little intensity was detected in the flavors when they were taken in the cold infusion, which is why it was decided to evaluate other flavors, as well as other types of formats, which would enable these sensory nuances to be improved, such as different cuts or particle sizes.
Thus, based on the research in previous tasks, the following combinations were proposed: rooibos and vanilla, ginger and mango, red berries, chai, ginger and orange, green coffee, green tea and lemon and other citrus fruits.
These flavors were generally popular, and most were deemed to be pleasant, however, the flavor intensity was still considered insufficient, which is why it was decided to increase the quantity of spices added to the bag, establishing a dosage of 45-50% for the flavoring ingredients. After performing the organoleptic evaluations with this increased dose, red berries, ginger-mango, citrus fruits and rooibos-vanilla were finally selected, as they were liked in terms of color, flavor and smell, and the combinations of chai, green coffee and ginger-orange were discarded
For the selection of the effervescent ingredients, it was decided to test a combination of an effervescent ingredient as a source of acids (ascorbic, tartaric, malic or citric acid) and as a source of carbon dioxide (micronized calcium carbonate, ultra-calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, ammonium carbonate or sodium carbonate).
These ingredients have been tested in solution both individually, to check if they provided any type of strange color, smell or flavor not desired in the final product, since, as we have seen above, the combination of a carbonate with an acid produces an effervescent effect.
The method for performing these tests was the same as the one that will be performed later for the final products, since, in this way, the effectiveness and the required functionality are checked.
Therefore, tests were initially performed packing 2.5 g of each one of the ingredients from the above list into an infusion bag and immersing it in 200 ml of cold water, which will be the final method of use of this product. The following were therefore tested:
Thanks to these tests, sodium bicarbonate is selected as the ingredient to mix with the acids and produce the effervescence. However, it is observed that, depending on the packaging bag used, there is a slight loss of the ingredient, which is unacceptable. Thus, it was considered necessary to apply some of the techniques previously indicated, such as encapsulation and agglomeration.
Regarding the selection of acids:
As a result of these tests, citric acid and tartaric acid were considered as ingredients to combine with sodium bicarbonate to produce effervescence. However, they had to be evaluated together with the rest of the ingredients. Once the chosen ingredients, sodium bicarbonate and citric or tartaric acid, are combined in different proportions, it is found that the material that the bag is made of is not suitable for effervescence to be produced in the liquid but remains in the bag almost entirely. Therefore, another type of bag, a pyramid-shaped bag made of nylon, which may be more suitable for this type of product, is tested. Finally, tartaric acid was selected as, in combination with bicarbonate, it produced a more effusive effervescence. After performing tests in different proportions, it is found that the optimal doses for producing effervescence and for other flavouring ingredients to be incorporated, are the following ranges:
Once this task was reached, all the information acquired in the previous stages was available, and it was during this task that the formulas deemed to be the best were optimized, making all the necessary adjustments to the formulations, to subsequently carry out their pilot scale-up. It was at this point that recipes were formulated with all the flavoring, sweetening and effervescent ingredients that would make up each prototype. For the final definition of the formulations, sensory and behavioral analysis was conducted, both in cold water and in combination with a spirituous beverage (gin) with the following attributes:
The final formulations validated at laboratory scale were as follows:
For the taste tests, the procedure established was as follows:
1. Introduce the infusion bag into the glass.
2. Add 1 cube of ice, placed on top of the bag.
3. Add gin. (30 ml)
4. Add cold water. (150 ml)
5. Taste after 10 minutes.
In the case of the effervescent ingredients (tartaric acid and sodium bicarbonate), prior processing is required in order to obtain an agglomerate (pellet), and to avoid any kind of product leakage from the bag. Therefore, the agglomerates have the following composition:
Of note, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes”, and/or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
As well, the corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21383037.5 | Nov 2021 | WO | international |
