Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Beverage or beverage concentrate
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-27
2004-03-16
Pratt, Helen (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Beverage or beverage concentrate
C426S074000, C426S573000, C426S578000, C426S590000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06706309
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a water soluble acidity reducing formulation. The present invention is more particularly directed to a liquefied water soluble acidity reducing additive for food and beverage products containing an edible bicarbonate, a soluble binder, water and optionally a preservative.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many individuals are sensitive to high acid-containing food and beverage products, such as fresh citrus fruits, citrus fruit juices, foods containing citrus fruit juices and tomato sauce. In order to consume such foods and beverages without experiencing gastrointestinal pain or discomfort due to the high acid content of ingested foods, individuals having a sensitivity to high acid-containing foods must often ingest a commercially available antacid shortly before or after consumption of the food or beverage product.
Individuals with open mouth wounds and sores are also discouraged from consuming high acid containing food and beverage products to avoid experiencing local pain and irritation to the open mouth wounds and sores.
It is known in the art to provide food and beverage compositions, such as fitness drink powders, sweetener compositions and carbonating agents for coffee, containing both acidulent components and an edible bicarbonate. The addition of an edible bicarbonate to such a composition is usually necessary to raise the pH of the composition due to the addition of the acidulent components.
Eisenstadt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,121 discloses a non-caloric saccharine-based sweetener composition without a bitter after-taste comprising: (a) saccharine; (b) glucono delta lactone; and (c) an edible bicarbonate. The addition of an edible bicarbonate to the sweetener composition is necessary to raise the pH of the composition due to the addition of the glucono delta lactone.
Metz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,115, discloses an improved chemical acidogen system for foodstuffs, such as bovine milk and soybean milk to produce coagulated protein food products including cottage cheese, baker's cheese, cream cheese and “tofu” (soybean curd). The chemical acidogen system comprises hydrogen peroxide and an aliphatic dione having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, such as glyoxyl, pyruvaldehyde, diacetyl, 2,3-pentadione and 1,2-cyclohexanedione. Throughout the acidification process, the pH of the milk solutions are progressively lowered at a controlled rate to the protein coagulation stage (usually at a pH below 5.0) by the acid produced by the oxidation of the dione component of the acidogen system. The reference further discloses an embodiment of the chemical acidogen system comprising hydrogen peroxide, pyruvaldehyde and carbon dioxide-releasing sodium bicarbonate that may be added as a substitute for yeast in the leavening process for bakery products.
Vialatte nee Geolier, U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,778, discloses a composition for the deacidification of malic acid containing food liquids comprising: (a) calcium carbonate; (b) potassium bicarbonate; (c) calcium tartrate; and (d) calcium double salt of tartaric and malic acids to cause precipitation of tartromalate from the liquid. The reference discloses that the potassium bicarbonate is included to promote the elevation of the pH of the solution.
Prinkkilä et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,237 discloses a fitness drink powder comprising: (a) a long chain glucose polymer; (b) sodium chloride; (c) sodium bicarbonate; (d) magnesium chloride; and (e) fruit acid, wherein said drink powder has a pH of 5.5 to 5.8.
Canton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,591, discloses a dry mix additive for a hot coffee beverage which induces a foam on top of the coffee. The dry mix additive comprises: (a) a sugar, such as monosaccharides including glucose and fructose and disaccharides including sucrose, maltose, lactose and mixtures thereof; (b) sodium bicarbonate; (c) a two-component releasing agent, wherein the first component is selected from the group consisting of monocalcium phosphate, fumaric acid and citric acid and wherein the second component is selected from the group consisting of sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium aluminum sulphate and dicalcium phosphate dihydrate; and (d) a hydrating agent, such as food-grade starch, gelatinized starch and unmodified cornstarch. The releasing agent reacts with sodium bicarbonate in a hot beverage to release carbon dioxide gas, thus resulting in a foaming effect.
It is, therefore, desirable to develop a liquefied water soluble, edible acid-reducing formulation capable of raising the pH of high acid-containing food and beverage products, such that individuals sensitive to high acid-containing foods and beverages can consume them without having to also ingest a commercially available antacid composition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a liquefied water soluble acidity reducing formulation containing an edible bicarbonate, a binder, water and optionally a preservative.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a liquefied water soluble acidity reducing formulation that does not contain any acidulent components.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method to raise the pH of a consumable food or beverage product before consumption of said food or beverage.
These and other of the foregoing objects, together with the advantages thereof over the art known relating to acid reducing food formulations, which shall become apparent from the disclosure which follows, are accomplished by the invention as hereinafter described and claimed.
In general, the present invention provides a liquefied water soluble acidity reducing formulation comprising an edible bicarbonate, a soluble binder, water and optionally a preservative, wherein the liquefied acidity reducing formulation does not contain any acidulent components.
The present invention further provides a liquefied water soluble acidity reducing formulation for food and beverage products consisting essentially of an edible bicarbonate, a soluble binder, water and optionally a preservative.
The present invention further provides a method for raising the pH of a consumable food product before consumption of said food product comprising: mixing with said beverage, an effective amount of a liquefied, water soluble acidity-reducing formulation comprising: (i) an edible bicarbonate; (ii) a soluble binder; (iii) water; and (iv) optionally, a preservative, wherein the formulation substantially excludes acidulent components.
The present invention further provides a method for raising the pH of a consumable food or beverage product before consumption of said food or beverage product comprising: mixing with said food or beverage, an effective amount of a liquefied water soluble acidity reducing formulation consisting essentially of an edible bicarbonate, a soluble binder, water and optionally a preservative.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a liquefied water soluble acidity reducing formulation comprising an edible bicarbonate, a soluble binder, water and optionally a preservative. Preferably, the formulation substantially excludes acidulent components. Most preferably, the liquefied, acidity-reducing formulation of the present invention consists essentially of sodium bicarbonate, a cornstarch binder and water. The main advantage of the present invention is that individuals sensitive to high levels of acidity may add the liquefied acidity reducing formulation of the present invention to a food or beverage product prior to consumption to avoid having to ingest an antacid before or after consumption of high acid-containing foods and beverages. Addition of the liquefied acidity-reducing formulation of the present invention to a highly acidic food or beverage product allows individuals with open mouth sores to comfortably consume the acidic food or beverage without irritation to the mouth wounds and sores.
The term “edible bicarbonate” used throughout the specification refers to the bicarbonate salts, such as sodium bicarbonate, po
Pratt Helen
Renner Kenner Greive Bobak Taylor & Weber
LandOfFree
Liquefied water soluble acidity-reducing formulation for... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Liquefied water soluble acidity-reducing formulation for..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Liquefied water soluble acidity-reducing formulation for... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3227245