Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Noncarbohydrate sweetener or composition containing same
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-29
2001-06-12
Weier, Anthony J. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Noncarbohydrate sweetener or composition containing same
C426S658000, C426S590000, C426S597000, C426S599000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06245373
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The subject matter of this case generally relates to that of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/771,096, filed Dec. 20, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,882, issued Nov. 30, 1999, entitled “Sweetener Blends for Raspberry Flavored Beverages” and U.S. Patent Ser. No. 09/072,775, filed May 6, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,602, issued Nov. 2, 1999, entitled “Method of Formulating Acidified Cola Beverages and Compositions so Formulated”.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This patent relates generally to beverage compositions including high intensity sweeteners, and specifically relates to acidified beverages of tea, lemon, mango, strawberry and cranberry flavors sweetened with a blend of acesulfame potassium and aspartame.
BACKGROUND ART
Blends of high intensity sweeteners are known as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,068 to Von Rymon Lipinski el al. Blends of acesulfame K with other high intensity sweeteners tend to exhibit more sucrose-like taste than is otherwise found, although other blends have been disclosed. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,170 for blends of chlorodeoxysucroses with a variety of other high intensity sweeteners, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,189 for blends of saccharin with aspartame and related material.
Fruit beverages may include an acidulant, a flavor component as well as a sweetener. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,232 of Keating at Columns 3-4. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,541 at Column 7, Example 4; and Abstract of Robert F. Baron and Lisa Hanger (Published July, 1996).
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It has been found that certain acidified beverages exhibit superior sensory characteristics when sweetened with a blend of acesulfame potassium sometimes referred to as acesulfame K and aspartame. Beverages in accordance with the invention are formulated with a flavor component selected from tea, lemon, strawberry, cranberry and mango, a high intensity sweetener mixture of acesulfame potassium and aspartame, an acidulant and water. The acidulant is operative to maintain the pH of the beverage at a pH of about 3 or greater, preferably in the range of 3to about 4.
The ratio of aspartame to acesulfame potassium is generally from about 4.5:1 to about 1.5:1 parts by weight, from about 4:1 to about 2:1 being typical. It was unexpectedly found that a ratio of aspartame to acesulfame potassium of 4:1 was particularly preferred for mango beverages while a ratio of 2:1 was particularly preferred for tea, lemon and cranberry beverages.
The acidulant, or acid component, may be any suitable acid, such as phosphoric acid; however, malic and citric acid are preferred in accordance with the present beverage formulations. An alkali metal salt of an organic acid may be added if so desired, preferably in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 0.3 percent by weight. Unless otherwise indicated, percentages appearing below refer to weight percentage of the subject formulation.
The amount of sweetener used in beverages will vary slightly from flavor to flavor. The total amount of sweetener is related to the required sweetness of the final product. The preferred sweetness of each beverage flavor is a function of the beverage industry and consumer demand. It is generally recognized that products similar to the lemon and mango juice beverages tend to be preferred with sweetener levels of about 400 to about 500 parts per million by weight of sweetener. Other beverages had preferred ranges as follows:
PREFERRED SWEETENER
FLAVOR
MIXTURE CONCENTRATION ppm
Tea
250-350
Strawberry
300-400
Cranberry
350-450
In general, it was found that from about 200 to about 500 parts per million by weight of the acesulfame potassium/aspartame sweetener mixture was most suitable.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3780189 (1973-12-01), Scott
patent: 4158068 (1979-06-01), Lipinski et al.
patent: 4495170 (1985-01-01), Beyts et al.
patent: 4915969 (1990-04-01), Beyts
patent: 5380541 (1995-01-01), Beyts et al.
patent: 5500232 (1996-03-01), Keating
patent: 5976602 (1999-11-01), Baron et al.
patent: 5993882 (1999-11-01), Hanger et al.
patent: 195 25 793 (1997-01-01), None
Stempfl, W., Et Al., “Susser Stoff”, Getrankeindustrie, vol. 49, No. 4, 1995, pp. 253, 256-259.
Stempfl, W., Et Al., “Stability of Acesulfame K/Aspartame Sweetener Blends”, Soft Drinks Management International, Sep. 1995 (19995-09), pp. 20-23.
Abstract of Robert F. Baron and Lisa Y. Hanger, published Jul., 1996, entitled Using Acid Level, HIS Blend Ration and Flavor Profiles of Fruit Flavored Beverages.
Baron Robert F.
Hanger Lisa Y.
Ferrell Michael W.
Nutrinova Inc.
Weier Anthony J.
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