Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Beverage or beverage concentrate
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-08-21
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
C426S072000, C426S073000, C426S074000, C426S590000, C426S650000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06277427
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a new beverage which substantially belongs to the group of beverages with a stimulating effect, which are still increasingly popular today, especially with younger people and with those engaged in the work world.
The number of beverages offered in this segment of the beverage market, often at a rapid rate of change, is so great that it is difficult to obtain a systematic overview of the state of the art and future developments.
However, in principle, it can be assumed that the basis of these beverages, most of which are non-alcoholic, is formed by water, and that the substantial components they contain—alternatively or jointly and in varying quantities—consist of caffeine, mineral salts, food acids and aromatic substances, and sometimes ascorbic acid, the latter of which can often be the factor that determines the acceptance or non-acceptance of a beverage; often this is even determined by the consumer's sex, age and/or social group.
There is quite a large number of publications in which such stimulating beverages or beverage combinations are described, whose desired stimulating effect is due to caffeine, ascorbic acid and iron compounds and which may also contain a number of varying supplementary components individually or in many different combinations. These known supplementary components in beverages include vitamins, magnesium salts, calcium, sodium and/or potassium, sweeteners, organic and/or inorganic acids, fruit aroma compounds, and of course also carbonic acid, etc.
Thus, EP 397232 A1 describes beverages fortified with vitamins and minerals, which contain vitamin A in the form of b-carotene, vitamin C and riboflavin. These beverages contain increased quantities of calcium and iron, whereby the iron can be provided in the form of a sugar complex or as a gluconate-ascorbate complex, also as malate, citrate, ascorbate and/or tartrate. The beverages thus described, which are characterized by the high stability of the vitamins, also contain—individually or in various combinations—dextrin, gum arabic, sucrose, fructose, glucose, corn syrup, etc. The beverages also contain the juices of various native or exotic fruits as well as sugar alcohols, vitamins of the B group, sweeteners, caffeine and carbonated water. Their pH may be 2.5 to 5, for example.
EP 511587 A1 relates to a slimness-promoting “edible” composition which may be produced as a food or a beverage and is said to contribute to the breakdown of fat in the body. It contains at least one amino acid, its digestible salts, at least one xanthine derivative and at least one thiamine compound. The xanthine derivative can be caffeine, theophyline or theobromine. Other components of the formula disclosed therein for a beverage are metal salts, citric acid, citrates, vitamins of the B series, maltol, saccharine, aspartame and/or aromatic substances.
WO 91/12734 (PCT/US 91/12734) relates to beverage compositions or concentrates for human consumption which are water-based and contain physiologically important electrolytes, minerals, carbohydrates, sweeteners and food-acid components. The beverages described therein are said to promote in particular the compensation for liquid loss in the body, e.g. as the result of heat or athletic activity.
Some other components of these beverages are iron, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate, phosphate, vitamin C, vitamin E, fructose, glucose, organic acids such as citric acid, and inorganic acids such as citric acid
1
.
Translator's note: The German text lists citric acid as both an organic and an inorganic acid.
It was now found that the addition or the absence of a single, often completely inconspicuous component can decide how the effect of the beverage (whether it be favourable or unfavourable), the speed at which the effect itself is felt and/or the duration of the effect is subjectively perceived by individual consumers and, of course, eventually by a majority of consumers. Another factor—although in this particular beverage sector perhaps only of secondary importance—is the ability of the beverage to produce a thirst-quenching effect (although in some cases perhaps only subliminally) and to make it last.
The task of the invention was to create a beverage which after being consumed will maintain or moderately increase productivity in the broadest sense while generating in the consumer a feeling of general well-being which it is also able to sustain for some time.
In the course of development, a substance known per se was found which in extremely small concentration and in a carefully measured relationship with the other beverage components is able to provide a beverage with the effective characteristics globally specified above.
The object of the invention therefore is a new beverage, in particular a beverage with a stimulating effect, based on caffeine, ascorbic acid, iron in ionic and/or complexed form, organic and inorganic food acids, mineral salts, sweeteners, auxiliary agents, vitamins and aromatic substances as well as water, which beverage contains the above-named substance in a homogeneous mixture or solution characterized in that it contains at least one synergetically effective systemic combination of the three key components caffeine, ascorbic acid and iron—generating a lasting feeling of well-being in a person consuming the beverage—in which combination an additional, i.e. fourth key component is integrated, namely 3,5,5-trimethylhexanal, whereby the four key components are present in the following concentrations in relation to 1 liter of beverage:
Caffeine
100 mg/l to 180 mg/l
Ascorbic acid
200 mg/l to 350 mg/l
Iron
5 mg/l to 10 mg/l
3,5,5-trimethylhexanal
0.5 &mgr;g/l to 1.5 &mgr;g/l
The specific combination which forms the effectiveness centre of the new beverage, namely caffeine, relatively small quantities of iron, ascorbic acid and 3,5,5-trimethylhexanal, which is approved as a food ingredient, if consumed in normal quantities, i.e. in quantities of about up to 1 liter per day, will cause a feeling of well-being while at the same time increasing in consumers their joy of activity and their attention span and improving their ability to concentrate, without the occurrence of the unpleasant side effects of caffeine, namely nervousness or disturbed sleep. As extensive experiments have shown, 3,5,5-trimethylhexanal in the beverage is consciously perceived by consumers only when they are first introduced to it in its pure form. Nevertheless, 3,5,5-trimethylhexanal is appreciated or perceived by the limbic system, i.e. the functionally connected groups of phylogenetically older regions in the nucleus and cerebral cortex of the brain. The limbic system is connected with emotions, vegetative reactions and memory functions and is not controlled rationally.
It was found in numerous trials that this desired basic effect was considerably increased by means of carefully measured doses of the co-components of caffeine and ascorbic acid. It was also found that the added iron was able to considerably prolong the duration of the effect.
In summary, it can be stated that while the substance which actually induces the effect and is largely responsible for it is 3,5,5-trimethylhexanal and while its positive effect with regard to a feeling of well-being did occur without interaction with caffeine, ascorbic acid and iron, this effect was considerably increased through the synergetic participation of the above-named substances, which also meant that the percentage of persons who did actually perceive and appreciate a positive effect on their well-being increased as well.
It was also found that the above-mentioned effect producing a feeling of well-being also depended to quite a large degree on the ratio of the individual key ingredients to each other. It was observed that when the concentration ranges of these key components exceeded or fell short of the stated limits, the effect was not increased and sometimes actually decreased to a noticeable degree.
Thus, an increase in the quantity of one or more indi
Pratt Helen
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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