Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Product with added plural inorganic mineral or element...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-24
2004-03-09
Pratt, Helen (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Product with added plural inorganic mineral or element...
C426S573000, C426S590000, C426S599000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06703056
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to beverage compositions which comprise arabinogalactan and one or more defined minerals without compromising taste, appearance, stability, and bioavailability.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Beverage compositions are important for a variety of consumer benefits, for example, hydration, refreshment, energy, relaxation and, of course, nutritive benefits. Mineral supplementation is common in the field of beverage compositions. For example, it is quite common to deliver fruit juices supplemented with calcium or other essential minerals for various nutritive purposes. However, mineral stability can be a serious problem when formulating beverage compositions with minerals, causing such formulation to be either unfeasible or unacceptable due to insolubility and, ultimately, instability of the desired mineral supplement. In such beverage compositions, the mineral will ultimately settle to the bottom of a container which holds the composition. For example, Barey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,190, assigned to Systems Bio-Industries, issued Feb. 2, 1999, discloses compositions used for stabilizing non-milk, acidic beverages. Barey further discloses that, in addition to the stabilizing compositions described therein, additional mechanisms such as complexing agents are essential wherein calcium is introduced to the composition. It would therefore be quite desirable to provide a composition suitable for stabilizing minerals which avoid the problems known in the art, as exemplified by Barey.
It is additionally well-known that delivery of adequate levels of dietary fiber and minerals is a challenge that remains to be solved. For instance, providing a composition containing one or more minerals (e.g., calcium) and one or more soluble dietary fibers (e.g., pectin or psyllium) causes problems such as gelling, increased viscosity, flocculation, separation, and decreased mineral bioavailability.
An additional problem related to mineral-supplementation of beverage compositions relates to problematic organoleptic properties associated with such minerals, such as significant off-flavors. Such problems are readily apparent to the consumer and will often preclude the consumer from ingesting a mineral-supplemented composition. It would therefore be additionally desirable to provide a composition which overcomes these problems.
Quite surprisingly, the present inventors have discovered that the above described problems are overcome through combination of a fiber known as arabinogalactan with one or more minerals. This arabinogalactan fiber is useful for providing a dietary fiber benefit to the consumer, as well as additional benefits in the field of immune function. It is therefore quite exciting that this fiber may be used not only to provide these benefits, but to overcome problems associated with mineral and fiber interactions, stabilization of minerals, and organoleptic properties of these minerals. In addition, use of a fiber to attempt this purpose would ordinarily result in increased viscosity and likely unacceptability of the final beverage product. However, it has further been found that the arabinogalactan fiber is not precluded from use due to any problems associated with viscosity. In fact, the beverage compositions of the present invention provide excellent viscosity which is acceptable to the consumer. This and other benefits of the present invention are described herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to beverage compositions comprising:
a) a first component which is arabinogalactan; and
b) a second component comprising one or more minerals selected from the group consisting of zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, selenium, iodine, and fluorine.
The present compositions are useful to provide beverages which increase the stability and enhance the organoleptic properties of minerals, as well as deliver the benefits of fiber, one or more of the defined minerals, and/or provide other health benefits, including fighting infection, promoting healthy bacteria, and providing a desired dietary fiber benefit. The present compositions deliver dietary fiber and important minerals without the commonly observed problems associated with simultaneous delivery of dietary fiber and minerals including, for example, gelling, viscosity, separation, metallic aftertaste, astringency, and poor bioavailability. These and other benefits of the present invention are described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Publications and patents are referred to throughout this disclosure. All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.
All percentages and ratios are calculated by weight unless otherwise indicated. All percentages and ratios are calculated based on the total composition unless otherwise indicated.
All component or composition levels are in reference to the active level of that component or composition, and are exclusive of impurities, for example, residual solvents or by-products, which may be present in commercially available sources.
Referred to herein are trade names for components including various ingredients utilized in the present invention. The inventors herein do not intend to be limited by materials under a certain trade name. Equivalent materials (e.g., those obtained from a different source under a different name or reference number) to those referenced by trade name may be substituted and utilized in the methods herein.
In the description of the invention various embodiments and/or individual features are disclosed. As will be apparent to the ordinarily skilled practitioner, all combinations of such embodiments and features are possible and can result in preferred executions of the present invention.
The methods herein may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of any of the elements as described herein.
Compositions of the Present Invention
The present invention is directed to beverage compositions comprising:
a) a first component which is arabinogalactan; and
b) a second component comprising one or more minerals selected from the group consisting of zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, selenium, iodine, and fluorine.
The present compositions are useful to provide beverages which increase the stability and enhance the organoleptic properties of minerals, as well as deliver the benefits of fiber, one or more of the defined minerals, and/or provide other health benefits, including fighting infection, promoting healthy bacteria, and providing a desired dietary fiber benefit. These and other benefits of the present invention are described herein.
First Component
The first component of the present compositions is arabinogalactan. Arabinogalactan is a polysaccharide which varies in molecular weight from low molecular weight polymers to large macromolecules. Arabinogalactan is also commonly referred to as larch gum, larch wood sugar, galactoarabinan, L-arabino-D-galactan, and stractan. Arabinogalactan is obtained from several plant and tree sources including, for example, the genus Larix (also referred to as Larex) which may contain up to about 35% of arabinogalactan within the total heartwood of some species. See Stout, “Larch Arabinogalactan”,
Industrial Gums
, R. L. Whistle Ed., Academic Press, New York, pp. 307-310 (1959). Preferably, the arabinogalactan used herein is derived from tree sources of the genus Larix, particularly the species referred to as the Western larch (
Larix occidentalis
). Non-limiting examples of arabinogalactan sources include the Western larch (
Larix occidentalis
), Tamarack (also referred to as the Eastern larch,
Larix larcicina
), Alpine larch (
Larix lyallii
), European larch (
Larix decidua
), Mongolian larch (
Larix dahurica
), Japanese larch (
Larix leptolepis
), and Siberian larch (
Larix siberica
). Numerous other trees, woody plants and root crops also contain arabinogalactan as part of their cell wall. For example, other suitable sources of arabinogalactan include hemlock, black spruce, douglas fir, cedar, juniper, sugar maple, radishes, carrots, onions, soy bean, a
Manchuso Scott Edward
Mehansho Haile
Mellican Renee Irvine
Nunes Raul Victorino
Spence Kris Eugene
Chuey S. Robert
McDow-Dunham Kelly
Pratt Helen
The Procter + Gamble Co.
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