Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Beverage or beverage concentrate
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-16
2002-08-27
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
C426S330300, C426S335000, C426S532000, C426S599000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06440482
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to polyphosphates and to methods for their preparation. In particular, this invention relates to polyphosphates with a high potassium to sodium ratio, which are useful in the preparation of low sodium beverages as well as meat and other food products in which sodium reduction is desired.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many beverages provide an excellent environment for rapid microbial growth because microorganisms can rapidly proliferate by feeding on nutrients present in the beverage. Fruit juice, for example, an important component of many beverages, provides an excellent medium for the growth of microorganisms. Consequently, controlling microbial growth in packaged beverages, especially those that are stored under ambient conditions, is an ongoing concern among beverage manufacturers.
Although beverages can be maintained under ambient conditions if they are heat pasteurized during packaging (hot packing) or are packaged under completely aseptic conditions (aseptic packaging), not all beverages can packaged by these methods. Hot packing, which involves heating the beverage and its container to a temperature between about 85-105° C. during packaging so that the resulting sealed beverage contains no food spoilage microorganism, is unsuitable for manufacturing certain types of beverages. Hot packaging is commonly used in the manufacture of beverages that are canned or bottled in glass containers, but flexible containers made from high density polyethylene, for example, cannot be subjected to the temperatures used during hot packing operations. Although packaging under completely aseptic conditions produces a beverage free of food spoilage microorganisms, aseptic packaging methods are often unsuitable for manufacturing beverages packaged in certain beverage containers, e.g., rigid containers such as glass and cans.
In addition, a sterile environment is difficult to maintain during the packaging operation. Frequent cleaning of the packaging line, which is time consuming, expensive, and frequently ineffective in preventing microbial contamination, is necessary.
Because these methods cannot be used for all types of beverages and because these methods sometimes do not produce a beverage that is free of microorganisms, preservatives, such as sorbates, benzoates, and organic acids, are often added to inhibit microbial proliferation.
However, when used at the levels necessary to inhibit subsequent microbial proliferation at ambient temperatures, preservatives often contribute an off-flavor to the beverages. But, when used at concentrations sufficiently low to avoid an off-flavor, preservatives are generally unable to effectively inhibit the growth of many food spoilage microorganisms.
Sodium salts of phosphoric acid derivatives, especially food grade sodium hexametaphosphate, have been used with preservatives to enhance the potency of preservatives so that lower levels can be used, thus improving taste. Calderas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,940, incorporated herein by reference, for example, discloses the use of polyphosphates in combination with sorbate preservatives in dilute juice beverages having relatively low water hardness.
However, addition of sodium salts to beverages increases their sodium content and makes them unacceptable to users who require a low sodium beverage. Commercially available potassium polyphosphate salts, often collectively referred to as “potassium Kurrol's salt,” are highly polymerized, crystalline polyphosphates, typically containing 400 to 20,000 polyphosphates units. Although these materials contain high levels of potassium, they are not acceptable for beverage applications because they contain large amounts of insoluble material. Thus, a need exists for polyphosphate salts that contain a high potassium to sodium ratio and a low level of insoluble material and are effective in controlling microorganisms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment the invention, a beverage containing a mixed sodium potassium polyphosphate glass with a high potassium to sodium ratio and a low level of insoluble material is provided. The mixed sodium-potassium polyphosphate glass has the formula (K,Na)
(n+2)
O(PO
3
)
n
, and contains less than 10% by weight insoluble material. These materials are effective in controlling yeast and mold growth. The beverage comprises about 100 ppm to about 3000 ppm of a polyphosphate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
High Potassium Polyphosphate
Long chain polyphosphates in which the sodium to potassium ratio is 0.5 to 3.8 and in which n is greater than 10 are effective in controlling microorganisms and have sufficient solubility to be useful in beverage applications. These materials can be used to decrease sodium content of beverages, making them more acceptable to users who require a low sodium beverage.
In the following description “M” represents potassium, sodium, or a mixture of potassium and sodium. (K,Na) represents a mixture of potassium and sodium. Those skilled in the art will recognize that in phosphate salts these components are mono-positively charged ions. For example, MH
2
PO
4
represents monopotassium phosphate (KH
2
PO
4
), monosodium phosphate NaH
2
PO
4
), or a mixture of these materials; and MOH represents potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or a mixture of these materials, i.e., (K,Na)OH.
The polyphosphate has the following composition:
(K,Na)
(n+2)
O(PO
3
)
n
(I)
the ratio of potassium to sodium is about 0.5 to 3.8, preferably 1.0 to 3.8, more preferably 2.4 to 3.6;
the average value of n is greater than 10; and
at least 85% of the phosphate species comprise more than three phosphate units.
The polyphosphate contains less than 10% by weight, preferably less than 5% by weight, a material that is insoluble in aqueous solution (i.e., material that is not soluble in cold water). A 1% solution of the polyphosphate in water has a pH of about 7.0 to about 7.2. X-ray analysis indicates that the polyphosphate is amorphous. In dilute aqueous solution (1%) the polyphosphate is as stable to hydrolytic degradation as sodium polyphosphate.
The ratio of potassium to sodium is about 0.5 to 3.8, preferably 1.0 to 3.8, and more preferably 2.4 to 3.6. Above a potassium to sodium ratio of 3.8, excess insolubles, which make the material unacceptable for use in beverage applications, are present.
The average number of polyphosphate units, n, is greater than 10, preferably greater than 12, and up to about 100.
Preparation of aqueous solutions of mixed polyphosphates by ion exchange is described in Iler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,557,109. However, this process produces an aqueous solution, not a glassy solid.
The glassy mixed polyphosphate of this invention can be prepared by the following reaction:
A mixture of monopotassium, phosphate, monosodium phosphate, and potassium and/or sodium hydroxide is prepared. The potassium/sodium ratio of the mixture should be the same ratio that is desired in the glassy polyphosphate product. Preferably, no ions other than sodium, potassium, the ions derived from phosphate (i.e., H
2
PO
4
−
, HPO
4
−2
, PO
4
−3
), and optionally, hydroxide, are present. If desired, water may also be added to the mixture. For the preparation of polyphosphates for use in beverage applications, food grade materials are preferred.
The (K,Na)/P ratio should be between 1.0 and 1.6, and is adjusted for the desired value of n. The smaller the value of this ratio, i.e. the closer this value is to 1.00, the higher the average value of n.
As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, a mixture containing the appropriate amounts of potassium ions, sodium ions, and phosphate ions can be obtained by partially or completely replacing one or more of these components with other materials, such as phosphoric acid, dipotassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, etc. Phosphoric acid in which the phosphate is already partially polymerized, i.e., 115% phosphoric acid, etc., may also be used. For example, an appropriate mixture
Henson Lulu S.
Marcolini Darlene A.
Amos Ahaji K.
Astaris LLC
Coburn LLP Thomas
Pratt Helen
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