Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Beverage or beverage concentrate
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-26
2003-09-30
Weier, Anthony J. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Beverage or beverage concentrate
C426S456000, C426S512000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06627244
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates not only to green tea compositions and molding matter thereof that retain the taste and the color characteristic of green tea after fresh green tea leaves have been treated with heat and trehalose for the prevention of oxidatio and discoloration and that can fully exhibit the pharmacological effects of catechins and chlorophylls by retaining them at high concentrations, but also to the methods of producing them.
2. Background Art
A recent report has attracted particular attention that catechins contained in green tea have various pharmacological effects, that is, an antioxidant effect for preventing aging, an antimicrobial, antiviral effect, a blood-cholesterol-controlling effect, an anti-vassopressor effect, a hypoglycemic effect, an antidiabetic effect, a platelet aggregation inhibitory effect, a thrombus formation preventing effect, an antineoplastic effect, and an anticarcinogenic effect.
However, the catechins in green tea are converted to brownish substances after undergoing non-enzymatic oxidation although they are converted to theaflavins and other orange-red substances to show bright colors by enzymatic oxidation when green tea leaves are oxidized to black tea by fermentation. This explains a reason that green tea itself is discolored or remains yellowish when hot water is poured on.
Particularly, when left under relatively highly humid conditions, green tea leaves are gradually discolored to brown by the acceleration of non-enzymatic oxidation. Since this discoloration to brown means a decrease in the contents of catechins and chlorophylls, the pharmacological effects of catechins and chlorophylls can hardly be expected of discolored green tea.
Conventionally green teas, mainly sencha (middle-grade green tea) and gyokuro (refined green tea) generally go through the complicated manufacturing processes as described below before they are marketed as final finished products (shiagecha): green tea leaves whose moisture content is 78% by weight are procesed to an intermediate product named aracha (crud tea) whose moisture content is 5% by weight, and then to a final product after sieving and cutting with a cutter.
Green Tea Manufacturing Process
Fresh tea leaf (moisture content: 78% by weight)→(1) steam heat process (for 0.5~1.0 minute)—steamed leaf (moisture content: 78% by weight)→(2) rough rolling process (for 40~45 minutes)—roughly rolled leaf (moisture content: 50% by weight)→(3) second rolling process (for 15~20 minutes)—rolled leaf (moisture content: 50% by weight)→(4) medium rolling process (for 30~40 minutes)—medium rolled leaf→(5) final rolling process (30~40 minutes)—final rolled leaf (moisture content: 12% by weight)→(6) drying process (10~20 minutes)—aracha (crude tea) (moisture content: 5%by weight)
On the other hand, matcha (powdered green tea) is generally made from soft shoots after going through the simplified manufacturing processes as shown below:
Matcha Manufacturing Process
Fresh tea leaf→(1) steam heat process→(2) drying process→(3) powdering process (cutting, sieving, and grinding)→matcha
In the above proceses of manufacturing green tea and matcha, it is essential to go through the heat treatment process, such as the steam heat process, through which the enzymes in fresh tea leaves can be inactivated and grassy-smell of fresh leaves can be removed.
Therefore, catechins and chlorophylls can remain in green tea without undergoing a significant change only when fresh leaves are subjected to heat treatment, such as steaming. Green tea can thus assume a green color.
Again, fukamushicha (thoroughly steamed tea), obtained by subjecting fresh tea leaves to heat treatment, such as steaming, two or three times longer than usual, can be rendered comparatively deep green by extracting chloroplasts that sprang out of slightly destroyed tea leaf cells.
Problems this Invention Tries to Solve
In the case of green tea leaves after steam heat treatment, however, the chlorophyllase in the tea leaves are completely inactivated. Since moisture is further removed after respective later processes that last over many hours, normal oxidation takes place more easily, accompanied by a phenomenon in which the chlorophyll (blue green) contained in the green tea is oxidized to brownish phaeophytin, with the green tea gradually discolored to yellow over time.
In addition, oxidation of other components, including amino acids and catechins, takes place simultaneously with the oxidation of chlorophylls. Those components, such as amino acids and catechins, are lost simultaneously by oxidation.
However, green tea, as in sencha or gyokuro, large in particle size, is not discolored so easily as powdered ones. Particularly in the case of finely powdered matcha and granular green tea, they are vulnerable to oxidation and readily absorb moisture because of their surface areas rendered larger after they have been powdered even if they are manufactured in a short time by the simplified process described above as in matcha. They are therefore prone to undergo oxidative degadation. It was therefore found difficult to preservegreen tea intact for a long time as a deep green one after it has benprocessed into powder or granules.
The tea leaves degenerated by oxidation as described above had to be sold at low prices since the degeneration of green leaves can easily be discerned even by non-professionals from the surface color of tea leaves, and the color, aroma, and taste of tea drawn with hot water.
Such being the case, commercially available powdered green teas have a green color index number of less than 900 even immediately after production, and are mostly discolored to a green color index number of less than 700 when stored for two months after production. Those powdered green teas can hardly be called “green teas”. Moreover, the pharmacological effects of catechins which should have been contained in green tea originally cannot be expected fully of the discolored teas.
On the other hand, it is impossible to mold green tea into various shapes, such as tablets, after it (green tea) has been powdered or granulated unless a molding aid, such as maltose, is blended in an mount greater (70% by weight or more) than green tea components (30% by weight or less). This is because green tea is as low in water content as 3 to 5% by weight. This means that green tea is extremely dry and lacks viscosity so much so that it is difficult to have the green tea maintain its molded shape even if it has been placed in a metal mold and molded under high pressure with the addition of a molding aid, such as maltose.
Usually green tea, generally bar-like, powdered or granulated, is scooped up with a spoon into a teapot or packed separately in a paper bag for putting in a teapot.
However, it is very difficult to weigh and separately pack green tea as it is bar-like, powdered or granulated into paper bags although green tea packed in a paper bag is can be conveniently used. Because of the poor fluidity of green tea in the form of a bar, powder or a granule, it was very difficult or rather impossible to improve packing efficiency in commercial production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
After making stgrenuous researches in how to solve the above problems, the inventor has acquired an expertise in which green tea, even if it is powdered or granulated and has a large surface area, can be prevented not only from oxidation but also from discoloration after a prolonged storage with the addition of a specific compound to it. At the same time, the inventor has acquired another expertise in which green tea, powdered or granulated, can be molded when it is blended further with a comparatively small amount of maltose after blending with a specific amount of trehalose. Based on the above expertises, the present invention has been materialized.
Namely, the green tea composition, the first invention of the present invention, is comprising 100 parts by weight of green tea leaf, and 0.01 to 30 parts by weig
Jinseido Company, Limited
Ladas & Parry
Weier Anthony J.
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