GB2188823A

GB2188823A - Beverage composition

Info

Publication number: GB2188823A
Application number: GB08706697A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Anthony Ford; Alan Howard Draisey
Original assignee: Britvic Corona Ltd
Current assignee: Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd
Priority date: 1986-03-21
Filing date: 1987-03-20
Publication date: 1987-10-14
Also published as: GB8706697D0; GB8607048D0

Abstract

A fruit-based beverage contains light-fadable colouring material, for example from 0.1 to 100 ppm of bixin, which is the principal active colouring ingredient in annatto, from 0.1 to 30% by weight of a fruit-derived cloud, and/or from 0.01 to 1.0% by weight of wax-based cloud, for example from 3 to 7% by weight of disintegrated solid fruit residue, and from 0.3 to 0.7% by weight of wax-based cloud. The beverage has a reduced tendency to colour fade during its normal shelf life.

Description

SPECIFICATION Composition The present invention relates to a beverage composition and in particular to afruit-based beverage having good colour stability.

It is known to use carotenoid colouring agents, such as annatto, in various foodstuffs to impart a yellow or orange colour. Annatto is a particularly useful and inexpensive colouring agent, and it would clarly be advantageousto use it in beverages such as fruit squashes. Hitherto, this has not been a practical proposition since the colour of annatto fades during the shelf life of the beverage. It has now been discovered that by using annatto in a beverage having a natural or synthetic cloud content, the colourfadecan be reduced oreliminated throughout the shelf life, thereby giving the beverage greater consumer appeal.

According to the present invention there is provided a fruit-based beverage which includes a sufficient amount of lightfadable colouring material to providefrom 0.1 to 100 ppm of the active colouring ingredient present in the material, and from 0.1 to 30% by weight of a fruit-derived cloud and/or from 0.01 to 1.0% by weight of an alternative cloud composed of other ingredients.

Preferably,the lightfadable colouring material consists of a naturally occurring material, more preferably annatto. The principal active colouring ingredient in annatto is bixin, and this is preferably present in an amount offrom 1 to 10 ppm.

In order to maintain annatto as a dispersion in the beverage, it has been found necessary to solubilise annatto in a mildly alkaline aqueous solution containing at least 20% of a suitable emulsifier, such as polysorbate 80. A suitable source of solubilised annatto is obtained from Biocon Group, underthetrade name Annatto WSA L1 17, which contains an alkaline extract of annatto together with polysorbate 80 and propylene glycol.

The fruit-derived cloud in the beverage of the invention is obtained in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, and it should be formuiated so as to remain in suspension during the normal shelf life ofthe beverage, without settling out in the container.

The preferred form of cloud comprises a disintegrated solid fruit residue, which may be kept in suspension by comminution or homogenisation and/or by using a gum material. A particularly preferred cloud is ob tained from a communated blend of citrus fruit peel and juice, which is pasteurised and homogenised in known manner.

In addition to, or instead of, a fruit-derived cloud, an alternative, preferably artificial, cloud may be employed which may be any of those conventionally used in the beverage art. A suitable cloud comprises a wax-based material which may be suspended in a gum matrix, such as gum arabic. Examples of suitable wax materials are beeswax, and carnuba wax, and a preferred cloud consists of beeswax stabilised with natural gums, as marketed by Robertet & Cie, Grasse, France underthe designation Cloudifier F/05875.

A mixture offruit-based and alternative clouds has been found to be particularly beneficial in the beverage of the present invention, the mixture preferably containing from about 3 to 7% byweight of disinteg rated solid fruit residue and from about 0.3 to 0.7% by weight of wax-based cloud.

In general, it has been found that the higherthe cloud densitythe morestablethe colourofthecolouring material, and the above amounts of cloud components in the cloud mixture provide the desired density for optimum colour stability.

The beverage ofthe invention may contain other ingredients conventionally used in the art, such as a fruit base, sugar (granulated or sugar syrup), artificial sweeteners (such as saccharin or aspartame), preservatives, acidulents, vitamins (such at vitamin C) and flavouring agents (natural or synthetic). The beverage may also be ready to drinkorcarbonated if desired, in accordancewith knowntechniques.

The beverage of the invention may be manufactured by mixing the ingredients, in known manner, at normal temperature and pressure, and pasteurising the mixture before bottling.

The invention is now illustrated by the following examples.

Example 1 A concentrated fruit drink having the following ingredients was prepared: %wlv Comminuted Orange 10.0 Carbohydrate 22.5 Saccharin (Imide) 0.035 Citric Acid 1.2 Sodium Metabisulphite 0.01 Sodium Benzoate 0.06 Clouding Agent (Robertet Cloudifier F/05875) 0.5 Annatto (Biocon WSA L117) 0.01 Flavouring as required Water q.s.

Example2 Afruit squash having thefollowing ingredients was prepared: %wlv OrangeJuice 26.0 Carbohydrate 22.5 Saccharin (Imide) 0.035 Citric Acid 1.5 Sodium Metabisulphite 0.03 Sodium Benzoate 0.02 Clouding Agent (Clayton & owett Neutral Cloud 7329) 0.5 Annatto (BioconWSAL117) 0.01 Flavouring as required Water q.s.

Example 3 Acarbonated readyto drinkfruit drink having thefollowing ingredients was prepared: %wlv Communated Orange 2.0 Carbohydrate 4.5 Saccharin (Imide) 0.0075 Citric Acid 0.3 Sodium Benzoate 0.007 Clouding Agent (Robertet Cloudifier F/05875) 0.01 Annatto (Pointings NaturalA.S.Annatto Liquid K16294 0.005 Flavouring as required Water q.s.

Carbon Dioxide to 2.5 volumes Example 4 Afruit crush drink having the following ingredients was prepared: %wlv OrangeJuice 5.2 Carbohydrate 4.5 Saccharin (Imide) 0.0075 Citric Acid 0.3 Sodium Beozoate 0.007 Clouding Agent (Clayton & owett Neutral Cloud 7329) 0.1 Apocarotenal (10%WS Roche) 0.01 Flavouring as required Water q.s.

Carbon Dioxide to 2.5 volumes

Claims

1. Afruit beverage which includes a sufficient amount of lightfadable colouring material to providefrom 0.1 to 100 ppm of active colouring ingredient present in the material, from 0.1 to 30% by weight of afruit derived cloud, and/orfrom 0.01 to 1.0% by weight of wax-based cloud.

2. A beverage according to claim 1, in which the lightfadable colouring material comprises bixin.

3. Abeverage according to claim 2, in which the bixin is present in an amountoffrom 1 to 10 ppm.

4. A beverage according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the active colouring material com prises annatto.

5. A beverage according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the fruit-derived cloud comprises from 3 to 7% by weight of disintegrated solid fruit residue.

6. A beverage according to claim 5, in which the disintegrated solid fruit residue comprises a comminu ted blend of citrus fruit peel.

7. A beverage according to any of ofthe preceding claims, which comprises from 0.3to 0.7% by weight of wax-based cloud.

8. A beverage according to any one of the preceding claims in the form of a squash concentrate or ready to drink presentation.

9. A beverage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Example 1.

10. A beverage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Example 2.

11. A beverage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Example 3.

12. A beverage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Example 4.