GB2414648A - Carbonated tea - Google Patents

Abstract

A process comprises the production of carbonated "tea". This would be a process where tea (defined below) is brewed with hot water and then carbonated or infused with carbon dioxide gas to produce a fizzy drink, most likely enjoyed cold as an iced tea over ice, although not necessarily. The process of carbonating the beverage will be done by the usual method of infusing the liquid with CO2 gas to produce the carbonation. The carbonated tea targets camellia sinensis (what is considered true tea), but also what is generically termed as "tea" (and/or an infusion), but is commonly considered tea in the general nature of what the public considers and/or perceives as tea. This includes tea proper (camellia sinensis), but could include a variety of added flavourings and colours; and tea infusions with added flavourings (i.e. Earl Grey Tea [oil of Bergamot], lemon flavoured green tea,), including stabilizers and preservatives (for shelf life) as well as various types of sweeteners. Milk/dairy products could also added. This tea could include various ratios of tea concentrate to water it will also relate to the addition of catechins and the presence of caffeine and/or the addition of caffeine for a stimulant and an alertness benefit.

Description

Carbonated Tea beverage Definitions he term 'beverage" refers to a ', eacy

t^ sense e' drinkable "tea" that,nc!udes al! tea associations lo, ewes in,-o water and i. .T used wits carbon dioxide gas Rea! tea is to be used by brew;rne and stran;,,g These could be produced as sows from! a r, !anufactur!ng process. Gon.tair,ers o, tn.e beverage could be bottles or cans or some such other container that wii! hold!qud To define tea. the word tea" Is used generically for a wide va,,ety of infusions Including tea proper (cameilra sinensis) r At also other forms of what would r e cor,sde, ed tea ge,nera!!y and to In Clyde he, Us and fruits. xYaJ!!e the major thrust w!!l be in carbonating cel!e s noses (which would!nc!ude green tea [unfermented!,, oolong tea isem,i-fermented and Lack tea fui!y-fermented]) it would also,ncluc,e related plants and,,erbs including tb,e caneilia c, arcssus plant (White "tea"' and others inclciding the South African Rooibos tea (Re Rooicos tea, see the ctefnton e!ow.) Other herbs can nc!ude (but not Cited tot camom,ie, peppermint, spearmint, etc' Co!ours could include ar, y readily avai,ab!e properly regulated food colourings Stabilizers could include Cut not!'n.rted to) Citric Acid Monobydrate, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate Patio of stab,izers to vVater could be (but not limited to) Citric Acid (1 %) Potassium Sorbate (.03/0 to.1 %) Sodium Benzoate ( 025 to.1 %) Milk/dairy products could be (but not!mted to) milk solids and/or milk powders, rank denvatves, milk fats and/or milk proter,s Flavours could be (but riot l,mted to) properly regulated natural food flavorers readily available Ratio o; flavours to water would vary depending upon other factors ncludin,g the type of tea, amount of sweeteners, f!avourings, etc Ratio of tea and/or tea infusion and/or tea solid and/or herbal tea infusion to water avail ciepend on ton type o f lea product being used and the amount of sugars andlor added flours Carbonation occurs when carbon dioxide gas is added to a water-based!iquo The carbon dioxide reacts cherncaliy with the water molecules to form carbonic and as follows: C02 + H20 => H2G03 (carbonic acid). This IS the acid that stimulates ones tongue when a carbonated beverage Is consumed. (For efficient carbonation, a low concentration of dissolved 02 [as well as N2j could be, or not be cQns!de, ed. 02-cieoxygenaton could be anticipated or not prior to t! ,e actual carbonation J Ratio of carbonation to water could be (but not limited tot 1% to 4% or more Sweeteners can nciude compounds that produce a sweet taste. These could Include what are considered by the general population a s sugars (or derivatives), natural herbs 'such as 'Sterna Extract'\. ,,atura!!y produced sYeeteners foul n d In fruits (such as fructose) artfcai sweeteners such as Phenylalan!ne (found In Equal), anchor a combination of these.

Patio of sugars to water will depend on the tea being processed and the added flavours and/or co!ourings Regarding p' balance as it relates to stability - 4% (but not!m!ted to) Cescr!ption of Roo!bos nor,.i tea (ROOIOQS.mesns'red bush' In Afnkeans) The story of Rooibos starts around the turn of the century In South Afnc-'s Gedarberg region It was the locals of the area who first discovered that the fine needle-like leaves o, the wild Aspilalbus L!nearis plant made a tasty and aromatic tea. it was they who first harvested the plants, chopped them with axes and bruised them with hammers leaving them to ferment before drying In the sun. Roobos is a herb that contains no caf,fene and those who consume Roo, bos have clairr,ed that it has a soothing effect on headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns and dsestve problems.

Rooibos seeds are planted during February and March They are tended for 18 months after which they are harvested T oday, the cut Roibos Is bound and milled to a uniform length, then bruised between rollers to trigger the ermeniato, ! process, Rich results in.,n c hcirac.er!sc 'favor and sweet aroma ml (about 7 ounces) of brewed Pocibos cvntclns the fo!,owng nutrients Nutrient Function per 200ml Calcium (Ga) Necessary for strong teeth and bones 1.09 mg Copper (Cu) Assists certain metabolic processes O. Q7 mg Fluoride (F) Necessary for strong teeth and bones 0.22 mg Iron (Fe) Essential for the transport of oxygen in the blood 0.07 mg Magnesium (Mg) Assists a healthy nervous system 1 57 mg Manganese (Mn) Assists metabolic processes and bone growth 0 04 mg Potassium (K) Assists certain metabolcfunctons 712 mg Zinc (Zn) Necessary for the normal growth of healthy skin 0 04 mg Note Matcha tea is even healthier. !\/atcha has been the healthiest natural beverage known since its discovery over gOO years ago. Japanese Matcha Is the oldest and most premium variety of Japanese green tea and it has the highest concentration of antioxdants, chIorophyl!, vitamins and mnerais compared to all other mainstream beverages In existence. T he nutritional value of one serving of Matcha (2 grams) contains essential vitamins and minerals that contributes to a healthy lifestyle

-

Poiyphenols and antioxidants sltam,n A eta Carotene 58Q ug 0./,; 9 u Greene 0 06 g Vtarrn A Retnol equivalents 96 us : Protein 0 612 g Vitamin 36 0 0192 rmg Plant lipids 0106 g Vitamin C 1.2 mg o Fibre 0 77 g o Vitamin E 0.6 mg o Calcium 8.4 mg o &ftamn K58 ug Magnesium 4 6 mg o Thiamine 0 012 mg o iron 0 34 mg Riboflavin 0 027 mg o Zinc hi 126 mg:; Niacin 0.08 mg o Potassium 54 mg o Foiate24 ug o Copper Q 012 rng Pantothenic acid 0 074 mg o Phosphorus 7 mg o Ascorbic acid 1 2 mg To put these numbers Into perspective, two cups OT regular green tea has approximately twice the antioxidants of red we, ,e, seven times that of orange juice, and 20 times that of apple Juice I iowever, on a gram per gram basis, Matcha has approximately ten times the polyphenols and antiox!dants of regular teas In addition, Matcha has approximately nine times the beta-carotene of spinach and Four times that of carrots (Source Certificate of Analysis #021068- 1 Japan Measurement Certificator Constituent Breakdown-Star,dard Tables of Food Composition In 'span 5th Revised Edition (Antoxdants [flavonods In tea and polyphenols] are produced naturally in foods such as apples, o,-anaes and vegetables.)

Background

Tea Is generally known to be a great-tastin3 beverage, but it is increasingly becoming known a healthy beverage due, In part, to tea containing antioxidar,ts.

Recent studies purport tea (and other herbal "tees" such as Rooibos) to have cancer-fghtng properties. Recent studies have suggested that; r tea contains compounds called polypheno!s, a potent antioxidant, that reduces the damaging action of free radicals by oxidizing them (more so than vitamins C and E) the most abundant poiypheno!s in tea are flavonoids, the most active of which, is epigallocatechn-3 gallate (EGCG). This has shown to inhibit tumour growth and Is the most promising natural anticancer compound so far discovered (in controlled clinical trials) research has shown that EGCG helps Ail CLL leukemia ceils (chronic Iymphocytic ieukema by interrupting survive' signals. EGCG works by nhbtng the pathway in the cell related to any.vgenesis, the complex pr cess that nourishes blood flow to the structure EGCG Inhibits tumour cell growth by binding to receptor ceils celled 'he 67-kDa 1amin!n receptor.

A variety of tumou, s produce abnormally high levels of 67 LO thought to spread cancers throughout the body - green tea has shown to prevent cancer Of the pancreas, colon, sr. a!! Intestine, breast, lung and stomach tea also contains L -theanne, that negates the negative side effects of caffeine, incioding hypertension and sleep disturbances ongoing research suggests that green tea has fat burning properties without acceleratir,g the heart rate green tea is able to inh ibt the Gax-2 enzymes which cause nf!ammation!n those with arthritis - apparently as good as cox-2 anti-nflamma.ory medications, but without the drug e studies have suggested green tea prevents or treats diabetes tea lowers blood pressure and keeps arteries unclogged recent studies suggest tea fights liver and ovarian cancer clinical trials suggest tea can help block the oxidation of LDi (bad) cholesterol other studies show that tea improves memory and beats Alzbeimer's Disease e and, regalia tea consumption could improve a perso 's chances of surviving a hear. attack For many, however, particularly those of a younger generators, they prefer a sweet carbonated beverage. T his will address that market - the healthy lifestyle components of tea coupled me','' th a tizzy taste The Harvesting of Tea The harvesting of tea is a laborious task that requires some training In order to yeid the best results When plucking the leaves for a high qua!ty tea only the bud and the top two leaves are picked If more leaves are taken with the bud, it is said to be a coarse plucking and produces a lower quality tea Sometimes mature leaves are discarded giving each bush a pruning, which enables nutrients to go into new growth.

The best climate conditions are usually those that are higher In altitude and get plenty of ranfa!l. it is also preferable to have cooler weather and misty mornings to shield the sun, which causes the bush to mature more slowly A typica! tea bush will generally produce about three thousand leaves a year and this only makes about one pound of fully processed tea. l

Once the leaves are collected In baskets in the field, they are taken to the factory to be processed The processing steps taken will depend on the type Of tea desired The types of tea that differing procedures create are. , Or, J- ', a, id = ace. Green 'tea Is,ncth.ng,,,o, e then the 'eaves of he came!!a sinenss that have been processe ' without,ermentat,on Screen teas are c!cser to tasting like fresh leaves or grass than the black or oolong. They are also lower In caffeine and have higher antioxidant properties With preen tea, after the leaves are plucked, they are laid out to wither for only a short period of time; enough to let his let some of the water evaporate T hen, in order to neutralize the enzymes thus preventing oxidation, the leaves are immediately steamed or pan-fred Next, the leaves are rolled up In various ways and tightness. After teat, a final drying takes place Since no oxidation took place, the tea has more of a green appearance From there, it goes off to be sorted, graded, and packaged The processing of black tea requires a full oxidation of the leaves After the leaves are plucked, they are laid out to wither for about 8 to 24 hours. This lets most of the water evaporate. The 'eaves are then roiled in order to crack up the surface so that oxygen will react with the enzymes and begin the oxidation process The leaves are left to completely oxidize, thus turning the leaves to a deep black color After that, a final drying takes place. From there, it goes off to be sorted, graded, and packaged. Oolong teas are sem-fermented

Description of the Inver,ton

Relative to the above invention In which an exciusve property right or privilege is claimed, as defined as follows;

Claims (1)

1 A carbonated beverage comprising of tea proper (camellia sinensis),

which would include green, ooJong or black teas, tea solids, and/or tea extracts, and/or tea concentrates (or a combination of these andlor other derivatives) or any other "tea" product as is generally believed to be "tea" in the popular use and context of the word in effect, an infusion of ingredients to produce a carbonated drink 2 A beverage that is derived from carneJlia sinensis, camellia narcissus, Rooibos, matcha, or any other "tea," brewed/steeped with hot water as tea and known as "tea" within the popular culture and carbonated by the infusion of carbon dioxide gas 3 A beverage of tea that is brewed/steeped/soaked in hot water to extract the flavour from the "tea" 4. A carbonated beverage that could have added natural flavourings andlor fruit juices and/or any other flavouring to produce a certain taste A carbonated beverage that could have added colourngs 6 A carbonated beverage that could have added sweeteners including (but not limited to? selected compounds from the group consisting of sucrose, fructose and dextrose and others, including artf,cal sweeteners andior a combination of said sweeteners including honey and/or fruit extracts 7. A carbonated beverage that could have added catechist derivatives 8 A carbonated beverage that could have added caffeine 9. A carbonated beverage that wail be primariy iced served as a iced drink 10.A carbonated beverage that will be supplied in containers that Will support a liquid