WO2011141350A1

WO2011141350A1 - Improved beverage

Info

Publication number: WO2011141350A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/057225
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aboagyewa Asumadu-Mensah; Shovan Ganguli; Erwin Werner Tareilus; Krassimir Petkov Velikov; Robert Vreeker
Original assignee: Unilever Plc; Unilever N.V.; Hindustan Unilever Limited
Priority date: 2010-05-10
Filing date: 2011-05-05
Publication date: 2011-11-17
Also published as: JP2011234719A

Abstract

The present invention provides a beverage comprising catechins and polymer comprising amine groups, wherein at least 81% by weight of the catechins comprise epicatechins, and wherein the polymer comprises water-soluble gum. The use of water-soluble gum allows for the formulation of a beverage with excellent appearance and/or taste characteristics even when elevated levels of catechins are incorporated therein.

Description

IMPROVED BEVERAGE

Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to beverages comprising catechins . More particularly the invention relates to the use of water- soluble gum for providing improved beverages comprising catechins .

Background of the Invention

Tea has been consumed as a beverage for well over 2000 years, and excluding water, it is the most popular beverage consumed by man. Tea is very refreshing, can be served either hot or cold, and has been made commercially available for many years. Lipton®, for example, is the world's leading brand of tea, made available in over 110 countries by Unilever.

Taken regularly, tea has been reported to help improve vascular function, combat fatigue, reduce cholesterol levels and increase feelings of vitality. The health benefits of tea are believed to be largely due to the presence of high levels of natural antioxidants known as flavonoids. Both green and black teas are rich in flavonoids, which can include catechins, flavonols and theaflavins . Recently, extensive laboratory research and epidemiologic studies have shown that antioxidants present in tea may reduce the risk of a variety of illnesses. In particular, catechins including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) , epicatechin (EC) , epicatechin gallate (ECG) , and epigallocatechin (EGC) , which are found in tea, have been shown to positively impact physiological functions, and their use as antiallergic agents and cerebral function activators has been proposed. Although some of the health benefits of tea may be apparent at consumption rates as low as three cups per day (see, for example, U.Peters et al., "Does tea affect cardiovascular disease? A meta- analysis.", American Journal of Epidemiology, 2001, 154 : pp.495- 503) , many individuals do not even achieve this modest consumption rate on a long term basis.

There have been several attempts to provide beverages with enhanced levels of catechins . Unfortunately, however, increased amounts of catechins in beverages can lead to products that have poor stability, appearance and taste characteristics.

International patent application published as WO 2009/016018 Al (Unilever) discloses a composition (which may be a beverage) comprising a high level of polyphenols (including catechins) which are stabilised by complexation with a polymer comprising amine groups whereby the bitterness and/or astringency of the catechins is reduced or eliminated. However, the ensuing complex is present in the form of particles, resulting in a beverage which may be susceptible to sedimentation and/or have a cloudy appearance, which may be undesirable for some consumers.

Thus we have recognised that there is a need to provide a beverage which delivers the benefits of high levels of catechins, which has improved taste, especially in respect of bitterness, and which does not form sediment or have a cloudy appearance. We have found that one or more of these needs may be met by using a special class of complexing agents based on gums, which form soluble complexes with catechins. The use of water-soluble gum surprisingly allows for the formulation of a beverage with excellent appearance and/or taste characteristics even when elevated levels of catechins are incorporated therein. Tests and Definitions

BEVERAGE

As used herein the term "beverage" refers to a substantially aqueous drinkable composition suitable for human consumption. Preferably the beverage comprises at least 85% water by weight of the beverage, more preferably at least 90% and most preferably from 95 to 99.9%. TEA-BASED BEVERAGE

As used herein, the term "tea-based beverage" refers to a beverage comprising at least 0.01% tea solids by weight of the beverage. Preferably the tea-based beverage comprises from 0.04 to 3% tea solids, more preferably from 0.06 to 2%, most preferably from 0.1 to 1%.

TEA SOLIDS

As used herein, the term "tea solids" refers to dry material extractable from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and/or Camellia sinensis var. assamica . The leaves may have been subjected to a so-called "fermentation" step wherein they are oxidised by certain endogenous enzymes that are released during the early stages of "black tea" manufacture. This oxidation may even be supplemented by the action of exogenous enzymes such as oxidases, laccases and peroxidases. Alternatively the leaves may have been partially fermented ("oolong tea") or may have remained substantially unfermented ("green tea") . TEA EXTRACT

As used herein the term "tea extract" refers to a solution obtained from the extraction of tea materials, and encompasses solutions which have been concentrated or dried. Preferably the tea extract is an aqueous solution.

CATECHINS

As used herein the term "epicatechins" refers to epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate and mixtures thereof. The term "non-epicatechins" refers to catechin, gallocatechin, catechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate and mixtures thereof. The term "catechins" is used as a generic term for epicatechins, non-epicatechins and mixtures thereof.

GUM

As used herein the term "gum" refers to a protein-polysaccharide conjugate that is capable of modifying the rheological properties of a solution. It is within the scope of the current invention for the gum to comprise a synthetic protein-polysaccharide conjugate. However, it is preferred that the gum is a natural gum, more preferably a plant gum. PLANT GUM

As used herein, the term "plant gum" refers to a plant-derived gum and may be a natural gum or a modified natural gum. Such gums are most often found in the woody elements of plants or in seed coatings.

WATER-SOLUBLE GUM

As used herein the term "water-soluble gum" refers to a gum which can form a colloidal solution or dispersion in water. GUM ARABIC

As used herein the term "gum arabic" refers to the edible, dried exudations obtained from the stems and branches of trees of the genus Acacia, especially Acacia Senegal and Acacia seyal. Gum arabic (INS No. 414, E414) is a highly heterogeneous proteinaceous polysaccharide with a complex chemical composition, and has been shown to consist of several fractions, including an arabinogalactan fraction, an arabinogalactan-protein fraction and a glycoprotein fraction. The main structural feature of gum arabic is a backbone of 1,3-linked β-D-galactopyranosyl units, with side chains of two to five 1,3-linked β-D-galactopyranosyl units that are joined to the main chain by 1, 6-linkages . Both the main chain and the side chains contain arabinose, galactose, rhamnose and glucuronic acid residues. The side chains mostly terminate in glucuronic acid or 4-O-methylglucuronic acid residues. In addition there is a small amount of protein present within the material which forms an integral part of the structure .

OTHER TERMS

As used herein the term "comprising" encompasses the terms "consisting essentially of" and "consisting of". All percentages contained herein are calculated by weight unless otherwise indicated.

Summary of the Invention

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a beverage comprising :

catechins in an amount of from 0.01 to 1% by weight of the beverage, wherein the catechins comprise at least 81% by weight of epicatechins; and

polymer comprising amine groups;

characterised in that the polymer comprises water-soluble gum. We have found that the use of water-soluble gum allows the formulation of beverages that enable consumers to meet the daily intake of catechins required to achieve health benefits and which have excellent appearance and/or taste characteristics.

Natural sources of catechins (e.g. tea leaves, cocoa beans) comprise mainly epicatechins . Therefore, in beverages according to the present invention at least 81% by weight of the catechins contained therein comprise epicatechins. Preferably at least 82% by weight of the catechins comprise epicatechins, more preferably at least 84% by weight of the catechins comprise epicatechins.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a beverage wherein a substance comprising the water-soluble gum is combined with a substance comprising the catechins .

Such a process allows for the formation of a beverage that is substantially clear and free from sediment.

Detailed Description

Beverages according to the current invention comprise a high level of catechins stabilised in a soluble form. Although not wishing to be bound by theory, it is presumed that the water- soluble gum interacts with the catechins to form a soluble complex .

European patent EP 1 361 798 Bl (Kao Corporation) discloses that the addition of a water-soluble polymer can reduce the bitterness and astringency of beverages containing high concentrations of non-epicatechins . However, studies that provide data supporting the health benefits of catechins have tended to focus on natural sources of catechins (e.g. green tea beverages), which typically comprise mainly epicatechins . Therefore the beverage of the present invention preferably contains epicatechins and non- epicatechins, wherein the amount of non-epicatechins is less than 0.014% by weight of the beverage. More preferably the amount of non-epicatechins is less than 0.0135% by weight of the beverage.

Preferably the water-soluble gum comprises one or more plant gums, more preferably the gum comprises seed gum and/or exudate gum, most preferably exudate gum. Examples of suitable plant gums include one or more of gum arabic, gum ghatti, gum tragacanth, gum karaya, mesquite seed gum, neem gum, peach gum, or gums derived therefrom. It is particularly preferred that the water-soluble gum comprises gum arabic.

The total catechin content of the beverage is preferably such that consumers can meet the daily intake of catechins required to achieve health benefits in one or two servings. Thus it is preferred that a serving of the beverage comprises at least 50 mg catechins, more preferably at least 150 mg and most preferably from 300 mg to 1 g. For convenience of transport and handling it is preferred that the beverage has a mass of less than 500 g.

High concentrations of the gum may result in a beverage that is undesirably viscous. In order to achieve a beverage with good mouthfeel, it is preferred that the gum comprises 0.01 to 1%, preferably 0.05 to 0.5%, more preferably 0.05 to 0.3%, most preferably 0.1 to 0.2% by weight of the beverage. We have found that the use of water-soluble gum in combination with catechins is well-suited to delivering a tea-based beverage that is not bitter. Thus it is preferred that the beverage is a tea-based beverage, more preferably a green-tea based beverage. From a standpoint of microbial stability and taste, it is preferred that the beverage has an acid pH. In particular, the pH (at 20°C) may be from 2 to 7, preferably from 2 to 5, more preferably from 2.5 to 4.5, most preferably from 3 to 4.

Examples

The present invention will now be illustrated by reference to the following non-limiting example.

EXAMPLE 1

In this example, several candidate polymers were assessed for their ability to produce beverages that are substantially clear and free from sediment. Selected polymers were also tested for their ability to mask bitterness of catechins . Ceytea™ from Premium Exports Ltd (Sri Lanka) was used to formulate all of the samples. Ceytea™ is a green tea powder with a typical catechin content of 270 mg/g. Assessment of bitterness and astringency

The bitterness of four samples (gum arabic, WPI, WPI + pectin and pectin) containing equivalent amounts of catechins was determined by 8 untrained individuals, who did not know the composition of the samples presented. The samples were qualitatively assessed on their bitterness and astringency. The results are shown in Table 1. TABLE 1

Polymer Appearance Taste

Gum arabic Acceptable, no Not bitter or astringent;

sediment smooth mouthfeel

WPI* Turbid, with Slightly bitter, quite obvious sediment astringent, very sour

WPI* + pectin Very milky and Slightly bitter, quite turbid astringent and sour

Pectin Acceptable, no Slightly bitter and sediment astringent; viscous

Gelatin Milky and turbid, Not measured hydrolysate with some sediment

Wheat protein Large aggregates Not measured hydrolysate and sediment

Sugar beet Very milky and Not measured pectin turbid

*Whey protein iso. Late

As can be seen from the data in Table 1, several of the polymers tested were found to interact with the catechins to form insoluble complexes, resulting in products with an undesirable milky appearance and/or a sediment. Both pectin (a polymer that does not contain amine groups) and gum arabic formed an acceptable product with no sediment or milky appearance. However, when pectin was used the product was noticeably viscous and remained slightly bitter and astringent. The greatest ability to mask bitterness and astringency was observed with gum arabic, and products prepared using this polymer also had a smooth mouthfeel with no negative impact on viscosity.

Claims

1. A beverage comprising:

polymer comprising amine groups;

characterised in that the polymer comprises water-soluble gum.

2. A beverage according to claim 1 wherein the catechins comprise epicatechins and non-epicatechins, and the amount of non-epicatechins is less than 0.014% by weight of the beverage .

3. A beverage according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the water-soluble gum comprises one or more plant gum.

4. A beverage according to claim 3 wherein the water-soluble gum comprises gum arabic.

5. A beverage according to claim 3 wherein the water-soluble gum is gum arabic.

6. A beverage according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the gum comprises 0.01 to 1% by weight of the beverage .

7. A beverage according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the beverage is a tea-based beverage.

8. A beverage according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the beverage has a pH of from 2 to 7.

9. A method of manufacturing a beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a substance comprising the water- soluble gum is combined with a substance comprising the catechins .

10. A method according to claim 10 wherein the substance comprising the catechins is a tea extract.