Highly soluble Stevia sweetener

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10278411-B2
Application number	US-201514938362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2015
Priority date	Sep 7, 2011
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A method for making highly soluble Stevia sweetener compositions is described. The resulting sweetener compositions readily provide high concentration solutions, and also possess superior taste qualities. The compositions can be used as sweeteners, sweetness enhancers, and flavor enhancers in foods, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for producing a high solubility Stevia sweetener comprising the steps of:
A) providing Rebaudioside D as a first Stevia sweetener;
B) providing Rebaudioside B as a second Stevia sweetener;
C) providing water;
D) mixing the water and first and second Stevia sweeteners to make a mixture;
E) increasing the temperature of the mixture by a gradient heat treatment method having a rate of temperature change of about 1° C. per minute to make a solution;
F) holding the solution at an elevated temperature; and
G) decreasing the temperature of the solution at a constant rate by a gradient cooling method to obtain a high stability and high concentration Stevia sweetener solution;
wherein the high solubility Stevia sweetener has a solubility of 0.5-2 grams per 100 grams of water at room temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a ratio of the first and second Stevia sweeteners is about 99:1 to 1:99 (w/w).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a ratio of water to the combined first and second Stevia sweeteners is about 1:1 to 10:1 (v/w).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the water and Stevia sweetener mixture is heated to a temperature of about 118-125° C.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the water and Stevia sweetener mixture is held at a temperature of about 118-125° C. for a period of about 50-70 minutes.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the solution is cooled down to a temperature of about 80° C. at gradient of about 1° C. per minute to obtain the high stability and high concentration Stevia sweetener solution.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein high stability and high concentration Stevia sweetener solution is spray dried to provide the high solubility Stevia sweetener.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pH of high stability and high concentration Stevia sweetener solution is adjusted by alkaline solution to about pH 4.5 to 7.0.

9. A high solubility Stevia sweetener made by the process of claim 1 , having a solubility of 0.5-2 grams per 100 grams of water at room temperature.

10. A high solubility Stevia sweetener made by the process of claim 1 , comprising a mixture of rebaudioside D and rebaudioside B, wherein rebaudioside B, is partially or fully converted to a carboxylate salt.

11. A sweetener composition comprising a high solubility Stevia sweetener made by the process of claim 1 and an additional sweetening agent selected from the group consisting of: stevia extract, steviol glycosides, stevioside, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside E, rebaudioside F, dulcoside A, steviolbioside, rubusoside, other steviol glycosides found in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant and mixtures thereof, Luo Han Guo extract, mogrosides, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, invert sugar, fructooligosaccharides, inulin, inulooligosaccharides, coupling sugar, maltooligosaccharides, maltodextrins, corn syrup solids, glucose, maltose, sucrose, lactose, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, sugar alcohols, and a combination thereof.

12. A flavor composition comprising a high solubility Stevia sweetener made by the process of claim 1 and an additional flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of: lemon, orange, fruit, banana, grape, pear, pineapple, mango, bitter almond, cola, cinnamon, sugar, cotton candy, vanilla, and a combination thereof.

13. A food ingredient comprising a high solubility Stevia sweetener made by the process of claim 1 and an additional food ingredient selected from the group consisting of: acidulants, organic and amino acids, coloring agents, bulking agents, modified starches, gums, texturizers, preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, gelling agents, and a combination thereof.

14. A food, beverage, cosmetic or pharmaceutical product comprising high solubility Stevia sweetener made by the process of claim 1 .

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first and second Stevia sweeteners is about 50:50 to 95:5 (w/w).

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first and second Stevia sweeteners is about 70:30 to 90:10 (w/w).

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of water to the combined first and second Stevia sweeteners is about 3:1 to 6:1 (v/w).

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pH of high stability and high concentration Stevia sweetener solution is adjusted by alkaline solution to about pH 5.5 to 6.0.

Assignees

• Purecircle Sdn Bhd

Inventors

• Markosyan Avetik
• Purkayastha Siddhartha
• Johnson Marquita L
• Garces Ortega Monica Moralma

Classifications

• A61K8/602

  Glycosides, e.g. rutin · CPC title

• A23L29/30

  containing carbohydrate syrups; containing sugars; containing sugar alcohols, e.g. xylitol; containing starch hydrolysates, e.g. dextrin (products from apiculture A23L21/20; artificial sweetening agents A23L27/30) · CPC title

• A23L27/30

  Artificial sweetening agents · CPC title

• A23L2/60 Primary

  Sweeteners · CPC title

• A61K47/26

  Carbohydrates, e.g. sugar alcohols, amino sugars, nucleic acids, mono-, di- or oligo-saccharides; Derivatives thereof, e.g. polysorbates, sorbitan fatty acid esters or glycyrrhizin · CPC title