Ready-to-drink tea beverages with reduced benzene and methods for making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10849335-B2
Application number	US-201314895595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2013
Priority date	Jun 3, 2013
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A ready-to-drink tea beverage contains tea extract, aerated water and benzoate, such as a benzoic acid salt. The beverage and/or the aerated water can contain at least 5.0 ppm dioxygen (O2) and preferably at least about 5.0 ppm O2. The aerated water can reduce or prevent benzene formation and can reduce the benzene content of the beverage. The beverage can lack dimethyl dicarbonate and/or ascorbic acid. The water can be aerated before and/or after the beverage is dispensed in a can or another suitable container.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A method for making a ready-to-drink tea beverage, the method comprising:
adding benzoate to a composition used to produce the ready-to-drink tea beverage; and
aerating water used in the composition to produce the ready-to-drink tea beverage, wherein the water is aerated to comprise at least 3.5 ppm of dioxygen (O 2 ).

2. The method of claim 1 comprising dispensing the ready-to-drink tea beverage into a container, and aerating the water with O 2 while in the container.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising evacuating air from the container before aerating the water.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the water is aerated by flushing with a gas that replaces air in the container with O 2 .

5. The method of claim 1 comprising dispensing the ready-to-drink tea beverage into a container, and aerating the water with O 2 before the dispensing into the container.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water is aerated to comprise at least 6 ppm of dioxygen (O 2 ).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the ready-to-drink tea beverage or the water is at least 68% saturated with dioxygen (O 2 ).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the benzoate is added such that the ready-to-drink tea beverage comprises 0.30 g/L of benzoate.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water is aerated to comprise at least 5.0 ppm of dioxygen (O 2 ).

10. A method for reducing benzene formation in a ready-to-drink tea beverage, the method comprising:
aerating water to comprise at least 3.5 ppm dioxygen (O 2 ); and
using benzoate and the aerated water to produce the ready-to-drink tea beverage.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising aerating the water to comprise at least 6 ppm of dioxygen (O 2 ).

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the ready-to-drink tea beverage or the water is at least 68% saturated with dioxygen (O 2 ).

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method comprises aerating the water to comprise at least 5.0 ppm of dioxygen (O 2 ).

Assignees

• Nestec Sa
• Manuel Chaidez
• Genevieve Cole
• Xiaoping Fu
• CHING JUNG Kuo
• Lise Zeboudj
• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Manuel Chaidez
• Genevieve Cole
• Xiaoping Fu
• Ching-Jung Kuo
• Lise Zeboudj

Classifications

• A23F3/20

  Removing unwanted substances ({A23F3/166 takes precedence; } reducing or removing alkaloid content A23F3/38) · CPC title

• A23F3/163 Primary

  Liquid or semi-liquid tea extract preparations, e.g. gels or liquid extracts in solid capsules · CPC title