Method of enhancing flavor qualities of coffee

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11856975-B2
Application number	US-201917277465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Sep 18, 2018
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

Shown herein are small molecule compounds that can be used to increase the overall quality of a coffee beverage. The flavor enhancing compounds can be combined with coffee at any stage of its processing to increase the cup score of a coffee beverage. In some embodiments, the flavor enhancing compounds include one or more caffeic ester compounds, for instance caffeic acid esterified with a cyclitol or related compound.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of improving coffee, comprising adding one or more flavor enhancing compounds to the coffee, wherein the flavor enhancing compound has the formula:

wherein R 1 is H;
R 2 is a caffeic acid derivative having the formula:

wherein R a , R b , R c , R d , and R e are independently selected from H, OH, and OC 1-8 alkyl;
the R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from hydrogen and C(O)R wherein R is in each case independently selected from C 1-8 alkyl; wherein at least one of R 3 and R 4 are C(O)R;
R 4 is H and R 5 is OH, or R 4 and R 5 together form a bond.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flavor enhancing compound has the formula:

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 5 is OH and R 4 is H.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 5 and R 4 together from a bond.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is C(O)—C 1-8 alkyl group.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 4 is C(O)—C 1-8 alkyl group.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 2 is a caffeic acid derivative having the formula:

wherein R a , R b , and R e are H, and R c and R d are each OH.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is H.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flavor enhancing compound does not include any ent-kaurane diterpenoids.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flavor enhancing compound is added in an amount of at least 5 mg/kg, relative to the coffee.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flavor enhancing compound is added to coffee beans prior to fermentation, to coffee beans during fermentation, to coffee beans prior to roasting, to coffee beans during roasting, to coffee beans subsequent to roasting, to coffee beans prior to grinding, to coffee beans during grinding, to coffee grinds prior to brewing, to coffee grinds during brewing, to a brewed coffee beverage, to a dehydrated coffee beverage, or a combination thereof.

12. A coffee composition produced by the method of claim 1 .

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is C(O)R, wherein R is selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, and t-butyl.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is C(O)R, wherein R is isobutyl.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 4 is C(O)R, wherein R is selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, and t-butyl.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 4 is C(O)R, wherein R is isobutyl.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula:

Assignees

• Ohio State Innovation Foundation

Inventors

• Peterson Devin
• Sittipod Sichaya
• Schwartz Eric
• Paravisini Laurianne

Classifications

• A23L27/88 Primary

  Taste or flavour enhancing agents · CPC title

• A23F5/02 Primary

  Treating green coffee; Preparations produced thereby (roasting A23F5/04; removing unwanted substances A23F5/16; reducing or removing alkaloid content A23F5/20; extraction A23F5/24) · CPC title

• A23F5/50

  from coffee extract · CPC title

• A23L27/28

  Coffee or cocoa flavours · CPC title

• A23F5/46

  Coffee flavour; Coffee oil; Flavouring of coffee or coffee extract (synthetic coffee flavours A23L27/28) · CPC title