Process for the production of a liquid coffee concentrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12096780-B2
Application number	US-201815940510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2018
Priority date	Feb 5, 2013
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the production of a liquid coffee concentrate that has an improved storage stability at ambient temperature. The process comprises treating a coffee concentrate to a heat treatment and a pH increasing step.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid coffee concentrate comprising:
at least 1.25 mg/kg coffee solids of 2-phenyl-3-(2-furyl)-2-propenal, 8.5 μg/kg coffee solids or less of beta-damascenone,
wherein the liquid coffee concentrate has a Quinic acid/Quinic acid lactone mol/mol ratio between 10 and 100, and
a pH of 4.8 to 6, and
wherein the coffee solids are water extracted coffee substances.

2. The liquid coffee concentrate according to claim 1 , wherein the Quinic acid/Quinic acid lactone mol/mol ratio is between 30 and 100.

3. The liquid coffee concentrate according to claim 1 , having a pH of 5 to 5.2.

4. The liquid coffee concentrate according to claim 3 , further comprising a potassium content of 55 g or less per kg coffee solids and/or a sodium content of 4 g or less per kg coffee solids.

5. The liquid coffee concentrate according to claim 1 , obtainable by
a process comprising the steps of:
a) subjecting roasted, ground coffee to one or more extraction steps with water resulting in a coffee extract,
b) subjecting the coffee extract to separation, either by fractionation during said extraction step(s) or by aroma recovery after said extraction step(s) resulting in a high aromatic coffee extract and a low aromatic coffee extract,
c) concentrating the low aromatic coffee extract to a coffee solids content of at least 10 wt. % to form a low aromatic coffee concentrate,
d) subjecting at least 25 wt % coffee solids of the low aromatic coffee concentrate to a heat treatment of at least 150° C. at a holding time for at most 15 minutes,
e) combining at least the low aromatic coffee concentrate with the high aromatic coffee extract,

whereby after step b) a pH increasing step is carried out,
thereby obtaining a liquid coffee concentrate with a pH of 4.8 to 6 comprising at least 1.25 mg/kg coffee solids of 2-phenyl-3-(2-furyl)-2-propenal,
further comprising 8.5 μg/kg coffee solids or less of beta-damascenone, and
wherein the liquid coffee concentrate has a Quinic acid/Quinic acid lactone mol/mol ratio between 10 and 100.

6. The liquid coffee concentrate according to claim 4 , comprising a potassium content of 20 to 55 g/kg coffee solids and/or a sodium content of 0.1 to 4 g/kg dry matter.

7. The liquid coffee concentrate according to claim 6 , comprising a potassium content of 20 to 55 g/kg coffee solids.

8. The liquid coffee concentrate according to claim 6 , comprising a potassium content of 20 to 55 g/kg coffee solids and a sodium content of 0.1 to 4 g/kg coffee solids.

9. The liquid coffee concentrate of claim 1 , having a pH of 5 to 6, wherein the pH of the liquid coffee concentrate remains at 5 to 6 at 8 weeks of shelf storage at ambient temperature.

10. The liquid coffee concentrate of claim 1 , wherein the liquid coffee concentrate comprises at least 120 mmoles acid/kg coffee solids released by hydrolysis.

Assignees

• Douwe Egberts Bv

Inventors

• Heijman Gertjan
• Bosma Harke Jan

Classifications

• A23F5/50

  from coffee extract · CPC title

• A23F5/285

  by evaporation, e.g. drying in thin layers or foam drying (A23F5/32, A23F5/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• A23F5/28

  Drying or concentrating coffee extract {(A23F5/246 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A23F5/26

  Extraction of water soluble constituents {(A23F5/246 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A23F5/24

  Extraction of coffee (isolation of coffee flavour or coffee oil A23F5/48); Coffee extracts (with reduced alkaloid content A23F5/20); Making instant coffee (methods of roasting extracted coffee A23F5/06) · CPC title