Process for the production of a liquid coffee concentrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9930901-B2
Application number	US-201514817810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Feb 5, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

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 process for the production of a liquid coffee concentrate, the 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 dry matter content of at least 10 wt. % to form a low aromatic coffee concentrate,
d) subjecting at least 25 wt % dry matter 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, wherein the liquid coffee concentrate has a pH of 4.8 to 6.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the heat treatment is conducted at a temperature of at least 150° C. at a holding time of at most 10 minutes.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the heat treatment is conducted from 150° C. to 200° C. at a holding time of 10 minutes to 10 seconds.

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the heat treatment is conducted from 150° C. to 180° C. at a holding time of 10 minutes to 10 seconds.

5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the heat treatment is conducted from 160° C. to 170° C. at a holding time of 5 minutes to 30 seconds.

6. The process according to claim 1 , whereby after step b) and before step e) the low aromatic coffee extract or the low aromatic coffee concentrate which is to be heat treated is subjected to a pH increasing step.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the pH increasing step is carried out between step b) and step c).

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH increasing step is carried out between step c) and step d).

9. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the pH is raised to a value of 6 to 8.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH increasing step is carried out between step d) and step e).

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH increasing step is carried out after step e).

12. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the pH is raised to a value of 5 to 6.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH is raised with an anion exchanger.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the low aromatic coffee extract is concentrated to a dry matter content of 10 to 60% by weight.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least 50 wt % dry matter of the low aromatic coffee concentrate is subjected to the heat treatment.

16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process results in a hydrolysation of at least 120 mmoles acid/kg dry matter solids content in the liquid coffee concentrate.

17. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the pH is raised to a value of 6 to 8.

18. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the pH is raised to a value of 5 to 6.

19. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the pH is raised with an anion exchange column.

20. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the low aromatic coffee extract is concentrated to a dry matter content of 15 to 50% by weight.

21. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the low aromatic coffee extract is concentrated to a dry matter content of 15 to 40% by weight.

22. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least 75 wt % dry matter of the low aromatic coffee concentrate is subjected to the heat treatment.

23. The process according to claim 1 , wherein all of the low aromatic coffee concentrate is subjected to the heat treatment.

24. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process results in hydrolysation of at least 150 mmoles acid/kg dry matter solids content in the liquid coffee concentrate.

25. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process results in hydrolysation of at least 180 mmoles acid/kg dry matter solids content in the liquid coffee concentrate.

Assignees

• Douwe Egberts Bv

Inventors

• Heijman Gertjan
• Bosma Harke Jan

Classifications

• 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

• A23F5/505 Primary

  by distillation, e.g. stripping the extract; Recovering volatile gases, e.g. during concentration · CPC title

• A23F5/26

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

• A23F5/50

  from coffee extract · CPC title

• A23F5/28

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