INO ‘US 2008022679881 cu») United States cz) Patent Application Publication co) Pub. No.: US 2008/0226798 A1 Talebi et al. (43) Pub. Date Sep. 18, 2008 (4) COLA (73) Assignee: Company of Ireland, Halon rc (75) twveators: Fart Taebi, New York, NY US); QL). ApphNos 144686327 Manuel Antonio Arce Garcia Ossining, NY (US); Thomas Lee, 22). Files ae Scarsdole, NY (US) Pet K. Chang Publication Classifica Conlandt Manor, NY (US). Hang (1) Im Chen, White Pins, NY ADIL 288 (2006.01) ad Zant Say Hook, 2) Us. s2e1s50 a om ABSTRACT Cola, reduced cslorie col, and dict cola beverage products Conespondence Addis fn methods for making the some are disclosed. The cola BANNER & WITCOFF, LID. Beverages comprise water. at east one sweetener an ocd and ATTORNEYS FOR CLIENT NO. 006943 lant compsising Ines eid and atleast one of tartaric and 10 SOUTH WACKER DR, SUITE. 3000 cite aids Colorant comprising caramel elss Tad eon CHICAGO, TL 60606 (US) contrat apple extract, and cola flavor.US 2008/0226798 AI COLA BEVERAGES. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 10001] This invention relates to beverages and other bever- age produes, such as beverage concentrates, et. In paricu- lar, this invention relates to cola beverages and other cola beverage products having formilatons suitable io mest mar- ket demand for natural ingredients and altemativenutitional ‘chanicteristcs or flavor profiles in beverages. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 10002} Carbonated beverages with cols favor have been very popular in the US. ad worldwide for decodes, In 200, it was estimated that a total of 48 billion cases 24 batles oF 8.02 per case) of cola beverages were consumed in the US. alone. In genera, cola contains water, carbon dioxide, high fructose com syrup (HECS) or sugar, phosphoric acid, cara- mel color, and cola favoring agents. Thee is perceived mar- a for beverages having alternative nueitional chat- reduced oF no calorie ‘content Dit col has ingredients similar to fll calorie col, ‘except that HFCS or sugars replaced by a east one artificial sweetener, for example aspartame. Anificial preservatives sch as sodium henzoate may beinelided to enstre microbial saety. However, use of arial sweeteners reslls in hever- tages which have a different quality of sweetness than fll calorie beverages. So there is perceived market demand for ‘cola beverages having good flavor profiles, including good taste, moutifeel, et. In addition, there is growing consimer Interest in beverages and other beverage products, such as beverage concentrates, ete, whose formulations make greater use of natural ingredients, that is, ingredients distilled, ‘extracted, concentrated or similarly obtained from harvested plants and other naturally occurring sources, with limited or ho furter processing, There is a need 10 develop cola, reduced calorie cola, and diet cola beverage products with all natural ingredients, excluding arifieial preservatives, atti ‘ial sweeteners, phosphoric acd, and antici colors [0003]. Thedevelopmentof new beverage formulations, for ‘example, new beverage formulations employing alternative sweeteners, acdolants, flavorants, Navor enhancing agents and the like, presents challenges in addressing associated bittemess andfr ther ofF-tastes. Inadlton, such challenges typically are presented in new beverage formations devel- ‘oped faraltemative autritional andor flavor profile. Theres need for new beverage formulations which ean satisfactorily ‘met the combination of objectives including nutritional, a- vor, shelf life, and other objectives 10004} Development of new beverage formulations has laced obstacles. For example, US. Pat. No. 4,956,191 sug- est that carbonated beverages which coatain blends of sae- ‘char or Stevia extract with aspartame tend to be less ong noleptcally pleasing than those containing sugar 10005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide beverages and beverape concentrates It isan object ‘fat least certain embodiments of the invention (hat is, not necessarily all embodiments ofthe invention) w provide bev- ‘rages and beverage concentrates having desirable taste prop- ‘erties. Its an object of atleast certain (but not necessarily all) ‘embodiments of te invention t provide beverages an bev ‘erage concentrates having improved formlations. These and ‘ther objects, features and advantages ofthe invention or of ‘certain embadiments of the invention will be apparent 10 Sep. 18, 2008 ‘those skilled in the at from the following disclosure and scription of exemplary embodiments BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] In accordance with a frst aspect, a cola beverage product, such as cola beverage, acola beverage concentra ‘other product s provided which comprises water a sweets fener, an acidlant comprising lactic acid and atleast one of tartaric, citric, malic, and adipic acids; a colorant comprising caramel elass | and coneentrated apple extroet; an cola fae vor. It should be understood that reference to “sweetenet” oF “a sweetener” unless otherwise clear from context, is intended to mean one or combination of multiple sweetener ‘components, [0007] In accordance with another aspect, method ofpre= paring acola beverage product is provided which comprises Jing water with other ingredients, all or some of which optionally are pre-combined in any combination, where the ‘other ingredients inclode sweetener an acidulant comprising Tactic acid and atleast one of tartar, etric, malic, and adipic aeids;a colorant comprising caramel class [and concentrated pple extract and cola flavor. {0008} In accordance with another aspect, an all natural cola beverage product is provided which comprises water: a ‘natural sweetener an scidulant comprising lactic acid and at Jeast ane of tartare and etre aids, and no phospooric acid: colorant comprising earamel class [and concentrated apple ‘extract: naural cola Mavor and optionally natural caffeine. In certain exemplary embodiments the natural swestener is selected from sucrose, guid sucrose, glucose, liquid glucose, Fase, quid fructose, maltose, rhamnose, tagatose, rea lose, com syrups, fructo-oligosaccharides and mixtures of any of them. Incertan exemplary embaxtiments the scidulant Jncludes at least or oly natural etre acid anhydrous, tartaric acid, and ete acd. In any event, the aeidulant contains no phosphor acid, [009] In accordance with another aspect, a natural diet cola beverage prod is provided which comprises water, a ‘natural non-nutnitve sweetener comprising rebaudioside A and optionally oneor more other non-nutitive sweeteners: an acidulant comprising lactic acid and at least one of tartaric and etre acids, and n0 phosphorie acd a colorant compris ing caramel class I and concentrated apple extract; natural cola favor, optionally natural caffeine. In ceriin exemplary ‘embodiments of the natural det cola beverage preducts di closed here, the sweotener, in addition to rebaudiaside A, includes stevioside other steviol plycolsdes, Stevia rebaudi- ‘ana extracts, Lo Han Guo (*LHG"), such as, eg, LG pow Ser, ee ‘monelln, brazzein, monatin, erythitl, ination of any of them. TheLHG ineerin ‘embodiments has « Mogroside V content of from about 210 bout 99%, In certain exemplary embodiments the scidulant Jncludesat east or only natal etre acid anhydrous, tartaric acid, and lactic aid and, in any event, contains no phosphoric acid [010] In accordance with another aspect, natural redueed-calorie cola beverage product is provided! which comprises water; @ natural nutive sweetener, a natural potent swestener, eg. a natura non-nutrtive sweetener; an acidulant comprising lactic acid and a last one of tare, citric, malic, and adipic acids, and no phosphoric acid; a colorant comprising caramel elas I and concentrated apple extract; natural cola avr; natural caffeine and no phospho- sicacid. In certain exemplary embodiments the natural nutri-US 2008/0226798 AI tive sweetener comprises suerose, Iiguid sucrose, glucose, iquid glucose, fructose, liquid fructose, maltose, shamnose. tagatose, trehalose, cor syrups ructo-ligosaectardes, and Lo Han Guo juice concentrate or a combination of any of them, In certain exemplary embodiments the natural non- nutritive sweetener comprises rebaudioside A, stevoside ‘ther steviolglycotsides, Stevia rebrudiona extra's, LG, such as, eg. LGH having a mogroside V content of from about 2 about 99% in the form of Lo Tian Guo powder, et thaumatin, monelli, brazzein, monatin erthitel,ora.com bination of any of them. In certain exemplary embodiments the acidulant includes least or only natural eitric acid anby- ‘drous tartaric acid, and lactic acid and, in any event, contains 1 phosphoric acid, [0011] -Inacconiance with another aspect, clear cola bev- ‘erage product is provided, comprising water, at least one sweetener an acidulant comprising lactic aid and at east one of tartare and eirie acids, and cola Havor 10012} It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, sven thebeneit of te following description of certain even. play embodiments ofthe beverage and other beverage prod- ucts disclosed here, that at least certain embodiments ofthe jnvention have improved or altemative formations suitable to provide desirable taste profiles, nutritional characteristics, ‘ete. These and other aspect, festures and advantages ofthe Jnvention of of certain embodiments ofthe iavention wil be rth understood by those skilled in the a from the Follo= ing description of exemplary embodiments DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS. [0013] It should be understood that beverages and other beverage products in aevordance with this disclosure may have any of numerous diferent specific formulations or con- stitutions. The formulation of @ beverage product in accor dance with this disclosure can vaty to a certain extent, “depending npon such factors the product's intended market segment, is desired mutitional characteristics, flavor profile andthe like. For example, it will generally be an option toad Surter ingredients tothe formulation of particular beverage ‘embodiment, including any of the beverage formulations described below. Additional (Le, more andor other) sweet ‘eners may be aed, flavorings, elecwotytes, vitamins, fruit Juices or other fut products, tastents, masking agents and the Tike, favor enhancers, and/or carbonation typically ean be ‘ded to any such formations to vary the taste, mouthfeel, nutritional characteristics, ete. In general, a beverage in socordance with this disclosure typically comprises at last Water, sweetener, acidulant, and cola Navoring. Exemplary ‘optional added Navorings which may be suitable for atleast certain formulations in accordance with this disclosure ‘effervescence, Preservatives can he added i desired, depend ng upon te other ingredients, production technique, desired shelf life, ete. Optionally, caffeine ean be added. Ci ‘exemplary embodiments of cola-lvored carbonated hever- ‘ages disclosed here characteristieslly contain carbonated ‘water, sweetener, kola nut extract and/or othr cola favoring, ‘caramel T coloring together with concentrated apple exact, and optionally other ingredients. The beverages of the present Jnvention may also contain other ingredients including, with- ‘out imitation, vitamins, natural buffering agents, eg. the sodium and potessium salts of etc, tartare, and lactic acids, Sep. 18, 2008 tural preservatives, nisin, einnamie seid, ee. natural salts thickeners, and natural ant-foaming agents. Aditional and iltemative suitable ingredients will be recognized by ‘hose skilled in the art given the benefit ofthis diselosure, [0014] The beverage products disclosed here include bev- rages, Le, ready to drink liquid formulations, beverage eon- centres and he like. Beverages include, e.,carbonatedand fnon-eathonated. soft drinks, fountain beverages, frozen eay-to-drink heverages, liquid concentrates, coffee bever ‘ages, tea beverages, dairy beverages, flavored waters, fnhanced waters, lit juice and fmt juice-lavored drinks, sport drinks, and aleoholie products. The tems “beverage concentrate” and “syrup” are used interchangeably through- ‘ut this diselosure. Atleast certain exemplary embodiments ofthe beverage concentmites contemplated are prepared With ‘an ital volume of water to which the addtional ingredients fare added, Full strength beverage compositions can be {formed from the beverage concentrate by aking futher vol- ‘umes of water tthe concentrate. Typical, for example, fll strengtl beverages ean be prepared from the concentrates by combining approximately 1 part concentrate with between approximately 3 10 approximately 7 pacts water. In certain ‘exemplary embodiments the fall sirength beverage is pre- pared by combining | part concentrate with S pars water. In certain exemplary embodiments the additonal water used to {orm the fll strength beverages is carbonated water. In cer ‘ain other embodiments, a full strength beverage is directly prepared without the formation of a concentrate and subse- quent dilution [01S] Water is a basic ingredient in the beverages di closed here, typically being the vehicle or primary liquid portion in which the remsining ingredients are dissolved, emulsified, suspended or dispersed. Purified water ean be ‘used inthe manufacture of certain emboctiments ofthe bev- ‘emges disclosed here, and water ofa standard beverage qual- ityean be employed in order not to adversely affect overage taste, odor, oF appearance, The water typically will be lest, colorless, ree from objetionable minerals, tastes and odors, {oe from organie matter, low in alkalinity and of acceptable nierobiological quality based on industey and government standards applicable tthe time of producing the heverage. la cectain typical embodiments, water is present ata level of rom about 80% o about 9.9% by weight ofthe Beverage. In at least ceriain exemplary embodiments the water used in bbeveriges and concentrates disclosed here is “eat wate.” ‘which refers to water that has been treated to reduce the foal dissolved solids of the water prior o optional supplement ‘ion, e¢., with calcium as diselosed in US. Pat. No. 7.082, ‘72S. Methods of producing treated water are known to those cof ordinary skill n the art and incl deionization, distlla- ‘ion, filtration and reverse osmosis ("-0"), among others. The fers “rested water” “purified. water", “demineralized Water" “distilled water," and“r-0 water” are understood to be saenerlly synonymous in this discussion, relering 0 water from which substanially all mineral content has been removed, typically containing no more than about 500 ppm {otal dissolved sols, e-. 250 ppm total dissolved sold [0016] Those of oninary skill in the art will understand that, for oomenience, some ingredients are deseribed herein certain eases by eferenceto the original form of the ingredi- tent in which tis added to the beverage product formulation Such original form may differ from the form in which the ‘ingredient is found inthe finished beverage produc. Thus, for ‘example, in certain exemplary embodiments of the natural