[0001] This invention relates to a dry carbonated beverage mix for dietetic carbonated beverages.
More particularly, it relates to naturally sweetened dry beverage mixes which are
free of artifical sweeteners.
[0002] The preparation of potable beverages, particularly carbonated beverages, by dissolution
of a natural or an artificially sweetened dry beverage mix in water has been described
in the art. Depending upon the nature of the various compo- .sitions included in such
mixes, beverages prepared there from may be characterized by caloric content as dietetic
or non-dietetic. The dietetic carbonated beverages prepared from such mixes have heretofore
been made with artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners appeared to be necessary
in order to keep the calories down but provide effective sweetness. On the other hand,
the non-dietetic carbonated beverages contain a high caloric content considered unattractive
to the weight-conscious and forbidden or ill-advised for certain others. Numerous
approaches have been taken in an attempt to provide a suitably sweetened low calorie
soft drink. Most notably, certain artificial sweeteners- have been widely accepted
and utilized for this purpose. There are, however, a number of persons, e.g., the
obese, who should not include excessive sugar in their diet but who do not want or
like the artificially sweetened carbonated beverage.
[0003] Illustrative of a low-calorie carbonated beverage mix is the composition of Timothy
J. Kennedy and Philip J. Shires (U.S. Patent Application 570,332, filed April 21,
1975), Kennedy et al. disclose a dry low-calorie carbonated beverage mix comprising
from 7-30% of a crystalline sugar carrier. However, the Kennedy et al. low-calorie
dry mix is primarily sweetened with a non-sugar dipeptide sweetening agent, e.g.,
aspartame.
[0004] Fructose'is disclosed, among a number of suitable sugars, as a suitable sweetener
in a dry-mix system in comb.ina- tion with molecular sieves in U.S. Patent 3,930,053
to C. H. Japikse, G. Singh and T. J. Kennedy, December 30, 1975. 'Japikse et al. do
not, however, mention or discuss dietetic beverages or that a suitably sweetened,
low-calorie beverage could be made from an all-fructose-sweetened dry mix.
[0005] For maximum convenience in use of the carbonation devices herein, it is desirable
that the rate of carbonation of the beverage made therewith be rapid. Japikse et al
do not mention any effect which fructose may have, for better or worse, on the rate
of carbonation of the beverage made with a . dry beverage mix according to their invention
and a CO
2-loaded molecular sieve carbonation device.
[0006] Although fructose is the sweetest natural sugar, a liquid fructose-sweetened dietetic
carbonated beverage is hampered by insufficient sweetness at dietetic levels, for
the sweetest form of fructose is unstable in liquid systems and diminishes with the
passage of time.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It has been found that fructose can provide effective sweetness for a dietetic carbonated
beverage via the dry carbonated beverage mix and method of the present invention,
in contrast to the diminished or fleeting fructose sweetness developed in liquid systems,
particularly liquid. carbonated soft drinks. It is a primary object of the present
invention to provide an alternative to artificially sweetened dietetic carbonated
beverages.
[0008] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a fructose-sweetened,
dry beverage mix in combination with a suitable carbonation device for the provision
of a sweet dietetic carbonated beverage.
[0009] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for the use of
fructose in dietetic beverages which overcome certain problems of the prior art.
[0010] In connection with the latter object, it is a particular object of the present invention
to overcome much of the loss of fructose sweetness in a liquid beverage system.
[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a method which maximizes
the sweetening power of fructose in a particular dietetic beverage system.
[0012] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dry beverage mix in
combination with a suitable carbonation device whereby the rate of carbonation of
the final beverage is increased or maximized.
[0013] It is another object of the present invention to provide a method which maximizes
the sweetening power of fructose in a particular dietetic carbonated beverage system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention is based on the discovery that a surprisingly sweet, low-calorie,
dietetic, rapidly carbonating carbonated beverage is provided by a method of adding
a beverage-making liquid to an instant, dry, low-calorie, dietetic, fructose-sweetened
carbonated beverage mix, at the point of consumption. The dry instant mix of the present
invention comprises an effective amount of an essentially pure crystalline fructose
sweetener, a flavorant and an acidulant, in combination with an instant carbonation
device. The carbonation device is effective to carbonate the beverage at the point
of consumption when said instant mix is brought into contact with a beverage-making
liquid. A C0
2-loaded molecular sieve disc affixed in a serving container is a preferred instant
carbonation device.
[0015] It is found that the use of essentially pure crystalline fructose as the sweetener
in the dry beverage mix herein provides a mix which, when carbonated with a C0
2-loaded molecular sieve carbonation device yields a beverage which carbonates more
rapidly at the point of consumption than does a carbonated beverage sweetened with
sucrose and carbonated with a C0
2-loaded molecular sieve carbonation device.
[0016] A beverage made in accordance with the present invention has only about 6 calories
per fluid ounce of serving, but surprisingly has an effective level of sweetness for
consumer 'enjoyment during average serving periods. In other words, the beverage of
the present invention is acceptably sweet, but contains only about one-half the sugar
weight and caloric content of ncn-dietetic beverages.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] In accordance with the present invention, the dry, low-calorie, dietetic, rapidly
carbonating carbonated beverage mix of the present invention is made from (1) an essentially
pure crystalline fructose sweetener, (2) a flavorant, (3) an acidulant and (4) an
instant carbonation device effective to carbonate a beverage when an effective amount
of a beverage-making liquid is brought into contact with the dry mix. The dry mix
and the beverage made therefrom are free of artificial sweeteners.
[0018] The dry mix is made by dry mixing an effective
tamount of essentially pure crystalline fructose with other dried beverage ingredients.
The term "essentially pure crystalline fructose" as used herein includes fructose
powders, granules, and agglomerated powders.
[0019] Preferably, the fructose sweetener is dry-mixed with dried flavor crystals comprising
the flavorant, acidulant and'a crystalline sugar carrier. Such flavor crystals are
preferably made by the method comprising forming a uniform slurry (or a thick liquid)
of a liquid flavorant, an acidulant, and a minor but effective amount of a crystalline
sugar carrier. Sucrose is a preferred carrier, but at the concentration levels involved
contributes no perceptible sweetness.
[0020] The uniform slurry is then dehydrated in a suitable manner, e.g., vacuum-dried to
provide the substantially dry flavor crystals. Admixing an effective amount of the
dry crystalline fructose sweetener with the flavor crystals gives a preferred, stable,
dry beverage mix.
[0021] A preferred embodiment of the dry beverage mix comprises a dry mix of essentially
pure dry crystalline fructose and dry flavor crystals in which the flavor crystals
constitute from about 4% to about 12% by weight of the dry beverage mix. The crystalline
sugar carrier of the flavor crystals is sucrose which constitutes from about 20% to
40% by weight of said dry flavor crystals. In other words, the fructose sweetener
constitutes from about 88% to about 96% by weight of the dry beverage mix.
[0022] Another way to make the dry beverage mix of the present invention is to make a slurry
of all the dry beverage mix ingredients including an effective amount of essentially
pure crystalline fructose sweetener and co-drying the same to provide a substantially
dry uniform beverage mix. Such a mix is a substantially uniform ccmbi- nation of said
fructose sweetener, flavorant and acidulant. Of course, other methods of combining
and drying the ingredients will be obvious to those skilled in the art.
[0023] Various beverage flavorants and acidulant systems useful in dry beverage mixes are
well known in the art. Thus, a detailed discussion of these components is unnecessary
to practice or understand the present invention.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment, a C0
2-loaded molecular sieve disc is affixed at the bottom of a serving container to provide
instant carbonation. Examples of suitable carbonation devices useful in the present
invention are disclosed by Alexander Leon - Liepa and Cornelis Hendrikus Japikse in
U. S. Patent No. 4,007,134, February 8, 1977, herein incorporated by reference in
its entirety, particularly the drawings.
[0025] A preferred instant carbonation device following the teachings of Liepa and Japikse
is a single molded block of C0
2-loaded molecular sieve material having a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about
3 inches. Both the block and dry beverage mix are enclosed or put into a container,
e.g., a serving cup. When water is introduced, preferably over ice, into the container
making contact with the mix and block, the CO
2 is discharged from the block and its discharge serves to agitate and promote the
dissolution of the dry mix and provide beverage carbonation.
[0026] The fructose sweetened beverage mixes herein are found to carbonate more rapidly
than otherwise similar beverages which are sweetened with sucrose when each is carbonated
with a CO
2-loaded molecular sieve carbonation device as discussed herein. Furthermore, it is
found that the rate. of carbonation of the beverage made with the essentially pure
crystalline fructose sweetened beverage mix herein does not depend on whether the
carbonation device is placed above or below the dry mix particles in the serving container
before the addition of the beverage making liquid and the preferably added ice. This
facilitates the use of carbonation devices which are not affixed to the serving container,
since the consumer will not find the effectiveness of the carbonation device affected
by whether the-device or dry beverage mix particles are first placed in the serving
container.
[0027] The present invention provides a method of maximizing the sweetness level of fructose
in a fructose-sweetened, low calorie, dietetic, rapidly carbonating carbonated beverage
at the point of consumption.
[0028] By adding a beverage-making liquid to the instant dry, low calorie, dietetic, rapidly
carbonating carbonated beverage mix a surprisingly high level of fructose sweetness
is provided. The term "dietetic" beverage as used herein means a beverage which has
6 or less calories per fluid ounce of serving. Of course, the fructose sweetener accounts
for substantially all of the calories in the. beverage.
[0029] No artificial sweetener is needed or used, but yet the resulting beverage is surprisingly
sweet for substantially all consumers to enjoy. For an average serving period of about
3 to about 27 minutes for a 6- to 14-ounce serving, a dietetic beverage made by the
instant method is effectively sweetened.
[0030] In another preferred embodiment comprising a carbonation device illustrated by FIG.3
of U.S. Patent No. 4,007,134, supra, a molded block in the form of a disc having a
plurality of elongated channels extending from one surface to an opposite surface
is held in place at the bottom of a serving cup. The disc is a C0
2-loaded molecular sieve material having an amount of carbon dioxide effective to'carbonate
the beverage when brought in contact with the liquid. Chilled water or cool tap water
and ice are preferred beverage-making liquids. Carbonated water can also be used as
both the carbonation device and the beverage-making liquid.
[0031] For best results, ice and water are added to the serving cup containing the dry carbonated
beverage mix to provide a specified total volume.
[0032] An anti-foaming agent can be included in the dry beverage mix. A rapidly dissolvable
dry antifoam additive for dry beverage compositions is disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,983,251
to Gyanendra Singh, September 28, 1976, assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company..
The antifoamant can be an integral part of the flavor crystals of the dry beverage
mix.
[0033] The products and methods of this invention are further illustrated but not limited
to the following Examples
. EXAMPLE I
Flavor Crystals Preparation
[0034] A 200 g batch of flavor crystals, which when used constitute about 6.7 parts by dry
weight (93.3 parts fructose sweetener) of a low-calorie dry beverage mix, was prepared
as flows;

[0035] All of the liquid ingredients were weighed into a single container.
[0036] All the dry ingredients were weighed separately, then slowly added to the liquid
ingredients while blending until a uniform slurry mixture was obtained. Present in
the formulation, at a level of about 15 ppm in a 10.6 fluid ounce drink, is monoammonium
glycyrrhizinate, a natural GRAS sweet flavor enhancer derived from the licorice plant.
The thick liquid slurry product was poured into stainless steel trays and vacuum-dried
at a temperature of about 100°F for approximately 20 hours. The dried flavor crystals
were screened through a U.S.#12 screen, and the acceptable flavor crystals were retained
on a U.S. #20 screen.
EXAMPLE II
[0037] Several sample servings of a dry, low-calorie, dietetic carbonated beverage mix were
prepared by dry admixing 93.3 parts of substantially dry and essentially pure crystalline
fructose with 6.7 parts of the dry flavor crystals of Example I. This is about 15.9
g of fructose and about 1.15 g of flavor crystals for a total weight of 17.05 g of
dry beverage mix per 10.6 fluid ounce drink, including 105 g of cubed ice (3.55 fluid
ounce). The dry mix was placed in a serving cup equipped with a CO
2-loaded, molecular sieve disc like the one illustrated in Fig. 3 of U.S. Patent 4,007,134,
supra. At the point-of consumption, the ice is placed in the cup and cool tap water
added. The beverage is rapidly carbonated.

[0038] A panel of expert casters in a blind test tasted two beverages. The panelist rated
the sweetness of each beverage on a sweetness scale of 10 to 90. One of the beverages,
shown in Table I under column A, was made from the dry low-calorie beverage mix of
Example II. The other beverage shown under column B was prepared by dissolving the
same dry beverage mix of Example
II in 200 ml of cool tap water a day before. When served, the one-day-old solution was
poured into a serving cup containing 105 g of cubed ice and a CO
2-loaded disc for a 10.6 fluid ounce serving.
[0039] The beverage under column A was freshly prepared from the dry mix by adding about
105 g of cubed ice and 200 ml of cool tap water thereto. The beverage is rapidly carbonated.
[0040] The beverages, each having a caloric content of about 6.0 per fluid ounce of serving,
were allowed to stand for about 4 minutes before tasting. After about 4 minutes, the
level ef carbonation in both beverages was about 1.5 to about 1.6 volumes of CO
2 per volume of liquid.
[0041] The sweetness level of the beverage under column A was found by all panelists to
be greater than that of the bevorage under column B.
[0042] On a sweetness scale of 10-90 as used in Table I, ratings approaching 10 are the
least sweet, whereas ratings approaching 90 are the most sweet, with both extremes
being unacceptable with the optimum level of sweetness being about 50. It will be
noted from Table I that the average panelist rated the sweetness of Beverage A near
the optimum mid-point of the . rating scale.
EXAMPLE III
[0043] A 2000 g batch of a dry low-calorie dietetic carbonated cola beverage mix was prepared
having the following formulation:

[0044] The dry mix was prepared by weighing and mixing the dry ingredients together first
and then combining the admixture with the liquid cola flavor base and acidulant. This
admixture resulted in a uniform liquid slurry. The slurry was then mixed with the
fructose in a Hobart blender until a uniform wet flavor-coated fructose mass resulted.
This wet mass was transferred to trays and vacuum-dried at a drying shelf temperature
between room temperature and 100°F. The dried product was passed through a U.S. #6
screen and retained on a U.S. #18 Standard screen to provide a combination of the
fructose sweetener coated with said flavorant and acidulant.
[0045] The dry beverage mix was packed into serving cups having a CO
2-loaded carbonation disc as described in U.S. Patent 4,007,134, Fig. 3, supra, at
a level of 17.5 g; about 105 g of ice was added to make a 11.3 fluid ounce serving.
When the water was introduced into the cup making contact with the disc and dry mix,
the C0
2 discharged to agitate and promote the dissolution of the dry mix and provide beverage
carbonation. The beverage was rapidly carbonated.
[0046] The beverage was allowed to stand for about 5 minutes; a panel of expert tasters
tasted the fructose-sweetened dietetic carbonated beverage and found it acceptably
sweet and without any unpleasant aftertaste.
1. A dry, low-calorie carbonated beverage mix comprising a sweetener, a flavorant,
an acidulant and an instant carbonation device effective to carbonate a beverage when
said mix is brought into contact with a beverage-making liquid, characterised in that
the beverage is free of artificial sweeteners and in that the sweetener comprises
essentially pure fructose which provides substantially all of the calories.
2. A beverage mix according to Claim 1 characterised in that the instant carbonation
device is a C02-loaded molecular sieve device.
3. A beverage mix according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterised in that the instant
carbonation device is a single molded block having a thickness of from about 0.001
inch to about 3 inches; said block being affixed in said container, whereby when said
beverage-making liquid is introduced in said container making contact with said mix
and said block, said C02 is discharged to agitate and promote dissolution of said dry mix and provide beverage
carbonation.
4. A beverage mix according to any one of Claims 1-3 characterised in that the beverage
mix comprises dry flavor crystals comprising the flavorant, the acidulant, and a crystalline
sugar carrier.
5. A beverage mix according to Claim 4 characterised in that the flavor crystals constitute
from 4% to 12% by weight of the dry beverage mix, and in that the crystalline sugar
carrier is sucrose which constitutes from about 20% to 50%.by weight of the dry flavor
crystals.
6. A method of making a sweet, flavored carbonated beverage comprising adding a beverage-making
liquid to a sweetened dry beverage mix at the point of consumption, said beverage
mix comprising a sweetener, a flavorant, an acidulant and an instant carbonation device
effective to carbonate the beverage at the point of consumption when said beverage-making
liquid is.added to said beverage mix, characterised in that the sweetener comprises
not less than 88% by weight of total sweetener of essentially pure crystalline fructose
whereby said sweet, flavored carbonated beverage has a sweetness level greater than
the sweetness level of a carbonated beverage sweetened with predissolved fructose
on a calorie-for-calorie basis.
7. 'A method according to Claim 6 characterised in that the instant carbonation device
comprises a CO2- loaded molecular sieve device and in that the carbonated. beverage has a more rapid
rate of carbonation at the point of consumption than has a carbonated beverage sweetened
with sucrose and carbonated with the said instant carbonation device.
8. A method according to Claim 6 or Claim 7 characterised in that the beverage mix
comprises dry flavor crystals comprising said acidulant and said flavorant and a crystalline
sugar carrier.
9. A method according to Claim 8, characterised in that the crystalline sugar carrier
is sucrose, in that the carrier is from 20% to 50% by weight of the flavor crystals,
and in that the flavor crystals constitute from 4% to 12% by weight of said dry beverage
mix.