Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
20~798
This invention relates to a concentrated syrup useful in the
preparation, e.g. in the home of a flavoured carbonated or non-
carbonated beverage.
The market for carbonated beverages has increased at a
dramatic rate over the past twenty years. It is estimated that
this market now in the U.S.A. is in the order of four billion
dollars annually. Up to the present, this market has been served
almost exclusively by beverages which are pre-carbonated to the
proper level for immediate consumption and then packaged in
bottles or cans. While carbonation of beverages at the point of
consumption, e.g. at soda fountains, has been practised for
years, preparation of carbonated beverages in the home has not
been greeted with wide acceptance.
It is known to produce refreshing beverages by adcling, to
a given amount of deaerated, or in some cases, carbonated water,
a measured amount o-E a syrup, such syrup generally consisted of
a concentrated sugar solution, ranging from 45 to 65 Brix, and
flavouring and/or raw materials specific for the beverage.
Homemade carbonated beverages approximating the taste and
quality of commercially-bottled beverages have long been sought.
This, of course, is possible by adding commercially bottled
carbonated water to a syrup, but such a solution was probably
more costly than purchasing a commercially-bottled beverage.
Another approach has been the use of yeast and invert sugar in
home-bottled drinks.
Although bottled anA canned carbonated beverages have the
greatest consumer appeal, even more dramatic growth in this
market would be possible if the cost of such beverages can be
2~7~98
reduced. By far the largest part of the cost of bringing such
beverages to the consumer lies in their packaging and
distribution. To obtain a signiFicant reduction in the consumer
cost of the beverage, therefore, the volume or weight of the
container and its contents must be reduced. Since the beverage
contains a very high percentage of water, a reduction in the
container size can best be accomplished by concentratiny the
beverage, that is by reducing its water content. Such a beverage
may then be diluted by the consumer with water to bring it down
to the proper concentration which makes it convenient to store
and mix in the home. Concentrating the beverage is also of value
in beverage vending machines that mix the beverage during the
dispensing operation if syrup or gas storaye containers could be
made smaller.
Many well known beverages contain sodium benzoate as an
important ingredient that provides the beverage with desired
properties. The preparer of these beverages must take particular
pains to insure that the correct small quantity of sodium
benzoate is incorporated therein. Heretofore such preparers have
been required to maintain rather stringent specifications as to
particle sizes and densit.ies of this material as it is
incorporated. Such measures were to insure that the particles
o~ sodium benzoate would remain as such throughout the
preparative steps. Such stringent specifications are, of course,
both difficult and costly to meet.
It is a well known fact that, in syrups, a deposit may occur
shortly after preparation or during storage, the deposit being
mostly in the form of very light floccules floating in the
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liquid. In products which, on account of their composition, for
example, on account of a content of fruit juice, present a cloudy
appearance the deposits are not noticed. In clear products,
however, the floating floccu]es are very noticeable and they give
rise to complaints about the quality.
rrhe occurrence of the deposits has been attributed to
impurities of the sugar (sucrose) used in preparing the products,
namely the presence of saponines. Dependent on the nature and
the intensity of the purifying process applied when preparing th~
sucrose, the saponine content varies. Even with a content of
only a few parts per million of saponine, deposits are noticed
in flavoured liquids and syrups prepared with sugar.
However, it is also very possible that impurities of a high-
molecular nature play a part in the formation of deposits in
clear beverages. The same holds for components of flavours used
in preparinq flavoured liquids and syrups, the flavours often
being of vegetable origin. Light has an accelerating influence
on the formation of the deposits.
In addition, syrups are known which by a simple dilution
with water produce a flavoured liquid ready for consumption.
These syrups, which are most:ly used for household purposes, may
also show deposits, the more so since these products are often
kept longer than industrially used syrups. Tastes o:E fre~uent
occurrence of these syrups include: citron, citromint, campari,
peppermint, anise (pastis), and grenadine.
Conventional flavourings and colouring are employed ~Eor
providing the flavour and colour desired, and in addition sodium
chloride, sodium gluconate, and/or glucona delta lactone may be
%07379~
added along with citric acid and sodium citrate, as flavouring
and buffering ingredients. To this system, water and CO2 are
added and a suitable carbonated concentrate is available having
a pH of from between about 3 and 6. Under normal conditions, the
carbon dioxide will remain in the concentrate, particularly wh~n
the concentrate is chilled. Upon exposure to the ambient
atmosphere, only modest quantities of carbon dioxide are lost,
with the balance being retained in the soft drink being prepared.
The product is economical for the consumer to utilize and can be
packaged or bottled in conventional readily available non-
returnable soEt drink bottles.
Various patents have been issued to provide a teaching of
improved flavoured syrups to produce a carbonated or non-
carbonated beverage. For example, one alleged improved such
beverage was provided by U.S. Patent No. 3,687,684 patented
August 29, 1972 by R. L. Wentworth et al. In that patent, a
carbonated beverage was formed by diluting a concentrated
carbonated solution containing 15-75% by weight sugar, 85-25% by
weight water, and more than 6 volumes of carbon dioxide and a
flavouring agent. The concentrate was diluted by pouring it
through air into water without jet assistance or by pouring water
through air into the concentrate.
Another alleged improved beverage was provided in U.S.
Patent No. 3,919,431 patented November 11, ~975 by B. L. Tilford.
In that patent, sodium benzoate-caffeine compositions were
prepared by dissolving the sodium benzoate and caffeine to form
a solution and then the solution to provide a powder. This was
alleged to pexmit regulation of the relative proportions of the
2~737~
benzoate and caffeine. The prepared compositions were used in
beverages containing sodium benzoate and caffeine.
Yet another alleged improved beverage was said to be
provided in U. S. Patent No. 4,009,289 patented February 22, 1977
by R. Roos et al. In that patent, a sucrose beverage cr beverage
concentrate was prepared in which at most 0.25% by weight of gum
arabic, calculated as a dry substance on the sucrose as dry
substance, was incorporated therein.
Still another improved beverage was alleged to be provided
in U.S. Patent No. 4,010,285 patented March 1, 1977 by G. A. Van
Doren Jr.. In that patent, aqueous base soft drink concentrate
formulations of various strengths consisting of flavouring and
colouring, an artificial sweetener, e.g. saccharin, or sodium
saccharin, and up to about 50% of total sweetener in the form of
sugar, depending on strength of the concentrate, along with a
preservative, and from more than 1 up to about 7 volumes of
carbon dioxide per volume of concentrate. The carbonated
concentrates were utiliæed to prepare a palatable carbonated soft
drink by mixing one part of concentrate to from 1 to 5 parts of
ice water, depending on strength of the concentrate formulation.
Still another improved beverage was said to be provided in
U.S. Patent No. 4,599,239 patented July 8, 1981 by D. Weiland et
al. In that patent, a method was provided for the preparation
of non-alcoholic beverages, especially carbonated beverages.
First a sugar solution of prescribed concentration was prepared
by dissolving sugar in deaerated water with an oxygen content
below 0~15 mg/L. Then, the sugar solution was adjusted in an
additional deaeration to an oxygen content of less than 0.1 mg/L.
2~7~7~
The deaerated sugar solution was then finally adjusted to a
prescribed concentration with deaerated water and carbonat~d.
Finally, it was mixed with flavourings specific to the beverage.
In spite of these patents, the art is still faced with the
need to provide improved and flavour-enhanced syrups for
producing carbonated and/or non-carbonated beverages of
distinctive appealing taste.
It is, therefore, an object of a broad aspect of the present
invention to provide a beveraye concentrate of distinctive
appealing taste which may be diluted with water alone or
carbonated water to provide a distinctive carbonated or non-
carbonated beverage.
An object of another aspect of this invention is to furnish
the consumer with the means to prepare a carbonated beverage of
the level of flavour and carbonation suited to his taste.
The present invention in its broad aspect provides a
flavour-enhanced syrup for the production of a carbonated or non-
carbonated beverage comprising an aqueous sucrose syrup
containing sodium benzoate and a flavour-enhancing amount of a
wine-brandy-flavoured concentrate with, optionally, any desired
color.
In this specification "flavoured liquid" means a carbonated
beverage or a beverage free of carbonic acid, ready for
consumption and irrespective of the kind of taste. "Syrup" means
a concentrate from which a flavoured liquid is obtained by
dilution with water, and which may also contain carbonic acid.
A preferred flavour-enhanced syrup within the ambit of this
invention for the production of a carbonated or non~-carbonated
~737~
beveraye comprises: an aqueous sucrose syrup made from a sucrose
which is very low in saponines, a physiologically-aceptable grade
of sodium benzoate having a particle size facilitating ease of
handling and an optimum dissolution rate to provide an aqueous,
or aqueous sucrose solution, and a flavour-enhancing amount of
a wine-brandy-flavoured concentrate.
In su~h syrup, the sucrose has less than 1 ppm saponines
therein. The wine~brandy-flavouring is the non-alcoholic viscous
residue resulting from the distillation of wine to provide a
brandy, being of a light to dark amber colour and having a
viscosity about 4 - 6 times that of water.
A most preferred flavour-enchanced syrup within the ambit
of this invention comprises;
water: 96 ounces
sucrose (containing less
than 1 ppm saponines
therein): about 6 lbs
sodium benzoate: about 5 g
wine-brandy-flavouring
(the non-alcoholic
viscous residue
resulting from the
distillation of wine
to provide a brandy,
being of a light to
dark amber colour and
having a viscosity about
4 - 6 times that of water): about 2.5 to about 3
ounces
The present invention also provides a beverage comprising
water and a sufficient amount of any of the above described
syrups to provide a distinctive appealing taste thereto.
Preferably, the beverage includes a food grade colour to provide
an attractive colour to the beverageO
2~73798
The syrup according to one example of this invention may bP
prepared by simply dissolving sugar in water, then dissolving the
sodium benzoate in the sugar syrup and finally adding the wine-
brandy-flavouring.
Alternatively, the sodium benæoate may be dissolved in the
water first and the sugar may be disolved in that solution and
finally, the wine-brandy-flavouring may be added.
In one specific formulation, for each 96 ounces of water,
there is provided 6 lb. of sucrose, 5 g of sodium benzoate and
2.5 to 3 ounces of wine brandy flavour. Any food grade colour
may be used to provide an attractive colour to the beverage.
The sucrose used is one which is very low in saponines, in
order to minimize the likelihood of formation of deposits.
Preferably, the sucrose should have less than 1 ppm saponines
thereln.
The sodium benzoate is of a grade that is physiologically
acceptable. 5ince it is to be dissolved in an aqueous solution
for preparation of the compositions of this invention, its
particle size is a consideration only as to the ease of handling
and dissolution rate desired in forming the aqueous solution.
The wine brandy flavouring is the non-alcoholic viscous
residue resulting from the distillation of wine to provide
brandy. Such wine brandy flavouring generally is of a light to
dark amber colour and has a viscosity about 4 - 6 times that of
water.
The aqueous solution syrup of this invention can be formed
at any suitable temperature that the ingredients sodium benzoate
2073~98
and caffeine will readily dissolve. For a desired ratio as
described above, the aqueous solution should be prepared at 25C.
Conventional colouring may be employed in providing the
colour desired.
