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Patent 2778840 Summary

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(12) Patent Application: (11) CA 2778840
(54) English Title: ANTIOXIDANT CONTAINING LIQUID CREAMERS
(54) French Title: CREMES LIQUIDES CONTENANT UN ANTIOXYDANT
Status: Deemed Abandoned and Beyond the Period of Reinstatement - Pending Response to Notice of Disregarded Communication
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • A23C 11/00 (2006.01)
  • A23C 11/08 (2006.01)
  • A23D 7/005 (2006.01)
  • A23L 2/58 (2006.01)
  • A23L 2/62 (2006.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • TUOT, JAMES (United States of America)
  • OCTAVIA, WINNIE (United States of America)
  • SHER, ALEXANDER A. (United States of America)
(73) Owners :
  • NESTEC S.A.
(71) Applicants :
  • NESTEC S.A. (Switzerland)
(74) Agent: BORDEN LADNER GERVAIS LLP
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued:
(86) PCT Filing Date: 2010-10-15
(87) Open to Public Inspection: 2011-04-28
Availability of licence: N/A
Dedicated to the Public: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): Yes
(86) PCT Filing Number: PCT/EP2010/065539
(87) International Publication Number: WO 2011048026
(85) National Entry: 2012-04-17

(30) Application Priority Data:
Application No. Country/Territory Date
PCT/US2009/061316 (United States of America) 2009-10-20

Abstracts

English Abstract

Liquid creamer compositions having improved resistance to oxidation, which include an emulsifying component including at least two different low molecular weight emulsifiers in relative amounts sufficient to provide a stabilized emulsion; a cellulose component including a blend of two different cellulose compounds in an amount sufficient to maintain homogeneity of the composition; a carrageenan gum component present in an amount sufficient to maintain homogeneity of the composition; a vegetable oil and optionally a whitening agent in an amount sufficient to provide whitening to an aqueous media to which the creamer is added; water in an amount sufficient to make a liquid creamer and an antioxidant system comprising gum arabic and a carotenoid component in an amount sufficient to provide the liquid creamer with improved resistance to light and temperature induced oxidation.


French Abstract

La présente invention concerne des compositions de crème liquide possédant une résistance améliorée à l'oxydation. Les compositions comprennent un composant émulsifiant comprenant au moins deux émulsifiants différents de faible poids moléculaire en quantités relatives suffisantes pour donner une émulsion stabilisée; un composant à base de cellulose comprenant un mélange de deux composés à base de cellulose différents en une quantité suffisante pour conserver l'homogénéité de la composition; un composant à base de gomme de carraghénane présents en une quantité suffisante pour conserver l'homogénéité de la composition; une huile végétale et facultativement un agent blanchissant en une quantité suffisante pour permettre de blanchir un milieu aqueux auquel la crème est ajoutée; de l'eau en une quantité suffisante pour produire une crème liquide et un système antioxydant comprenant de la gomme arabique et un composant à base de caroténoïde en quantité suffisante pour conférer à la crème liquide une résistance améliorée à l'oxydation induite par la lumière et la température.

Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
1. A liquid creamer composition comprising:
an emulsifying component including a combination of at least one low HLB
emulsifier
and at least one medium HLB emulsifier, with a low HLB emulsifier : medium HLB
emulsifier weight ratio of about 5:1 to about 1:20, with the low and medium
HLB emulsifiers
together being present in an amount of about 0.05 to 0.8% by weight of the
total composition;
a cellulose component including a blend of micro crystalline cellulose (MCC)
and
carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) present in a total amount of about 0.01 to about
1 percent by
weight of the composition, with the MCC and CMC present in a weight ratio of
about 8:1 to
12:1; and
a carrageenan gum component present in an amount of about 0.005 to about 0.1
percent by weight of the composition;
a buffer system in sufficient amount to maintain pH between 6 and 8;
oil and water in an amount sufficient to make a liquid creamer; and
an antioxidant system comprising gum arabic in the amount of 0.1 % to 1.5% by
weight
of the total composition and a carotenoid component in an amount of about 0.5
ppm to 30
ppm.
2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the carotenoid component
comprises beta carotene.
3. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising one or more
additional antioxidants selected from the group consisting of a tocopherol,
sulphite, vitamin A
and precursors thereof.
4. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the low HLB
emulsifier is a monoglyceride, diglyceride, acetylated monoglyceride, sorbitan
trioleate,
glycerol dioleate, sorbitan tristearate, propyleneglycol monostearate
glycerol, monooleate and
monostearate, or a combination thereof, and wherein the medium HLB emulsifier
is sorbitan
14

monooleate, propylene glycol monolaurate, sorbitan monostearate, calcium
stearoxyl-2-
lactylate, glycerol sorbitan monopalmitate, soy lecithin, diacetylated
tartaric acid esters of
monoglycerides, or a combination thereof.
5. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the carrageenan
gum component is a kappa carrageenan gum, an iota carageenan gum, and
optionally lambda
carrageenan or a combination thereof.
6. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the carrageenan
gum component is a combination of a kappa carrageenan and an iota carrageenan
in a weight
ratio of about 6:1 to about 1:10.
7. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 6 further optionally
comprising a whitening agent,, wherein the whitening agent is titanium dioxide
having a
particle size of about 0.1 to about 0.7 microns and present in an amount of
about 0.1 to about 1
percent by weight of the composition.
8. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 7, further optionally
comprising a chelating agent selected from the group consisting of EDTA,
sodium or
potassium salts of EDTA, citric acid, amino acids, sodium or potassium salts
of amino acids,
sodium or potassium hexamethaphosphates, sodium or potassium tri-, tetra- and
other
polyphosphates, sodium or potassium citrate, sodium or potassium tartrate, or
combinations
thereof.
9. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 8, further comprising one
or
more of a pH buffer in an amount of 0.05 to 2.1 % by weight of the
composition.
10. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 9, further optionally
comprising a
sweetener in an amount of about 0.1 to about 50 percent by weight of the
composition.

11. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a
vegetable oil in an amount of about 0.1 to about 33 percent by weight of the
composition.
12. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 11, further comprising one
or
more of chelating agent(s), flavor(s), sweetener(s), and colorant(s).
13. A beverage comprising an aqueous liquid, a beverage-forming component, and
the liquid creamer composition of claim 1 in an amount sufficient to provide a
creaming effect
to the beverage.
14. The beverage of claim 13 wherein the beverage-forming component is coffee,
tea, chocolate or a fruit drink.
15. A method of manufacturing the liquid creamer composition of claim 1, which
comprises providing the emulsifying components, cellulose components,
carrageenan gum
components, antioxidant component(s), buffer(s), in powder or liquid form, or
a combination
thereof; and dispersing the components in water under agitation.
16. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises adding one or
more of chelating agent(s), flavor(s), sweetener(s), and colorant(s) including
the whitening
agent.
17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, which further comprises adding a
vegetable oil to the water to produce a mixture of all components, followed by
subjecting the
mixture to a heat treatment, homogenization, cooling, and filling in
containers under aseptic
conditions.
18. Use of an antioxidant system containing gum arabic and a carotenoid
component to provide a liquid creamer with improved resistance to light and
temperature
induced oxidation.
16

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CA 02778840 2012-04-17
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ANTIOXIDANT CONTAINING LIQUID CREAMERS
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to compositions for extended shelf life (ESL)
and shelf-
stable liquid creamers with improved resistance to oxidation, and to the
processes for making
them.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Creamers, also known as whiteners, are widely used with hot and cold beverages
such
as coffee, cocoa, and tea. Creamers can also be used as replacement for milk
or dairy cream
with powders or particulates such cereals. Creamers are available in both
liquid and powder
forms. However, creamers in powder forms do not provide an impression of
traditional dairy
creamers. Moreover, powder creamers may be difficult to dissolve when added to
beverages
such as coffee, which may result in non homogeneous beverages.
Liquid creamers are essentially oil in water emulsions with the oil phase made
of
typical food grade oil, sometimes partially hydrogenated. Liquid creamers may
undergo
oxidation when exposed to light or high temperature or both, with light
induced oxidation
being a much more serious issue than oxidation induced by high temperature.
Most of the liquid creamers currently on the market are sold chilled as ESL
(Extended
Shelf Life) creamers and require to be kept in a refrigerator. Even under
chilled condition, it
has been shown that typical liquid creamers oxidize within a few weeks under a
standard 1075
Lux fluorescent light typically found in supermarkets if not protected against
this light effect.
Typical labels of liquid creamers do not provide adequate light protection
that makes this
problem worse. For example, a standard label used for liquid creamers in the
US cuts light
transmission by about 65% in the most important wavelength range of 400 nm to
600 nm,
which falls far short from eliminating oxidation. Although better labels
exist, they are not
favored by marketing because of their undesirable finishes. Thus, the liquid
creamers currently
on the market inevitably develop some off taste and poor quality due to
oxidation when kept
too long under light at any temperature.
The desirable shelf stable liquid creamers will be exposed to light at a much
higher
temperature than the chilled products, and this is expected to increase
oxidation as a matter of
simple chemistry. The shelf stable liquid creamers undergo oxidation due to
two different but

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somewhat related mechanisms: oxidation induced by temperature alone, and
oxidation
induced by light and accelerated by temperature.
Oxidation related to temperature alone is a relatively slow phenomenon which,
in
itself, does not cause a quality degradation serious enough to significantly
shorten the shelf
life of the shelf stable liquid creamers. For example, shelf stable liquid
creamers kept under
ambient temperature but in the dark could be still acceptable in sensory
qualities after a period
of about 6 months, which defines the shelf life of the product. In contrast,
oxidation induced
by light and accelerated by temperature results in rapid degradation of the
quality of shelf
stable liquid creamers, rendering them unacceptable to consumers.
Although preventing bulk oil oxidation is known in the art, reducing the light
induced
oxidation in liquid creamers is a formidable task. Currently, there is no
reliable data available
regarding the wavelengths most susceptible to carry the damaging energy to
start the light
induced oxidation process.
It has been shown that emulsion oil oxidation involves different degradation
reaction
mechanisms from bulk oil oxidation, due to factors such as antioxidants used,
chelating agents
present, ingredients purity, ingredients partitioning, interfacial
characteristics, droplet
characteristics, and ingredients interactions. US patent application
publication No.
20050184275A1 teaches an antioxidant composition for enhancing the inhibition
of oxidation
within highly polyunsaturated lipids in oil-in-water and water-in-oil
emulsions comprising
effective quantities of tocopherols, beta-carotene, egg yolk or soybean
phospholipids, and
sucrose or sorbitol. European patent No EP 1006809 reveals that oil-in-water
dispersions of
beta carotene and other carotenoids are stable against oxidation while water-
dispersible
beadlets of beta carotene are very sensitive to oxidation in diluted juice
beverages. US
5,284,674 discloses a powdered dairy creamer optionally comprising vitamin E
based
antioxidants such as vitamin E dl alpha tocopherol.
Casein, which often used as an emulsifier in liquid creamers, is known to help
reduce
light induced oxidation. However, it has been demonstrated that even liquid
creamers with
high level of casein undergo a significant degradation when exposed to light.
For example,
liquid creamers containing casein were found degraded after 3 to 6 weeks under
1075 Lux
fluorescent light even when kept at 4 C in a package that allows 50% light
transmission
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across all visible spectrum. Protein-free liquid creamers, which contain no
casein, are even
more rapidly degraded under light.
Although quite a few antioxidants are known, experts in the field have
cautioned that
most known antioxidants can also undesirably act as a pro-oxidant, depending
on the specific
composition of food matrix.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for liquid creamers with improved
resistance
to light induced oxidation as well as temperature related oxidation. In
particular, there is a
need to find a satisfactory antioxidant(s) capable of protecting liquid
creamers, especially with
low protein and protein-free, from light and temperature induced oxidation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention set forth herein satisfies the unmet needs of the art by
providing a liquid
creamer composition having improved resistance to light and temperature
induced oxidation,
which comprises an emulsifying component including at least two different low
molecular
weight emulsifiers in relative amounts sufficient to provide a stabilized
emulsion; a cellulose
component including a blend of two different cellulose compounds in an amount
sufficient to
maintain homogeneity of the composition; a carrageenan(s) gum component
present in an
amount sufficient to maintain homogeneity of the composition; a buffer system
in sufficient
amount to maintain desired pH; vegetable and water in an amount sufficient to
make a liquid
creamer; and an antioxidant system comprising gum arabic and a carotenoid(s)
component in
an amount sufficient to provide liquid creamer with improved resistance to
light and/or
temperature induced oxidation. The liquid creamers may also contain one or
more of
protein(s), chelating agent(s), flavor(s), sweetener(s), and colorant(s), and
a whitening agent in
an amount sufficient to provide additional whitening to an aqueous media to
which the
creamer is added.
The invention further provides for a beverage comprising an aqueous liquid, a
beverage-forming component such as coffee, tea, chocolate or a fruit drink,
and the creamer of
the invention in an amount sufficient to provide a creaming effect to the
beverage. The
creamer of the invention can also be used as a dairy replacement for
consumption with food
such as cereals and berries, or for use in cooking as creamers for soups and
other applications.
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The invention also provides for a process of manufacture of the liquid creamer
of the
invention comprising providing the emulsifying components, cellulose
components,
carageenan gum components, antioxidant component(s), or a combination thereof;
and
dissolving the components in water with agitation. The water may be cold, hot,
or cold and
then heated, or hot and then cooled. In one embodiment, this process may
further comprise
adding one or more of sweetener(s), protein(s), chelating agent(s), flavor(s),
colorant(s) and
the whitening agent in powder or liquid form, or a combination thereof, into
the water with
agitation. Additionally, vegetable oil is added to the water or to the wet-mix
to produce a
mixture of all components, followed by subjecting the mixture to a heat
treatment selected
from the group consisting of ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurization or
sterilization,
retorting and other thermoprocessing procedures. Subsequent process steps
include
homogenization, cooling, and then filling in containers under aseptic
conditions to produce the
liquid creamer.
Yet another embodiment of the invention relates to the use of an antioxidant
system
comprising gum arabic and a carotenoid component to provide a liquid creamer
with improved
resistance to light and temperature induced oxidation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As noted, liquid creamers, and in particular those that are shelf stable such
that they
can be stored at room temperature rather than under refrigerated conditions,
experience light
and temperature oxidation, and it is the goal of this invention to offset or
counteract this
problem. While it seems to be logical to add antioxidants for this purpose,
this is not a simple
task as some can affect the taste, color or organoleptic properties of the
creamer, while many
others undesirably act as a pro-oxidant or to deleteriously affect certain
physical properties of
the creamers (e.g., viscosity). Thus, suitable antioxidants cannot be easily
discovered without
much more than routine testing.
Chlorophyll could be a possible cause for light induced oxidation, but use of
oil
without any chlorophyll residual like partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil
confirmed that the
oxidation was not to any measurable extent related to the possible chlorophyll
content.
To attempt to provide liquid creamers with the right antioxidant(s), different
antioxidants and their combinations were tested. Known antioxidant(s) or
combinations
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thereof, or combination of antioxidant(s) and chelating agent(s) such as
tocopherols alone,
tocopherols and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), tocopherols and tert-
butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), citric acid and TBHQ, TBHQ alone, a blend of Vitamin
E and
Vitamin C, were all found to be incapable of reducing the light induced
oxidation to any
significant degree.
After further testing, it was surprisingly found that antioxidant systems
comprising
gum arabic and carotenoid(s) are effective in reducing light induced oxidation
as well as
minimizing temperature related oxidation, and suitable for using with a
commercially
acceptable liquid creamer in terms of color and sensory properties. Thus, the
invention relates
to the use of these antioxidant systems to impart the necessary oxidation
resistance to such
liquid creamers without deleteriously affecting the organoleptic properties of
those creamers,
as well as to the resulting creamer compositions that contain these
antioxidant systems.
The gum arabic component of these antioxidant systems is a hydrocolloid widely
used
in beverages as foam stabilizer and emulsifier to enhance mouth-feel. Gum
arabic reduces
surface tension of liquids, which leads to increased fizzing in carbonated
beverages, in
addition to encapsulating and stabilizing flavors and colors. Gum arabic
differs from other
hydrocolloids, which are polysaccharides, in that gum arabic also contains a
protein fraction,
namely a highly branched arabinogalactan-protein complexes. Specifically, gum
arabic has an
amphiphilic protein fraction and a branched polysaccharide fraction linked to
the protein
fraction. It is likely that the amphiphilic protein fraction of the gum arabic
cooperates with fat
droplets in the liquid creamer while the branched polysaccharide fraction of
the gum arabic
may provide a steric hindrance around the fat droplets to reduce or slow down
the access of
oxidants or pro-oxidants, e.g. metallic cations to the fat droplets. As such,
oxidation is reduced
while the stability and shelf life of the liquid creamer are increased. This
is highly useful for
liquid creamers.
The gum arabic most effective in preventing oxidation is high in
arabinogalactan-
protein, the concentration of which must be standardized in the gum arabic to
have repeatable
results. Examples of commercially available gum arabic includes TIC
PR_ETESTET)'
TICAMULSION A-2010 Powder. TIC PRETESTED PRE-HYDRATEDCR GUM
ARABIC SPRAY DRY FCC powder and TIC PRETESTED) GUM ARABIC FT PR_E-
HYDRATED powder. Advantageously, only a small amount of gum arabic in
combination
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with a carotenoid component is necessary to protect against light and
temperature induced
oxidation in liquid creamers. This could be due to a synergetic effect between
the carotenoid
and the gum.
In one preferred embodiment, the liquid creamer composition of the invention
comprises gum arabic in an amount of about 0.1% to about 1.5% weight
percentage of the
final composition which typically contains about 8% oil. Since gum arabic is
neutral in taste, it
does not impart any off flavor to the liquid creamer, nor does it affect the
viscosity of the
liquid creamer at these low concentrations.
In another preferred embodiment, the liquid creamer composition of the
invention
comprises both gum arabic and a carotenoid component such as beta carotene or
a blend of
natural carotenoids. In these compositions, the gum arabic may be present at
the oil/water
interface but outside of the emulsifier layer while the carotenoid component
is dissolved into
the oil phase.
The liquid creamer of the invention may also contain an antioxidant system
comprising
a system of gum arabic and carotenoid alone, or in combination with another
antioxidant. In
one embodiment of the invention, the liquid creamer composition includes a gum
arabic -
antioxidant system comprising beta carotene in an amount of 0.5 - 30 ppm 5-30
ppm and
alpha tocopherols in an amount of 20-110 ppm. Such systems have been found to
completely
suppress all light induced oxidation. However, at the high level of beta
carotene, the creamer
color could be unacceptable for some consumers. The use of tocopherols to
assist in providing
oxidation resistance is completely unexpected given that the use of
tocopherols alone was
found to be ineffective for this purpose.
In another embodiment of the invention, the liquid creamer composition
contains a
gum arabic - antioxidant system comprising beta carotene in an amount of about
0.5 - 30 ppm
5 ppm, and food grade EDTA as a chelating agent in an amount of about 1-2 ppm,
which also
suppresses oxidation.
Surprisingly, liquid creamers comprising even lower concentrations of beta
carotene,
i.e., 0.5 ppm and 3.0 ppm, with or without EDTA are also significantly less
prone to light
induced oxidation. Due to the reduced amount of beta carotene, these liquid
creamers only
have a light yellow color and a desirable taste profile not affected by the
presence of this small
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amount of beta carotene, as confirmed by sensory analysis after prolonged
period of constant
exposure to 1075 Lux fluorescent light at 30 C.
A chelating agent such as EDTA is added to protect against the pro-oxidation
effects of
transition metals such as iron and copper, and might not be needed depending
on the quality
and source of raw ingredients of the liquid creamers. Although no transition
metal is present in
the recipe, liquid creamers processed in the US have been found to contain an
unexpectedly
high level of transition metals, which makes it necessary to add chelating
agent(s) including,
but not limited to, EDTA, sodium or potassium salts of EDTA, citric acid,
amino acids,
sodium or potassium salts of amino acids, sodium or potassium
hexamethaphosphates, sodium
or potassium tri-, tetra- and other polyphosphates, sodium or potassium
citrate, sodium or
potassium tartrate, or combinations thereof.
In one embodiment, the liquid creamer of the invention includes an antioxidant
system
comprising a blend of gum arabic, beta carotene in an amount of about 5 ppm,
EDTA in an
amount of about 2 ppm,, which inhibits light induced oxidation in the liquid
creamer for up to
3 months at 30 C under 1075 Lux fluorescence light.
In addition to the antioxidant system described above, the liquid creamer
composition
of the invention further comprises: (i) an emulsifying component including at
least two
different low molecular weight emulsifiers in relative amounts sufficient to
provide a
stabilized emulsion; (ii) a cellulose component including a blend of two
different cellulose
compounds in an amount sufficient to maintain homogeneity of the composition;
(iii) a
carageenan gum component present in an amount sufficient to maintain
homogeneity of the
composition;; (iv) a buffer system in sufficient amount to maintain desired
pH; and (v)
vegetable oil and water in an amount sufficient to make a liquid creamer. The
liquid creamers
may also contain protein(s), chelating agent(s), flavor(s), sweetener(s),
colorant(s) and a
whitening agent in an amount sufficient to provide additional whitening to an
aqueous media
to which the creamer is added
In a further embodiment, the liquid creamer is a low-protein liquid creamer or
a
protein-free liquid creamer.
To achieve a superior emulsion stability, the emulsifier component of the
liquid
creamer composition comprises a combination of at least one low HLB emulsifier
and at least
one medium HLB emulsifier in a weight ratio of about 5:1 to about 1:20,
preferably from
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about 3:1 to about 1:7, and most preferably from about 1.5:1 to about 2:4 with
the low and
medium HLB emulsifiers together being present in an amount of about 0.05 to
0.8% by weight
of the total composition.
The hydrophilicity and lipophilicity are different among emulsifiers, and the
balance
between the two is called HLB value. The HLB value is determined by
calculating hydrophilic
or lipophilic values of the different regions of the molecule. Various
references relate to the
HLB value. Examples are Griffin WC: "Classification of Surface-Active Agents
by 'HLB,"'
Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists 1 (1949): 311, or Griffin WC:
"Calculation of
HLB Values of Non-Ionic Surfactants," Journal of the Society of Cosmetic
Chemists 5 (1954):
259.
The HLB value of an emulsifier typically ranges from 0 to 20. Usually, a low
HLB
emulsifier has an HLB value between 1 and 4, while a medium HLB emulsifier has
an HLB
value between 5 and 10.
The emulsifiers used are not limited to those of a single acyl or fatty acid
component,
such as on a specific carbon chain length or degree of unsaturation. In
preferred embodiments,
the emulsifiers are monoglycerides and acid esters of monoglycerides.
Particularly preferred
embodiments include a combination of monoglycerides and acid esters of
monoglycerides. In
some embodiments, low molecular weight emulsifiers with low HLB values are
selected from
the group consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, acetylated
monoglycerides, sorbitan
trioleate, glycerol dioleate, sorbitan tristearate, propyleneglycol
monostearate, glycerol
monooleate and monostearate, alone or in combination, while the low molecular
weight
emulsifiers with medium HLB values are selected from the group consisting of
sorbitan
monooleate, propylene glycol monolaurate, sorbitan monostearate, calcium
stearoxyl-2-
lactylate, glycerol sorbitan monopalmitate, soy lecithin, and diacetylated
tartaric acid esters of
monoglycerides, alone or in combination.
In one preferred embodiment, the liquid creamer composition includes a
cellulose
component as a blend of micro crystalline cellulose (MCC) and
carboxymethylcellulose
(CMC), and a carageenan gum component. The cellulose and gum components are
present in
an amount that is sufficient to maintain the composition in a homogenous
state, such that there
is no phase separation, sedimentation, creaming, feathering, gelation, or
changes in viscosity.
Thus, the cellulose and gum components contribute to a hydrocolloid
stabilizing system that
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helps to maintain stability of the creamer composition alone, and also when
added to a liquid
media.
In accordance with a preferred invention embodiment, the MCC/CMC/carrageenan
stabilizing system is present in an amount from about 0.05 to 1 %, more
preferably from 0.2 to
0.7 %, and most preferably from 0.3 to 0.5 % by weight of the total
composition, with the
cellulose and carrageenan gum components present in a weight ratio of between
200:1 and
1:10. Use of less than 0.05% of total hydrocolloids resulted in creaming,
phase separation and
in an off-flavor in the liquid creamer samples, while levels of total
hydrocolloids higher than
1% resulted in severe syneresis and gelation of the samples. Syneresis is the
contraction of a
hydrated system, usually hydrocolloids resulting in the exudation of part of
its liquid
component, i.e. watering layer on the top or bottom of the liquid product.
Gelation is the
process of forming a gel. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute
crosslinked system, which
exhibits no flow when in the steady-state. By weight, gels are mostly liquid,
yet they behave
like solids due to a three-dimensional crosslinked network within the liquid.
It is the crosslinks
within the fluid that give a gel its structure (hardness) and contribute to
stickiness. Phase
separation that can be observed in liquid creamers are creaming, syneresis,
marbling and other
layering and/or gelation. These undesirable effects could be easily observed
visually, e.g.
different color layers for phase separation or in significantly increased
viscosity for gelation
during the storage, especially at high temperature.
The cellulose component of the liquid creamer composition can be present in an
amount of about 0.01 to 1 %, preferably about 0.2 to 0.6%, and most preferably
about 0.3 to
0.5% by weight of the composition. The ratio of MCC to CMC is preferably about
8:1 to 12:1,
and most preferably about 9:1 to 10:1.
The carrageenan gum component is preferably present in an amount of about
0.005 to
0.1 percent by weight of the composition, and can be a kappa carrageenan, an
iota, and
optionally lambda carrageenan, or a combination thereof. In accordance with
one embodiment
of the invention, the carrageenan is a kappa/iota carageenan blend, in weight
to weight ratio of
about 6:1 to about 1:10. Lamda carrageenan can be added optinally to maintain
desired
product viscosity.
9

CA 02778840 2012-04-17
WO 2011/048026 PCT/EP2010/065539
In some embodiments, the liquid creamer of the invention further comprises
additional
antioxidants selected from the group consisting of tocopherols, sulphite,
vitamin A and
precursors thereof.
The liquid creamer of the invention may also include one or more pH buffer to
achieve
a pH range preferably about 6 to 8 and more preferably about 6.5 to 7.5. Non-
limiting
examples of suitable buffers are salts such as potassium phosphate,
dipotassium phosphate,
potassium hydrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate, sodium
phosphate, disodium
phosphate, sodium hydrophosphate, and sodium tripolyphosphate. The buffer can
be present in
an amount of about 0.05 to about 2.1 % of the total weight of the composition.
Optionally, the liquid creamer composition can contain sweeteners, including
but not
limited to sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, other
natural sweeteners,
artificial sweeteners, or combination of thereof. The sweeteners may be
present in
concentration from about 0.1 to 50%, and preferably from about 5 to 30% by
weight of the
total composition.
The liquid creamers can also include added colors and/or flavors. Optionally,
the
whitening agent of the liquid creamer composition is titanium dioxide, which
can be present in
an amount of about 0.1 to about 1 % by weight of the composition. The titanium
dioxide can
have a particle size ranging 0.1 to 0.7 microns, with a preferred embodiment
having a particle
size of about 0.4 microns.
The liquid creamer composition also contains from about 0.1 to 33 wt% of
vegetable
oil(s). The vegetable oil(s) can include partially or wholly hydrogenated
oils, alone or in
combination. Suitable vegetable oils include, but are not limited to, soybean
oil, coconut oil,
palm oil, cotton seed oil, canola oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, and safflower
oil.
The liquid creamer composition may further comprise at least one food grade
preservative selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, potassium
benzoate,
sorbic acid, sodium sorbate, potassium sorbate, sulfites, and combinations
thereof.
Embodiments of the invention also include a beverage comprising an aqueous
liquid, a beverage-forming component, and a liquid creamer composition of the
invention in
an amount sufficient to provide a creaming effect to the beverage. The
beverage forming
component can be coffee, tea, chocolate, or a fruit drink. The beverage
forming component
can also be a powder or crystal substance, typically having some sort of
flavor, such as cocoa,

CA 02778840 2012-04-17
WO 2011/048026 PCT/EP2010/065539
malt, or fruit flavor crystals. The invention also could be extended to the
use of a creamer as a
dairy replacement that can be consumed directly or with other food such as
cereal or for use in
cooking.
The present invention further provides a process of making the liquid creamer
of the
invention, which includes providing the emulsifying components, cellulose
components,
carrageenan gum components, antioxidant component(s), in powder or liquid
form, or a
combination thereof, buffer(s) in powder or liquid form, or a combination
thereof, and
dissolving the components in water under agitation. The optional components
such as
chelating agent(s), flavor(s), colorant(s) including the whitening agent as
titanium dioxide, and
sweetener(s), in liquid or powder form, can also be included in this step.
Next, a vegetable oil
is added to the hot water to produce a mixture of all components. The mixture
then undergoes
UHT heat treatment, homogenization, cooling, and filling in containers under
aseptic
conditions. Homogenization can be performed before and/or after the heat
treatment.
The advantages of the invention are numerous. In particular, it has been found
and
confirmed that light induced oxidation is a main culprit for shelf stable
liquid creamer
degradation over storage, whereas temperature related degradation is more
limited. Built upon
this discovery, antioxidant systems comprising gum arabic and carotenoid(s)
are used to
mitigate and significantly reduce light and/or temperature induced oxidation
in liquid creamers
to deliver shelf stable liquid creamers of high qualities. The antioxidant
system may also
comprise chelating agent(s), and/or tocopherol(s).
EXAMPLES
The invention is further defined by reference to the following illustrative,
non-
limiting examples.
Example 1
10 g of kappa-carrageenan, 20 g of iota- carrageenan, 500 g of sucrose, and
250
g of gum arabic was mixed together with 100 g of 10:1 MCC/CMC blend. The dry
blend was added into 80 kg of about 75 C hot water (65-85 C) under high
agitation.
Further, 200 g of disodium phosphate and 200 g of dipotassium phosphate were
added
to the tank under continuous agitation.
11

CA 02778840 2012-04-17
WO 2011/048026 PCT/EP2010/065539
300 g of titanium dioxide, 50 g of sodium caseinate, and 20 g of flavor were
blended together. The dry blend was added to the tank of hot water with above
stabilizers under agitation. After about 10 minutes of mixing, 100 g of
Dimodan and
280 g of Panodan were added under continuous agitation. 5 kg of oil was added
under
high agitation, followed by 0.5 g (5 ppm) of beta carotene and then by 4.5 kg
of
sucrose. Finally, under continuous agitation, additional water was added to
have total
weight of 100 kg. The liquid was then UHT treated for 5 sec at 143 C,
homogenized at
180/40 bar, cooled and the coffee whitener was aseptically filled into jars,
jugs or
pouches.
The product was stored for 3 months at 30 C under 1075 Lux fluorescent light.
Light and temperature induced oxidation in the liquid creamer was
significantly reduced as
compared to the control without added gum arabic and without added beta-
carotene. No
change in creamer physical stability was found during the storage. Further,
the addition
of the creamer to hot coffee did not cause emulsion destabilization,
feathering, flocculation,
de-oiling, or sedimentation in the whitened coffee.
Example 2
A coffee creamer was prepared as in Example 1 but using 0.1 ppm of beta-
carotene.
The product was stored during 3 months at 30 C under 1075 Lux fluorescent
light.
No changes in physical stability of the creamer during the storage were found,
however
practically no improvement in preventing product oxidation was found as
compared to
the control without gum arabic and beta-carotene.
Example 3
A coffee creamer was prepared as in Example 1 but using 35 ppm of beta-
carotene.
The product was found organoleptically unacceptable due to significant change
of creamer color.
Example 4
12

CA 02778840 2012-04-17
WO 2011/048026 PCT/EP2010/065539
A coffee creamer was prepared as in Example 1 but using 1.6% gum arabic.
The creamer was found unacceptable due to significant increase in product
viscosity.
Example 5
A coffee creamer was prepared as in Example 1 but using 0.05% gum arabic.
The product was stored during 3 months at 30 C under 1075 Lux fluorescent
light.
No changes in physical stability of the creamer during the storage were found,
however
practically no improvement in creamer oxidation stability was found as
compared to
the control without gum arabic and beta-carotene.
Example 6
A coffee creamer was prepared as in Example 1 but with addition 2 ppm EDTA
and 20 ppm of tocopherols
The product was stored during 3 months at 30 C under 1075 Lux fluorescent
light.
The creamer was found physically stable after the storage, and temperature and
light
induced oxidation was completely inhibited, resulting in good creamer
organoleptic
quality.
The embodiments and examples illustrated and discussed in this specification
are
intended only to teach those skilled in the art the best way known to the
inventors to make and
use the invention. The above-described embodiments of the invention may be
modified or
varied, without departing from the invention, as easily appreciated by those
skilled in the art in
light of the above teachings. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily
attainable by
one of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure set forth herein, or by
routine
experimentation therefrom, are deemed to be within the spirit and scope of the
invention as
defined by the appended claims.
13

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Administrative Status

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Event History

Description Date
Application Not Reinstated by Deadline 2016-10-17
Time Limit for Reversal Expired 2016-10-17
Inactive: IPC expired 2016-01-01
Inactive: IPC expired 2016-01-01
Inactive: IPC expired 2016-01-01
Deemed Abandoned - Failure to Respond to Maintenance Fee Notice 2015-10-15
Inactive: Abandon-RFE+Late fee unpaid-Correspondence sent 2015-10-15
Inactive: Cover page published 2012-07-16
Letter Sent 2012-06-26
Inactive: Notice - National entry - No RFE 2012-06-19
Inactive: IPC assigned 2012-06-18
Application Received - PCT 2012-06-18
Inactive: First IPC assigned 2012-06-18
Inactive: IPC assigned 2012-06-18
Inactive: IPC assigned 2012-06-18
Inactive: IPC assigned 2012-06-18
Inactive: IPC assigned 2012-06-18
Inactive: IPC assigned 2012-06-18
Inactive: IPC assigned 2012-06-18
Inactive: IPC assigned 2012-06-18
Inactive: Single transfer 2012-05-29
National Entry Requirements Determined Compliant 2012-04-17
Application Published (Open to Public Inspection) 2011-04-28

Abandonment History

Abandonment Date Reason Reinstatement Date
2015-10-15

Maintenance Fee

The last payment was received on 2014-09-23

Note : If the full payment has not been received on or before the date indicated, a further fee may be required which may be one of the following

  • the reinstatement fee;
  • the late payment fee; or
  • additional fee to reverse deemed expiry.

Please refer to the CIPO Patent Fees web page to see all current fee amounts.

Fee History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Paid Date
Basic national fee - standard 2012-04-17
Registration of a document 2012-05-29
MF (application, 2nd anniv.) - standard 02 2012-10-15 2012-09-26
MF (application, 3rd anniv.) - standard 03 2013-10-15 2013-09-27
MF (application, 4th anniv.) - standard 04 2014-10-15 2014-09-23
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
NESTEC S.A.
Past Owners on Record
ALEXANDER A. SHER
JAMES TUOT
WINNIE OCTAVIA
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Description 2012-04-17 13 673
Claims 2012-04-17 3 113
Abstract 2012-04-17 1 69
Cover Page 2012-07-16 1 39
Reminder of maintenance fee due 2012-06-19 1 110
Notice of National Entry 2012-06-19 1 192
Courtesy - Certificate of registration (related document(s)) 2012-06-26 1 125
Reminder - Request for Examination 2015-06-16 1 118
Courtesy - Abandonment Letter (Request for Examination) 2015-12-03 1 164
Courtesy - Abandonment Letter (Maintenance Fee) 2015-12-03 1 174
PCT 2012-04-17 12 424