A composition for preparing a flavored syrup

Abstract

The present invention relates to the food industry, in particular to a soft drink concentrate, i.e. a flavor syrup composition for preparing a beverage. The composition for preparing a flavor syrup comprises dry birch bud extract, sugar, citric acid monohydrate and water, the ratio of which is as follows (kg per 1000 L of finished syrup): dry birch bud extract: 0.003 to 0.500, sugar: 15 to 400, citric acid monohydrate: 0.33 to 3.33, water: the balance to make up to 1000 L. The technical effect of the present invention is that the composition for preparing a flavor syrup provides high sensory properties of the syrup and the beverage prepared therefrom, and improves safety during consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the food industry, and more particularly to soft drink concentrates, i.e., flavored syrup compositions for the preparation of beverages. Background Technology

[0002] A flavored syrup is known from the prior art, obtained by soaking a dry mixture of plants in an aqueous sugar solution, having the following components, by weight %: green tea (20% to 30% dry weight), Aralia elata (3% to 7%), Safflower leuzea (3% to 7%), Chinese magnolia vine (3% to 7%), Echinacea purpurea (30% to 40%), and Potentilla fruticosa tea (30% to 40%). Russian Federation Patent RU2553641C1, IPCA23L 2 / 00, published on June 20, 2015.

[0003] Another solution selected as the closest analogue in the prior art is a preventative syrup containing sugar, fruit juice, herbal extracts, and citric acid. The fruit juice used is clarified apple juice, and the plant extracts include peppermint leaf extract, birch leaf extract, motherwort extract, and hawthorn fruit decoction. Furthermore, this preventative syrup also contains honey and succinic acid, with the following proportions (kg / 100kg product): clarified apple juice 29.00, sugar 23.43, honey 17.87, citric acid 0.50, succinic acid 0.20, peppermint leaf extract 10.00, birch leaf extract 2.25, motherwort extract 10.00, and hawthorn fruit decoction 6.75. Russian Federation Patent RU2202229C2, IPCA23L 1 / 09, A23L 2 / 00, published on April 20, 2003. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention is characterized by the presence of dried birch bud extract in the flavored syrup composition, which provides the ideal sensory properties of birch sap, without the direct use of birch sap in the formulation. Furthermore, other ingredients present in known products (such as apple juice, motherwort extract, etc.) can mask the appealing sensory properties of the syrup, while ingredients such as honey are highly allergenic.

[0005] The object of this invention is to create a flavored syrup composition that addresses the shortcomings of the prior art, particularly the presence of highly allergenic components and the lack of a distinct flavor profile that is not compromised by other products.

[0006] The technical effect of this invention is a composition for preparing flavored syrups that provides high sensory properties for the syrups and beverages made from them, and improves safety during consumption.

[0007] Due to the optimal ratio of ingredients, an additional technical effect of this invention is that it also extends the shelf life of the product.

[0008] The technical effects of this invention are achieved because the composition used to prepare the flavored syrup includes dried birch bud extract, sugar, citric acid monohydrate, and water in the following proportions (kg per 1000L of finished flavored syrup): dried birch bud extract: 0.003 to 0.500, sugar: 15 to 400, citric acid monohydrate: 0.33 to 3.33, water: to make up to the balance of 1000L. Detailed Implementation

[0009] In the context of this invention, the term "dried birch bud extract" should be understood as a syrup component obtained by extraction from plant material (birch buds) and drying to remove solvent. The term "flavored syrup" should be understood as a product that can be used alone in its original form or for the preparation of beverages.

[0010] The composition of this invention for preparing flavored syrups includes dried birch bud extract, which imparts sensory characteristics to the syrup and the beverages made from it similar to birch sap, particularly the characteristic taste and milky white appearance of the syrup. Furthermore, unlike syrups prepared directly from birch sap through boiling, using dried birch bud extract allows for the retention of all the beneficial substances of birch buds, as well as substances that impart the characteristic sensory characteristics to the syrup, since these substances can be destroyed at high temperatures during the boiling process of birch sap, losing their properties. In addition, there is a risk of combustion during the boiling process of birch sap, which, due to the formation of bitterness, can significantly deteriorate the sensory characteristics of the finished syrup.

[0011] Unlike using birch sap, using dried birch bud extract reduces the amount of raw material needed while preserving the product's sensory properties. Furthermore, it avoids the use of additional solvents (such as alcohol) when using tinctures or liquid extracts. These solvents can degrade the product's sensory properties or, in large quantities, cause poisoning, reducing the product's safety. Additionally, harvesting birch buds to obtain their dried extract causes less damage to the trees, unlike harvesting birch sap, which damages the bark and trunk integrity and can lead to tree death if improper post-harvest handling. Since birch sap is prone to fermentation, resulting in sourness and off-flavors, which can also worsen the product's sensory properties, using dried birch bud extract improves the safety of the finished product. Therefore, the presence of birch bud extract in compositions used to prepare flavored syrups ensures high sensory properties, the characteristics of birch sap, and safety for consumption.

[0012] The presence of dried birch bud extract in the composition used to prepare the flavored syrup at an amount of 0.003 kg / 1000 L to 0.500 kg / 1000 L of finished flavored syrup ensures optimal characteristic sensory properties of the product, particularly a pleasant, non-bitter, pale milky-white birch sap-like flavor in beverages prepared from the syrup of the present invention (especially by dilution with water). The presence of dried birch bud extract in less than 0.003 kg / 1000 L of finished flavored syrup does not provide a solution with the sensory properties characteristic of the corresponding plant material. Exceeding the disclosed amount of dried birch bud extract, i.e., exceeding 0.500 kg / 1000 L of syrup, also reduces sensory properties, particularly due to the increased tannin content of birch buds in the syrup leading to an unpleasant astringent taste, and the increased saponin content of birch buds irritating the gastrointestinal mucosa, potentially causing discomfort or even toxicity upon consumption, thus reducing the safety of the flavored syrup of the present invention.

[0013] The compositions used in the preparation of flavored syrups include sugar, which provides a pleasant sweetness to the syrup and the beverages made from it, increasing its appeal and sensory properties. Furthermore, sugar is an excellent preservative, inhibiting bacterial growth in the finished product, extending shelf life, and ensuring safety when consumed.

[0014] The use of sugar in the compositions of this invention at a content of 15 kg / 1000 L to 400 kg / 1000 L of finished flavored syrup increases the product's appeal and improves its sensory properties, while also extending its shelf life. When the sugar content in the composition is less than 15 kg / 1000 L of syrup, the sensory properties of the product deteriorate due to the predominance of the sour taste of citric acid monohydrate used in the composition and its stimulating effect on receptors and the human digestive system, which also reduces the safety of the product when consumed. Furthermore, due to the increased water content in the syrup, the lower sugar content cannot achieve the desired consistency and density of the syrup. The lower sugar concentration also results in insufficient preservative effect on the product, thus reducing its shelf life. At the same time, a higher content of citric acid monohydrate is required for preservative purposes to ensure the possibility of long-term storage of the product, which also worsens the sensory properties due to increased acidity and reduces the safety of consumption due to potential irritation to the esophagus and gastric mucosa. Exceeding the disclosed sugar content in the composition, i.e., exceeding 400 kg / 1000 L of finished flavored syrup, will also impair the sensory properties of the product, making it overly sweet and destroying its main characteristic flavor. Furthermore, during syrup preparation, excessive sugar in the composition can cause the sugar to burn during boiling, potentially resulting in the characteristic taste, color, and odor of caramel, which also deteriorates the product's sensory properties. In addition, increased sugar content raises the viscosity of the syrup, complicating the dissolution and distribution of other syrup components and increasing the risk of crystallization. This also worsens the physicochemical and sensory properties of the syrup and the beverages made from it, as the composition components in the syrup may be unevenly distributed. Consequently, the syrup may have an uneven flavor throughout the prepared product, and beverages made from the syrup may become more acidic or sweeter.

[0015] The composition of the present invention for preparing flavored syrups includes citric acid monohydrate, which imparts an additional pleasant "sourness" to the syrup, as well as the sweetness of the syrup and the characteristic flavor of the plant materials, increasing the product's appeal and sensory properties, and also providing a preservative effect that inhibits bacterial growth, thereby extending the shelf life of the syrup and improving its safety when consumed.

[0016] The use of citric acid monohydrate in the finished flavored syrup at concentrations of 0.33 kg / 1000 L to 3.33 kg / 1000 L in the compositions of this invention ensures shelf life and improves sensory properties without compromising the key characteristic flavor associated with birch bud extract. When the citric acid monohydrate content in the composition is less than 0.33 kg / 1000 L of finished flavored syrup, the shelf life of the product is shortened due to the low concentration of this preservative component. To achieve the possibility of long-term storage of the flavored syrup, the amount of sugar, which also has a preservative effect, needs to be increased. However, increasing the sugar content leads to a deterioration in the sensory properties of the product, making it overly sweet, compromising the key characteristic flavor associated with birch bud extract, and also increasing the viscosity of the syrup. Exceeding the disclosed amount of citric acid monohydrate, i.e., exceeding 3.33 kg / 1000 L of finished flavored syrup, also deteriorates the sensory properties of the product. This significantly increases the acidity of the product and can irritate the oral cavity, esophagus, and gastric mucosa, reducing the safety of the syrup and beverages made from it when consumed.

[0017] The sugar and citric acid monohydrate in the composition used to prepare the flavored syrup, in a combination of disclosed amounts, ensure effective preservation of the finished product and extend its shelf life. This allows for reduction of the individual amounts of these components without compromising the key characteristic flavor associated with birch bud extract, thereby improving the sensory properties of the product and increasing the safety of the syrup and beverages made from it. Furthermore, this combination of ingredients in the amounts of this invention eliminates the need to introduce additional preservatives into the composition, and compared to prior art, the compositions of this invention do not contain products such as honey, reducing the risk of allergic reactions when consuming the finished flavored syrup or beverages prepared from it.

[0018] The use of water in the composition is necessary to dissolve other ingredients, obtain the desired consistency of the product, and distribute the ingredients evenly throughout the entire volume of the flavor syrup. This prevents potential deterioration of the sensory properties of the product or beverages made from it due to localized increases in the content of the ingredients, particularly citric acid, while also eliminating potential safety hazards when consumed.

[0019] Those skilled in the art will understand that although the concept of "dried birch bud extract" is used, this ingredient may contain a certain amount of water in its composition due to the characteristics of the plant material, storage conditions, etc. Therefore, dried birch bud extract may contain a certain proportion of dry matter and a certain proportion of water. In a preferred embodiment, the dry matter content of the dried birch bud extract is at least 90.00 wt.%, which ensures optimal sensory characteristics of the flavored syrup. In one specific embodiment, when a dried birch bud extract with a dry matter content of less than 90.00 wt.% is used, the characteristic sensory characteristics of the syrup, especially the taste, are less pronounced and may be masked by the taste of sugar and citric acid.

[0020] The ingredient compositions used to prepare the flavored syrups are given in Table 1, where the content of each ingredient in the composition is expressed in kg / 1000L of finished flavored syrup, and the dry matter mass fraction of the dried birch bud extract in each sample is also expressed in wt.%

[0021] Table 1

[0022]

[0023]

[0024] A preferred method for preparing flavored syrups from the compositions of the present invention is as follows:

[0025] Under vigorous stirring, the calculated amount of dried birch bud extract was dissolved in water at a 1:1 mass ratio, and the coarse precipitate was removed by filtration.

[0026] At 30°C to 35°C, with stirring, the calculated amount of citric acid monohydrate is dissolved in water at a mass ratio of 1:1 until the citric acid is completely dissolved, and the aqueous solution is filtered.

[0027] In a syrup saucepan, at 55°C to 60°C, continuously stir to dissolve the calculated amount of sugar in water. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, boil the syrup and maintain this temperature for 30 to 40 minutes, until the dry matter content of the syrup reaches 63 wt.% to 67 wt.%. Filter the hot syrup and cool it to approximately 10°C.

[0028] To prepare the flavored syrup, the syrup, citric acid solution, and birch bud extract solution are added to a flavoring container while continuously stirring. After thorough stirring, the resulting mixture may be filtered if necessary. The volume of the flavored syrup is then brought up to the calculated volume (e.g., to 1000 L) with water.

[0029] Beverages can be prepared from flavored syrups by diluting them with carbonated or non-carbonated water (e.g., at a volume ratio of 1:4 (syrup: water)).

[0030] All samples of the flavored syrups prepared according to the examples of compositions given in Table 1 exhibited high sensory characteristics, particularly a slightly milky white transparency, a rich, deep brown color, a sweetness with a birch sap hue and a slight "sourness," and a mild birch aroma. As previously mentioned, beverages prepared from these syrup samples were also characterized by a slightly milky white transparency, due to the properties of the plant material used, namely, dried birch bud extract, which is colorless and has a taste with a slight birch sap hue and a neutral aroma.

[0031] Furthermore, the finished flavored syrup is characterized by a long shelf life, specifically about 4 months (unpasteurized) and about 6 months (pasteurized), due to the disclosed content of the ingredients. Beverages prepared from the syrup of this invention are characterized by a shelf life of about 2 years if pasteurized.

[0032] The compositions of the present invention are specifically designed for the preparation of flavored syrups, particularly for the preparation of beverages, characterized by high sensory properties, long shelf life, and safety for consumption.

[0033] The description of methods for preparing flavored syrups and beverages thereof, as well as examples of compositions for preparing flavored syrups, do not limit the scope of the invention in any way. Other embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A composition for preparing flavored syrup, comprising dried birch bud extract, sugar, citric acid monohydrate, and water, with the following component contents per kg / 1000L of finished flavored syrup: Dried birch bud extract: 0.003 to 0.500, Sugar: 15 to 400 Citric acid monohydrate: 0.33 to 3.33 Water: Add to a balance of 1000L.

2. The composition for preparing flavored syrup according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dried birch bud extract contains at least 90.00 wt.% dry matter.

Images