Composite solid beverage and process for its preparation

Abstract

This invention discloses a compound solid beverage and its preparation process, belonging to the field of food processing technology. The product uses instant black coffee powder as a base, compounded with a compound herbal extract powder obtained through pretreatment to remove bitterness and astringency, eliminate the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata, and undergo standardized extraction, concentration, and drying. It is combined with roasted and flavor-enhancing nut powder, and supplemented with fructooligosaccharides and rock sugar powder, without the addition of non-dairy creamer or synthetic flavorings. This invention, through an innovative process of pre-treatment and standardized extraction and drying throughout the entire process, removes the bitterness, astringency, and off-flavor of the herbs, while simultaneously solving the technical problems of unstable extract powder yield and large batch-to-batch variations, enabling stable large-scale production. The product exhibits excellent solubility and taste harmony, and can be flexibly adapted to multiple formulations and product forms. It effectively solves the industry problems of poor flavor, rough taste, poor solubility, and batch-to-batch instability in existing herbal coffee beverages, possessing high market application and promotion value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, specifically relating to the research and development and production technology of coffee-based compound solid beverages, and particularly to a compound solid beverage and its preparation method that can be industrially mass-produced after pretreatment by removing bitterness and astringency and removing the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata, and then using a multi-herb mixed extraction process. Background Technology

[0002] Herbal blended coffee solid beverages are gaining increasing market acceptance due to their unique flavor and convenient preparation. However, similar products in the industry currently suffer from the following technical challenges: 1) Herbal ingredients such as Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides, and Ganoderma lucidum have a bitter and astringent taste, and Gastrodia elata has a unique odor, which makes the product taste abrupt and the flavor unpleasant, resulting in low public acceptance. 2) Herbal ingredients that are directly ground and mixed have poor solubility and are prone to separation and sedimentation when brewed, affecting the drinking experience; 3) Most of them use single-ingredient extraction or simple mixing, lacking a unified co-extraction process, resulting in inconsistent flavor and poor batch stability; 4) Traditional extraction, concentration and drying processes lack standardized control, resulting in fluctuations in the solid content of the extract, unclear concentration endpoints, and unstable yield of dried powder, leading to large batch differences in the final product and making it difficult to achieve large-scale stable production.

[0003] Currently, there is no existing technology that simultaneously performs debittering and astringency removal pretreatment on seven medicinal and edible herbs—Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonatum sibiricum, Ganoderma lucidum, Lycium barbarum, Chrysanthemum morifolium, and Pueraria lobata—to remove the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata, followed by standardized co-extraction, density concentration, and moisture drying, and then combines these with a compound of fructooligosaccharides and rock sugar powder. Based on this, this invention proposes a complete and innovative process route to specifically solve the aforementioned common technical problems in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to provide a compound solid beverage and its preparation process. Targeting seven herbs—Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonatum sibiricum, Ganoderma lucidum, Lycium barbarum, Chrysanthemum morifolium, and Pueraria lobata—the process first involves debittering, deastringing, and removing the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata as a pretreatment. Then, through precise control of the entire process, including extract solids regulation, density concentration, moisture drying, and dry powder conversion, a highly stable batch-to-batch compound herbal extract powder is obtained. Subsequently, the extract powder is compounded with instant black coffee powder and roasted flavoring nut powder, using fructooligosaccharides and rock sugar powder as excipients to comprehensively optimize the product's taste, flavor, and solubility. The product of this invention has a mild flavor, excellent solubility, and contains no added non-dairy creamer or synthetic flavorings, highlighting its health benefits. It can be prepared as a solid beverage or extended to liquid beverages, making it highly industrially feasible.

[0005] 1. Raw material formula (parts by weight) Instant black coffee powder: 30-34 parts Compound herbal extract powder: 24-34 parts Roasted and flavorful walnut powder: 18–22 parts or 36–44 parts Roasted almond powder for added flavor: 12–16 parts or 30–38 parts Food-grade fructooligosaccharides: 5-8 parts Food-grade powdered rock sugar: 3-6 parts Internal fixed mass ratio of compound herbal extract: Gastrodia elata 4-6 parts, Eucommia ulmoides 4-6 parts, Polygonatum sibiricum 4-6 parts, 4-6 parts Ganoderma lucidum, 3-5 parts wolfberry, 1-3 parts chrysanthemum, and 2-4 parts kudzu root.

[0006] Optimal whole formula (double nut blend): 30 servings of instant black coffee powder 24 parts of compound herbal extract powder 20 servings of roasted and flavorful walnut powder 14 servings of roasted and flavorful almond powder Food-grade fructooligosaccharides (6 parts) 6 portions of food-grade rock sugar powder Preferred formula with single walnut base: 30 parts instant black coffee powder, 24 parts compound herbal extract powder, 40 parts roasted and flavor-enhancing walnut powder, 6 parts food-grade fructooligosaccharides, and 6 parts food-grade rock sugar powder. Preferred formula with a single almond base: 30 parts instant black coffee powder, 24 parts compound herbal extract powder, 34 parts roasted and flavor-enhancing almond powder, 6 parts food-grade fructooligosaccharides, and 6 parts food-grade rock sugar powder. 2. Core Technology: Pre-treatment of seven herbs + standardized extraction, concentration, drying, and powdering process 2.1 Pretreatment to remove bitterness and astringency, and remove off-flavors from Gastrodia elata 1) Raw material pretreatment: Gastrodia elata is washed and sliced, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonatum sibiricum, Ganoderma lucidum, Lycium barbarum, Chrysanthemum morifolium and Pueraria lobata are washed and crushed, and mixed according to the formula to obtain a compound herbal mixture.

[0007] 2) Steam flash deodorization: The compound herbal mixture is placed in a constant temperature steam environment of 85-90℃ and flash-treated for 3-5 minutes to efficiently remove volatile bitter substances and the unique odor of Gastrodia elata from the mixture, while retaining the effective flavor precursor substances of the herbs.

[0008] 3) Mild alkaline washing to remove astringency: Use a 0.1% food-grade sodium bicarbonate solution to rinse the flash-evaporated herbal mixture at room temperature for 2 minutes to neutralize the acidic astringent precursors on the surface of the herbs; then rinse twice with purified water until the pH of the material system is neutral to avoid residues affecting the flavor of subsequent extraction.

[0009] 4) Low-temperature drying for flavor fixation: The rinsed material is dried at a low temperature of 45-55℃ until the moisture content is ≤6%, which stabilizes the herbal flavor structure, reduces the proportion of bitterness and astringency in the subsequent extraction process, and improves the material extraction efficiency.

[0010] 2.2 Standardized Co-extraction and Solids Regulation 1) Constant temperature water extraction: Add 8-10 times the mass of purified water to the pretreated compound herbal mixture, heat to 60-80℃ and perform constant temperature extraction for 1.5-2 hours, filter to obtain the first extract; add 6-8 times the mass of purified water to the filter residue, perform a second constant temperature extraction for 1-1.5 hours, filter and combine the two extracts, remove the residue through fine filtration to obtain a clear extract.

[0011] 2) Standardization of solids in extract: Measure the soluble solids content in the clarified extract and adjust it to a solids mass fraction of 3.0% to 5.0% to ensure that the basic indicators of each batch of extract are consistent and to eliminate the solids difference caused by raw material fluctuations.

[0012] 2.3 Density concentration and moisture drying 1) Vacuum concentration: The standardized clarified extract is concentrated under reduced pressure, and the concentration is stopped when the relative density at 60℃ is 1.12 to 1.20, resulting in a highly stable compound herbal extract.

[0013] 2) Constant temperature drying: The compound herbal paste is vacuum dried or spray dried at 55-65℃, and the drying endpoint is uniformly controlled so that the moisture content is ≤6.0%.

[0014] 3) Grinding and sieving: After drying, the powder is ultra-finely ground and passed through a 100-120 mesh standard sieve to obtain a compound herbal extract powder with uniform flavor, excellent solubility and batch stability.

[0015] 4) Feeding control: After each batch of extract powder is tested for moisture and solids, the feed is calculated based on the actual dry matter content to ensure that the actual effective amount of herbal extract in the final product is constant and not affected by slight fluctuations in drying yield, thus achieving large-scale continuous and stable production.

[0016] 3. Preparation process of roasted and flavor-enhancing nut powder Walnut kernels are roasted at 110-120℃ for 25-35 minutes, cooled, peeled, and then ultra-finely pulverized and passed through a 120-mesh standard sieve to obtain roasted and flavorful walnut powder; sweet almonds are roasted at 100-110℃ for 20-30 minutes, cooled, peeled, and then ultra-finely pulverized and passed through a 120-mesh standard sieve to obtain roasted and flavorful almond powder; no synthetic food flavorings are added throughout the process.

[0017] 4 Overall Product Manufacturing Process 1) Sieving process: The compound herbal extract powder, instant black coffee powder, roasted and flavorful walnut powder or roasted and flavorful almond powder, food-grade fructooligosaccharide, and food-grade rock sugar powder are each sieved through an 80-mesh standard sieve to unify the particle size standard and improve the mixing uniformity and solubility.

[0018] 2) Step-by-step mixing: First, put the instant black coffee powder and compound herbal extract powder into the three-dimensional motion mixer and mix for 10 minutes; then add the corresponding roasted nut powder, oligofructose, and rock sugar powder, and continue mixing for 15-20 minutes until uniform and without lumps.

[0019] 3) Finished product packaging: Sensory, moisture, particle size and other indicators of mixed semi-finished products are tested. After passing the test, they are metered and packaged by a fully automatic packaging machine and sealed to obtain the finished compound solid beverage; or the mixed powder is compounded, dissolved, homogenized and sterilized with pure water and then directly packaged into liquid beverage to realize integrated mass production. Beneficial effects

[0020] 1) Through pre-treatment to remove bitterness, astringency and off-flavor of Gastrodia elata, combined with subsequent blending and co-extraction process, unpleasant herbal flavors and off-flavors of Gastrodia elata are removed. The product has a mild and mellow taste, a harmonious and unified flavor, and no pungent bitterness or astringency, greatly improving the drinking experience. 2) The entire process of standardized control, including solid content regulation of extract, density concentration, moisture drying, and feed conversion of dry extract powder, is adopted to completely solve the industry problems of uncertain powder quantity and unstable batches after extraction and drying, and to achieve large-scale continuous and stable production. 3) After extraction, concentration and powdering, the compound herbal extract powder has a much better solubility than the raw material powder. Combined with fructooligosaccharides and rock sugar powder, it further improves the product's solubility when mixed. The solution is clear and uniform, without sediment or layering, resulting in a better drinking experience. 4) It uses roasted nut powder to enhance the aroma naturally, without adding vegetable fat powder or synthetic food flavorings. It uses fructooligosaccharides and rock sugar powder to replace traditional maltodextrin, which balances the sweet taste and health attributes, meets the needs of modern food consumption, and has higher product safety. 5) It can flexibly adopt three formulation forms: double nut compound, single walnut, and single almond, while extending to two product forms: solid and liquid, expanding application scenarios and broadening the scope of protection of the claims. Detailed Implementation Example

[0021] Weigh out each ingredient according to the preferred formula for double nut compound: 30 parts instant black coffee powder, 24 parts compound herbal extract powder (made from 4 parts Gastrodia elata, 4 parts Eucommia ulmoides, 4 parts Polygonatum sibiricum, 4 parts Ganoderma lucidum, 3 parts Lycium barbarum, 2 parts Chrysanthemum morifolium, and 3 parts Pueraria lobata, after debittering, removing the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata, and standardized extraction, concentration and drying), 20 parts roasted and flavorful walnut powder, 14 parts roasted and flavorful almond powder, 6 parts food-grade fructooligosaccharides, and 6 parts food-grade rock sugar powder.

[0022] 1) Preparation of compound herbal extract: Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonatum sibiricum, Ganoderma lucidum, Lycium barbarum, Chrysanthemum morifolium, and Pueraria lobata were mixed according to the specified ratio, and then flash-evaporated with steam at 85℃ for 3 min, rinsed with 0.1% sodium bicarbonate solution at room temperature for 2 min, rinsed with purified water until neutral, and dried at 45℃ until the moisture content was ≤6%; 8 times the amount of purified water was added, and the mixture was extracted at 60℃ for 1.5 h, and then filtered; the residue was extracted again with 6 times the amount of purified water for 1 h, the extracts were combined and finely filtered; the solid content of the extract was adjusted to 3.0%~5.0%, and the mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure to a clear extract with a relative density of 1.12~1.20 at 60℃, dried under vacuum at 55℃ until the moisture content was ≤6%, and then ultra-finely pulverized through a 120-mesh sieve to obtain compound herbal extract powder.

[0023] 2) Preparation of roasted nut powder: Roast walnut kernels at 110℃ for 25 minutes and sweet almonds at 100℃ for 20 minutes. After cooling and peeling, they are ultra-finely pulverized through 120 mesh.

[0024] 3) Mixing and Packaging: Each powder is passed through an 80-mesh sieve. First, mix coffee powder and herbal extract powder for 10 minutes, then add nut powder, fructooligosaccharides, and rock sugar powder and mix for 15 minutes. After passing the test, it is packaged to obtain the finished product of double nut compound solid beverage. Example

[0025] Weigh out each ingredient according to the preferred formula based on a single walnut base: 30 parts instant black coffee powder, 24 parts compound herbal extract powder (made from 4 parts Gastrodia elata, 4 parts Eucommia ulmoides, 4 parts Polygonatum sibiricum, 4 parts Ganoderma lucidum, 3 parts Lycium barbarum, 2 parts Chrysanthemum morifolium, and 3 parts Pueraria lobata, after debittering, removing the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata, and standardized extraction, concentration and drying), 40 parts roasted and flavor-enhancing walnut powder, 6 parts food-grade fructooligosaccharides, and 6 parts food-grade rock sugar powder.

[0026] 1) Preparation of compound herbal extract: Same as the preparation process in Example 1.

[0027] 2) Preparation of roasted nut powder: Roast walnut kernels at 110℃ for 25 minutes, cool and peel them, then pulverize them through a 120-mesh sieve to obtain roasted and flavorful walnut powder.

[0028] 3) Mixing and Packaging: Each powder is passed through an 80-mesh sieve. First, mix coffee powder and herbal extract powder for 10 minutes, then add roasted and flavor-enhancing walnut powder, fructooligosaccharides, and rock sugar powder and mix for 15 minutes. After passing the test, it is packaged to obtain a single walnut-based composite solid beverage product. Example

[0029] Weigh out each ingredient according to the preferred formula for a single almond base: 30 parts instant black coffee powder, 24 parts compound herbal extract powder (made from 4 parts Gastrodia elata, 4 parts Eucommia ulmoides, 4 parts Polygonatum sibiricum, 4 parts Ganoderma lucidum, 3 parts Lycium barbarum, 2 parts Chrysanthemum morifolium, and 3 parts Pueraria lobata, after debittering, removing the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata, and standardized extraction, concentration and drying), 34 parts roasted and flavor-enhancing almond powder, 6 parts food-grade fructooligosaccharides, and 6 parts food-grade rock sugar powder.

[0030] 1) Preparation of compound herbal extract: Same as the preparation process in Example 1.

[0031] 2) Preparation of roasted nut powder: Roast sweet almonds at 100℃ for 20 minutes, cool and peel them, then pulverize them through a 120-mesh sieve to obtain roasted and flavorful almond powder.

[0032] 3) Mixing and Packaging: Each powder is passed through an 80-mesh sieve. First, mix coffee powder and herbal extract powder for 10 minutes, then add roasted and flavor-enhancing almond powder, fructooligosaccharides, and rock sugar powder and mix for 15 minutes. After passing the test, it is packaged to obtain a single almond-based composite solid beverage product.

[0033] Comparative Example 1 The herbal raw materials were not pretreated to remove bitterness and astringency or to remove the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata. The extraction, concentration and drying were not controlled by solids, density concentration and conversion of feed. They were directly crushed and mixed. Traditional maltodextrin was used for compounding. The rest of the formula and preparation process were completely consistent with Example 1.

[0034] Test results: The product has a strong bitter and astringent taste, a noticeable off-flavor of Gastrodia elata, and an unpleasant flavor; there are significant differences in powder content, solubility, and flavor between batches; the solution is cloudy after mixing, with a large amount of sediment at the bottom, a rough texture, and a poor drinking experience.

Claims

1. A compound solid beverage, characterized in that, This product is formulated from the following ingredients in parts by weight: 30-34 parts instant black coffee powder, 24-34 parts compound herbal extract powder, 18-22 parts or 36-44 parts roasted and flavorful walnut powder, 12-16 parts or 30-38 parts roasted and flavorful almond powder, 5-8 parts food-grade fructooligosaccharides, and 3-6 parts food-grade rock sugar powder. The compound herbal extract powder is prepared from Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonatum sibiricum, Ganoderma lucidum, Lycium barbarum, Chrysanthemum morifolium, and Pueraria lobata after debittering, removing astringency, and removing the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata, followed by standardized extraction, density concentration, and moisture drying. The product does not contain any added vegetable fat powder or synthetic food flavorings.

2. The composite solid beverage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pretreatment for removing bitterness, astringency, and off-flavors of Gastrodia elata includes the following steps: flash steam treatment at 85-90℃ for 3-5 minutes, rinsing with 0.1% sodium bicarbonate solution at room temperature, rinsing with purified water until neutral, and drying at 45-55℃ until the material moisture content is ≤6%.

3. The composite solid beverage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preparation process of the compound herbal extract powder is as follows: pretreated Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonatum sibiricum, Ganoderma lucidum, Lycium barbarum, Chrysanthemum morifolium, and Pueraria lobata are mixed, 8-10 times the amount of purified water is added, and the mixture is extracted at a constant temperature of 60-80℃ for 1.5-2 hours and filtered. The filter residue is extracted a second time with 6-8 times the amount of purified water for 1-1.5 hours. The extracts are combined and the solid content is adjusted to 3.0%-5.0%. The extract is concentrated under reduced pressure to a clear paste with a relative density of 1.12-1.20 at 60℃, dried at 55-65℃ until the moisture content is ≤6%, and then ultra-finely pulverized through a 100-120 mesh. The extract powder is calculated based on the actual measured dry matter content.

4. The composite solid beverage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The roasted and flavorful walnut powder is prepared by roasting at 110-120℃ for 25-35 minutes and then ultra-finely grinding it through a 120-mesh sieve; the roasted and flavorful almond powder is prepared by roasting at 100-110℃ for 20-30 minutes and then ultra-finely grinding it through a 120-mesh sieve; the product can be made in three formulations: a blend of two nuts, a single walnut powder, or a single almond powder.

5. A preparation process for the composite solid beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: 1) Gastrodia elata, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonatum sibiricum, Ganoderma lucidum, Lycium barbarum, Chrysanthemum morifolium and Pueraria lobata are mixed in proportion and pre-treated to remove bitterness and astringency and remove the off-flavor of Gastrodia elata. Then, the mixture is subjected to standardized extraction, density concentration, moisture drying and ultra-fine pulverization to obtain batch-stable compound herbal extract powder. 2) Pass the compound herbal extract powder, instant black coffee powder, roasted and flavor-enhancing nut powder, fructooligosaccharides, and rock sugar powder through an 80-mesh standard sieve respectively; 3) First, mix the instant black coffee powder and the compound herbal extract powder evenly; 4) Add the corresponding roasted and flavorful nut powder, fructooligosaccharides, and powdered rock sugar, and mix thoroughly until smooth and free of lumps; 5) After the semi-finished product passes the inspection, it is packaged and sealed to obtain the finished solid beverage; or the mixed powder is reconstituted, dissolved, homogenized and sterilized with purified water and then packaged as a liquid beverage.