Effervescent tablet for preparing sparkling water

Abstract

The present invention relates to an effervescent tablet consisting essentially of: (a) sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate, in a mass ratio of 40 / 60 to 60 / 40, representing from 0.004 to 0.030 mole of bicarbonate in total, (b) one or more monocarboxylic and / or polycarboxylic hydroxy acids, in an amount such that the ratio of the number of moles of acid functions to the number of moles of bicarbonate is between 0.95:1.05 and 1.2:1, (c) at least one binder, and (d) optionally, at least one flavoring and / or taste masker and / or lubricant. It also relates to the use of this tablet for the preparation of sparkling water. The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of sparkling water, comprising the introduction of one to four tablets per volume of water of 20 to 30 cl.

Description

Title of the invention: Effervescent tablet for the preparation of sparkling water FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of carbonated beverages. It relates more particularly to an effervescent tablet for the preparation of sparkling water. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Consumption patterns tend to evolve to take into account their environmental impact. Thus, the problems linked to the production of plastic bottles, from petroleum-based materials, their transport and their recycling are leading more and more consumers of carbonated drinks to turn to solutions that allow them to avoid the use of these bottles by producing their own drink. One solution consists of using a sparkling water machine, but this solution is relatively expensive and does not meet the equally increased need for nomadic products. Another solution that meets these two requirements of respect for the environment and nomadism has been proposed in patent FR 3 114 943.It consists of sachets of powder containing carbon dioxide precursors, namely a mixture of sodium and potassium bicarbonates and one or more organic acids, generally packaged separately and intended to be combined extemporaneously. This solution is also not satisfactory. Indeed, handling the sachets is likely to result in a loss of product at the time of mixing. An imprecise dosage of the two constituents can lead to using an insufficient quantity of acid to mask the taste of the bicarbonates or an insufficient quantity of bicarbonate to produce the desired quantity of carbon dioxide and alter the organoleptic properties of the resulting drink, the taste of which results from a subtle balance between its constituents present in small numbers with few compounds.

[0003] In an extreme case, it is even possible to confuse the ingredients and mix two identical sachets, which completely unbalances the reaction. This extreme situation can lead to significant adverse effects. For example, malic acid can cause irritation of the mucous membranes (mouth - esophagus) and have potential interactions with certain medications. For their part, citric acid and / or tartaric acid can cause allergic reactions, particularly in people sensitive to mold, and damage teeth. Sodium or potassium bicarbonate can cause intestinal irritation, linked to stomach upset.

[0004] Furthermore, dissolving a powder in water is not always easy and can also lead to runaway gasification which results in an overflow.

[0005] There therefore remains a need for an easy-to-transport and easy-to-use means of simply preparing an effervescent drink with a pleasant or neutral taste from a container containing still water. Summary of the invention

[0006] The Applicant has demonstrated that the above-mentioned needs could be met by effervescent tablets containing given constituents, which may all be of natural origin and in limited number. These tablets may be of a size small enough to be inserted into the neck of a bottle or flask while generating a sufficiently large quantity of carbon dioxide to ensure prolonged effervescence. In addition, they have sufficient mechanical strength not to disintegrate or crumble during storage, while dissolving quickly in water.

[0007] The invention thus relates to an effervescent tablet consisting essentially of

[0008] (a) sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate, in a ratio mass ratio of 40 / 60 to 60 / 40, representing 0.004 to 0.025 moles of bicarbonate in total,

[0009] (b) one or more monocarboxylic and / or polycarboxylic hydroxy acids, in quantity such that the ratio of the number of moles of acid functions to the number of moles of bicarbonate is between 0.95:1.05 and 1.2:1,

[0010] (c) at least one binder, and

[0011] (d) optionally, at least one flavoring and / or taste masker and / or lubricant.

[0012] It also relates to the use of this tablet for the preparation of water sparkling.

[0013] The invention also relates to a process for preparing sparkling water, comprising the introduction of one to four tablets per volume of water of 20 to 30 cl. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The present invention relates to effervescent tablets consisting essentially of bicarbonates, hydroxy acids, at least one binder, and optionally, at least one flavoring and / or taste masker. The expression "consisting essentially of" means that the tablets according to the invention do not contain any other constituents than those mentioned above, except for constituents present at a rate of at most 1% by weight, relative to the total weight of the tablets. In particular, it is preferred that these tablets do not contain hydroxides, carbonates, vitamins or synthetic sweeteners. Furthermore, it is understood that certain of the above constituents may have several functions; for example, the same constituent may play both the role of binder and flavoring. It is also preferred that all the constituents of the tablet are of natural origin and more particularly of plant origin or mineral origin but not petrochemical. It is also preferred that the nature and / or proportions of the constituents of the tablet do not require the affixing of the mention "contains sugar", which may turn away certain consumers.

[0015] The bicarbonates included in the tablets according to the invention consist of a mixture of sodium and potassium bicarbonates, which are present in a weight ratio of 40 / 60 to 60 / 40, preferably 45 / 55 to 55 / 45 and more preferably 50 / 50. It has in fact been observed that this ratio makes it possible to attenuate both the salty taste of sodium bicarbonate and the soapy taste of potassium bicarbonate. These bicarbonates are present in a tablet in an amount ranging from 0.004 to 0.030 mole, preferably from 0.008 to 0.020 mole and more preferably from 0.010 to 0.015 mole of bicarbonate in total, to ensure sufficient effervescence during the reaction of the bicarbonates with the hydroxy acids also present in the tablet, when one to four tablets are used to carbonate 25 to 30 cl of water.

[0016] These hydroxy acids may be chosen from: one or more monocarboxylic hydroxy acids, one or more polycarboxylic hydroxy acids, and mixtures thereof. The monocarboxylic hydroxy acids may be chosen from: lactic acid, malic acid, and mixtures thereof. For their part, the polycarboxylic hydroxy acids may be chosen from: citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid and mixtures thereof. According to a preferred embodiment, the tablet according to the invention contains a monocarboxylic hydroxy acid and a polycarboxylic hydroxy acid, preferably a combination of citric acid and malic acid, preferably in a weight ratio of 80 / 20 to 20 / 80, for example 60:40 to 40:60.

[0017] In all cases, the hydroxy acids are present in such a quantity that the ratio of the number of moles of acid functions to the number of moles of bicarbonate is between 0.95:1.05 and 1.2:1, preferably between 0.95:1.05 and 1.05:0.95 and more preferably equal to 1:1, so that all the bicarbonates react with the hydroxy acids and that any excess of hydroxy acid does not significantly modify the pH of the drink obtained while giving the water the characteristic taste of sparkling water.

[0018] In order to facilitate its manufacture, the tablet according to the invention further comprises at least one binder and / or one lubricant. The binder may for example be chosen from: optionally hydrogenated monosaccharides, such as glucose, fructose and sorbitol; optionally hydrogenated disaccharides, such as sucrose, lactose and mannitol; polysaccharides such as dextrins, maltodextrins, starches, natural gums, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose derivatives (such as hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and methylcellulose), pectins and alginates; and mixtures thereof. It is preferred according to the invention not to use a sweetening binder or else to use a quantity of sweetening binder such that the tablets provide less than 0.5g of sugar per 100ml of carbonated drink.

[0019] Although its presence is not essential, it is also possible to add at least one flavoring to the tablet, which otherwise has a neutral taste. The term "flavoring" means an aromatic substance capable of altering the taste or aroma of a beverage, typically a natural food flavoring which is an extract (such as an oil or an essential oil) of fruits or other parts of plants such as leaves, flowers, stems and / or roots. The flavorings may for example be derived from strawberry or citrus fruits. The possible flavorings used in the tablets according to the invention may alternatively be compounds chosen from: aldehydes such as benzaldehyde (cherry, almond), citral or neral (lemon, lime), decanal (orange, lemon), tolyl aldehyde (crisp, almond), 2,6-dimethyloctanal (green fruit), 2-dodecenal (lemon, mandarin); esters and their mixtures.

[0020] Alternatively or additionally, the tablet may comprise at least one taste masker chosen from those known to those skilled in the art.

[0021] In one embodiment, the tablet consists of up to six ingredients, namely sodium and potassium bicarbonate, two hydroxy acids, a binder and optionally a flavoring and / or taste masker.

[0022] The tablet according to the invention generally has a mass of between 2 and 6 g and preferably between 3 g and 5 g.

[0023] The invention also relates to the use of the tablet described above for the preparation of sparkling water, as well as a method for preparing sparkling water, comprising the introduction of one to four tablets per volume of water of 20 to 30 cl.

[0024] To do this, one or more tablets according to the invention can be dissolved in tap water or mineral water, or even in flavored water, which can be contained in a container such as a glass, a bottle or a flask. Since a flask generally contains a volume of liquid of approximately 50 cl, it is thus possible to add two to eight tablets according to the invention to produce a quantity of carbon dioxide necessary to obtain sufficient and prolonged effervescence, provided that the flask is then quickly closed.

[0025] The pH of the resulting beverage is typically between 6 and 7.

[0026] These tablets can be prepared in a conventional manner for those skilled in the art, by direct compression of the mixture of their constituents. Optionally, certain constituents can be used in granulated form, the granulates each containing one or more bicarbonates and / or hydroxy acids and the binder and being obtained by for example by fluidized bed granulation. Alternatively or additionally, some of the constituents, in particular one or both of the hydroxy acids, may be used in coated form. The punch used in the compression process may be chosen so as to give the tablets a shape allowing them to be nested. It is thus in particular possible to package the tablets in pairs or fours, for example, in airtight and moisture-proof sachets, to obtain a single dose to be diluted in a water bottle. Alternatively, several tablets may be arranged, nested or not, in a tube which is advantageously provided with a desiccant stopper. EXAMPLES

[0027] The invention will be better understood in light of the following examples, which are given purely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, defined by the appended claims.

[0028] Example 1: Effervescent tablet

[0029] Tablets were prepared in a conventional manner, each having a mass of approximately 5g and the following composition:

[0030] Sodium bicarbonate 24%

[0031] Potassium bicarbonate 24%

[0032] Citric acid 16%

[0033] Malic acid 16%

[0034] Binder 20%

[0035] by direct compression of a mixture of the above powders.

[0036] Two tablets were introduced into a bottle containing 50 cl of water to produce an effervescent drink.

Claims

Claims

1. Effervescent tablet consisting essentially of: (a) sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate, in a mass ratio of 40 / 60 to 60 / 40, representing from 0.004 to 0.030 mole of bicarbonate in total, (b) one or more monocarboxylic and / or polycarboxylic hydroxy acids, in an amount such that the ratio of the number of moles of acid functions to the number of moles of bicarbonate is between 0.95:1.05 and 1.2:1, (c) at least one binder, and (d) optionally, at least one flavoring and / or taste masker and / or lubricant.

2. Tablet according to claim 1, characterized in that the monocarboxylic hydroxy acids are chosen from: lactic acid, malic acid, and mixtures thereof.

3. Tablet according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the polycarboxylic hydroxy acids are chosen from: citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid and mixtures thereof.

4. Tablet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it contains a monocarboxylic hydroxy acid and a polycarboxylic hydroxy acid, preferably a combination of citric acid and malic acid, preferably in a weight ratio of 80:20 to 20:80, for example 60:40 to 40:

60.

5. Tablet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the number of moles of acid functions to the number of moles of bicarbonate is between 0.95:1.05 and 1.05:0.95 and more preferably equal to 1:

1.

6. Tablet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it consists of a maximum of six ingredients, namely sodium and potassium bicarbonate, two hydroxy acids, a binder and optionally a flavoring and / or taste masker.

7. Tablet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the tablet has a mass of between 2 g and 6 g, preferably between 3 g and 5 g.

8. Use of the tablet according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for the preparation of sparkling water.

9. A method of preparing sparkling water, comprising introducing from one to four tablets according to any one of claims 1 to 7 per volume of water of 20 to 30 cl.