Iron-fortified tea drink

Abstract

The present invention provides a product comprising: a) tea components; b) Fe bisglycinate; and c) Na2H2EDTA.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention is directed to providing healthy, consumer-acceptable beverages, and in particular tea-based beverages that contain iron but do not undergo the color change or darkening typically associated with the presence of iron. [Background technology]

[0002] Iron deficiency is common among people. The World Health Organization's Codex Alimentarius lists the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for iron as 22 mg for a diet high in plant foods (such as those consumed primarily in India). However, more than one-sixth of the Earth's population is known to have nutritional iron deficiency. Anemia is a common consequence of iron deficiency.

[0003] Fortifying foods with iron is one way to provide iron to iron-deficient populations. This is particularly needed in countries such as India, where the average iron intake is only 50-80% of the recommended dietary intake. Furthermore, in India, where the majority of the population is vegetarian, this iron is only available as non-heme iron.

[0004] Common iron sources used in food and beverage fortification include ferrous sulfate, ferrous lactate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous bisglycinate, and ferrous citrate. Insoluble or poorly soluble iron sources, such as elemental iron and some ferric iron salts, have low bioavailability, so soluble forms of iron are preferred.

[0005] Tea is a popular, inexpensive, and widely consumed beverage worldwide. Therefore, fortifying tea with iron compounds would be an excellent way to provide iron. However, fortifying tea with soluble iron sources is a well-known challenge because polyphenols present in tea complex with iron compounds, forming insoluble iron-polyphenol complexes that are dark in color. These complexes form during the production of tea beverages, and the resulting tea liquor has a darker color and a different color than unfortified tea. Because such sensory changes resulting from fortifying tea with iron are unacceptable to consumers, solutions to this problem have been sought.

[0006] WO 10116379 addresses the problems associated with fortifying tea with iron salts, noting that adding any of the commonly available iron salts to tea for such iron fortification purposes causes tea polyphenols to complex with the iron salt, resulting in discoloration of the tea. Accordingly, WO 10116379 discloses providing a dried, iron-fortified tea containing 99.5 to 99.88 percent regular tea, 0.1 to 0.3 percent iron salt, and 0.02 to 0.2 percent starch base, the iron salt being selected from ferrous bisglycinate sulfate and ferric triglycinate. It should be noted that WO 10116379 attempts to address the problem of tea discoloration using a starch base. WO 10116379 does not employ or disclose any color-correcting ingredients.

[0007] IN01402CH2005 claims a method for preparing a nutritional fortifier for foods / nutritional supplements, characterized in that the nutritional fortifier comprises a color-matched metal amino acid chelate or a color-matched metal urea complex, and the prepared nutritional fortifier such as colored metal amino acid chelate and / or colored metal urea complex is dissolved in a solution containing a desired amount of a sequestering agent, followed by optionally adding an acid, drying, obtaining a colorless solution which may be mixed with the food / nutritional supplement or sprayed on the food / nutritional supplement and dried, obtaining a fortified food / nutritional supplement that does not undergo a change in its color.

[0008] IN01402CH2005 states that "metals" should be understood as metals necessary as macro- or micro-nutrients required by the human body, and "amino acids" should be understood as any amino acid including urea or thiourea, which are considered to be amides of carbonic acid.

[0009] IN01402CH2005 lists at least 11 sources of metal amino acid chelates that can be selected from calcium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, selenium, zinc, etc. IN01402CH2005 also lists at least 11 sources of metal ion sequestering agents that can be selected from hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, ammonium polyphosphate, bone phosphate, calcium citrate, calcium dihydrogen phosphate, calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, calcium gluconate, calcium polyphosphate, calcium sulfate, citric acid, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, disodium pyrophosphate, DL-tartaric acid, glucono-delta-lactone, isopropyl citrate mixture, L(+) tartaric acid, oxystearin, pentasodium triphosphate, phosphoric acid, calcium dihydrogen citrate, The reference also lists over 40 different compounds that may be selected from sodium, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium polyphosphate, potassium sodium L(+) tartrate, sodium diacetate, sodium dihydrogen citrate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium gluconate, sodium L(+) tartrate, sodium metaphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium thiosulfate, sorbitol, sorbitol syrup, stearyl citrate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, triethyl citrate, tripotassium citrate, tripotassium phosphate, trisodium citrate, trisodium phosphate, or combinations thereof.

[0010] IN01402CH2005 also mentions that amino acid chelates such as "ferrous bisglycinate" have been found to be by far the most bioavailable, least toxic, inert to reactions with food ingredients, and have a bland taste that matches the desired organoleptic properties. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] WO10116379 [Patent Document 2] IN01402CH2005 [Non-patent literature]

[0012] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Tea: Cultivation to Consumption" (edited by KC Wilson & MN Clifford, published in 1992) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] However, as discussed further below, ferrous bisglycinate is not inert to reactions with tea and unexpectedly causes undesirable changes in the color of tea-based beverages to which it is added, particularly when the tea is heated to a virtual boil.

[0014] The products of the present invention are particularly suitable for populations such as India, where, as mentioned, iron is only available as non-heme iron, due to the large proportion of the population being vegetarian. It is also noteworthy that tea extraction in India has unique characteristics, such as heating the tea to a virtual boil. Because such extraction is particularly effective in causing the formation of insoluble iron-polyphenol complexes, the iron source(s) present in such fortified tea are particularly susceptible to color change and darkening. Therefore, any color correction agent must be particularly effective in preventing color change and darkening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] The inventors have now found that it is possible to provide tea-based beverages that are fortified using ferrous bisglycinate (Fe bisglycinate) as an iron source. While Fe bisglycinate typically causes sensory issues such as undesirable darkening of the extracted product, particularly when tea extraction involves heating the tea to a virtual boil, the inventors have now found that when Fe bisglycinate is provided in combination with NaHEDTA, the resulting extracted product does not suffer from the darkening or other color changes that are associated with fortification with Fe bisglycinate.

[0016] Fe-bisglycinate and Na2H2EDTA can be incorporated into tea production and are suitable for use in tea leaf-based beverage products, ready-to-drink forms, water-soluble tea powders or granules, or liquid tea beverages.

[0017] The resulting tea liquor has good color and clarity, is fortified with iron, and does not have any of the poor visual and sensory characteristics, such as darkening and color change, that are seen in iron-fortified tea.

[0018] Therefore, the present invention provides a) Tea ingredients, b) Fe bisglycinate, and c) Na2H2EDTA Provide products, including

[0019] Preferably the product is a beverage precursor, i.e. the product comprises tea ingredients that are raw materials for the production of tea-based beverages. Preferably the tea ingredients are tea leaves to be extracted, or tea powder to be dissolved, or tea granules to be dissolved.

[0020] Preferably, the tea component is derived from the plant Camellia sinensis.

[0021] Preferably, the tea component is green tea or black tea.

[0022] More preferably, the tea component is black tea.

[0023] The tea ingredient may be tea leaves, or tea extract, or tea powder, or tea granules.

[0024] Preferably, the tea ingredient is tea leaf.

[0025] More preferably, the tea ingredient is black leaf tea.

[0026] Preferably, the product contains 95 to 99.9 mass % of tea ingredients by dry mass, more preferably 97 to 99.5 mass %, even more preferably 98 to 99 mass %, and most preferably about 98.5 mass %.

[0027] Preferably, the product contains 0.03 to 3% by dry mass of Fe bisglycinate, more preferably 0.1 to 1% by dry mass of Fe bisglycinate, even more preferably 0.2 to 0.5% by dry mass of Fe bisglycinate, and most preferably about 0.4% by dry mass of Fe bisglycinate.

[0028] Preferably, the product contains 0.07-7% by dry weight of Na2H2EDTA, more preferably 0.2-5% by dry weight of Na2H2EDTA, even more preferably 0.5-2% by dry weight of Na2H2EDTA, and most preferably about 1% by dry weight of Na2H2EDTA.

[0029] Preferably, the molar ratio of Na2H2EDTA:Fe bisglycinate contained in the product is 0.5:1 to 4:1, more preferably 0.75:1 to 3.5:1, even more preferably 1:1 to 3:1, even more preferably 1.5:1 to 3:1, and most preferably about 2:1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] product The present invention relates to iron-fortified products containing tea ingredients, including bottled tea-based beverages such as iced tea, leaf tea-based beverage products, ready-to-drink teas such as ready-to-drink forms, water-soluble tea powders or granules, or liquid tea beverages.

[0031] The present invention is particularly directed to beverage precursor products, i.e. products in which tea is provided in dry form and to which water is to be added by the consumer. Thus, the tea ingredient may be tea leaves to be extracted, or tea powder to be dissolved, or tea granules to be dissolved, or a combination thereof.

[0032] Tea ingredients For purposes of the present invention, "tea" refers to material derived from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and / or Camellia sinensis var. assamica. The term "tea leaf" refers to the uninfused form of leaf and / or stem material from the tea plant (i.e., material that has not been subjected to a solvent extraction process). In other words, the term "tea leaf" refers to the end product of tea production (sometimes referred to as "made tea").

[0033] As used herein, the term "black tea" refers to substantially fermented tea, where "fermentation" refers to the oxidative and hydrolytic processes that tea undergoes when certain endogenous enzymes and substrates are combined. During the so-called fermentation process, colorless catechins in the leaves and / or stems are converted into a complex mixture of yellow / orange to dark brown polyphenolic substances. For example, black leaf tea can be produced from raw tea material by the processes of withering, digestion, fermentation, and drying. A more detailed description of black tea production can be found in Chapter 14 of "Tea: Cultivation to Consumption" (edited by KC Wilson & MN Clifford, published 1992).

[0034] Thus, the tea component of the present invention may be derived from the plant Camellia sinensis. The tea component may be green tea or black tea, but is preferably black tea. The tea component may be tea leaves, tea extract, or tea powder. Preferably, the tea component is tea leaves. More preferably, the tea component is black tea leaves.

[0035] To deliver the expected organoleptic properties of a tea-based beverage, the required level of polyphenols, or both, the product comprises 95-99.9% by weight of tea ingredients by dry weight, more preferably 97-99.5%, even more preferably 98-99%, and most preferably about 98.5%.

[0036] The product may contain from 1g to 10g of tea ingredients per serving, more preferably from 1.25g to 5g of tea ingredients per serving, even more preferably from 1.5g to 4g of tea ingredients per serving, and most preferably about 2g of tea ingredients per serving.

[0037] As used herein, the term "serving" refers to the amount of product required for one serving. For ready-to-drink products, a serving is typically a 200-300 ml bottle or can. For beverage precursor products (i.e., products in which the tea is provided in dry form and water is to be added by the consumer), a serving is the amount of beverage precursor product required to make a beverage.

[0038] iron source The products of the present invention are fortified with iron, specifically Fe-bisglycinate.

[0039] Fe bisglycinate has the CAS number 20150-34-9, the formula C4H8FeNO4, and the following structure:

[0040] [ka]

[0041] It has.

[0042] Synonyms for Fe bisglycinate include iron bisglycinate, ferrous bisglycinate, and iron(II) bisglycinate.

[0043] As noted, the present invention allows the product to provide high levels of iron fortification without darkening or color change. The product may contain 0.03 to 3% by dry weight of Fe-bisglycinate, more preferably 0.1 to 1% by dry weight of Fe-bisglycinate, even more preferably 0.2 to 0.5% by dry weight of Fe-bisglycinate, and most preferably about 0.4% by dry weight of Fe-bisglycinate.

[0044] The product may contain 1-30 mg of Fe-bisglycinate per serving, more preferably 2.5-20 mg of Fe-bisglycinate per serving, even more preferably 5-15 mg of Fe-bisglycinate per serving, and most preferably about 10 mg of Fe-bisglycinate per serving.

[0045] The World Health Organization's Codex Alimentarius lists the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for iron as 22 mg for diets high in plant foods (such as those consumed primarily in India). The presence of color correction substances allows the product to contain high levels of iron without darkening or discoloration. Thus, the product may contain 1 to 50% of the NRV per serving, preferably 2 to 35% of the NRV per serving, more preferably 3 to 20% of the NRV per serving, even more preferably 4 to 10% of the NRV per serving, and most preferably about 5% of the NRV per serving.

[0046] The product may contain 0.05mg to 10mg of iron per serving, preferably 0.1mg to 7.5mg of iron per serving, more preferably 0.25mg to 5mg of iron per serving, even more preferably 0.5mg to 2mg of iron per serving, and most preferably about 1mg of iron per serving.

[0047] For the avoidance of doubt, when iron content is expressed by mass, that mass refers to the amount of iron itself in one serving of product, not the amount of iron source. For example, 1 mg of iron means 1 mg of iron ions, not 1 mg of Fe bisglycinate.

[0048] color correction substance The products of the present invention employ a color correction ingredient that prevents the color changes caused when Fe bisglycinate is added to tea-based products. To this end, the present invention employs NaHEDTA.

[0049] Na2H2EDTA has the CAS number 6381-92-6 and the formula C 10 H 14 N2Na2O8, and the following structure:

[0050] [ka]

[0051] It has.

[0052] Synonyms for Na2H2EDTA include disodium dihydrogen ethylenediaminetetraacetate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium dihydrate, EDTA disodium salt, EDTA-Na2, edathamil, edetate disodium salt dihydrate, and Sequestrene® Na2.

[0053] The product may contain 0.07-7% by dry weight of Na2H2EDTA, more preferably 0.2-5% by dry weight of Na2H2EDTA, even more preferably 0.5-2% by dry weight of Na2H2EDTA, and most preferably about 1% by dry weight of Na2H2EDTA.

[0054] The product may contain 5-100 mg of Na2H2EDTA per serving, more preferably 10-60 mg of Na2H2EDTA per serving, even more preferably 15-45 mg of Na2H2EDTA per serving, and most preferably about 35 mg of Na2H2EDTA per serving.

[0055] Color corrector: iron source molar ratio The molar ratio of Na2H2EDTA:Fe bisglycinate contained in the product is 0.5:1 to 4:1, preferably 0.75:1 to 3.5:1, more preferably 1:1 to 3:1, even more preferably 1.5:1 to 3:1, and most preferably about 2:1.

[0056] As described above, the present invention has found that the darkening and color changes associated with iron fortification of tea-based beverages can be corrected by using a combination of the claimed iron source and color correction substances.

[0057] Dark color correction coefficient and overall color correction coefficient The colours and shades of tea-based beverages can be expressed using coordinates in the CIE 1976 L*a*b* colour space. CIE L*a*b* values ​​can be measured by colourimetry according to the joint ISO / CIE standard (ISO 11664-4:2008(CE); CIE S 014-4 / E:2007). Colour can be expressed as three values: - Lightness L*, from black (0) to white (100), - a* from green (-) to red (+), and - b* from blue (-) to yellow (+) It is expressed as:

[0058] The differences in these L*, a*, and b* values ​​(ΔL*, Δa*, Δb*) are measured when samples are compared to each other, and from these values ​​the overall color difference, delta E* (ΔE*), can also be calculated.

[0059] It will be appreciated that the ΔL* and ΔE* values ​​are of particular interest in the context of the present invention as they can be used to measure the darkness and color, respectively, of a regular, unfortified tea-based beverage and compare it to tea-based beverages containing various iron sources and potential color correctors.

[0060] The present invention seeks to provide a product that utilizes NaHEDTA to deliver iron-fortified tea-based beverages that correct for the dark and overall color changes caused by Fe-bisglycinate so that the dark and overall color is as close as possible to that of the unfortified tea-based beverage, which can be expressed as the "Dark Color Correction Factor" (DCF) and "Overall Color Correction Factor" (OCCF), respectively.

[0061] DCF is calculated as follows: DCF=L* 試料 -L* ブランク - In the formula, L* 試料 is the L* value of the fortified and colour corrected tea-based beverage obtained from the product according to the invention, - In the formula, L* ブランク is the L* value of the same tea product with only tea ingredients and no iron source or color corrector.

[0062] Therefore, the DCF value is preferably -5 to 10, more preferably -4 to 7.5, even more preferably -3 to 5, even more preferably -2 to 4, and most preferably -0.5 to 3.

[0063] The OCCF is calculated as follows: OCCF=E* 試料 -E* ブランク - In the formula, E* 試料is the E* value of the fortified and colour corrected tea based beverage obtained from the product according to the invention, - In the formula, E* ブランク is the E* value of the same tea product with only tea ingredients and no iron source or color corrector.

[0064] Therefore, the OCCF value is preferably 0 to 15, more preferably 0 to 10, even more preferably 0 to 9, even more preferably 1 to 8, and most preferably 3 to 7.

[0065] Preferably, the DCF and OCCF are calculated from a tea-based beverage at 40°C.

[0066] As used herein, the term "comprising" encompasses the terms "consisting essentially of" and "consisting of." All percentages and ratios contained herein are calculated by weight unless otherwise specified. It should be noted that when specifying any range of values ​​or amounts, any particular upper value or amount can be associated with any particular lower value or amount.

[0067] Except in the examples and comparative examples, all numbers in the description indicating amounts of materials, reaction conditions, physical properties of materials, and / or uses should be understood as preceded by the word "about."

[0068] Various features of embodiments of the present invention mentioned in individual paragraphs above also apply mutatis mutandis to other paragraphs as appropriate. Thus, features defined in one paragraph may be combined with features defined in other paragraphs as appropriate. The disclosure of the present invention found herein should be considered to encompass all embodiments as found in the claims as multiple dependent on each other. All technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art of tea processing, unless otherwise defined.

[0069] The invention will now be illustrated with reference to the following non-limiting examples. [Example]

[0070] The effect of Fe bisglycinate on the color of two different tea beverages was evaluated, and the ability of various compounds to correct these color changes was also tested.

[0071] material Two types of tea drinks were tested. - Example 1 - Lipton Yellow Label tea bags sourced from Poland (purchased from a local supermarket in Poland) Example 2 - Lipton Yellow Label bulk tea sourced from KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), bulk tea (purchased from a local supermarket in KSA)

[0072] The iron sources tested were as follows: Fe bisglycinate (CAS number 20150-34-9), containing 23.2% iron by weight (supplier: Dr. Paul Lohmann GmbH & Co. KGaA, Hauptstrasse 2, 31860 Emmerthal, Germany)

[0073] The candidate color correction materials tested were as follows: - Sodium pyrophosphate dibasic (NaPP dibasic) (CAS number: 7758-16-9) ○ Supplier: Sigma-Aldrich - Ascorbic acid (CAS number: 50-81-7) ○ Supplier: Huijbregts Groep BV - Citric acid·H2O (CAS number: 77-92-9) ○ Supplier: Merck - Na2H2EDTA·2H2O (CAS number 6381-92-6) Supplier: VWR Chemicals, Order No. 20302

[0074] Sample preparation tea drinks The tea beverage was prepared as follows.

[0075] Example 1 - A single Lipton Yellow Label tea bag sourced from Poland placed in a ceramic mug. - 200 ml of boiling water was added and the tea bag was steeped for 2 minutes (the timer was started when the water touched the tea bag) to obtain the tea liquid. - The tea bag was lifted from the tea liquid and allowed to drip for 5 seconds before being removed. - 6.5g of sugar was added to the tea liquid, which was then used for the analysis described below.

[0076] Example 2 - 11g of Lipton Yellow Label, sourced from KSA, was placed in a metal pot and 580ml of boiling water was added to simulate the preparation of approximately four servings. - The pot was covered and placed on the stove over a heat sufficient to bring it to a gentle boil. - The tea was boiled for 3 minutes without stirring (the timer was started once the water started to boil after adding the tea) to obtain the tea liquid. - Strain the tea liquid through a strainer to obtain 130ml of tea liquid, enough for four servings. - 6g of sugar was added to one serving of tea liquid and then used for the analysis described below.

[0077] Test Combination Test samples were prepared according to the tea procedure above by adding the iron sources and / or potential color correctors in the amounts shown in Tables 1 and 2 with the dried tea.

[0078] When a candidate color corrector was used, it was added in an amount to provide a molar ratio of about 3:1 to about 2:1 of candidate color corrector:iron from the iron source, as shown in the table.

[0079] Colorimetric analysis A 20 ml aliquot of each of the tea samples shown in Table 1 and Table 2 was transferred to a quartz cuvette and subjected to CIE L*a*b* analysis as follows.

[0080] The color of the samples was measured using a Hunterlab Ultrascan VIS spectrophotometer (wavelength: 360-780 nm). In this study, transmitted color was measured.

[0081] The sensor was a 6-inch (152.4 mm) diameter plastic integrating sphere coated with Spectraflect® to diffuse the light from the lamp. The light was shone onto the sample and transmitted through it. A lens was positioned at an 8° angle from the normal to the sample surface. The lens collected the transmitted light and directed it onto a diffraction grating, which separated the light into its wavelength components, which were measured by a dual diode array and converted into data.

[0082] The transmission compartment, located in the center of the sensor, was used to measure the transmitted color of the liquid. The transmission compartment door was closed during calibration and measurement. The transmission cell holder accommodated the aliquot in a 10 mm transmission cell. For installation, the transmission cell holder was placed in the center of the transmission compartment, at the widest part of the transmission compartment.

[0083] The transmission cell was an optically transparent glass cell with a fixed path length of 10 mm. The dimensions of the transmission cell were 55 mm x 57 mm (width x height). The minimum sample volume for measurement was 20 ml. Measurements were performed in total transmission mode (TTRAN). The cell was placed in the spherical opening at the front of the transmission compartment inside the spectrophotometer.

[0084] measurement The spectrophotometer was controlled by EasyMatch QC software, which integrated the transmittance values ​​across the visible spectrum to obtain tristimulus values ​​X, Y, and Z. These values ​​simulate the color-matching response functions of a human observer, as defined by the 1931 2° Standard Observer or the 1964 CIE 10° Standard Observer (CIE XYZ).

[0085] Instrument setup Sensor name: USVIS1666-Ultrascan VIS Mode type: TTRAN - Total transmission Field of view: 1 inch UV filter position: UVF rating

[0086] Calculation of ΔE* and ΔL* ΔE* and ΔL* were calculated using L*a*b* values ​​calculated by Hunterlab software.

[0087] Calculation of Δa* and Δb* Δa*=a* 試料 -a* ブランク Δb*=b* 試料 -b* ブランク

[0088] Calculation of ΔL* ΔL*=L* 試料 -L* ブランク

[0089] ΔL* indicates the difference in lightness (+ΔL* means lighter than the "blank" sample, -ΔL* means darker than the "blank" sample).

[0090] Calculating ΔE*

[0091]

number

[0092] Delta of L* (ΔL*), Delta of a* (Δa*), and Delta of b* (Δb*) indicate how much a sample and a "blank" sample differ from each other in L*, a*, and b*. ΔL*, Δa*, and Δb* can be positive (+) or negative (-). However, the total color difference, Delta E* (ΔE*), is always positive.

[0093] [Table 1]

[0094] [Table 2]

[0095] Colorimetric analysis results The results of the colorimetric analysis are shown in the last columns of Tables 1 and 2. - ΔE* indicates the change in color relative to the respective "blank" sample. - ΔL* indicates whether the tea is darker (negative number) or lighter (positive number) compared to the "blank" sample.

[0096] Table 1 shows that Fe bisglycinate alone (A.Ex1) causes a significant color change (36.7) and darkening (-27.2). Furthermore, this color change and darkening is not corrected by dibasic NaPP, ascorbic acid, or citric acid (B.Ex1, C.Ex1, D.Ex1). However, when Na2H2EDTA is used (1.Ex1), it acts as an excellent color corrector, dramatically reducing the color change (3.5) and darkening (2.2) to almost the same as the tea without an iron source (blank).

[0097] Furthermore, Table 2 shows that Na2H2EDTA is also effective in other tea products prepared using harsher extraction processes. It can be seen that Fe bisglycinate alone (A.Ex2) causes a significant color change (56.1) and darkening (-29.4). Furthermore, this color change and darkening is not corrected by dibasic NaPP, ascorbic acid, or citric acid (B.Ex2, C.Ex2, D.Ex2). However, when Na2H2EDTA is used (1.Ex2, 2.Ex2), it acts as an excellent color corrector, dramatically reducing the color change (6.2, 2.4) and darkening (2.7, -0.3) to nearly the same as the tea without an iron source (blank).

[0098] Thus, the inventors have identified the unique ability of the combination of Fe-bisglycinate and NaHEDTA to provide iron-fortified tea-based beverages that do not undergo color change or darkening. In particular, the use of NaHEDTA can prevent color change or darkening caused by Fe-bisglycinate, even when tea extraction involves heating the tea to a virtual boil.

Claims

1. a) 95 to 99.9% by dry mass of tea components relative to the dry mass of the whole product; b) 0.03 to 3% by dry weight of iron bisglycinate, based on the dry weight of the total product; and c) 0.07 to 7% by dry mass of Na based on the dry mass of the entire product ２ H ２ EDTA Including, The product wherein the tea ingredient is tea leaf.

2. 10. The product of claim 1 which is a beverage precursor.

3. 3. The product of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tea ingredient is derived from the plant Camellia sinensis.

4. 4. The product of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tea component is black tea.

5. Na contained in the product ２ H ２ 5. A product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the molar ratio of EDTA:Fe from Fe bisglycinate is from 0.5:1 to 4:1.

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