Beverage Clouding System Using Sterol Esters for Turbidity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing beverage clouding systems often compromise the taste of beverages and lack additional beneficial properties, while also failing to achieve the desired level of turbidity effectively.

Innovation Solution

A beverage clouding system comprising a suitable emulsifier, hydrophobic clouding agents like sterol esters, an oil, and optionally a weighting agent, which can be incorporated into beverage concentrates or syrups, enhancing turbidity and providing health benefits such as reducing LDL cholesterol levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If traditional clouding systems are used to increase beverage turbidity, then the beverage becomes cloudy, but the taste is adversely affected

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveturbidityVSAvoidtaste quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using specific hydrophobic clouding agents (sterol esters, stanol esters) combined with emulsifiers and weighting agents in defined ratios. This parameter optimization allows achieving desired turbidity while minimizing adverse taste effects through controlled composition rather than simple clouding agents

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite clouding system combining multiple components: hydrophobic clouding agents, emulsifiers, weighting agents, and optionally co-emulsifiers. This composite approach allows the system to achieve cloudiness through multiple mechanisms while the synergistic interaction of components maintains acceptable taste characteristics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Illumination intensity

If clouding agents are added to increase turbidity, then the beverage achieves desired cloudiness, but additional beneficial properties are not provided

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveturbidityVSAvoidbeneficial properties
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the clouding system to perform multiple functions simultaneously: achieving turbidity through hydrophobic clouding agents, providing health benefits through sterol/stanol esters (which have cholesterol-lowering properties), and ensuring stability through emulsifiers and weighting agents. This multi-functionality allows a single addition to provide both cloudiness and health benefits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Illumination intensity

If clouding systems are incorporated into beverage concentrates or syrups, then the desired cloudiness is achieved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveturbidityVSAvoidmanufacturing process
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent formulates the complete clouding system as a pre-mixed concentrate or syrup that can be added at the final stage of beverage manufacturing. By preparing the clouding agents, emulsifiers, and weighting agents in a pre-formulated concentration, the manufacturing process avoids complex multi-step additions and simplifies integration while achieving the desired cloudiness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system effectively increases beverage turbidity without adversely affecting taste, while providing health benefits like cholesterol reduction, and can be incorporated at various stages of the manufacturing process to achieve desired cloudiness and nutritional enhancements.

Implementation Method 1

The beverage clouding system comprises a suitable emulsifier, a hydrophobic clouding agent, an oil, and optionally, a suitable weighting agent

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEmulsion: Emulsion

Implementation Method 2

The hydrophobic clouding agent can be selected from sterol esters, stanol esters, and combinations thereof

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight scattering: Scattering

Data Source

PatentUS7601380B2Beverage clouding system and method
Publication Date: 2009.10.13 PEPSICO INC

AI summary

A beverage clouding system composition that comprises a sterol ester, stanol ester, or combinations thereof, an oil and a continuous aqueous phase is provided. Additionally, compositions of a finished cloudy beverage and a cloudy beverage syrup each incorporating the beverage clouding system according to the present invention are provided. Methods of making the same are also provided.