Soluble Citrus Fiber Clouding Agent for Stable Beverage Turbidity

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Solution Overview

Problem

The food industry faces challenges in finding natural clouding agents for beverages that can provide stable turbidity without imparting an off taste or deleterious flavor effects, as traditional agents like brominated vegetable oil and titanium dioxide are under regulatory scrutiny due to health concerns.

Innovation Solution

The use of soluble citrus fibers as a clouding agent in beverages, which are prepared by dispersing a mixture of soluble and insoluble citrus fibers in water, subjecting it to centrifugation to separate soluble fibers, and optionally concentrating or drying the supernatant containing the soluble citrus fibers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional clouding agents like brominated vegetable oil or titanium dioxide are used, then turbidity is achieved, but health concerns and regulatory restrictions arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveturbidity stabilityVSAvoidhealth risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using soluble citrus fibers (pectin, hemicellulose, cellulose) instead of traditional clouding agents like brominated vegetable oil or titanium dioxide. This parameter change maintains the turbidity function while eliminating health risks and regulatory restrictions associated with the previous agents.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite material structure by combining multiple fiber types (pectin, hemicellulose, cellulose) from citrus sources to create a clouding agent that achieves stable turbidity. This composite approach provides both the desired optical properties and health safety, resolving the contradiction between effectiveness and harmlessness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If fat-based emulsions are used as clouding agents, then turbidity is achieved, but off taste and rancid notes develop

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveturbidity stabilityVSAvoidoff taste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces fat-based emulsions with soluble citrus fibers that do not undergo hydrolysis and do not develop off tastes. The citrus fiber clouding agent maintains its properties without the temporal degradation that causes rancid notes in fat-based systems, effectively eliminating the harmful taste development over time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the natural composition of citrus fibers (which were previously considered waste products) into a beneficial clouding agent. The fiber structure naturally provides turbidity without the harmful taste development inherent in fat-based emulsions, turning a potential waste product into a healthful and taste-neutral alternative.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If fat-based emulsions are used, then clouding effect is achieved, but solubility decreases when reconstituted in water

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclouding effectVSAvoidsolubility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters by using water-soluble citrus fibers instead of fat-based emulsions. This parameter change enables the clouding agent to be easily reconstituted in water while maintaining the clouding effect, resolving the contradiction between achieving clouding and maintaining solubility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Object-affected harmful factors

If natural clouding agents are used, then health concerns are reduced, but turbidity stability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehealth safetyVSAvoidturbidity stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite material structure by combining multiple fiber types (pectin, hemicellulose, cellulose) from citrus sources to create a clouding agent that achieves stable turbidity. This composite approach provides both the desired optical properties and health safety, resolving the contradiction between effectiveness and harmlessness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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

Soluble citrus fibers effectively impart stable turbidity to beverages, maintaining clarity over time, even in acidic and alcoholic beverages, without affecting the flavor, thus addressing the regulatory and taste issues associated with previous clouding agents.

Implementation Method 1

impart stable turbidity to beverages, maintaining clarity over time

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight scattering: Scattering

Implementation Method 2

subjecting it to centrifugation to separate soluble fibers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal separation: Centrifugal Separation

Data Source

PatentUS20250049081A1Beverage additives comprising a clouding agent

Publication Date: 2025.02.13 FIRMENICH SA

AI summary

The present invention relates to a beverage additive comprising a clouding agent comprising a soluble citrus fiber as well as to a beverage comprising said beverage additive. The present invention further relates to a method for the preparation of soluble citrus fibers and the use of said soluble citrus fibers as a clouding agent in a beverage.