Tea Extract Coloring Agent via Essence Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food additives often contain harmful chemicals, and there is a need for natural, cost-effective methods and systems for producing food additives that can enhance the color, aroma, and flavor of food products.
Innovation Solution
A method involving combining tea leaves and water to form a feed slurry, processing it to remove tea essence, and adjusting the color of the resulting tea extract to create a natural coloring agent that can be added to food products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If natural food additives are used instead of chemical additives, then safety and health benefits are improved, but production cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts tea essence and color from tea leaves through systematic processing steps including extraction, filtration, and concentration. This isolation of the active components enables the production of natural food additives without harmful chemicals while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through focused processing of specific target compounds.
Solution Approach 2:
The tea extract produced serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides natural coloring, imparting tea-like aroma and flavor, and offers health benefits associated with tea polyphenols. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate additives and simplifies the overall manufacturing process.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If tea essence is completely removed from tea extract, then natural coloring is improved, but aroma and flavor properties are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentially treating different components of the tea extract. Tea essence components that interfere with coloring are removed or reduced, while aroma and flavor compounds are selectively retained. This selective processing achieves pure coloring function while preserving sensory properties through controlled extraction and separation parameters.
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 method produces a natural food coloring agent that effectively enhances the color of food products while avoiding harmful chemicals, offering a cost-effective and sustainable solution.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one tea extraction includes extracting soluble and/or volatile components from the tea leaves. The at least one tea extraction is performed using a spinning cone column
Implementation Method 2
the at least one tea stripping includes exposing the feed slurry to steam, air, inert gas, or a combination thereof
Implementation Method 3
the processing includes at least one phase separation, the at least one phase separation being performed using a decanter, filtration, centrifugation, or a combination thereof
Implementation Method 4
the processing includes at least one phase separation, the at least one phase separation being performed using a decanter, filtration, centrifugation, or a combination thereof
Implementation Method 5
the processing includes at least one phase separation, the at least one phase separation being performed using a decanter, filtration, centrifugation, or a combination thereof
Implementation Method 6
the concentrating is performed using reverse osmosis, membranes, evaporators, presses, or a combination thereof
Implementation Method 7
the concentrating is performed using reverse osmosis, membranes, evaporators, presses, or a combination thereof
Implementation Method 8
the adjusting the color includes one or more of oxidizing of the tea extract, solubilizing of the tea extract, adjusting a pH of the solubilized tea extract, or a combination thereof. the oxidizing includes alkaline oxidation
Implementation Method 9
the solubilizing includes hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solubilization, ozone solubilization, or a combination thereof
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to methods, systems and compositions for food coloring. Embodiments disclosed herein may include methods and systems for combining tea leaves and water to form a feed slurry; processing a feed slurry to at least partially remove a tea essence from the feed slurry, thereby obtaining a tea extract with a predetermined amount of one or more of an aroma or a flavor; and adjusting a color of the tea extract, thereby obtaining a coloring agent with a predetermined color-related feature, wherein the coloring agent is added in a predetermined amount to a food product to adjust a color of the food product. Embodiments may also including coloring compositions, which may include a dry tea extract, wherein an essence has been removed from the dry tea extract to a predetermined amount, and a color of the dry tea extract has been adjusted to have a predetermined color-related feature.