Tea Extract Emulsion for Flavoring Stability
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing processes for producing tea extracts and flavorings involve separate drying steps, which are economically and sustainably inefficient, and often require costly emulsifiers like Gum Arabic and modified starches that can impart off-flavors and have allergenic concerns, leading to oxidative deterioration and limited shelf-life of spray-dried flavoring powders.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a tea extract and a functional agent, where the tea extract forms a stable mixture with water, acting as an emulsifier and carrier, eliminating the need for separate drying and additional emulsifiers, resulting in a stable emulsion or slurry that can be dried into a powder with enhanced shelf-life and flavor retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate drying steps are used for tea extracts and flavorings, then the production process can be simplified in terms of mixing, but the production efficiency decreases and costs increase due to multiple processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drying of tea extracts and flavorings into a single simultaneous drying step. The flavoring is mixed with the tea extract to form a slurry that is then spray-dried in one process, eliminating the need for separate drying steps while maintaining production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The tea extract serves multiple functions: it acts as both the flavor carrier and the drying medium. By using the tea extract itself as the vehicle for drying the flavoring, the process eliminates the need for separate drying operations and additional emulsifiers
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional emulsifiers like Gum Arabic and modified starches are used, then the emulsion stability improves, but the product cost increases and allergenic concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The tea extract serves its own emulsification needs by utilizing its natural surface-active components (saponins, polyphenols, proteins). The system is self-sufficient and does not require external emulsifiers like Gum Arabic or modified starches, thereby reducing costs and eliminating allergenic concerns
Solution Approach 2:
The tea extract acts as an intermediary substance that mediates between the hydrophobic flavoring compounds and the aqueous phase. Its natural amphiphilic components facilitate emulsion formation and stabilization without requiring additional chemical emulsifiers
3Stability of the object's composition
If additional emulsifiers are used to stabilize the emulsion, then the emulsion stability improves, but oxidative deterioration occurs and shelf-life is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the naturally occurring polyphenols and saponins in tea extract, which could be considered minor impurities, into beneficial antioxidants that protect the flavoring from oxidative deterioration. These natural compounds serve as built-in preservatives that extend shelf-life without requiring synthetic additives
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
This process simplifies production, reduces costs, and enhances the stability and shelf-life of the final product by utilizing the tea extract's antioxidative properties to maintain emulsion stability and prevent oxidative deterioration, thereby overcoming the limitations of current methods.
Implementation Method 1
The tea extract forms a stable mixture with water, acting as an emulsifier and carrier, eliminating the need for separate drying and additional emulsifiers, resulting in a stable emulsion or slurry
Implementation Method 2
The extracts are mixed together with other the ingredients at the sites of the bottlers' and then filled into bottles. In many cases, the bottlers handle the ingredients exclusively in dry form. As a consequence, the initially liquid raw materials are required to be dried by the suppliers, e.g., by means of spray-drying, prior to shipping.
Implementation Method 3
Green tea extracts were tested as antioxidants for various technological food applications. Examples include studies on the inhibition of oxidation of emulsified milk fat, omega-3 oils, incorporated into table spreads, and lipid fraction from biscuits.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention primarily relates to a process for producing a preparation for nourishment or pleasure, preferably a beverage or a convenience food, such as a soup, a sauce or a snack, or semi-finished product for the production of a preparation for nourishment or pleasure, preferably a beverage or a convenience food, such as a soup, a sauce or a snack, the process comprising preparing a dispersion, in particular an emulsion, by mixing a functional agent, preferably flavoring, a tea extract and water with each other, and optionally drying the emulsion. The present further relates to related processes, products and uses.