The Procter Gamble Company

Rudolf G Strobel

Chee-Hway Tsai

Richard A Eich

Raju V Thundathil

Michael Lee Vatter

Gordon K Stipp

Robert Leslie Swaine, Jr

Edmund P Pultinas, Jr

Robert E Tarr

Thomas F Rich

John Robert Powers

Robert D Piotrowski

George R Ross

This invention relates to an efficient process for separating and recovering aroma and flavor volatiles from fruit or vegetable juices and for lowering the pectin levels in cloudy juices. The process involves removing the aroma/flavor volatiles from juice by forming a microaerosol by spraying juice at a temperature of from 45.degree. C. to 110.degree. C. through a nozzle having a diameter of about 100 microns to 600 microns at a velocity of 100 m/sec. to 250 m/sec. and into a vacuum chamber at 5 mm to 200 mm Hg and at temperatures of from 10.degree. C. to about 55.degree. C. and then treating the recovered juice fraction with a pectinase which is essentially free of esterases. The decreased pectin level increases the gustatory display of the aroma/flavor and improves the mouthfeel of the beverage. Decrease of the pectin level is achieved essentially without the formation of methanol and essentially without the hydrolysis of important aroma ester compounds. Clear juices containing a virtually pristine composition of aroma volatiles are produced after ultrafiltration of the special enzyme treated cloudy juices.

Process for making concentrated fruit juice

This invention relates to an efficient process for separating and recovering aroma and flavor volatiles from fruit or vegetable juices and for lowering the amount of sugar in juices. The process involves removing the aroma/flavor volatiles from juice by forming a microaerosol by spraying juice at a temperture of from 45.degree. C. to 110.degree. C. through a nozzle having a diameter of about 100 microns to 1200 microns at a velocity of 100 m/sec. to 250 m/sec. and into a vacuum chamber at 5 mm to 200 mm Hg and at temperatures of from 10.degree. C. to about 55.degree. C. and then treating the recovered juice fraction with a yeast. The alcohol formed during this fermentation reaction is removed by distillation, preferably by the same aerosolization process as the volatiles are removed. The aroma and flavor volatiles are returned to the juice to provide a good tasting low calorie fruit juice.

Process for making concentrated low calorie fruit juice

Commercially processed orange juice products, including frozen orange juice concentrates, which are closer to hand-squeezed orange juice in character are disclosed. At single-strength, these products have a viscosity of about 7 centipoise or less (at 8.degree. C.) and a titratable oil content of about 0.015% or less. These products are further characterized by an orange aroma and flavor component which has a higher ratio of certain desirable 'fresh' and 'orangey' compounds, relative to certain less desirable orange compounds, when compared to current commercial orange juice products prepared from orange juice concentrate.

Commercially processed orange juice products having a more hand-squeezed

A method for obtaining commercial feed juices having textural, aroma and flavor properties more like hand-squeezed orange juice is disclosed. This method involves gentle extraction of orange fruit with commercial juice extractors, gentle and quick removal of rag, seeds and peel from the extracted juice, substantially complete removal of sensible pulp, and removal of at least some of the sinking pulp. The feed juices obtained have a relatively low viscosity and sinking pulp level, minimized levels of peel oil and flavanoid glycosides and a relatively high ratio of more desirable orange compounds to less desirable orange compounds.

Method for obtaining commercial feed juices having a more hand-squeezed

Low viscosity evaporative orange juice concentrates having less cooked off-flavor, as measured by the % retained valencene, are disclosed. These concentrates are preferably obtained by an evaporative concentration process which starts with a feed juice having a relatively low viscosity and sinking pulp level and which heats this feed juice to temperature no higher than about 180.degree. F. to avoid the generation of cooked off-flavor. In addition, the juice, at a critical solids content, is headed under vacuum to temperatures in the range of from about 160.degree. to about 180.degree. F. under conditions of high shear across the heated surface of the evaporator to insure effective deactivation of pectinesterase enzymes initially present in the feed juice.

Method of making low viscosity evaporative orange juice concentrates

A natural grapefruit juice concentrate prepared from natural grapefruit ingredients is disclosed. The concentrate has at least 35% solids including pulp, non-volatile compounds, pectin and volatile compounds. The concentrate has at least 65% of the aroma and flavor volatile compounds of the natural juice. The concentrate is prepared by separating natural grapefruit juice into a particulate solids portion (such as pectin or pulp) and a serum portion. The serum portion, which comprises 7 to 20% solids and from 80 to 93% water, is concentrated by removing essentially pure water. The concentration step can be accomplished by freeze concentration or by sublimation concentration. When sublimation concentration is used, the particulate solids do not have to be separated from the serum. Substantially 100% of the non-volatile solids are retained, and the concentrate is substantially free of oxidative degradation products.

Grapefruit juice concentrate

A process for preparing a natural citrus fruit juice concentrate prepared from natural citrus fruit ingredients is disclosed. The fruit juice concentrate has at least 35% solids including pulp, non-volatile compounds, pectin and volatile compounds. This fruit juice concentrate has at least 65% of the aroma and flavor volatile compounds of the natural juice. The fruit juice concentrate is prepared by separating natural citrus fruit juice into a particulate solids portion (such as pectin or pulp) and a serum portion. The serum portion which comprises 7% to 20% solids and from 80% to 93% water is concentrated by removing essentially pure water. The concentration step can be accomplished by freeze concentration or by sublimation concentration. When sublimation concentration is used, the particulate solids do not have to be separated from the serum. Substantially 100% of the non-volatile solids are retained. Moreover, the product is substantially free of oxidative degradation products.

Process for preparing a citrus fruit juice concentrate

A natural orange juice concentrate prepared from natural orange compounds is disclosed. The orange juice concentrate has at least 35% solids including pulp, non-volatile compounds, pectin and volatile compounds. This orange juice concentrate has at least 65% of the aroma and flavor volatile compounds of the natural juice. The aroma and flavor volatile compounds comprise a low boiling fraction and a higher boiling fraction in a ratio of at least 4:1. The ethyl butyrate level is at least 0.1% of the total volatile compounds, the proportion of ethyl butyrate to limonene being in the range of 0.0015:1 to about 0.6:1. The orange juice concentrate is prepared by separating natural orange juice into a pulp portion and a serum portion. The serum portion which comprises 7% to 20% solids and from 80% to 93% water is concentrated by removing essentially pure water. The concentration step can be accomplished by freeze concentration or by sublimation concentration. When sublimation concentration is used, the pulp does not have to be separated from the serum. Substantially 100% of the non-volatile solids are retained. Moreover, the product is substantially free of oxidative degradation products.

Orange juice concentrate

Liquid coffee extracts are decaffeinated using a solvent system which comprises benzyl alcohol.

Liquid extract decaffeination with benzyl alcohol containing mixtures

Coffee beans are decaffeinated using a solvent system which comprises benzyl alcohol.

Decaffeination process

A stable water-soluble Desorbate instant tea having a flavor, aroma, appearance and chemical composition approximating that of fresh expertly brewed tea is made by a process comprising passing steam at reduced pressures through a columnar bed of ground tea leaves to pre-wet and pre-swell an upper portion of said leaves; and then passing water and wet steam at reduced pressures and low temperatures through said bed to desorb and extract from said tea leaves an aqueous tea extract while maintaining a weight ratio of said extract to dry tea leaves of from about 0.5:1 to about 3:1, and collecting said extract in a cold trap. Decreaming of the extract prepared by this process is not necessary to provide a water-soluble dry instant tea which, upon reconstitution in water, provides an iced beverage that tastes like an iced tea made from fresh, expertly brewed tea. The solubility and solution stability of the Desorbate tea of this invention are surprisingly improved by treating the process water with a minor amount of a higher chain polyphosphate glass, a bilsulfite, a sulfite and/or a suitable carrageenan.

Low-temperature steam desorbate process for improved instant tea

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for the production of an aroma flavor concentrate from aroma- and flavor-bearing substrates, especially roasted and ground coffee. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a process for continuously de-aromatizing and desorbing aroma and flavor constituents from said substrates by passing wet steam counter-currently through a continuous columnar bed of said substrate, said bed flowing upwardly through a substantially upright vacuum-tight desorption column. Wet steam is applied in an amount and manner to form and maintain a substantially stationary desorption zone in said flowing columnar bed at a finite distance above a bottom inlet of said upright desorption column. The stationary desorption zone is formed by the condensation of the wet steam as it passes into a progressively cooler temperature gradient in said flowing columnar bed. The temperature gradient is created by the continuous introduction of chilled fresh substrate through the bottom inlet. A vaporous aroma flavor fraction and a desorbed soluble solids fraction are collected in separate cold traps in communication with said column at about said stationary desorption zone.

Continuous desorption apparatus for aroma flavor concentrate

Aroma- and flavor-bearing substrates are separated into an aroma concentrate and a flavor concentrate by pulsing or applying in a continuous fashion wet steam to a zone containing the substrate. The substrate-containing zone is held under vacuum pressure and the flavor concentrate is collected in a first trap, while an aroma concentrate is collected in a second trap. In one preferred embodiment, the most volatile flavor and aroma bodies are collected and subsequently dissolved in a solution of solids (e.g., those obtained from further extraction of the substrate) and the solution is then frozen and freeze-dried to yield a highly stable dry aroma and flavor bearing product. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate comprises either coffee or tea.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Rudolf G Strobel