Method And Apparatus For Making Beverages

Abstract

A process for making stable and uniformly dispersed oil-in-water beverage emulsions is provided. The process comprises combining an oil mixture and an aqueous mixture to form a beverage pre-emulsion; in-line mixing of the beverage pre-emulsion; and homogenizing of the beverage pre-emulsion to form a stable and uniformly dispersed beverage emulsion.

1 . A beverage concentrate made by a process comprising:
 combining water with a preservative, an emulsifier, and a coloring agent;   mixing the water, the preservative, the emulsifier, and the coloring agent at an elevated temperature to form an aqueous mixture;   optionally pasteurizing the aqueous mixture;   cooling the aqueous mixture to a temperature from about 10° C. to about 35° C.;   diluting the aqueous mixture with water to form a diluted mixture;   adding an acidulant to the diluted mixture;   combining a weighted oil mixture comprising a beverage weighting agent and an oil with the diluted mixture to form a beverage concentrate;   mixing the beverage concentrate to form a mixed beverage concentrate;   diluting the mixed beverage concentrate with water to form a diluted beverage concentrate;   in-line mixing the diluted beverage concentrate to reduce the droplet size of the oil present in the diluted beverage concentrate; and   homogenizing the diluted beverage concentrate to form a final beverage concentrate.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the oil is selected from the group consisting of citrus oils, cola oils, essential oils, coconut oil, terpenes, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the beverage emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, modified starch, pectin, xanthan gum, sucrose monoesters, sorbitan esters, polysorbates, mono-glycerides, di-glycerides, propylene glycol esters, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the weighting agent is selected from the group consisting of ester gums, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, brominated vegetable oil, gum damar, colophony, gum elemi, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the oil is selected from the group consisting of citrus oils, cola oils, essential oils, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the preservative is selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, sodium propionate, sodium sorbate, sorbic acid, potassium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the coloring agent is selected from the group consisting of .beta.-Apo-8′-carotenal, canthaxanthin, .beta.-carotene, Citrus Red No. 2, FD&C Red No. 28, D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, ferrous gluconate, orange B, riboflavin, ultramarine blue, ultramarine green, ultramarine violet, red, caramel, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein the acidulant is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, ascorbic acid, and combinations thereof.