Fruit Product Containing Sugar Alcohol

Abstract

A processed fruit product, for example a citrus fruit product, including a packing liquid, containing little or no sugar, and optionally containing one or more artificial sweeteners, further comprising an amount of a sugar alcohol effective to maintain integrity and/or texture of the fruit.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method for retaining structural integrity and/or texture of one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof in a processed, packaged fruit product comprising:
 packing said one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof in a packing liquid in the absence of added sugar;   said packing liquid comprising:
 one or more sugar alcohols, wherein said one or more sugar alcohols are present in said packing liquid at a percentage by weight that minimizes osmosis between said packing liquid and said one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof; and 
   balancing osmotic pressure between said packing liquid and said one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15  comprising thermally processing said processed, packaged fruit product to a commercially-acceptable center of container temperature. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein said processed, packaged fruit product is not thermally processed. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein said one or more sugar alcohols are selected from sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, lacitol, erythritol, and glycerol. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15  comprising from about 1 wt % to about 90 wt % of said one or more sugar alcohols in said packing liquid. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15  comprising from about 1 wt % to about 30 wt % of said one or more sugar alcohols in said packing liquid. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 15  comprising from about 5 wt % to about 50 wt % of said one or more sugar alcohols in said packing liquid. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 15  comprising from about 5 wt % to about 30 wt % of said one or more sugar alcohols in said packing liquid. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 15  comprising from about 20 wt % to about 30 wt % of said one or more sugar alcohols in said packing liquid. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein said one or more whole fruits or segments thereof comprise citrus fruit, non-citrus fruit, or a combination of citrus fruit and non-citrus fruit. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein said citrus fruit comprises one or more citrus fruit selected from orange, grapefruit, kumquat, pomelo, tangelo, citrange, citron, lemon, lime, mandarin orange, and tangerine. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein said non-citrus fruit comprises one or more non-citrus fruit selected from peaches, pears, pineapple, cherries, mangos, and grapes. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 15  comprising from about 0.01 wt % to about 2 wt % of one or more non-nutritive sweeteners in said packing liquid. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 15  comprising one or more non-nutritive sweeteners selected from aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame and/or acesulfame salts. 
     
     
         29 . A method for minimizing disintegration and/or deterioration of one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof in a processed, packaged fruit product comprising:
 packing said one or more whole fruits or segments thereof in a packing liquid in the absence of added sugar;   said packing liquid comprising:
 one or more sugar alcohols, and from about 0.01 wt % to about 2 wt % by total weight of said packing liquid of one or more non-nutritive sweeteners; 
 wherein said one or more sugar alcohols are present in said packing liquid at a percentage by weight of said packing liquid that balances osmotic pressure between said packing liquid and said one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof; 
   minimizing osmosis in said packaged fruit product; and   maintaining structural integrity and/or texture of said one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof.   
     
     
         30 . A method for retaining structural integrity and/or texture of one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof in a processed, packaged fruit product comprising:
 packing said one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof in a packing liquid in the absence of added sugar;   said packing liquid comprising:
 one or more sugar alcohols, and from about 0.01 wt % to about 2 wt % by total weight of said packing liquid of one or more non-nutritive sweeteners; 
 wherein said one or more sugar alcohols are present in said packing liquid at a percentage by weight of said packing liquid that minimizes osmosis between said packing liquid and said one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof; and 
   balancing osmotic pressure between said packing liquid and said one or more whole fruits and/or segments thereof.