Processing and preserving fresh kava product and process of making it stable

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to one or more methods comprising heating of a kava product; pressurizing the kava product; electrically pulsing the kava product; homogenizing the kava product; cooling the kava product; and packaging of the kava product; wherein the method is configured to stabilize the kava product against microbiological decomposition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising: heating a kava product to a pasteurization temperature at about 65° C. or higher, and adding a processing aid comprising an enzyme; wherein the method is configured to stabilize the kava product against microbiological decomposition or reduce microbial count to improve safety and extend shelf life under refrigeration and/or at ambient temperature, without degradation of the kava product, wherein the kava product comprises kavalactones comprising two or more of kavain, methysticin, desmethoxyyangoninn, yangonin, dihydrokavain and dihydromethysticin. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the kava product comprises one or more of: a kava juice or a kava root water extract; a kava juice or a kava root water extract in beverages, aerated beverages; a raw kava product frozen; and a raw kava product at room temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising homogenizing the kava product. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enzyme is encapsulated in a microsphere. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enzyme comprises a carbohydrate degrading enzyme, a lipase or a protease. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising exposing the kava product to an ionizing radiation or non-ionizing radiation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the kava product is heated at the pasteurization temperature in a range about 65° C. to about 135° C. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising cooling the kava product after heating to a temperature of about 25° C. to about 5° C. to obtain a high temperature short time (HTST) treated kava product. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the HTST the kava product is heated at the pasteurization temperature of about 0.1 or more. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the kava product is exposed to a flash cooling. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the kava product is exposed to a pressure. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pressure is wherein the pressure is about 200 MPa or higher. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises exposing the kava product to a pulsed electric field. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the non-ionizing radiation comprises of microwave radiation. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the ionizing radiation comprises Gamma (γ) radiation. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising packaging of the kava product, wherein the packaging the kava product comprises an aseptic packaging. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprises: heating a kava product to a pasteurization temperature about 65° C. or higher at about 0.1 second or more; homogenizing the kava product and adding a processing aid comprising an enzyme;
 wherein the method is configured to stabilize the kava product against microbiological decomposition and prepare a shelf-stable kava product and reduce microbial count in order to improve safety and extend shelf life under refrigeration and/or at ambient temperature, without degradation of the kava product, wherein the kava product comprises kavalactones comprising two or more of kavain, methysticin, desmethoxyyangoninn, yangonin, dihydrokavain and dihydromethysticin. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising packaging of the kava product, wherein the packaging the kava product comprises an aseptic packaging. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the enzyme is encapsulated in a microsphere. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the kava product is heated at the pasteurization temperature in a range about 65° C. to about 135° C.