# US 10,863,753 B2 · Iron-fortified tea preparations and methods of making same

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- Number: US 10,863,753 B2
- Document ID: US10863753B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/764,818
- Filed: 2016-09-30
- Published: 2018-10-04
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-01
- Assignees: The Governing Council of the University of Toronto
- Applicants: The Governing Council of the University of Toronto
- Inventors: Levente László Diosady; Veronica Paula Dueik
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863753B2

## CPC

- A23F 3/14: Tea preparations, e.g. using additives (flavouring A23F3/40)
- A23L 29/212: Starch; Modified starch; Starch derivatives, e.g. esters or ethers (containing starch hydrolysates, e.g. dextrin, A23L29/30)
- A23L 29/225: Farinaceous thickening agents other than isolated starch or derivatives
- A23L 29/238: from seeds, e.g. locust bean gum or guar gum (starch A23L29/212; pectin A23L29/231)
- A23L 29/262: Cellulose; Derivatives thereof, e.g. ethers
- A23L 33/16: Inorganic salts, minerals or trace elements
- A23L 33/165: Complexes or chelates
- A23P 10/30: Encapsulation of particles, e.g. foodstuff additives
- A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
- A23F: COFFEE; TEA; THEIR SUBSTITUTES; MANUFACTURE, PREPARATION, OR INFUSION THEREOF
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
- A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION

## Abstract

There is provided an iron-fortified tea preparation having dried tea; and a mixture of a chelator and iron adhered to the dried tea, optionally with an adhesive, the molar ratio of chelator:iron in the mixture being about 2:1 or greater. The iron-fortified tea preparation may be used to brew tea, may be mixed with unfortified tea prior to brewing, and may also be used as an additive to food or beverage products.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An iron-fortified tea preparation comprising:
dried tea; and
a mixture of a chelator and iron adhered to the dried tea, the molar ratio of chelator:iron in the mixture being about 2:1 or greater than 2:1, wherein the chelator is EDTA, EDDHA, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tea preparation of claim 1, wherein the mixture is adhered to the dried tea with an adhesive.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The tea preparation of claim 2, wherein the adhesive comprises a starch, a modified starch, a dextrin, a modified dextrin, a cellulose, a modified cellulose, sucrose, a stearine or a gum.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tea preparation of claim 1, wherein the mixture of the chelator and the iron is microencapsulated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The tea preparation of claim 4, wherein the mixture of the chelator and the iron is microencapsulated in a reverse enteric coat, an enzyme-responsive coat, a delayed release coat, a thermally-stable enteric coat, chitosan, pectin, cylcodextrin, dextran, guar gum, inulin, amylose or locust bean gum.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The tea preparation of claim 1, wherein the amount of iron present in the preparation is from about 0.1 mg iron per g of dried tea to about 20 mg iron per g of dried tea.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method of preparing an iron-fortified tea preparation of claim 1, the method comprising:
combining a chelator with an iron source in a molar ratio of about 2:1 or greater than 2:1 of chelator:iron to form a mixture of chelator and iron, wherein the chelator is EDTA, EDDHA, or a combination thereof; and
adhering the mixture of the chelator and the iron to dried tea to yield the iron-fortified tea preparation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the iron source comprises ferrous sulphate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous lactate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous citrate, ferrous succinate, ferric pyrophosphate, ferric orthophosphate, or iron EDTA.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the combining comprises dissolving the chelator in a solvent and subsequently mixing in the iron source.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises adding an adhesive to the mixture of the chelator and the iron prior to the adhering.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the adhesive is added at a concentration of about 0.5% (w/v) to about 25% (w/v).

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising microencapsulating the mixture of the chelator and the iron in a microencapsulating agent prior to adding the adhesive.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the microencapsulating agent forms a reverse enteric coat, an enzyme-responsive coat, a delayed release coat or a thermally-stable enteric coat.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising, drying the iron-fortified tea preparation following the adhering step.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The tea preparation of claim 1, wherein the mixture of the chelator and the iron further comprises a flavouring a colouring, a perfume, or an essential oil.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The tea preparation of claim 1, wherein the mixture of the chelator and the iron further comprises ascorbic acid.

### Claim 17 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising including a flavouring a colouring, a perfume, or an essential oil in the mixture of the chelator and the iron.

### Claim 18 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising including ascorbic acid in the mixture of the chelator and the iron.