Dairy beverage and method of preparation thereof

#The present invention relates to food products and their methods of preparation. More particularly, the present invention relates to fermented milk based nutritionally fortified beverages and to their methods of preparation.

#There have been many efforts in the art to develop dairy beverages, particularly nutritionally fortified dairy beverages. The middle-aged and older consumer finds dairy beverages appealing as a result of a desire to manage weight, improve physical performance and overall health. Likewise, ready-to drink flavored dairy beverages have a great deal of appeal to the child consumer. Additionally, the convenience offered by beverages is especially appealing for consumers who do not have the time or desire to consume a conventional meal. Many consumers view dairy and dairy-alternative beverages as an ideal meal replacement. To serve as a convenient dairy beverage, a product should be a portable ready-to-drink food product which requires no cooking or preparation, no application of additional ingredients, and so forth. Ideally a convenient dairy beverage does not require the use of utensils such that it can be consumed in nearly any location at any time, including while driving, traveling on an airplane, walking, and so forth.

#Some of the most popular dairy beverages are refrigerated ready-to-drink yogurt products that are packaged in disposable packaging materials. While containing live and active yogurt cultures, such refrigerated yogurt beverage products are not strongly nutritionally fortified; i.e., lack sufficient fortification to be considered full meal replacement foods. Specifically, many beverages lack adequate protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber and so forth to be considered a meal replacement due in part to the difficulty of fortifying a yogurt product without creating off-flavors and destabilizing the product.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic process flow diagram illustrating the method of preparation of the present invention.

#This invention relates to a method for the production of an acidified nutritionally fortified cultured dairy beverage containing live and active cultures. The invention also relates to the acidified dairy beverage thus produced. Each of the preparation steps as well as product components, product use and attributes are described in detail below.

#The present invention can, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced herein.

#Throughout the specification and claims, percentages are by weight and temperatures in degrees Celsius unless otherwise indicated.