Process for producing tea concentrates
AssigneeLipton, division of Conopco, Inc.
InventorsSheetal Sharadkumar Mehta, Vijay Sukumar, Prakash Dattatraya Virkar
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Abstract
A process for preparing tea concentrates particularly those suitable for making cold soluble instant tea products. The process involves preparing an extract of tea leaves that contains insoluble tea solids and at least 5% soluble tea solids. The extract is treated with air or oxygen at a temperature between room temperature and 100 ° C. for 1 to 120 minutes; while cell wall material from a vegetable source is mixed with it prior to or after said treatment with said air or oxygen. The solubilised extract is filtered and concentrated to yield the tea concentrate.
Claims7
A process for preparing a cold water soluble black tea concentrate comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing an extract of black tea leaves that contains insoluble tea solids and at least 5% soluble tea solids;
- (b) treating said extract with air or oxygen at a temperature between room temperature and 100° C. for 1 to 120 minutes to give a solubilised extract;
- while cell wall material from a vegetable source is mixed therein prior to or after said treatment with said air or oxygen;
- and
- (c) filtering and concentrating the solubilised extract to yield the cold water soluble black tea concentrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.