Shelf stable liquid whitener and process of making thereof

A beverage comprising water, a beverage-forming component, a sufficient amount of whitening agent, and a stabilizing system, the stabilizing system comprising:

• a gum component in an amount sufficient to suspend the whitening agent both in a liquid whitening composition and in the beverage to which the liquid whitening composition is added;
• an emulsifying component in an amount sufficient to maintain emulsion stability of the whitening composition and emulsion stability of the whitening composition in the beverage;
• and
• a cellulose component including a blend of two different cellulose compounds in an amount sufficient to stabilize the liquid whitening composition and to provide stability to the whitening composition in the beverage, wherein:
• the stabilizing system maintains the liquid whitening composition in a homogeneous state for at least about 9 months at ambient temperatures,
• the stabilizing system provides for suspension and emulsion of the whitening composition in the aqueous media to provide whitening to the beverage,
• the cellulose component includes a mixture of microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose at a ratio of microcrystalline cellulose to carboxymethylcellulose of about 9:1 to about 10:1 by weight, and
• the gum component includes a mixture of kappa and iota carrageenan at a ratio of kappa to iota carrageenan of about 1:2 to about 1:6 by weight.

A process of preparing a whitening composition comprising:

• providing a whitening agent and stabilizing system components in powdered form;
• dissolving the whitening agent and components in hot water under agitation;
• adding a melted fat to the hot water to produce a mixture;
• sterilizing the mixture using ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment;
• homogenizing the mixture;
• and
• cooling the mixture under aseptic conditions to produce a shelf-stable, liquid whitening composition comprising a whitening agent and a stabilizing system, the stabilizing system comprising:
• a gum component, an emulsifying component, and a cellulose component including a blend of two different cellulose compounds, wherein:
• the stabilizing system maintains the liquid whitening composition in a homogeneous state for at least about 9 months at ambient temperatures,
• the stabilizing system provides for suspension and emulsion of the whitening composition in an aqueous media to which the whitening composition is added,
• the cellulose component includes a mixture of microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose at a ratio of microcrystalline cellulose to carboxymethylcellulose of about 9:1 to about 10:1 by weight, and
• the gum component includes a mixture of kappa and iota carrageenan at a ratio of kappa to iota carrageenan of about 1:2 to about 1:6 by weight.

A liquid whitening composition comprising:

• titanium dioxide having a particle size of about 0.1 to about 0.7 microns and present in an amount of about 0.05 to about 1 percent by weight of the whitening composition;
• a gum component comprising a mixture of kappa and iota carrageenan and present in an amount of about 0.005 to about 0.2 percent by weight of the whitening composition, with the weight to weight ratio of kappa to iota carrageenan being about 1:2 to about 1:6;
• and
• an emulsifying component comprising sodium caseinate in an amount of about 0.1 to 1.8 percent by weight of the whitening composition and a low molecular weight emulsifier in an amount of about 0.1 to about 1.0 percent by weight of the composition, wherein the low molecular weight emulsifier is a combination of monoglyceride and acid ester of the monoglyceride;
• and
• a cellulose component comprising a blend of microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose and present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 1 percent by weight of the composition, wherein a weight ratio of microcrystalline cellulose to carboxymethylcellulose is about 9:1 to about 10:1.