Beverage precursor and process for the manufacture thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a beverage precursor comprising tea material and food-grade additive, wherein the beverage precursor is present in an amount wherein contact of the beverage precursor with 250 ml water for 2 minutes at 90° C. produces a beverage comprising catechins in an amount of between 0.05% and 2% by weight of the beverage.

1 . A beverage precursor comprising tea material and food-grade additive, characterised in that the beverage precursor is present in an amount wherein contact of the beverage precursor with 250 ml water for 2 minutes at 90° C. produces a beverage comprising catechins in an amount of between 0.05% and 2% by weight of the beverage.  
   
   
       2 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the beverage precursor is present in an amount of from 0.5 to 5 g.  
   
   
       3 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the tea material is particulate.  
   
   
       4 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the tea material comprises green tea material.  
   
   
       5 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the tea material comprises catechins in an amount of between 10 and 90% by weight of the tea material.  
   
   
       6 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the tea material comprises caffeine in an amount of between 1 and 25% by weight of the tea material.  
   
   
       7 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the weight ratio of tea material to food-grade additive is from 1:2 to 100:1.  
   
   
       8 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the food-grade additive is particulate.  
   
   
       9 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the food-grade additive comprises saccharide, salt, sweetener, protein, milk powder, food acid, flavour or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       10 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 9  wherein the food-grade additive comprises flavour.  
   
   
       11 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 10  wherein the flavour comprises pineapple flavour.  
   
   
       12 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the beverage precursor is packaged.  
   
   
       13 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 12  wherein the package is an infusion package and the tea material comprises tea leaf and/or stem.  
   
   
       14 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 13  wherein the tea leaf and/or stem is green tea leaf and/or stem.  
   
   
       15 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 12  wherein the tea leaf and/or stem comprises catechins in an amount of at least 10% by weight of the leaf and/or stem.  
   
   
       16 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 15  wherein the tea leaf and/or stem comprises at least 90% by weight of material from  Camellia sinensis  var.  assamica.    
   
   
       17 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 12  wherein the tea leaf and/or stem has been macerated using a CTC process.  
   
   
       18 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 17  wherein the tea leaf and/or stem has been macerated with a combination of a rotorvane and CTC process.  
   
   
       19 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 18  wherein the tea leaf and/or stem has been macerated with a rotorvane followed by two passes through a CTC process.  
   
   
       20 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 12  wherein the tea material comprises tea leaf and/or stem in an amount of at least 90% by weight of the tea material.  
   
   
       21 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 12  wherein the tea material additionally comprises tea extract.  
   
   
       22 . A beverage precursor according to  claim 1  wherein the beverage produced by contacting the beverage precursor with 250 ml water for 2 minutes at 90° C., comprises caffeine in an amount of between 0.005 and 0.5% by weight of the beverage.  
   
   
       23 . A method of manufacturing a beverage comprising contacting a beverage precursor according to  claim 1  with an aqueous medium.  
   
   
       24 . A method of controlling the bodyweight and/or shape of an individual comprising the step of administering to the individual a beverage manufactured by the method of  claim 23 .  
   
   
       25 . Use of a beverage precursor according to  claim 1  for the management of the bodyweight and/or shape of an individual.  
   
   
       26 . A process for manufacturing a beverage precursor comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing fresh tea leaf and/or stem; then    b) heat-treating the fresh leaf and/or stem to arrest enzyme action; then    c) macerating the fresh leaf and/or stem with a rotorvane and at least one CTC process,; then    d) drying the macerated leaf and/or stem; then    e) optionally sorting the dried macerated leaf and/or stem according to particle size; and    f) combining the macerated leaf and/or stem with food-grade additive, preferably particulate food-grade additive.    
   
   
       27 . A process according to  claim 26  wherein the tea leaf and/or stem comprises at least 90% by weight of material from  Camellia sinensis  var.  assamica.    
   
   
       28 . A process according to  claim 26  wherein step (c) involves passing the fresh leaf and/or stem through the rotorvane to produce partially macerated leaf and/or stem and then passing the partially macerated leaf and/or stem through the at least one CTC process.  
   
   
       29 . A process according to  claim 28  wherein the at least one CTC process consists of two CTC processes.  
   
   
       30 . A process according to  claim 26  wherein the process comprises the additional step of packaging the beverage precursor, preferably in an infusion package.