Method for storing a packaged liquid tea product

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for storing a packaged liquid product, wherein the liquid product comprises expressed tea juice and has a total tea solids content of at least 4% by weight of the liquid product, the method comprising storing the packaged liquid product for a storage period of at least two weeks wherein the packaged liquid tea product is not subjected to a temperature exceeding 37° C. for more than 10 days during the storage period.

1 . A method for storing a packaged liquid product, wherein the liquid product comprises expressed tea juice and has a total tea solids content of at least 4% by weight of the liquid product, the method comprising storing the packaged liquid product for a storage period of at least two weeks wherein the packaged liquid tea product is not subjected to a temperature exceeding 37° C. for more than 10 days during the storage period. 
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the packaged liquid tea product is not subjected to a temperature below 5° C. for more than 10 days during the storage period. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the packaged liquid tea product is not subjected to a temperature exceeding 30° C. for more than 10 days during the storage period. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the packaged liquid tea product is not subjected to a temperature exceeding 35° C. for more than 5 days during the storage period. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the packaged liquid tea product is not subjected to a temperature below 7° C. for more than 10 days during the storage period. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the packaged liquid tea product is not subjected to a temperature below 5° c. for more than 5 days during the storage period. 
     
     
         7 . the method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein about 75% to about 100% by weight of the total ea solids in the liquid product are provided by the expressed tea juice. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the package is selected from a sachet, a capsule, a carton and a bottle. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the package is a sachet formed from a plastic-foil laminate material. 
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein at the end of the storage period at least 95% of the total tea solids are soluble. 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at the end of the storage period the package is opened and the liquid product is contacted with a diluent liquid. 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 (i) expressing tea juice from fresh tea leaves; 
 (ii) forming an open package; 
 (iii) dosing a portion of the tea juice into the package; 
 (iv) sealing the package; and 
 (v) storing the packaged liquid product for the storage period 
 
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the tea juice and/or the packaged liquid product is subjected to a sanitisation step prior to storage. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the sanitisation step comprises heating the tea juice at a temperature of between 60 and 100° C. for a time period of between 1 and 20 minutes. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the tea juice has a pH of greater than 4.5.