Patent EA-001655-B1 (EA)
Title: Sweet-stable soft drinks, concentrates, syrups with dipepthide sweetener and fructan and method of maintaining their sweetening power
Inventor: ADMIRAL ALIDA GEERTRUIDA MARIA
IPC: A23L27/30
Filed: 1997-11-04
Abstract: 1. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups sweetened with a dipeptide sweetener, for example aspartame, and containing a fructosyl saccharide, characterized in that (a) the fructosyl saccharide is a fructan, with (1) the fructosyl units being linked mainly via a ss-2,1 bond;  (2) the chain length of the fructan being in the range from 3 to 100 units; and (3) the modal and the mean chain length each being at least 4.75; and (b) the pH of the soft drink, concentrate or syrup is in the range from approximately 2.5 to approximately 4.0. 2. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to Claim 1, characterized in that the chain length range in the fructan is at least 10. 3. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to one of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that at least 90% of the bonds in the fructan are of the ss-2,1 type and the chain length of the fructan is in the range from 3 to 60 units. 4. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to one of Claims 1-3, characterized in that a terminal glucose unit occurs in at least 80% of the chains of the fructan. 5. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to one of Claims 1-4, characterized in that the degree of branching of the chains in the fructan is less than 10% of the number of fructose units in the main chain. 6. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to one of Claims 1-5, characterized in that the fructan is inulin. 7. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to Claim 6, characterized in that the fructan is inulin from chicory. 8. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to one of Claims 1-7, characterized in that the dipeptide sweetener is aspartame. 9. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to one of Claims 1-8, characterized in that the weight ratio between the dipeptide sweetener and the fructan is in the range from approximately 1:20 to approximately 1:300. 10. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to Claim 9, characterized in that the weight ratio between the dipeptide sweetener and the fructan is in the range from approximately 1:30 to approximately 1:150.  11. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups according to one of Claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the weight ratio between the dipeptide sweetener and the fructan is in the range from approximately 1:40 to approximately 1:100. 12. Method of maintaining the sweetening power of soft drinks, concentrates or syrups sweetened with a dipeptide sweetener, during storage, characterized in that before the products are put into storage (a) a fructosyl saccharide which is a fructan in which (1) the fructosyl units are linked mainly via a ss-2,1 bond; 2) the chain length of the fructan is in the range from 3 to 100 units; and  3) the modal and the mean chain length is each at least 4.75, is added to the soft drinks, concentrates or syrups sweetened with a dipeptide sweetener; and if necessary  (b) the pH of the soft drink, concentrate or syrup is adjusted to a value in the range from approximately 2.5 to approximately 4.0 13. Method according to Claim 12, characterized in that the chain length range in the fructan is at least 10. 14. Method according to one of Claims 12 and 13, characterized in that at least 90% of the bonds in the fructan are of the t3-2,1 type and the chain length of the fructan is in the range from 3 to 60 units. 15. Method according to one of Claims 12-14, characterized in that a terminal glucose unit occurs in at least 80% of the chains of the fructan. 16. Method according to one of Claims 12-15, characterized in that the degree of branching of the chains in the fructan is less than 10% of the number of fructose units in the main chain. 17. Method according to one of Claims 12-16, characterized in that the fructan is inulin. 18. Method according to Claim 17, characterized in that the fructan is inulin from chicory. 19. Method according to one of Claims 12-18, characterized in that the dipeptide sweetener is aspartame. 20. Method according to one of Claims 12-19, characterized in that the weight ratio between the dipeptide sweetener and the fructan is in the range from approximately 1:20 to approximately 1:300. 21. Method according to Claim 20, characterized in that the weight ratio between the dipeptide sweetener and the fructan is in the range from approximately 1:30 to approximately 1:150. 22. Method according to one of Claims 20 and 21, characterized in that the weight ratio between the dipeptide sweetener and the fructan is in the range from approximately 1:40 to approximately 1:100. 23. Soft drinks, concentrates and syrups as principally described in the description and examples, and also methods of maintaining the sweetening power of soft drinks, concentrates and syrups sweetened with dipeptide sweetener, during storage, as principally described in the description and examples.