Patent ID: 7842326

Claim:
A whey protein beverage comprising: 2.5% by weight to about 15% by weight whey protein, wherein said whey protein is unhydrolyzed whey protein that is essentially free of caseinate, fat, and lactose; about 0.1 volumes to about 4 volumes carbon dioxide gas per volume of said protein beverage; and a sufficient quantity of water as a vehicle; wherein said whey protein beverage composition is pasteurized and exhibits a pH of about 2.0 to about 5.5, and wherein both at the time of packaging of the whey protein beverage and during any subsequent storage without refrigeration for a time period of at least one year after packaging, substantial solubility of the whey protein is maintained in said protein beverage and said protein beverage is substantially free of pathogenic microbes without the addition of preservatives.