Patent ID: 8445044

Claim:
A method for preparing food and liquid thickener, the method comprising: a) pretreating mineral water; b) combining the pretreated mineral water with a food preservative to produce a first mixture, said food preservative comprising a salt of benzoic acid; c) heating the first mixture to a first temperature and then combining the heated mixture with a chelating agent to produce a second mixture, said chelating agent comprising sodium hexametaphosphate; d) combining the second mixture with a sequestering agent to form a third mixture and then maintaining the third mixture at a second temperature, said sequestering agent being present in an amount effective to lower water activity to below 0.75, said sequestering agent comprising EDTA; and e) adding a thickener selected from the group consisting of xanthan, Carrageenan, Guar Gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, modified food starch, and combinations thereof to the third mixture to create a fourth mixture.