Patent ID: 8399039

Claim:
A shelf-stable, liquid whitening composition comprising a whitening agent and a stabilizing system, the stabilizing system comprising: a gum component in an amount sufficient to suspend the whitening agent both in the liquid whitening composition and in an aqueous media to which the liquid whitening composition is added; an emulsifying component in an amount sufficient to maintain emulsion stability of the whitening composition and emulsion stability of the whitening composition in the aqueous media; and a cellulose component including a blend of two different cellulose compounds in an amount sufficient to stabilize the liquid whitening composition and to provide stability to the whitening composition in the aqueous media, wherein: the stabilizing system maintains the liquid whitening composition in a homogeneous state for at least about 9 months at ambient temperatures, the stabilizing system provides for suspension and emulsion of the whitening composition in the aqueous media, the cellulose component includes a mixture of microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose at a ratio of microcrystalline cellulose to carboxymethylcellulose of about 9:1 to about 10:1 by weight, and the gum component includes a mixture of kappa and iota carrageenan at a ratio of kappa to iota carrageenan of about 1:2 to about 1:6 by weight.