Patent ID: 7906160

Claim:
A protein beverage composition suitable for human consumption, comprising: about 2% by weight to about 15% by weight protein, wherein said protein is whey protein isolate that is essentially free of caseinate, fat, and lactose; about 4% alcohol by volume to about 15% alcohol by volume; and at least one additional ingredient selected from the group consisting of an anti-foaming agent, a nutrient, calcium or a calcium derivative, an herbal supplement, a concentrated plant extract, a flavoring agent, a sweetener, and a coloring agent; wherein said protein beverage composition exhibits a pH ranging from about 2.0 to about 3.4, and has a caloric density of less than 0.5 kilocalories per milliliter, wherein both, at the time of packaging of the protein beverage and during subsequent storage without refrigeration for a time period of at least one year after packaging, substantial solubility of the protein is maintained in the beverage composition, and said protein beverage is essentially free of active microbes known to be harmful to human health without thermal processing of the protein beverage to inactivate microbes; and wherein said essentially free from active microbe condition is created by the inactivation of microbes by carbonation, aseptic packaging, ozonation, radiation, ultra violet light, membrane permeation, pulsed electric field, or a combination thereof.