Title of Invention

EDIBLE PRODUCT WITH MASKED BITTER, SOUR AND/OR ASTRINGENT TASTE .

Abstract The present invention relates 10 edible products with masked bitter, sour and/or astringent taste. The new products comprise a sweetening agent and from 0.2 to 25 % by weight plant sterol ester, wherein the amount of sweetening agem is reduced as compared to a regular product.
Full Text WO 2004/093571 PCT/F12004/000250
Edible product with masked bitter, sour and/or astringent taste
Field of Invention
The present invention concerns edible produces wherein, a bitter, sour and/or
5 astringent taste of the product is masked, and methods for masking a bitter, sour
and/or astringent taste of an edible product. The edible products also have a
reduced content of sweetening agents, and are healthier due to the added
ingredient.
Background of the Invention
10 Many food products and beverages have unpleasant, undesrred taste, which is
often mainly related to excess bitterness or sourness. Because the taste of the
product plays an essential role when determining the final acceptance by the
consumer, efforts have been made to mask or diminish the unpleasant taste.
Some examples of products that have unpleasant, bitter or sour taste are e.g.
15 beverages, such as fruit and vegetable juices, coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate
products, soy products and cereal products, especially soy and cereal based
drinks, fermented products, such as yoghurts and fermented soy products. The
unpleasant taste is often more pronounced in low viscosity products than in
products having higher viscosity. The products mentioned above are currently
20 consumed in increasing amounts.
Various methods have been used to mask the unpleasant taste. A commonly used
method is to mask the unpleasant taste by enhancing the sweetness of the
product. This is usually achieved by adding extra sugar or other sweetening
agents. In most cases, this imparts additional calories into the products and truly
25 low calorie products cannot be formulated by using this approach. Food industry
has currently put a lot of emphasis on developing products with low carbohydrate
content, especially with low sugar and other absorbable carbohydrate content.
These so called "low carb" or lowered GI (Glycemic Index) products are
marketed for e.g. weight control purposes. However, the need of masking the
30 bitter, astringent or sour taste also in these low carb products still remains, and it
has been done e.g. by using artificial sweetening agents. Although these low-
calorie or non-calorie artificial sweetening agents bring only few or not at all
extra calories to the product, some of them, e.g. saccharin and Acesulfame-K
have bitter off-taste themselves. In addition, there are many regulatory

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restrictions in usage of the above mentioned sweetening agents, e.g. their use is
allowed only in a limited range of products and in limited amounts. Also the
safety of some of these products is still under debate, and for example
consumption of aspartame should be avoided by phenylketonuric individuals.
5 The increasing number "low carb" products on the market may lead to increased
consumption of artificial sweetening agents and thus the accepted daily intake
limits of these sweetening agents are exceeded more easily. Truly low
carbohydrate or low sugar products with good taste characteristics and with no
increased amounts of artificial sweetening agents are thus not easily formulated.
10 The sugar most often used to mask undesired tastes is sucrose, and reducing the
amount of it is therefore the most preferred embodiment of the invention. Also
fructose and fructose syrups are very common and often preferred because of
their stronger relative sweetness compared to sucrose. In the past, fructose was
considered to be a better choice than sucrose or glucose, especially for people
15 having diabetes mellitus, because fructose digestion results in smaller
postprandial glycemic and insulin excursions than glucose. However, more
recently fructose has been found to be a contributor to many diseases, such as
manifestations of the insulin resistance syndrome, Fructose consumption induces
insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, hypertension
20 and hyperlipidemia, i.e. risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Consumption of
fructose is also likely to lead to increased energy intake, weight gain and obesity.
Thus added fructose is not recommended. Especially people with insulin
resistance or hyperlipidemia should not choose products sweetened with fructose.
(Elliot S.S. et al., Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 76 (2002) 911). Sugar alcohols have also
25 been used as sweetening agent, but their sweetness, and ability to mask undesired
tastes, is poor compared to fructose or sucrose based ingredients. In addition to
sugar and other sweetening agents, also other components have been used to
mask or reduce the unpleasant taste, e.g. different kind of aromas and also certain
lipid compounds or compositions containing lipids. Especially triglycerides, with
30 high content of saturated fatty acids, are known to be effective in masking
undesired taste in food products. This has been applied also in the so called "low
carb" products, where the reduction of sugar and other carbohydrate sweetening
agents has been compensated if not with artificial sweetening agents then e.g.
with higher content of triglyceride lipids compared to regular products. However,
35 triglycerides can have a negative effect on the nutritional characteristics of the
product. Lipids also impart extra calories to the product.

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The effect of plant sterols on the taste characteristics of food products has most
commonly been described either as adverse or having no effect. Examples of
regular products (as defined later) into which plant sterols have been added are
disclosed in the following patents and patent applications: US 6,087,353, WO
5 . 02/082929, DE 101 09 708, CN 1299619, DE 100 63 288, WO 00/41491, US
6,441,206, US 2002/0064548 and WO 01/54686.
US 6,087,353 discloses a composition that comprises one or more esterified and
subsequently hydrogenated phytosterols and is suitable for incorporation into
foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Also foods and beverages
10 comprising the composition are disclosed.
WO 02/082929 discloses food products comprising dietary fibre and plant sterol.
Food products, such as fermented yoghurt-like cereal products, fermented dairy
product, fruit drink, vanilla ice cream-type food and fruit musli containing
elevated levels of plant sterols and dietary fibre are disclosed.
15 DE 101 09 708 discloses a water-soluble active agent concentrate containing
phytosterol and an emulsifier such as polysorbate and a method of producing the
concentrate. Beverages containing the concentrate are also claimed.
CN 1299619 discloses a protein beverage comprising phytosterol aliphatic ester.
DE 100 63 288 discloses mixed fruit, vegetable, milk and/or wine beverage
20 containing up to 20 g/1 added phytosterols. The beverages are produced by
adding a solution containing phytosterols and an emulsifier to a base beverage
prepared from fruit, vegetables, milk or wine.
WO 00/41491 teaches that adding plant sterols into various milk or soy milk
based products resulted in products that had similar texture, appearance and
25 flavour or were substantially indistinguishable from the corresponding product
compositions without added plant sterols. Thus no changes or improvements in
the taste characteristics were noted.
US 6,441,206 discloses compositions that contain the hydroxyl acid or
dicarboxylic acid or amino acid esters of a phytosterol and /or phytostanol, or the
30 mixed esters formed with alcohols, polyols or polyol (C2-C22)-fatty acid esters
of dicarboxylic acids or hydroxyl acids or the (C2-C22)-fatty acid esters of
hydroxyl acids and dietary fats comprising these compositions. Adding the
compounds of the invention into chocolate flavoured truffles, mayonnaise,
alcoholic beverage or spread did not have adverse effect on the product's taste.

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US 2002/0064548 describes a method for dispersing plant sterol. The method
comprises steps of melting an admixture of plant sterol and an emulsifier, mixing
the molten mixture with an aqueous beverage or emulsifier-containing aqueous
beverage and stirring the mixture at a high speed to give a dispersion of plant
5 sterol in a beverage. In the beverages thus obtained plant sterols are in a form of
nano-sized micelles that have no influence on the characteristic taste and flavour
of the beverages.
WO 01/54686 describes how the bitter taste of L-arginine is reduced by coating
arginine with phytosterols. The bitter tasting component, L-arginine, is mixed
10 with the coating material (phytosterols) in a solvent system, such as hexane and
ethanol. Then the mixture is dried, e.g. spray dried, to obtain phytosterol-coated
L-arginine. The bitter, fishy unpleasant taste of L-arginine is diminished by this
technique.
Although the coating technique is effective in reducing the bitter or otherwise
15 unpleasant taste, one disadvantage is the need for extra processing, e.g. drying.
This makes the process both unsuitable for certain type of products and
expensive.
SU 635951 introduces a method to improve the taste of canned dietetic food
products containing beta-sitosterol. Taste is improved by reducing the amount of
20 beta-sitosterol in the product.
WO 02/065845 discloses a deodorization process and a phytosterol-containing
edible fat composition produced by the deodorization process. The phytosterol-
containing edible fat composition produced by this process has an improved taste
although it contains a sufficient amount of a phytosterol.
25 It is known that increasing the viscosity of the product decreases the intensity of
bitter and/or sour taste. However, many products are preferred to be consumed in
a liquid or low-viscosity form. There are not good methods for producing low-
viscosity, low-sugar and low-fat products where bitter and/or sour tastes are well
masked.
30 There is a growing need for healthy products with good taste and high nutritional
value.
Low-fat products with reduced unpleasant or too strong tastes, such as bitterness
or sourness, without increased sugar and/or calorie and/or artificial sweetening
agent content are needed. Especially products with low viscosity, such as

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beverages, with these characteristics would be desirable. The present invention
provides products meeting these requirements.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention provides edible products, containing an added healthy
5 ingredient, plant sterol ester. It is also possible to improve the nutritional
properties of the products by using this invention. The invention is directed in
particular to edible products containing an added healthy ingredient, plant sterol
ester, and having a reduced content of sugar or other sweetening agents that are
normally added for masking bitterness, sourness and/or astringent taste. The
10 invention is also particularly directed to edible products with masked bitter, sour
and/or astringent taste together with lowered content of sugar or other sweetening
agents.
It was found that by introducing plant sterol ester into an edible product, the
bitter, sour and/or astringent tastes that normally occur in many edible products,
15 could be masked by means of a reduced amount of sugar or other sweetening
agents as compared to corresponding regular products. Examples of this kind of
products include, but are not restricted to, soy and legume based products, cereal
products, especially soy and cereal based drinks, fruit and vegetable products,
beverages, such as fruit and vegetable juices, coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate
20 products and fermented products, such as yoghurts and fermented soy products.
The benefits of the present invention are especially pronounced in low viscosity
products. Particular edible products according to the invention are characterised
by what is stated in the independent product claims.
The present invention also provides a method for masking a bitter, sour and/or
25 astringent taste of an edible product by incorporating plant sterol ester into the
product.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is that it provides edible
products with reduced amount of added sugar or other sweetening ingredients
while keeping the unpleasant bitter, sour and/or astringent taste at a low level.
30 These products usually have lower calorie content than the regular products
where the unpleasant taste has been masked with extra sugar.
It is known that plant sterol ester has serum cholesterol level lowering effects. In
a preferred embodiment additional benefits of the edible product with acceptable

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taste include also health benefits, i.e. serum total and/or LDL cholesterol
lowering effects.
Definitions
As used here, "edible product" comprises all food products, nutraceuticals and
5 Pharmaceuticals wherein the basic products contain bitter, sour and/or astringent
tastes. Some of these tastes may be regarded unpleasant in certain products. The
food products are a preferred embodiment of the invention.
The food products comprise e.g. soy based products, cereal or grain based
products, fermented products, citrus or other fruit based products, berry products,
10 vegetable products, coffee, tea or cocoa based products, soups, drinks, meal
replacement products and/or any combination of them. Typical examples of these
food products include soy or cereal based drinks, desserts, ice creams or
yoghurts. Also different kind of fruit and vegetable juices, jams or thickened
juices are typical examples of the food products. The invention is especially
15 directed to all food products containing bitter, sour and/or astringent taste.
As used here the term "regular product" describes all food products,
nutraceuticals and Pharmaceuticals that contain bitter, sour and/or astringent
tastes and where a sweetening agent has been added in conventional amounts to
mask the bitter, sour and/or astringent tastes. As used here the term "sweetening
20 agent" includes compounds used to increase the sweetness of the product.
Sweetening agents include carbohydrate sweetening agents, i.e. sugars and other
carbohydrate sweetening agents, and non-carbohydrate sweetening agents. As
used here the term "sugar" refers to sucrose and the constituents of sucrose i.e.
glucose and/or fructose, sugar syrup, malt syrup, maple syrup, starch syrup,
25 glucose syrup, high-fructose syrups such as high-fructose corn syrup, honey,
molasses, and other carbohydrates that can be used as sweetening agents or a
source of these. The term "other carbohydrate sweetening agents" refers to e.g.
sugar alcohols, such as xylitol, maltitol, lactitol and sorbitol. Suitable examples
of the non-carbohydrate sweetening agents include e.g. aspartame, acesulfame-K,
30 saccharin, cyclamates and sucralose.
As used here, the term "plant sterol ester" refers to plant sterols having at least
60%, preferably at least 85%, most preferably at least 95% of the plant sterols in
esterifled form.

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In this invention the plant sterols are esterified with an organic acid and it is here
called "plant sterol ester". Examples of suitable organic acids are fatty acids
(2-24 carbon atoms, saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, including
also special fatty acids, such as conjugated fatty acids, e.g. CLA, and EPA and
5 DHA), hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids (ferrulic and coumaric
acids), di- and tricarboxylic acids and hydroxy acids, and any mixture of said
acids. Preferably the plant sterols are esterified with C4-C22 fatty acids, most
preferably with vegetable oil based fatty acids.
As used here, the term "plant sterol" includes both sterols and saturated sterols,
10 i.e. stanols. In this specification the sterols include 4-desmethyl sterols, 4-
rnonomethyl sterols and 4,4-dimethyl sterols (triterpene alcohols) and the stanols
include 4-desmethyl stanols, 4-monomethyl stanols and 4,4-dimethyl stanols.
Typical 4-desmethyl sterols are sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol,
brassicasterol, 22-dehydrobrassicasterol and A5-avenastero3. Typical 4,4-di-
15 methyl sterols are cycloartenol, 24-methylenecycloartenol and cyclobranol.
Typical stanols are sitostanol, campestanol and their 24-epimers, cycloartanol
and saturated forms obtained by saturation of e.g. triterpene alcohols
(cycloartenol, 24-methylenecycloartenol and cyclobranol). The term "plant
sterol" includes all possible mixtures of named sterols and/or stanols as well as
20 any individual sterol or stanol.
Stanol fatty acid ester and the effects thereof, as well as a suitable method for its
preparation, are disclosed in US Patent No. 6,174,560.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The various features and benefits of the present invention will be described in
25 greater detail in the following and in the examples. All percentages referred to in
this specification are given as % by weight.
It has now surprisingly been noticed that by adding plant sterol ester to an edible
product containing a sweetening agent, the amount of the sweetening agent can
be reduced while keeping the bitter, sour and/or astringent taste masked. This
30 means that the sweetening agent content of the final product can be reduced since
plant sterol ester masks the bitter, sour and/or astringent tastes of the product and
high amount of sweetening agent is not needed to improve the acceptance.
The primary object of the present invention is thus to provide certain edible
products with masked bitter, sour and/or astringent taste.

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Thus, the present invention provides an edible product comprising a sweetening
agent for masking a bitter, sour and/or astringent taste of the edible product, said
product additionally comprising from 0.2 to 25 % by weight plant sterol ester for
replacing part of the taste masking sweetening agent.
5 The present invention also provides an edible product comprising a sweetening
agent and from 0.2 to 25 % by weight plant sterol ester, wherein the amount of
sweetening agent is reduced as compared to a regular product.
Preferably the plant sterol ester is a plant sterol fatty acid ester. The fatty acid
ester is technically very suitable for incorporation into different food products.
10 Preferably the plant sterol in the plant sterol ester is a stanol because its
absorption is negligible and the use of stanol is therefore safer. In addition, the
physical properties of stanol are more suitable for this purpose, because the
stanol is saturated. Most preferred is therefore the plant stanol fatty acid ester for
use in food products according to the invention.
15 The level of plant sterol ester in the edible product is from 0.2 to 25 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-15 weight-% and more preferably 1.0-10 % by weight.
The level of the sweetening agent in the edible product is from 0.00005 to 30 %
by weight, preferably from 0.0003 to 20 % by weight, more preferably from
0.002 to 10 % by weight and most preferably from 0.01 to 7 % by weight
20 The sweetening agent can be a carbohydrate sweetening agent or a mixture of
carbohydrate sweetening agents or a non-carbohydrate sweetening agent or a
mixture of non-carbohydrate sweetening agents or a mixture of carbohydrate and
non-carbohydrate sweetening agents.
The amount of the carbohydrate sweetening agent in the product can be from 0.1
25 to 30 % by weight, preferably from 0.5 to 20 % by weight, more preferably from
1 to 10 % by weight and most preferably from 2 to 7 % by weight. The amount
of the non-carbohydrate sweetening agent in the product can be from 0.00005 to
0.08 % by weight, preferably from 0.0003 to 0.05 % by weight, more preferably
from 0.002 to 0.02 % by weight and most preferably from 0.01 to 0.02 % by
30 weight.
According to this invention the amount of the sweetening agent in the edible
product can be reduced by 5% to 99%, preferably by 10% to 75%, more
preferably by 10% to 50% and most preferably by 15% to 30% compared to a
regular product.

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A preferred embodiment of this invention is improving the taste in low-viscosity
edible products. The viscosity (Brookfield viscometer, share rate 21 per second
measured at the temperature of conventional use of the product in question) of
the edible product according to this invention is preferably 0.001 Pas to 2.0 Pas,
5 more preferably 0.002 Pas to 1.5 Pas, still more preferably 0.002 Pas to 1.0 Pas,
even more preferably 0.002 to 0.5 Pas and most preferably 0.004 Pas to 0.5 Pas.
By the use of the added ingredient, plant sterol ester, it is possible to improve the
nutritional properties of the edible product. Preferably the plant sterols are
esterified with fatty acids, most preferably fatty acids derived from vegetable oils
10 with high content of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus it is
also possible to improve the fatty acid profile of the edible product compared to
the regular products. A preferred embodiment of the invention is that when a part
of triglyceride fat is replaced with plant sterol ester, it is possible to improve or
retain the fatty acid composition of the edible product. This means that the
15 amount of saturated fat does not necessarily increase due to the added ingredient.
In addition, it is possible to reduce the amount of absorbable fat in the final
edible product if sterol ester replace triglyceride fat in the product. Moreover it is
possible to achieve lower absorbable fat content as compared to the similar
product where any of the triglyceride fat is not replaced with plant sterol ester.
20 The reason for this is that the sterol part of the plant sterol fatty acid ester is
virtually unabsorbable and does no increase the energy or absorbable fat content
of the edible product. This is particularly useful in so called "low carb" products
that often contain more absorbable fat than the comparable products having
higher amount of sweetening agents and other carbohydrates. Healthier "low
25 carb" products, with reduced amount of both sweetening agents and absorbable
fat can thus be formulated by using the plant sterol ester according to this
invention.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is that the products according to the
invention are also healthier since they are suitable for reducing serum total and/or
30 LDL cholesterol levels.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is that by using plant sterol ester in the
product, it is possible to achieve lower energy content because the amount of fat
and/or sweetening agent can be reduced without increasing the strength of bitter,
sour and/or astringent tastes and without reducing the sensed sweetness of the
35 product.

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A preferred embodiment of the invention is that better texture and mouthfeel
characteristics can be obtained in many applications by using the method of the
present invention compared to adding sugar or other sweetening agents.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is masking the bitter taste of certain
5 food products. Preferably the food products according the invention include soy
based products, cereal or grain based products, fermented products, citrus or
other fruit based products, berry products, vegetable products, coffee, tea or
cocoa based products, soups, drinks and meal replacement products and any
combination or source of them. Typical examples of these food products include
10 coffee, cocoa, tea and soy and cereal based drinks. Also different kinds of fruit
and vegetable juices, nectars, jams and thickened juices are typical examples of
the food products.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is masking the sour taste of certain food
products. Preferably the food products according the invention include soy based
15 products, cereal or grain based products, fermented products, citrus or other fruit
based products, berry products, vegetable products, soups, drinks and meal
replacement products and any combination or source of them. Typical examples
of these food products include soy or cereal based drinks, desserts, ice creams
and yoghurts. Also different kinds of fruit and vegetable juices, nectars, jams and
20 thickened juices are typical examples of the food products.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is masking the bitter, sour and/or
astringent taste of certain nutraceuticals and/or pharmaceuticals. Preferably the
nutraceuticals and/or pharmaceuticals include drinkable and low-viscosity
products. A typical example of a pharmaceutical according to the invention is a
25 liquid cough mixture, and an example on a nutraceuticai is a liquid plant extract.
In the preferred embodiments of the invention the amount of the sweetening
agent is reduced as compared to a regular product.
Therefore, another preferred embodiment of the invention is a cereal milk based
drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant
30 sterol ester and 0.5-8.0 % by weight, preferably 0.6-5.0 % by weight sugar and/or
other carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a cereal milk based drink
comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester

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and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more
preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a milk based cocoa drink
comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester
5 and 0.2-8.0 % by weight, preferably 0.2-5.0 % by weight sugar and/or other
carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a milk based cocoa drink
comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester
and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more
10 preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a milk based coffee drink
comprising 0.2-7.0 % by weight, preferably 0.2-5.0 % by weight, more
preferably 0.5-2.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0,1-6.5 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-5.5 % by weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening
15 agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a milk based coffee drink
comprising 0.2-7.0 % by weight, preferably 0.2-5.0 % by weight, more
preferably 0.5-2.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight,
preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight
20 non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a soy milk based drink
comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester
and 0.1-2.3 % by weight, preferably 0.2-2.0 % by weight, more preferably 0.3-
1.2 % by weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening agent.
25 Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a soy milk based drink
comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester
and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more
preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a soy based fruit and/or
30 flavoured drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight
plant sterol ester and 0.1-9.0 % by weight, preferably 0.2-7.0 % by weight, more
preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening
agent.

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Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a soy based fruit and/or
flavoured drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight
plant sterol ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by
weight, more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening
5 agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a soy based coffee or cocoa
drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight, more
preferably 0.5-2.5 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.1-5.5 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-4.5 % by weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening
10 agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a soy based coffee or cocoa
drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight, more
preferably 0.5-2.5 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight,
preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight
15 non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a whey based drink comprising
0.2-7.0 % by weight, preferably 0.2-5.0 % by weight, more preferably 0.5-3.0 %
by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-7.0 % by weight, preferably 1.0-6.0 % by
weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening agent.
20 Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a whey based drink comprising
0.2-7.0 % by weight, preferably 0.2-5.0 % by weight, more preferably 0.5-3.0 %
by weight plant sterol ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-
0.04 % by weight, more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate
sweetening agent.
25 Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a berry based drink comprising
0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-4.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-
19 % by weight, preferably 1.0-10 % by weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate
sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a berry based drink comprising
30 0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-4.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and
0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more preferably
0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a fruit juice based drink
comprising 0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-4.0 % by weight plant sterol

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ester and 0.1-7.5 % by weight, preferably 0.3-7.5 % by weight more, preferably
0.3-5.0 % by weight, and most preferably 0.3-4,0 % by weight sucrose.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a fruit juice based drink
comprising at least 50 % by weight, preferably at least 75 % by weight, more
5 preferably 100 % citrus fruit juice calculated on the amount of total fruit juice in
the product, 0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-4.0 % by weight plant sterol
ester and 0.2-7.5 % by weight, preferably 0.3-5.0 % by weight, more preferably
0.5-4.0 % by weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a fruit juice based drink
10 comprising 0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-4.0 % by weight plant sterol
ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.00005- 0.03 % by weight,
more preferably 0.0001-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a fermented milk product, such
as yoghurt or yoghurt drink, comprising 0.2-8.0 % by weight, preferably
15 0.3-6.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-6.0 % by weight, preferably
0.5-5.0 % by weight, most preferably 0.5-4.0 % by weight sugar and/or other
carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a fermented milk product, such
as yoghurt or yoghurt drink, comprising 0.2-8.0 % by weight, preferably
20 0.3-6.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.00005-0.08 % by weight, preferably
0,0003-0.05 % by weight, more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-
carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a cereal-based yoghurt-like
product comprising 0.2-12 % by weight, preferably 0.5-7.0 % by weight plant
25 sterol ester and 0.5-9.5 % by weight, preferably 1.0-8.0 % by weight sugar and/or
other carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a cereal based yoghurt-like
product comprising 0.2-12 % by weight, preferably 0.5-7.0 % by weight plant
sterol ester and 0.00005-0.08 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.05 % by weight,
30 more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a soy based yoghurt-like
product comprising 0.2-12 % by weight, preferably 0.5-7.0 % by weight plant
sterol ester and 0.5-9.0 % by weight, preferably 1.0-8.0 % by weight sugar and/or
other carbohydrate sweetening agent.

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
14
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a soy based yoghurt-like
product comprising 0.2-12 % by weight, preferably 0.5-7.0 % by weight plant
sterol ester and 0.00005-0.08 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.05 % by weight,
more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
5 Another preferred embodiment of the invention is an ice cream-like product
comprising 0.2-18 % by weight, preferably 0.5-12 % by weight plant sterol ester
and 0.5-7.0 % by weight, preferably 0.5-6.0 % by weight, more preferably
0.8-5.0 % by weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is an ice cream-like product
10 comprising 0.2-18 % by weight, preferably 0.5-12 % by weight plant sterol ester
and 0.00005-0.08 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.05 % by weight, more
preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a liquid meal replacement
product comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant
15 sterol ester and 0.5-6.5 % by weight, preferably 0.5-6.0 % by weight, more
preferably 0.8-5.0 % by weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening
agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a liquid meal replacement
product comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant
20 sterol ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight,
more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a tea based drink comprising
0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-4.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and
0.5-17 % by weight, preferably 1.3-12 % by weight, most preferably 2.0-8.0 %
25 by weight sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening agent.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is a tea based drink comprising
0.2-5 % by weight, preferably 0.3-4.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and
0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more preferably
0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
30 Still another object of the invention is to provide a method for masking a bitter,
sour and/or astringent taste of an edible product, said process comprising
incorporating into the edible product having a bitter, sour and/or astringent taste a
sweetening agent in an amount less than the one present in a regular product, and
plant sterol ester in an amount from 0.2 to 25 % by weight. The plant sterol ester

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
15
is incorporated into the edible product in any convenient way without separately
preparing a coating on the bitter, sour and/or astringent components of the
product. The plant sterol ester is incorporated into the edible product as a part of
the conventional processes used for producing the edible products, preferably is
5 added by using any known techniques for adding triglycerides into the edible
products. Neither does the method include using solvents or additional drying
steps because of the added plant sterol ester.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a method for preparing an
edible product with low carbohydrate content, said method comprising adding to
10 the edible product plant sterol ester in an amount from 0.2 to 25 % by weight and
a carbohydrate sweetening agent in an amount less than the one present in a
regular product. The plant sterol ester is added to the edible product in any
known way and the content of sugar and/or other carbohydrate sweetening
agent(s) in the edible product is reduced compared to a regular product.
15 A further aspect of the invention is the use of a plant sterol ester in an edible
product in an amount from 0.2 to 25 % by weight for replacing part of a
sweetening agent used in the edible product for masking a bitter, sour and/or
astringent taste of the product.
The edible product of the present invention may also comprise optional
20 ingredients such as stabilizers, emulsifiers, colouring agents and nutrients
(e.g. vitamins and/or minerals).
The following examples are presented only to further illustrate the invention and
are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the
claims.
25 Example 1
Sensory evaluation
It is well known that some triglycerides are added to certain food products to
improve the taste. However, increased amount of absorbable fat, especially
saturated fatty acids is an unwanted property when nutritional point of view is
30 considered.
The aim of the sensory evaluation test was to compare the efficiency of plant
sterol ester and vegetable oil in masking the intensity of bitter taste. The test was
done by using a trained taste panel that has a long experience in sensory

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
16
evaluation of food products. As plant sterol ester, plant stanol fatty acid ester and
as the vegetable oil, rapeseed oil were used.
The effects were studied by using following matrixes:
- Matrix I Rapeseed oil (8 %)
5 Guar gum (0.7 %)
- Matrix II Stanol fatty acid ester (8 %)
Guar gum (0.7 %)
Samples were made from above mentioned matrixes with the following different
amounts of caffeine: 0.02 %; 0.04 %; 0.06 %. Reference sample contained 0 %
10 of caffeine. Water was added up to 100 % and the components were mixed at
60 °C and homogenised.
Sensory evaluation was performed as a multiple comparing rest. In this test the
subject compared actual samples to the reference sample which did not contain
any caffeine. The temperature of the samples was 50 °C when they were
15 evaluated. 15 subjects evaluated the intensity of bitter taste as compared to the
reference sample. The scale used in this study was from 0 to 3 (0 = no difference,
1= weak difference, 2 = clear difference, 3 = strong difference). The results are
given as mean values in table 1.
Table 1

Taste/Matrix Caffeine concentration
0.02% 0.04% 0.06%
Intensity of bitter taste for
Matrix I 1.5 1.9 2.6
Intensity of bitter taste for
Matrix II 1.2 1.4 2.3
20
The results show that plant stanol fatty acid ester decreased the bitter taste of the
product as compared to the control sample containing the same amount of
rapeseed oil.
In this sensory evaluation it was surprisingly noticed that plant stanol ester was
25 more effective in masking the bitter taste than vegetable oil.

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
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Example 2
Sensory evaluation
It is well known that sugar is added to certain food products to mask bitter tastes.
However, increased amount of sugar is an unwanted property when nutritional
5 point of view is considered.
The aim of the sensory evaluation test was to study the efficiency of plant sterol
ester in masking the intensity of bitter taste as compared to the effect that can be
achieved with sugar. The test was done by using a trained taste panel that has a
long experience in sensory evaluation of food products.
10 The effects were studied by using the following samples:
- Sample I Soy milk (92.1 %)
Sucrose (7.8 %)
Caffeine (0.06 %)
- Sample II Soy milk (89.3 %)
15 Sucrose (6.6 %)
Stanol fatty acid ester (4.0 %)
Caffeine (0.06 %)
- Sample III Soy milk (90.4 %)
Sucrose (5.5 %)
20 Stanol fatty acid ester (4.0%)
Caffeine (0.06%)
The samples were made with suitable equipment by using heating and
homogenisation. Sensory evaluation was performed as a two-tailed paired test. In
this test the subjects compared samples II and III to the reference sample (I). 14
25 subjects evaluated the intensity of bitter taste as compared to the reference
sample and answered to the following questions;
a) Which one of the samples, I or II, is more bitter?
b) Which one of the samples, I or III, is more bitter?
The subjects did not detect any difference between the bitter taste of sample I and
30 sample II; neither between sample I and sample III.
In this sensory evaluation we showed that it is possible to reduce the amount of
sucrose up to 30 % when plant stanol ester is added into the product. The sensory

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
18
evaluation group was not able to detect the difference between the products
where bitter taste was masked with sucrose or where it was masked with plant
stanol ester.
Example 3
5 Sensory evaluation
It is well known that sugar is added to certain food products to mask sour tastes.
However, an increased amount of sugar is an unwanted property when
considering nutritional values.
The aim of the sensory evaluation test was to study the efficiency of plant sterol
10 ester in masking the intensity of sour taste as compared to the effect that can be
achieved with sugar. The test was done by using a trained taste panel that has a
long experience in sensory evaluation of food products.
The effects were studied by using following matrixes:
- Sample I Water (90.2%)
15 . Pectin (1.5%)
Sucrose (8.0%)
Citric acid (0.3%)
- Sample II Water (87.6%)
Pectin (1.5%)
20 Sucrose (6.6 %)
Stanol fatty acid ester (4.0 %)
Citric acid (0.3 %)
- Sample in Water (88.6 %)
Pectin (1.5%)
25 Sucrose (5.6%)
Stanol fatty acid ester (4.0 %)
Citric acid (0.3%)
The samples were made with suitable equipment by using heating and
homogenisation. Sensory evaluation was performed as a two-tailed paired test. In
30 this test the subjects compared samples II and III to the reference sample I. 15
subjects evaluated the intensity of sour taste as compared to the reference sample
and answered to the following questions:

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
19
a) Which one of the samples, I or II, is more sour?
b) Which one of the samples, I or III, is more sour?
The subjects did not detect any difference between the sour taste of sample I and
II; neither between sample I and III.
5 In this sensory evaluation we showed that it is possible to reduce the amount of
sucrose up to 30 % when plant stanol ester is added into the product. The sensory
evaluation group was not able to detect the difference between the products
where sour taste was masked with sucrose or where it was masked with plant
stanol ester.
10 Examples 4-22 illustrate food products where the amount of sweetening agent(s)
could be reduced due to an added ingredient according to the present invention,
Example 4
Soy milk drink
Fat free soy milk 93.3%
15 Plant stanol fatty acid ester 5.0 %
Sucrose 1.7 %
The soy milk drink contained 30 % less sucrose than a regular product.
Example 5
Soy based fruit drink
20 Water 82.1 %
Plant stanol fatty acid ester 3.0 %
Concentrated fruit juice, unsweetened 6.0 %
High fructose corn syrup 7.0 %
Soy protein isolate 1.8 %
25 Emulsifiers 0.1 %
The flavoured soy based drink contained 26 % less sweetening agent than a
regular product.

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
20
Example 6
Soy based coffee drink
Fat free soy milk 90.5%
Sucrose 5.0 %
5 Instant coffee 2.0 %
Plant stanol fatty acid ester 2.5 %
The soy milk coffee contained 16 % less sucrose than a regular product and the
bitter and astringent taste was masked as well as in a regular product, although
the amount of sucrose was reduced.
10 Example 7
Cocoa drink
Milk 91.9%
Sucrose 2.5 %
Plant sterol fatty acid ester 3.0 %
15 Cocoa 2.5 %
Emulsifiers . 0.1 %
The cocoa drink contained 50-75 % less sucrose than a regular product. The ratio
of sucrose and cocoa in a regular cocoa drink is from about 2:1 to about 4:1. In
the cocoa drink containing plant stanol fatty acid ester the sucrosexocoa ratio
20 was 1:1 and the amount of sucrose could be decreased by 50 % compared to the
regular products having the lowest sugar content without compromising the taste.
Example 8
Grapefruit juice
Grapefruit juice 98.3 %
25 Plant stanol fatty acid ester 1.0%
Pectin 0.7 %
Aspartame 0.02 %
The grapefruit juice contained 37 % less aspartame than a regular grapefruit juice
sweetened with aspartame.

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
21
Example 9
Cranberry juice
Cranberry juice 82.5 %
Sucrose 15.0%
5 Plant stanol fatty acid ester 1.8 %
Pectin 0.7 %
The cranberry juice contained 25 % less sucrose than a regular cranberry juice
and the sour taste was masked as well as in a regular product, although the
amount of sucrose was reduced.
10 Example 10
Orange juice
Orange juice 96.0 %
Plant stanol fatty acid ester 1.8 %
Emulsifier 0.1.%
15 Stabilizer 0.1 %
Sucrose 2.0 %
The orange juice contained 50 % less sucrose than a regular orange juice
sweetened with sucrose.
Example 11
20 Yoghurt drink
Pasteurized milk 86.8 %
Sucrose 6.0 %
Plant stanol fatty acid ester 1.0%
Fruit/berry juice concentrate (unsweetened) 6.0%
25 Stabilizers 0.2 %
Sodium citrate
The yoghurt drink was prepared by conventional yoghurt drink preparation
methods and fermented with Bifidobacteria culture. The amount of sweetening
agent (sucrose) was reduced by 20 % in the yoghurt drink containing plant stanol
30 fatty acid ester compared to a regular product sweetened with sucrose.

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
22
Example 12
Yoghurt-like product
Soy milk 75.5%
Strawberry jam 20.0 % (containing 35 % sucrose)
5 Plant sterol fatty acid ester 4.0 %
Pectin 0.5 %
The yoghurt was prepared by conventional soy yoghurt preparation methods and
fermented with Bifidobacteria culture. The strawberry jam, and thus the yoghurt
produced by using it, contained 26 % less sucrose than a regular product. The
10 bitter taste of the product was masked as well as in a regular product, although
the amount of sucrose was reduced.
Example 13
Yoghurt-like product
Oat milk 74.0 %
15 Strawberry jam 20.0 % (containing 37 % sucrose)
Plant stanol fatty acid ester 3.0 %
Oat bran 2.5%
Pectin 0.5 %
The yoghurt was prepared by conventional yoghurt preparation methods and
20 fermented with Bifidobacteria culture. The strawberry jam, and thus the oat milk
yoghurt produced by using it, contained 26 % less sucrose than a regular product.
Example 14
Ice cream-like product
Soy bean water extract 81.3 %
25 Sucrose 6.0 %
Plant stanol fatty acid ester 12.0 %
Vanilla flavor 0.2 %
Stabilizers (carrageenan, guar gum, xanthan gum) 0.5 %
The ice cream-like product contained 25 % less sucrose than a regular product.

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
23
Example 15
Liquid meal replacement product
Liquid meal replacement in a form of a ready to drink shake was prepared of the
following ingredients: soy milk, fruit juice (orange, banana, strawberry), plant
5 sterol fatty acid ester (4 %), sucrose (5 %), vitamins and minerals. The amount of
sucrose was 28 % lower than in a regular meal replacement product due to the
added ingredient according to the present invention. The bitter and astringent
taste of the product was masked as well as in a regular product, although the
amount of sucrose was reduced.
10 Example 16
Liquid meal replacement cocoa drink
Water 83.5 %
Cocoa 2.0 %
Soy protein 6.0 %
15 Plant stanol fatty acid ester 2.5 %
Guar Gum 2.0 %
Sucrose 4.0 %
The liquid meal replacement cocoa drink contained 50% less sucrose than a
regular product.
20 Example 17
Whey based drink
Whey 84.7 %
Sugar syrup 6.0 %
Plant sterol fatty acid ester 1.2 %
25 Fruit/berry juice concentrate (unsweetened) 8 %
Carrageenan 0.1 %
Sodium citrate
The amount of sucrose was reduced by 20 % in the whey based drink containing
plant sterol fatty acid ester compared to a regular product.

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
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Example 18
Yoghurt
Pasteurized milk 85.2 %
Sucrose 5.5 %
5 Plant stanol fatty acid ester 1.0%
Strawberry preparation (unsweetened) 8 %
Stabilizers 0.2 %
Sodium citrate
Color (anthocyanins)
10 The yoghurt was prepared by conventional yoghurt preparation methods and
fermented with Bifidobacteria culture. The amount of sucrose was reduced by
15 % in the yoghurt containing plant stanol fatty acid ester compared to a regular
product sweetened with sucrose. The sour taste of the product was masked as
well as in a regular product, although the amount of sucrose was reduced.
15 Example 19
Milk based coffee drink
Milk (1.5% fat) 89.1 %
Sucrose 6.0 %
Instant coffee 3.0 %
20 Plant stanol fatty acid ester 1.8 %
Emulsifier 0.1 %
Tricalcium citrate 0.015 %
The milk coffee contained 12 % less sucrose than a regular product and had the
bitter taste masked as well as in a regular product, although the amount of
25 sucrose was reduced.
Example 20
Tea drink
Tea based drink 88.8%
Plant stanol fatty acid ester 1.0 %
30 Emulsifier 0.1 %
Stabilizer 0.1 %
Sucrose 10.0 %

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
25
The tea drink contained 44 % less sucrose than a regular tea based drink
sweetened with sucrose.
Example 21
Yoghurt sweetened with a non-carbohydrate sweetening agent
5 Pasteurized skimmed milk 82.8 %
Plant stanol fatty acid ester 2.0 %
Strawberry preparation (unsweetened) 15 %
Stabilizers 0.2 %
Aspartame 0.02 %
10 Sodium citrate
Color (anthocyanins)
The yoghurt was prepared by conventional yoghurt preparation methods and
fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and
Streptococcus thermophilus culture. The amount of aspartame was reduced by
15 60 % in the yoghurt containing plant stanol fatty acid ester compared to a regular
product sweetened with aspartame. The sour taste was masked as well as in a
regular product sweetened with aspartame, although the amount of aspartame
was reduced.
Example 22
20 Liquid meal replacement product for people following a "low carb" diet
Liquid meal replacement in a form of a ready to drink shake was prepared of the
following ingredients: skimmed lactose free milk, milk caseinate (2%, containing
max 0.2 % lactose), cocoa powder (3 %), plant sterol fatty acid ester (2 %),
sucrose (1 %), guar gum (0.5 %), vitamins and minerals. The sucrose content was
25 reduced by 90 % compared to a regular meal replacement product due to the
added ingredient according to the present invention.

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
Claims
1. An edible product comprising a sweetening agent for masking a bitter, sour
and/or astringent taste of the edible product, said product additionally comprising
from 0.2 to 25 % by weight plant sterol ester for replacing part of the taste
5 masking sweetening agent.
2. An edible product comprising a sweetening agent and from 0.2 to 25 % by
weight plant sterol ester, wherein the amount of sweetening agent is reduced as
compared to a regular product.
3. The product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of plant sterol
10 ester in the product is from 0.5 to 15 % by weight, preferably from 1 to 10 % by
weight.
4. The product according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sweetening
agent comprises a carbohydrate sweetening agent, or a non-carbohydrate
sweetening agent or a mixture thereof.
15 5. The product according to claim 4, wherein the amount of carbohydrate
sweetening agent in the product is from 0.1 to 30 % by weight, preferably from
0.5 to 20 % by weight, more preferably from 1 to 10 % by weight and most
preferably from 2 to 7 % by weight, and wherein the amount of non-carbohydrate
sweetening agent in the product is from 0.00005 to 0.08 % by weight, preferably
20 from 0.0003 to 0.05 % by weight, more preferably from 0.002 to 0.02 % by
weight and most preferably from 0.01 to 0.02 % by weight.
6. The product according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the amount of
sweetening agent is reduced by 5 to 99 % by weight, preferably by 10 to 15 % by
weight, more preferably by 10 to 50 % by weight, and most preferably by 15 to
25 30 % by weight.
7. The product according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plant sterol
ester is sterol fatty acid ester.
8. The product according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the plant sterol
ester is plant stanol fatty acid ester.
30 9. The product according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the viscosity of
the product is 0.001 to 2.0 Pas, preferably 0.002 to 1.5 Pas, more preferably

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
27
0.002 to 1.0 Pas, still more preferably 0.002 to 0.5 Pas and most preferably 0.004
to 0.5 Pas.
10. A cereal milk based drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-
5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-8.0 % by weight, preferably 0.6-5.0 %
5 by weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
11. A milk based cocoa drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-
5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.2-8.0 % by weight, preferably 0.2-5.0 %
by weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
12. A milk based coffee drink comprising 0.2-7.0 % by weight, preferably 0.2-
10 5.0 % by weight, more preferably 0.5-2.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.1-
6.5 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.5 % by weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
13. A soy milk based drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-
5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.1-2.3 % by weight, preferably 0.2-2.0 %
by weight, more preferably 0.3-1.2 % by weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
15 14. A soy milk based, drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight, preferably 0.5-
5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably
0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-
carbohydrate sweetening agent.
15. A soy based fruit and/or flavoured drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight,
20 preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.1-9.0 % by weight,
preferably 0.2-7.0 % by weight, more preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight
carbohydrate sweetening agent.
16. A soy based fruit and/or flavoured drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight,
25 preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight
non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
17. A soy based coffee or cocoa drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight, more preferably 0.5-2.5 % by weight plant sterol
ester and 0.1-5.5 % by weight, preferably 0.5-4.5 % by weight carbohydrate
30 sweetening agent.
18. A soy based coffee or cocoa drink comprising 0.2-10 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight, more preferably 0.5-2.5 % by weight plant sterol

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
28
ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.04 % by weight, more
preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
19. A whey based drink comprising 0.2-7.0 % by weight, preferably 0.2-5.0 %
by weight, more preferably 0.5-3.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-7.0 %
5 by weight, preferably 1.0-6.0 % by weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
20. A berry based drink comprising 0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-4.0 %
by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-19 % by weight, preferably 1.0-10 % by
weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
21. A fruit juice based drink comprising 0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-
10 4.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.1-7.5 % by weight, preferably 0.3-7.5 %
by weight more, preferably 0.3-5.0 % by weight, and most preferably 0.3-4.0 %
by weight sucrose.
22. A fruit juice based drink comprising at least 50 % by weight, preferably at
least 75 % by weight, more preferably 100 % by weight citrus fruit juice
15 calculated on the amount of total fruit juice in the product, 0.2-5.0 % by weight,
preferably 0.3-4.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.2-7.5 % by weight,
preferably 0.3-5.0 % by weight, more preferably 0.5-4.0 % by weight
carbohydrate sweetening agent.
23. A fruit juice based drink comprising 0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-
20 4.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.00005-0.05 % by weight, preferably
0.00005- 0.03 % by weight, more preferably 0.0001-0.02 % by weight non-
carbohydrate sweetening agent.
24. A fermented milk product, such as yoghurt or yoghurt drink, comprising
0.2-8.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-6.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-
25 6.0 % by weight, preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight, most preferably 0.5-4.0 % by
weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
25. A fermented milk product, such as yoghurt or yoghurt drink, comprising
0.2-8.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-6.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and
0.00005-0.08 % by weight, preferably 0.0003-0.05 % by weight, more preferably
30 0.002-0.02 % by weight non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
26. A cereal-based yoghurt-like product comprising 0.2-12 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-7.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-9.5 % by weight,
preferably 1.0-8.0 % by weight carbohydrate sweetening agent,

WO 2004/093571 PCT/FI2004/000250
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27. A soy based yoghurt-like product comprising 0.2-12 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-7.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-9.0 % by weight,
preferably 1.0-8.0 % by weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
28. A soy based yoghurt-like product comprising 0.2-12 % by weight,
5 preferably 0.5-7.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.00005-0.08 % by weight,
preferably 0.0003-0.05 % by weight, more preferably 0.002-0.02 % by weight
non-carbohydrate sweetening agent.
29. An ice cream-like product comprising 0.2-18 % by weight, preferably 0.5-
12 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-7.0 % by weight, preferably 0.5-6.0 %
10 by weight, more preferably 0.8-5.0 % by weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
30. Liquid meal replacement product comprising 0.2-10 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-5.0 % by weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-6.5 % by weight,
preferably 0.5-6.0 % by weight, more preferably 0.8-5.0 % by weight
carbohydrate sweetening agent.
15 31. A tea based drink comprising 0.2-5.0 % by weight, preferably 0.3-4.0 % by
weight plant sterol ester and 0.5-17 % by weight, preferably 1,3-12 % by weight,
most preferably 2.0-8.0 % by weight carbohydrate sweetening agent.
32. A method for masking a bitter, sour and/or astringent taste of an edible
product comprising incorporating into the edible product having a bitter, sour
20 and/or astringent taste a sweetening agent in an amount less than the one present
in a regular product, and plant sterol ester in an amount from 0.2 to 25 % by
weight.
33. A method for preparing an edible product with low carbohydrate content
comprising adding to the edible product plant sterol ester in an amount from 0.2
25 to 25 % by weight and a carbohydrate sweetening agent in an amount less than
the one present in a regular product.
34. Use of a plant sterol ester in an edible product in an amount from 0.2 to
25 % by weight for replacing part of a sweetening agent used in the edible
product for masking a bitter, sour and/or astringent taste of the product.
30


The present invention relates 10 edible products with masked bitter, sour and/or astringent taste. The new products
comprise a sweetening agent and from 0.2 to 25 % by weight plant sterol ester, wherein the amount of sweetening agem is reduced
as compared to a regular product.

Documents:

02109-kolnp-2005-abstract.pdf

02109-kolnp-2005-claims.pdf

02109-kolnp-2005-description complete.pdf

02109-kolnp-2005-form 1.pdf

02109-kolnp-2005-form 3.pdf

02109-kolnp-2005-form 5.pdf

02109-kolnp-2005-international publication.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-CORRESPONDENCE 1.1.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-CORRESPONDENCE 1.2.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-FOR ALTERATION OF ENTRY.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-FORM 1-1.1.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-FORM 27 1.1.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-FORM 27.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-FORM-27.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-abstract.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-assignment.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-claims.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-correspondence.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-description (complete).pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-examination report.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-form 1.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-form 13.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-form 18.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-form 3.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-form 5.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-gpa.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

2109-kolnp-2005-granted-specification.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-OTHERS.pdf

2109-KOLNP-2005-PA.pdf


Patent Number 235683
Indian Patent Application Number 2109/KOLNP/2005
PG Journal Number 31/2009
Publication Date 31-Jul-2009
Grant Date 29-Jul-2009
Date of Filing 25-Oct-2005
Name of Patentee RAISIO BENECOL OY
Applicant Address P.O. BOX 101, FI-21201 RAISIO
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 HONKANEN, ANNINA LUMPARLANKATU 15 D 25, FI-21200, RAISIO
2 KUUSISTO, PAIVI MYLLYKIVENTIE 1 C 91. FI-21100, NAANTALI
3 LAHTINEN, RITVA TIMOTEINKUJA 3, FI-20240 TURKU
4 KOPONEN, LEENA METSAMAENKUJA 3, FI-20320 TURKU
PCT International Classification Number A23L 1/30
PCT International Application Number PCT/F12004/000250
PCT International Filing date 2004-04-22
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 20030610 2003-04-22 Finland