Enzymatic Fermentation Process
The present invention relates to a process of preparing a liquid foodstuff, comprising treating at least one juice and/or one extract having a Brix of more than 10°, with carbohydrate oxidase and catalase at a temperature between −10° C. and +15° C. to obtain a substrate mixture, and dispersing oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas in the substrate mixture, without keeping the pH>3.5 before or during the treatment by addition of buffering substances or basic substances, to obtain a liquid foodstuff, wherein the final pH is lower than 3.5; and wherein the flow rate of the gas is adjusted according to the following equation: (0.001/x) to (0.02/x) L gas/L substrate mixture/min, with x being the content of oxygen by volume in the gas.
1 . A process of preparing a liquid foodstuff, comprising:
treating at least one juice and/or one extract having a Brix of more than 10°, with carbohydrate oxidase and catalase at a temperature between −10° C. and +15° C. to obtain a substrate mixture, and
dispersing oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas in the substrate mixture, without keeping the pH>3.5 before or during the treatment by addition of buffering substances or basic substances;
to obtain a liquid foodstuff, wherein the final pH is lower than 3.5;
wherein the flow rate of the gas is adjusted according to the following equation:
(0.001/x) to (0.02/x) L gas/L substrate mixture/min,
with x being the content of oxygen by volume in the gas.
2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the juice and/or extract has a Brix of at least 30° and the flow rate is (0.001/x) to (0.005/x) L gas/L substrate mixture/min.
3 . The process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the carbohydrate oxidase is a glucose oxidase.
4 . The process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the juice and/or extract further comprises at least one functional compound selected from the group consisting of a stabilizer, a colorant, a sweetener, a thickener and a flavorant.
5 . The process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the mixture further comprises additional sugar, selected from the group consisting of maltose, lactose, glucose, hexose, a hydrolyzed saccharose concentrate, an invert sugar syrup, a glucose syrup, a natural fruit sugar from fruit juice and fruit juice concentrate.
6 . The process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the liquid foodstuff comprises an active starter culture.
7 . The process according to claim 1 characterized in that the liquid foodstuff is subsequently treated with an active starter culture for fermentation.
8 . The process according to claim 6 , characterized in that the active starter culture is selected from the group consisting of the family of Lactobacillacae, Bifodobacteriaceae, Acetobacteraceae, Rhizopus, Aspergillus , Candidia, Geotrichum, Penicillium and Saccharomyces.
9 . The process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the activity of carbohydrate oxidase is from 1 000 units/g to 50 000 units/g.
10 . The process according to claim 1 characterized in that the activity of catalase is from 10 000 units/g to 100 000 units/g.
11 . The process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the activity ratio of carbohydrate oxidase to catalase is from 1:1 to 1:100.
12 . A liquid foodstuff obtainable by the process according to claim 1 .
13 . A ready-to-drink composition, comprising a diluent and the liquid foodstuff according to claim 12 .
14 . The ready-to-drink composition according to claim 13 , further comprising at least one functional compound selected from the group of stabilizers, colorants, flavorants and acidifiers.
15 . Use of the liquid foodstuff of claim 12 for the preparation of a ready-to-drink composition.
16 . The process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the activity ratio of carbohydrate oxidase to catalase is from 1:100 to 1:20.