Aseptic method of preparing fruit juice and non-fruit juice beverages to improve flavor profiles and retain organoleptic properties of fruit juice and non-fruit juice beverages

1. A method of preparing fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof that removes C. botulinum spores and retains the flavor of natural unprocessed ingredients, the method comprising heating the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof to a temperature of 63° C. to about 73° C. for about 1 to 2 minutes while filtering through two micro filters in series having a pore size of about 0.2 microns to remove C. botulinum spores and retain fresh flavor in the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof are heated to a temperature of about 73° C.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising aseptically packaging the filtered fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof into sterile containers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein before heating the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof to a temperature of 63° C. to about 73° C. while filtering through two micro filters in series, the liquid beverages are subjected to a pre-micro filtration process comprising:

filtering the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof through a first pre-micro filter having pores ranging from 0.6 to 2.0 microns to obtain a permeate;

filtering the permeate through a second pre-micro filter having pores ranging from 0.4 to about 0.7 microns; and

cooling the permeate to less than 5° C.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein before the pre-microfiltration process, the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof are subjected to a macro filtration process, the macro filtration process comprising:

filtering the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof prepared from fresh ingredients through a first macro filter having pores sized about 10 to 50 microns to obtain a first macro liquid beverage filtrate;

filtering the first macro liquid beverage filtrate through a second macro filter having pores sized about 1 to 5 microns to obtain a second macro liquid beverage filtrate; and

chilling the second macro liquid beverage filtrate to a temperature of less than 5° C.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the fruit and non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof do not include coconut water.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the fruit and non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof do not include coconut water.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein before heating the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof to a temperature of 63° C. to about 73° C. while filtering through two micro filters in series, the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof are subjected to a pre-micro filtration process comprising:

filtering the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof through a pre-micro filter having pores ranging from 0.45 to 0.8 microns; and

cooling the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof to less than 5° C.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein before the pre-microfiltration process, the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof are subjected to a macro filtration process, the macro filtration process comprising:

filtering the fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof obtained from fresh ingredients through a first macro filter having pores sized about 10 to 50 microns to obtain a first macro liquid beverage filtrate;

filtering the first macro liquid beverage filtrate through a second macro filter having pores sized about 1 to 5 microns to obtain a second macro liquid beverage filtrate; and

chilling the second macro liquid beverage filtrate to a temperature of less than 5° C.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the fruit and non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof do not include coconut water.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the fruit and non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof do not include coconut water.

12. Fruit or non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof obtained by the method of claim 1 .

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-fruit beverages are tea drinks.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the process provides the fruit and non-fruit beverages an extended shelf life as compared to fresh, unprocessed fruit and non-fruit beverages.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the process provides the fruit and non-fruit beverages an extended shelf life as compared to fruit and non-fruit beverages processed with non-thermal pasteurization processes.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the process provides the fruit and non-fruit beverages an extended shelf life as compared to fruit and non-fruit beverages processed using processes that do not deliver a commercially sterile product.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the fruit and non-fruit beverages or mixtures thereof do not include coconut water.