US-20260123640-A1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR STABILIZING EMULSIONS USING VITAMINS AND VITAMINS SALTS

Abstract

Compositions in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion composition include an oil phase that includes a flavorant; and a continuous aqueous phase that includes water, a preservative, and an emulsifying agent, and optionally an emulsifier adjuvant; wherein the preservative includes one or more vitamins and/or salts thereof.

Inventors

• Marcos A. OJEDA
• Marlene A. McGorrin
• Iain W.H. OSWALD
• Thomas J. Martin, Jr.
• Kevin A. KOBY

Assignees

• ABSTRAX TECH INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251105

Claims (20)

1. 1 . An oil-in-water emulsion composition comprises: an oil phase comprising: about 0.01 wt. % to about 30 wt. %, based on a total weight of the emulsion, of a flavorant; and optionally about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. % based on the total weight of the emulsion, of an emulsifier adjuvant; and a continuous aqueous phase comprising: about 0.01 wt. % to about 30 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of a preservative comprising one or more vitamins and salts thereof; about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of an emulsifying agent; and water.
2. 2 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous phase comprises about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of a preservative comprising one or more vitamins and salts thereof.
3. 3 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the vitamin comprises vitamin C, vitamin E, and derivatives thereof.
4. 4 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the vitamin comprises ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, ε-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol, β-tocotrienol, γ-tocotrienol, or δ-tocotrienol.
5. 5 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the vitamin salt comprises sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate, ascorbyl palmitate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.
6. 6 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the oil phase comprises about 0.01% to about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of a flavorant.
7. 7 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the flavorant comprises a hop oil, a cannabis oil, a hemp oil, a hop extract, a flavorant blend, a hop-derived flavorant compounds, a non-hop derived flavorant compounds, or a combination of any two or more thereof.
8. 8 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the flavorant comprises a terpene or a blend of terpenes.
9. 9 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the emulsifying agent comprises a phospholipid, potassium sorbate, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monopalmitate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan monostearate, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, monoglycerides, diglycerides, ethoxylated castor oil, albumin, alginates, casein, egg yolk, glycerol monostearate, or a combination of any two or more thereof.
10. 10 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the emulsifying agent comprises a sunflower lecithin.
11. 11 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 comprising about 0.01% to about 5 wt. % emulsifying agent based on the total weight of the emulsion.
12. 12 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the emulsifier adjuvant comprises citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, ascorbic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, or a salt thereof.
13. 13 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , comprising water in an amount corresponding to the balance of material in the oil-in-water emulsion composition.
14. 14 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the oil-in-water emulsion composition is substantially free of weighting agents and gum acacia.
15. 15 . An oil-in-water emulsion composition comprising: about 0.01 wt. % to about 8 wt. %, based on a total weight of the emulsion, of one or more vitamins; about 0.01 wt. % to about 8 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of one or more vitamin salts; about 0.5 wt. % to about 8 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of one or more flavorants; about 0.01 wt. % to about 5 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of a sunflower lecithin; and the balance being water.
16. 16 . The oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 15 , wherein the oil-in-water emulsion composition is substantially free of a weighting agent and gum acacia.
17. 17 . A product comprising the oil-in-water emulsion composition of claim 1 , wherein the product is an edible product, a flavor product, or an aroma product.
18. 18 . The product of claim 17 , wherein product is the edible product comprising a food or a beverage product.
19. 19 . The product of claim 18 , wherein the beverage product is a fermented beverage; optionally wherein the fermented beverage comprises kombucha, beer, wine, or cider.
20. 20 . A method comprising: providing an oil phase comprising a flavorant and optionally an emulsifier adjuvant; providing an aqueous phase comprising water, a preservative comprising a vitamin, and a salt thereof, an emulsifying agent, and optionally an emulsifier adjuvant; mixing the oil phase and the aqueous phase to obtain a pre-emulsion; and homogenizing the pre-emulsion to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion; optionally wherein the homogenizing comprises a multi-stage homogenization process.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/717,241, filed Nov. 6, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD The present invention generally relates to compositions and methods for preserving consumer products. In particular, the present invention relates to various compositions, products, and methods involving oil-in-water emulsions that provide improved preservation of foods, and beverages. BACKGROUND The following discussion is provided to aid the reader in understanding the disclosure and is not admitted to describe or constitute prior art thereto. Emulsifiers, hydrocolloids, and other stabilizers play particularly important roles in the manufacture and stability of beverages. These components are used to prevent separation, enhance flavor, texture, and appearance, ensure the consistent dispersion of flavors and aromas, and ensure the quality and stability of beverages during shelf-life. Flavors and sweeteners added to beverages can be first incorporated into an emulsion and then added to the beverage, to provide significant improvements in many of these beverage attributes. One of the primary challenges in the formulation of food products, especially those involving emulsions, is maintaining stability. Preservatives in the food industry prevent spoilage and extend shelf life by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. Products like lotions, creams, and serums, which are often emulsions, require stabilization and preservation to maintain their efficacy and safety. Emulsions-mixtures of oil and water, require stabilization to maintain their form, which is often achieved using synthetic preservatives. Emulsions are inherently unstable due to the natural tendency of oil and water to separate. Stabilizing these emulsions typically requires the use of emulsifiers and preservatives, many of which are synthetic. There is increasing demand for natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives due to their potential health risks. Traditional preservatives in the food and other consumer products industries primarily consist of synthetic chemicals that inhibit the growth of microorganisms and stabilize emulsions. These synthetic preservatives, while effective, pose potential health risks and have led to increased consumer demand for natural alternatives. Various attempts have been made to use natural substances as preservatives, such as essential oils and plant extracts, but these solutions often fall short in terms of effectiveness and stability. Therefore, there is a need for an approach to prepare stable emulsions without the need for synthetic preservatives, using safe, natural alternatives. SUMMARY According to a first aspect, an oil-in-water emulsion composition includes an oil phase that includes about 0.01 wt. % to about 30 wt. %, based on a total weight of the emulsion, of a flavorant; and optionally about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. % based on the total weight of the emulsion, of an emulsifier adjuvant; and a continuous aqueous phase which includes about 0.01 wt. % to about 30 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of a preservative comprising one or more vitamins and salts thereof; about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of an emulsifying agent; and water. In some embodiments, the oil-in-water emulsion composition includes an aqueous phase which includes about 0.001 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of a preservative comprising one or more vitamins and/or a salts thereof. Suitable vitamins and vitamin salts include ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), tocopherol (Vitamin E), vitamin A carotene, derivatives thereof and salts thereof. In some embodiments, the vitamin comprises vitamin C, vitamin E, and derivatives thereof. In some embodiments, the vitamin may be ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, ε-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol, β-tocotrienol, γ-tocotrienol, or δ-tocotrienol. In some embodiments, the vitamin salt may be sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate, ascorbyl palmitate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. In some embodiments, the oil-in-water emulsion composition comprises from about 0.001% to about 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of the total weight of the emulsion composition of the vitamin and/or a salt thereof. In some embodiments, the oil phase comprises about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, based on the total weight of the emulsion, of a flavorant. In some embodiments, the flavorant in the oil-in-water emulsion composition includes hop oil, cannabis oil, hemp oil, hop extract, carrier oil, flavorant blends, hop-derived flavorant compounds, non-hop derived flavorant compounds, or a combination of any two or more thereof. In some embodiments, the flavorant comprises one or more of terpene, terpene blends, thiol