Mineral fortification systems

• US 7,279,187 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Mehansho, Haile, Weaver, Kerry Lloyd, Nunes, Raul Victorino, Miller, Christopher Miles, Daniels, Jacqueline Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): HEGGESTAD, HELEN F
• Application Number:
  US10/367,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20040161504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 426/72, 426/73, 426/74, 426/106, 426/112, 426/66
• US Class Current: 426/74
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/52 Adding ingredients adding preservatives A23L2/44
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/15 Vitamins
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/16 Inorganic salts, minerals or trace elements
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/68 by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water medicinal water A61K

Abstract

A mineral-fortification system that has a bottle cap, a pouch and a pouch opener. A powder is contained within the pouch, and the powder contains at least one mineral and a redox modulating compound. When the cap is secured onto the opening of a bottle containing a liquid and when the pouch opener is activated, the powder is released from the pouch and mixes with the liquid to form a mineral fortified liquid composition that is fortified with at least one mineral and has a pH between about 2.5 and 9.5. Moreover, the mineral fortified liquid composition has a redox potential that satisfies the following equation:
0≧RP−(A−B*pH).

In this equation RP is the redox potential in millivolts of the mineral-containing liquid composition, pH is the pH of the mineral-containing liquid composition, A is 400 and B is 20. The mineral is preferably selected from calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, magnesium, and mixtures of these. Moreover, the mineral-fortified liquid composition may preferably be substantially free of flavor or sweetener compounds. Even more preferably, the liquid composition has no metallic taste or after-taste, a Hunter colorimetric “b” reading of less than 5.0, and an NTU turbidity value of less than 5.0. The mineral-fortified liquid composition may optionally contain other nutrients and vitamins, for example, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, niacin, thiamin, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, vitamin B 12, folic acid, selenium, pantathonic acid, and iodine.

Claims

1. A mineral-fortification system comprising:

a) a bottle cap comprising a pouch and a pouch opener,

b) a powder contained within the pouch, the powder comprising at least one mineral and a redox modulating compound; and

wherein when the cap is secured onto the opening of a bottle containing a liquid and when the pouch opener is activated, the powder is released from the pouch and mixes with the liquid to form a mineral fortified liquid composition that is fortified with the at least one mineral and has a pH between about 2.5 and 9.5, is substantially free of a flavor or sweetener compound, is not significantly different from water in metallic taste or after-taste, and the mineral fortified liquid composition has a redox potential that satisfies the following equation;

0≧

RP−

(A−

B*pH)

wherein RB is the measured redox potential in millivolts of the mineral fortified liquid composition, pH is the pH of the mineral fortified liquid composition, A is 400 and B is 20.

2. The mineral-fortification system of claim 1, wherein the mineral is selected from the group consisting of calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, magnesium, and mixtures thereof.

3. The mineral-fortification system of claim 1, wherein A is 380 and B is 18.

4. The mineral-fortification system of claim 1, further comprising a container containing a liquid.

5. The mineral-fortification system of claim 4, wherein the liquid contained within the bottle comprises less than 3 ppm oxygen.

6. The mineral-fortification system of claim 4, wherein the liquid comprises at least about 90%, by weight, water.

7. The mineral-fortification system of claim 4, wherein the liquid further comprises a redox potential lowering agent.

8. The mineral-fortification system of claim 4, wherein the liquid further comprises less than about 3 ppm dissolved oxygen gas, and is substantially free of a redox potential increasing agent selected from an oxoanion salt, a halide gas, nitrates and minerals such as manganese in oxidized state.

9. The mineral-fortification system of claim 4, wherein the container is an oxygen-barrier package.

10. The mineral-fortification system of claim 9 wherein said container is a bottle.

11. The mineral-fortification system of claim 1 wherein the mineral fortified liquid composition has:

a Hunter colorimetric “

b”

reading of less than 5.0, and

an NTU turbidity value of less than 5.0.

12. The mineral-fortification system of claim 1 wherein the mineral is a water-dispersible compound having a dispersed particle size of less than about 100 nanometers.

13. The mineral-fortification system of claim 1, wherein the pouch opener comprises a blade that cuts into and opens the pouch when the cap is twisted onto a bottle.

14. The mineral-fortification system of claim 13, wherein the cap further comprises a removable retaining ring that protects the pouch from being opened prematurely.

15. The mineral-fortification system of claim 1, wherein the pouch opener comprises a plunger that opens the poach when it is pressed down and through the pouch.

16. The mineral-fortification system of claim 15, wherein the cap further comprises a removable retaining ring that protects the pouch from being opened prematurely.

17. The mineral-fortification system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the minerals is an iron compound selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble iron compound, a water-dispersible particulate iron compound, and mixtures thereof.

18. The mineral-fortification system of claim 17, further comprising at least 2 ppm of a zinc compound selected from the group consisting of a complexed zinc compound, a chelated zinc compound, and an encapsulated zinc compound, and mixtures thereof.

19. The mineral fortification system of claim 17 wherein said iron compound is selected from the group consisting of a complexed iron compound, a chelated iron compound, an encapsulated iron compound, and mixtures thereof.

20. The mineral-fortification system of claim 1, wherein the powder further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, niacin, thiamin, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, vitamin B 12, folic acid, selenium, pantathonic acid, iodine and mixtures thereof.