1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an acidulent comprising fumaric acid and dry natural juice solids which may be used in powdered soft drinks and desserts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Acidulents are known to be used in foodstuffs and in particular are used in dry powdered beverages and dry powdered desserts to provide tartness to the beverage or dessert. The primary acidulent used is citric acid, a natural acid, which while providing a good tart taste is an expensive acidulent.
Fumaric acid, also a natural acid which is less expensive and more potent for imparting certain acid tastes than citric, has been taught to be used as an acidulent in foodstuffs. For example see Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 3rd Edition, Vol. 14, 1981 p. 770 and in the Handbook of Food Additives (1972) Chapter 5, "Acidulents in Food Processing" by William Hollet Gardner, Ph.D., p. 232. As further described in the Handbook of Food Additives, (supra) p. 235, however, fumaric acid is shown to have much lower levels of solubility than citric acid especially in cold water. Furthermore it is known that fumaric acid is not wettable and accordingly when added to a water, floats on the top and is difficult to get into solution. Therefore, fumaric acid has not been employed as an acidulent even though it has a lower cost than citric acid and it may be employed at lower use levels.
Attempts have been made to increase the solubility of fumaric acid. For example in American Laboratory, Vol. 15(4) (1983) in an article entitled "Solubility of Fumaric Acid", pp. 88-89, by William Gasser and Rodrick Stingleman, it is taught to increase the solubility of fumaric acid in water by coating the fumaric acid with dialklyesthers of sodium sulfo-succinate; coating with hydroxycarboxylic acids of 2 to 12 carbon atoms; or combining fumaric acid with a surfactant.
Also in U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,986 it is disclosed that fumaric acid having a maximum particle size of about 75 microns and coated with between about 0.1% and about 1.0% of di(2-ethyl-hexyl)-sodium sulfosuccinate, rapidly increases its solubility in cold water.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,956 fumaric acid was dried with large amounts of acids (e.g. 25 to 75%) such as citric acid or smaller amounts of acids (e.g. 1% to 75%) in combination with 0.001% to about 0.7% of a film forming agent. The film forming agents are carbohydrates, water soluble gelatins, surfactants and dioctylsulfosuccinic acid and its salts.
In UK Patent Application GB No. 2 068 705 entitled Cold Water Soluble Fumaric Acid, fumaric acid is slurred with a low DE maltodextrin containing at least 75% by weight of polysaccharides above trisaccharide and the slurry is spray dried.
These attempts in the art to solve the problems associated with fumaric acid have resulted in combining a natural substance with an artificial substance and/or these solutions have not been entirely satisfactory in providing rapidly soluble fumaric acid.
Accordingly it is desired to find a method for increasing the wettability and solubility of fumaric acid in a cost effective manner and to do so without combining the fumaric acid with non-natural ingredients.