Beverage Creation

April 1994 -- Design Elements

By: Lucy Saunders

Contributing Editor

Of America's best-selling grocery products, four of the top 10 are beverages: soft drinks, juices, milk products
and beer. The ever-popular drinks category still generates interesting new concepts, such as New Age drinks.
Despite the proliferation of potables, making a beverage goes beyond pouring some ingredients together and
mixing them up. Concept definition, ingredient selection, intensive formula testing, processing and bottling are
key to quality and stable shelf life, which lead to a steady stream of sales.

Concept connection

A beverage concept is defined in terms of who the drinker is, and why the drinker must have a particular
product. Nutraceutical or meal-replacement beverages, soft drinks, New Age beverages, juices and fruity blends,
sports/performance beverages, flavored coffees/teas and dairy drinks appeal to different niches and satisfy a wide
variety of thirsts.

"Drinkability" is another concept definition component that is important as a predictor of product success in the
marketplace. It is, however, an elusive quality that can change according to the targeted consumer. For example,
nutraceutical or meal-replacement beverages should be palatable to someone on a liquid diet, but not necessarily
as pleasurable as a sugar-laden, fruit-flavored tea aimed at younger consumers.

Given the rapidly shifting demographics of the United States, look for more innovations in beverages to suit the
aging population. Improvements in formulating fiber and vitamins into nutraceutical or meal-replacement
beverages will be satisfying to the mature palate, as well as fulfilling minimum daily nutritional requirements.

Whether alcohol is present in a beverage is a key factor for a drink concept. Alcohol affects flavor and aroma,
so designers must adjust beverage formulations accordingly. Alcohol also affects processing, as Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) regulations must be satisfied. Thus, the realm of a drink can be divided
into alcohol-based beverages and non-alcoholic beverages.

"With alcohol-based beverages, different states require different proof levels for product distribution," says
David Dafoe, president of Pro-Liquitech, a Louisville, KY-based consulting firm. "The manufacturer should
adjust the formula according to geographic area, as well as demographics."

Complications such as these make introduction of a new alcohol-based drink into an enormous challenge; one
that will be discussed in more detail later in this feature.

Basic ingredients

As the beverage concept is defined, an ingredient list will suggest itself.

"Even if the marketing department says only 'cool fruit' and 'refreshing,' those clues point to citrus flavors and a
quenching quality," says Dafoe. "In fact, the first and most quenching ingredient of a refreshment is water."

Water is the source from which almost all beverages spring, constituting 75 to 99% of many beverages' total
volume. Water is ideal as a medium to carry flavors and particulates -- both desirable and undesirable. Many
municipal water supplies are increasingly compromised by unwanted chemicals, bacteria and other
contaminants. The initial water quality can directly affect the beverage's final shelf life because preservatives
will not work effectively if the water in a formula already contains wild yeasts or acid-tolerant bacteria.
 Because water purity is so vital, a water purification system is essential to beverage processing. A two-stage
purification system is most effective. Reaction treatment removes metals and most chemicals and
microorganisms, while activated carbon filters remove other particulates.

The appeal of sweetness

After water, the most common ingredients in beverages are sweeteners. Carbohydrate sweeteners -- such as
sucrose, glucose, dextrose and fructose, especially high-fructose corn syrup -- are widely employed in beverage
processing. (Sorbitol, though a carbohydrate sweetener, is not used as widely due to its possible gastrointestinal
effects at the relatively high sweetener use levels in beverages.)

In addition to sweetness, carbohydrate sweeteners offer many advantages. They provide calories for energy,
viscosity for mouthfeel and inhibit some forms of microbial activity. At certain concentrations, however, they
may contribute significantly to the product cost in some regions. For this reason, many beverage makers are
experimenting with blends of carbohydrate sweeteners and intense sweeteners.

"We've done a lot of beverage work recently in the area of partial substitution of dextrose, sucrose and high-
fructose corn syrup," explains Susan Milovanovic, technical services specialist for The NutraSweet Co.,
Deerfield, IL. "Beverage companies are pursuing this strategy partly for economic reasons, and partly to explore
and develop new consumer propositions."

High-intensity sweeteners offer other advantages as well. For example, aspartame is a natural companion to
juice-based beverages because it can enhance fruit flavors and increase the perception of sweetness. High-
intensity sweeteners, though, present formulation challenges of their own. For instance, the solubility of
aspartame increases as the pH in a beverage is lowered. At the same time, the lower pH also can reduce the
storage stability of aspartame. Thus, it is a delicate balance for beverage processors to strike.

"Knowing the length of shelf life required, and the possible range of storage and distribution conditions, the
supplier can adjust the amount of aspartame for optimum stability and flavor," notes Milovanovic. "Even an
adjustment in the pH from 2.9 to 3.1 might result in an additional shelf life of several weeks, and can be done in
such a way that it does not impact the integrity of the beverage."

Even balancing flavors with sugar-sweetened beverages can be a demanding task. Frank Tangel Jr., Ph.D., vice
president and director of technical flavor applications for Hagelin & Co. in Branchburg, NJ, says, "In developing
cola flavors, one has to be careful with the level of sweetener and the level of caramel color."

He also notes that pure sugar is demanded in beverages created for Russian and South American markets.
Consumers there will often shun beverages made with U.S. staples like high-fructose corn syrup.

Flavoring agents

Flavor trends can be fickle. After steady growth for years, cola flavors are taking a back seat to fruit flavors.
From guava to ginger, cinnamon to cassis, the trend toward sophisticated combinations of flavors spirals upward,
limited only by the creativity of the blender...and the practical dictates of the product designer.

Juices and juice blends contain natural fruit juices, whether pure or from concentrate. Increasingly, pure juices
are given a flavor boost with natural extracts and flavors. Artificial flavors are not used to the same degree as
they once were, due to the better quality and selection in natural flavors.

Carl Arvold, president of AVRI, the Richmond, CA-based U.S. arm of Ogawa Flavors, says, "Beverage flavors
are produced by many different means of extraction -- from super-critical carbon dioxide methodologies to
conventional extraction. Flavors are fairly stable ingredients, and can be treated as any normal fluid ingredient in
processing. We recommend a temperature of 15 degrees Celcius for storage and shipping."

New technologies to extract citrus flavors are resulting in extremely stable products that are helping improve
quality and shelf life.
 "So far, this new breed of citrus seems to be working well," comments Dafoe.

Scott Mortenson, beverage marketing director for Cincinnati-based Tastemaker, believes the biggest trend is in
the herbal and botanicals arena, though tangerine and lemon are still very strong among the various citrus
flavors.

Flavors are perhaps the ingredients most susceptible to last-minute changes in the formulation and launching of
a new beverage product.

"It is not uncommon to experiment with flavors right up until the time of market distribution," says Dafoe.
"With the range of flavors available, it is possible to create unique combinations -- but in that unique blend, there
has to be at least one flavor a consumer could readily identify."

Though quite stable before mixing, flavors can be affected by many other ingredients after blending into the
beverage, as well as storage and handling. Dafoe recommends beginning shelf-life testing concurrent with taste
testing.

"After a prototype is blended and tasted, the batch should be bottled and stored under several different
conditions: closed case, high and low temperatures, and exposure to UV in direct sunlight" he says. "Over time
and in this range of conditions, a flavor might fade, so the beverage formulator must fine-tune the beverage's
flavors to make the product more shelf stable."

With the incredible range of flavors available, many beverage companies are turning to firms that also offer
applications laboratories for product development assistance. Flavor houses frequently do applications
development for clients.

"With some of the New Age beverages, such as flavored waters, the final flavor can change with different
tartness and carbon dioxide levels," says Tangel.

Certain flavors, especially citrus flavors, also can affect the potency of vitamin formulas added to fortify the
beverage.

No quick fix in fortification

According to Sam Sylvetsky, director of sales and marketing for Fortitech, Inc., of Schenectady, NY, all
vitamin enrichment work in beverages must be done on a custom basis. That dictum reflects the fragility of
vitamins and minerals.

"Many vitamins, such as C, A and B, begin to break down almost immediately upon being exposed to sugar,
oxygen and various levels of pH," says Sylvetsky. "For this reason we make numerous prototypes of the
beverage; based on trial and error, we then can establish required dose overages that the formula will need to
counteract the interactions."

Vitamin and mineral fortification can be a cost-efficient option when the beverage processing plant uses a pre-
mix. Such custom-blends make it relatively simple to incorporate vitamin fortification into the processing
system, as it eliminates the need for technicians on the line to measure and mix nutritional elements.

"However, if the beverage has to have a lot of nutrients -- what we term a wide nutritional profile -- it takes
longer to create the pre-mix," says Sylvetsky. "The worst thing that someone can do is assume that vitamin
fortification is easy, and leave it until late in the product development cycle to address this issue. These are not
just simple ingredients."

Of proteins and pH

Along with vitamins, products such as sports nutrition or meal replacement beverages frequently contain
proteins. The pH of such beverages is critical because acidic conditions can denature the protein. Low-pH
(below pH 4), protein-fortified beverages are beginning to appear thanks to recent research on using whey-based
dairy proteins.

"Most milk proteins and vegetable proteins do precipitate out in low-pH beverage systems," says Simon
Harrison, Ph.D., of New Zealand Milk Products, located in Santa Rosa, CA. "We recommend using a whey
protein which is stable below pH 4, and has less of the chalky mouthfeel of other protein sources."

The advantage to such low pH protein-fortified beverages is the potential for a quenching mouthfeel and flavor,
plus the protein punch. Further working against the quenching effect is the fact that many of the older brands of
protein-fortified sports beverages also were extremely thick and viscous.

"Low viscosity promotes the healthful appeal and drinkability of the products," says Harrison.

To help adjust beverage viscosity in protein-containing beverages, designers can turn to hydrocolloids and
gums. These ingredients also can aid in the protein fortification itself.

In the thick of beverages

One might call hydrocolloids and gums the silent partners in beverage formulation because neither will be
tasted or smelled when formulated correctly, yet they can provide many useful functions. According to Ann
Tieleman, Ph.D., senior food scientist of dairy research at the Hercules Food Technology Center in Wilmington,
DE, hydrocolloids can be used to stabilize milk proteins at low pH, or to stabilize emulsions in drinks.

"Gums and hydrocolloids can provide pleasant mouthfeel, good suspension and produce desirable levels of
cloud in the proper proportions," explains Paulette Kerner, marketing communications director for TIC Gums,
Belcamp, MD.

An example of how hydrocolloids provide good beverage suspension can be found in the way carrageenan is
used to stabilize cocoa particles so that they do not precipitate out in chocolate milks. New Age and reduced-
calorie beverages also make use of hydrocolloids and gums. For example, fruit pulp can be held in an appetizing
suspension in a juice blend while sugar-free drinks can be given a substitute for the pleasantly syrupy mouthfeel
once the sugar is gone.

New applications for hydrocolloids in beverages hover on the horizon. For example, the fastest-growing new
beverage products outside the United States are the water jellies which, according to Tieleman, are big in Asia. A
gelatinous blend of water, sugar, exotic fruit flavors and hydrocolloids -- such as pectin and carrageenan -- water
jellies are a hit with children across Asia, and new brands have been introduced in the United Kingdom; they
were also exhibited at the ANUGA trade show in Germany.

In addition to their texturizing/viscosity building features, gums also may be used for nutritional fortification.
For example, formulations using old-fashioned gum arabic can yield products like a high-fiber orange drink.

Audra Davies, principal scientist of food ingredients and nutraceuticals for Watson Foods Co., West Haven,
CT, says that certain other ingredients also can be a valuable source of dietary fiber. Structurally modified wheat
fiber, for example, can function as an almost invisible source of insoluble dietary fiber.

"The key to incorporating fiber successfully into beverages is to ensure proper hydration," says Davies. "In
doing so, one can avoid grittiness or particle detection at an organoleptic level. Even with typical processing
pressures of homogenization, the structurally modified fiber will work well."

When formulating with hydrocolloids and fiber, keep in mind that they can flatten flavor notes at high
concentrations. Therefore, flavor testing should be conducted before and after formulating with mouthfeel
modifiers and fiber sources.

Colors and cosmetic appeal

 Despite last year's craze for all things crystal clear, colors still play a role in beverage formulation. Deep coffee
colors with glints of mahogany red infuse canned espresso drinks, while certain popular soft drinks still possess a
chartreuse glow that says "artificial." Most carbonated beverages use compound flavors that include color
components to simplify processing on the fine.

Natural color extracts, derived from spices such as turmeric or produce such as carrots and grapes, are being
given a boost by the continuing demand for natural foods. However, certain synthetic colors are still widely
used, due to their ease of solubility and stability even after UV exposure and oxygenation. (See Natural Food
Colors: Solving the Palette Puzzle in the March 1994 issue of FOOD PRODUCT DESIGN.)

Designers also must remember that formulating with colors requires more than visual observation. For
example, caramel colors -- made from caramelized corn sugar and most often used in colas and coffee beverages
-- contribute to flavor as well. Tangel notes that he once had to reproduce a "caramel color flavor" for a clear
cola product, in order to make its flavor profile match that of dark cola.

Acids and preservatives

Acids, such as citric acid, contribute immensely to the final sense of satisfaction one has after tasting a new
beverage. Though used in minute concentrations, acids can act as preservatives, enhance flavor, minimize
cloying sweetness and help prevent haze formation. Citric acid, phosphoric acid and malic acid are popular
additions to carbonated soft drinks. However, phosphoric acid normally is not used in fruit-flavored or juice-
based still beverages.

Benzoic acid is most often used as a preservative, as is sorbic acid. Related sodium, potassium and calcium
salts, such as sodium chloride, are also widely used preservatives. The amount of preservatives used can vary,
according to pasteurization and processing.

From formula to factory

Despite outward appearances, mixing a prototype beverage at the bench is a lot different than blending
ingredients for a batch of 10,000 gallons. Consequently, testing a beverage should begin as soon as a list of
potential ingredients is developed and run concurrently with small-scale production testing. In fact, testing often
will begin with several different versions of the concept before it's narrowed down.

Product testing should include both consumer tests and preferential taste testing with sensory panels. It will
begin with concept testing without tasting, continue through "sip" taste testing and will culminate with simulated
market testing in selected retailers. Similarly, production testing helps target problem interactions on the line.
Even limited production of 500 cases can help indicate how the order of ingredient addition affects foaming,
how light exposure causes flavor fading or even how certain peripheral ingredients might be eliminated.

"There are always unforeseen interactions moving a formula from bench-top to pilot plant" says Dafoe. "And
those usually don't show up until you start processing in larger quantities.

"It is important to keep the ingredient list as short as possible," Dafoe continues. "In co-pack situations, where
someone else does the production for your firm, this can save you money, since each addition of a new
ingredient will slow production and cost you more money."

A unique ingredient situation is the process-dependent nature of carbonation, an important feature of many
beverages. Unlike the basic ingredients -- liquid (water, juice, milk, etc.), sweetener, acid, flavors and color --
carbonation is added during the final stages of processing rather than in the initial mix. The mixed beverage or
diluted syrup is funneled to a "carbo-cooler." This is a large tank where the surface area of the beverage is
exposed to carbon dioxide under pressure and under refrigeration. Temperature control, oxygenation, C02 gas
pressure and packing speeds are all critical variables in the carbonation process. If any of the variables are off, it
will compromise the finished product, no matter how well the rest of the formula is prepared.
 Because beverage designers frequently work with several evolving beverage concepts concurrently, pilot runs
during test production should be conducted with both technical staff from R&D and marketing or sales people
present at the plant.

"I think that even in the smoothest of product development cycles, there tends to be a little 'tug of war' between
sales and marketing and the technical departments," says Dafoe. "When both parties are present on the line, then
everyone can see what's really involved in production. Pilot runs take time, but enable the company to confront
processing problems before brand introduction."

Calling up the spirits

As distillers face declining consumption of alcohol on-premise, that is, in bars or restaurants, many companies
turn to the off-premise or retail segment to bolster sales. But adding alcohol to a bottled beverage is no simple
task. BATF has strict regulations regarding the rectifying of spirits.

In its basic sense, rectification means to purify a distilled spirit. For tax purposes in the United States, however,
rectification encompasses re-distilling neutral spirits for potable purposes, blending of two different spirits and
the addition of colors, flavors, or anything except water to distilled spirits. If the label describes the spirit in the
beverage as a "whisky," then the spirit must conform to the U.S. standards of identity for that class.

Alcohol poses special processing considerations, as well. The spirit-based drink must be produced at a plant
licensed as a rectifier. The proof, or amount of alcohol in the finished beverage, must be consistent with
consumer's expectations of alcohol flavor in a mixed drink, without being so potent as to be socially
irresponsible. Designers also must keep in mind that proof requirements vary state by state.

"The big issue in the alcohol-based beverage industry is to develop beverages in balance: the consumer should
be able to taste the alcohol, but it should not be too strong," offers Dafoe.

While clarity is a positive feature with many beverages, it implies "watery" with alcohol-based ones. To obtain
proper cloudiness, designers can add certain hydrocolloids and high-stability oils. Handling these cloud
ingredients isn't always a simple task because their use level will vary according to the specific gravity of the
beverage -- which in turn, varies according to alcohol content.

Labeling and distribution issues also vary state by state. Certain restrictions also apply to the size of packaging.

Containers and packaging

Heat pasteurization may be required for optimal shelf life -- and that requirement dictates packaging used for a
beverage. Most fruit-based and dairy-based beverages must be pasteurized, so aseptic packaging and high-
temperature, short time (HTST) pasteurization is popular. In-pack and hot-filling pasteurization require longer
periods of heating, which can degrade flavor.

Carbonated beverages, which are mostly water, do not require pasteurization. As a result, though, the
production line requires more thorough sanitation to prevent any microbial contamination in the finished
product.

Trends in packaging beyond the aseptic boxes include use of distinctive glassware and unique bottles. Though
such designer-influenced packaging scores well with consumers, unusual bottles can be a nightmare on the line.

"When introducing a new design, you always take a chance that all along the production line it won't conform
to the equipment that's been used in the past," says Dafoe.

Questions to consider include: Will new tubes be required to fill bottles? Are new casers needed to hold filled
products? Will top-heavy designs cause more breakage? Will curved surfaces or treated glass hold labels evenly?
 The list of questions is almost endless, pointing again to the safest solution for beverage development: begin
production testing concurrent with taste testing. Only the most comprehensive testing will ensure that a new
beverage product stands out in the flood of new brands entering the U.S. market.