A natural flavor complex obtained from Stevia plants is described. The natural flavor complex functions to modify the flavors of a consumable product without imparting detectable sweetness to the product.

A natural flavor complex obtained from Stevia plants is described. The natural flavor complex functions to modify the flavors of a consumable product without imparting detectable sweetness to the product.

There is described an edible particulate material comprising from 80% to 100% by weight based on total weight of the material of a processable, microbially released, flavour acceptable bran-like material, characterized by the following parameters: (i) mean particle size by volume (Vol. MPS) of from 5 to 100 microns; (ii) volume particle size distribution (Vol. PSD) characterized by the parameters: D.sub.90,3 less than or equal to 350 microns, and D.sub.50,3 less than or equal to 50 microns, and optionally D.sub.10,3 less than or equal to 15 microns, (iii) mean particle sphericity as measured by a S.sub.mean of greater than or equal to 0.75; (iv) where processable means has oil holding capacity (OHC) of from 0.7 to 1.5; (v) where microbially released means material has common microbes below given limits (preferably free of common microbes) (vi) where flavour acceptable denotes a lipase activity (LA) and a peroxidase activity (PA) both less than or equal to 2 U/g optionally a low degree of roasted flavour notes as defined herein. The bran as described may added to foodstuffs for example be used as a bulk ingredient to replace sugar and/or to provide filling and/or coatings having improved hiding ability when used as layers in multilayer foodstuffs.

The invention describes products, uses thereof, compositions thereof, and methods to prepare products formed from Maillard reaction products from a sugar donor and/or sweet tea extracts, stevia extracts, swingle (mogroside) extracts, one or more sweet tea extract components, one or more steviol glycosides, one or more mogrosides, one or more glycosylated sweet tea glycosides, one or more glycosylated steviol glycosides or one or more glycosylated mogrosides and an amine donor/reactant.

The invention describes products, uses thereof, compositions thereof, and methods to prepare products formed from Maillard reaction products from a sugar donor and/or sweet tea extracts, stevia extracts, swingle (mogroside) extracts, one or more sweet tea extract components, one or more steviol glycosides, one or more mogrosides, one or more glycosylated sweet tea glycosides, one or more glycosylated steviol glycosides or one or more glycosylated mogrosides and an amine donor/reactant.

The present invention relates to edible products, suitable for use as confectionery and having therapeutic uses. We describe a composition for the preparation of an edible product, the composition comprising 0.2 wt. % to 3 wt. % of at least one polysaccharide gelling agent, the balance being water. In preferred composition, the at least one polysaccharide is at least one of agar, pectin, locust bean gum, gellan gum and carrageenan. The compositions preferably comprise 0.5 wt. % to 2.00 wt. % agar and 0.05 to 1.0 wt. % of a galactomannan polysaccharide; the balance being water; preferably wherein the galactomannan polysaccharide is present in an amount of from 10% to 40% the amount of agar.

The present invention relates to edible products, suitable for use as confectionery and having therapeutic uses. We describe a composition for the preparation of an edible product, the composition comprising 0.2 wt. % to 3 wt. % of at least one polysaccharide gelling agent, the balance being water. In preferred composition, the at least one polysaccharide is at least one of agar, pectin, locust bean gum, gellan gum and carrageenan. The compositions preferably comprise 0.5 wt. % to 2.00 wt. % agar and 0.05 to 1.0 wt. % of a galactomannan polysaccharide; the balance being water; preferably wherein the galactomannan polysaccharide is present in an amount of from 10% to 40% the amount of agar.

Beverage products are provided, e.g., a ready to drink cola beverage or a cola beverage concentrate or syrup, including water or carbonated water, acidulant comprising at least one acid, rebaudioside D present in a sweetening amount, and flavoring comprising cola flavoring. Rebaudioside D may be the only sweetener, or alternatively the beverage product further contains one or more additional sweeteners, for example rebaudioside A and/or other high intensity sweetener(s). Rebaudioside D optionally provides at least 10% of the total sweetening of the beverage product according to certain embodiments. Also, a natural carbonated cola beverage product and a beverage product are each provided containing a sweetening amount of rebaudioside D. The rebaudioside D ingredient used in certain methods of making the beverage products disclosed here optionally has a purity, i.e., a rebaudioside D concentration, of 93% or greater, such as 95% or greater, by weight.

Beverage products are provided, e.g., a ready to drink cola beverage or a cola beverage concentrate or syrup, including water or carbonated water, acidulant comprising at least one acid, rebaudioside D present in a sweetening amount, and flavoring comprising cola flavoring. Rebaudioside D may be the only sweetener, or alternatively the beverage product further contains one or more additional sweeteners, for example rebaudioside A and/or other high intensity sweetener(s). Rebaudioside D optionally provides at least 10% of the total sweetening of the beverage product according to certain embodiments. Also, a natural carbonated cola beverage product and a beverage product are each provided containing a sweetening amount of rebaudioside D. The rebaudioside D ingredient used in certain methods of making the beverage products disclosed here optionally has a purity, i.e., a rebaudioside D concentration, of 93% or greater, such as 95% or greater, by weight.

The invention describes sweetening compositions and methods to prepare sweetening compositions containing steviol glycosides, salts, and other natural or synthetic sweeteners with improved solubilities and sensory profiles.