METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR IMPROVING THE TASTE OF DIET COLA SODAS AND OTHER BEVERAGES

Abstract

An improved diet cola beverage comprises ethyl benzoate (and/or methyl benzoate, propyl benzoate or benzyl benzoate). An improved diet cola beverage comprises an extract of the coca leaf. Such improved beverages can additionally comprise an artificial sweetener. The extract of coca leaf plant may be decocainized, and provided in either liquid or powder form. The ratio of diet cola beverage product and the extract of the coca leaf plant can be combined at a ratio by weight of approximately 22:1 to 44:1.

Claims

1. A diet cola beverage product with an improved taste, comprising ethyl benzoate.

2-6. (canceled)

7. The diet cola beverage product of claim 1, further comprising one or more ingredients selected from trans-cinnamic acid, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl vanillate, eudesmic acid, or a combination thereof.

8. (canceled)

9. A diet cola syrup with an improved taste, comprising: a diet cola syrup; and ethyl benzoate.

10-13. (canceled)

14. The diet cola syrup of claim 9, further comprising one or more ingredients selected from trans-cinnamic acid, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl vanillate, eudesmic acid, or a combination thereof.

15. (canceled)

16. A method for improving the taste of a diet cola beverage product comprising adding ethyl benzoate to the diet cola beverage product.

17. A method for improving the taste of a diet cola syrup comprising adding ethyl benzoate to the diet cola syrup.

18. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 depicts much of the chemical composition of Coca-Cola and Diet Coke soda circa 1983.

[0031] FIG. 2 depicts a table of essential plant oils.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a list of flavor additives used in some food products.

[0033] FIG. 4 depicts a GCMS analysis of ENACO ERC-A20 coca leaf liquid extract.

[0034] FIG. 5 depicts a GCMS analysis of Coca-Cola soda.

[0035] FIG. 6 depicts an alignment of a GCMS analysis of Coca-Cola soda and ENACO coca leaf extract.

[0036] FIG. 7 depicts a GCMS analysis of Diet Coke soda.

[0037] FIG. 8 depicts GCMS analyses of Coca-Cola and Diet Coke sodas.

[0038] FIG. 9 depicts GCMS analyses of Pepsi cola soda and coca leaf extract.

[0039] FIG. 10 depicts a formulation for a Coca-Cola flavoring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0040] Introduction to The Embodiments Disclosed Herein

[0041] To provide enabling context for some of the embodiments disclosed herein, a simple formulation is first described here (further enabled as Exemplary Embodiment #1 below). Pour into a cup about 7.5 ounces of a Diet Coke that uses just aspartame. Mix in about one teaspoon of decocainized liquid coca leaf extract, both liquids at room temperature. Drinking the resulting beverage ends with a more pleasant taste and/or aroma as opposed to the taste and/or aroma that occurs solely with existing diet colas. In the United States, use of de-cocainized coca leaf extracts is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (see the little-known coca entry of 21 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 182.20).

[0042] For the embodiments disclosed herein, the signifier aroma is used in preference to its synonyms: smell and odor (which have negative connotations), and scent (which has perfume connotations). The signifier taste is mostly used herein, and to a lesser extent, flavor, which often signifies a specific taste. One criteria for determining an improved food product is consumer choicee.g., in a blind taste test between two cola beverages, which beverage's aroma/smell/odor/scent/taste/flavor do the majority of consumers choose (majority reflecting that each consumer has differing aroma/smell/odor/scent/taste/flavor preferencesfor example, many Colombians enjoy mondongo).

[0043] Taste and aroma are not separate sensory experiences. For example, when many people are afflicted with the common cold, and have stuffy noses, they can lose some or all of the taste of foods. This is attributed to the odor sensors in the nose being blocked. Also, when many people eat foods, they can have a time dependent sensory experience, as the (chewed) food travels to the back of the mouth and some of the aromas enter the back of the nasal cavity, due to retronasal smell (versus orthonasal smell due to aromas entering the front of the nasal cavity, for example, when you sniff a rose). Thus, in many of the embodiments disclosed herein, the term taste and/or aroma is used. Also, in many of the Exemplary Embodiments that follows, statements in changes in taste and/or aroma are based on the opinions of a few people. Not all people drinking the embodiments disclosed herein will experience the same improvements in taste and/or aroma.

Parameters for Exemplary Embodiments

[0044] The density of Diet Coke is approximately the same as water at 1.0 gm/ml, while Coca-Cola soda with its many grams of sugar has a density of about 1.1 gm/ml. The density of liquid coca leaf extracts is approximately the same as the density of water, which is 1.0 gram/milliliter (gm/ml) (a cup of brewed coca tea with 250 grams of water can contain tens of milligrams of the chemicals in coca leavesthese tens of milligrams added to a few grams of water to prepare an extract do not appreciably change the density of water).

[0045] For many of the exemplary embodiments that follow, the term soda is used, for example, diet soda, diet cola soda, soda beverage, etc. The use of soda refers to any carbonated beverage, that is, a liquid that contains bubbles of carbon dioxide. This includes club soda, that is, carbonated water with added minerals and dissolved solids; and seltzer which is club soda minus the added minerals and dissolved solids. Both can be flavored, becoming more like the more popular sodas (or soda pop, a regional term in the United States, another regional term being tonic) with the addition of sweeteners. Carbonation levels range from 2 to 4 grams per liter for beers, around 6 grams per liter for sodas and seltzers, and around 8 grams per liter for champagne.

[0046] For the exemplary embodiments that follow, the examples are performed with all liquids at room temperature. Sodas typically taste more flavorful at lower temperatures (sodas retain carbonation better at lower temperatures, which creates a better taste for many people). Any improvements in taste and/or aroma resulting from any of the following embodiments at room temperature are similar, if not more pleasant, at lower temperatures down to freezing. Tastes and/or aromas can also vary due to the use of soda container: glass, plastic or metal. There are many who think that cola sodas taste best when consumed from glass bottles. For many of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, Bodum Pavina Coffee Mugs, double-wall insulated glass mugs, 8 ounce size, are used.

[0047] While Diet Coke is used in many of the following examples that disclose how to improve the taste and/or aroma of diet colas, the embodiments can be useful, e.g., to improving any other diet cola soda or diet root beer or diet soda (typically with multiple artificial sweeteners), or to improve non-Coca-Cola cola sodas to have their tastes and/or aromas provide an experience more like that of Coca-Cola sodas.

Exemplary Embodiment #1

[0048] One embodiment of an improved diet cola beverage product is understood with the following exemplary method and resulting exemplary article of manufacture. Pour 7.5 ounces of Diet Coke or Coke Zero or Coke Zero Sugar (about 220 gramsabout 222 milliliters) into a container such as a cup. Mix in any of one teaspoon of liquid coca leaf extract (about 5.0 grams), one half tablespoon of coca leaf extract (about 7.5 grams) or two teaspoons of coca leaf extract (about 10.0 grams), for example, the ERC-A20 liquid coca extract available from ENACO (Lima, Perutheir first extracts sold circa 2006). The resulting beverage, when consumed, ends with a more pleasant taste and/or aroma as opposed to the taste and/or aroma than is experienced with existing diet colas. Any coca leaf extract with similar chemical components to ERC-A20 can be usedcoca leaf extracts discussed below.

[0049] Adding more than two teaspoons of coca leaf extract does not significantly improve the Coca-Cola taste and/or aroma for many people, and can make the resulting beverage have more of a leafy taste and/or aroma. The number of teaspoons of coca leaf extract added per 222 milliliters (and similar ratios for larger quantities) can be chosen to satisfy consumer preferences, for example, to create a more coca leaf tasting cola soda. The current formulation of ERC-A20 liquid coca leaf extract has an oil base, which can impart an oily taste. This oily taste can be minimized, by increasing the concentration of the coca leaf extract in the oil base, e.g., by a factor of ten, or by using an oil-free synthetic extract (e.g., to be added to syrup emulsions). Then, where one to two teaspoons are used in some of the Exemplary Embodiments disclosed herein, only one-tenth to two-tenths of a teaspoon need to be added.

[0050] This example illustrates one exemplary ratio of diet cola soda to coca leaf extract, that of approximately 22:1 (220 grams/10.0 grams) to approximately 44:1 (220 grams/5.0 grams). Thus, in some embodiments, 22 to 44 tons of diet cola soda can be treated with 1 ton of ERC-A20 coca leaf extract. The ratio depends entirely on the final taste desired by the manufacturer of the diet cola soda.

[0051] Although the formulation in this embodiment describes the use of fluid extract of coca leaves, similar results can be obtained using a powder form of an extract of coca leaves. In a variant of Exemplary Embodiment #1, about one-tenth of a teaspoon of the powder form of ERC-ARC extract is used instead of one teaspoon of the liquid extract. A similar improvement in taste and/or results. For all of the Exemplary Embodiments disclosed herein, wherever about one teaspoon of liquid ENACO coca leaf extract is used, about one-tenth teaspoon of powdered ENACO coca leaf extract can be substituted (or equivalent coca leaf extracts).

[0052] The cost of this additional ingredient is economical for the soda industry. The ERC-A20 liquid coca leaf extract sold in small volumes by ENACO costs approximately $9 for 1 kilogram (circa March 2017). Thus, 7.5 grams of extract, to be added to 220 grams of a diet cola, costs about 8.5 cents. Large scale production of coca leaf extract can bring this price down to about 3 to 4 cents, a reasonable cost to add to the price of current diet colas (typical retail price is $1.00 in the U.S.) to improve their taste and/or aroma to be more like that of sugary cola sodas. And at no extra cost, using coca leaf extract adds multiple minerals and vitamins, found in the coca leaf, to the diet beverage.

Exemplary Embodiment #2

[0053] Another embodiment of an improved diet cola beverage product mixes ERC-A20 coca leaf extract with a diet cola syrup. The ratio scales (i.e., more extract is needed), for example, respectively, 4.4:1 to 8.8:1, if the coca leaf extract (much more concentrated) is added to the diet cola syrup, where the syrup is later mixed with carbonated water to produce a soda beverage (cola syrups are typically diluted with soda water by a factor of approximately 5). For example, one can mix 220 grams of syrup with 38 grams of ERC-A20 extract, though in practice, one can mix 220 grams of syrup, for example, with about 1 gram of distillate of 38 grams of ERC-A20 extract where the distillation removes much of the water. Some suppliers of cola syrup include the following companies: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Sodastream (acquired by PepsiCo in 2018), Carnival King (their syrup is used for making cola slush), and RC Cola.

Exemplary Embodiment #3

[0054] Another embodiment of an improved diet cola beverage product mixes ERC-A20 coca leaf extract with Diet Pepsi soda (with similar ratio adjustments for Diet Pepsi syrup). Many perceive Diet Pepsi to be sweeter than Diet Coke, with less of an aftertaste to many. Despite this apparent consumer taste preference, Diet Coke has higher sales volume (maybe Diet Pepsi being sweeter is less of a consumer preference than having more coca cola taste). While a Diet Coke with an improved taste and/or aroma can be prepared by mixing 220 grams of Diet Coke with 1 teaspoon of coca leaf extract, a Diet Pepsi with an improved taste and/or aroma can be prepared by mixing 220 grams of Diet Pepsi with 0.5 (one-half) teaspoon of coca leaf extract. Another embodiment comprises 220 grams of a less-sweet Diet Pepsi soda and about one-half to one teaspoon of ERC-A20 coca leaf extract.

Exemplary Embodiment #4

[0055] For some of the embodiments disclosed herein, mixtures of coca leaf extracts and diet soda beverages (and their syrups), of which their sugary versions have a plant-ish taste (e.g., root beer) or cough-syrupy taste (Dr. Pepper), are prepared with any of a variety of formulations of such diet soda beverages of the type available circa the year 2017, such as Diet A&W Root Beer, IBC Diet Root Beer and Dr. Pepper. To some people, diet root beers and diet Dr. Pepper taste less unpleasant than diet colas, as compared to their sugary versions, due in part that to many people, root beer soda and Dr. Pepper already taste a bit weird.

[0056] One such embodiment comprises mixing 240 milliliters of diet root beer soda with about 0.5 (one-half) teaspoon of ERC-A20 coca leaf extract, that is, mixing approximately half as much coca leaf extract with a diet root beer soda, as opposed to about one or more teaspoons of coca leaf extract to a diet cola soda. Less of an improvement in taste and/or aroma is experienced with the root beer/coca extract mixture, than with the improvement in taste and/or aroma experienced with the diet cola/coca extract mixture.

Sodium Cyclamate and Other Artificial Sweeteners

[0057] Other embodiments disclosed herein can comprise any of these diet beverages (and their syrups) where artificial sweeteners such aspartame and acesulfame are replaced or augmented by other artificial sweeteners, for example, combinations of sodium cyclamate and saccharin (for example, adding a combination of approximately 10 parts of sodium cyclamate and 1 part of saccharin, a combination which is known to mask the aftertastes of the two artificial sweeteners).

[0058] In some embodiments disclosed herein, diet root beers with added coca leaf extract can have artificial sweetener added (or an alternative to an existing artificial sweetener) using a combination or sodium cyclamate and saccharin. Extracts of coca leaf are compatible with food products that can use sodium cyclamate and saccharin as an alternative or complementary artificial sweetener. Since little additional sweetener needs to be added, a sugar alcohol such as xylitol can be used.

[0059] In some embodiments disclosed herein, low sugar sodas are made by adding sugar and coca leaf extract to the diet sodas, but with less sugar used than in the regular sodas. For example, one or a few 3.5-to-5 grams bags of sugar can be added with the leaf extract to Diet Coke (versus 39 grams in a can of Coca-Cola). Note: many sugar-free artificial sweeteners contain sugar. The FDA allows a packet of artificial sweetener to be labeled sugar-free if it contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar, which the labels typically obscure by calling the sugar dextrose, which is just d-glucose typically from corn syrup. A gram of sugar has 4 calories, and the FDA allows any food product with less than 5 calories per amount to be labeled calorie free or zero calories (21 CFR 101.60). Diabetics are not amused.

Exemplary Embodiment #5

[0060] Another embodiment disclosed herein comprises 220 milliliters of Diet Coke, one teaspoon of ERC-A20 coca leaf extract, and up to about one bag of mostly sugar-free Sugar Twin artificial sweetener (one bag weighs about 0.8 gramsa bit less than a quarter of a teaspoon, produced by B&G Foods North America, and is 32% by weight sodium cyclamateC.sub.6H.sub.12NHaO.sub.3S, the rest being d-glucose [i.e, sugar] and silicon dioxide [i.e., sand]) or its equivalents. The resulting beverage is quite sweet while only requiring about 0.4 grams of sugar, as opposed to the 40 or so grams in sugary sodasa 99% reduction. A pleasant but less sweeter beverage is obtained by only adding an eighth of a teaspoon of the Sugar twin. Alternatively, one bag of mostly sugar-free, stevia-based Nevella sweetener (one bag weighs 1.0 grams, produced by Heartland Food Products, which is 3% by weight of stevia extract, the rest being d-glucose). Alternatively, a few drops of a pure stevia extract, such as Natuvia (a combination of water, stevia extract, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and malic acid) can be added, though purer stevia extracts tend to have an unpleasant taste and detract somewhat from the increased pleasantness due to the coca leaf extract, unless the extracts have more, or consist entirely of, rebaudioside A, which is the least unpleasant and has less after taste than the other glycosides in the stevia leaves. When granular artificial sweeteners are mixed into a carbonated beverage, it can foam due to nucleation, causing a loss of some carbon dioxide. To compensate, a soda or syrup can be manufactured with higher levels of carbon dioxide before the sodium cyclamate is added, or a liquid solution, with sodium cyclamate dissolved, can be added to the syrup. In some taste tests, ERC-A20 coca leaf extracts and/or sodium cyclamate added to Diet Coke (a total of 2 artificial sweeteners) has a taste and/or aroma more preferred than that of coca leaf extracts and/or sodium cyclamate added to Coca-Cola Zero (with 3 artificial sweeteners).

Exemplary Embodiment #6

[0061] Another exemplary embodiment of the inventions disclosed herein comprises 220 milliliters of Diet Coke, and up to about one bag of mostly sugar-free Sugar Twin artificial sweetener (one bag weighs 0.8 grams, produced by B&G Foods North America, and is 32% by weight sodium cyclamate, the rest being dextrose and silicon dioxide)that is, no coca leaf extract is used. While this produces a sweeter Diet Coke, sodium cyclamate's lack of an aroma results in a sweeter Diet Coke with an overall taste and aroma similar to that of other multiple-sweetener diet colas such as Diet Pepsi.

Exemplary Embodiment #7

[0062] To the combination of Diet Coke, coca leaf extract and Sugar Twin as disclosed in Exemplary Embodiment #5, three drops of liquid Sweet'nLow are added (manufactured by Cumberland Packing), which only has the artificial sweetener saccharin. While this makes the resulting beverage a bit sweeter, the use of saccharin also reduces some of the lingering unpleasant aftertaste experienced due to the other artificial sweeteners present. An artificial sweetener from Brazil, Zero-Cal (produced by Cosmed Indstria de Cosmticos e Medicamentos in Goinia) is a mix of sodium cyclamate and sodium saccharin (ratio not on the label), and sorbitol (one of the sugar alcohols, being about 60% as sweet as sucrose). It has little of the unpleasant taste associated with artificial sweeteners, while its taste can linger for less time. Zero-Cal and its equivalents can be used in the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0063] Exemplary Embodiment #7 is the basis of embodiments of other improved diet cola sodas, as follows. Prepare a diet cola beverage or syrup that has no artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, which is the sole artificial sweetener in present-day Diet Coke soda. Then add coca leaf extracts according to many of the embodiments disclosed herein. Then add an artificial sweetener that has about a 10:1 ratio of cyclamate/saccharin (with or without a low amount of a sugar alcohol, for example, a variant of the Brazilian Zero-Cal which has a about a 10:1 ratio of cyclamate/saccharin), adding more of this artificial sweetener than is disclosed used in Exemplary Embodiment #7, to achieve similar levels of sweetness to products such as Diet Coke while eliminating one source of unpleasant taste (such as aspartame). This is much equivalent to adding coca leaf extract to the original version of Tab soda introduced by Coca-Cola in 1963 some 55 years ago.

Exemplary Embodiment #8

[0064] In embodiments, that use Sugar Twin or its equivalents, up to about one bag of Sweetwell artificial sweetener can be used instead. Sweetwell is a combination of polydextrose (a glucose polymer), isomalt (a sugar alcohol), dextrin, inulin (a collection of fructose polymers), fructooligosaccharide (derived from inulin) and sucralose. In other embodiments, a gram or so of xylitol (or other sugar alcohol) can be used.

Exemplary Embodiment #9

[0065] Another embodiment disclosed herein comprises 220 milliliters of Diet Coke (minus acesulfame), plus about one teaspoon of ERC-A20 coca leaf extract, and up to 3 grams of a combination of approximately 10 parts of sodium cyclamate and 1 part of saccharin (or combinations of other artificial sweeteners such as xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol and/or erythritol), and/or with some sugar.

Exemplary Embodiment #10

[0066] Around the world, many companies sell their versions of cola sodas with a similar taste and/or aroma to Coca-Cola, all attempting to recreate the Coca-Cola soda, but none doing so exactly. One of the closest-tasting cola sodas is Pepsi, which many experience as being sweeter than Coca-Cola, maybe to overcompensate for its lesser cola taste (335 milliliter Pepsi has 41 grams of sugar, while 335 milliliters of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar). Another embodiment is where a company such as Pepsi produces a new cola, where the amount of sugar in their existing products are decreased and some coca leaf extract added, for example, using less than a half-teaspoon of extract with 220 milliliters of a non-Coca-Cola soda, and less than 25 grams of sugar.

Exemplary Embodiment #11

[0067] Another embodiment of the inventions disclosed herein comprises 220 milliliters of Diet Coke, and one teaspoon of coca leaf extract, and one to two bags (5 to 10 grams) of sugar. The result is a more pleasant tasting Diet Coke soda. This embodiment is of commercial utility in that in the past, cola soda companies have (unsuccessfully) marketed what are basically 50%-of-the-sugar cola sodas, such as Coca-Cola C2 (half the sugar, about 20 grams, and three artificial sweeteners) or Coca-Cola Life and Pepsi True (half the sugar, plus stevia), the consumer apathy due in part to a 50% reduction in sugar being of little health value. But with this embodiment, cola sodas with about a 75% reduction in sugar can be manufactured. A reduction in sugar by 99% can be achieved with some additional artificial sweetener, as seen in Exemplary Embodiment #5.

Non-Degradation of Added Coca Leaf Extract

[0068] One-half tablespoon of ENACO ERC-A20 extract was added to plastic bottles containing 355 milliliters of Diet Coke, and gently mixed, and then stored at room temperature. One bottle was sampled at 60 days, and there was no noticeable difference in taste and aroma. Other bottles were sampled at 90 and 120 days, and again, there was little noticeable difference in taste and aroma. In all cases, there is no noticeable difference in the coloring of the Diet Coke, nor is any clouding or sedimentation observed. Thus, the commercial use of coca leaf extract in cola sodas will not negatively affect the tastes and aromas of the improved sodas by being in the acidic environment of bottled sodas for the typical short-to-long term time periods experienced by bottled sodas stored on shelves at retail establishments.

Additional Flavorings

[0069] All of these embodiments can further comprise additional flavorings to create drinks with similarly pleasant tastes and aromas. Two additional flavorings, in small amounts, are vanilla and cinnamon. In the above embodiments, quantities of vanilla and/or cinnamon of approximately less than 1/128th (one one-hundred-twenty-eighth) of a teaspoon can be added to mixtures of diet colas and coca leaf extracts without interfering with the cola taste and aroma.

Coca Extract Chemistry

[0070] In some exemplary embodiments, the coca leaf extract is derived from at least one member of the plant genus Erythroxylum (E.). In some embodiments, the coca leaf extract is derived from at least one member selected from the group comprising E. coca (much grown in Bolivia and Peru), E. novogranatense var. truxillense (Trujillo, much grown in Peru, bought by Coca-Cola), and E. novogranatense var. novogranatense (much grown in Colombia). The E. coca and E. novogranatense are traditional sources for coca teas consumed in South America, but other coca varieties can be used as well whose extracts have similar chemical compositions to the extracts discussed and analyzed in the examples below, varieties such as E. citrifolium, E. havanese, E. raimondii and E. rotundifolium. For such varieties that don't have benzoylmethylecgonine and ecgonine present in the leaves, such varieties can be grown and have extracts prepared in countries such as the United States, China and Armenia.

[0071] Coca leaves, similar to grapes and tomatoes and other food sources, have a variety of tastes depending on the variety of coca plant and their soil conditions. For example, pleasant tasting coca teas can be manufactured with leaves from the Cauca region of Colombia, the Cuzco region of Peru, and the Yungas region of Bolivia. Manufacturers of the embodiments disclosed herein can choose one or more varieties of coca leaf to use in preparing extract, depending on the consumer preferences for the taste of the embodiments (for example, a diet cola with more or less of a coca taste). Chemicals in the extracts can also be obtained by brewing coca leaves in hot or cold water, and removing much of the water; or the coca leaves can be added to soda syrup for extended periods of time and then removed.

[0072] Coca tea has been safely consumed for over 500 years in South America (LD50 of coca tea is 3450 mg/kgsafer than vanilla and table salt). By U.S. law (21 C.F.R. 182.20), decocainized coca leaves, and their extracts, with these chemicals, are Generally Recognized As Safe for use in food products. By law (U.S. 21 C.F.R. 172.515), the FDA has approved the following chemicals (3 chemicals out of 700 in the FDA schedule) for individual use in food products: ethyl benzoate, cinnamic acid, and ethyl cinnamate. None of these chemicals are listed in the ingredient table published by the Coca-Cola Company (see: http://www.coca-colaproductfacts.com/en/coca-cola-ingredients/#glossary-C).

[0073] For some of the embodiments disclosed herein, a commercially-available liquid coca leaf extract, ERC-A20, is used which does not directly exploit the genetic resources of the coca plant. ERC-A20 is manufactured and distributed by ENACO (www.enaco.com.pe), the Peruvian government agency responsible for the industrialization of coca leaf products in the country. The extract is available in liquid form (e.g. in a one kilogram bottle of the liquid extract), and in powdered form which can also be used in the products and methods disclosed herein. Equivalents of the extract can be made by removing the water from coca tea brews, with (un)desired alkaloids removed via ion-exchange filters. Typically, coca leaves from different regions of Peru are picked and dried in the field, before being shipped to Lima. The leaves are bagged at ENACO facilities in Lima, and a container of coca leaf bags loaded for shipment from Callao (the port of Lima) to the United States. A typical bag of coca weighs about 0.8 grams. About 17 average-sized coca leaves weigh about 1.0 grams. Thus a typical bag of coca tea can contain about 13 to 14 leaves.

[0074] FIG. 4 is a GCMS analysis of the liquid form of the ERC-A20 coca leaf extract. One milliliter of ERC-A20 was mixed with one milliliter of dicholoromethane (DCM), with the DCM layer injected into the GCMS system for analysis. The main peaks, some identified by their retention times (RT), are as follows: 10.90ethyl benzoate (an ester with a fruity aroma used in perfumes); 10.90 and 11.09benzoic acid and its ester; 12.90 and 12.99trans-cinnamic acid (has a honey-like aroma found in cinnamon oil) and ethyl cinnamate (an ester with a fruity aroma found in cinnamon oil); 13.41an isomer of trans-cinnamic acid; 13.795an isomer of ethyl cinnamate; 14.799ethyl vanillate; and 16.26isomer of 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (also known as eudesmic acid, found in olive oil and eucalyptus oil). Any variety of coca leaf that has similar amounts of these chemicals can be used to prepare extracts that can be used whenever the ERC-A20 extract is used in embodiments disclosed herein. Conversely, varieties of coca leaves known to be less pleasant to drink (such as the coca leaves from the Chapare region of Bolivia) and thus less useful in the embodiments disclosed herein, can be treated with these chemicals to make them more pleasant to drink.

[0075] In some embodiments disclosed herein, the coca leaf extract can comprise one or more chemicals that can be found in coca leaves, selected from the group comprising: ethyl benzoate, trans-cinnamic acid, ethyl cinnamate (and cinnamon-family chemicals with similar tastes and aromas such as cinnamaldehyde), and ethyl vanillate. Depending on the legal jurisdiction, coca alkaloids and related chemicals, such as benzoylmethylecgonine, ecgonine, methylecgonine cinnamate (cinnamoylcocaine), cuscohygrine, hygrine, 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid, and benzoylecgonine, can be used in the embodiments disclosed herein that use coca leaf extracts or their equivalents.

[0076] In some embodiments, the coca leaf extract can comprise one or more of the chemicals which were detected in smaller quantities in the GCMS analysis of FIG. 4: benzoyl alcohol, benzoic acid, caffeic acid dimethyl ester, ethyl benzoate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl vanillate, hexanoic acid, hexenoic acid, isovaleric acid (also known as 3-methylbutanoic acid), maltol, and vanillin. In some embodiments, the coca leaf extracts can comprise one or more of other chemicals reported to be present in coca leaves, tea brews and extracts, which include: dihydrocuscohygrine, hydroxytropacocaine, tropacocaine, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, cinnamic acid, truxilline, and truxillic acid.

[0077] While coca leaf extracts can be used as a natural source of one or more of these chemicals (and/or their analogs), the equivalents of coca leaf extracts can also be prepared from synthetic sources for the above, and related, chemicals. For example, a foundation for a synthetic extract can be a combination of any of the chemicals of the main peaks of FIG. 4: ethyl benzoate, benzoic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl vanillate, and eudesmic acid. Such a synthetic extract can additionally comprise chemicals with similar taste and aroma properties. For example, cinnamaldehyde can supplement, or be an alternative, to ethyl cinnamate.

Exemplary Embodiment #12

[0078] Another embodiment disclosed herein comprises use of extracts and oils of the fragrant flowers and other parts of the ylang-ylang tree (e.g., Cananga odorata), a tree of tropical Asia. Ylang-ylang oil is popular in the field of aromatherapy, used in products such as massage oils, moisturizing creams, perfumes and scented candles; ylang-ylang is also used as a traditional medicine, for example, to treat stomach ailments, asthma, hair growth, and rheumatismand more recently its antibiotic potential has been explored. Some ylang-ylang oil and extracts contain some chemicals present in cola sodas: the monoterpenes (limonene, alpha-terpineol, linalool, etc.), and from the cinnamon and vanilla families (cinnamyl acetate, cinnamyl alcohol, vanillin). These oils and extracts also contain chemicals found in some coca leaf extracts (ethyl benzoate, methyl benzoatewhich are absent from the essential oils listed in FIG. 2, essential oils most of which have never been used in cola sodas).

[0079] For the following embodiment, Ylang-Ylang #3 Essential Oil100% Pure Therapuetic Grade, sold by Nature's Oil, is used. To some, this form of the oil has a strong spicy new-tennis-ball aroma. 7.5 ounces of Diet Coke (about 220 gramsabout 222 milliliters) is poured into a glass container. One small drop of the oil is added to the Diet Coke. While it creates a different taste, and with a few drops of artificial sweetener, a more pleasant taste, the result is not a beverage that has the taste and/or aroma of a sugary Coca-Cola. However, the formulation can be the basis for a sugar-free ylang-ylang soda. Thus, while having chemicals in common with cola sodas and coca leaf extracts (see Traditional uses, phytochemistry, and bioactivities of Cananga odorataYlang-Ylang, Loh Teng Hem Tan et al., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicines, Volume 2015, Article ID 896314), the chemical combinations in ylang-ylang oil and extracts have too many flavor and aroma chemicals to be useful for improving the taste and/or aroma of diet sodas. While a less concentrated ylang-ylang oil or extract, with some chemicals filtered out, might be used to improve the taste of diet cola sodas, it usually costs less to just use coca leaf extracts.

Using Extracts of The Entire Coca Leaf

[0080] In countries where coca tea is not allowed by law to be sold at retail businesses, de-cocainized coca leaf extracts are used in some of the embodiments disclosed herein (and can be used anywhere in the world where Coca-Cola soda is sold). In addition, for countries such as Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, where coca tea is sold in retail establishments (or in countries such as Spain and Portugal, which have decriminalized all drugs, and thus can be amenable to products such as coca tea), coca leaf extracts with the coca alkaloid can be used with the embodiments of diet sodas disclosed herein.

Additional Exemplary Disclosure

[0081] Mixtures of coca leaf extract and diet sodas can also be achieved by an infusion process to prepare the extract, for example, placing one bag of coca tea in 7.5 ounces of diet soda, and removing the bag after 30 minutes to a few hours or more (coca tea is typically brewed in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes). Equivalently, one can dehydrate a cup of coca tea, and then add the resulting coca tea extract powder to the 7.5 ounces of diet cola. A bag of coca tea can have the equivalent of ten coca leaves, and approximately 17 coca leaves can weigh about one gram.

[0082] Coca leaf extracts can be manufactured that have pH levels between 5 (more acidic) and 7 (less acidic). Manufacturers of the embodiments disclosed herein can choose any level for the acidity of the coca leaf extract used in the embodiments disclosed herein, depending on the desired design goal for the taste of these embodiments. Diet Coke has a pH of about 3.4, far more acidic than most coca leaf extracts. Since the coca leaf extracts are used in small quantities, their acidity level barely changes the acidity of the diet beverage.

[0083] For some of the embodiments disclosed herein, mixtures of coca leaf extracts and diet cola beverages (and their syrups) can improve the taste and/or aroma of any of a variety of formulations of diet colas of the type available circa the year 2017, such as Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Light and Pepsi Light (many of which use aspartame and/or acesulfame).

Concentrations of Chemical Components of Coca Leaf Extracts and Cola Sodas

[0084] In a subsequent GCMS analysis of the liquid form of ERC-A20 coca leaf extract, the concentrations of the main peaks of FIG. 4 were determined. Reference solutions in methanol (at 5 micrograms/milliliter) were prepared for ethyl benzoate and ethyl cinnamate. A reference solution was prepared for 1,4-dichlorobenzene at 5 micrograms/milliliter in dichloromethane, which was used for calibration purposes. For ethyl benzoate, its concentration as determined by GCMS analysis in the sample of the ERC-A20 is approximately 12 micrograms per milliliter (12.13). For ethyl cinnamate, its concentration as determined by GCMS analysis in the sample of the ERC-A20 is approximately 1.4 micrograms per milliliter (1.438).

[0085] ERC-A20 coca leaf extract in liquid form has a dark brown color. A QTOF-LCMS analysis of a sample of the extract detected the presence of caffeic acid and its isomers, as well as chlorogenic acids and their isomers (an important constituent of coffee, chlorogenic acid, also known as a caffeoylquinic acidCQAis the ester form of caffeic acid). Research such as Ohiopehai's in the 1980s, suggest, without much evidence, that CQAs might have an astringent and/or metallic taste. But it is mostly inconclusive if CQAs have much of an impact on the taste of coffee, and thus, on the taste of this coca leaf extract.

[0086] FIG. 5 depicts the results of a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of Coca-Cola soda. The peak at a retention time of 16.86 is caffeine, the peak at retention time of 12.39 is probably a combination of terpin and terpine-4-ol, and the peak at retention time of 11.21 is alpha-terpineol. FIG. 8 depicts the results of desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry of Coca-Cola and Diet Coke sodas, using Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction. The peak at retention time 9.16 corresponds to cymene, the peak at 9.23/9.24 corresponds to limonene, the peak at 9.64/9.65 corresponds to gamma-terpinene, the peak at 11.27/11.28 corresponds to alpha-terpineol and the peak at 14.39 most likely corresponds to myristicin. Note: GC-MS analyses of cola sodas is complicated by the high levels of sugar, phosphoric acid and products (such as caramelan) and volatile by-products (such as diacetyl) of caramelization. GC-MS results are probably not exact, here used more for relative comparison. No peak for phosphoric acid, as explained by the GC-MS laboratory used, is probably due to phosphoric acid eluting in void, and is also not likely to ionize due to its natural acidity.

[0087] In the laboratory report in which FIG. 4 first appeared, it is reported that the chemicals detected in abundance in the coca-leaf extract are: ethyl benzoate, benzoic acid and its ester; and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (eudesmic acid). Chemicals detected in lower abundance: compounds consistent with: ethyl cinnamate, and trans-cinnamic acid and its isomer.

[0088] In the laboratory report in which FIG. 5 first appeared, it is reported that the chemicals detected in abundance in the sample of Coca-Cola are: caffeine, terpin, terpine-4-ol, alpha-terpineol. Chemicals detected in lower abundance: compounds consistent with o-cymene, cinnamaldehyde, and fenchol. Cymene and alpha-terpineol are also seen in FIG. 8, along with limonene, gamma terpinene and myristicin.

[0089] The lack of overlap of the main peaks of FIG. 5 (and FIG. 7) with the main peaks of FIG. 4 (a GCMS analysis of coca leaf extractsee comparison of FIGS. 4 and 5 in FIG. 6), indicates that Coca-Cola is not using extracts of the coca leaf in its cola sodas, at least, Coca-Cola is not using extracts of coca leaves of the variety used by ENACO to produce its ERC-A20 extract. Coca-Cola's supplier of de-cocainized coca leaves, the Stepan Company, buys the majority of its leaves from ENACO. Pepsi has never made use of extracts of the coca leaf.

[0090] FIG. 7 depicts the results of a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the Diet Coke soda (a similar analysis appears in the bottom graph of FIG. 8). The peak at a retention time of 16.76 is caffeine (very much similar to the main peak of FIG. 5 for Coca-Cola soda), and the peak at retention time of 12.39 is probably a combination of terpin and terpine-4-ol (again similar to 12.39 peak of FIG. 5). FIG. 7 also has a small peak at 18.29, mostly likely a cinnamate, again similar to FIG. 5. That is both Coke and Diet Coke are mostly sugar and caffeine, with very small amounts of flavoring (the terpenes and cinnamates, and cymene and limonene). The only significant difference between Coca-Cola and Diet Coke is the peak at 11.06benzoic acid, a breakdown product of a preservative (currently potassium benzoate, was sodium benzoate) used in the less-acidic Diet Coke (Diet Coke uses less phosphoric acid, and uses some citric acid, to deal with aftertastes, which decreases the pH of Diet Cokecreating a need for a preservative). This similar chemical composition is consistent with the formulation data in FIG. 1, that is, if you start with Coca-Cola soda and remove all of the sugar and some of the phosphoric acid, and then add an artificial sweetener and sodium/potassium benzoate, you end up with Diet Coke.

[0091] FIG. 9 depicts the results of desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry of Pepsi cola soda and coca leaf extracts, using Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction. Given the similarities in taste and aroma of Coca-Cola and Pepsi cola sodas, it is no surprise that Pepsi shares with Coca-Cola some of the same flavoring chemicalslimonene at a retention time of 9.25 and gamma-terpinene at a retention time of 9.65 (which are more dominant in Pepsi cola soda). And much like Coca-Cola sodas, there is a lack of overlap between the chromatograms of Pepsi soda and coca leaf extracts, which is consistent with the fact that PepsiCo has never used the coca leaf in its cola sodas, despite the fact that it can easily obtain coca leaf extracts with one telephone call to ENACO in Peru.

Exemplary Embodiment #13

[0092] A water-based solution of alpha-terpineol was prepared, where the concentration of alpha-terpineol was 48 micrograms/milliliter. Alpha-terpineol is a monoterpene alcohol found in both Coca-Cola and Diet Coke at similar concentration, and is said to have a weak, pleasant odor similar to lilac. About one teaspoon of this alpha-terpineol solution is added to 220 milliliters of Diet Coke. While there is not much in the way of a change in the taste and/aroma of the Diet Coke, the experience of drinking this modified Diet Coke is more pleasant. Similarly, one half of a teaspoon of gamma-terpinene (also a flavoring component of current cola sodas, with a pine oil smell), with a concentration of 40 micrograms/milliliter, is added to 220 milliliters of Diet Coke. The resulting Diet Coke, while more pleasant as seen with adding alpha-terpineol, also has less of a coca cola taste. In contrast, one teaspoon of linalool (which has a more pleasant aroma than many terpinenes)also a component of cola sodasalso with a concentration of 40 micrograms per milliliter, is added to 220 milliliters of Diet Coke. There is little-to-no change in the unpleasant.

[0093] These Embodiments suggest that the taste and/or aroma of existing diet cola sodas can be improved by increasing some of the flavoring chemicals already in such sodas, such as increasing the amount of alpha-terpineol. This may follow from FIG. 8, which has GC/MS spectra of Coke and Diet Coke. While one cannot absolutely compare two GC/MS spectra, the control peaks in both graphs has similar intensities to the extent that relative comparisons can be made. One such relative comparison is that Coke soda appears to have slightly higher concentrations of the main flavoring chemicals than Diet Coke. Other possible chemicals and or essential oils that can be similarly used appear in FIG. 10, a coca-cola flavoring for electronic cigarettes disclosed in Chinese Patent Application CN107125803A, titled Electronic cigarette tar and preparation method thereof.

Synthetic Extracts

[0094] Clear, liquid solutions are prepared for ethyl benzoate and methyl benzoate, for example, at a concentration of 24 micrograms/milliliter in a liquid such as water. Ethyl benzoate, a colorless clear liquid, is the ester formed by the condensation of benzoic acid and ethanol. It has a pleasant odor, is a component of a few fragrances (e.g., under the name Essence de Niobe), for its aroma and preservative properties. Ethyl benzoate is mostly insoluble in waterthe solubility of ethyl benzoate in water is 500 micrograms/milliliter. Related benzoates may be used, for example propyl benzoate (nutty odor with sweet fruit taste, used as preservative in cosmetics), benzyl benzoate (weak, sweet, balsamic odor, used to as a fixative in perfumes), and phenethyl benzoate (slight rose scentused in cosmetics).

[0095] The presence of ethyl benzoate and other ester benzoates in the embodiments disclosed herein can be objectively tested for by using techniques such as GC-MS, that is, one can differentiate cola sodas with regards to their use of the claimed compositions disclosed herein by using GC-MS techniques or by using spike analysis, useful for detecting infringement of the methods disclosed herein. For companies such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo that apparently can't afford to purchase GC/MS chromatography machines, commercial laboratories can perform such testing for a few thousand dollars or so.

Exemplary Embodiment #12

[0096] In a variant of Exemplary Embodiment #1, about 5 milliliters (one teaspoon) of a liquid (e.g., water) solution that has about 24 micrograms per milliliter of ethyl benzoate is used instead of one teaspoon of coca leaf extract (both of which are mixed with 7.5 ounces of Diet Coke). A taste and/or aroma more pleasant than that of untreated Diet Coke results, though with less of an improvement than can be achieved by adding coca leaf extracts. For all of the Exemplary Embodiments disclosed herein, wherever about one teaspoon of coca leaf extract is used, new embodiments can be derived by substituting about one teaspoon of a liquid solution of ethyl benzoate of a concentration of about 24 micrograms per milliliter, instead of using the coca leaf extract. The concentration and amount of ethyl benzoate varies according to taste. Using just ethyl benzoate to improve the taste of diet sodas mostly does not change the manufacturing cost. The teaspoon of ethyl benzoate solution used in the above introductory example has 100 micrograms of ethyl benzoate. 100 grams of ethyl benzoate can be purchased from Sigma-Aldrich for about 30 dollars. 100 micrograms thus costs 0.0030 centsa negligible cost per serving of a soda beverage. In some of the embodiments disclosed herein, one to three drops (about 0.35 milligrams) of liquid saccharin (Sweet'n Low) are used per teaspoon of coca leaf extract or ethyl benzoate solution. One kilogram of sodium saccharin can be bought for $35, so those three drops cost about 0.001 centsanother negligible cost per serving of soda.

[0097] In a variant of Exemplary Embodiment #12, about 5 milliliters of a liquid (e.g., water) solution of methyl benzoate is used that has a similar concentration to about 24 micrograms per milliliter, achieving an improvement in Diet Coke taste similar to that of ethyl benzoate. While methyl benzoate can be used in the embodiments disclosed herein for commercial purposes, methyl benzoate has two known uses not completely compatible with a consumer beverage. First, methyl benzoate is one of the breakdown products of cocaine, and its odor is used by drug control drugs to detect the smuggling of cocainegovernment authorities will not be keen to having diet sodas, using methyl benzoate, filling the airspaces of public places with the aroma of methyl benzoate. Second, methyl benzoate is also attractive to the males of various species of orchid bees, and is commonly used as bait to attract such beesnot a use compatible with consumer beverages.

Using Chemicals with Similar Odors

[0098] For chemicals such as ethyl benzoate that improve the taste and/or aroma of diet sodas, alternative chemicals with similar aromas can be used. One avenue to discover such alternatives is based on the shape theory of olfactionthat the molecular size, shape and functional groups of a chemicalactivating receptors in the nosecan influence the resulting aroma experienced by the brain. Manufacturers can screen organic compounds using this theory to identify other chemical useful for making more pleasant diet sodas. One such technique for discovering other chemicals (that achieve similar effects to chemicals such as ethyl benzoate in coca leaf extracts, or its ester-sibling methyl benzoate) that improve the taste and/or aroma of diet sodas is (Q)SAR analysis(quantitative) structure/activity relationships, which statistically analyses the molecular structure and other bio-/chemical/physical/safety property data of a set of chemicals that could be related.

Manufacturing Techniques

[0099] Existing manufacturing processes for diet cola sodas and syrups are easily modified to use the methods disclosed herein. Where mixing tanks are used to prepared the soda or syrup, an additional pipe can be attached to allow a controlled flow of (synthetic) coca leaf extract or ethyl benzoate solution, to be mixed in with other ingredients. These extracts/solutions are liquid at room temperature, and easy to transport and safely mix with mechanical equipment.

Null Taste Control Test #1

[0100] About one teaspoon of liquid ERC-A20 coca leaf extract is added to 220 milliliters of sugary Coca-Cola (sabor original in Latin America). There is little-to-no change in the pleasant taste of the beverage, with the coca leaf taste and/or aroma more noticeable.

Null Taste Control Test #2

[0101] In one experiment, a pulverized multivitamin pill (Centrum Men, typically flavorless) is added to 220 milliliters of Diet Coke. There is little-to-no change in the unpleasantness of Diet Coke. A typical multi-vitamin/multi-mineral pill (such as Centrum Men) has the usual vitamins (A, Bs, C, D, E, K, etc.) and minerals (calcium, iron, phosphorus, iodine, magnesium, zinc, potassium, etc.). The lack of appreciable change in taste and/or aroma implies that these vitamins and minerals, some also present in coca leaf extracts, are not essential to embodiments disclosed herein.

Null Taste Control Test #3

[0102] One nutritional supplement, popular for flavoring foods, is cinnamon. In one experiment, 400 milligrams of powdered cinnamon are added to 220 milliliters of Diet Coke. No improvement in Coca-Cola taste and/aroma is experienced, but rather the additive taste of Diet Coke plus cinnamon. This effect has been exploited by PepsiCola with its sugary Pepsi Fire cinnamon flavored cola. The main chemical that gives cinnamon its flavor and aroma is cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamon oil contains a variety of chemicals, including cinnamaldehyde, limonene, linalool, and eugenol. Cinnamon oil, or any or all of its component chemicals, can be added to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Null Taste Control Test #4

[0103] A tea similar in delicious taste to coca tea is jasmine tea, a popular green tea from SouthEast Asia, a mixture of base green tea leaves and aromatic flowers from the Jasminum sambac plant. Unlike coca tea, jasmine tea contains no alkaloids, but does contain many chemical common to all teas, including flavonoids, phenols and saponin. Some of the major taste and aroma components of jasmine tea (depending on variety and preparation) can include linalool (a terpene alcohol found in some analyses of Coca-Cola soda), benzyl acetate (which independently provides a jasmine aroma), hexenyl benzoate, benzyl alcohol, and methyl anthranilate (which can provide a fruity aroma in perfumes). (see Changes in the volatile, chemical components and antioxidant activities of Chinese jasmine tea during the scenting process, Meichun Chen et al., Int. J. of Food Properties, Volume 20, 2017). In one experiment, one bag of Celestial Organic Jasmine Green tea is brewed for two minutes in 60 milliliters of hot water, cooled to room temperature, and added to 220 milliliters of Diet Coke. No improvement in CocaCola taste and/or aroma is experienced, but rather the additive taste of Diet Coke plus jasmine tea.

Null Taste Control Test #5

[0104] In one experiment, one drop (about a quarter of a smidgen, which is 1/32th of a teaspoon) of bergamot oil (Bergamota sold by Aromas Para El Alma, Costa Rica) is added to 220 milliliters of Diet Coke. No improvement in Coca-Cola taste is experienced, but rather the additive taste of Diet Coke plus bergamot oil. While bergamot oil typically can be about 50% limonene and gamma-terpinene, two cola flavoring chemicals, it is also can be about 10% by weight of pinene (a major component of pine oil, known to be an off-flavor in mango juice made from overripe mangos).

Null Taste Control Test #6

[0105] Use of methyl benzoate in some of the embodiments disclosed herein suggests use of other methyl esters. One such other methyl ester is methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, the methyl ester of salicylic acid (aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid), better known as wintergreen oil. Wintergreen oil has had some use in the soda industry. After the FDA banned the use of safrole in root beer (a chemical found in sassafras, a classic ingredient in root beer), the root beer industry substituted a combination of licorice root and wintergreen. In one experiment, one to two drops of wintergreen oil (Nature's Oil Organic Wintergreen Essential Oil) is added to 220 milliliters of Diet Coke. The resulting taste is dominated by the taste of wintergreen, which while being the basis for a wintergreen soda, does not seem effective in improving the cola taste and/or aroma of Diet Coke.

Null Taste Control Test #7

[0106] In one experiment, 1/32.sup.nd of a teaspoon of sodium benzoate (density: 1.5 g/cm.sup.3) is added to 220 milliliters of Diet Coke (a total weight of 230 milligrams, versus 100 micrograms of ethyl benzoate in some of the above embodiments). No improvement in Coca-Cola taste is experienced, but rather the additive taste of Diet Coke plus saltiness. Sodium benzoate doesn't have much of an odor, and a bit of an unpleasant taste. Sodium benzoate was used for decades by Coca-Cola and Pepsico only as a preservative, before being replaced with potassium benzoate (at least in the U.S.), due to health concerns of a breakdown product, benzoic acid. Similar lack of a change of taste is expected when adding potassium benzoate, as both chemicals are used interchangeably in Diet Coke and Pepsi around the world.

Null Taste Control Test #8

[0107] In one experiment, about one teaspoon of liquid ERC-A20 coca leaf extract is added to 220 milliliters of Nite Lite Craft Light Lager (brewed and canned by Night Shift Brewing, Everett, Mass.), a lo-calorie beer (120 calories per 12 fluid ounce can). Little significant improvement in beer taste and/or aroma is experienced, but rather the additive taste of beer and the extract.

Use of Maracuya as a Substitute for Ingredients in Cola Sodas

[0108] Maracuya (better known as the passion fruit), has a variety of interesting properties which can be of use when making cola beverages. First, maracuya oil/juice has a pH of about 3.0 to 3.3, close to the pH of Coca-Cola (around 2.5, while Diet Coke has a pH around 3.4) due to its use of phosphoric acid (at some concentration, it has a pH of 1.0 to 3.0). Maracuya oil/juice is by weight about 20% sugar. Some of the chemicals identified in maracuya include limonene (present in cola sodas due to the use or orange and lemon oils), hexanoates (esters of hexanoic acid, versus the hexadecanoic acids of the kola nut), and butanoates such as ethyl butanoate (which can provide a pineapple aroma). For some of the embodiments disclosed herein, a soda can be made by starting with an existing formulation for cola soda, reducing the amount of phosphoric acid, sugar and/or oil flavorings, and adding extracts of maracuya plant.