Shelf-stable milk-containing beverage products.

摘要

The present invention provides an aqueous shelf-stable beverage product comprising: water; milk solids, the milk fat content of which is at least about 15% by weight and the milk protein content of which is at least about 25% by weight based on the total weight of milk solids, the milk solids content of the beverage product being at least about 1% by weight of the beverage product; an acidic flavoring agent; a two component stabilizing system comprising a first component comprising monoglycerides and up to 10% by weight diglycerides based on the weight of the first component, and a second component comprising carrageenin or pectin or both; a buffering system comprising disodium phosphate and potassium hydroxide, said potassium hydroxide being formed by the thermal decomposition in the beverage product of potassium bicarbonate, said disodium phosphate and potassium hydroxide being present in an amount such that said shelf-stable beverage product has a pH of about 6.3 to about 6.5. The present invention also provides a method for making a shelf-stable beverage product comprising the steps of: providing a homogenized milk mixture having the two component stabilizer system; providing a buffered aqueous flavoring solution containing the acidic flavoring agent and the buffering system having a pH of from 6.8 to 7.2; mixing the homogenized milk mixture and the aqueous flavoring solution to form an intermediate liquid mixture having a pH of from 6.8 to 7.2; and heating the intermediate liquid mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient to thermally decompose substantially all of the potassium bicarbonate to potassium hydroxide and carbon dioxide such that the pH of the intermediate mixture is from 6.3 to 6.5 and sufficient to form the shelf stable beverage product.