Effervescent mixture characterized by protracted release of gas and the use of this mixture in the preparation of carbonated drinks

Claim 1

Method for preparing a powdered effervescent mixture for diet or soft drinks containing at least two ingredients in particulate form which react each with the other in the presence of water to evolve gas, which comprises: (a) dissolving approximately 100 parts by weight of a macromolecular water-soluble polysaccharide or mixture of macromolecular water-soluble polysaccharides in about 160 to 625 parts by weight of a solution comprising a 100/60 to 100/150 wt./wt. syrup of saccharose in water; (b) adding a volume of 95% ethanol comprised between about 33 and about 100% of the volume of the water present in said solution gradually, while stirring, to form a liquor; (c) storing the thus obtained liquor in an airtight container for 1 hour at a temperature of about 50° C.; (d) separately coating the particles of each of said ingredients with the liquor resulting from step (c); (e) separately drying the thus coated particles; and (f) mixing together the dried coated particles in the desired proportions.