Linalool-containing flavor improver for food and beverages

Abstract

To provide a flavor improving agent capable of improving the undesirable flavor of food and drink containing linalool. [Solution] A flavor improver for linalool-containing food and drink, containing quinic acid as an active ingredient. It is also preferable that the amount (a) of quinic acid added to the linalool-containing food and drink is used so that the mass ratio (a / b) of the linalool content (b) in the linalool-containing food and drink is 0.00002 to 180. It is also preferable that the quinic acid content in the food and drink is 0.001 to 9 ppm.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flavor improver for linalool-containing foods and beverages, which contains quinic acid as an active ingredient, a flavor composition for improving flavor, a method for producing linalool-containing foods and beverages, and a method for improving the flavor of linalool-containing foods and beverages. [Background technology]

[0002] Linalool is a component contained in various plants, and is contained in a wide variety of food ingredients and food flavorings used in food and beverages, imparting the characteristic fruit, citrus, and floral flavors. In addition, the number of food and beverages that use flavorings is on the rise, and so the number of food and beverages that contain linalool is also on the rise. However, the addition of linalool to food and drink not only imparts its aroma characteristics, but also imparts undesirable flavors and effects to the food and drink. Up to now, improvements have been proposed to address the undesirable flavors and effects of linalool in linalool-containing food and drink.

[0003] For example, in a colorless and transparent acidulant-containing beverage such as flavored water containing an acidulant and linalool, there is a problem that the aftertaste of the beverage is reduced, and in Patent Document 1, it is described that the addition of benzaldehyde, methyl salicylate, or β-damascenone improves the aftertaste. In addition, when linalool is added to a colorless and transparent beverage having a pH of 4.0 to 7.0, there is a problem that the tongue feels rough when drinking, and in Patent Document 2, it is described that the addition of geraniol, methyl salicylate, β-damascenone, benzaldehyde, decanoic acid, lauric acid, butyric acid, octanoic acid, or palmitic acid reduces the roughness of the tongue felt when eating and drinking.

[0004] However, the undesirable flavors and effects imparted to foods and beverages by adding linalool are not limited to those described in the prior art documents, and there was a problem in that the compounds described in the prior art documents alone were not sufficient to improve the undesirable flavors and effects. On the other hand, quinic acid is known to be a sweetness improver for high-intensity sweeteners obtained by hydrolyzing coffee beans and purifying the hydrolyzed product (Patent Document 3), and is also known to be a component obtained by extracting black tea leaves with water, which improves the taste of high-intensity sweeteners (Patent Document 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 016111 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2019 / 050041 [Patent Document 3] JP 2001-321115 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2007-014212 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The inventors of the present invention have newly discovered that the addition of linalool to foods and beverages results in an undesirable flavor and effect, and that the addition of linalool to foods and beverages weakens the perceived sourness and sharpness of the aftertaste.

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a flavor improving agent capable of improving the undesirable flavor of food and beverages containing linalool, a flavor improving flavor composition, and a flavor improving method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of intensive research to solve the above problems, we discovered that by adding quinic acid to foods and beverages containing linalool, it is possible to improve the undesirable flavor and effects caused by adding linalool to foods and beverages, such as reducing the sourness and reducing the sharpness in the aftertaste, and thus completed the present invention.

[0009] That is, the present invention provides a linalool-containing flavor improving agent for foods and beverages, which contains quinic acid as an active ingredient.

[0010] The present invention also provides a linalool-containing flavor composition for food and beverages, which contains the linalool-containing flavor improver for food and beverages. The present invention also provides a linalool-containing food or drink containing the linalool-containing flavor improver for food or drink.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for producing a linalool-containing food or beverage, which includes a step of adding quinic acid (a) so that the mass ratio (a / b) of the linalool content (b) to the quinic acid content (a) in the linalool-containing food or beverage is 0.00002 to 180.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for improving the flavor of a linalool-containing food or beverage, comprising the step of adding quinic acid (a) so that the mass ratio (a / b) of the linalool content (b) to the quinic acid content (a) in the linalool-containing food or beverage is 0.00002 to 180. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, by adding the flavor improving agent, the sourness and sharpness of the aftertaste of linalool-containing foods and beverages can be reduced.

[0014] In this specification, the term "crisp aftertaste" refers to a refreshing sensation in which no unpleasant flavor remains after eating a food or drink. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, ppm and ppb are based on mass. <1> Linalool The origin of the linalool contained in the food and drink of the present invention is not limited, and it may be a synthetic product or a natural product such as from rosewood, lavender, coriander, or orange.

[0016] <2> Quinic acid The quinic acid used in the present invention is 1,3,4,5-tetrahydroxycyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid represented by the following formula: [ka]

[0017] The quinic acid used in the present invention may be chemically synthesized by a method such as hydrolysis of chlorogenic acid, or may be a natural product, such as a component obtained from a quinic acid-containing plant. Furthermore, commercially available quinic acid sold as a reagent may be used. However, from the viewpoints of practicality such as cost, food safety, and image, quinic acid derived from plants is preferred, because quinic acid is abundant in cranberry juice and is widely distributed in plants as quinic acid derivatives such as chlorogenic acid, and can be obtained from plants by conventional extraction procedures. In the present invention, it is preferable to use a plant extract containing quinic acid obtained from an edible plant raw material such as fruit juice, tea, or coffee, and in particular, an extract made from tea leaves or coffee beans, which has a high quinic acid content, is easy to obtain, and has excellent cost performance, is preferable. The quinic acid-containing plant extract preferably has a quinic acid content of 1% by mass or more, and in particular 5% by mass or more.

[0018] For example, according to the method described in "Examples 1 to 3" of Patent Document 3, green coffee beans can be hydrolyzed with an alkali or enzyme to obtain a coffee bean hydrolyzed extract containing quinic acid. Furthermore, a black tea leaf extract containing quinic acid can be obtained from black tea leaves according to the method described in "Production Examples 1 to 5" of Patent Document 4.

[0019] <3> Flavor improver The flavor improving agent of the present invention can improve the reduced sourness and reduced sharpness in the aftertaste of a beverage containing a linalool-containing acidulant. Specifically, by using the flavor improver of the present invention, it can compensate for the decrease in the sourness of the beverage containing acidulant caused by linalool without adding any unpleasant taste or odor, and can further enhance the sourness, that is, it can enhance the sourness from the beginning of drinking the beverage containing acidulant.In addition, by using the flavor improver of the present invention, it can compensate for the decrease in the sharpness of the aftertaste of the beverage containing acidulant caused by linalool, and can further enhance the sharpness of the aftertaste, that is, it can enhance the sharpness of the aftertaste of the beverage containing acidulant that goes down the throat and is refreshing.

[0020] The flavor improving agent of the present invention contains quinic acid as an essential component. The concentration of quinic acid in the flavor improving agent is preferably 0.1 ppm by mass to 50% by mass, more preferably 1 ppm by mass to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 10 ppm by mass to 10% by mass. The solvent used in the preparation of the flavor improving agent is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include water, aliphatic alcohols such as ethanol, propanol, and butanol, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and propylene glycol, as well as triacetin, triethyl citrate, edible fats and oils, and medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides, which can be used alone or in combination.

[0021] The flavor improving agent of the present invention can be used in a dosage form that is appropriately changed depending on the form of the food or drink to which it is to be added. For example, it can be added to the food or drink as an emulsion composition using an emulsifier or as a powder using an excipient. Furthermore, the flavor improving agent of the present invention can be added appropriately in each step of the production of food or drink according to a conventional method.

[0022] In the present invention, the flavor improver is preferably used to improve the flavor deterioration caused by linalool. Here, the flavor deterioration caused by linalool refers to the flavor felt when linalool is not contained being difficult to feel due to the inclusion of linalool. Also, the improvement of the flavor deterioration caused by linalool refers to the flavor that was difficult to feel due to linalool being felt. In particular, the flavor improver of the present invention is preferably used to reduce the sourness caused by linalool and / or improve the reduction in the sharpness of the aftertaste.

[0023] <4> Flavor composition for improving flavor The flavor improving agent of the present invention can be combined with various flavors for foods and beverages to produce a flavor composition for improving flavor that contains the flavor improving agent and can be applied to foods and beverages. Examples of flavors to be combined include flavor raw materials (essential oils, essences, concretes, absolutes, extracts, oleoresins, resinoids, recovered flavors, carbon dioxide-extracted essential oils, synthetic flavors) described in the Japan Patent Office Gazette, Collection of Well-Known and Commonly Used Techniques (Fragrances), Part II, Food Flavors (published on January 14, 2000 by the Japan Patent Office) and the like, various plant extracts, antioxidants, and the like. The flavor improving flavor composition of the present invention can be used in a suitable form depending on the form of the food or drink to which it is to be added. For example, it can be added to the food or drink as an emulsion composition using an emulsifier or as a powder using an excipient. The content of quinic acid in the flavor improving flavor composition is from 0.01 ppm by mass to 10% by mass, desirably from 0.1 ppm by mass to 5% by mass, and more desirably from 1 ppm by mass to 1% by mass.

[0024] The amount of flavor improver of the present invention added to linalool-containing food and drink is preferably 0.0001 ppm or more by mass as quinic acid amount, more preferably 0.001 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.002 ppm or more, and particularly preferably 0.01 ppm or more. The flavor improving effect can be fully exhibited by adding the amount of quinic acid to the lower limit or more. In addition, the amount of flavor improver of the present invention added to linalool-containing food and drink is preferably 9 ppm or less as quinic acid amount, more preferably 7 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 5 ppm or less. By being below the upper limit, the astringency caused by quinic acid is felt, and it is easy to prevent the original flavor characteristics of the food and drink from being impaired. The linalool content can be measured, for example, by gas chromatography.

[0025] <5> food and drink The food and drink referred to in the present invention refers to foods, drinks, spices, seasonings, medicines and the like that can be consumed.

[0026] The content of linalool in the linalool-containing food and drink targeted by the present invention is usually 1 ppb or more, preferably 10 ppb or more, more preferably 50 ppb or more. When the linalool content is above the lower limit, the food and drink is often given an undesirable flavor, and the technical significance of the present invention is obtained. The content of linalool in the linalool-containing food and drink is usually 100 ppm or less, preferably 50 ppm or less, more preferably 10 ppm or less. When the linalool content is below the upper limit, it is possible to prevent the characteristic characteristic of linalool from being expressed, and it is easy to understand the impartation of undesirable flavor. The content of linalool can be measured, for example, by GC-MS.

[0027] In the linalool-containing food and drink containing the flavor improver of the present invention, the quinic acid content is preferably 0.0001 ppm or more by mass, preferably 0.001 ppm or more, more preferably 0.002 ppm or more, and particularly preferably 0.01 ppm or more. The flavor improving effect can be further enhanced by the quinic acid content being above the lower limit. In addition, the quinic acid content in the linalool-containing food and drink is preferably 9 ppm or less, more preferably 7 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 5 ppm or less. By being below the upper limit, the astringency caused by quinic acid is felt, and it is easy to prevent the original flavor characteristics of the food and drink from being impaired. The quinic acid content can be measured, for example, using liquid chromatography. The quinic acid content of the food and drink provided for the present invention may be less than the lower limit before the flavor improver is added.

[0028] In the linalool-containing foods and beverages that are the subject of the present invention, in order to effectively prevent the sourness caused by linalool and the decrease in the crispness of the aftertaste by using quinic acid, the content ratio of linalool to quinic acid is preferably 0.00002 to 180 parts by mass of quinic acid per 1 part by mass of linalool, more preferably 0.0001 to 100 parts by mass of quinic acid, and particularly preferably 0.001 to 100 parts by mass of quinic acid.

[0029] Linalool-containing food and drink of the present invention is preferably contained in an acidulant, which reduces the acidity of food and drink caused by containing linalool, and exerts the effect of the present invention.As the acidulant, citric acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, acetic acid, etc. can be mentioned.In this specification, quinic acid does not correspond to the acidulant. It is said that the acidity of these acidulants can be converted to each other, and an example of this is the citric acid equivalent, which is calculated by converting the acidity of each acidulant based on the acidity of citric acid. The citric acid equivalent can be calculated from citric acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, and acetic acid. Specifically, the citric acid equivalent corresponding to 100 ppm of lactic acid is 120 ppm, the citric acid equivalent corresponding to 100 ppm of phosphoric acid is 200 ppm, the citric acid equivalent corresponding to 100 ppm of malic acid is 125 ppm, the citric acid equivalent corresponding to 100 ppm of tartaric acid is 130 ppm, the citric acid equivalent corresponding to 100 ppm of succinic acid is 115 ppm, the citric acid equivalent corresponding to 100 ppm of fumaric acid is 180 ppm, and the citric acid equivalent corresponding to 100 ppm of acetic acid is 180 ppm.

[0030] Generally, the acidulant is contained in a linalool-containing food or drink in an amount of 0.001 to 5 mass %, more preferably 0.005 to 1 mass %, and particularly preferably 0.01 to 0.5 mass %.

[0031] The content of the acidulant may be 1 ppm or more, 10 ppm or more, or 50 ppm or more in terms of citric acid, and may be 50,000 ppm or less, 10,000 ppm or less, or 5,000 ppm or less in terms of citric acid, relative to the entire food or drink. When two or more types of acidulant are contained, the total content of each acidulant may be within the above range. When the content of the acidulant is within the above range, the effect of improving the sourness sensation can be further improved. The content of the acidulant can be measured, for example, by liquid chromatography.

[0032] In addition, the linalool content relative to the acidulant is preferably 0.00002 to 0.08 parts by mass of linalool per 1 part by mass of the acidulant content converted to citric acid, more preferably 0.00005 to 0.04 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0.0001 to 0.02 parts by mass, since linalool reduces the sour taste associated with the acidulant.

[0033] Furthermore, in order to cost-effectively suppress the reduction in the sour taste caused by linalool, the quinic acid content relative to the acidulant is preferably from 10 to 5,000,000 parts by mass, more preferably from 50 to 400,000 parts by mass, more preferably from 80 to 100,000 parts by mass, particularly preferably from 80 to 70,000 parts by mass, and especially preferably from 1,000 to 30,000 parts by mass, of the acidulant converted into citric acid per part by mass of quinic acid content.

[0034] The food or drink may contain any sugar such as sugar, liquid sugar, lactose, fructose, oligosaccharides, trehalose, maltose, sugar alcohol, etc. When the food or drink contains sugar, the sugar content in terms of sucrose is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 10% by mass or less. Furthermore, the sugar content, calculated as sucrose, is preferably 0.05% by mass or more, more preferably 0.1% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 1% by mass or more.

[0035] In the food and drink of the present invention, the moisture content is preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 85% by mass or more, because a certain moisture content or more can easily improve the sharpness of the aftertaste. The moisture content in the food and drink may be 99.9% by mass or less, or 99.5% by mass or less.

[0036] In addition to the various components listed above, the foods and beverages of the present invention may contain conventional nutritional enhancers (such as vitamins), antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, extracts, dietary fiber, proteins, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, etc., within limits that do not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0037] The food and drink of the present invention includes beverages; desserts such as jellies, sherbets, jams and compotes; soups; sauces such as sauces for pasta, udon, and chilled Chinese noodles; confectionery, etc. The food and drink of the present invention is preferably a beverage, since it is easy to improve the sharpness and sourness of the aftertaste caused by the addition of linalool.

[0038] When the food or beverage of the present invention is a beverage, the type of beverage is not particularly limited, and examples include soft drinks, nutritional drinks, functional drinks, flavored water (near water) beverages, carbonated drinks, dairy drinks, lactic acid bacteria drinks, and alcoholic beverages.

[0039] When the food or drink of the present invention is a beverage, the beverage may be a powdered beverage or a packaged beverage, but a packaged beverage is preferable in terms of ease of intake, sourness, and improved aftertaste. The container for the packaged beverage is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include PET bottles, aluminum cans, steel cans, paper packs, chilled cups, and bottles.

[0040] The food or drink of the present invention preferably has a pH of 1.0 to 5.5, more preferably 2.0 to 5.0, and even more preferably 2.5 to 4.0 at 25° C. When the food or drink is not a liquid, the pH is measured after diluting it with 10 times its mass of water and grinding it sufficiently to prevent pH fluctuation.

[0041] The flavor improving agent of the present invention has the effect of improving the reduction in sourness and the reduction in sharpness in the aftertaste of linalool-containing foods and beverages.

[0042] <6> Method for producing linalool-containing food and drink, and method for improving flavor of linalool-containing food and drink The method of the present invention includes a step of adding quinic acid (a) so that the mass ratio (a / b) of the linalool content (b) to the quinic acid content (a) in the linalool-containing food and drink is 0.00002 to 180. The method of the present invention is similar to the conventional method for producing linalool-containing food and drink and the method for improving the flavor of linalool-containing food and drink, except that the above-mentioned blending ratio (a / b) is used. As mentioned above <1> ~ <5> The explanation of the above can be used to explain the present production method without any particular limitation.

[0043] For example, the present invention provides the following: [1] A flavor improver for food and beverages containing linalool, with quinic acid as the active ingredient. [2] The flavor improving agent for linalool-containing foods and beverages according to [1], wherein the amount (a) of quinic acid added to the linalool-containing foods and beverages is 0.00002 to 180 in mass ratio (a / b) relative to the linalool content (b) in the linalool-containing foods and beverages. [3] The flavor improving agent for food and beverages containing linalool according to [1] or [2], wherein the amount of the flavor improving agent used in the food and beverage is 0.002 to 9 ppm by mass as the amount of quinic acid. [4] A flavor improver for linalool-containing foods and beverages according to any one of [1] to [3], which is used to improve flavor deterioration caused by linalool. [5] A flavor improver for linalool-containing foods and beverages according to any one of [1] to [4], which is used to reduce the sourness caused by linalool and / or improve the reduction in the sharpness of the aftertaste. [6] A flavor composition for linalool-containing foods and beverages, comprising the flavor improver for linalool-containing foods and beverages according to [1] or [2]. [7] A linalool-containing food or beverage, characterized by containing a flavor improver for linalool-containing food or beverage according to [1] or [2]. [8] The linalool-containing food or beverage according to [5], which contains an acidulant. [9] A linalool-containing food or drink according to [5] or [6], which is a beverage.

[10] A method for producing a linalool-containing food or beverage, comprising adding quinic acid (a) to the linalool content (b) in the linalool-containing food or beverage so that the mass ratio (a / b) to linalool is 0.00002 to 180.

[11] A method for improving the flavor of a linalool-containing food or beverage, comprising adding quinic acid (a) to the linalool content (b) in the linalool-containing food or beverage so that the mass ratio (a / b) to linalool is 0.00002 to 180. EXAMPLES

[0044] [Production Example 1] (Production of quinic acid-containing black tea extract) 100 g of black tea leaves were mixed with 1000 g of distilled water and extracted for 30 minutes at room temperature (15 to 30° C.). The extract was subjected to solid-liquid separation using a centrifugal filter to obtain 900 g of filtrate. 30 g of activated carbon was added to the filtrate, and the mixture was stirred for 1 hour for purification. Thereafter, the activated carbon was removed, and the mixture was concentrated to obtain 140 g of a concentrated liquid. The concentrated liquid was subjected to a column packed with 100 ml of a cation exchange resin (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, "Diaion (registered trademark) SK1B") and purified by pumping the liquid at a space velocity SV=2 (first re-purification treatment). The effluent was concentrated to about 40 g, and then 52.5 g of 95% by mass ethanol and 2 g of activated carbon were added, followed by stirring and cooling, and insoluble matter was filtered off (second re-purification treatment). The resulting filtrate (78 g) was freeze-dried to obtain 4.7 g of a quinic acid extract containing 16.7% by mass of quinic acid.

[0045] [Production Example 2] (Production of quinic acid black tea extract) 2000g of distilled water was added to 100g of black tea leaves, and the mixture was heated under reflux for 1 hour to obtain an extract. After cooling the extract, it was subjected to solid-liquid separation using a centrifugal filter to obtain 1855g of filtrate. To the filtrate, 500 ml of a synthetic adsorbent made of a cross-linked styrene-based porous polymer ("Diaion (registered trademark) HP-20" manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) was added, and the mixture was stirred for 1 hour for purification. Thereafter, the synthetic adsorbent was removed by filtration to obtain 1765 g of a filtrate. The resulting filtrate (1,765 g) was freeze-dried to obtain 11.34 g of a quinic acid extract containing 15.05% by mass of quinic acid.

[0046] [Production Example 3] (Production of quinic acid-containing green tea extract) 2,000g of distilled water was added to 100g of green tea leaves and stirred at 60°C for one hour. After cooling to 40°C, the tea leaves and insoluble matter were separated using a centrifugal filter, and the separated liquid was filtered through Celite to obtain 1,780g of extract. The extract was concentrated under reduced pressure at a liquid temperature of 50°C until the liquid volume was 300g. 360g of 95% by mass ethanol was added to 300g of this concentrated liquid, and the liquid was cooled to 10°C, and the resulting insoluble matter was filtered through Celite to obtain 593g of filtrate. 12g of activated carbon was further added to the filtrate, which was stirred for 30 minutes and then filtered through Celite. The filtrate was freeze-dried to obtain 2.2g of quinic acid extract containing 7.6% by mass of quinic acid.

[0047] [Production Example 5] (Quinic acid-containing coffee bean hydrolyzed extract) After pulverizing 100 g of raw coffee beans, 30 g of calcium hydroxide and 1,000 g of water were added and heated and stirred at 80°C for 30 minutes. After cooling to room temperature, solid-liquid separation was performed to obtain an aqueous solution. Dilute hydrochloric acid was added to adjust the pH to 3, and activated carbon decolorization was performed. Insoluble matter was removed by filtration to obtain a filtrate. This filtrate was desalted using an ion exchange membrane electrodialysis device (cation exchange membrane molecular weight cutoff: 300, anion exchange membrane molecular weight cutoff: 100), concentrated under reduced pressure, and freeze-dried to obtain 9 g of quinic acid extract containing 35% by mass of quinic acid.

[0048] [Production Example 6] (Quinic acid-containing coffee bean hydrolyzed extract) After pulverizing 500 g of raw coffee beans, 5,000 ml of 70% by mass ethanol aqueous solution was added and heated to reflux for 2 hours. After cooling, solid-liquid separation was performed using a centrifugal filter, and the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to an ethanol content of 5% or less, and 1,000 units of chlorogenic acid esterase (manufactured by Kikkoman Corporation) was added and stirred at 40°C for 3 hours. The treated liquid was centrifuged to remove insoluble matter, and passed through a column packed with 1,000 ml of a synthetic adsorbent (Diaion (registered trademark) HP-20 (trade name) manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), and the eluted liquid was freeze-dried to obtain 26.6 g of a quinic acid extract containing 32% by mass of quinic acid.

[0049] [Production Example 7] (Quinic acid-containing coffee bean hydrolyzed extract) After pulverizing 500 g of raw coffee beans, 5000 ml of 50% by mass ethanol aqueous solution was added and heated to reflux for 2 hours. After cooling the liquid, solid-liquid separation was performed using a centrifugal filter, and the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to an ethanol content of 1% by mass or less, and 10 g of sodium hydroxide was added and stirred at 70°C for 1 hour. After cooling, citric acid was added to adjust the pH to 5, and then 30 g of activated carbon was added and stirred for 1 hour for purification. The activated carbon was removed, and the mixture was concentrated and freeze-dried to obtain 63 g of quinic acid extract containing 20.4% by mass of quinic acid.

[0050] [Test Example 1] A beverage containing an acidulant (40 g of granulated sugar, 0.5 g of citric acid, and 974.5 g of ion-exchanged water) was prepared with pH 3.0 (additive-free product) by adding commercially available linalool at the concentrations shown in Table 1. Sensory evaluation was performed by experienced panelists. The results are shown in Table 1. <Evaluation criteria (increase or decrease in sharpness at the end of the meal)> ××: Bad sourness and a dull aftertaste. ×: The acidity and aftertaste are somewhat poor. △: The acidity and sharpness of the aftertaste are equal. ○: The acidity and sharp aftertaste are somewhat strong. ◎: A strong sour taste and a sharp aftertaste.

[0051] [Table 1]

[0052] As shown in Table 1, the addition of linalool to a beverage containing an acidulant reduced the sourness and sharpness of the aftertaste.

[0053] [Test Example 2] (Quinic acid added) The quinic acid extract produced in Production Example 1 and commercially available linalool were added to an acidulant-containing beverage (40 g of granulated sugar, 0.5 g of citric acid, and 974.5 g of ion-exchanged water) at the concentrations shown in Table 2, and a sensory evaluation was performed by an experienced panelist. The results are shown in Table 2. The pH at 25°C of the beverages of Examples 1 to 29 was within the range of 2.8 to 3.2. The evaluation criteria were the same as in Test Example 1.

[0054] [Table 2]

[0055] When quinic acid was added to an acidulant-containing beverage containing linalool (which, as shown in Test Example 1, had a reduced sourness and sharp aftertaste), the sourness and sharp aftertaste were restored, and the sourness and sharp aftertaste were further enhanced compared to beverages without added linalool or quinic acid.

[0056] [Test Example 3] (Quinic acid added) The quinic acid extracts produced in Production Examples 2 to 7 were added to an acidulant-containing beverage (40 g of granulated sugar, 0.5 g of citric acid, and 974.5 g of ion-exchanged water) at 1 ppm as quinic acid and 100 ppb of commercially available linalool, and a sensory evaluation was carried out by an experienced panelist. The results are shown in Table 3. The evaluation criteria were the same as in Example 1. The pH of the beverages of Examples 30 to 35 at 25°C was within the range of 2.8 to 3.2.

[0057] [Table 3]

[0058] When the quinic acid extracts produced in Production Examples 2 to 7 were added to an acidulant-containing beverage containing linalool, the sourness was increased and the sharp aftertaste was restored, and the sourness and sharp aftertaste were further enhanced compared to beverages without added linalool or quinic acid.

[0059] [Test Example 4] (Comparative Example 6, Example 36) The amount of citric acid was changed from 0.5 g to 0.1 g. The amount of water was changed to 974.9 g. Other than that, the same experiments as those in Comparative Example 5 and Example 24 were carried out. The results are shown in Table 4. The pH of the beverage of Example 35 at 25° C. was 3.4.

[0060] [Table 4]

[0061] [Test Example 5] (Comparative Example 7, Example 37) The amount of citric acid was changed from 0.5 g to 3 g. The amount of water was changed to 972 g. Other than that, the same experiments as those in Comparative Example 4 and Example 17 were carried out. The results are shown in Table 4. The pH of the beverage in Example 37 at 25°C was 2.5.

[0062] [Table 5]

[0063] [Test Example 6] (Comparative Example 8, Example 38) The amount of citric acid was changed from 0.5 g to 0.4 g of malic acid. The amount of water was changed to 974.6 g. Other than these points, the same experiments as those of Comparative Example 4 and Example 17 were carried out. The results are shown in Table 6. The pH of the beverage of Example 38 at 25°C was 3.0.

[0064] [Table 6]

[0065] [Test Example 7] (Comparative Example 9, Example 39) The quinic acid extract produced in Production Example 1 and commercially available linalool were added to an acidulant-containing alcoholic beverage (74.1 g of commercially available vodka (alcohol content 50%), 102 g of fructose glucose liquid sugar, 1.8 g of citric acid, 0.9 g of sodium citrate, 700 g of commercially available carbonated water, and 146.3 g of ion-exchanged water) at the concentrations shown in Table 7, and a sensory evaluation was performed by experienced panelists. The results are shown in Table 7. The pH of the beverage of Example 39 was 3.5 at 25°C. The evaluation criteria were the same as in Test Example 1.

[0066] [Table 7]

Claims

1. The flavor improver for food and drink containing linalool contains quinic acid as an active ingredient, and is used so that the amount of quinic acid in the food and drink is 0.001 ppm to 1 ppm by mass.

2. The flavor improver for linalool-containing food and drink according to claim 1, wherein the amount (a) of quinic acid added to the linalool-containing food and drink is used so that the mass ratio (a / b) of the linalool content (b) in the linalool-containing food and drink is 0.00002 to 180.

3. A flavor composition for linalool-containing foods and beverages, comprising the flavor improver for linalool-containing foods and beverages according to claim 1 or 2, and used in such a way that the amount of quinic acid is 0.001 ppm to 1 ppm by mass in the foods and beverages.

4. A linalool-containing food or drink containing the flavor improver for linalool-containing food or drink according to claim 1, wherein the amount of quinic acid in the food or drink is 0.001 ppm to 1 ppm by mass.

5. A linalool-containing food or beverage as described in claim 4, excluding tea beverages.

6. The linalool-containing food or drink according to claim 5, further comprising an acidulant.

7. The linalool-containing food or drink according to claim 5 or 6, which is a beverage.

8. The method for producing a linalool-containing food or drink includes a step of adding quinic acid (a) such that the mass ratio (a / b) of the linalool content (b) to the quinic acid content (a) in the linalool-containing food or drink is 0.00002 to 180, and the amount of quinic acid in the food or drink is 0.001 ppm to 1 ppm by mass.

9. The method for improving the flavor of a linalool-containing food or drink comprises the step of adding quinic acid (a) such that the mass ratio (a / b) of the linalool content (b) to the quinic acid content (a) in the linalool-containing food or drink is 0.00002 to 180, and the amount of quinic acid in the food or drink is 0.001 ppm to 1 ppm by mass.

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