Beverage, beverage complexity improving agent, and beverage complexity improving method

Abstract

To provide a beverage excellent in complexity.SOLUTION: There is provided a beverage containing a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethyl guaiacol.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to beverages, beverage complexity enhancers, and methods for enhancing the complexity of beverages. [Background technology]

[0002] Carboxylic acid esters often have a fruity aroma and are used as flavorings, while 4-ethylguaiacol is known to cause off-flavors in alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, sake, and shochu (e.g., Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] N-LIVE National Research Institute of Brewing Newsletter, National Research Institute of Brewing, March 31, 2016, No. 29 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present inventors have found that by combining a carboxylic acid ester with 4-ethylguaiacol, a complexly balanced aroma that can be felt from real fruit can be felt, in other words, the complexity can be improved, compared to the simple aroma felt from the carboxylic acid ester itself. The present invention is based on this unexpected finding, and aims to provide a beverage with excellent complexity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention relates to a beverage containing a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol. The beverage according to the present invention is excellent in complexity because it contains a combination of a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol. In addition, the beverage according to the present invention is excellent in complexity, and therefore has a scent close to that of real fruit, improving its preference.

[0006] The carboxylate may be at least one selected from the group consisting of acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate and caproate, which provides greater complexity to the beverage.

[0007] The carboxylic acid ester may be at least one selected from the group consisting of isoamyl acetate, ethyl caproate, and ethyl butyrate, which provides the beverage with greater complexity.

[0008] The beverage may have a 4-ethylguaiacol content of 0.01 mg / L or more and 100 mg / L or less, which provides the beverage with greater complexity.

[0009] The beverage may be a non-fermented beverage.

[0010] The beverage may be a packaged beverage.

[0011] The beverage may be an alcoholic beverage.

[0012] The beverage may be in the form of a ready to drink (RTD).

[0013] As described above, the complexity of a beverage can be improved by combining a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol. Therefore, the present invention can be considered as a beverage complexity improver that contains a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol as active ingredients. The present invention can also be considered as a method for improving the complexity of a beverage, comprising blending a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, a beverage having excellent complexity can be provided. The beverage according to the present invention has excellent complexity, and therefore has an aroma close to that of real fruit, improving its preference. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0016] [Beverage] The beverage according to this embodiment contains a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol.

[0017] The carboxylate ester can be used without any particular limitation as long as it has a structural formula corresponding to the dehydration condensation of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Specific examples of the carboxylate ester include compounds represented by the following general formula (1).

[0018] [ka] In general formula (1), R 1 and R 2 each independently represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, or an aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 60 carbon atoms which may have a substituent.

[0019] R 1 and R 2 The linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in the formula (I) may be, for example, a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

[0020] R 1 and R 2Specific examples of the linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in the above formula include a methyl group, an ethyl group, an n-propyl group, a 2-propyl group, an n-butyl group, a sec-butyl group, a 2-methylpropyl group, a tert-butyl group, an n-pentyl group, a 1-methylbutyl group, a 1-ethylpropyl group, a 1,1-dimethylpropyl group, a 1,2-dimethylpropyl group, an n-hexyl group, a 1-methylpentyl group, a 2-methylpentyl group, a 3-methylpentyl group, a 4-methylpentyl group, a 1-ethylbutyl group, a 2-ethylbutyl group, a 1,1-dimethylbutyl group, a 1,2-dimethylbutyl group, a 1,3-dimethylbutyl group, a 1 Examples of the alkyl group include 1-ethyl-2-methylpropyl, 1,1,2-trimethylpropyl, n-heptyl, 2-methylhexyl, n-octyl, isooctyl, tert-octyl, 2-ethylhexyl, 3-methylheptyl, n-nonyl, isononyl, 1-methyloctyl, 2-ethylheptyl, n-decyl, 1-methylnonyl, n-undecyl, 1,1-dimethylnonyl, n-dodecyl, n-tetradecyl, n-heptadecyl, and n-octadecyl groups.

[0021] R 1 and R 2 The aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 60 carbon atoms in R means a group in which one hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom constituting a ring has been removed from a monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. 1 and R 2 The aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 60 carbon atoms in the formula may be, for example, an aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms or an aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 18 carbon atoms.

[0022] R 1 and R 2 Specific examples of the aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 60 carbon atoms include a phenyl group, a naphthyl group, a biphenyl group, an anthryl group, a phenanthryl group, a pyrenyl group, a triphenylenyl group, an indenyl group, and a fluorenyl group.

[0023] Examples of the substituent include halogen atoms such as a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, and an iodine atom, an azide group, a sulfo group, a nitro group, a nitroso group, a cyano group, a hydroxyl group, a carboxy group, a thiol group, an unsubstituted amino group, and a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

[0024] Examples of the linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in the substituent include a methyl group, an ethyl group, an n-propyl group, a 2-propyl group, an n-butyl group, a sec-butyl group, a 2-methylpropyl group, a tert-butyl group, an n-pentyl group, a 1-methylbutyl group, a 1-ethylpropyl group, a 1,1-dimethylpropyl group, a 1,2-dimethylpropyl group, an n-hexyl group, a 1-methylpentyl group, a 2-methylpentyl group, a 3-methylpentyl group, a 4-methylpentyl group, a 1-ethylbutyl group, a 2-ethylbutyl group, a 1,1-dimethylbutyl group, a 1,2-dimethylbutyl group, a 1,3-dimethylbutyl group, a 1, Examples of such alkyl groups include 4-dimethylbutyl group, 2,2-dimethylbutyl group, 2,3-dimethylbutyl group, 3,3-dimethylbutyl group, 1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl group, 1,1,2-trimethylpropyl group, n-heptyl group, 2-methylhexyl group, n-octyl group, isooctyl group, tert-octyl group, 2-ethylhexyl group, 3-methylheptyl group, n-nonyl group, isononyl group, 1-methyloctyl group, 2-ethylheptyl group, n-decyl group, 1-methylnonyl group, n-undecyl group, 1,1-dimethylnonyl group, n-dodecyl group, n-tetradecyl group, n-heptadecyl group, and n-octadecyl group.

[0025] These substituents may be contained alone or in combination, and when contained in combination, they may be the same or different. These substituents may have the above-mentioned substituents, and further, these substituents may be bonded to each other via a single bond, a substituted or unsubstituted methylene group, an oxygen atom, or a sulfur atom to form a ring.

[0026] The carboxylate ester is, for example, an acetate ester (in the general formula (1), R 1is a methyl group), propionate esters (compounds in which R 1 is an ethyl group), butyric acid esters (compounds in which R 1 is an n-propyl group), valeric acid esters (compounds in which R 1 is an n-butyl group), caproic acid esters (compounds in which R 1 is an n-pentyl group).

[0027] A specific example of the carboxylate ester is isoamyl acetate (R 1 is a methyl group, and R 2 is a 3-methylbutyl group), ethyl caproate (compounds in which R 1 is an n-pentyl group, and R 2 is an ethyl group), ethyl butyrate (compounds in which R 1 is an n-propyl group, and R 2 is an ethyl group), ethyl acetate (compounds in which R 1 is a methyl group, and R 2 is an ethyl group), ethyl isobutyrate (compounds in which R 1 is a 2-propyl group, and R 2 is an ethyl group), and isoamyl acetate, ethyl caproate and ethyl butyrate are preferred.

[0028] The carboxylic acid esters may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0029] The content of the carboxylate ester in the beverage according to the present embodiment is not particularly limited as long as the aroma of the carboxylate ester is sufficiently felt (for example, an amount sufficiently greater than a threshold value). The content of the carboxylate ester may be set according to the type of the carboxylate ester used, and may be, for example, 0.001 mg / L or more and 1000 mg / L or less, 0.005 mg / L or more and 500 mg / L or less, 0.01 mg / L or more and 100 mg / L or less, 0.01 mg / L or more and 75 mg / L or less, 0.01 mg / L or more and 50 mg / L or less, 0.05 mg / L or more and 25 mg / L or less, or 0.1 mg / L or more and 10 mg / L or less in terms of the total amount of the carboxylate ester relative to the total amount of the beverage.

[0030] Furthermore, for example, when isoamyl acetate is used as the carboxylate ester, the content of isoamyl acetate may be, for example, 0.1 mg / L or more and 100 mg / L or less, 0.5 mg / L or more and 50 mg / L or less, 1 mg / L or more and 10 mg / L or less, or 2.5 mg / L or more and 7.5 mg / L or less, relative to the total amount of the beverage.

[0031] Furthermore, for example, when ethyl caproate is used as the carboxylate ester, the content of ethyl caproate may be, for example, from 0.01 mg / L to 10 mg / L, from 0.05 mg / L to 5 mg / L, from 0.1 mg / L to 1 mg / L, or from 0.25 mg / L to 0.75 mg / L, relative to the total amount of the beverage.

[0032] Furthermore, for example, when ethyl butyrate is used as the carboxylate ester, the content of ethyl butyrate may be, for example, from 0.01 mg / L to 10 mg / L, from 0.05 mg / L to 5 mg / L, from 0.1 mg / L to 1 mg / L, or from 0.25 mg / L to 0.75 mg / L, relative to the total amount of the beverage.

[0033] The carboxylate ester content of the beverage according to the present embodiment can be measured according to the method described in "8.22 Low-boiling point aroma components" in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewing Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Brewers Association of Japan, revised and expanded in 2013). The carboxylate ester content of the beverage according to the present embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by the type and blending amount of the raw material used. It can also be adjusted, for example, by blending the carboxylate ester itself, or by blending a raw material containing a carboxylate ester (for example, a flavoring composition).

[0034] 4-Ethylguaiacol (hereinafter, also referred to as "4EG") is a compound also called 2-methoxy-4-ethylphenol. 4EG is known as an off-flavor of alcoholic beverages. The beverage according to this embodiment unexpectedly has an effect of improving complexity by combining a carboxylic acid ester with 4EG.

[0035] The 4EG content of the beverage of this embodiment may be, for example, 0.01 mg / L or more and 100 mg / L or less, 0.02 mg / L or more and 75 mg / L or less, 0.03 mg / L or more and 50 mg / L or less, 0.04 mg / L or more and 40 mg / L or less, 0.05 mg / L or more and 30 mg / L or less, 0.06 mg / L or more and 25 mg / L or less, 0.07 mg / L or more and 20 mg / L or less, 0.08 mg / L or more and 15 mg / L or less, 0.09 mg / L or more and 10 mg / L or less, or 0.1 mg / L or more and 5 mg / L or less, relative to the total volume of the beverage.

[0036] The 4EG content of the beverage according to this embodiment can be measured using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) based on the solid phase microextraction (SPME) method. The quantification is preferably performed by the standard addition method. The 4EG content of the beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by the type and amount of raw materials used. It can also be adjusted, for example, by adding 4EG itself or adding a raw material containing 4EG (for example, a flavoring composition).

[0037] The beverage according to the present embodiment may contain additives such as colorants, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavors, and salts that are usually blended into beverages. Examples of colorants include caramel color, gardenia color, fruit juice color, vegetable color, and synthetic color. Examples of sweeteners include high-fructose glucose liquid sugar, glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glycogen, and starch. Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include neotame, acesulfame K, sucralose, saccharin, sodium saccharin, disodium ricyrrhizinate, cyclamate, dulcin, stevia, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame, and alitame. Examples of antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols. Examples of the acidulant include phosphoric acid, lactic acid, DL-malic acid, citric acid, adipic acid, trisodium citrate, glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, DL-sodium tartrate, L-sodium tartrate, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, and DL-sodium malate. Examples of the flavoring include beer flavor and fruit flavor. Examples of the salt include table salt, potassium acid phosphate, calcium acid phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate.

[0038] The beverage according to the present embodiment may be an alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or more, or a non-alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of less than 1 v / v%. In this specification, alcohol means ethanol unless otherwise specified.

[0039] The alcohol content of the alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited and may be, for example, 1 v / v% or more, 2 v / v% or more, 3 v / v% or more, 4 v / v% or more, or 5 v / v% or more. The alcohol content of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage may be, for example, 20 v / v% or less, 15 v / v% or less, 10 v / v% or less, 9 v / v% or less, 8 v / v% or less, 7 v / v% or less, 6 v / v% or less, 5 v / v% or less, 4 v / v% or less, or 3 v / v% or less.

[0040] The alcohol content of a non-alcoholic beverage may be less than 1 v / v%, may be 0.5 v / v% or less, may be 0.1 v / v% or less, or may be less than 0.005 v / v% (0.00 v / v%).

[0041] The beverage according to the present embodiment may be either non-carbonated or carbonated. Here, non-carbonated refers to a beverage that has a gas pressure of 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm) at 20°C. 2 ) at 20°C, and foaming is when the gas pressure is less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm 2 ) or more. For foaming, the upper limit of the gas pressure is 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm 2 ) may be acceptable.

[0042] The beverage according to the present embodiment may be a non-fermented beverage. A non-fermented beverage is one that is produced without fermentation using yeast or the like. The non-fermented beverage also includes beverages that are produced by blending alcohol (e.g., raw alcohol, spirits, vodka) without fermentation using yeast or the like.

[0043] The beverage according to the present embodiment can be put into a container and provided as a containerized beverage. The container may be any container that can be sealed, and so-called can containers or barrel containers made of metal (such as aluminum or steel) can be applied. The container may also be a glass container, a plastic bottle container, a paper container, a pouch container, or the like. The capacity of the container is not particularly limited, and any container currently in circulation can be applied. Note that it is preferable to apply a metal container, since it can completely block gas, moisture, and light and can maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

[0044] The beverage according to the present embodiment may be, for example, a chu-hi taste beverage. The beverage according to the present embodiment may be in the form of an RTD (Ready To Drink) or RTS (Ready To Serve). An RTD is one that is consumed as is with the lid open. An RTS is one that is consumed by diluting with ice, water, hot water, or the like. In this specification, a chu-hi taste beverage means a chu-hi or a beverage having a chu-hi-like flavor. The chu-hi taste beverage may contain fruit flavors and fruit juice. Examples of fruit flavors and fruit juice include citrus fruits of the Rosaceae family, such as plum, apple, strawberry, and peach, citrus fruits such as lemon, mandarin orange, grapefruit, orange, lime, yuzu, kabosu, sudachi, and shikuwasa, and grape fruits.

[0045] The beverage according to this embodiment can be produced according to a conventional method, except for blending the carboxylate ester and 4-ethylguaiacol and adjusting the contents thereof within the above-mentioned ranges as necessary. Blending of the carboxylate ester and 4-ethylguaiacol and adjustment of the contents thereof can be carried out, for example, by adding the carboxylate ester and 4-ethylguaiacol to the raw material liquid. The carboxylate ester and 4-ethylguaiacol themselves may be added to the raw material liquid, or a raw material containing them (for example, a flavor composition) may be added to the raw material liquid. In this specification, the raw material liquid means a liquid that is the base of the beverage.

[0046] The beverage according to the present embodiment can be obtained, for example, by a production method including a blending step of blending the carboxylate ester and 4-ethylguaiacol, and, if necessary, water, distilled alcohol (e.g., raw material alcohol, spirits, vodka), and various additives in a raw material tank. The carboxylate ester and 4-ethylguaiacol may be blended as they are, or may be blended by adding a raw material containing them (e.g., a flavor composition).

[0047] The production method according to this embodiment may further include a filtration step of filtering the mixed liquid obtained by mixing the components in the blending step, a first sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filtered in the filtration step, a filling step of filling a container such as a bottle, a can, a jar, or a PET bottle with the sterilized filtrate sterilized in the first sterilization step, and a second sterilization step of sterilizing the container together with the filtrate filled in the filling step.

[0048] The blending step may be performed by mixing while stirring with a stirrer or the like so that each component is thoroughly mixed. The filtration step may be performed with a general filter or strainer. The first sterilization step may be performed by plate sterilization from the viewpoint of processing speed, etc., and is not limited to this, and may be applied as long as a similar process can be performed. The filling step may be performed in a clean room that maintains a degree of cleanliness that is usually performed in the manufacture of beverages. The second sterilization step may be performed by heating the filtrate together with the container at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time. It is also possible to perform non-sterile filling without performing the second sterilization step.

[0049] Beverage Complexity Enhancers and Methods for Enhancing Beverage Complexity By combining the carboxylic acid ester with 4-ethylguaiacol, a complexly balanced aroma that can be felt from real fruit can be felt, that is, the complexity can be improved, compared with the simple aroma felt from the carboxylic acid ester itself. Therefore, as one embodiment of the present invention, a beverage complexity enhancer containing a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol as active ingredients is provided. In addition, as another embodiment, a method for improving the complexity of a beverage is provided, which includes blending a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol.

[0050] Specific aspects of the beverage complexity enhancer and the beverage complexity enhancement method are as described above. According to the beverage complexity enhancer and the beverage complexity enhancement method of the present embodiment, the beverage complexity can be enhanced, and the beverage has a scent close to that of real fruit, which improves the preference of the beverage. EXAMPLES

[0051] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0052] Test Example 1: Production and Evaluation of Beverages A carboxylate ester (isoamyl acetate, ethyl caproate, or ethyl butyrate) and 4-ethylguaiacol (4EG) were added to water so as to obtain the contents shown in Tables 1 to 3, to produce a beverage.

[0053] The resulting beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation of the evaluation item "complexity" by a panel of six selected individuals with discriminating abilities. The beverages were rated on a five-point scale from 1 to 5, and the average score of the six panelists was recorded as the evaluation score. When conducting the sensory evaluation, the panels were reconciled to unify the evaluation criteria.

[0054] "Complexity" refers to the ability to sense a complex, balanced aroma that can be sensed from real fruit, compared to a simple aroma (e.g., a solvent-like aroma) that can be sensed from the carboxylic acid ester itself, and the higher the score, the closer the aroma is to that of real fruit, i.e., the greater the complexity. The results are also shown in Tables 1 to 3.

[0055] [Table 1]

[0056] [Table 2]

[0057] [Table 3]

[0058] The results shown in Tables 1 to 3 show that the complexity is improved by combining a carboxylic acid ester (isoamyl acetate, ethyl caproate, or ethyl butyrate) with 4-ethylguaiacol (4EG).

[0059] [Test Example 2: Production and Evaluation of Beverages] Raw material alcohol (alcohol concentration: 65.5 v / v%), carboxylic acid ester (isoamyl acetate, ethyl caproate or ethyl butyrate) and 4-ethylguaiacol (4EG) were added to water in the amounts shown in Tables 4 to 6 to produce beverages (non-alcoholic beverages and alcoholic beverages).

[0060] The resulting beverage was subjected to a sensory evaluation for the evaluation item of "complexity" in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are also shown in Tables 4 to 6.

[0061] [Table 4]

[0062] [Table 5]

[0063] [Table 6]

[0064] The results shown in Tables 4 to 6 show that the improved complexity of the combination of carboxylic acid esters (isoamyl acetate, ethyl caproate, or ethyl butyrate) with 4-ethylguaiacol (4EG) is maintained even in alcoholic beverages.

Claims

1. It contains a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol, The carboxylic acid ester comprises isoamyl acetate, The isoamyl acetate content is 0.1 mg / L or more and 5 mg / L or less. A beverage having a 4-ethylguaiacol content of 0.01 mg / L or more and 10 mg / L or less, and an alcohol content of 9 v / v% or less.

2. A compound comprising a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol, The carboxylic acid ester comprises ethyl caproate, The content of ethyl caproate is 0.05 mg / L or more and 1 mg / L or less. A beverage having a 4-ethylguaiacol content of 0.01 mg / L or more and 10 mg / L or less, and an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or more and 9 v / v% or less.

3. The beverage according to claim 1, which is a non-alcoholic beverage.

4. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the content of isoamyl acetate is 0.5 mg / L or more and 5 mg / L or less.

5. The beverage according to claim 2, wherein the content of ethyl caproate is 0.1 mg / L or more and 1 mg / L or less.

6. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of 4-ethylguaiacol is 0.02 mg / L or more and 5 mg / L or less.

7. A method for producing a beverage comprising the step of adding a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol, The carboxylic acid ester comprises isoamyl acetate, The content of isoamyl acetate is 0.1 mg / L or more and 5 mg / L or less. A manufacturing method comprising the step of adjusting the content of 4-ethylguaiacol to 0.01 mg / L or more and 10 mg / L or less, and the alcohol content to 9 v / v% or less.

8. A method for producing a beverage comprising the step of containing a carboxylic acid ester and 4-ethylguaiacol, The carboxylic acid ester comprises ethyl caproate, The content of ethyl caproate is 0.05 mg / L or more and 1 mg / L or less. A manufacturing method comprising the step of adjusting the content of 4-ethylguaiacol to 0.01 mg / L or more and 10 mg / L or less, and the alcohol content to 1 v / v% or more and 9 v / v% or less.