Vegetable milk-containing beverage

Abstract

To reduce grassy smell and to improve aftertaste, in beverage containing vegetable milk, in particular in beverage containing soybean milk.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a beverage containing vegetable milk and 10-800 ppb of benzothiazole. In the beverage of the present invention, the vegetable milk preferably contains soy milk, and more preferably contains a coffee extract. Further, the vegetable milk is selected from soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, rice milk, and the like, but for example, soy milk, prepared soy milk, or a soy milk beverage is preferably included.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant-based milk-containing beverage, and more particularly to a plant-based milk-containing beverage that has a suppressed grassy smell and a pleasant aftertaste. [Background technology]

[0002] So far, various dairy beverages have been developed to suit a wide variety of targets. On the other hand, against the background of the problem of milk allergies and the recent health consciousness and diversification of tastes, new plant-based milk-containing beverages to replace dairy beverages are also being developed. So far, plant-based milks such as soy milk, almond milk, and coconut milk have high nutritional value, and many products that can be stored at room temperature, especially soy milk, are sold. However, it has been known that beverages containing plant-based milk, such as soy milk, have a grassy soy milk smell that becomes noticeable during storage, resulting in an undesirable flavor, which impairs the taste due to the grassy smell, and as a result makes them difficult to drink. To address this issue, for example, efforts have been made to add flavorings to impart a fruity taste and make them easier to drink, but there is a possibility that the taste, such as the unique richness derived from plant-based milk, will be impaired at the same time.

[0003] Therefore, various means have been attempted to mask the undesirable grassy smell. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique relating to a composition for masking the soy milk smell, utilizing the fact that the soy milk smell is masked by a composition containing an extract containing sesquiterpenes of citrus fruits (typically lemon). Patent Document 2 describes a technique relating to soy milk in which the unpleasant smell inherent to soy milk, particularly the grassy smell, is masked without using auxiliary materials such as flavorings, and specifically discloses soy milk containing 40 to 7000 μg of methylpyrazines per liter.

[0004] On the other hand, in the food industry, benzothiazoles are used at about 0.5 ppm in beverages, candies, baked goods, meat products, soups, dairy products, etc., and are known to be contained in beer, cocoa, etc. In general, benzothiazoles are also known to be naturally found in apricots, cooked asparagus, mozzarella cheese, skim milk, roast beef, beer, whiskey, coconut, mango, cooked broccoli, kelp, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-105011 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-169481 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to reduce the grassy smell and improve the aftertaste in beverages containing plant-based milk (also called plant-based milk-containing beverages), particularly beverages containing soy milk. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors, while diligently studying flavors and the like that can suppress the deterioration of the flavor of plant-based milk-containing beverages and new means for suppressing the deterioration of flavor, unexpectedly discovered that by adding a certain amount of benzothiazole (estimated value is 6 ppb or less), which is not normally contained in plant-based milk, particularly soy milk, to the plant-based milk, it is possible to suppress the grassy smell of the plant-based milk-containing beverage and improve the flavor, and thus completed the present invention. That is, the present invention includes the following aspects. [1] A beverage containing vegetable milk and 10 to 800 ppb of benzothiazole. [2] The beverage described in [1], wherein the plant-based milk comprises soy milk. [3] The beverage according to [1] or [2] above, further comprising a coffee extract. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The present invention can provide a plant-based milk-containing beverage that has a suppressed grassy smell and a good aftertaste, and a means for providing such a plant-based milk-containing beverage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The present invention relates to a plant-based milk-containing beverage containing plant-based milk and 10 to 800 ppb of benzothiazole. The plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention contains 10 to 800 ppb of benzothiazole, which suppresses the grassy odor and improves the flavor, especially the aftertaste. In addition to the aftertaste, the meaning of "improving the flavor of the plant-based milk-containing beverage" in the present invention specifically includes an increase in full-bodied taste and an overall improvement in palatability. One of the reasons for the effect of this benzothiazole is that benzothiazole alone can mask the flavor of hexanal, which contributes to the grassy odor in the plant-based milk-containing beverage. In the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention, if the benzothiazole concentration is less than 10 ppb, the effect of suppressing the grassy odor may not be obtained, and if it is more than 800 ppb, the balance of the flavor may be lost and the palatability may be reduced.

[0010] The beverage of the present invention more preferably contains 50 to 500 ppb of benzothiazole, and particularly preferably contains 100 to 300 ppb of benzothiazole. In order to allow the vegetable milk-containing beverage to contain 10 ppb or more of benzothiazole, the vegetable milk-containing beverage of the present invention can be obtained by appropriately adding benzothiazole to adjust the benzothiazole concentration.

[0011] The plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention may be mixed with a commercially available benzothiazole (flavoring, etc.) or a flavoring composition containing benzothiazole to adjust the benzothiazole concentration, or may be mixed with a food or drink containing a known concentration of benzothiazole, such as coffee, cocoa, tea, etc. In addition, when the concentration of benzothiazole in the plant-based milk-containing beverage is unknown, it can be measured by GC / MS measurement using the MVM (Multi Volatile Method) method using MPS manufactured by Gestell, for example, according to the method described in this embodiment, under the conditions described in this embodiment.

[0012] In the plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention, the concentration of solids derived from the plant-based milk is preferably 0.3% by mass to 5.5% by mass, more preferably 0.5% by mass to 4.0% by mass, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass to 2.5% by mass, in order to achieve a good flavor. The concentration of solids derived from the plant-based milk in the beverage can be determined by calculation based on the raw materials used in the production of the plant-based milk-containing beverage.

[0013] In the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention, the plant-based milk is selected from soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, rice milk, etc., and preferably contains soy milk, prepared soy milk, or soy milk beverage described in Notification No. 683 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries dated March 29, 2018. The plant-based milk may be in powder form in addition to liquid form. More specifically, the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention may be a mixture of, for example, soy milk powder as a raw material. In the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention, the solid content derived from the plant-based milk is preferably soybean solid content. The soybean solid content can be determined according to a calculation based on the raw materials used in the production of the beverage containing soy milk as the plant-based milk. In the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention, the ratio of soybean solid content concentration (mass%):benzothiazole concentration (ppb) is preferably 0.5 to 50:4.0 to 500, and more preferably 0.5 to 50:2.5 to 300.

[0014] Furthermore, the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention preferably has a nearly neutral pH, for example, preferably 4.6 to 8.0, and particularly preferably 6.0 to 7.5, for reasons of stability of proteins and the like contained in the plant-based milk and good flavor.

[0015] The sugar content of the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention is synonymous with the Brix (also written as Brix or Bx) value. That is, in the present invention, the sugar content is the reading of a sugar refractometer at 20°C, and can be, for example, the solid content measured at 20°C using a product name "Digital Refractometer Rx-5000" (manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.). The sugar content is not particularly limited, but is preferably 3 to 12°Bx, and more preferably 5 to 10°Bx. The sugar content of the plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention can be adjusted to the above value by using a known sweetener. For example, it is preferable to adjust the sugar content by using saccharides such as sucrose, glucose, granulated sugar, fructose, lactose, and maltose, fructose glucose liquid sugar, and glucose fructose liquid sugar; low-intensity sweeteners such as xylitol and D-sorbitol; high-intensity sweeteners such as thaumatin, stevia extract, disodium glycyrrhizinate, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, neotame, and saccharin sodium alone or in combination of two or more kinds, and it is particularly preferable to adjust the sugar content by using sucrose, fructose glucose liquid sugar, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and aspartame from the viewpoint of the taste such as natural sweetness and refreshing sourness required for plant-based milk-containing beverages.

[0016] In addition, the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention preferably contains an emulsifier in order to maintain the emulsified state of the plant-based milk in a good condition. Any emulsifier that can be used in foods and beverages can be used without particular limitation, and examples thereof include glycerin, glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, gum arabic, lecithin, etc. One type of emulsifier may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. The blending ratio of the emulsifier in the plant-based milk-containing beverage can be appropriately determined depending on the type of the emulsifier, etc., within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. The blending ratio is not particularly limited, but for example, based on the total mass of the beverage, the lower limit is usually 0.0001% by mass and the upper limit is usually 0.1% by mass.

[0017] If necessary, the plant-based milk-containing beverage may contain minerals such as sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, etc. to adjust the taste of the beverage. The water used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and for example, ion-exchanged water can be used.

[0018] Here, the beverage of the present invention preferably further contains a coffee extract. The coffee extract of the present invention includes a liquid containing components derived from coffee beans, for example, a solution obtained by extracting ground roasted beans with water or hot water (hereinafter also referred to as an extract), or a coffee extract obtained by concentrating the solution, or instant coffee obtained by drying the solution.

[0019] The coffee beans used as the raw material for the coffee extract in the present invention may be Arabica or Robusta, and are not particularly limited. For example, the raw beans may be selected from Mexico, Guatemala, Blue Mountain, Crystal Mountain, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil Santos, Hawaii Kona, Mocha, Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Mandheling, and Robusta, or a mixture thereof.

[0020] Furthermore, when the coffee extract used in the present invention is an extract, it is preferably extracted with 1 L of water per 1 to 100 g, more preferably 5 to 50 g, of coffee beans, and the temperature of the water during extraction is preferably 60 to 95° C. Furthermore, the extraction time of the coffee extract is preferably 30 to 120 minutes. There are no particular limitations on the method for extracting the coffee extract of the present invention, and it can be extracted by, for example, a general drip method, immersion method, espresso method, or the like. Here, in the plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention, the concentration of soluble solids derived from the coffee extract is 0.03 to 3.3% by mass. More preferably, it is 0.15 to 1.7% by mass. For example, the soluble solids concentration of the coffee extract can be synonymous with the Brix value of the coffee extract. Furthermore, when instant coffee is used as the coffee extract, the soluble solids content corresponds to the content of the instant coffee.

[0021] A preferred embodiment of the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention is, but is not limited to, a soy milk-containing beverage containing 50 to 500 ppb of benzothiazole, a pH of 4.6 to 8.0, a soy solids concentration of 0.5% by mass or more and less than 4.0% by mass, and a coffee extract at a soluble solids concentration of 0.03 to 3.3% by mass.

[0022] The plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention may further contain an animal milk component. The animal milk component may be derived from, for example, either animal milk or plant milk. Examples of animal milk include cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk, and horse's milk. Examples of the form of the milk component include whole milk, skim milk, whey, milk protein concentrate, buttermilk powder, unsweetened condensed milk, skim sweetened condensed milk, whole fat sweetened condensed milk, fresh cream, and fermented milk. Milk reconstituted from powdered milk or concentrated milk can also be used. Among these, skim milk is preferred, and skim milk powder is particularly preferred because of its ease of handling. The milk component may be derived from a single type of raw material or from several types of raw materials. In addition, to the plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention, fruit juice, for example citrus juice such as orange, lemon, grapefruit, or fruit juice such as grape, peach, apple, banana, etc. may be added as an optional acidic component as necessary, within the scope that does not impair the flavor, etc.

[0023] In addition, the plant-based milk-containing beverage according to the present invention may include liquid or paste-like fermented soy milk food and drink obtained by fermenting a raw material (such as soy milk) using lactic acid bacteria, yeast, or the like. In addition, the plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention may contain commonly used food additives such as sweeteners and flavorings not described above, various nutritional components, various plant extracts, colorants, diluents, antioxidants, etc., so long as the purpose of the present invention is not impaired. The plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a beverage containing plant-based milk, but examples include unadjusted soy milk, adjusted soy milk, soy milk beverages, soft drinks, coffee beverages, black tea beverages, tea-based beverages, fruit beverages, sports drinks, health drinks, or alcoholic beverages.

[0024] The plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention can be obtained by appropriately mixing soy milk and the above-mentioned benzothiazole, sweeteners, flavorings, various nutritional components, various plant extracts, colorants, diluents, antioxidants, and other food additives. In the production process of the plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention, a homogenization treatment or a sterilization treatment can be added as necessary. The homogenization treatment can be usually carried out using a homogenizer. The homogenization conditions are not particularly limited and can be carried out according to a conventional method. The method of sterilization is not particularly limited, and conventional methods such as plate sterilization, tubular sterilization, retort sterilization, batch sterilization, and autoclave sterilization can be used. Methods for filling the plant-based milk-containing beverage of the present invention into containers after sterilization can include, for example, hot-packing the beverage into the container and cooling the filled container, or cooling the beverage to a temperature suitable for filling into containers and aseptically filling them into containers that have been previously washed and sterilized.

[0025] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples and may be modified appropriately without departing from the scope of the present invention. EXAMPLES

[0026] The methods for obtaining the analytical or calculated values ​​of the content of each component and the sensory evaluation method were as follows. ≪1 Soybean solid content (mass%)≫ The soybean solids content was calculated based on the indicated values ​​of the raw materials used in the production of each sample and the measured sugar content (Bx(°)) of each sample.

[0027] ≪2 Aroma components (benzothiazole (ppb)≫ In this example, the content of benzothiazole was calculated based on the raw materials used to manufacture each beverage sample. For beverages with unknown benzothiazole concentrations, the benzothiazole concentration (ppb) in the beverage was measured by GC / MS using the MVM (Multi Volatile Method) method using a Gestell MPS under the following conditions. Equipment: GC: Agilent Technologies 7890B MS: Agilent Technologies 5977B MSD HS: Gerstel MPS, TUBE: Tenax TA, Carbopack B / X Column: DB-WAX UI 0.25mm x 30m x 0.25μm Quantitative ion: Benzothiazole m / z=135 Temperature conditions: 40℃ (2 minutes) ~ 8℃ / min → 240℃ (10 minutes) Carrier gas flow rate: He 1ml / min Injection method: splitless Ion source temperature: 230℃

[0028] ≪3 Sugar content (Bx°)≫ The sugar content was measured on samples at 20°C using a Digital Refractometer Rx-5000 (manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.). ≪4 pH≫ The pH was measured using a pH meter.

[0029] 5. Sensory evaluation method The sensory evaluation was performed by expert panelists using a quantitative rating method with the "control" of each experimental system set as the reference point of "4" for samples at 4°C. The evaluation items were grassy smell (strong or weak), aftertaste, and palatability (overall evaluation), each of which was rated on a 7-point scale, and the scores were averaged. There was little variation in the scores of each panelist. The sensory evaluation criteria were as shown in Table 1 below. A grassy smell of less than 4 points and an aftertaste of more than 4 points were judged to be effective. The sensory evaluation results in Table 2 below are the average scores of eight expert panelists, and the sensory evaluation results in Table 3 below are the average scores of six expert panelists.

[0030] [Table 1]

[0031] [Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1] A control sample was prepared by mixing unsweetened soy milk (soybean solids 8% by mass), granulated sugar, instant coffee, and deionized water to prepare a control sample containing 120.0 g / L of unsweetened soy milk, 50.0 g / L of granulated sugar, and 3.00 g / L of instant coffee (equivalent to the amount of coffee extracted from 9 g of coffee beans per 1 L). A predetermined amount of benzothiazole standard solution (1000 ppm) was added to the control sample to prepare beverage samples of Examples 1 to 4 having benzothiazole concentrations of 10 ppb, 100 ppb, 500 ppb, and 800 ppb, respectively. The control sample was designated as Comparative Example 1 (control), and the sample of Comparative Example 1 was set as a reference point 4 and evaluated. The content (concentration) of each component in each sample, the analytical values, and the sensory evaluation results are shown in Table 2. It was previously confirmed that Comparative Example 1 (unadjusted soy milk) did not contain benzothiazole.

[0032] [Table 2]

[0033] The results in Table 2 show that in the range of 10 to 800 ppb of benzothiazole, a "reduction in the grassy smell" and an "improvement in the aftertaste" were observed, and it was confirmed that good results were also obtained in terms of overall "taste."

[0034] [Example 5 and Comparative Example 2] A control sample was prepared by mixing prepared soy milk powder (soybean solids 85% by mass), soy milk cream (soybean solids 18% by mass), granulated sugar, instant coffee, and deionized water to prepare a control sample containing 10.0 g / L prepared soy milk powder, 5.00 g / L soy milk cream, 50.0 g / L granulated sugar, and 3.00 g / L instant coffee (equivalent to the amount of coffee extracted from 9 g of coffee beans per 1 L, calculated as green coffee beans). A predetermined amount of benzothiazole standard solution (1000 ppm) was added to this control sample to prepare a beverage sample of Example 5 having a benzothiazole concentration of 100 ppb. The control sample was designated as Comparative Example 2 (control), and the sample of Comparative Example 2 was set as a reference point 4 and evaluated. The content (concentration) of each component in each sample, the analytical values, and the sensory evaluation results are shown in Table 3. It was previously confirmed that benzothiazole was not included in the formulation of Comparative Example 2.

[0035] [Table 3]

[0036] As shown in the results in Table 3, even when the raw material for the plant-based milk was changed from unsweetened soy milk to soy milk powder and soy milk cream, a similar "reduction in the grassy smell" and "improved aftertaste" were observed, and good results were also obtained in terms of overall "taste."

Claims

1. A beverage comprising vegetable milk and 10 to 800 ppb of benzothiazole.

2. The beverage of claim 1 , wherein the plant-based milk comprises soy milk.

3. 3. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a coffee extract.

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