Citrus fruit juice-containing beverage

Abstract

To provide a novel technique that can improve a refreshing feeling and aftertaste of a citrus fruit juice-containing beverage.SOLUTION: A citrus fruit juice-containing beverage has a citrus-derived juice percentage of 30% or less and citric acid acidity of 0.40 g / 100 ml or more and contains (A) ethyl isobutyrate with its content of 10-10000 ppb and / or contains (B) allyl hexanoate with its content of 10-500 ppb.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to beverages containing citrus-derived juice. [Background technology]

[0002] Beverages containing fruit juice such as citrus fruits (citrus juice-containing beverages) have been widely enjoyed for some time (e.g., Patent Document 1). In order to meet the diverse tastes of consumers, beverages with different fruit juice percentages and citric acid acidity are sold. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2011-167171 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention provides a novel technique capable of improving the refreshing feeling and aftertaste of a citrus juice-containing beverage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present inventors have noticed that when the acidity of citric acid in a citrus juice-containing beverage is 0.40 g / 100 ml or more, the refreshing feeling felt when drinking the beverage decreases and the aftertaste is also rated poorly. As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have discovered that by making a beverage having a citrus juice content of 30% or less and also containing a specified amount of ethyl isobutyrate and / or allyl hexanoate, it is possible to enhance the refreshing feeling and also improve the aftertaste.

[0006] In this specification, the term "refreshing feeling" refers to the sensation of the taste felt when the beverage is held in the mouth and the taste felt after drinking (aftertaste). When the taste felt when the beverage is held in the mouth and / or the aftertaste is felt to be lighter, and when the aftertaste disappears more quickly, the refreshing feeling is felt more (improved refreshing feeling). Furthermore, improving the aftertaste means that the aftertaste is better (receiving a higher evaluation).

[0007] The gist of the present invention is as follows. [1] A citrus juice-containing beverage having a citrus juice-derived fruit juice content of 30% or less, a citric acid acidity of 0.40g / 100ml or more, and satisfying the following (A) and / or (B). (A) Contains ethyl isobutyrate, the content of which is 10 to 10,000 ppb. (B) Allyl hexanoate is contained in an amount of 10 to 500 ppb. [2] The beverage described in [1], wherein the citrus juice is lemon juice. [3] In a citrus juice-containing beverage having a citric acid acidity of 0.40 g / 100 ml or more, The percentage of citrus juice must be 30% or less. A method for improving a refreshing feeling and an aftertaste, comprising adding ethyl isobutyrate so that its content is 10 to 10,000 ppb, and / or adding allyl hexanoate so that its content is 10 to 500 ppb. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a novel technique can be provided that can improve the refreshing feeling and aftertaste of a citrus juice-containing beverage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. The embodiment relates to a citrus juice-containing beverage.

[0010] In this specification, a citrus juice-containing beverage refers to a beverage that is formulated using citrus juice as a raw material. In this specification, citrus juice (citrus juice) refers to a liquid component obtained by crushing and squeezing citrus fruits or straining them. The concept of citrus juice also includes concentrated liquid components and their diluted reconstituted products. Furthermore, the citrus juice according to this embodiment may be either one that contains pulp or one from which pulp has been removed by processing such as filtration or centrifugation.

[0011] In this specification, citrus fruits refer to the fruits of plants belonging to the Rutaceae family, subfamily Rutaceae. Specific examples of citrus fruits include oranges such as navel oranges, Valencia oranges, and blood oranges; mandarin oranges such as Unshu mandarins, mandarin oranges, ponkan oranges, Kishu mandarins, Encore, Dandelion, koji, shekwasha, Tachibana, and Shiranui; miscellaneous citrus fruits such as Natsudaidai, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Sanboukan, Kawachibankan, Kinukawa, and Naruto; tangor and tanzero fruits such as Tankan, Iyokan, Murcott, Kiyomi, Orlando, Mineola, and Seminole; limes such as Mexican lime and Tahiti lime; lemons such as Lisbon lemon, Eureka lemon, Diamante, and Etlogue; pomelo fruits such as Banpeiyu and Tosa Buntan; grapefruits such as Duncan, Marsh, Thompson, and Ruby Red; yuzu fruits such as yuzu, kabosu, sudachi, hanayu, and Kizu; kumquats and trifoliate oranges. Of these, it is preferable that the citrus juice contains juice derived from lemon (lemon species), since the application of the configuration of the present invention can further improve the refreshing feeling and aftertaste. The variety, place of origin, ripeness, size, etc. of citrus fruits that can be used to prepare the citrus juice according to this embodiment are not particularly limited and can be appropriately set. In addition, commercially available juice, concentrated juice, paste, etc. may be used as the citrus juice to prepare the citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment. Specifically, juice and concentrated juice specified by JAS standard (Japanese Agricultural Standard for Fruit Drinks) can be mentioned, and for example, one or more of these can be used to prepare the citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment.

[0012] In the citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment, the percentage of fruit juice derived from citrus juice is 30% or less.Furthermore, in the citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment, the citric acid acidity is 0.40 g / 100 ml or more.

[0013] In this specification, the fruit juice rate (fruit juice content) refers to the relative concentration when the sugar content (Brix value, Bx) or citric acidity (also called acidity) of juice (straight fruit juice) obtained by squeezing edible parts of fruit or the like and not subjected to processing such as concentration is taken as 100%. In addition, in this specification, sugar content refers to the reading of a sugar refractometer based on the JAS standard when the sample temperature (liquid temperature) is 20° C. Sugar content can be measured using known methods and devices. The acidity of citric acid can be expressed as the amount of organic acid contained in 100 g converted to citric acid in grams (anhydrous citric acid g / 100 g). Acidity can also be measured by the method specified in the JAS standard for measuring acidity, specifically by the neutralization titration method (quantitative method) using 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide standard solution as the alkaline solution. Whether the fruit juice percentage is calculated based on sugar content or acidity is determined for each type of fruit according to the JAS standard. For example, for lemons, it is calculated based on acidity. When converting the fruit juice content based on the Brix value of the JAS standard, the sugar content of sugars, honey, etc. added to the fruit juice is excluded from the calculation. For example, the acidity of lemon juice is 4.5%, so if concentrated lemon juice, which has an acidity of 22.5%, is added to a beverage at about 0.2% by weight, a beverage with a juice content of 1% can be obtained.

[0014] As described above, the percentage of citrus juice derived from the citrus juice in the citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment is 30% or less. The lower limit of the percentage of citrus juice derived from the citrus juice is not particularly limited as long as the juice is contained, but when the citrus juice is lemon juice, it is preferably 1% or more from the viewpoint of being able to feel the taste derived from the lemon juice more. As described above, the acidity of the citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment is 0.40 g / 100 ml or more. The upper limit of the acidity is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 g / 100 ml or less.

[0015] The citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment contains ethyl isobutyrate (ethyl isobutyrate, ethyl 2-methylpropanoate) at a content of 10 to 10,000 ppb and / or allyl hexanoate (allyl hexanoate, 2-propenyl n-hexanoate) at a content of 10 to 500 ppb.

[0016] The method for adjusting the contents of ethyl isobutyrate and allyl hexanoate is not particularly limited, and for example, commercially available products may be added during the beverage production process. The content of ethyl isobutyrate and allyl hexanoate in the beverage can be measured, for example, by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The measurement can be performed, for example, under the following conditions.

[0017] Specifically, the measurement can be performed by GC / MS measurement according to the Dynamic HeadSpace (DHS) method using an MPS manufactured by GERSTEL under the conditions shown below. <Device> GC: Agilent Technologies 8890 MS: Agilent Technologies 5977B MSD HS: Gerstel MPS, TUBE:Carbopack B / X <Columns used> HP-INNOWAX 0.250mm×60m×0.25μm <Quantitative Ion> Ethyl isobutyrate m / z=116 Allyl hexanoate m / z=99 <Temperature conditions> 40℃(5min)→+5℃ / min temperature rise→240℃(0min) <Carrier gas flow rate> He 2ml / min <Injection method> Splitless <Ion source temperature> 230℃

[0018] The citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment may contain other ingredients in addition to the fruit juice and either of the two ingredients described above, as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved, and is not particularly limited. Specific examples include fruit juice derived from fruits other than citrus fruits, vegetable juice, salt, sweeteners such as sugars and high-intensity sweeteners, acidulants, flavorings, vitamins, colorants, antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, extracts, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, thickeners, etc. In addition, the citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment may be a beverage containing alcohol such as ethanol, or it may be a beverage that substantially does not contain alcohol (specifically, a beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1.0 volume / volume%). The citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment may be a carbonated beverage containing carbon dioxide gas. The gas volume of the carbon dioxide gas is not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the pH of the citrus juice-containing beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited and can be, for example, pH 3.0 to 4.0, preferably pH 3.0 to 3.5.

[0019] The method for producing the citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment is not particularly limited, and can be produced by a person skilled in the art using a conventional method. For example, first, concentrated citrus juice is used as a raw material, which is diluted with water and an acidulant or the like is added as necessary to obtain a selected juice percentage of 30% or less and a selected acidity of 0.40 g / 100 ml or more. Next, ethyl isobutyrate is added so that the content is 10 to 10,000 ppb, and / or allyl hexanoate is added so that the content is 10 to 500 ppb, and other components are further added as necessary to prepare a citrus juice-containing beverage. The order of addition is not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined by a person skilled in the art. Ethyl isobutyrate and allyl hexanoate may be added as single components, or may be added as a composition with other components. When the citrus juice-containing beverage of this embodiment is to be a carbonated beverage, in addition to the method of using carbonated water in the dilution, it can also be made into a carbonated beverage by carbonation to a predetermined gas volume before filling into a container.

[0020] The produced citrus juice-containing beverage of the present embodiment is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a packaged beverage sealed in a container. The method of packaging the composition in a container is not particularly limited, and may be carried out, for example, according to a conventional method. The container may be appropriately selected from known containers and is not particularly limited in material, shape, etc. Specific examples of the container include paper containers, transparent or translucent bottles, transparent or translucent plastic containers such as PET bottles, and metal cans such as steel cans and aluminum cans. In addition, when preparing a packaged beverage, the beverage can be produced through a process such as sterilization, if necessary. The sterilization method is not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined by a person skilled in the art. Examples of the sterilization method include a method in which the beverage is filled into a container and then heat sterilized, such as hot water shower sterilization, and a method in which the beverage is sterilized and then filled into a container.

[0021] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the refreshing feeling and pleasant aftertaste felt when drinking a citrus juice-containing beverage having an acidity of 0.40 g / 100 ml or more. As a result, it is expected to contribute to increasing the preference and commercial value of the beverage. EXAMPLES

[0022] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0023] [Preparation of base solution] The ingredients shown in Table 1 were mixed, water was added to the specified amount, and the mixture was sterilized by heating to obtain a packaged beverage. The contents shown in Table 1 are values ​​in the prepared beverage. Furthermore, the amount of aroma components in the juice was analyzed, and each aroma component (ethyl isobutyrate, allyl hexanoate) was found to be present in extremely small amounts (a few ppb).

[0024] [Table 1]

[0025] [Reference test] Base solutions 1 to 6 shown in Table 1 were evaluated by five panelists using the quantitative evaluation method. The average scores are shown in Table 2. Each panelist rated each item on a 7-point scale (the higher the number, the better the evaluation of the refreshing feeling and aftertaste). Base solution 1 was used as a control (score 4 for each item).

[0026] Evaluation criteria: Refreshing feeling Score 7: Very strong feeling compared to the standard Rating 6: Stronger than the standard Rating 5: Somewhat noticeable compared to the standard Score 4: Standard Score 3: Feels slightly weaker than the standard Score 2: Feels weak compared to the standard Score 1: Feels very weak compared to the standard Good aftertaste Score 7: Very good compared to the standard Score 6: Good compared to the standard Score 5: Slightly better than standard Score 4: Standard Score 3: Slightly worse than the standard Score 2: Poor compared to the standard Score 1: Very poor compared to the standard

[0027] [Table 2]

[0028] As can be seen from the results shown in Table 2 above, the evaluation scores for "refreshing feeling" and "good aftertaste" decreased when the acidity was 0.40 g / 100 ml or higher.

[0029] [Test 1] A beverage was evaluated in the same manner as in the reference test, in which ethyl isobutyrate or allyl hexanoate was added to base solution 5 shown in Table 1 to the concentrations shown in Table 3. Base solution 5 was used as the control (table score 4 for each item, control example 2). The average scores are shown in Table 3.

[0030] [Table 3]

[0031] As can be seen from Table 3, the citrus juice-containing beverages of the examples containing 10 to 10,000 ppb of ethyl isobutyrate or 10 to 500 ppb of allyl hexanoate exhibited a refreshing feeling and improved aftertaste.

[0032] [Test 2] The beverages in which ethyl isobutyrate or allyl hexanoate was added to base solutions 7 and 8 in Table 1 at the concentrations shown in Table 4 were evaluated in the same manner as in the reference test. The controls (table score 4 for each item) were base solution 5 (control example 2), base solution 7 (control example 3), and base solution 8 (control example 4). The average scores are shown in Table 4.

[0033] [Table 4]

[0034] As can be seen from Table 4, the citrus juice-containing beverages of the examples had a refreshing feeling and improved aftertaste.

[0035] [Test 3] Beverages to which ethyl isobutyrate or allyl hexanoate was added to base solutions 9 and 10 shown in Table 1 at the concentrations shown in Table 5 were evaluated in the same manner as in the reference test. The controls (table score 4 for each item) were base solution 9 (control example 5) and base solution 10 (control example 6). The average scores are shown in Table 5.

[0036] [Table 5]

[0037] As can be seen from Table 5, the citrus juice-containing beverages of the examples had a refreshing feeling and improved aftertaste.

Claims

1. A citrus juice-containing beverage having a citrus juice-derived fruit juice content of 30% or less, a citric acid acidity of 0.40g / 100ml or more, and satisfying the following (A) and / or (B). (A) Contains ethyl isobutyrate at a content of 10 to 10,000 ppb. (B) Contains allyl hexanoate in an amount between 10 and 500 ppb.

2. 2. The citrus juice-containing beverage according to claim 1, wherein the citrus juice is lemon juice.

3. In a citrus juice-containing beverage having a citric acid acidity of 0.40 g / 100 ml or more, The percentage of citrus juice must be 30% or less. A method for improving a refreshing feeling and an aftertaste, comprising adding ethyl isobutyrate so that its content is 10 to 10,000 ppb, and / or adding allyl hexanoate so that its content is 10 to 500 ppb.

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