Lemon juice-containing beverage

Abstract

To provide a novel technique that can improve a refreshing feeling and aftertaste of a lemon juice-containing beverage.SOLUTION: A lemon juice-containing beverage satisfies at least one of the following conditions: (A) fruit juice percentage: 4% or less, citric acid acidity: 0.4-1.0 g / 100 ml, and ethyl acetate content: 20-10000 ppb, (B) fruit juice percentage: 30% or less, citric acid acidity: 0.4-1.2, and ethyl butyrate content: 10-1000 ppb, (C) fruit juice percentage: 30% or less, citric acid acidity: 0.4-1.0, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one content: 30-1000 ppb, and (D) fruit juice percentage: 4% or less, citric acid acidity: 0.4-1.2, and 1-octanol content: 40-1000 ppb.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage containing fruit juice derived from lemons. [Background technology]

[0002] Beverages containing citrus fruit juice 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 lemon juice-containing beverage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present inventors have noticed that when the acidity of citric acid in a lemon 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 found that by setting the acidity of lemon juice and citric acid within specified ranges and by including specified contents of ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one or 1-octanol, it is possible to enhance the refreshing feeling and also improve the evaluation of 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 lemon juice-containing beverage that satisfies at least one of the following (A) to (D). (A) The fruit juice percentage is 4% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, and the ethyl acetate content is 20 to 10,000 ppb. (B) The fruit juice percentage is 30% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.2 g / 100 ml, and the ethyl butyrate content is 10 to 1,000 ppb. (C) The fruit juice percentage is 30% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, and the 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one content is 30 to 1,000 ppb. (D) The fruit juice percentage is 4% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.2 g / 100 ml, and the 1-octanol content is 40 to 1,000 ppb. [2] A method for improving the refreshing feeling and aftertaste of a lemon juice-containing beverage, comprising adjusting the fruit juice percentage, the citric acid acidity, and the content of ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one or 1-octanol so as to satisfy at least one of the following (A) to (D). (A) The fruit juice rate is 4% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4-1.0g / 100ml, and the ethyl acetate content is 20-10,000ppb. (B) The fruit juice rate is 30% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4-1.2g / 100ml, and the ethyl butyrate content is 10-1000ppb. (C) The fruit juice percentage is 30% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, and the 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one content is 30 to 1000 ppb. (D) The fruit juice percentage is 4% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4-1.2g / 100ml, and the 1-octanol content is 40-1000ppb. 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 lemon juice-containing beverages. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

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

[0010] In this specification, a lemon juice-containing beverage refers to a beverage that is formulated using lemon juice as an ingredient. In this specification, lemon juice refers to a liquid component obtained by crushing and squeezing lemons or straining them. The concept of lemon juice also includes concentrated liquid components and their diluted reconstituted products. Furthermore, the lemon 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 the present specification, lemons refer to plants belonging to the subfamily Rutaceae of the family Rutaceae. Specific examples of lemons include Lisbon lemon, Eureka lemon, Diamante, and Etrog. Regarding lemons that can be used to prepare the lemon juice according to this embodiment, the variety, place of origin, ripeness, size, etc. are not particularly limited and can be set appropriately. In addition, commercially available juice, concentrated juice, paste, etc. may be used as the lemon juice to prepare the lemon 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 lemon juice-containing beverage of this embodiment.

[0012] The lemon juice-containing beverage of this embodiment satisfies at least one of the following (A) to (D). (A) The fruit juice percentage is 4% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, and the ethyl acetate content is 20 to 10,000 ppb. (B) The fruit juice percentage is 30% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.2 g / 100 ml, and the ethyl butyrate content is 10 to 1,000 ppb. (C) The fruit juice percentage is 30% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, and the 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one content is 30 to 1,000 ppb. (D) The fruit juice percentage is 4% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.2 g / 100 ml, and the 1-octanol content is 40 to 1,000 ppb.

[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 juice ratio derived from lemon juice in the lemon juice-containing beverage of this embodiment is 30% or less or 4% or less. The lower limit of the juice ratio derived from lemon juice is not particularly limited as long as the juice is included, but is preferably 1% or more from the viewpoint of being able to feel the taste derived from lemon juice as a lemon juice beverage.

[0015] The lemon juice-containing beverage of this embodiment contains ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, or 1-octanol.

[0016] The method for adjusting the contents of ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one and 1-octanol is not particularly limited, and for example, commercially available products may be added during the beverage production process. The contents of ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one and 1-octanol 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 MPS manufactured by Gestell under the following conditions. <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 acetate m / z=88 Ethyl butyrate m / z=88 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one m / z=126 1-Octanol m / z=84 <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 lemon juice-containing beverage of this embodiment may contain other ingredients in addition to lemon juice and any of the above four ingredients, as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved, and is not particularly limited. Specifically, these include fruit juice derived from fruits other than lemons, vegetable juice, salt, sweeteners such as sugars and high-intensity sweeteners, acidulants, flavorings, vitamins, coloring agents, antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, extracts, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, thickeners, etc. In addition, the lemon 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 lemon 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 lemon juice-containing beverage of this embodiment is not particularly limited, and can be produced by a person skilled in the art using conventional methods. For example, first, the fruit juice percentage, acidity, and components and their contents are selected so as to satisfy at least one of the following: (A) fruit juice percentage: 4% or less, acidity: 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, ethyl acetate content: 20 to 10,000 ppb; (B) fruit juice percentage: 30% or less, acidity: 0.4 to 1.2 g / 100 ml, ethyl butyrate content: 10 to 1,000 ppb; (C) fruit juice percentage: 30% or less, acidity: 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one content: 30 to 1,000 ppb; and (D) fruit juice percentage: 4% or less, acidity: 0.4 to 1.2 g / 100 ml, 1-octanol content: 40 to 1,000 ppb. Concentrated 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 and acidity. Ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, or 1-octanol is then added to obtain a selected content, and other ingredients are added as necessary to prepare a lemon juice-containing beverage. The order of addition is not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined by a person skilled in the art. Ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, and 1-octanol may be added as single components, or may be added as a composition with other components. When the lemon juice-containing beverage of this embodiment is to be a carbonated beverage, it can be made into a carbonated beverage by using carbonated water in the dilution, or by carbonation to a predetermined gas volume before filling into a container.

[0020] The lemon juice-containing beverage produced in this 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 aftertaste felt when drinking a lemon 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 more refreshing the feeling. Also, the higher the number, the higher the evaluation of the aftertaste). Base solution 1 was used as the 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 Grade 2: Feels weak compared to the standard Score 1: Feels very weak compared to the standard 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, with ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, or 1-octanol added to base solution 5 in Table 1 at the concentrations shown in Tables 3 and 4. Base solution 5 was used as the control (table score 4 for each item, control example 2). The average scores are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

[0030] [Table 3]

[0031] [Table 4]

[0032] As can be seen from Tables 3 and 4, the lemon juice-containing beverage of the example exhibited a refreshing feeling and improved aftertaste.

[0033] [Test 2] The beverages to which ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, or 1-octanol had been added at the concentrations shown in Tables 5 and 6 to base solutions 5, 7, and 8 in Table 1 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 Tables 5 and 6.

[0034] [Table 5]

[0035] [Table 6]

[0036] As can be seen from Tables 5 and 6, the lemon juice-containing beverage of the example exhibited a refreshing feeling and improved aftertaste.

[0037] [Test 3] The beverages were evaluated in the same manner as the reference test, except that ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, or 1-octanol was added to base solutions 9 and 10 in Table 1 at the concentrations shown in Tables 7 and 8. 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 Tables 7 and 8.

[0038] [Table 7]

[0039] [Table 8]

[0040] As can be seen from Tables 7 and 8, the lemon juice-containing beverage of the example exhibited a refreshing feeling and improved aftertaste.

Claims

1. A lemon juice-containing beverage that meets at least one of the following (A) to (D). (A) It has a fruit juice content of 4% or less, a citric acidity of 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, and contains ethyl acetate in an amount of 20 to 10,000 ppb. (B) It has a fruit juice percentage of 30% or less, a citric acidity of 0.4 to 1.2 g / 100 ml, and contains ethyl butyrate in an amount of 10 to 1,000 ppb. (C) It has a fruit juice percentage of 30 percent or less, a citric acidity of 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, and a 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one content of 30 to 1,000 ppb. (D) It has a fruit juice content of 4 percent or less, a citric acidity of 0.4 to 1.2 g / 100 ml, and a 1-octanol content of 40 to 1,000 ppb.

2. A method for improving the refreshing feeling and aftertaste of a lemon juice-containing beverage, comprising adjusting the fruit juice percentage, the citric acidity, and the content of ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one or 1-octanol so as to satisfy at least one of the following (A) to (D): (A) The fruit juice rate is 4% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4-1.0g / 100ml, and the ethyl acetate content is 20-10,000ppb. (B) The fruit juice percentage is 30% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4-1.2g / 100ml, and the ethyl butyrate content is 10-1000ppb. (C) The fruit juice percentage is 30% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4 to 1.0 g / 100 ml, and the 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one content is 30 to 1,000 ppb. (D) The fruit juice percentage is 4% or less, the citric acidity is 0.4-1.2g / 100ml, and the 1-octanol content is 40-1000ppb.

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