Beverage having enhanced sourness

Abstract

To provide a beverage having effectively enhanced sourness.SOLUTION: In a beverage comprising L-ergothioneine, a sourness component, and juice and / or fruit extract of citrus fruit, the acidity X (%) in the beverage and the content Y (w / w%) of the L-ergothioneine in the beverage are set so as to satisfy either (i) 0.03≤X≤2.5 and 0.00005≤Y≤0.01, or (ii) 0.00001≤X<0.03 and 0.001×e-100X≤Y.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage with enhanced sourness.

Background Art

[0002] Due to the diversification of consumer preferences and the increasing trend towards health, a variety of beverages are being launched on the market. Among them, there are beverage products with a strong sour taste that can provide a refreshing feeling with a sour stimulus, especially during hot summer days or when feeling tired. For example, "Sharply Sour (registered trademark) C.C. Lemon (registered trademark)" (Suntory Food International), which was advertised in a news release as having a deliciously concentrated sourness, "Acerola of 'Suntory (registered trademark)'" (Asahi Beverages), which was advertised in a news release as being the most sour among the Suntory brands, "Green Lemon of 'Suntory (registered trademark)'" (Asahi Beverages), which was advertised in a news release as being the most sour among the Suntory brands, "Super Sour Lemonade" (Seijo Ishii), and an alcoholic beverage "Shigekix (registered trademark) Chu-Hi Soda Flavor" (Mitsubishi Foods), which was advertised as having an extremely sour and stimulating taste, are on the market. These beverages have enhanced sourness by blending a large amount of acidulants such as citric acid.

[0003] In addition, various methods for enhancing the sourness of beverages have also been proposed. For example, a method of enhancing the sourness of a beverage by adding sucralose and / or stevia extract, as well as a fruit flavor (Patent Document 1), and a method of enhancing the sourness of a beverage (especially a fruit-flavored beverage) by adjusting the content of monoethyl citrate in the beverage to a predetermined range (Patent Document 2), etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, several technologies for enhancing the sour taste of beverages are known. However, the types and flavors of beverages have diversified recently, and there is a possibility that existing technologies alone may not be able to cope with enhancing the sour taste of all beverages. By developing a new method different from the existing description, it can be said that it is desirable to expand the types of beverages that can enhance the sour taste well as much as possible.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a new beverage with enhanced sour taste by developing a new method capable of effectively enhancing the sour taste of beverages.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] As a result of intensive studies on the above problems, the present inventors have found that L-ergothioneine can effectively enhance the sour taste of beverages, and have completed the present invention. The present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following aspects. [1] A beverage containing L-ergothioneine and a sour component, wherein the acidity X (%) in the beverage and the content Y (w / w%) of L-ergothioneine satisfy the following formula (i) or (ii). (i) When 0.03 ≤ X, Y ≥ 0.00005 (ii) When 0.00001 ≤ X < 0.03, Y ≥ 0.001 × e -100X [2] The beverage according to [1], which is a beverage for drinking at a temperature of room temperature or lower. [3] The beverage according to [1] or [2], which is a packaged beverage. [4] The beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], which is an instant beverage.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the sour taste of a beverage can be effectively enhanced. Further, according to the present invention, while maintaining the sour taste of the beverage, it is possible to suppress the amount of sour taste components, so that it is possible to reduce the stimulation to the tongue by the sour taste components and acid erosion of teeth, and there is also an advantage that sufficient sour taste can be obtained without reducing the pH of the beverage more than necessary.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the following examples. In the present invention, by containing L-ergothioneine as a sour taste enhancing component, the sour taste of a beverage can be enhanced. Here, in this specification, "sour taste" means a sour feeling typified by vinegar in a gustatory sensory test of a beverage.

[0011] (L-ergothioneine) In the present invention, by containing L-ergothioneine (L-(+)-Ergothioneine (CAS 58511-63-0)) (hereinafter, L-ergothioneine is abbreviated as EGT) as an active ingredient, the sour taste of a beverage can be enhanced. EGT itself has no sour taste at all, but by adding EGT to a beverage, the sour taste of the beverage is enhanced (enhanced), and the sour taste is effectively enhanced, strengthened or emphasized.

[0012] EGT is a compound represented by the following formula I.

[0013]

Chemical formula

[0014] In the beverage of the present invention, commercially available EGT obtained by chemical synthesis may be used, or extracts from mushrooms, sake lees, etc. containing EGT and purified products thereof may be used. Examples of mushrooms that can be used for extracting EGT include Tamogitake (Golden / Yellow Oyster mushroom) (scientific name: Pleurotus cornucopiae var. citrinopileatus), which is a mushroom of the genus Pleurotus in the family Pleurotaceae; Agaricus bisporus such as white button mushroom, crimini mushroom, Portabella mushroom, etc.; Grey Oyster Mushroom (scientific name: Pleurotus ostreatus); Shiitake mushroom (scientific name: Lentinula edodes); Maitake mushroom (scientific name: Grifola Frondosa); Reishi mushroom (scientific name: Ganoderma lucidum); Yamabushitake mushroom (scientific name: Hericium erinaceus); Yanagimatsutake mushroom (scientific name: Agrocybe aegerita); Anzutake (scientific name: Cantharellus cibarius); Porcini mushroom (scientific name: Boletus edulis); Amigasada mushroom (scientific name: Morchella esculenta), etc. can be mentioned, and one or more of these can be used in combination. Among these, Tamogitake is preferred because of its high EGT content. When using an extract as EGT, since the flavor of components other than EGT may affect the beverage, it is preferable to perform a deodorization treatment or the like to obtain a crude purified product. (Beverage)

[0015] (Beverage) The beverage of the present invention is a beverage having an acidity within a predetermined range. Here, in this specification, "acidity" refers to the citric acid equivalent acidity, that is, the weight / volume percentage concentration of citric acid when all the acids contained in the beverage are assumed to be citric acid. The acidity is calculated based on the method for measuring acidity defined in the Japanese Agricultural and Forestry Standards (Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Notice No. 1127 of August 8, 2006). The specific measurement method will be described in detail in the Examples section.

[0016] In the present invention, the synergistic effect of the acid component and EGT in the beverage effectively enhances the acidity of the beverage. When the beverage contains an acid component with an acidity of 0.03% or more, if the EGT concentration in the beverage is 0.00005 w / w% or more, it becomes easier to enjoy the effect of the present invention. That is, assuming the acidity X (%) in the beverage and the content Y (w / w%) of ergothioneine, it can be said that a beverage satisfying the following formula (i) is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] (i) 0.03 ≤ X and Y ≥ 0.00005 The upper limit value of the acidity is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of the effect, it is preferably about 2.5% or less, more preferably 2.0% or less, still more preferably 1.5% or less, and particularly preferably 1.0% or less.

[0018] The EGT concentration is preferably 0.0002 w / w% or more, more preferably 0.0004 w / w% or more, and still more preferably 0.0006 w / w% or more. Also, since adding a large amount of EGT does not increase the acid-enhancing effect, considering the economic merit, the upper limit of the EGT concentration is about 0.05 w / w%, preferably 0.03 w / w% or less, more preferably 0.01 w / w% or less, and still more preferably 0.008 w / w% or less.

[0019] Also, when the beverage contains an acid component with an acidity of less than 0.03%, as shown in Experiment 3 of the examples described later, when the acidity X (%) and the content of ergothioneine Y (w / w%) in the beverage satisfy the following formula (ii), it becomes easier to enjoy the effect of the present invention. Note that "e" in formula (ii) is the base of the natural logarithm (Napier's number).

[0020] (ii) 0.00001 ≤ X < 0.03 and Y ≥ 0.001 × e -100X The lower limit value of the acidity is 0.00001% or more from the viewpoint of the effect, but preferably 0.0001% or more, more preferably 0.001% or more, and still more preferably 0.01% or more.

[0021] The beverage of the present invention contains an acid component, and the acidity in the beverage of the present invention can be adjusted using the acid component. The acid component that can be used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an acid that can be used in beverages, and examples thereof include organic acids such as citric acid, succinic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid ascorbic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, and phosphoric acid. Among them, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, and ascorbic acid are acids with remarkable effects of the present invention. In addition, various salts of these acid components (for example, sodium salts, etc.) can also be used. Furthermore, the above-mentioned acids and their salts may be contained in fruit juices or fruit extracts as well as fermentation raw materials. Specifically, fruit juices or fruit extracts such as citrus fruits (grapefruit, lemon, orange, lime, Japanese citrus, etc.), apples, plums, grapes, peaches, berries, tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, acerola, etc.), apple vinegar, black vinegar, moromi vinegar, cereal vinegar, rice vinegar, fermented milk, whey fermentation liquid, etc. may be contained in the beverage of the present invention as acid components. In the present invention, fruit juices or fruit extracts of citrus fruits, apples, and plums are more preferably used, and fruit juices or fruit extracts of citrus fruits are particularly preferably used. By enhancing the acidity of beverages containing fruit juices or fruit extracts according to the present invention, the fresh feeling inherent in fruits and fruit juices is improved, so beverages containing fruit juices or fruit extracts are one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. One.

[0022] The acidity in the beverage of the present invention can be adjusted by appropriately blending in consideration of the acidity of the acid components in the beverage. When using one or more of the above-mentioned acids and / or their salts as acid components, the total amount of each acid is usually about 0.0001 to 3 w / w%, preferably 0.001 to 2.5 w / w%, more preferably 0.01 to 2 w / w%, and even more preferably about 0.1 to 2 w / w% in the beverage. When using one or more of the above-mentioned fruit juices or fruit extracts as acid components, a total of 0.01 to 10 w / w%, preferably 0.1 to 9 w / w%, more preferably 1 to 8 w / w%, and even more preferably about 1 to 7 w / w% may be contained in the beverage. When blending various salts of the acid components, the mass of the salt may be converted into the mass of the equimolar free form and appropriately blended so as to obtain the desired acid content. The acid content in the beverage as well as in fruit juices and fermentation raw materials can be measured by a conventionally known method such as liquid chromatography.

[0023] The beverage of the present invention may be a carbonated beverage. It is known that when carbon dioxide gas is added to a beverage to make it a carbonated beverage, the sour taste is strongly felt. This is because the sour taste sensory cells in the oral cavity are activated by the stimulation of carbonic acid (Chandrashekar et al., Science, Vol.326, No.5951, 443 - 445 (2009)). When the beverage of the present invention is a carbonated beverage, the sour taste enhancing effect by EGT and the sour taste enhancing effect by carbonic acid act additively or synergistically, and not only the sour taste can be emphasized, but also the carbonic acid stimulation can be enhanced. Carbonated beverages become a so-called "flat" state due to the rapid degassing of carbon dioxide gas after opening the cap. There is a problem that the refreshing and intense stimulation of the carbon dioxide gas, which is essential for carbonated beverages, weakens, the carbonic acid feeling decreases, and the palatability rapidly decreases after opening the cap. However, when the beverage of the present invention is a carbonated beverage, there is also an advantage that the carbonic acid feeling in the carbonated beverage after opening the cap can be maintained because the stimulation (carbonic acid stimulation) contributing to the sour taste can also be enhanced. The carbon dioxide gas pressure in the carbonated beverage of the present invention is 1.0 kgf / cm 2 or more, preferably 1.5 to 4.5 kgf / cm 2 , more preferably 2.0 to 4.0 kgf / cm2 It is.

[0024] On the other hand, proteins and lipids are known to have a sourness suppressing effect. There is a concern that beverages containing proteins and lipids may inhibit the effects of the present invention. Therefore, the beverage of the present invention preferably has a protein and lipid content of 1.5 w / v% or less, more preferably 1.0 w / v% or less, even more preferably 0.5 w / v% or less, and particularly preferably 0 w / v%.

[0025] In addition, the beverage of the present invention may contain various additives, as in the case of ordinary beverages, within the range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples of various additives include flavors, seasonings, extracts, vitamins, minerals, colorants, pH adjusters, antioxidants, etc.

[0026] The beverage of the present invention contains specific amounts of a sour component and EGT, and has enhanced sourness derived from the sour component. The beverage of the present invention includes not only liquid beverages such as soft drinks, fruit juice beverages, vegetable beverages, soy milk beverages, vinegar beverages, citric acid beverages, vitamin beverages, and quasi-drug nutritional drinks, but also gel-like and semi-solid beverages such as so-called jelly beverages. However, in view of the remarkable effect, the beverage is preferably in a liquid form such as a beverage.

[0027] The beverage of the present invention also includes the form of an instant beverage that is dissolved in liquid such as water, carbonated water, milk, etc. and consumed as a reconstituted beverage. Instant beverages may be in the form of powder (granules) or concentrated liquid, either of which may be used. Examples of water for reconstituting instant beverages include ion-exchanged water, distilled water, natural water, tap water, etc. As mentioned above, reconstitution may be performed using a liquid other than water, such as drinkable liquids such as carbonated water and milk. The temperature of the liquid such as water may be appropriately selected, for example, from 5 to 10 It is 0°C. In the case of instant beverages, if the reduced beverage obtained by dissolving in a liquid such as water or milk contains the components of the beverage of the present invention, that is, the acid component and an amount of EGT within a specific range with respect to the acidity, the effects of the present invention can be exhibited. The reduction ratio or dilution ratio when obtaining the reduced beverage from the instant beverage may be the ratio indicated in the instructions on the container, label, etc. of the instant beverage product.

[0028] Among the five basic tastes, which are important factors in determining the taste of beverages, namely sourness, sweetness, saltiness, and bitterness, it is known that bitterness, saltiness, sourness, and sweetness are felt in that order, from strongest to weakest. Also, the way a taste is perceived changes depending on the temperature of the food or drink. Sourness does not change much with temperature, while it is known that sweetness, saltiness, and bitterness are more easily affected by temperature. Since the beverage of the present invention exhibits the effects of the present invention more prominently when refrigerated and consumed in a temperature range of room temperature or lower, preferably 15°C or lower, more preferably 10°C or lower, beverages provided for consumption at room temperature or lower are an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] According to the studies of the present inventors, even when EGT is heated, its acid-enhancing effect does not decrease. Therefore, heat sterilization that can be consumed in single strength, that is, RTD (RTD = Ready-To-Drink, contained in containers such as bottles and cans that can be drunk immediately after opening the lid) The form of the canned beverage is suitable as a convenient form of beverages to be consumed at room temperature or below. As canned beverages, they can be provided by filling into formed containers mainly composed of polyethylene terephthalate (so-called PET bottles), metal cans, paper containers laminated with metal foils or plastic films, or ordinary packaging containers such as bottles. The heat sterilization method for canned beverages is not particularly limited as long as it conforms to the conditions stipulated by the applicable regulations (Food Sanitation Law in Japan). For example, retort sterilization method, high temperature short time sterilization method (HTST method), ultra high temperature sterilization method (UHT method), etc. can be mentioned. Also, it is possible to appropriately select the heat sterilization method according to the type of container of the canned beverage. For example, in the case of metal cans, when the beverage can be heat sterilized together with the container after filling the beverage into the container, retort sterilization can be adopted. Also, for those that cannot be retort sterilized such as PET bottles and paper containers, aseptic filling in which the beverage is pre-heat sterilized under the same sterilization conditions as above and filled into a container that has been sterilized under aseptic environment, hot pack filling, etc. can be adopted.

Example

[0030] Hereinafter, the details of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The acidity in the examples was measured by the following method, and samples cooled to 10 °C were used for sensory evaluation.

[0031] (Analysis of acidity) Weigh 5 - 15 g of the sample into a 200 ml Erlenmeyer flask, appropriately dilute it with water, add a few drops of 1% phenolphthalein indicator, and titrate with 0.1 M sodium hydroxide placed in a 25 ml burette while shaking, and take the point where the red color persists for 30 seconds as the end point. When using a hydrogen ion concentration meter, titrate in the same manner while stirring with a magnetic stirrer, and take the time when the pH reaches 8.1 as the end point.

[0032] Next, the acidity is determined by the following formula (I) Acidity (mass%) = A × f × 100 / W × 0.0064 ··· (I) [In formula (I), A represents the titration volume (ml) with 0.1 M sodium hydroxide solution, f represents the normality of 0.1 M sodium hydroxide solution, and W represents the sample mass (g).] (Analysis of Organic Acids and Phosphoric Acid) The organic acids and phosphoric acid in the sample were analyzed using a high performance liquid chromatograph. The measurement conditions were as follows. · Analytical instrument: Shimadzu high performance liquid chromatograph LC-10A organic acid analysis system · Column: Shim-pack SCR-102H (8.0 mm i.d. × 300 mm L.) · Mobile phase: 5 mmol / L p-toluenesulfonic acid · Detector: Conductivity detector (Experiment 1) Sourness Enhancement Effect by EGT (1) An appropriate amount of citric acid was added to pure water to prepare citric acid aqueous solutions with the acidities shown in Table 1. To half of each citric acid aqueous solution, 0.00005 w / w% (= 0.5 ppm) or 0.001 w / w% (= 10 ppm) of L-ergothioneine (EGT) (manufactured by TETRAHEDRON, purity 99.5% or higher) was added and stirred until dissolved to obtain an EGT-containing solution. Also, a citric acid aqueous solution without EGT was used as a control, and a drinking test was conducted by 5 professional panelists to subjectively evaluate the sourness. For the 5 professional panelists, for each acidity, a pair combining the control solution and the EGT-containing solution was presented, and the panelists evaluated which of the presented pair of beverages tasted sour by a two-point discrimination test.

[0033] The results are shown in Table 1. When EGT was added only to pure water with 0% acidity, i.e., without added citric acid which is the sour component, it was tasteless and no sour taste was felt. However, when 10 ppm of EGT was added to an aqueous citric acid solution with an acidity of 0.00001% or more, the sour taste was strongly perceived. It was evaluated that the sour component and EGT acted synergistically, and in particular, the sour taste felt after the middle stage became sharp and was emphasized. When the acidity was 0.03% or more, all panelists evaluated that the sour taste was enhanced even with as little as 0.5 ppm of EGT. On the other hand, in the case of an aqueous citric acid solution with an acidity of 1.5% or more, since it itself had a rather strong sour taste, it was difficult to confirm the effect of enhancing the sour taste by adding EGT, and there were also panelists who evaluated that there was no change.

[0034]

Table 1

[0035] (Experiment 2) Sour taste enhancing effect by EGT (2) An EGT-containing solution was prepared and evaluated in the same manner as in Experiment 1, except that the citric acid was changed to tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, and ascorbic acid. The results are shown in Table 2. When the acidity was 0.0001% In some cases, there were panelists who evaluated that it was difficult to perceive the effect of enhancing the sour taste of tartaric acid, malic acid, and phosphoric acid, which are acids with astringency and astringent taste. However, the effect of enhancing the sour taste by EGT was confirmed in the same way as citric acid.

[0036]

Table 2

[0037] (Experiment 3) Examination of EGT concentration In the same manner as in Experiment 1, an aqueous citric acid solution with an acidity of 0.00001 to 3.0% was prepared. To this, 0.3 to 500 ppm (= 0.00003 to 0.05 w / w%) of EGT was added to prepare an EGT-containing solution. Similar to Experiment 1, it was evaluated whether the sour taste of the EGT-containing solution was felt stronger compared to the product without added EGT. Samples in which three or more out of five panelists evaluated that the sour taste was stronger than that of the product without added EGT were judged as ○, and samples in which two or fewer out of five panelists evaluated that the sour taste was stronger than that of the product without added EGT were judged as ×.

[0038] The results are shown in Table 3. In the range where the acidity is 0.03% or more, when EGT is 0.5 ppm (= 0. 00005 w / w%), an effect of enhancing the sour taste was obtained, and up to 100 ppm, the effect increased depending on the EGT concentration. The determination results for an acidity of 0.05% or less are shown in Fig. 1. From the data of ○, the range in which the effect of enhancing the sour taste by EGT can be obtained is, when the acidity X (%) and the content Y (w / w%) of L-ergothioneine Y in the sample are considered, when 0.03 ≤ X, Y ≥ 0.00005, and when 0.00001 ≤ X < 0.03, the approximate formula Y ≥ 0.001 × e -100X could be shown.

[0039]

Table 3

[0040] (Experiment 4) Effect of EGT on enhancing sour taste in various beverages (1) Various commercially available bottled beverages shown in Table 4 were used. The beverage was uncapped, and half of it was poured into a plastic cup. Here, 6 ppm or 100 ppm of EGT was added and mixed and dissolved to prepare an EGT-containing beverage. For this EGT-containing beverage, using the product without added EGT as a control, four professional panelists conducted a sensory evaluation on whether the sour taste was enhanced.

[0041] The results are shown in Table 5. "4 / 4" in the table indicates that all 4 out of 4 panelists evaluated that the EGT-containing beverage had an enhanced sour taste compared to the control beverage. As is clear from Table 5, in various beverages, the effect of enhancing the sour taste was confirmed by adding EGT.

[0042]

Table 4

[0043]

Table 5

[0044] (Experiment 5) Enhancement effect of EGT on sour taste in various beverages (2) As a commercially available canned beverage, drink yogurt (raw materials: dairy products, grape fructose liquid sugar, sugar / stabilizer (pectin), sweetener (stevia)) (acidity (lactic acid content): 0.52%, protein content: 3.0 g / 100 ml, lipid content: 0.6 g / 100 ml) was used, and EGT was added and evaluated in the same manner as in Experiment 4. All 4 panelists evaluated that the beverage with added EGT had a stronger sour taste, the milk odor derived from milk disappeared, and it became easier to drink. Compared with Beverage D in Experiment 4, it was felt that the effect of adding EGT was more prominent in Beverage D with a lower protein and lipid content.

[0045] (Experiment 6) Influence of heating Beverages A and B with 6 ppm of EGT added in Experiment 4 were filled into 190 ml cans and retort sterilized at 135 °C for 1.5 minutes. After cooling to 10 °C, a sensory evaluation was conducted to determine whether there was a difference in the sour taste intensity compared to the beverage before heat sterilization. As a result, there was no difference in the sour taste intensity, and it was confirmed that the good sour taste enhancement effect by EGT was maintained even after heating.

Claims

1. A beverage containing L-ergothioneine, an acidic component, and citrus fruit juice and / or fruit extract, wherein the acidity X (%) and the L-ergothioneine content Y (w / w%) in the beverage satisfy the following formula (i) or (ii): (i) 0.03≦X≦2.5, and 0.00005≦Y≦0.01 (ii) 0.00001≦X<0.03 and 0.001×e －１００Ｘ ≦Y

2. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the content of the citrus fruit juice and / or fruit extract is 0.01 to 10 w / w % in total.

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