Beverage containing carrot juice

Abstract

To provide a new technology for a carbonated beverage containing carrot juice, which enables improvement in carrot sensation and smoothness.SOLUTION: A carbonated beverage containing carrot juice and at least one or two or more compounds selected from benzyl acetate, δ-decalactone, and γ-dodecalactone, the content thereof being 5 ppb or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage comprising carrot juice. [Background technology]

[0002] A variety of beverages have been developed to meet the diverse needs of drinkers, and one such beverage is known to contain vegetable juice (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a carbonated beverage containing vegetable juice. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-213593 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a novel technique that can improve the carrot flavor and mellowness of a carbonated beverage containing carrot juice. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In developing a carbonated beverage containing carrot juice, the present inventors noticed that the carrot flavor and mellowness felt when drinking the beverage due to the inclusion of carbon dioxide gas were impaired compared to a carrot juice-containing beverage that did not contain carbon dioxide gas. As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that the carrot flavor and mellowness of carrot juice-containing carbonated beverages can be improved by adding a specified amount of benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, or γ-dodecanolactone.

[0006] In this specification, "carrot flavor" refers to a taste and aroma that evokes the image of carrots when drinking a beverage, and "improved carrot flavor" refers to a stronger carrot flavor. Furthermore, mellowness relates to the duration of the taste and the unpleasant aftertaste. Improving mellowness means that the mellowness is further enhanced, and enhanced mellowness means that the taste lasts longer or the unpleasant aftertaste is less noticeable. Aftertaste is the sensation of the taste felt after drinking a beverage.

[0007] The gist of the present invention is as follows. [1] Contains carrot juice, Carbonated beverages that satisfy one or more of the following (A), (B), and (C): (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more. (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. (C) Contains γ-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. [2] The carbonated beverage according to [1], wherein the carrot juice content is 10 to 30%. [3] The carbonated beverage according to [1] or [2], containing carbon dioxide gas at a gas volume of 2.0 Vol or more. [4] A carbonated beverage according to [1] or [2], which satisfies two or more of (A), (B), and (C). [5] In carbonated drinks containing carrot juice, A method for improving the carrot flavor and mellowness of a carbonated beverage, comprising adding benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, or γ-dodecanolactone so as to satisfy one or more of the following (A), (B), and (C): (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more. (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. (C) Contains γ-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. [6] Contains carrot juice, A beverage that satisfies two or more of the following (A), (B), and (C): (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more. (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. (C) Contains γ-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. [7] The beverage according to [6], wherein the carrot juice content is 10 to 30%. [8] In beverages containing carrot juice, A method for improving the mellowness of a beverage, comprising adding benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, or γ-dodecanolactone so as to satisfy two or more of the following (A), (B), and (C): (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more. (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. (C) Contains γ-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a novel technique can be provided that can improve the carrot flavor and mellowness of a carbonated drink containing carrot juice. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. This embodiment (first embodiment) relates to a carrot juice-containing carbonated beverage (hereinafter simply referred to as the carbonated beverage of this embodiment), which is a carbonated beverage formulated with carrot juice as an ingredient.

[0010] In this specification, carrot juice refers to a liquid component obtained by crushing and squeezing carrots (carrot roots and underground parts) or straining them, and then removing the skin, seeds, etc. as needed. The concept of carrot juice also includes concentrated versions of the liquid component and diluted and reduced versions of these. It may be a clear juice that has been clarified by techniques such as microfiltration, enzyme treatment, or ultrafiltration, or a cloudy juice that contains insoluble solids.

[0011] Also, carrot refers to the carrot (Daucus carota L.), a vegetable of the Apiaceae family, which is sometimes called naninjin (green carrot) or hataninjin (field carrot). The carrots that can be used to prepare the carrot juice of this embodiment are not particularly limited in terms of variety, place of origin, ripeness, size, etc., and can be set as appropriate. Furthermore, commercially available juices, concentrated juices, pastes, etc. may be used as the carrot juice to prepare the carbonated beverage of this embodiment. Specific examples include juices and concentrated juices specified by the JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards) standard, and one or more of these can be used to prepare the carbonated beverage of this embodiment.

[0012] The carrot juice content in the carbonated drink of this embodiment is not particularly limited and can be determined as appropriate by those skilled in the art, but from the standpoint of carrot flavor and deliciousness, a content of 10 to 30% is preferred.

[0013] The carrot juice content is the relative concentration when the Brix value of juice obtained by squeezing carrots without any processing such as concentration (straight carrot juice) is taken as 100%. The Brix value of carrot juice can be calculated based on the sugar refractometer reading standard (reading of a sugar refractometer at a sample temperature (liquid temperature) of 20°C) specified in the JAS standard. The Brix value can be measured using known methods and devices. The JAS standard does not specify a standard sugar content for carrot juice, and the average sugar refractometer reading of the squeezed juice is used as the standard sugar refractometer reading. The sugar refractometer reading of the carrot juice used in the examples of this specification when squeezed was Bx6°.

[0014] The carbonated beverage of this embodiment satisfies one or more of the following (A), (B), and (C). Furthermore, it is preferable that two or more of (A), (B), and (C) be satisfied, as this can further enhance the carrot flavor and mellowness. (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more (preferably 10 ppb or more from the viewpoint of carrot flavor and mellowness). (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more (preferably 10 ppb or more from the viewpoint of carrot flavor and mellowness). (C) Contains γ-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more (preferably 10 ppb or more from the viewpoint of carrot flavor and mellowness).

[0015] Benzyl acetate is an ester compound formed by the condensation of benzyl alcohol and acetic acid. δ-Decanolactone (δ-Decanolactone, 6-Pentyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one) and γ-Dodecanolactone (γ-Dodecanolactone, 5-octyloxolan-2-one) are compounds that contain a lactone ring, which is a cyclic ester.

[0016] As described above, the carbonated beverage of this embodiment contains 5 ppb or more of benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, or γ-dodecanolactone. The upper limit of the content of each component is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. However, from the viewpoint of carrot flavor, the upper limit for benzyl acetate and δ-decanolactone is preferably 5000 ppb or less, more preferably 4000 ppb or less, even more preferably 1000 ppb or less, and even more preferably 500 ppb or less. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of carrot flavor, the upper limit for γ-dodecanolactone is preferably 750 ppb or less, more preferably 500 ppb or less.

[0017] The method for adjusting the contents of benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, and γ-dodecanolactone is not particularly limited, and for example, commercially available products may be added during the beverage production process. The contents of benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, and γ-dodecanolactone in the carbonated drink of this embodiment can be measured, for example, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The measurement can be performed, for example, under the following conditions.

[0018] Specifically, the concentrations (ppb) of benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, and γ-dodecanolactone in a beverage can be obtained by GC / MS measurement using the SPME method under the conditions shown below. GC: Agilent Technologies 8890 MS: Agilent Technologies 5977B SPME fiber: DVB / CAR / PDMS Column: DB-WAX UI 0.25 mm x 30 m x 0.25 μm MS conditions: SIM / Scan mode Quantitative ion: benzyl acetate m / z=108 δ-Decanolactone m / z=99 γ-Dodecanolactone m / z=85 Temperature conditions: 40℃ (2 minutes) → 8℃ / min → 240℃ (10 minutes) Carrier gas flow rate: He 2.4 ml / min Injection method: Splitless Ion source temperature: 230℃

[0019] This embodiment relates to a carbonated drink. In this specification, a carbonated drink refers to a drink that contains dissolved carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide gas). The gas volume of the carbonated beverage of this embodiment is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate by those skilled in the art, and can be, for example, 2.0 Vol or more. In this specification, the gas volume refers to the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide dissolved in a packaged beverage to the volume of the beverage at 1 atmosphere and 0°C. The gas volume can be determined by first cooling the sample to 20°C, attaching a gas pressure gauge, opening the stopcock once to release the gas (sniff), then immediately closing the stopcock and shaking vigorously until the pressure becomes constant. The upper limit of the gas volume is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of suppressing foaming, it is preferably set to 4.0 Vol or less.

[0020] The carbonated beverage of this embodiment may contain other ingredients in addition to carrot juice, carbon dioxide (carbonate gas), and one or more of benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, and γ-dodecanolactone, as long as the objectives of the present invention can be achieved, and is not particularly limited. Specifically, it can contain ingredients that are typically added to beverages, such as vegetable juices other than carrot juice, fruit juice, salt, sweeteners such as sugars and high-intensity sweeteners, minerals, acidulants, flavorings, vitamins, coloring agents, antioxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, extracts, pH adjusters, quality stabilizers, and thickeners. Furthermore, the sugar content, acidity, and pH of the carbonated drink of this embodiment are not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the carbonated beverage of this embodiment may be a beverage containing alcohol such as ethanol, or may be a beverage that contains substantially no alcohol (specifically, a beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1.0 volume / volume%).

[0021] When vegetable juice other than carrot juice is contained, the vegetables from which the vegetable juice is derived are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include onion, broccoli, turnip radish, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Brussels sprout leaves, celery, spinach, bell pepper, asparagus, young barley leaves, chrysanthemum, Chinese cabbage, mustard greens, lettuce, komatsuna, bok choy, angelica tree, sweet potato, potato, tomato, mulukhiyah, paprika, watercress, parsley, celery, mitsuba, lettuce, radish, kale, Brussels sprout leaves, shiso, eggplant, radish, kidney bean, pumpkin, burdock, leek, ginger, garlic, chive, takana, cauliflower, corn, snow peas, okra, turnip, cucumber, kohlrabi, gourd, zucchini, loofah, bean sprouts, and various sprouts. For example, the vegetable juice of one or more of these vegetables may be selected and contained in the carbonated beverage of this embodiment. The content of other vegetable juices is not particularly limited and can be determined as appropriate by those skilled in the art.

[0022] Furthermore, when fruit juice is contained, the fruit from which the fruit juice is derived is not particularly limited. Examples include citrus fruits, fruits of the Rosaceae family, grapes, pineapples, guava, bananas, mangoes, acerola, lychees, papayas, passion fruit, blueberries, kiwifruit, melons, kiwifruit, currants, currants such as gooseberries, and fruits of the Ericaceae family, such as cranberries. Examples of citrus fruits include oranges, Satsuma mandarins, grapefruits, lemons, limes, yuzu citrus, iyokan citrus, natsumikan citrus, hassaku citrus, ponkan citrus, shikuwasa citrus, and kabosu citrus. Examples of fruits of the Rosaceae family include apricots, strawberries, plums, cherries, plums, pears, Japanese pears, loquats, peaches, apples, prunes, raspberries, and blackberries. For example, the juice of one or more of these fruits may be selected and contained in the beverage of this embodiment. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the content of fruit juice, and it can be determined appropriately by those skilled in the art.

[0023] The method for producing the carbonated 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 components and their contents are selected so as to satisfy one or more of (A) benzyl acetate: 5 ppb or more, (B) δ-decanolactone: 5 ppb or more, and (C) γ-dodecanolactone: 5 ppb or more. Concentrated carrot juice is used as a raw material, and is diluted with water as necessary, and then one or more of benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, and γ-dodecanolactone are added to the raw material so as to achieve a selected content, and other ingredients are also added as necessary. Carbon dioxide is then dissolved in the resulting solution to produce a carbonated beverage. The process for dissolving carbon dioxide is not particularly limited, and examples include a method in which water in which carbon dioxide has been dissolved is mixed with the solution to produce a carbonated beverage (post-mix method), and a method in which carbon dioxide is directly injected into the solution to dissolve it (pre-mix method). The order in which the components are added is not particularly limited and can be determined appropriately by a person skilled in the art. Benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, and γ-dodecanolactone may be added as individual components, or may be added as a composition together with other components.

[0024] The produced carbonated beverage of this embodiment is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, a packaged beverage sealed in a container. The method of sealing the container is not particularly limited, and can be carried out, for example, according to a conventional method. The container can also 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. Furthermore, when preparing a packaged beverage, it can be produced through a process such as sterilization, if necessary. The sterilization method is not particularly limited and can be determined appropriately by a person skilled in the art. Examples include a method in which the beverage is filled into a container and then subjected to heat sterilization such as hot water shower sterilization, and a method in which the beverage is sterilized and then filled into a container.

[0025] As described above, according to this embodiment, the carrot flavor and mellowness felt when drinking a carbonated beverage containing carrot juice can be improved. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the deliciousness of the carbonated beverage containing carrot juice can also be improved. As a result, it is expected that the preference will be enhanced, contributing to the improvement of the commercial value of the beverage.

[0026] [Other embodiments] When two or more of benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, and γ-dodecanolactone are contained in predetermined amounts, the mellowness can be improved not only in carbonated drinks but also in non-carbonated drinks. Another embodiment of the present invention is a beverage that satisfies two or more of the following (A), (B), and (C). The beverage of this other embodiment may be a carbonated beverage, or may be a beverage (non-carbonated beverage) that does not substantially contain carbon dioxide gas (having a gas volume of 0.1 Vol or less). (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more (preferably 10 ppb or more from the viewpoint of carrot flavor and mellowness). (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more (preferably 10 ppb or more from the viewpoint of carrot flavor and mellowness). (C) Contains γ-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more (preferably 10 ppb or more from the viewpoint of carrot flavor and mellowness). Note that the configuration can be the same as the first embodiment described above, except that it satisfies two or more of (A), (B), and (C) and may be a non-carbonated beverage, so explanation will be omitted. As in the first embodiment, the upper limit of the content of each component is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately, and from the viewpoint of carrot flavor, the upper limit for benzyl acetate and δ-decanolactone is preferably 5000 ppb or less, more preferably 4000 ppb or less, even more preferably 1000 ppb or less, and even more preferably 500 ppb or less. Also from the viewpoint of carrot flavor, the upper limit for γ-dodecanolactone is preferably 750 ppb or less, more preferably 500 ppb or less. As in the first embodiment, the content of carrot juice is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately, and from the viewpoint of carrot flavor and deliciousness, the content is preferably 10 to 30%.

[0027] According to this other embodiment, the mellowness felt when drinking beverages (carbonated and non-carbonated beverages) containing carrot juice can be improved. [Example]

[0028] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0029] [Preparation of standards] High fructose corn syrup (55% isomerized sugar), citric acid, trisodium citrate, and carrot juice were mixed, and then water was added to obtain a standard product with a carrot juice content of 20%, Bx of 10.0, acidity of 0.30%, and pH of 3.7.

[0030] [Preparation of Example Beverages] Carbonate was added to the reference product to make the volume 2.4 Vol, and benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, or γ-dodecanolactone was added to make the contents shown in Table 1 (the contents were measured using the GC / MS conditions described above) to obtain the carbonated beverage of the example.

[0031] [Sensory evaluation] The resulting carbonated beverages of the examples were subjected to a sensory evaluation by four panelists (carbonated beverage developers) regarding the carrot flavor, taste, and mellowness. In the sensory evaluation, the evaluation score of the reference product was used as the standard (4 points) and rated on a 7-point scale from 1 to 7, with a higher number indicating a "stronger flavor" or "stronger feeling" than the reference product. In addition, a beverage obtained by adding carbon dioxide to the standard product to make the volume 2.4 Vol was also evaluated as a control product. The results are shown in Tables 1, 2 and 3.

[0032] [Table 1]

[0033] [Table 2]

[0034] [Table 3]

[0035] As can be seen from Tables 1, 2 and 3, improvements in the carrot flavor and mellowness were observed in the carbonated drinks of the Examples, and the taste was also rated higher.

Claims

1. Contains carrot juice, Carbonated beverages that satisfy one or more of the following (A), (B), and (C): (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more. (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. (C) Contains gamma-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more.

2. 2. The carbonated beverage according to claim 1, wherein the carrot juice content is 10 to 30%.

3. 3. The carbonated beverage according to claim 1, which contains carbon dioxide gas in a gas volume of 2.0 Vol or more.

4. 3. The carbonated beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which satisfies two or more of (A), (B) and (C).

5. In carbonated drinks containing carrot juice, The method for improving the carrot flavor and mellowness of a carbonated beverage comprises adding benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, or γ-dodecanolactone so as to satisfy one or more of the following (A), (B), and (C): (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more. (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. (C) Contains gamma-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more.

6. Contains carrot juice, A beverage that satisfies two or more of the following (A), (B), and (C). (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more. (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. (C) Contains gamma-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more.

7. The beverage according to claim 6, wherein the carrot juice content is 10 to 30%.

8. In beverages containing carrot juice, A method for improving the mellowness of a beverage, the method comprising adding benzyl acetate, δ-decanolactone, or γ-dodecanolactone to the beverage so as to satisfy two or more of the following (A), (B), and (C): (A) Contains benzyl acetate at a content of 5 ppb or more. (B) Contains δ-decanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more. (C) Contains gamma-dodecanolactone at a content of 5 ppb or more.

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