Beverages and methods for producing the same, packaged beverages and methods for producing the same, and methods for improving the flavor of beverages.

Abstract

To provide beverages and packaged beverages that have a suppressed oat-derived malty odor, a milky taste, and superior flavor. [Solution] A beverage that satisfies the following conditions (A), (B), and (C): (A) The dextrin content is 3 to 9% by mass of the total mass of the beverage. (B) The vegetable oil content is 0.1 to 4% by mass of the total mass of the beverage. (C) The oat raw material content is greater than 0% by mass and 15% by mass or less of the total mass of the beverage, on a solid content basis. A packaged beverage in which the beverage is filled into a container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to beverages and methods for producing the same, bottled beverages and methods for producing the same, and methods for improving the flavor of beverages.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, due to the increasing interest in health and the environment, food and beverages containing plant-derived raw materials such as beans, nuts, and grains have been in demand. Oatmeal has attracted attention because it contains a lot of β-glucan, which is a water-soluble dietary fiber, vitamins represented by vitamin B group, minerals, and the like. Patent Document 1 discloses oat milk containing an oatmeal saccharified solution.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, beverages containing oatmeal raw materials such as oatmeal saccharified solution have an oat smell peculiar to oatmeal. This oat smell has a negative impact on the flavor (tastiness) of the beverage for some people. In addition, beverages containing oatmeal raw materials are inferior in milkiness (smoothness, richness, body) compared to milk. Therefore, for beverages containing oatmeal raw materials, it is required to reduce the oat smell and enhance the milkiness to improve the flavor.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage and a bottled beverage that are suppressed in the oat smell derived from oatmeal raw materials, have a milkiness, and are excellent in flavor, and methods for producing them. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method capable of suppressing the oat smell derived from oatmeal raw materials and improving the milkiness to improve the flavor for beverages containing oatmeal raw materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention has the following aspects. [1] A beverage that satisfies the following conditions (A), (B), and (C). (A) The dextrin content is 3 to 9% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (B) The vegetable oil content is 0.1 to 4% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (C) The oat content, in terms of solid content, is greater than 0% by mass and 15% or less by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. [2] The beverage according to [1], further comprising coffee ingredients. [3] A method for producing a beverage, comprising mixing raw materials including dextrin, vegetable oil and oat raw materials, such that the following conditions (A), (B) and (C) are met. (A) The dextrin content is 3 to 9% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (B) The vegetable oil content is 0.1 to 4% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (C) The oat content, in terms of solid content, is greater than 0% by mass and 15% or less by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. [4] The manufacturing method according to [3], wherein the raw materials further include coffee raw materials. [5] A packaged beverage in which the beverage described in [1] or [2] above is filled into a container. [6] A method for manufacturing a packaged beverage, comprising manufacturing a beverage by the manufacturing method described in [3] or [4] above, and filling the beverage into a container. [7] A method for improving the flavor of beverages containing oat raw materials, A method for improving flavor, comprising mixing raw materials containing dextrin, vegetable oil, and oat raw materials so as to satisfy the following conditions (A), (B), and (C). (A) The dextrin content is 3 to 9% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (B) The vegetable oil content is 0.1 to 4% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (C) The oat content, in terms of solid content, is greater than 0% by mass and 15% or less by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. [8] The flavor improvement method according to [7], wherein the raw materials further include coffee raw materials. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide beverages and packaged beverages that have suppressed malty odor derived from oat raw materials, have a milky taste, and have excellent flavor, as well as methods for producing the same. Furthermore, according to the present invention, a method can be provided for beverages containing oat raw materials that can suppress the malty odor derived from the oat raw materials, enhance the milky taste, and improve the flavor. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] In this specification, the symbol "~" used in numerical ranges means that the numbers before and after it are included as the lower and upper limits, respectively. Solids are components other than water. The solids content (mass %) is calculated from the water content, which is measured by the direct heat drying method (calculation formula: 100 - water content = solids content).

[0009] [Beverage] One embodiment of the present invention is a beverage that satisfies the following conditions (A), (B), and (C). (A) The dextrin content is 3 to 9% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (B) The vegetable oil content is 0.1 to 4% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (C) The oat content, in terms of solid content, is greater than 0% by mass and 15% or less by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. In this specification, "beverage" means a beverage containing less than 1% by volume of alcohol, excluding lactic acid bacteria beverages, milk, and dairy products.

[0010] Examples of dextrins include those with a DE value (dextrose equivalent value) greater than 0 and less than or equal to 40, which represents the degree of starch decomposition. For dextrin, it is preferable that the DE value is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 20, in terms of taste as a beverage. Dextrin may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0011] The content of dextrin is 9% by mass or less, preferably 8.5% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less, and is 3% by mass or more, preferably 3.5% by mass or more, more preferably 4% by mass or more, based on the total mass of the beverage. The above upper limit and the above lower limit can be combined as appropriate. When the content of dextrin is within the above upper and lower limits, it has excellent effects of suppressing the smell of oats derived from oat raw materials, improving the milkiness, and improving the flavor. Also, when the content of dextrin is below the above upper limit, when the beverage contains flavoring materials such as coffee raw materials, its flavor is less likely to be impaired. As a method for measuring the content of dextrin contained in the beverage, the Willstätter-Schudel method can be mentioned.

[0012] Examples of vegetable oils and fats include coconut oil, safflower oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, rice bran oil, soybean oil, almond oil, grape seed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, and olive oil. From the viewpoint of the taste of the beverage, coconut oil, safflower oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, and rice bran oil are preferred as vegetable oils and fats, and coconut oil is more preferred. The vegetable oils and fats may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0013] The content of vegetable oil is 4% by mass or less, preferably 3.5% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or less, with respect to the total mass of the beverage. It is also 0.1% by mass or more, preferably 0.3% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, further preferably 0.7% by mass or more, even more preferably 1% by mass or more, particularly preferably 1.5% by mass or more, and most preferably 2.0% by mass or more. The above upper limit and the above lower limit can be combined as appropriate. When the content of vegetable oil is within the above upper and lower limits, it is excellent in suppressing the smell of oats derived from the oats raw material, improving the milk-like feeling, and improving the flavor. Also, when the content of vegetable oil is below the above upper limit, when the beverage contains flavor materials such as coffee raw materials, its flavor is less likely to be impaired. As a method for measuring the content of vegetable oil contained in the beverage, an acid decomposition method can be mentioned.

[0014] Examples of the oats raw material include oats saccharification liquid, dried powder of oats saccharification liquid, oats powder, enzyme-treated product of oats, and enzyme-treated product of oats powder. As the oats raw material, an oats saccharification liquid is preferable from the viewpoint of easy production of the beverage. The oats raw material may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0015] The content of the oats raw material is 15% by mass or less, preferably 14.5% by mass or less, more preferably 13% by mass or less, even more preferably 11% by mass or less, in terms of solid content, with respect to the total mass of the beverage. It is also more than 0% by mass, preferably 0.001% by mass or more, and more preferably 0.01% by mass or more. The above upper limit and the above lower limit can be combined as appropriate. When the content of the oats raw material is below the above upper limit, the beverage has an excellent flavor.

[0016] The beverage of the present embodiment may further contain other raw materials other than dextrin, vegetable oil, and oats raw material. Other ingredients include, for example, flavoring agents, dietary fiber, emulsifiers, stabilizers, sweeteners, inorganic salts, vitamins, pH adjusters, thickeners, bittering agents, amino acids, minerals, defoamers, antioxidants, and water. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more. The beverage in this embodiment may be a beverage that does not contain animal-derived ingredients such as dairy components, a so-called plant-based beverage.

[0017] Flavoring ingredients are materials that are acceptable as beverage components and are added to beverages for flavoring and aroma. Examples of flavoring ingredients include coffee ingredients, tea ingredients, fruit juices, vegetable juices, powders of fruit or vegetable juices, and flavorings. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0018] The beverage of this embodiment preferably contains coffee ingredients. By including coffee ingredients, a chocolate-like flavor can be imparted. The coffee raw material may be, for example, coffee beans or raw materials derived from coffee beans. Coffee beans may have undergone processing such as sorting, roasting, and grinding. Examples of raw materials derived from coffee beans include coffee extract and instant coffee. Coffee extract can be obtained, for example, by extracting coffee beans. Specifically, the coffee extract may be raw coffee bean extract obtained by extracting raw coffee beans, or roasted coffee bean extract obtained by extracting roasted coffee beans with hot water. As for the method of extracting coffee beans, for example, known extraction methods can be applied. As such extraction methods, for example, known methods such as drip, boiling, espresso, and siphon methods using paper or cloth filters can be used, but are not particularly limited to these. The variety of coffee beans is not particularly limited, and examples include Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Examples of coffee-producing regions include Brazil, Colombia, Tanzania, Mocha, Mandheling, Blue Mountain, and Guatemala. These coffee beans may consist of one or more types, or a blend of multiple types or origins. The degree of roasting (L) of the coffee beans is not particularly limited, but L = 15 to 25 is preferred.

[0019] The tea-based raw material may be tea leaves or an extract obtained by extracting tea leaves. Examples of tea leaves include the leaves and stems of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), an evergreen shrub belonging to the Camellia family. Other examples of tea leaves include raw materials for non-tea beverages such as barley tea, buckwheat tea, herbal tea, mate tea, and corn tea, specifically roasted barley seeds, buckwheat groats, dried herbs, mate leaves, and corn seeds. In addition, examples of tea leaves include raw materials for floral teas such as jasmine tea, specifically tea leaves infused with the fragrance of jasmine flowers. Furthermore, while there are various types of tea leaves depending on the processing method, such as roasting and fermentation, any type can be applied to this invention. For example, green tea, dark tea, black tea, and oolong tea can be used as tea leaves. The tea-based extract may use one or more of these raw materials. An extract can be produced by applying, for example, a known extraction method to tea leaves. This extraction method can be, but is not limited to, known methods such as simple immersion, packed column, and kneading. A suitable solvent for extracting tea or coffee is, for example, water. The water temperature during extraction is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20-140°C, more preferably 50-130°C, more preferably 60-120°C, more preferably 80-110°C, and more preferably 90-100°C. Pressurization may be applied during extraction as appropriate, in which case the temperature can exceed 100°C.

[0020] Examples of fruit juices include those from citrus fruits, apples, grapes, strawberries, pineapples, bananas, pears, peaches, plums, blueberries and other berries, and fruits such as melon, guava, mango, acerola, and papaya. Examples of vegetable juices include tomato and carrot juices. Examples of flavors include fruit or vegetable juice flavors; nutty flavors such as almond and hazelnut; and milky flavors such as cream and condensed milk.

[0021] The content of flavoring components is, for example, 0 to 30% by mass of the total mass of the beverage, based on solid content. When a beverage contains coffee ingredients, the amount of coffee ingredients is preferably 0.001 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 0.01 to 3% by mass, based on solid content relative to the total mass of the beverage.

[0022] Examples of dietary fiber include indigestible dextrin, inulin, polydextrose, and hydrolyzed guar gum. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more. However, indigestible dextrin does not fall under the category of dextrin, as it is obtained by roasting dextrin and breaking it down with an enzyme (α-amylase or glucoamylase) to separate and purify the indigestible portion. The dietary fiber content is, for example, 0-5% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage.

[0023] Beverages do not necessarily need to contain emulsifiers, but including them can suppress the separation and precipitation of fat during storage. As an emulsifier, one or more emulsifiers approved as food additives can be used. Specific examples of emulsifiers include glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, calcium stearoyl lactylate, and propylene glycol fatty acid esters. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more. The emulsifier content is, for example, 0 to 1% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage.

[0024] Examples of stabilizers include thickening polysaccharides such as gellan gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, and pectin, as well as cellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and calcium carboxymethylcellulose. The stabilizer content is, for example, 0 to 1% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage.

[0025] Examples of sweeteners include sugars such as sucrose (sugar), glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, palatinose, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, and raffinose; sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, xylitol, erythritol, and lactulose; natural sweeteners such as glycyrrhizin, stevioside, rebaudioside, sweet tea extract, and hydrangea extract; and artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more. For convenience, commercially available sucrose, sucrose-type liquid sugar, sucrose-mixed fructose-glucose liquid sugar, fructose-glucose liquid sugar, glucose-concentrated liquid sugar, etc., can be used. The sweetener content is, for example, 0 to 10% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage.

[0026] Adding inorganic salts to beverages can improve their richness and flavor. Examples of inorganic salts include refined salts, potassium chloride, tripotassium phosphate, and dipotassium hydrogen phosphate. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more. The inorganic salt content is, for example, 0 to 2% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. In terms of improving richness, 0.01 to 0.2% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage is preferable.

[0027] The solid content of the beverage is preferably 0.1 to 30% by mass, and more preferably 5 to 20% by mass, relative to the total mass of the beverage. If the solid content is above the lower limit, it has excellent rich flavor characteristics, and if it is below the upper limit, it has excellent drinkability as a beverage.

[0028] [Beverage manufacturing method] The beverage of this embodiment can be manufactured by mixing raw materials including dextrin, vegetable oil, and oat raw materials (mixing step) so as to satisfy the above-mentioned (A), (B), and (C). The raw materials may also contain other raw materials.

[0029] The method of mixing the raw materials is not particularly limited, as long as each raw material is mixed uniformly. For example, dissolving water at 50°C or higher is placed in a tank, and each component is added and dissolved. There are no particular restrictions on the order in which each raw material is added. After adding vegetable oil, it is preferable to stir with a stirrer that applies shear force and stirs at high speed (e.g., a high-shear mixer) or to pre-emulsify with a homogenizer in order to promote emulsification.

[0030] The mass of the mixture obtained in the mixing process, that is, the proportion (mass %) of dextrin, vegetable oil, oat raw material, and other raw materials relative to the total mass of all raw materials, is typically the same as the content (mass %) of each of dextrin, vegetable oil, oat raw material, and other raw materials relative to the total mass of the beverage.

[0031] If necessary, the mixture is homogenized after the mixing step (homogenization step). The homogenization process can be carried out by known methods using a homogenizer or the like. The homogenization conditions are not particularly limited, but examples include a temperature of 50-85°C and a pressure of 15-50 MPa.

[0032] If necessary, the mixture is heat-sterilized after the mixing or homogenization process (sterilization process). The composition of the mixture remains unchanged before and after heat sterilization, except for denaturation due to heat. Sterilization conditions can be set appropriately according to the characteristics of the raw materials, the sterilization method, etc. For example, conditions of 120-153°C and 2-60 seconds can be used. Various sterilization methods can be used, including plate type, tubular type, injection type, and infusion type. After the sterilization process, the mixture is cooled (cooling process). The cooling temperature is, for example, between 15°C and 25°C. After the mixing process, additional steps such as dilution and concentration may be included before obtaining the beverage.

[0033] [Packaged beverages] The beverage of this embodiment can be filled into a container to produce a packaged beverage.

[0034] There are no particular restrictions on the filling method; known methods can be applied. If the beverage has undergone a sterilization process, it is preferable to fill the beverage into containers in a sterile environment. Alternatively, beverages that have not undergone a sterilization process may be filled into containers and then sterilized by heat using a retort sterilization method to produce bottled beverages.

[0035] Examples of container shapes include packs, bottles, and cups. Examples of containers include paper containers such as paper cartons and paper cups; plastic containers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and plastic cups; metal containers such as cans; and glass containers such as glass bottles.

[0036] [Methods for improving the flavor of beverages] One embodiment of the present invention is a method for improving the flavor of a beverage containing oat raw materials, which involves mixing raw materials containing dextrin, vegetable oil, and oat raw materials in such a way as to satisfy (A), (B), and (C) described above. The raw materials may also contain other raw materials. The mixing method is as described above. After mixing, homogenization, sterilization, etc., can be performed as needed.

[0037] The flavor improvement method of this embodiment can suppress the malty odor of oats in beverages containing oat raw materials, improve the milky feel (smoothness, richness, and body), and enhance the flavor (deliciousness). When the beverage contains flavoring materials such as coffee raw materials, the flavoring materials can be fully expressed without compromising their aroma. [Examples]

[0038] The present invention will be described in more detail below using examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples. "%" represents "mass%".

[0039] (Raw materials used) Dextrin: DE value 9, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Vegetable oil: Coconut oil, manufactured by Taiyo Oil Co., Ltd. Oat saccharification liquid: Solids content 42.1%, manufactured by Api Co., Ltd. Coffee powder: Manufactured by Tokyo Allied Coffee Roasters Co., Ltd. Liquid sugar: Manufactured by Ogawa Sangyo Co., Ltd. Emulsifier: Manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.

[0040] (Test Example 1) <Beverage Preparation> According to the formulations in Table 1, each raw material was mixed, homogenized using a homogenizer at 75°C and approximately 20 MPa, heat-sterilized at 80°C for 10 minutes using a batch sterilizer, and then cooled to below 10°C to obtain beverages (standard example, Examples 1-5). In the table, the unit for the proportion of each ingredient is %. The residual amount of dissolved water is the amount that makes the total of all ingredients (total amount of beverage) 100%. The same applies to Test Examples 2-3 and Manufacturing Example 1 described later.

[0041] [Table 1]

[0042] <Rating> Each prepared beverage was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. Specifically, six panelists (Panelists A-F) with expertise in beverage evaluation tasted each beverage and evaluated the oat aroma (the characteristic grainy aroma of oats), milkiness (milky richness, smoothness, and body), coffee flavor (coffee flavor), and deliciousness (deliciousness as a café latte) on a 7-point scale. The average of the scores from the six panelists was calculated. In the evaluation, a standard example was used as the baseline (rated at 4 points), and each beverage (the baseline example and Examples 1-5) was evaluated relative to the baseline in terms of oat aroma, milkiness, coffee flavor, and deliciousness. The evaluation criteria are shown in Table 2.

[0043] [Table 2]

[0044] <Result> The evaluation results are shown in Table 3. Examples 1-5 all had average scores exceeding the benchmark score of 4 in each evaluation of oat flavor, milkiness, and taste. In particular, Examples 2-4 were superior in taste compared to Example 1, which contained less than 3% dextrin, and Example 5, which contained more than 9% dextrin.

[0045] [Table 3]

[0046] (Test Example 2) <Beverage Preparation> According to the formulations in Table 4, each raw material was mixed, homogenized using a homogenizer at 75°C and approximately 20 MPa, heat-sterilized at 80°C for 10 minutes using a batch sterilizer, and then cooled to below 10°C to obtain the beverage (standard example, Examples 6-9).

[0047] [Table 4]

[0048] <Rating> Each prepared beverage was subjected to a sensory evaluation test similar to that in Test Example 1.

[0049] <Result> The evaluation results are shown in Table 5. Examples 6-9 showed that the average score for each of the evaluations of oat flavor, milkiness, and taste exceeded the baseline score of 4.

[0050] [Table 5]

[0051] (Test Example 3) <Beverage Preparation> According to the formulations in Table 6, each raw material was mixed, homogenized using a homogenizer at 75°C and approximately 20 MPa, then heat-sterilized using a batch sterilizer at 80°C for 10 minutes, and finally cooled to below 10°C to obtain the beverage (reference examples 10-13, examples 10-13).

[0052] [Table 6]

[0053] <Rating> Each prepared beverage was subjected to the same sensory evaluation test as in Test Example 1, except that it was evaluated by seven panelists (Panelists A-G).

[0054] <Result> The evaluation results are shown in Table 7. Examples 10-12 each exceeded the score of 4 in their respective benchmarks for oat flavor, milkiness, and taste. On the other hand, Example 13, in which the solid content of oat saccharified liquid (oat raw material) exceeded 15%, was inferior in taste compared to the standard example. Furthermore, since the effect (suppression of the oat odor) has been confirmed in the range where a large amount of oat raw material is included, it is natural that the effect can also be confirmed even when the amount of oat raw material is less than that.

[0055] Table 7

Claims

1. A beverage that satisfies the following conditions (A), (B), and (C). (A) The dextrin content is 3 to 9% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (B) The vegetable oil content is 0.1 to 4% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (C) The oat content is greater than 0% by mass and less than or equal to 15% by mass of the total mass of the beverage, on a solid content basis.

2. The beverage according to claim 1, further comprising coffee ingredients.

3. A method for producing a beverage, comprising mixing raw materials including dextrin, vegetable oil, and oat raw materials so as to satisfy the following conditions (A), (B), and (C). (A) The dextrin content is 3 to 9% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (B) The vegetable oil content is 0.1 to 4% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (C) The oat content is greater than 0% by mass and less than or equal to 15% by mass of the total mass of the beverage, on a solid content basis.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 3, wherein the raw materials further include coffee raw materials.

5. A packaged beverage in which the beverage according to claim 1 or 2 is filled into a container.

6. A method for manufacturing a packaged beverage, comprising manufacturing a beverage by the manufacturing method described in claim 3 or 4, and filling the beverage into a container.

7. This is a method for improving the flavor of beverages containing oat ingredients. A method for improving flavor, comprising mixing raw materials containing dextrin, vegetable oil, and oat raw materials so as to satisfy the following conditions (A), (B), and (C). (A) The dextrin content is 3 to 9% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (B) The vegetable oil content is 0.1 to 4% by mass relative to the total mass of the beverage. (C) The oat content is greater than 0% by mass and less than or equal to 15% by mass of the total mass of the beverage, on a solid content basis.

8. The flavor improvement method according to claim 7, wherein the raw materials further include coffee raw materials.

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