drinks

Abstract

To obtain a beverage that simultaneously and harmoniously offers a green, refreshing flavor, a lingering bitterness, and a fresh taste. [Solution] A beverage containing the following ingredients (a) to (c). (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate (b) Hexanal (c) cis-3-hexenol

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to beverages.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Documents 1 to 3 describe various aroma compounds used in beverages and the like. These aroma compounds were combined in multiple species to obtain the desired scent.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to create a beverage in which a green flavor, a refreshing sensation, a lingering bitterness, and freshness, especially a refreshing sensation, can be felt simultaneously and in a well-balanced manner. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The beverage according to the present invention will be described below. Furthermore, the description for carrying out the present invention is not intended to limit the present invention. Modifications, improvements, etc., made to the following embodiments, based on the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0008] [Method for measuring the content of each component in the present invention] The content of the target compounds (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate, (b) hexanal, and (c) cis-3-hexenol in this invention is determined by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) or solvent extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A fixed concentration of an internal standard component exhibiting similar behavior to the target component is added to each sample, and the measurement is performed using a standard addition method that utilizes a calibration curve created by separately adding the standard component to the sample. A calibration curve for the standard sample is created using the area ratio obtained by dividing the peak area of ​​the quantitative ion of each component by the peak area of ​​the quantitative ion of the internal standard component, and quantification is performed.

[0009] [(a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate] The content of (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range that can exhibit the effects of the present invention, but is preferably 10 ppb or more, more preferably 20 ppb or more, even more preferably 80 ppb or more, and may be 110 ppb or more. Furthermore, a level of 600 ppb or less is preferred, 500 ppb or less is more preferred, 450 ppb or less is even more preferred, and 400 ppb or less is also acceptable.

[0010] [(b) Hexanal] The content of (b) hexanal in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range that can exert the effects of the present invention, but is preferably 20 ppb or more, more preferably 50 ppb or more, even more preferably 100 ppb or more, and may be 130 ppb or more. Furthermore, a concentration of 250 ppb or less is preferred, 180 ppb or less is more preferred, 160 ppb or less is even more preferred, and 150 ppb or less is also acceptable. Also, n-hexanal is preferred.

[0011] [(c) cis-3-hexenol] The content of (c) cis-3-hexenol in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range that can exert the effects of the present invention, but is preferably 20 ppb or more, more preferably 50 ppb or more, even more preferably 100 ppb or more, and may be 130 ppb or more. Furthermore, a level of 250 ppb or less is preferred, 180 ppb or less is more preferred, 160 ppb or less is even more preferred, and 150 ppb or less is also acceptable.

[0012] [Total content of (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate, (b) hexanal, and (c) cis-3-hexenol] The total content of (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate, (b) hexanal, and (c) cis-3-hexenol in the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 100 ppb or more, more preferably 130 ppb or more, even more preferably 150 ppb or more, and most preferably 180 ppb or more. Also, 1000 ppb or less is preferable, 600 ppb or less is more preferable, and 500 ppb or less is even more preferable. The less the total content is, the more delicate the feeling when drinking becomes, and the more the total content is, the stronger the feeling when drinking tends to be.

[0013] [Total content of (b) hexanal and (c) cis-3-hexenol] The total content of (b) hexanal and (c) cis-3-hexenol in the present invention is not particularly limited, and it may be in the range simply obtained by adding the respective contents of the above (b) hexanal and (c) cis-3-hexenol. Among them, this total content is preferably 40 ppb or more, more preferably 50 ppb or more, even more preferably 60 ppb or more, and may also be 80 ppb or more. Also, it is preferably 400 ppb or less, more preferably 360 ppb or less, even more preferably 320 ppb or less, and may also be 300 ppb or less.

[0014] [Ratio of the content of (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total content of (b) hexanal and (c) cis-3-hexenol] The ratio of the content of (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate when the total content of (b) hexanal and (c) cis-3-hexenol in the present invention is taken as1 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.05 or more, more preferably 0.20 or more, even more preferably 0.40 or more, and most preferably 0.55 or more. Also, it is preferably 5.0 or less, more preferably 4.5 or less, and even more preferably 4.3 or less. When this ratio is large, the freshness tends to improve, and when this ratio is small, the blue flavor and the trailing bitterness tend to improve.

[0015] Particularly, when the total content of (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate, (b) hexanal, and (c) cis-3-hexenol is 300 ppb or more, preferably 350 ppb or more, when the ratio of the content of (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total content of (b) hexanal and (c) cis-3-hexenol is 0.30 or more, a blue flavor, a sense of coolness, a trailing bitterness, and freshness can be achieved in a preferable degree. Also, particularly when the total content of (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate, (b) hexanal, and (c) cis-3-hexenol is 250 ppb or less, preferably 220 ppb or less, when the ratio of the content of (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total content of (b) hexanal and (c) cis-3-hexenol is 0.40 or more, a blue flavor, a sense of coolness, a trailing bitterness, and freshness can be achieved in a preferable degree.

[0016] [Ratio of the content of (b) hexanal to (c) cis-3-hexenol When the content of (c) cis-3-hexenol in the present invention is set to 1, the ratio of the content of (b) hexanal is not particularly limited, but in order to maintain a good balance in the results of each sensory evaluation, 0.2 or more is preferable, 0.5 or more is more preferable, and 0.8 or more is still more preferable. Also, 5.0 or less is preferable, 2.0 or less is more preferable, and 1.3 or less is still more preferable. In addition to these ranges, 1.5 or more may be used, further 1.7 or more may be used, and 2.5 or less may be used, further 2.3 or less may be used. Or, 0.2 or more may be used, further 0.4 or more may be used, and 0.8 or less may be used, further 0.6 or less may be used.

[0017] (Beverage) The beverage of the present invention may be a beverage that feels sweet, but in order to obtain more effects by each compound in the present invention, it may also be a sugar-free beverage. At this time, it does not substantially contain any of natural sweeteners, synthetic sweeteners, and sweet components contained in fruits, etc., so it does not particularly feel sweet. This substantially not containing means that it may be contained as long as it does not inhibit the effects of the present invention. Furthermore, while it is not necessary to include other natural and synthetic aroma components in addition to sweeteners, they may be included to the extent that they do not hinder the effects of the present invention. These sweeteners and flavorings are those that are already known. In addition, known acidulants, vinegars, sugars, bitter components, pungent components, etc., which may affect the effects of the beverage of the present invention, may also be included, to the extent that they do not impair the effects of the present invention. Furthermore, to the extent that the effects of the present invention are not impaired, known acidulants, carbonated drinks, and other components that affect the pH of beverages may be included to raise the pH to 4.6 or higher.

[0018] (Carbonated drinks) The beverage of the present invention may also be made into a carbonated beverage by adding carbon dioxide. In this case, for a carbonated beverage, the lower limit of gas capacity is preferably 1.5 vol or more, more preferably 2.0 vol or more, and even more preferably 2.5 vol or more. The upper limit of gas capacity is preferably 4.5 vol or less, more preferably 4.0 vol or less, and even more preferably 3.5 vol or less.

[0019] (Other ingredients that can be included in the present invention, insofar as they do not impair the effects of the present invention) As described above, the following additives, such as fruit juices, acidulants, vinegars, flavorings, sweeteners, and sugars, which are known to be incorporated into beverages, may be added to the beverage of the present invention, to the extent that they do not impair the effects of the present invention. The fruit juice used is not particularly limited, but may include concentrated juice, straight juice, clear juice, cloudy juice, or fruit components such as extracts and purees. The type of fruit juice is also not particularly limited, and examples include citrus fruits such as lemon, grapefruit, mandarin orange, and lime, as well as fruit juices derived from apples, pineapples, prunes, grapes, blueberries, peaches, acai, kiwis, strawberries, and mangoes.

[0020] As acidulants, known acidulants can be used, such as citric acid, adipic acid, trisodium citrate, glucono delta-lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, DL-sodium tartrate, L-sodium tartrate, carbon dioxide, lactic acid, sodium lactate, acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, DL-malic acid, DL-sodium malate, phosphoric acid, phytic acid, etc. As for the flavoring, any known flavoring applicable to beverages can be used as appropriate. Examples of flavorings include citrus flavorings, fruit flavorings, mint flavorings, and spice flavorings.

[0021] As sweeteners, those known for use in beverages can be used. Examples of sugars include trioses such as glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone, tetroses such as erythrose, pentoses such as ribose, xylose, and arabinose, hexoses such as glucose, galactose, mannose, and fructose, and heptoses such as sedoheptulose. Disaccharides include maltose, lactose, sucrose, trehalose, cellobiose, isomaltulose, and isomaltose. Trisaccharides include raffinose, gentianose, melegitose, fucosyl lactose, sialyl lactose, maltotriose, and cellotriose, as well as tetrasaccharides such as stachyose, lacto-N-tetraose, and maltotetraose. Specific examples of oligosaccharides obtained primarily by enzymatic reactions include xylooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, maltooligosaccharides, isomaltoligosaccharides, inulooligosaccharides, lactosucrose, lactulose oligosaccharides, and agarooligosaccharides. Other examples include sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol, and xylitol, as well as stevia, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K, neotame, saccharin, sodium saccharin, disodium glycyrrhizinate, dulcin, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, and alitame. And one or more of these can be used.

[0022] Known bittering agents can be used as bittering agents, such as iso-alpha acids, tetraiso-alpha acids, β-acid oxides, magnesium salts, calcium salts, naringin, kwashin, quinine, momordicin, quercitrin, theobromine, caffeine, chlorogenic acids, tannins, bitter melon, gentian tea, bitter ginger tea, wormwood extract, gentian extract, cinchona extract, etc. Furthermore, the product does not need to contain bittering agents.

[0023] Other examples include antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, polyphenols, etc.), known substances necessary for making health foods, functional foods, nutritional supplements, supplements, foods for specified health uses, foods with functional claims, etc., known colorants that can be incorporated into beverages (caramel color, gardenia color, marigold color, carotene color, anthocyanin color, fruit juice color, vegetable color, synthetic color, etc.), gelling agents (pectin, carrageenan, etc.), pH adjusters (phosphates), salts (sodium chloride, acid potassium phosphate, acid calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, etc.), dietary fiber (indigestible dextrin, pectin, polydextrose, guar gum hydrolysate, etc.), proteins (soy protein, wheat protein, corn protein, pea protein, almond protein, potato protein), and other known materials for taste adjustment.

[0024] (Packaged beverages) The beverage of the present invention can be packaged into various containers by known means to produce a packaged beverage, and deterioration of quality due to long-term storage can be effectively prevented. Especially when it is a carbonated beverage, the container can be any airtight container, such as a metal can, metal barrel (aluminum or steel, etc.), glass container, PET bottle, paper container, or pouch container. The capacity of the container is not particularly limited, and any capacity currently available on the market can be used. It is preferable to use a container that completely blocks gas, moisture, and light and can maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

[0025] (Experimental Examples 1-1 to 1-16) In the experimental examples 1-1 to 1-16 below, a 500 ml carbonated water beverage was obtained containing (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate, (b) hexanal, and (c) cis-3-hexenol, with a total concentration of 400 ppb. (Experimental Examples 2-1 to 2-14) In the experimental examples 2-1 to 2-14 below, a 500 ml carbonated water beverage was obtained containing (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate, (b) hexanal, and (c) cis-3-hexenol, with a total concentration of 200 ppb. In both experimental cases, sensory evaluations were conducted on the following aspects: green flavor (the aroma of crushed leaves or grass), refreshing sensation (a crisp and clean flavor), lingering bitterness, and freshness (the freshness of freshly picked produce). All sensory evaluations were performed by five panelists skilled in sensory evaluation, and the average scores were calculated and recorded in the tables below.

[0026] (Experimental Example 1) Experimental examples in accordance with the present invention are given in 1-4 to 1-16. In Experiment Example 1, the results of each sensory evaluation in Experiment Example 1-1 were assigned a score of 1. The results of each sensory evaluation in Experiment Example 1-9 were assigned a score of 3. Using these two results as a baseline, higher scores were assigned to each sensory evaluation as the perceived intensity increased. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. (Experimental Example 2) Experimental examples in accordance with the present invention are shown in 2-4 to 2-14. In Experiment Example 2, the results of each sensory evaluation in Experiment Example 2-1 were assigned a score of 1. Then, the results of each sensory evaluation in Experiment Example 2-9 were assigned a score of 3. Using these two results as a baseline, the score was increased further if the sensory evaluation was perceived more strongly. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

[0027] [Table 1]

[0028] [Table 2]

[0029] [Table 3]

[0030] [Table 4]

[0031] Using Experimental Example 1-1 as a baseline, Experimental Examples 1-2 and 1-3 showed good results in each sensory evaluation, but the refreshing sensation was not as strong compared to the other experimental examples. In contrast, experimental examples 1-4 showed that it was possible to particularly improve the feeling of coolness. Experimental Examples 1-5 are examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was higher than in Experimental Examples 1-4, resulting in a stronger lingering bitterness and an improved balance of each sensory evaluation. Experimental Examples 1-6 and 1-7 show the same ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol as in Experimental Example 1-5, but with a change in the ratio of hexanal to cis-3-hexenol compared to Experimental Example 1-5. These examples showed an improvement in the green flavor and lingering bitterness compared to Experimental Example 1-5.

[0032] Experimental Examples 1-8 are examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was higher than in Experimental Examples 1-5, and the results for each sensory evaluation were improved compared to Experimental Examples 1-5. Experimental Examples 1-9 were examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was higher than in Experimental Examples 1-8, and the same amounts of components (a) to (c) were included, and the results of each sensory evaluation were uniform. Experimental Examples 1-10 and 1-11 use the same ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol as in Experimental Example 1-9, but with a modified ratio of hexanal to cis-3-hexenol. These examples yielded better results in each sensory evaluation than Experimental Example 1-9.

[0033] Experimental Examples 1-12 are examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was higher than in Experimental Examples 1-9, and compared to the results of Experimental Examples 1-9, the cooling sensation and freshness were particularly improved. Experimental Examples 1-13 are examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was increased compared to Experimental Examples 1-12, and improvements were made, particularly in the green flavor and lingering bitterness, compared to the results of Experimental Examples 1-12. Experimental Examples 1-14 and 1-15 are examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol is the same as in Experimental Example 1-13, but the ratio of hexanal to cis-3-hexenol is changed compared to Experimental Example 1-13. According to these examples, the green flavor, refreshing sensation, and freshness were stronger than in Experimental Example 1-13. Experimental Examples 1-16 were examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was increased compared to Experimental Examples 1-13, resulting in a stronger green flavor, refreshing sensation, and freshness than Experimental Examples 1-13.

[0034] Using Experimental Example 2-1 as a baseline, Experimental Examples 2-2 and 2-3 showed good results for each sensory evaluation, but were lower than those of the other experimental examples. In contrast, according to Experimental Example 2-4, it was possible to improve each sensory evaluation. Examples 2-5 are examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was higher than in Experimental Example 2-4, and each sensory evaluation was improved. Experimental Examples 2-6 and 2-7 show examples where the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol is the same as in Experimental Example 2-5, but the ratio of hexanal to cis-3-hexenol is changed compared to Experimental Example 2-5. These results suggest that it is possible to improve the green flavor and lingering bitterness, or to enhance the freshness.

[0035] Example 2-8 is an example in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was higher than in Experimental Example 2-5, and in particular, the cooling sensation and freshness were improved. Example 2-9 is an example in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was higher than in Experimental Example 2-8, and the same amounts of components (a) to (c) were included, resulting in a higher level of green flavor, lingering bitterness, and freshness. Experimental Examples 2-10 and 2-11 are examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol is the same as in Experimental Example 2-9, but the ratio of hexanal to cis-3-hexenol is changed compared to Experimental Example 2-9. Based on these results, the results of each sensory evaluation can be improved.

[0036] Example 2-12 is an example in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol was higher than in Experimental Example 2-9, resulting in a stronger green flavor and refreshing sensation. Experimental Examples 2-13 and 2-14 are examples in which the ratio of cis-3-hexenyl acetate to the total amount of hexanal and cis-3-hexenol is the same as in Experimental Example 2-12, but the ratio of hexanal to cis-3-hexenol is changed compared to Experimental Example 2-12. Based on these results, the results of each sensory evaluation were improved.

Claims

1. A beverage containing the following ingredients (a) to (c). (a) cis-3-hexenyl acetate (b) Hexanal (c) cis-3-hexenol

2. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the content of component (a) to the total content of component (b) and component (c) is 0.3 or more.

3. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which is a sugar-free beverage.

4. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which is a carbonated beverage.

5. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pH is 4.6 or higher.

6. A beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which does not contain a bittering agent.

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