Beverage

Abstract

To provide a beverage that has reduced chemical odors from p-cresol and has excellent palatability.SOLUTION: A beverage contains 4.0-10 ppb of p-cresol and 0.3-3.2 ppb of coumarin. The beverage may contain extract of roasted plants.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to beverages.

Background Art

[0002] Beverages such as tea beverages and fruit juice beverages contain various components due to their characteristic of containing extracts derived from natural materials. Most of these components have a favorable effect on the flavor, but there are also some unfavorable components that decrease the palatability to some extent. p-Cresol is known as a component that has a significant impact on the decrease in palatability. Even when p-cresol is present in the beverage at several ppb, it is felt as a chemical odor and has an adverse effect on the flavor.

[0003] Therefore, preventing the contamination of p-cresol is important for improving and enhancing the palatability of beverages. However, since p-cresol is contained in many materials, there is a problem that it is not easy to prevent the contamination.

[0004] Regarding such a problem, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of containing one or more selected from the group consisting of ethyl pyruvate, methyl jasmonate, methyl dihydrojasmonate, diethyl malonate, methyl beta-naphthyl ketone, maltol isobutyrate, menthol, lauric acid, acetoin, cinnamyl acetate, benzyl acetate, and α-terpineol.

[0005] Also, Patent Document 2 proposes a method of containing cineole or cis-3-hexenol in a beverage at a specific concentration.

[0006] From the viewpoint of the degree of freedom in product design, it is preferable that the chemical odor caused by p-cresol can be suppressed by various methods. Therefore, a further novel method is required.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] The present invention has been proposed in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a beverage in which the chemical odor caused by p-cresol is suppressed and which is excellent in palatability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventor has found that, for example, in a beverage containing p-cresol in a predetermined content derived from an extract derived from a natural material, the above problems can be solved by containing a predetermined amount of coumarin, and has completed the present invention. More specifically, the present invention provides the following.

[0010] <1> A beverage containing p-cresol in a content of 4.0 to 10 ppb and containing coumarin in a content of 0.3 to 3.2 ppb.

[0011] <2> The beverage according to <1>, wherein the content of the coumarin is 0.3 to 2 ppb.

[0012] <3> The beverage according to <1> or <2>, which contains an extract of a roasted plant.

[0013] <4> A method for suppressing the chemical odor of a beverage, wherein coumarin is added to a beverage containing p-cresol in a content of 4.0 to 10 ppb so that the content thereof becomes 0.3 to 3.2 ppb.

[0014] <5> An agent for suppressing the chemical odor of a beverage, which contains coumarin and is added and used in a beverage containing p-cresol in a content of 4.0 to 10 ppb so that the content of the coumarin becomes 0.3 to 3.2 ppb.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage in which the chemical odor caused by p-cresol is suppressed and which has excellent palatability.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. In this specification, the notation "X to Y" (where X and Y are arbitrary numerical values) means "X or more and Y or less".

[0017] <1. Beverage> The beverage is, for example, a beverage containing p-cresol at a content of 4.0 to 10 ppb derived from an extract derived from natural materials, and containing coumarin at a content of 0.3 to 3.2 ppb. By designing to contain coumarin at a specific ratio in this way, the chemical odor caused by p-cresol can be suppressed, and a beverage with excellent palatability can be obtained.

[0018] Coumarin has a flowery-like aroma similar to vanilla, is bitter, and is an aromatic component with a pungent taste. However, the present inventor has surprisingly found that by containing coumarin in a beverage containing p-cresol, the chemical odor caused by p-cresol is suppressed.

[0019] The type of the beverage is not particularly limited, and examples include beverages containing an extract of roasted plants, fruit and vegetable juice beverages, sports beverages, milk-based beverages, carbonated beverages, coffee beverages, and the like. Among them, from the viewpoint that p-cresol is likely to be mixed in by containing extracts of various materials, the beverage preferably contains an extract of roasted plants, and more preferably is a tea beverage.

[0020] When the beverage is a tea beverage, the variety, origin, harvesting time, harvesting method, and cultivation method of the plant from which the extract contained in the beverage is derived are not limited. The type of plant is also not particularly limited. For example, barley, Job's tears, brown rice, turmeric tea, corn, black beans, soybeans, adzuki beans, taro, loquat leaves, tea leaves, kelp, bear grass, sesame, persimmon leaves, ama-chazuru, mulberry leaves, ganoderma lucidum, kuko, orange peel, yuzu peel, eucommia ulmoides leaves, perilla leaves, houttuynia cordata, giant butterbur, gymnema sylvestre, rooibos, rafuma, dandelion, peppermint, purslane, dried tangerine peel, ginkgo, pine needles, lotus, olive, young barley leaves, polygonum hydropiper, grass jelly, ashitaba, mugwort, evening primrose, etc. can be used. Among these plants, it is preferable to use one or more selected from the group consisting of Job's tears, turmeric tea, and loquat leaves. Also, these may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0021] When the beverage contains a plant extract, it includes not only a liquid containing an extract obtained by extracting a certain kind of plant, but also a liquid obtained by mixing the extract with extracts of other plants, or a liquid obtained by adding additives to these liquids, or a liquid obtained by dispersing a dried product of these liquids, etc.

[0022] When the beverage is a fruit juice / vegetable juice beverage, the variety, origin, harvesting time, harvesting method, and cultivation method of the fruit or vegetable from which the fruit juice / vegetable juice contained in the beverage is derived are not limited. The type of fruit or vegetable is also not particularly limited. For example, oranges such as Valencia oranges and navel oranges; grapefruits such as grapefruits; acid citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, calamondins, daidais, yuzus, kabos, sudachis, citrons, bushukan; miscellaneous citrus fruits such as natsumikan, hassaku, hyuganatsu, sweetie, dekopon; tangors such as iyo-kan and tankan; tangelos such as seminole; ponkans such as ponkan; mandarin oranges such as unshu mikan, ponkan, and kishu mikan; kumquats such as kinkan, etc. can be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0023] When the beverage contains fruit juice or vegetable juice, it includes not only a liquid containing a certain kind of fruit juice or vegetable juice, but also a liquid obtained by mixing other fruit juices or vegetable juices with that liquid, or a liquid obtained by adding additives to these liquids, or a liquid obtained by dispersing a dried product of these liquids, etc.

[0024] [p-Cresol] The beverage contains p-cresol. The content of p-cresol in the beverage is in the range of 4.0 - 10 ppb. Also, the content of p-cresol in the beverage may be 5 ppb or more, and may be 6 ppb or more.

[0025] On the other hand, from the perspective of preventing the chemical odor caused by p-cresol from becoming excessive, the upper limit of the content of p-cresol in the beverage may be 9 ppb or less, and may be 8 ppb or less.

[0026] The content of p-cresol in the beverage can be measured using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The measurement by GC-MS can be carried out based on the conditions shown in the examples, for example. Also, when the concentration in each raw material can be grasped, it can also be calculated.

[0027] [Coumarin] The beverage contains coumarin. The coumarin is not particularly limited, but commercially available products of the compound can be used for formulation, or natural products containing coumarin, their extracts, etc. can be formulated.

[0028] The content of coumarin in the beverage is in the range of 0.3 - 3.2 ppb. By setting the content of coumarin in the beverage within such a range, the chemical odor in the beverage containing p-cresol can be reduced. From the perspective of enhancing the inhibitory effect on the chemical odor caused by p-cresol, the content of coumarin in the beverage is preferably 0.5 ppb or more, more preferably 0.7 ppb or more, and still more preferably 1 ppb or more.

[0029] On the other hand, adding a large amount of coumarin may impair the taste of the beverage. Therefore, from the viewpoint of maintaining good taste of the beverage, the upper limit of the coumarin content in the beverage is preferably 3 ppb or less, more preferably 2.5 ppb or less, and even more preferably 2 ppb or less.

[0030] The coumarin content in the beverage can be measured using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The measurement by GC-MS can be carried out, for example, based on the conditions shown in the examples. Also, it can be calculated when the concentration in each raw material is known.

[0031] [Other components] In the beverage, other raw materials and additives commonly used in general beverages can be appropriately blended within a range that does not inhibit the effect. The blending amount can be appropriately adjusted according to the intended effect. Specifically, for example, it may contain various additives such as antioxidants, pH adjusters, flavors, various esters, organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic acids, inorganic acid salts, inorganic salts, pigments, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, and quality stabilizers.

[0032] [Container] In the beverage, it can be made into a bottled beverage by filling it into a container. The container may be any sealed container known in the beverage industry, which can be appropriately selected and used, and can be appropriately determined according to the distribution form and consumer needs. Specific examples thereof include sealed containers made of glass, plastic (such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc.), paper, aluminum, steel, etc., alone, or composite materials or laminated materials thereof. In particular, a transparent (including translucent) container is preferred. The transparent container may be entirely transparent or partially transparent.

[0033] <2. Manufacturing method of the beverage> The beverage can be manufactured using any conditions or methods employed in the production of beverages. For example, to a beverage with a p-cresol content of 4.0 - 10 ppb, coumarin is added so that its content becomes 0.3 - 3.2 ppb, and other components that are added as needed are further added to prepare the beverage.

[0034] The content of p-cresol in the beverage can be adjusted by any appropriate method. Also, the method of adding coumarin may follow a conventional method.

[0035] In the production of the beverage, for example, there is a method of sequentially or simultaneously adding an extract etc. containing predetermined amounts of respective components prepared and a predetermined amount of coumarin, and mixing them by stirring etc. The mixing order etc. of each component are not particularly limited. Also, there is a method of mixing a plurality of plants in advance, performing an extraction treatment to obtain an extract, and then adding coumarin to the obtained extract so as to reach a predetermined concentration. When adding coumarin, methods such as adding it as a fragrance (chemically synthesized compound etc.) and adding a food material containing coumarin can be mentioned.

[0036] The manufactured beverage can be filled into a container to make a container-packed beverage, and before or after filling into the container, it may be appropriately sterilized. The method of sterilization is not particularly limited, and examples include ordinary plate sterilization, tubular sterilization, retort sterilization, batch sterilization, autoclave sterilization, etc.

[0037] <3. Method for Suppressing Chemical Odor of Beverage> As described above, according to the present invention, by adding coumarin to a beverage with a p-cresol content of 4.0 - 10 ppb so that its content becomes 0.3 - 3.2 ppb, the chemical odor caused by p-cresol can be suppressed.

[0038] <4. Suppressant for Chemical Odor of Beverage> The inhibitor for suppressing the chemical odor of beverages contains coumarin. This inhibitor is added and used in beverages with a p-cresol content of 4.0 to 10 ppb so that the coumarin content is 0.3 to 3.2 ppb.

[0039] The inhibitor for suppressing the chemical odor of beverages can be produced by any method adopted in this field or a method with appropriate improvements. Also, when the inhibitor for suppressing the chemical odor of beverages contains components other than coumarin, the types and contents thereof can be appropriately designed according to the effects to be obtained.

Example

[0040] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited by these examples.

[0041] ≪Test 1: Verification by adding p-cresol≫ [Preparation of reference product and test sample] 10 g of roasted brown rice (L* = 58) was extracted with 30 times the volume of water at 90 °C. 0.3 g of sodium L-ascorbate, 0.1 g of L-ascorbic acid, and 0.2 g of sodium hydrogen carbonate were respectively added to the obtained extract, and the volume was adjusted to 1000 g with pure water to obtain a prepared liquid. After subjecting the obtained prepared liquid to UHT sterilization, it was aseptically filled into a PET bottle to obtain a sample (reference product). p-Cresol was added to the obtained reference product to each concentration of 1 to 10 ppb, and a test sample for evaluation was prepared.

[0042] The content of p-cresol in the reference product and the test sample was measured under the following conditions using a gas chromatograph tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS / MS). Specifically, 100 μL of the beverage to be analyzed was placed in a vial (capacity 10 mL), and introduced into a GC-MS / MS (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) by the MVM (Multi Volatile Method) method using an MPS manufactured by Gerstel. The calibration curve was prepared by the standard addition method, and cyclohexanol was used as the internal standard. <Analysis conditions of GC-MS / MS> · Machine GC: Agilent 7980B GC System (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) MS: Agilent 7000D GC / MS Triple Quad (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) Fully automatic volatile component extraction introduction device: MPS Robotic Pro / DHS / TDU2 / CIS4 (manufactured by Gerstel) Collection tube (adsorbent): Tenax TATM, Carbopack-B / Carbopack-X · Column: DB-WAX UI, 20m × 0.18mm, film thickness 0.30μm (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) · Injection method: Splitless · Carrier gas: He (1.0 mL / min) · Transfer line: 250°C · Temperature programming: 40°C (held for 3 minutes) → 5°C / min → 240°C (held for 7 minutes) · Precursor ion > Product ion (CE (Collision energy)) : p-Cresol 107 > 77 (20V) : Cyclohexanol 82 > 67 (5V) · Ionization method: EI · Quadrupole temperature: 150°C · Ion source temperature: 230°C

[0043] [Sensory evaluation] For the prepared reference samples and test samples, sensory evaluations were conducted by 5 professional panelists. Specifically, for the reference samples, comparative evaluations were made on "taste" and "chemical odor". Each evaluation score was calculated as the average value of the evaluation scores given by each panelist according to the following evaluation criteria. In such evaluations, the score of the reference sample was used as the reference value (4 points) for evaluation.

[0044] For "taste", evaluations were made on a 7-point scale using the following evaluation criteria. 7 points: Very good 6 points: Good 5 points: Slightly good 4 points: Equivalent to the reference sample 3 points: Slightly bad 2 points: Bad 1 point: Considerably bad

[0045] Regarding the "drug odor", it was evaluated in seven levels using the following evaluation criteria. 7 points: Considerably strong 6 points: Strong 5 points: Slightly strong 4 points: Equivalent to the reference product 3 points: Slightly weak 2 points: Weak 1 point: Considerably weak

[0046] (Result) Table 1 below shows the p - cresol concentrations and sensory evaluation results in the reference product and test samples. Note that for "tastiness", the higher the score, the higher the evaluation. Also, for "drug odor", the lower the score, the less it is felt, which means a higher evaluation.

[0047]

Table 1

[0048] As shown in Table 1, as the p - cresol concentration increased, the drug odor was felt more strongly and the tastiness was poor.

[0049] ≪Test 2: Verification by adding coumarin≫ [Preparation of reference product and test samples] Coumarin was added to the reference product prepared in Test 1 at concentrations of 0.3 - 3.2 ppb so that the p - cresol concentration was 10 ppb, and test samples were prepared.

[0050] The contents of coumarin in the reference standard and test samples were measured using a gas chromatograph tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS / MS) under the following conditions. Specifically, 100 μL of the beverage to be analyzed was placed in a vial (volume 10 mL), and introduced into the GC-MS / MS (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) by the MVM (Multi Volatile Method) method using the MPS manufactured by Gerstel. The calibration curve was prepared by the standard addition method, and cyclohexanol was used as the internal standard. <Analysis Conditions of GC-MS / MS> · Instrument GC: Agilent 7980B GC System (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) MS: Agilent 7000D GC / MS Triple Quad (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) Fully Automatic Volatile Component Extraction and Introduction Device: MPS Robotic Pro / DHS / TDU2 / CIS4 (manufactured by Gerstel) Collection Tube (Adsorbent): Tenax TATM, Carbopack-B / Carbopack-X · Column: DB-WAX UI, 20 m × 0.18 mm, film thickness 0.30 μm (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) · Injection Method: Splitless · Carrier Gas: He (1.0 mL / min) · Transfer Line: 250 °C · Temperature Program: 40 °C (held for 3 minutes) → 5 °C / min → 240 °C (held for 7 minutes) · Precursor Ion > Product Ion (CE (Collision Energy)) : Coumarin 146 > 118 (10 V) : Cyclohexanol 82 > 67 (5 V) · Ionization Method: EI · Quadrupole Temperature: 150 °C · Ion Source Temperature: 230 °C

[0051] [Sensory Evaluation] For the prepared reference products and test samples, sensory evaluations were conducted by 5 professional panelists. Specifically, the sensory evaluations were performed by comparing and evaluating the "tastiness" and "chemical odor" of the reference products. Each evaluation score was calculated as the average value of the evaluation scores given by each panelist according to the same evaluation criteria as in Test 1.

[0052] (Results) Table 2 below shows the p-cresol concentration, coumarin concentration, and sensory evaluation results in the reference products and test samples. Note that for "tastiness", the higher the score, the higher the evaluation. Also, for "chemical odor", the lower the score, the less it is felt, which means a higher evaluation.

[0053]

Table 2

[0054] As shown in Table 2, in Examples 1 to 4, the chemical odor was suppressed compared to Comparative Example 1. Also, it was found that in addition to the suppression of the chemical odor, the tastiness was also improved in Examples 1 to 3.

Claims

A beverage containing an extract of roasted brown rice and containing p-cresol at a content of 4.0 to 10 ppb, containing coumarin at a content of 0.3 to 3.2 ppb, beverage.

2. The beverage according to claim 1, wherein the content of the coumarin is 0.3 to 2 ppb.

3. A method for suppressing the chemical odor of a beverage, which comprises adding coumarin to a beverage containing an extract of roasted brown rice and having a p-cresol content of 4.0 to 10 ppb so that the content thereof becomes 0.3 to 3.2 ppb. Method for suppressing the chemical odor of a beverage.

4. An inhibitor containing coumarin, which is used by adding it to a beverage containing an extract of roasted brown rice and having a p-cresol content of 4.0 to 10 ppb so that the content of the coumarin becomes 0.3 to 3.2 ppb. Inhibitor for suppressing the chemical odor of a beverage.

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