Low-sweet carbonated beverage

Abstract

To improve the unpleasant irritation of carbon dioxide remaining after drinking a low-sweetness, high-gas-pressure carbonated drink. The sweetness level is 0.6 to 2.0, and the carbon dioxide pressure is 3.0 kgf / cm 2 The beverage described above contains 0.005 to 1.0 v / v % of ethanol and / or propylene glycol.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a low-sweetness and high-gas-pressure carbonated beverage. More specifically, the present invention relates to a carbonated beverage having a low sweetness degree of 0.6 to 2.0 and a high carbon dioxide gas pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm 2 or more, and in which the unpleasant irritation of the carbonic acid remaining after drinking is improved.

Background Art

[0002] Carbonated beverages can be enjoyed by a wide range of consumers because they can provide a refreshing feeling due to the bubbles of carbonic acid contained in the beverage. In particular, carbonated beverages with a high carbon dioxide gas pressure (hereinafter also referred to as strong carbonated beverages) are well-suited for swallowing and can provide a strong and stimulating refreshing feeling, so there is a large demand, especially in the hot summer months.

[0003] Looking at the strong carbonated beverages currently on the market, they can be divided into two types: products with a strong taste and high sweetness like cola, and products with no sweetness at all, so-called carbonated water. There is a polarization in terms of the strength of sweetness, and there have been almost no strong carbonated beverage products with a weak sweetness in between.

[0004] Also, to date, as technologies related to strong carbonated beverages, many technologies for enhancing the stimulation of carbonic acid are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for enhancing the carbonic acid feeling during drinking by specifying the types of bitter components, their blending ratios, and the ratio of acidity to bitterness in a low-sweetness carbonated beverage within a specific range. However, there is no known technology for improving the unpleasant irritation of the carbonic acid remaining after drinking.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to improve the unpleasant irritation of carbonic acid remaining after drinking in a strongly carbonated beverage having a sweetness degree of 0.6 to 2.0 and a carbon dioxide pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm 2 or more.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention relates to the following, although not limited thereto. [1] (a) having a sweetness degree of 0.6 to 2.0, (b) having a carbon dioxide pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm 2 or more, and (c) containing 0.005 to 1.0 v / v% of ethanol and / or propylene glycol, a carbonated beverage. [2] The beverage according to [1], containing fruit juice and / or fruit extract. [3] The beverage according to [1] or [2], having an absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm of 0.03 or more. [4] The beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], containing an emulsified flavor.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, in a strongly carbonated beverage having a sweetness degree of 0.6 to 2.0 and a carbon dioxide pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm 2 or more, by containing a specific amount of ethanol and / or propylene glycol, the unpleasant irritation of carbonic acid remaining after drinking can be improved. That is, by using the technology of the present invention, a low-sweetness and high-gas-pressure carbonated beverage with improved unpleasant irritation of carbonic acid remaining after drinking can be provided. Here, the unpleasant irritation remaining after drinking specifically refers to the tingling irritation felt in the back of the throat for several seconds after drinking.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] The present invention will be described below. Unless otherwise specified, "ppm" used in this specification means ppm of weight / volume (w / v). Also, a numerical range represented by a lower limit value and an upper limit value in this specification, that is, "lower limit value to upper limit value", shall include those lower limit value and upper limit value. For example, the range represented by "1 to 2" includes 1 and 2.

[0010] (Sweetness degree) The sweetness degree of the carbonated beverage of the present invention is 0.6 to 2.0, preferably 0.7 to 1.8, more preferably 0.8 to 1.6. When the sweetness degree is less than 0.6, the effects of the present invention cannot be obtained. When the sweetness degree is greater than 2.0, the unpleasant stimulation of the carbonic acid remaining after drinking is less likely to be felt due to the sweetness of the beverage, and thus the problems of the present invention do not occur.

[0011] The sweetness degree in this specification is an index representing the sweetness of a beverage, with the sweetness of a beverage containing 1 g of sucrose in 100 g of the beverage being defined as "1". The sweetness degree of the beverage is obtained by converting the content of each sweetening component into an equivalent amount of sucrose based on the relative ratio of the sweetness of the sweetening component to the sweetness of sucrose of 1, and then summing up the sucrose sweetness conversion amounts of all the sweetening components contained in the beverage (including sweetening components derived from fruit juices, extracts, etc.). Table 1 shows the relative ratios of the sweetness of various typical sweetening components to the sweetness of sucrose of 1. For sweetening components not listed in Table 1, the sweetness degree presented by the manufacturer that manufactures or sells the sweetening component can be used, or the sweetness degree can be determined by sensory evaluation.

[0012]

Table 1

[0013] In the beverage of the present invention, the sweetness of the beverage can be adjusted using a sweetening component. As the sweetening component, for example, the sweetening components listed in Table 1 can be used, but other sweetening components may also be used. In the present invention, the sweetening component may be directly blended as a sweetener in the beverage, or a fruit juice or extract containing the sweetening component may be blended. Preferred sweetening components are fructose, isomerized sugar, glucose, sucrose, lactose, oligosaccharides (such as maltooligosaccharides), and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol and xylitol). Particularly preferred sweetening components are fructose and sucrose. In the beverage of the present invention, it is preferable not to use a high-sweetness sweetener because a clear and natural sweetness can be imparted to the carbonated beverage. As used herein, the high-sweetness sweetener means an artificial or natural sweetener having a sweetness ten times or more that of sucrose, and examples include sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, and stevia.

[0014] (Carbon dioxide pressure) The carbon dioxide pressure of the carbonated beverage of the present invention is 3.0 kgf / cm 2 or more, preferably 3.0 - 4.5 kgf / cm 2 , more preferably 3.0 - 4.0 kgf / cm 2 . When the carbon dioxide pressure of the carbonated beverage is lower than 3.0 kgf / cm 2 , since the irritation of carbon dioxide itself is small, the unpleasant irritation remaining after drinking, which is a problem of the present invention, is hardly felt in the first place. In this specification, the carbon dioxide pressure refers to the content of carbon dioxide gas in the beverage. As one aspect, the value of the carbon dioxide pressure of the carbonated beverage used in the present invention is the value at the time of drinking. In particular, it is the value of the carbon dioxide pressure when the beverage with the cap unopened is first opened. The carbon dioxide pressure can be measured using a carbonated beverage with the liquid temperature adjusted to 20°C and a gas pressure measuring device (for example, GVA-500A manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.).

[0015] (Ethanol, propylene glycol) The beverage of the present invention contains 0.005 to 1.0 v / v% of ethanol and / or propylene glycol. "0.005 to 1.0 v / v% of ethanol and / or propylene glycol" means that the total content of ethanol and propylene glycol in the beverage is 0.005 to 1.0 v / v%. Either ethanol or propylene glycol alone may be contained in the beverage. If the content of ethanol and / or propylene glycol in the beverage is within the above range, the unpleasant irritation remaining after drinking can be effectively improved. When the beverage of the present invention contains ethanol, the content of ethanol in the beverage is preferably 0.01 to 0.8 v / v%, more preferably 0.05 to 0.5 v / v%. When the beverage of the present invention contains propylene glycol, the content of propylene glycol in the beverage is preferably 0.01 to 0.8 v / v%, more preferably 0.05 to 0.5 v / v% or more. As described above, the beverage of the present invention may contain both ethanol and propylene glycol. In that case, the total amount of the two is 0.005 to 1.0 v / v%, more preferably 0.01 to 0.8 v / v%, and even more preferably 0.05 to 0.5 v / v%. The contents of ethanol and propylene glycol in the beverage of the present invention can be measured by methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, the contents of ethanol and propylene glycol can be measured using spectroscopic methods such as HPLC method, LC-MS method, GC-MS method, LC method, GC method, or near-infrared method.

[0016] (fruit juice, fruit extract) The beverage of the present invention preferably contains fruit juice and / or fruit extract. In beverages containing fruit juice and / or fruit extract, there is a tendency for the effect of improving the unpleasant irritation of carbonic acid remaining after drinking the present invention to be remarkably manifested. Although the mechanism has not been elucidated, it is presumed that polyphenols and the like contained in fruit juice or fruit extract have an influence. The types of fruits in the fruit juice and fruit extract that can be used in the present invention are not particularly limited. For example, citrus fruits (grapefruit, lemon, orange, lime, Japanese citrus fruits, etc.), apples, plums, grapes, peaches, berries, tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, acerola, etc.) and the like can be mentioned. In the present invention, citrus fruits, apples, and plums are more preferably used, and citrus fruits are particularly preferably used. Citrus fruit juice and citrus extract also have the effect of imparting a refreshing feeling of carbonic acid. Among citrus fruits, grapefruit and lemon are particularly preferred. In the present invention, the type of fruit juice or fruit extract may be one kind or a combination of two or more kinds. When using fruit juice, either clear fruit juice or cloudy fruit juice may be used, or both may be used in combination. Furthermore, fruit juice and fruit extract can also be used in combination.

[0017] In the present invention, the content of fruit juice and / or fruit extract in the beverage is preferably 0.1 to 10 w / w%, more preferably 0.3 to 5 w / w%, and even more preferably 0.5 to 2 w / w%. Here, when fruit juice and fruit extract are used in combination, the content of fruit juice and / or fruit extract means the combined value of the content of fruit juice and the content of fruit extract.

[0018] (Absorbance) The beverage of the present invention may be a visually transparent beverage or a turbid beverage, but is preferably a turbid beverage. Although the mechanism is not clear, when the beverage is turbid, the effect of improving the unpleasant irritation of the carbonic acid remaining after drinking the present invention tends to be more significantly perceptible. The turbidity of the beverage can be quantified by using a known method for measuring the turbidity of a liquid. For example, the turbidity degree of the beverage can be defined by the absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm measured using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (such as UV-1600 manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation). Specifically, in the beverage of the present invention, the absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm is preferably 0.03 or more. More preferably, the absorbance is 0.03 to 0.3, still more preferably 0.04 to 0.1, and most preferably 0.04 to 0.06. When the absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm is 0.03 or more, turbidity can be clearly perceived visually. On the other hand, when the absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm is too large (for example, when it is larger than 0.3), it visually appears to have a rather strong turbidity, and a beverage with strong turbidity is less likely to give the consumer a refreshing feeling of a carbonated beverage from a visual aspect, so there is a risk of being recognized as a beverage with less refreshingness from a visual aspect. The method for imparting appropriate turbidity to the beverage is not particularly limited, but examples include a method of adding an emulsified flavor, a method of adding a turbid fruit juice or a turbid extract, etc. From the point that uniform turbidity can be imparted to the beverage, the method of adding an emulsified flavor is preferred.

[0019] (Emulsified flavor) In the specification of the present invention, the emulsified flavor refers to an oil-in-water (O / W) type flavor in which an oil flavor is emulsified with an emulsifier. Note that the emulsified flavor may contain components other than the oil and the agent. The emulsifier constituting the emulsified flavor is not particularly limited. For example, a substance having both a hydrophilic group and a lipophilic group (hydrophobic group) can be used. For example, it is preferably at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of polyglycerol fatty acid esters, gum arabic, and ghatti gum. Here, the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is an emulsifier obtained by esterifying polyglycerol obtained by dehydrating and condensing glycerol derived from vegetable oil with a fatty acid derived from vegetable oil. Gum arabic can be obtained from the sap (secretion) of Acacia senegal, a tree of the genus Acacia in the family Mimosaceae, and is an emulsifier mainly composed of polysaccharides composed of sugars such as galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, and glucuronic acid. Ghatti gum can be obtained from the sap (secretion) of Anogeissus latifolia and is an emulsifier mainly composed of polysaccharides composed of sugars such as arabinose, galactose, mannose, xylose, and glucuronic acid. Note that the above-mentioned emulsifiers are not particularly limited with respect to conditions such as the degree of polymerization. Also, the oil may be an essential oil suitable for beverages, and examples include citrus essential oils and vegetable oils (such as palm oil and coconut oil). From the viewpoint of enhancing the refreshing feeling of carbonated beverages, it is preferable to use citrus essential oils. Examples of citrus essential oils include lemon essential oil, grapefruit essential oil, orange essential oil, lime essential oil, and Japanese citrus essential oil. Specific aroma components contained in these citrus essential oils include, for example, citral, limonene, nootkatone, geraniol, linalool, and decanal. The blending ratio of the emulsifier and the oil in the emulsified flavor is not particularly limited as long as the oil can be emulsified into an oil-in-water (O / W) type by the emulsifier. For example, the mass ratio (emulsifier:oil) can be 1:2 to 10:1.

[0020] The content of the emulsified flavor can be appropriately set according to the flavor imparted to the beverage and the like, and is not particularly limited. For example, it can be 10 ppm to 10,000 ppm. Also, the content of each component (emulsifier, oil) constituting the emulsified flavor can be appropriately set according to the flavor imparted to the beverage and the like, and is not particularly limited. Among the components constituting the emulsified flavor, the emulsifier is preferably added in an amount such that it becomes 5 ppm to 1250 ppm in the beverage, and more preferably in an amount such that it becomes 25 ppm to 500 ppm. The content of the emulsifier can be measured, for example, by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

[0021] (Other components) In addition to the various components shown above, the beverage of the present invention can be added with flavors, nutritional fortifiers (such as vitamins), antioxidants, preservatives, dietary fibers, and quality stabilizers, etc. that are used in ordinary beverages, within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0022] (pH) The pH of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but for example, it is preferably 6 or less, more preferably 2.5 to 5, and even more preferably 3 to 4. When the pH of the beverage is 6 or less, the stimulation of the carbonated beverage is felt sharply.

[0023] The pH of the beverage can be appropriately adjusted using an acidulant or a pH adjuster. The acidulant or pH adjuster that can be used in the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but examples include organic acids such as citric acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, ascorbic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, inorganic acids such as phosphoric acid and their salts, or fruit juices. Specific acidulants include citric acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, gluconic acid, and succinic acid.

[0024] In the present invention, the pH of the beverage can be measured using a known method. For example, according to "JIS Z 8802:2011 pH measurement method", the pH of the beverage can be measured at 20 °C using a pH meter (JIS Z 8805:2011 glass electrode for pH measurement).

[0025] (Beverage) The carbonated beverage of the present invention is a soft drink with an alcohol content of less than 1 v / v%, and examples of its types include energy drinks, carbonated water, sparkling beverages, ciders, cola-flavored beverages, ginger-flavored carbonated beverages, fruit juice-flavored carbonated beverages, etc. Preferably, it is a sparkling beverage or a fruit juice-flavored carbonated beverage. On the other hand, since the beer-taste beverage may impair the effects of the present invention due to the unique richness of beer, it is preferably not a beer-taste beverage.

[0026] The beverage of the present invention is preferably a container-packed beverage in a container-packed state. The container is not particularly limited, and examples include plastic bottles (such as PET bottles), aluminum cans, steel cans, bottles, etc. Among them, in order to achieve a high gas pressure, a plastic bottle is preferred.

[0027] Also, the beverage of the present invention can be a heat-sterilized container-packed beverage. When performing heat sterilization, the method is not particularly limited, and it can be performed using ordinary methods such as UHT sterilization and retort sterilization. The temperature of the heat sterilization treatment is not particularly limited, but for example, it is 65 to 130°C, preferably 85 to 120°C. The time of the heat sterilization treatment is not particularly limited, but for example, it is 10 to 40 minutes. However, if a sterilization value equivalent to the above conditions can be obtained, heat sterilization treatment at an appropriate temperature for several seconds, for example, 5 to 30 seconds, may also be used.

[0028] (Manufacturing method) The beverage of the present invention can be manufactured by appropriately blending the above-described components. In the manufacture of the beverage of the present invention, the blending order of various components is not particularly limited. Also, in the manufacture of the beverage of the present invention, the steps of blending the above-described components and materials and the steps of adjusting their contents can also be included.

[0029] In the production of the beverage of the present invention, a step of heat sterilizing the beverage is included, and a step of filling the beverage into a container is also included. Through these steps, a container-filled beverage can be obtained. The conditions for heat sterilization are as described above, but are not particularly limited.

Example

[0030] Hereinafter, experimental examples will be shown to specifically explain the details of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. <Reference Example> Four types of carbonated beverage samples with different sweetness degrees and carbon dioxide gas pressures were prepared. Specifically, high fructose liquid sugar was added to water, and each beverage sample was prepared to have the sweetness degree shown in Table 2. Further, after adjusting the pH of each beverage sample to 3.5 using citric acid, carbon dioxide gas was contained so as to have the carbon dioxide gas pressure shown in Table 2, and filled into PET bottles to obtain various beverages. For the obtained beverage samples, sensory evaluation was performed by 5 professional panels. As the sensory evaluation, regarding the unpleasant stimulation of the carbon dioxide remaining after drinking, evaluation was performed in three stages according to the following evaluation criteria. Regarding the evaluation results, after each professional panel performed the evaluation, all the panels reached an agreement to determine the final evaluation result. (Evaluation Criteria) 3: Do not feel the unpleasant stimulation of the carbon dioxide remaining after drinking 2: Slightly feel the unpleasant stimulation of the carbon dioxide remaining after drinking 1: Feel the unpleasant stimulation of the carbon dioxide remaining after drinking very much

[0031]

Table 2

[0032] The results are as above. For beverages (Samples A and B) with a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm 2 and a sweetness degree of 2.0 or less, an unpleasant stimulation of the carbon dioxide remaining after drinking is felt, but for a beverage (Sample C) with a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm 2 and a sweetness degree of 5.0, an unpleasant stimulation of the carbon dioxide remaining after drinking was not felt. Also, for a beverage with a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 2.0 kgf / cm2 Regarding the beverage (Sample D), even when the sweetness level was 2.0 or less, no unpleasant carbonic acid irritation remained after drinking.

[0033] <Experimental Example 1> Various components of high fructose liquid sugar, ethanol, and propylene glycol were added to water, and the sweetness levels and final concentrations of various beverage samples were adjusted to the values shown in Table 3. The pH was adjusted to 3.5 using citric acid. For beverage sample 12, instead of high fructose liquid sugar, potassium acesulfame (manufactured by Celanese Production Germany GMbH & Co. KG, trade name: Sunett (registered trademark)) was used for sweetness adjustment. Carbon dioxide gas was contained in the adjusted samples so that the carbon dioxide gas pressure became 3.0 kgf / cm 2 and the samples were filled into PET bottles to obtain various beverages. .

[0034] For the obtained beverage samples, sensory evaluation was performed by 5 professional panels. The sensory evaluation was carried out according to the following evaluation criteria for the unpleasant carbonic acid irritation remaining after drinking. The score of the evaluation result was the average value of the evaluation scores by 5 professional panels.

[0035] (Evaluation Criteria) 5: No unpleasant carbonic acid irritation is felt after drinking (similar to Reference Example D) 4: Slightly more unpleasant carbonic acid irritation is felt after drinking compared to Reference Example D, but at a level that is not bothersome 3: Clearly more unpleasant carbonic acid irritation is felt after drinking compared to Reference Example D, but at an acceptable level 2: Clearly more unpleasant carbonic acid irritation is felt after drinking compared to Reference Example D, at an unacceptable level, but less unpleasant irritation compared to Reference Example A 1: Strongly feel the unpleasant carbonic acid irritation after drinking (similar to Reference Example A)

[0036]

Table 3

[0037] The results of the sensory evaluation are as described above. With a sweetness level of 0.6 to 2.0 and a carbon dioxide pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm 2 in beverages, it was found that by containing ethanol and / or propylene glycol at 0.005 v / v% or more, the unpleasant irritation of the carbonic acid remaining after drinking was improved (Samples 3 to 8, 10 to 12). Also, it was found that whether the sweetener is a saccharide or a high-sweetness sweetener, a similar effect can be obtained. On the other hand, for the sugar-free beverage with a sweetness level of 0 (Sample 9), even when containing 0.1 v / v% ethanol, almost no improvement effect on the unpleasant irritation of the carbonic acid remaining after drinking was obtained. Also, in beverages with a carbon dioxide pressure of 4.0 kgf / cm 2 it was found that by containing 0.1 v / v% ethanol, the unpleasant irritation of the carbonic acid remaining after drinking was improved (Sample 13).

[0038] <Experimental Example 2> High fructose liquid sugar, ethanol, clear grapefruit juice, clear apple juice, and various components of lemon extract were added to water. The final concentrations of the various components were made to be the values shown in Table 4, and the high fructose liquid sugar was used to adjust the sweetness level of each beverage sample to 1.0, and the pH was adjusted to 3.5 using citric acid. Carbon dioxide was contained in the adjusted samples so that the carbon dioxide pressure became 3.0 kgf / cm 2 and filled into PET bottles to obtain various beverages.

[0039] For the obtained beverage samples, a sensory evaluation was conducted by 5 professional panels. The sensory evaluation was conducted in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1.

[0040]

Table 4

[0041] The results of the sensory evaluation are as described above. With a sweetness level of 1.0 and a carbon dioxide pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm 2In the beverage, by containing 0.1 v / v% ethanol, the unpleasant irritation of carbonic acid remaining after drinking is improved, and it was found that by further containing fruit juice or fruit extract, the effect can be remarkably obtained.

[0042] <Experimental Example 3> Various components of high fructose liquid sugar, emulsified flavor (emulsifier: containing 20% gum arabic, citrus essential oil), emulsified flavor (emulsifier: containing 9% glycerin fatty acid ester, citrus essential oil), and ethanol were added to water, and the sweetness of various beverage samples was adjusted to 1.0. Also, the absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm of various beverage samples was adjusted to the values shown in Table 5 using the emulsified flavor shown in Table 5. The pH was adjusted to 3.5 using citric acid. Carbon dioxide gas was contained so that the carbon dioxide gas pressure became 3.0 kgf / cm 2 and filled into PET bottles to obtain various beverages. For the obtained beverage samples, sensory evaluation was performed by 5 professional panels. The sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. Note that turbidity could be visually confirmed for beverage samples 17 to 20.

[0043]

Table 5

[0044] The results of the sensory evaluation are as described above. In the beverage with a sweetness of 1.0 and a carbon dioxide gas pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm 2 by containing 0.1 v / v% ethanol, the unpleasant irritation of carbonic acid remaining after drinking is improved, and it was found that by further making it turbid so that the absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm becomes 0.03 or more, the effect can be remarkably obtained.

Claims

1. (a) having a sweetness degree of 0.6 to 2.0, (b) having a carbon dioxide pressure of 3.0 kgf / cm ２ or more, and (c) containing 0.01 to 1.0 v / v% of ethanol and / or propylene glycol, and (d) containing 0.1 to 10 w / w% of fruit juice and / or fruit extract, carbonated beverage.

2. The beverage according to claim 1, having an absorbance at a wavelength of 660 nm of 0.03 or more.

3. The beverage according to claim 1 or 2, containing an emulsified flavor.

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