Powdered tea composition containing cannabinoids and method for producing the powdered tea composition

Abstract

Provided is a powdered tea composition capable of producing a food or drink containing cannabinoids that has a high aroma of tea leaves and can fully enjoy the effects of cannabinoids. 【Solution means】Provided is a powdered tea composition containing a water-soluble granule containing cannabinoids or a raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule, and tea leaf powder. Further provided is a method for producing a powdered tea composition, comprising mixing and stirring a composition containing a water-soluble granule of a fat-soluble compound and / or a raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule, and tea leaf powder, by means of container movement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a powdered tea composition containing cannabinoids and a method for producing the powdered tea composition. More specifically, the present invention relates to a powdered tea composition used in food and drink products such as beverages that are dissolved or extracted in an aqueous medium such as water or hot water and consumed.

Background Art

[0002] Cannabinoids are a group of lipophilic bioactive substances mainly extracted from cannabis plants, and are known to exert psychoactive effects and analgesic effects by interacting with receptors in the brain and body. Among them, cannabidiol (CBD) is known to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antispasmodic, neuroprotective, anxiolytic effects, etc., and is a cannabinoid that has attracted great attention because it has high tolerance and no dependence. In addition, since cannabinoids have these effects, they may be used in beverages and food products.

[0003] As a beverage using cannabidiol, CBD tea containing fat-soluble CBD oil and tea leaves is known (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). In addition, commercially available tea beverages containing CBD and powdered tea containing CBD are also known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] A cannabinoid tea containing cannabinoids and tea leaves is used as a tea beverage in which tea leaves are steeped in hot water to extract components derived from the tea leaves. When the above tea beverage is in a liquid state containing cannabinoids, the cannabinoids may decompose or deteriorate during storage, resulting in a decrease in the cannabinoid content, or the aroma of the tea may volatilize or deteriorate, and the flavor may be impaired. Therefore, a property that can be stored in a solid powder form is preferable.

[0006] Conventionally, since cannabinoids are fat-soluble, even when powdered tea using cannabinoids as they are is dissolved in hot water, the cannabinoids do not disperse uniformly. Therefore, a method of mixing cannabinoids and tea powder together with an emulsifier or the like is implemented. However, the powdered tea of cannabinoids obtained by the method of mixing using an emulsifier is produced by mixing tea leaves and cannabinoids through a solvent such as oil or an emulsifier, so there is a problem that a drying process occurs and the flavor of the tea deteriorates. Further, when cannabinoids and tea powder are mixed together with a solid additive having an emulsifying action in a dry state without using a solvent, it becomes difficult to suppress the formation of lumps or to achieve rapid and uniform mixing due to the low fluidity of cannabinoids and tea powder, or it becomes difficult to sufficiently disperse the cannabinoids in water because the cannabinoids and the emulsifier are not uniformly mixed through a solvent. As a result, it becomes difficult to maintain the uniformity of the particle size of the tea powder when used as a food or beverage and to achieve stable dissolution of the cannabinoids. For these reasons, conventional tea beverages containing cannabinoids have not been able to fully enjoy the aroma of the tea leaves and the effects of the cannabinoids.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a powdered tea composition capable of producing a food or beverage containing cannabinoids that has a high aroma of tea leaves and can fully enjoy the effects of the cannabinoids.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object, the present inventor has found that according to a specific powdered tea composition, it is possible to produce a food or drink containing cannabinoids with a high aroma of tea leaves and that can fully enjoy the effects of cannabinoids. The present invention has been completed based on these findings.

[0009] That is, the present invention provides a powdered tea composition comprising a water-soluble granule containing cannabinoids or a raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule, and tea leaf powder.

[0010] The raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule preferably contains a water-soluble cannabinoid and a granulation powder.

[0011] The content ratio of the water-soluble granule and / or the raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule is preferably 1% by mass or more based on 100% by mass of the total amount of the powdered tea composition.

[0012] The tea leaf powder preferably contains tea leaf powder of a plant of the genus Camellia of the family Theaceae.

[0013] Further, the present invention provides a method for producing a powdered tea composition, which comprises mixing and stirring a composition containing a water-soluble granule of a fat-soluble compound and / or a raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule, and tea leaf powder, by means of container movement.

Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the powdered tea composition of the present invention, it is possible to produce a food or drink containing cannabinoids with a high aroma of tea leaves and that can fully enjoy the effects of cannabinoids.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] [Powdered Tea Composition] The powdered tea composition of the present invention contains at least a water-soluble granule of a cannabinoid or a raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule and tea leaf powder. That is, the powdered tea composition of the present invention may contain a water-soluble granule of a cannabinoid and tea leaf powder, may contain a raw material capable of forming a water-soluble granule of a cannabinoid and tea leaf powder, or may contain a water-soluble granule of a cannabinoid, a raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule, and tea leaf powder. Further, in the powdered tea composition of the present invention, the cannabinoid is uniformly dispersed in the powdered tea composition. By using tea leaf powder, when consuming a tea beverage obtained by dissolving the powdered tea composition in an aqueous solvent such as hot water, a high aroma of the tea leaves can be felt and the original flavor of the tea can be sensed. And by making it a powdered tea composition, deterioration of the aroma of the tea leaves and cannabinoids can be minimized when making a tea beverage immediately before ingestion.

[0016] Also, since cannabinoids are fat-soluble, the above water-soluble granulated product has enhanced fluidity and water-solubility by adding additives such as binders and excipients having a granulating effect. Therefore, instead of using cannabinoids alone, using them as the above water-soluble granulated product, or using water-soluble cannabinoids as raw materials capable of forming the above water-soluble granulated product, when performing powder mixing of cannabinoids and tea leaf powder, it becomes possible to obtain a more stable and uniformly dispersed body with a cannabinoid core while minimizing the formation of lumps (aggregates). For example, in a tea beverage obtained by dissolving the above powder tea composition in an aqueous solvent, the cannabinoids are rapidly and uniformly dispersed in the aqueous solution. Also, since it does not become liquid or slurry-like when mixed with tea leaves, a drying process is unnecessary and the flavor of the tea is not impaired. Furthermore, since the cannabinoids are processed to be water-soluble, the absorption efficiency of the cannabinoids into the body is also excellent. Also, by making it a granulated product (for example, granules) instead of just a powder, the masking effect of the taste due to powderyness can be reduced. Thus, by using the powder tea composition of the present invention in food and drink products, the aroma of the tea leaves can be felt to the maximum extent, and the effects of cannabinoids can be fully enjoyed, and the cannabinoids can be efficiently taken into the body. Furthermore, by using the above water-soluble granulated product, the formation of lumps due to static electricity is less likely to occur and the aggregation of the powder tea composition can be suppressed. As a result, a powder tea composition dispersed with a uniform particle size can be obtained quickly and has excellent handleability.

[0017] (tea leaf powder) In this specification, "tea leaf powder" means pulverized tea leaves (tea leaf pulverized product), which is distinguished from the component "tea leaf extract" extracted from tea leaves. The above-mentioned tea leaves can be obtained from plants of the genus Camellia (Camellia sinensis (L) O. Kuntze, etc.) of the family Theaceae or its subspecies, varieties, hybrids, clone varieties, etc., or the leaves of plants that can be used to make rooibos tea or herbal tea that can be brewed and drunk. The above-mentioned tea leaf powder is obtained by rough tea processing, tea manufacturing processing, and pulverization after the new shoots and fresh leaves are harvested and pulverized into powder form. Pulverization can be carried out by known or conventional methods such as stone mortars, ball mills, jet mills, pin mills, air-flow pulverizers, etc. The above-mentioned tea leaf powder may use only one kind or two or more kinds. Also, as the raw material of the tea leaf powder, although leaves are listed as representatives, other parts such as buds and stems can also be used as appropriate. The above-mentioned tea leaf powder preferably contains tea powder raw materials derived from tea leaves cultivated in Japan.

[0018] The above-mentioned tea leaf powder preferably includes those obtained only by physical or biological treatments such as steaming (steaming, boiling), withering, frying (pan-frying), kneading (rough kneading, rolling, intermediate kneading, fine kneading), sieving, loosening, fermentation (oxidation, addition reaction, microbial fermentation), cooling, drying, blowing (warm air), dehydration, sun-drying, light shielding, humidification, heat preservation (heating), roasting (baking), leaf beating, cutting, pulverization, grinding, stirring, mixing, forming, kokuri, blending (tea leaf blend), etc. in the processes from harvesting to powdering, such as rough tea processing, tea manufacturing processing, and pulverization processing.

[0019] The above-mentioned tea leaves (plants of the genus Camellia in the family Theaceae) can be classified into non-fermented tea, semi-fermented tea, fermented tea, and post-fermented tea according to the processing method. However, the fermentation in the above non-fermented tea, semi-fermented tea, and fermented tea strictly refers to oxidation by enzymes in the tea leaves rather than treatment by microorganisms. On the other hand, post-fermented tea represented by black tea has a process of aging by microorganisms, so it shows fermentation in a scientifically accurate sense. Examples of non-fermented tea include green teas such as aracha, sencha, gyokuro, kabusecha, matcha, bancha, houjicha, kamairi-cha, stem tea, stick tea, and sprout tea. Examples of semi-fermented tea include oolong teas such as Tieguanyin, Sezhong, Huangjingui, and Wuyi rock tea. Examples of fermented tea include black teas such as Darjeeling, Assam, Sri Lanka, and Japanese black tea. The above tea leaves are preferably domestic tea leaves.

[0020] The above tea leaf powder preferably contains tea leaf powder of a plant of the genus Camellia in the family Theaceae. Tea derived from the genus Camellia has been shown to be potentially beneficial for improving lifestyle-related diseases, and a synergistic effect with cannabinoids can be expected. For example, green tea is rich in theanine and has an expected relaxation effect, and also contains nutrients such as vitamins. Among them, houjicha is rich in pyrazine instead of theanine and has a low caffeine content, so a high relaxation effect can be expected by combining it with CBD, and it is excellent in the effect of improving sleep.

[0021] The average particle size of the above tea leaf powder is not particularly limited, but for example, it is 1 to 180 μm, preferably 2 to 150 μm, more preferably 3 to 100 μm, and may also be 5 to 80 μm or 10 to 50 μm. The above average particle size can be appropriately adjusted by appropriately selecting the above-mentioned grinding means or by classifying using a sieve or a classifier.

[0022] (Water-soluble granule) The above water-soluble granulate is a granulated powder containing at least a cannabinoid. The above cannabinoid is uniformly dispersed in the granulate. The above granulated powder means a powder whose particle size is improved before and after granulation, so the average particle size is not particularly limited. In addition, a water-soluble (dispersible in water) cannabinoid-containing powder, to which a component that can become a binder described later is added and uniformly powdered, corresponds to the above water-soluble granulate. The above uniform dispersion can be confirmed by HPLC or the like. In a solution prepared at the same concentration with a solvent for each of a plurality of samples collected from any part of the powder, the concentration of the detected cannabinoid is about the same, and at least the difference is ±10% or less, preferably ±5% or less, more preferably ±3% or less. The above water-soluble granulate may use only one kind or two or more kinds.

[0023] When the above water-soluble granulate is mixed with water at a dissolvable or dispersible concentration, phase separation is not confirmed. For this reason, it has excellent uniform dispersibility in an aqueous solvent. Further, it is preferable that phase separation is not confirmed even after 2 hours or more, 3 hours or more, half a day or more, 1 day or more, or 2 days or more at room temperature.

[0024] The above water-soluble granulate preferably has an angle of repose of 45° or less, more preferably 40° or less, and still more preferably 35° or less. When the angle of repose is 45° or less, mixing with tea leaf powder becomes easier, and the formation of lumps (aggregates) in the powder tea composition of the present invention can be more suppressed.

[0025] Examples of the above cannabinoid include cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiovaline (CBDV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), hydroxyhexahydrocannabinol (HHC), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDa), and the like. Among them, CBD is preferable. The above water-soluble granulate may contain only one kind of cannabinoid or two or more kinds.

[0026] From the perspective of more fully enjoying the effects of cannabinoids, the content ratio of cannabinoids in the above-mentioned water-soluble granule is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, and may be 1% by mass or more, based on 100% by mass of the total amount of the above-mentioned water-soluble powder. Although the above-mentioned content ratio is not particularly limited, it is preferably 60% by mass or less.

[0027] When quantitatively analyzing the solution prepared by dissolving the above-mentioned water-soluble granule in a solvent by HPLC, the recovery rate is preferably 90% or more, more preferably 95% or more, and even more preferably 97% or more. Before subjecting the above-mentioned solution to HPLC, the solution prepared by appropriately performing pretreatment by removing precipitates by concentration adjustment, filtration, etc. as necessary can be used. The above-mentioned recovery rate is calculated by the following formula. The higher the above-mentioned recovery rate, the closer the amount of cannabinoids in the powdered tea composition is judged to be to the amount of cannabinoids blended. Also, if the accuracy of the above-mentioned recovery rate is low, it is judged that the accuracy of the calculated value of the cannabinoid dispersion degree in the powdered tea composition described later is low. Recovery rate [%] = [Detected amount of cannabinoids (parts by mass) / Input amount of cannabinoids (parts by mass) × 100]

[0028] The above-mentioned water-soluble granule is manufactured by granulation processing and is particles granulated by a known or commonly used granulation method. The above-mentioned granulation method is not particularly limited, and examples include dry granulation (slacking (plate compression), roller compaction, pneumatic dry granulation, melt granulation, etc.), wet granulation (high-shear granulation, fluidized bed granulation, low-shear granulation, steam granulation, foaming granulation, twin (twin-screw) granulation, etc.), freeze granulation (freeze drying), spray drying, spray coagulation·freezing, extrusion molding and subsequent spheroidization, etc. Also included is a method of adding a component that can be a binder described later and uniformly powdering. The above-mentioned granulation method may employ only one type or a combination of two or more types.

[0029] The above water-soluble granulated product may contain a granulation additive (binder) for improving fluidity and solubility in water. Further, the above water-soluble granulated product may be granulated after adding at least one selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier, a surfactant, a solubilizer, a dispersant, a stabilizer, a thickener, a coagulant, a gelling agent, an excipient, and other hydrophilic polymers without containing a granulation additive (binder).

[0030] The binder is not particularly limited, and examples include polysaccharides, proteins, vinyl polymers, polyethers, oligosaccharides, saccharides, fatty acid esters, waxes, those classified as other dietary fibers, and hydrophilic polymers. Examples of the polysaccharides include gum acacia, gum arabic, agar, tragacanth gum, sodium alginate (alginates), carrageenan, xanthan gum, guar gum, dextran, pullulan, pectin, chitosan, inulin, hemicellulose, cellulose-based polymers, starches, etc. Examples of the cellulose-based polymers include carmellose or its salts, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, etc. Examples of the starches include starch (such as wheat starch, corn starch, potato starch, etc.), pregelatinized starch, dextrin, cyclodextrin, carboxymethyl starch, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxyethyl starch, partially pregelatinized starch, etc. Examples of the proteins include animal proteins such as gelatin and purified gelatin, and plant proteins such as soy protein. Examples of the vinyl polymers include polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, copovidone, acrylic polymers, etc. Examples of the acrylic polymers include polyacrylic acid, carboxyvinyl polymer, sodium polyacrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, etc. Examples of the polyethers include polyethylene glycol (macrogol), etc. Examples of the saccharides include sucrose syrup, fructose, sugar alcohols (such as xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol), glucose, lactose, sucrose, etc. Examples of the fatty acid esters include mono- or diglycerides of fatty acids, etc. Examples of the wax include beeswax, etc. The binder may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0031] In order to further improve the water solubility and other functionalities of the above-mentioned water-soluble granule, in addition to the binder, additives such as emulsifiers, surfactants, solubilizers, dispersants, stabilizers, thickeners, coagulants, gelling agents, excipients, antioxidants, antioxidative agents, other hydrophilic polymers, tea leaves (such as tea leaf powder), etc. may be included. Only one kind of the above-mentioned additives may be used, or two or more kinds may be used.

[0032] As the above-mentioned antioxidant, for example, known or commonly used ones added as antioxidants to foods can be used, such as vitamin C, tocopherol, etc.

[0033] As the above-mentioned antioxidative agent, known or commonly used ones added and used as antioxidative agents to foods can be used, such as various vitamins such as vitamin E, A, C, astaxanthin, lutein, beauty components such as ceramide and collagen, and oils or extracts containing them, etc.

[0034] Also, the above-mentioned water-soluble granule may contain additives such as food additives that can be contained in foods and beverages and pharmaceuticals. Examples of the above-mentioned additives include leavening agents such as baking powder, colorants, color developers, bleaching agents, sweeteners, bittering agents, souring agents, flavors, seasonings, preservatives, bactericides, mold inhibitors, preservatives, nutritional fortifiers, enzymes, etc. Only one kind of the above-mentioned additives may be used, or two or more kinds may be used. Further, the powdered tea composition of the present invention and the foods and beverages described later may contain the additives exemplified and described as the additives that the above-mentioned water-soluble granule may contain.

[0035] Also, as described above, the powdered tea composition of the present invention may contain raw materials capable of forming the water-soluble granulated product instead of or together with the water-soluble granulated product. The raw materials capable of forming the water-soluble granulated product include, for example, water-soluble cannabinoids and granulated powder. Examples of the powdered tea composition of the present invention containing water-soluble cannabinoids and granulated powder include a powder obtained by adding and mixing tea leaf powder to powder A formed when a water-soluble cannabinoid (a powder containing a cannabinoid that shows no improvement in the angle of repose compared to the pure cannabinoid, contains no binder, and is not produced through a general granulation process) is mixed with a granulated product. However, due to the influence of mixing with the granulated product, powder A shows an improvement in the angle of repose and an increase in particle size compared to the original water-soluble cannabinoid.

[0036] When the water-soluble cannabinoid is mixed with water at a concentration at which it can dissolve or disperse, no phase separation is confirmed. Also, it is preferable that no phase separation is confirmed even after 2 hours or more, 3 hours or more, half a day or more, 1 day or more, or 2 days or more have elapsed at room temperature. The water-soluble cannabinoid may contain only one kind or two or more kinds.

[0037] The granulated powder is a powder obtained by granulation and is particles granulated by a known or conventional granulation method. Examples of the granulation method include the methods exemplified and described as the granulation method for obtaining the above-mentioned water-soluble granulated product. The granulation method may employ only one kind or a combination of two or more kinds.

[0038] The granulated powder may contain a granulation additive (binder) for improving fluidity and solubility in water. The granulated powder may be one that does not contain a granulation additive (binder) but is granulated after at least one kind selected from the group consisting of an emulsifier, a surfactant, a solubilizer, a dispersant, a stabilizer, a thickener, a coagulant, a gelling agent, an excipient, and other hydrophilic polymers is added. Examples of the binder include those exemplified and described as the binders that can be used in the granulation of the above-mentioned water-soluble granulated product.

[0039] Specific examples of the granulated powder include, for example, the above water-soluble granulated product from which cannabinoids have been removed, and tea powder granulated using tea leaves (such as tea leaf powder) as a raw material (for example, powder granulated by adding a binder and an emulsifier to a tea extract).

[0040] (Powdered tea composition) The above powdered tea composition may contain the above water-soluble granulated product, raw materials capable of forming the above water-soluble granulated product, and other components other than the above tea leaf powder. Examples of the other components include those exemplified as other components that the above water-soluble granulated product may contain, those exemplified as the above granulated powder, preservatives, pH adjusters, sweeteners, nutritional fortifiers, thickening stabilizers, dietary fibers, quality stabilizers, acids, etc. The above other components may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0041] The above powdered tea composition is in powder form. The above powdered tea composition may be an aggregate of primary particles or an aggregate of aggregates of a plurality of particles.

[0042] The above powdered tea composition preferably contains core-shell powder having the above water-soluble granulated product as a core layer and the above tea leaf powder as a shell layer. When including such a core-shell structure, excessive aggregation (formation of lumps) of the above powdered tea composition can be further suppressed.

[0043] The content ratio of the above tea leaf powder in the above powdered tea composition is preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 30% by mass or more, and still more preferably 40% by mass or more, based on 100% by mass of the total amount of the above powdered tea composition. When the content ratio is 20% by mass or more, the flavor of the tea leaves can be fully felt. The content ratio is, for example, 99% by mass or less, preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, and still more preferably 80% by mass or less. When the content ratio is 99% by mass or less, the formation of lumps is more likely to be suppressed, and the handling ease and uniform dispersibility of cannabinoids of the above powdered tea composition are more excellent.

[0044] The content ratio of the water-soluble granule and / or the raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule in the above powder tea composition is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, still more preferably 10% by mass or more, and even more preferably 20% by mass or more with respect to 100% by mass of the total amount of the powder tea composition. When the content ratio is 1% by mass or more, the powder tea composition is excellent in terms of ease of handling and uniform dispersibility of cannabinoids. The content ratio is, for example, 80% by mass or less, preferably 70% by mass or less, and more preferably 60% by mass or less. When the content ratio is 80% by mass or less, the flavor of the tea leaves can be fully felt.

[0045] The content ratio of cannabinoids in the above powder tea composition is preferably 0.05% by mass or more, more preferably 0.1% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.3% by mass or more with respect to 100% by mass of the total amount in the powder tea composition. When the content ratio is 0.05% by mass or more, the effects of cannabinoids can be fully expected. The content ratio is, for example, 30% by mass or less.

[0046] The cannabinoid dispersity of the powder tea composition of the present invention is preferably 90% or more, more preferably 95% or more, and even more preferably 97% or more. The above dispersity can be calculated by the following formula by dissolving the powder tea composition in a solvent and performing quantification by HPLC analysis on the prepared solution. The above solution can be prepared by appropriately performing pretreatment such as concentration adjustment and removal of precipitates by filtration as necessary before subjecting it to HPLC. Specifically, the same pretreatment as in the pretreatment for the above recovery rate is performed. The above dispersity is an index for measuring whether cannabinoids are uniformly dispersed in the obtained powder tea composition, and the closer the dispersity is to 100%, the more uniformly the cannabinoids are dispersed. Dispersity (%) = 100×(Cs - |Cs - C|) / Cs C: Cannabinoid detection amount by HPLC analysis of the powder tea composition arbitrarily sampled in an amount of 1 / 10 or less (preferably 1 / 100 or less) with respect to the production amount Cs: Cannabinoid detection amount by HPLC analysis of a reference standard sample in which raw materials are mixed to have the same composition as the powdered tea composition

[0047] The powdered tea composition of the present invention can be produced by known or conventional methods. For example, the raw materials of the powdered tea composition can be put into a container and mixed and stirred to produce the composition. For mixing and stirring, known or conventional methods can be adopted. For example, high-shear mixers, high-shear mixers, homomixers, ball mills, bead mills, container motion types, high-pressure homogenizers, ultrasonic homogenizers, colloid mills, mixing and stirring with a stir bar, etc. can be mentioned. Also, from the viewpoint of avoiding flavor deterioration due to heat and easily obtaining a powdered tea composition having excellent uniform dispersibility of the above water-soluble granulated product, it is preferable to adopt the container motion type. The container motion type is a method of mixing and stirring by vibrating or shaking the container or rotating the container. Also, the charging order into the above container is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to charge the above water-soluble granulated product before the above tea leaf powder. By setting such a charging order, a powdered tea composition containing the above core-shell powder in which the above tea leaf powder adheres to the surface of the above water-soluble granulated product can be produced. Also, the formation of lumps can be further suppressed, and the uniform dispersibility of the above water-soluble granulated product is excellent. In the above production method, from the viewpoints of preventing thermal degradation without passing through a drying process when obtaining the powdered tea composition and preventing promotion of volatilization, it is preferable not to add a solvent.

[0048] In addition, a powdered tea composition can also be produced in the same manner as the powdered tea composition containing cannabinoids, using fat-soluble compounds other than cannabinoids. That is, the present invention provides a method for producing a powdered tea composition, comprising container agitation-type mixing and stirring of a composition containing a water-soluble granulate of a fat-soluble compound and / or a raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granulate, and tea leaf powder. The water-soluble granulate and the raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granulate in this paragraph can be those obtained by replacing "cannabinoid" with "fat-soluble compound" among those exemplified and described as the water-soluble granulate containing cannabinoids and the raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granulate. Even for a fat-soluble compound other than cannabinoids, by using it as a water-soluble granulate or using the water-soluble processed fat-soluble compound with the granulated powder, it becomes possible to uniformly powder-mix the fat-soluble compound with the tea leaf powder without making it liquid or slurry-like. Furthermore, the effect that the fat-soluble compound is uniformly dispersed in a tea beverage obtained by dissolving the powdered tea composition in an aqueous solvent can be obtained. Also, since it does not become liquid or slurry-like, the drying process is unnecessary, and the effect of not impairing the flavor of the tea can also be obtained. Thereby, a stable particle size powder dispersion having a fat-soluble compound as the core can be obtained without impairing the flavor of the tea. The above-mentioned "water-soluble granulate" and "water-soluble processed fat-soluble compound" are those in which phase separation is not confirmed when mixed with water in an amount capable of dissolving or dispersing them, and it is preferable that phase separation is not confirmed even after 2 hours or more, 3 hours or more, half a day or more, 1 day or more, or 2 days or more at room temperature.

[0049] The powdered tea composition of the present invention can be contained in food and beverages (beverages and foods). That is, the present invention can provide a food or beverage containing the powdered tea composition of the present invention. The powdered tea composition of the present invention is preferably made into a beverage by containing it in an aqueous solvent (such as water or hot water), and it is most preferably dissolved in water or hot water and drunk as a tea beverage. From this point, the powdered tea composition of the present invention can also be provided as instant powdered tea. The above-mentioned tea beverages include non-fermented tea, semi-fermented tea, and fermented tea. Specifically, they are steamed non-fermented teas (green teas) such as sencha, bancha, houjicha, gyokuro, kabusecha, and amacha; non-fermented teas such as kettle-fried teas like yukinoshita tea and various Chinese teas; semi-fermented teas such as baozhong tea, tieguanyin tea, and oolong tea; fermented teas such as black tea; and post-fermented teas such as awa bancha and pu-erh tea.

[0050] When the powdered tea composition of the present invention is contained in an aqueous solvent, the content ratio of the powdered tea composition of the present invention in the solution is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.05 to 30% (w / v), preferably 0.1 to 25% (w / v), more preferably 0.2 to 20% (w / v), and even more preferably 0.25 to 15% (w / v).

[0051] Also, when the powdered tea composition of the present invention is contained in an aqueous solvent, the content ratio of the cannabinoid in the solution is not particularly limited, but 1 to 500 mg is preferred.

[0052] Further, the powdered tea composition of the present invention may be extracted in an aqueous medium such as water or hot water and then consumed. From this aspect, the powdered tea composition of the present invention can also be provided as a tea bag in which the powdered tea composition is enclosed. If the insoluble components that may be contained in the powdered tea composition do not leak out of the tea bag when the tea bag is immersed in an aqueous medium, only the extracted components can be ingested. Also, although caffeine and catechins take time to be extracted from tea leaf powder even with hot water, since the water-soluble granulate of cannabinoid is uniformly contained in the powdered tea composition of the present invention, cannabinoid can be efficiently ingested even by extraction. Further, by lowering the temperature of the tea beverage, more cannabinoid can be extracted, while reducing the extraction amount of components derived from tea leaves such as caffeine, and for example, an enhanced effect on sleep can be expected.

[0053] The powdered tea composition of the present invention can also be added to foods. The above-mentioned foods may be either Japanese confectionery or Western confectionery. For example, as confectionery, there are cakes, castella, candies, cookies, jellies, puddings, chocolates, etc., as frozen desserts, there are ice creams, ice candies, sherbets, etc., or snacks, etc. It can also be used for bread, dairy products, protein, etc. The powdered tea composition of the present invention may be mixed with the above-mentioned foods, or added to the above-mentioned foods immediately before or during ingestion.

[0054] The powdered tea composition of the present invention is preferably packed in a container. The container in which the powdered tea composition of the present invention is contained may be of any shape, and examples include a tea cylinder-shaped container, a stick-shaped container, a pouch, etc. Also, a refillable container can be used. From the viewpoint of excellent storage stability, the above-mentioned container preferably has light-shielding properties and airtightness.

[0055] The powdered tea composition of the present invention can be used to produce food and beverages with a high aroma of tea leaves, a stable content of cannabinoids, and excellent uniform dispersibility. Therefore, the powdered tea composition of the present invention can achieve both the effects of aroma components such as terpenes derived from tea leaf powder and cannabinoids and a synergistic effect (anthrage effect). In addition, the powdered tea composition of the present invention is excellent in, for example, cannabinoid dispersibility in an aqueous solvent, storage stability, efficacy (efficacy of tea components and cannabinoids), cannabinoid absorption efficiency, etc. In particular, the above water-soluble components are expected to have a bioavailability (cannabinoid absorption rate) improvement of more than four times compared to the ingestion of conventional cannabinoid oils. Regarding storage stability, by making the product in a form that can be stored in powder form, it is stable even after storage at room temperature (15 - 25°C) for 300 days, and is also stable in a severe test (after one week at 60°C), and the cannabinoid content does not decrease, or hardly decreases. In addition, due to excellent storage stability, the maximum efficacy, absorption rate, and concentration of cannabinoids can be stably maintained, and the flavor of tea can be confined until just before ingestion, so that the aroma and nutrients of the tea beverage, that is, the taste and efficacy, can be maximally extracted.

[0056] The effects of cannabinoids include, for example, antibacterial action, antioxidant action (antioxidant function), anti-inflammatory action, etc. Also, specific cannabinoids (e.g., CBD, CBN) have been reported to exhibit a sleep improvement effect. Further, for example, tea leaf powder of the genus Camellia contains not only water-soluble nutrients (caffeine, catechins (polyphenols), theanine (amino acid), GABA, vitamin C, vitamin B group, other minerals, polysaccharides, etc.), but also water-insoluble or poorly soluble nutrients (β-carotene, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, minerals, fat-soluble dietary fiber, etc.) contained in the tea leaf powder. Therefore, in the powdered tea composition containing cannabinoids and tea leaf powder, the effect of combining cannabinoids and tea leaf powder can also be obtained. Further, in the powdered tea composition of the present invention, cannabinoids can prevent the oxidation of chlorophyll and catechins contained in the powdered tea leaves, and an improvement in storage stability can be expected. Due to the storage stabilization action of cannabinoids, it is expected to prevent the discoloration of green tea, the deterioration of the aroma of black tea, and the darkening due to catechin polymerization. For example, CBD exhibits an excellent antioxidant action. Although vitamin C has an antioxidant action and may be additionally added for improving storage stability and antioxidant action in the body, on the other hand, an increase in acidity becomes a problem. However, since CBD has a higher antioxidant action and a slight bitterness, it is more useful as an antioxidant component in powdered tea. Most teas originally contain bitterness components, and the slight bitterness of CBD has good compatibility with tea and is easy to harmonize with.

[0057] When the powdered tea composition of the present invention is dissolved in an aqueous solvent such as hot water and stirred, the cannabinoids are dispersed within at least 1 minute to several minutes, preferably within several seconds to several tens of seconds, and the dispersibility is excellent. Also, the dissolved cannabinoids are preferably stable for several hours to 1 day or more. High dispersibility in an aqueous solvent also results in excellent cannabinoid absorption efficiency.

Examples

[0058] The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way. Unless otherwise specified, “%” means “mass %”.

[0059] Example 1 Approximately 40% of a commercially available water-soluble CBD powder (a granulated product granulated mainly using polysaccharides as a binder, angle of repose of approximately 30°, CBD 2%) was charged into a cylindrical plastic container, and then approximately 60% of a domestic blended houjicha powder was charged. Mixing was performed by vibrating and rotating the container at room temperature for approximately 60 minutes to obtain a powdered tea composition. No lumps were formed during this mixing.

[0060] <Dispersion degree> 0.1 g of the powdered tea composition obtained in Example 1 was weighed, put into water at approximately 23 °C and stirred so that the CBD concentration became 40 ppm, and then acetonitrile was added and stirred so that CBD became 20 ppm. After removing insoluble matters derived from tea leaves, filtration was performed using a membrane filter, and quantification of the obtained filtrate was performed by HPLC analysis. Then, the dispersion degree was calculated by the following formula. As a result, the dispersion degree was over 99%, and it was evaluated that CBD was uniformly dispersed in the powdered tea composition. Also, no lumps were formed, and tea leaves were uniformly dispersed in the water-soluble granulated product, and powders with a uniform particle size were formed in this powdered tea composition. Dispersion degree (%) = 100 × (Cs - |Cs - C|) / Cs

[0061] <Taste and physical sensation evaluation> 1 g (containing 8 mg of CBD) of the powdered tea composition obtained in Example 1 was dissolved in 200 mL of hot water to prepare a tea beverage and tasted before going to sleep. As a result, the aroma of the tea leaves was high, the taste was good, a sense of relaxation and drowsiness were felt, and sound sleep was achieved. Also, in the conducted questionnaire survey (n = 129), more than 70% of the users reported improvement in sleep.

[0062] <Storage stability> When the CBD content of the powdered tea composition obtained in Example 1 was confirmed after storage at room temperature (15 - 25 °C) for 300 days and after a severe test (at 60 °C for one week), the decrease amount was at the level of measurement error, and no decrease or almost no decrease was confirmed and it was judged to be within the allowable range (<5%).

[0063] The powdered tea composition obtained in Example 1 did not undergo a drying process during its production. As shown in the above taste and physical sensation evaluations, it was evaluated that the tea leaves had a high aroma and a good taste. Also, as shown in the above evaluation of storage stability, the decrease in CBD content before and after storage was within the allowable range, and it was evaluated that the effects of CBD could be fully enjoyed. And the powdered tea composition obtained in Example 1 was evaluated such that no lumps were formed during mixing and CBD was uniformly dispersed in the powdered tea composition, and it was obtained as a powder with a uniform particle size. From these facts, it can be seen that according to the powdered tea composition using a water-soluble granulated product containing cannabinoids and tea leaf powder, it is possible to produce a food or drink containing cannabinoids that has a high aroma of tea leaves and can fully enjoy the effects of cannabinoids.

[0064] Example 2 A 50 cc glass vial container was charged with 5% or 1% of a commercially available water-soluble CBD powder (a granulated product mainly granulated using polysaccharides as a binder, angle of repose of about 30, CBD 2%), and then 95% or 99% of domestic roasted green tea powder was charged. The mixture was mixed by shaking and rotating the container at room temperature for about 10 minutes to obtain 5 g of a powdered tea composition. When the dispersion degree was calculated by the same method as above, it was more than 99% and 94% respectively.

[0065] Hereinafter, variations of the invention according to the present disclosure will be described. [Appendix 1] A powdered tea composition comprising a water-soluble granulated product containing cannabinoids or a raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granulated product and tea leaf powder. [Appendix 2] The powdered tea composition according to Appendix 1, wherein the raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granulated product contains a water-soluble cannabinoid and a granulated powder. [Appendix 3] The powdered tea composition according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the content ratio of the water-soluble granulated product and / or the raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granulated product is 1% by mass or more based on 100% by mass of the total amount of the powdered tea composition. [Supplementary Note 4] The powdered tea composition according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the tea leaf powder contains tea leaf powder of a plant belonging to the genus Camellia of the family Theaceae. [Supplementary Note 5] A method for producing a powdered tea composition, comprising mixing and stirring, by a container movement method, a water-soluble granule of a fat-soluble compound and / or a raw material capable of forming the water-soluble granule, and a tea leaf powder.

Claims

1. A powdery powdered tea composition comprising a water-soluble granule containing cannabinoid and a ground tea leaf, wherein the powdered tea composition contains a core-shell powder having the water-soluble granule as a core layer and the ground tea leaf as a shell layer, the content ratio of the water-soluble granule is 1% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less based on 100% by mass of the total amount of the powdered tea composition, and the content ratio of the ground tea leaf is 40% by mass or more and 99% by mass or less based on 100% by mass of the total amount of the powdered tea composition.

2. The powdered tea composition according to claim 1, wherein the ground tea leaf contains a ground tea leaf of a plant of the genus Camellia of the family Theaceae.

3. The powdered tea composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the angle of repose of the water-soluble granule is 45° or less.

4. A method for producing the powdered tea composition according to claim 1 or 2, comprising mixing and stirring a composition containing a water-soluble granule of cannabinoid and a ground tea leaf in a container moving manner.