Off-flavor generation inhibitor for food and drink products containing fruit juice

Abstract

To provide an off-flavor generation suppressing agent that can suppress generation of off-flavor during storage of fruit juice-containing food / drink, and to provide a fruit juice-containing food / drink.SOLUTION: An off-flavour generation suppressing agent used in fruit juice-containing food / drink comprises a solid content contained in a mushroom extract, and the extract is an extract obtained by heat-treating a mixture having a mushroom / solvent (weight ratio) of 0.05 to 10 at 80 to 130°C for 0.5 to 5 hours and then removing the extraction residue. The fruit juice-containing food / drink contains the off-flavour generation suppressing agent by 0.00007 to 0.017 wt.% in the entire food / drink.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an off-flavor inhibitor used for food and drink products containing fruit juice.

Background Art

[0002] Fruit juices such as citrus fruits like lemon and grapefruit, fruits such as apples and grapes, and food and drink products containing fruit juice are characterized by a refreshing fragrance and have been supported by many people for a long time. However, the aroma components of these fruit juices are unstable in an acidic environment and deteriorate due to heat and light. As a result, the refreshing aroma, which is their characteristic, decreases, and at the same time, an off-flavor is generated, leading to a problem of reducing the commercial value.

[0003] In recent years, in beverages, the opportunity to be filled in a light-transmissive container such as a transparent PET bottle has increased, and the opportunity to display and sell products in a bright showcase such as a convenience store has also increased. For these reasons, the importance of suppression technology for the deterioration of fruit juice due to light and the like has increased, and there is a demand for providing fruit juices and food and drink products containing fruit juice that are excellent in aroma and highly stable.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, for the purpose of providing a cloudy fruit juice beverage excellent in the temporal stability of flavor and appearance, a cloudy fruit juice beverage containing an ascorbic acid-based antioxidant, a crushed product of the outer peel of a fruit, and a fruit-derived fruit juice is disclosed. However, the ascorbic acid-based antioxidant itself has a flavor of a different quality from that of the fruit juice, and adding it changes the flavor of the fruit juice and makes it unnatural. In addition, the ascorbic acid-based antioxidant has a property of being easily oxidized, and there is a problem that the off-flavor becomes stronger as the storage period of the fruit juice becomes longer, and the original flavor of the fruit juice deteriorates.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a strange flavor generation inhibitor capable of suppressing the generation of strange flavors during the storage of food and drink products containing fruit juice, and a food and drink product containing fruit juice.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that by adding a specific amount of the solid content contained in the extract of mushrooms extracted under specific conditions to a food and drink product containing fruit juice, the generation of strange flavors after storing the food and drink product containing fruit juice can be suppressed, and the present invention has been completed.

[0008] That is, the first aspect of the present invention is a strange flavor generation inhibitor used in a food and drink product containing fruit juice, which is composed of the solid content contained in the extract of mushrooms, and the extract is an extract obtained by removing the extraction residue after heat-treating a mixture of mushrooms / solvent (weight ratio) of 0.05 to 10 at 80 to 130°C for 0.5 to 5 hours. It relates to a strange flavor generation inhibitor. Preferably, the mushrooms are at least one selected from the group consisting of enoki mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, tamogitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, eryngii mushrooms, and button mushrooms. Preferably, the food and drink product containing fruit juice has not undergone a freezing process. Preferably, the solvent is water and / or naturally derived ethanol. The second aspect of the present invention relates to a food and drink product containing fruit juice, which contains 0.00007 to 0.017% by weight of the above-mentioned strange flavor generation inhibitor in the whole food and drink product. The third aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a strange flavor generation inhibitor used in a food and drink product containing fruit juice, which comprises mixing mushrooms and a solvent so that the ratio of mushrooms / solvent (weight ratio) is 0.05 to 10 to obtain a mixture, heating the mixture to 80 to 130°C, holding the temperature at that temperature for 0.5 to 5 hours after reaching the temperature, and then removing the extraction residue.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an off-flavor generation inhibitor capable of suppressing the generation of off-flavors during storage of food and drink products containing fruit juice, and a food and drink product containing fruit juice. The food and drink product containing fruit juice containing a predetermined amount of the off-flavor generation inhibitor according to the present invention suppresses the generation of off-flavors during storage, and the original flavor of the food and drink product containing fruit juice can be enjoyed even after long-term storage.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail. The off-flavor generation inhibitor according to the present embodiment is composed of the solid content contained in the extract of mushrooms. The extract of the mushrooms is an extract obtained by subjecting a mixture containing mushrooms and a solvent in a specific mixing ratio to heat treatment at a specific temperature for a specific time and then removing the extraction residue. The off-flavor generation inhibitor is used by adding it to a food and drink product containing fruit juice.

[0011] The mushrooms are not particularly limited as long as they are edible mushrooms, and examples include enoki mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, eryngii mushrooms, and button mushrooms. It is preferable to use at least one selected from these groups. From the viewpoints of the off-flavor suppression effect, the raw material cost of the mushrooms, and the flavor of the mushrooms themselves, enoki mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and eryngii mushrooms are more preferable, enoki mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, and eryngii mushrooms are even more preferable, enoki mushrooms and eryngii mushrooms are particularly preferable, and enoki mushrooms are most preferable.

[0012] The enoki mushrooms refer to Flammulina velutipes, which is a kind of mushroom in the family Physalacriaceae. For example, artificially cultivated white and slender commercially available enoki mushrooms, brown enoki mushrooms obtained by mixing wild and cultivated white enoki mushrooms, wild species, etc. can be used. The commercially available enoki mushrooms are generally edible and easily available.

[0013] The above-mentioned maitake refers to a type of mushroom belonging to the genus Grifola in the family Sarcomycetaceae, specifically the Grifola frondosa species. Its related species include white maitake. As for maitake, both the fruit body and the mycelium can be used.

[0014] The above-mentioned tamogitake refers to a type of mushroom belonging to the genus Pleurotus in the family Pleurotaceae, specifically the Pleurotus cornucopiae var. citrinopileatus species. Both natural and artificially cultivated ones can be used.

[0015] The above-mentioned shimeji refers to Lyophyllum sykosporum, Lyophyllum semitale, Lyophyllum fumosum, Lyophyllum shimeji, Lyophyllum decastes, Lyophyllum cnnatum belonging to the genus Lyophyllum, and Hypsizigus marmoreus belonging to the genus Hypsizigus. Both natural and artificially cultivated ones can be used.

[0016] The above-mentioned shiitake refers to a type of mushroom belonging to the genus Lentinula in the family Xylariaceae of the order Agaricales, specifically the Lentinula edodes species. Both natural and artificially cultivated ones can be used.

[0017] The above-mentioned eringi refers to a type of mushroom belonging to the genus Pleurotus in the family Pleurotaceae, specifically the Pleurotus eryngii species. Both natural and artificially cultivated ones can be used.

[0018] The mushroom is a type of fungus belonging to the genus Agaricus of the family Agaricaceae. The variety of the mushroom is not particularly limited, and examples include the white, off-white, cream, brown varieties of the Agaricus bisporus species, the Agaricus bitorquis species, etc., and any of them can be preferably used. Natural or artificially cultivated ones can be used.

[0019] As the solvent used for producing the extract of the mushrooms, it can be appropriately selected. For example, acetone, ethanol, ethyl methyl ketone, glycerin, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, diethyl ether, cyclohexane, dichloromethane, edible oil, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethene, carbon dioxide, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, butane, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, propane, propylene glycol, hexane, water, methanol, etc. can be mentioned, and at least one selected from these groups can be used. From the perspective of consumers' preference for safety and security, it is preferable to use water and / or naturally derived ethanol. Further considering cost and the impact on the alteration of the physical properties of food and beverages, water is more preferable.

[0020] The usage amount of the solvent is preferably an amount that satisfies 0.05 to 10 for the mushrooms / solvent (weight ratio), more preferably 0.1 to 1, and even more preferably 0.2 to 0.5. If the weight ratio is less than 0.05, the effect of suppressing the generation of off-flavors may not be sufficiently obtained. Also, if the weight ratio exceeds 10, the extraction efficiency may deteriorate and the manufacturing cost of the off-flavor inhibitor may increase. Here, the weight of the mushrooms is the wet weight, and the mushrooms used can be raw mushrooms or dried mushrooms. However, when extracting using dried mushrooms, the amount of the solvent is adjusted so that it becomes the mushrooms (wet weight) / solvent (weight ratio) based on the wet weight when the mushrooms used are in the raw state.

[0021] To produce the extract of the mushrooms, it is preferable that the mixture of the mushrooms and the solvent is heat-treated at a specific heat treatment temperature for a specific heat treatment time.

[0022] The heat treatment temperature is preferably 80 to 130°C, more preferably 90 to 100°C, and even more preferably 95 to 100°C. If the heat treatment temperature is lower than 80°C, the extraction efficiency may deteriorate, or the effect of suppressing the generation of off-flavors may not be sufficiently obtained. Also, if the heat treatment temperature exceeds 130°C, special pressure equipment is required, and thus the extraction method may become complicated.

[0023] The heat treatment time is preferably 0.5 to 5 hours, more preferably 0.7 to 3 hours, and even more preferably 1 to 3 hours. If the heat treatment time is shorter than 0.5 hours, the extraction efficiency may deteriorate, or the effect of suppressing the generation of off-flavors may not be sufficiently obtained. Also, if the heat treatment time exceeds 5 hours, although it takes time for extraction, the effect of suppressing the generation of off-flavors reaches a plateau, and as a result, the extraction efficiency may deteriorate.

[0024] The off-flavor generation inhibitor refers to the solid content contained in the extract of the mushrooms. This inhibitor can be used as an additive for food and beverages containing fruit juice. In this use, the extract of the mushrooms itself can be used as the additive. Also, a concentrated solution or a diluted solution obtained by concentrating or diluting the extract of the mushrooms can be used as the additive. The extract, the concentrated solution, or the diluted solution is preferably in a liquid state such as an aqueous solution or an alcohol solution.

[0025] Furthermore, the solid obtained by drying the extract, the concentrated solution, or the diluted solution can also be used as an additive for food and beverages containing fruit juice. The shape of the solid is not particularly limited, and it may be in a shape such as powder, granule, block, etc.

[0026] The additive for the food or drink containing fruit juice may further contain, in addition to the solid content contained in the extract of mushrooms, the solvent used for the extraction and other components. Such other components are not particularly limited as long as they do not inhibit the effects of the invention, and may be appropriately selected from food materials and food additives that can be used in food and drink. For example, solvents other than the solvent used for the extraction, alcoholic beverages, extracts derived from animals and plants (excluding the mushroom extract), saccharides, oils and fats, salts, seasonings, spices, fragrances, colorants, antioxidants, etc. may be mentioned.

[0027] By adding the off-flavor inhibitor to the food or drink containing fruit juice, it is possible to suppress the generation of off-flavors in the food or drink during storage.

[0028] The fruit juice is not particularly limited as long as it is the juice of fruits. The fruits are also not particularly limited, and examples include citrus fruits such as lemon, yuzu, sudachi, lime, mandarin orange, grapefruit, kabosu, daidai, orange, etc., and apples, grapes, peaches, berries, etc.

[0029] The fruit juice refers to the liquid component obtained by crushing and squeezing fruits or by straining them. The fruit juice includes those obtained by concentrating the liquid component and those obtained by diluting and restoring these. Further, the food or drink containing fruit juice may contain pulp.

[0030] Specific forms of the food or drink containing fruit juice include, for example, fruit juice itself, concentrated fruit juice, non-carbonated and non-alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, alcoholic carbonated beverages, canned goods, jams, fruit sauces, dressings, candies, gums, jellies, Western confectionery, Japanese confectionery, frozen desserts, etc.

[0031] The food or drink containing fruit juice may have undergone a freezing process or may not have undergone a freezing process. Generally, food and drink products containing fruit juice that have not undergone a freezing process tend to develop off-flavors during storage. However, despite this, the addition of the off-flavor generation inhibitor can suppress the generation of off-flavors during storage. Therefore, food and drink products containing fruit juice that have not undergone a freezing process can enjoy a greater effect from the addition of the off-flavor generation inhibitor than food and drink products containing fruit juice that have undergone a freezing process.

[0032] Although food and drink products containing fruit juice that have undergone a freezing process tend to be less likely to develop off-flavors during storage compared to food and drink products containing fruit juice that have not undergone a freezing process, off-flavors still occur when the storage period is long. Therefore, food and drink products containing fruit juice with a long storage period in the freezing process can enjoy a greater effect from the addition of the off-flavor generation inhibitor.

[0033] The food and drink product containing fruit juice according to this embodiment preferably contains 0.00007 to 0.017% by weight, more preferably 0.0001 to 0.012% by weight, still more preferably 0.00012 to 0.005% by weight, and particularly preferably 0.00015 to 0.002% by weight of the off-flavor generation inhibitor, which is the solid content contained in the extract of mushrooms, in the entire food and drink product containing fruit juice. If the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor is less than 0.00007% by weight, the off-flavor generation inhibitory effect may not be sufficiently obtained. Also, if it is more than 0.017% by weight, the off-flavor generation inhibitory effect may plateau, or the off-flavors of the mushrooms, which are the raw materials for suppressing off-flavor generation, may be imparted.

[0034] In order to make the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor in the food and drink product containing fruit juice within the above range, from the viewpoints of ease of measurement and transfer during production, it is preferable to use a liquid or powder containing the solid content contained in the extract of mushrooms as an additive for food and drink products containing an off-flavor generation inhibitor. At this time, the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor in the additive is not particularly limited, but it is preferably about 0.1 to 20% by weight in the entire additive.

[0035] When the extract of mushrooms is the extract of Flammulina velutipes, it is preferable that the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor is 0.00007 to 0.017% by weight in the whole food or drink containing fruit juice.

[0036] When the extract of mushrooms is the extract of Grifola frondosa, it is preferable that the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor is 0.00007 to 0.008% by weight in the whole food or drink containing fruit juice.

[0037] When the extract of mushrooms is the extract of Lentinus tigrinus, it is preferable that the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor is 0.00007 to 0.008% by weight in the whole food or drink containing fruit juice.

[0038] When the extract of mushrooms is the extract of Schizophyllum commune, it is preferable that the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor is 0.0007 to 0.005% by weight in the whole food or drink containing fruit juice.

[0039] When the extract of mushrooms is the extract of Pleurotus ostreatus, it is preferable that the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor is 0.0004 to 0.005% by weight in the whole food or drink containing fruit juice.

[0040] When the extract of mushrooms is the extract of Hericium erinaceus, it is preferable that the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor is 0.0007 to 0.017% by weight in the whole food or drink containing fruit juice.

[0041] When the extract of mushrooms is the extract of Agaricus bisporus, it is preferable that the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor is 0.0007 to 0.007% by weight in the whole food or drink containing fruit juice.

[0042] The method for producing the off-flavor generation inhibitor according to this embodiment is exemplified below. The mushrooms and the solvent, which have been appropriately shredded, are mixed so that the mushroom / solvent (weight ratio) is preferably 0.05 to 10. The obtained mixture is preferably heated to 80 to 130°C. After reaching 80 to 130°C, the temperature is preferably maintained at that temperature for 0.5 to 5 hours for extraction. Then, it is preferably cooled to -40 to 50°C. Immediately before or after the cooling, the extraction residue is removed. Thus, an extract of mushrooms can be obtained. The solid content contained in the extract corresponds to the off-flavor generation inhibitor according to this embodiment.

[0043] The method for removing the extraction residue is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include filtration, centrifugation, sedimentation separation, pressing, and the like.

[0044] The method for producing the food or drink containing fruit juice according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, and a conventional method can be followed. During or after the production of the food or drink containing fruit juice, the off-flavor generation inhibitor may be added to and mixed with the food or drink.

Examples

[0045] Examples are shown below to more specifically explain the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way. In the examples, "parts" and "%" are based on weight.

[0046] The raw materials used in the examples and comparative examples are as follows. 1) "Organic Lemon Straight Juice 100%" manufactured by Bio KAGAKU CO., LTD. 2) "50°BX Apple Clear Juice" manufactured by Nippon Fruit Processing Co., Ltd. 3) "55°BX Red Grape Clear Juice" manufactured by Nippon Fruit Processing Co., Ltd. 4) "Refined Cane Sugar" manufactured by Fuji Nihon Seito Co., Ltd. 5) "Citric Acid (Crystalline)" manufactured by Iwata Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. 6) "Trisodium Citrate" manufactured by ADM 7) "Ringo Usugiri 35" manufactured by Shinwa Food Co., Ltd. 8) "FE Strawberry E-702" manufactured by Taka Food Industry Co., Ltd.

[0047] <Evaluation of the Flavor of Food and Beverages> (Occurrence of Off-Flavor) After manufacturing the food and beverage products containing each juice obtained in the examples and comparative examples, 10 skilled panelists were asked to consume the stored products for sensory evaluation, and the average value of the evaluation scores was used as the sensory evaluation. The evaluation criteria at that time were as follows. Note that the off-flavor in the following evaluation criteria refers to the reduction of the refreshing juice flavor in the food and beverage product, and conversely, the oxidative deterioration odor, etc. that was not felt before and is not present in the juice. 5 points: Equivalent to the reference example (food and beverage product immediately after manufacturing without the addition of an off-flavor inhibitor), and no off-flavor is felt at all. 4 points: Slightly inferior to the reference example (food and beverage product immediately after manufacturing without the addition of an off-flavor inhibitor), but hardly any off-flavor is felt. 3 points: Inferior to the reference example (food and beverage product immediately after manufacturing without the addition of an off-flavor inhibitor), and the occurrence of off-flavor is slightly weakly felt, but it is at a level where there is no problem as a product. 2 points: Worse than the reference example (food and beverage product immediately after manufacturing without the addition of an off-flavor inhibitor), and the occurrence of off-flavor is felt. 1 point: Clearly worse than the reference example (food and beverage product immediately after manufacturing without the addition of an off-flavor inhibitor), and the occurrence of off-flavor is clearly felt.

[0048] (Example 1) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Beverage Products Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, 100 parts by weight of commercially available enoki mushrooms were shredded, 400 parts by weight of water was added, and the mixture with a mushroom / solvent (weight ratio) of 0.25 was heated in a sealed container at 100°C for 2 hours. Then, the extraction residue was filtered off, the filtrate was pouch-packed at 75°C, and then placed in a chiller water tank and cooled to 5°C to obtain an enoki mushroom extract. The enoki mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for food and beverage products containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the enoki mushroom extract solid content (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 1.33% by weight.

[0049]

Table 1

[0050] (Example 2) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Drink Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the ratio of mushrooms / solvent (weight ratio) of 0.25 was changed to 0.053, and the obtained enoki mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the enoki mushroom extract solid content (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 0.19% by weight.

[0051] (Example 3) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Drink Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the ratio of mushrooms / solvent (weight ratio) of 0.25 was changed to 0.14, and the obtained enoki mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the enoki mushroom extract solid content (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 0.86% by weight.

[0052] (Example 4) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Drink Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the ratio of mushrooms / solvent (weight ratio) of 0.25 was changed to 0.43, and the obtained enoki mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the enoki mushroom extract solid content (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 2.06% by weight.

[0053] (Example 5) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Drink Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the ratio of mushrooms / solvent (weight ratio) of 0.25 was changed to 9.0, and the obtained enoki mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the enoki mushroom extract solid content (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 4.35% by weight.

[0054] (Example 6) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Drink Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the extraction temperature was changed from 100 °C to 121 °C and the extraction time was changed from 2 hours to 1.5 hours, and the obtained enokitake extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the enokitake extract solid (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 1.97% by weight.

[0055] (Comparative Example 1) Preparation of an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the extraction temperature was changed from 100 °C to 70 °C, and the obtained enokitake extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the enokitake extract solid (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 0.31% by weight.

[0056] (Comparative Example 2) Preparation of an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the extraction time was changed from 2 hours to 0.25 hours, and the obtained enokitake extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the enokitake extract solid (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 0.34% by weight.

[0057] (Example 7) Preparation of an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the extraction solvent was changed from water to 80% ethanol and the extraction temperature was changed from 100 °C to 90 °C, and the obtained enokitake extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the enokitake extract solid (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 2.79% by weight.

[0058] (Example 8) Preparation of an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor According to Table 1, 30 parts by weight of propylene glycol ("Food Additive Propylene Glycol" manufactured by ADEKA Corporation) was added to 70 parts by weight of the enoki mushroom extract obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain an additive for foods and beverages containing a strange flavor inhibitor. The content of the enoki mushroom extract solid content (strange flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 0.93% by weight.

[0059] (Example 9) Preparation of an additive for foods and beverages containing a strange flavor inhibitor According to Table 1, 50 parts by weight of water was added to 50 parts by weight of the enoki mushroom extract obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain an additive for foods and beverages containing a strange flavor inhibitor. The content of the enoki mushroom extract solid content (strange flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 0.66% by weight.

[0060] (Example 10) Preparation of an additive for foods and beverages containing a strange flavor inhibitor According to Table 1, 20 parts by weight of dextrin ("Max 1000" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was added to 80 parts by weight of the extract obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, and the mixture was dried by spray drying to obtain a powdery additive for foods and beverages containing a strange flavor inhibitor. The content of the enoki mushroom extract solid content (strange flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 5.04% by weight.

[0061] (Example 11) Preparation of an additive for foods and beverages containing a strange flavor inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that enoki mushrooms were changed to commercially available maitake mushrooms, and the obtained maitake mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for foods and beverages containing a strange flavor inhibitor. The content of the maitake mushroom extract solid content (strange flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 0.79% by weight.

[0062] (Example 12) Preparation of an additive for foods and beverages containing a strange flavor inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that enoki mushrooms were changed to commercially available shiitake mushrooms, and the obtained shiitake mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for foods and beverages containing a strange flavor inhibitor. The content of the shiitake mushroom extract solid content (strange flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 1.20% by weight.

[0063] (Example 13) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Drink Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that enoki mushrooms were changed to commercially available shiitake mushrooms, and the obtained shiitake mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the shiitake mushroom extract solid content (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 1.01% by weight.

[0064] (Example 14) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Drink Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that enoki mushrooms were changed to commercially available king oyster mushrooms, and the obtained king oyster mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the king oyster mushroom extract solid content (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 1.03% by weight.

[0065] (Example 15) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Drink Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that enoki mushrooms were changed to commercially available white button mushrooms, and the obtained white button mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the white button mushroom extract solid content (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 1.05% by weight.

[0066] (Example 16) Preparation of an Additive for Food and Drink Containing an Off-Flavor Inhibitor According to Table 1, extraction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that enoki mushrooms were changed to commercially available beech mushrooms, and the obtained beech mushroom extract itself was used as an additive for food and drink containing an off-flavor inhibitor. The content of the beech mushroom extract solid content (off-flavor inhibitor) in the additive was 1.14% by weight.

[0067] (Example 17) Preparation of a Beverage Containing Lemon Juice According to the formulation in Table 2, 0.02 parts by weight of the food and beverage additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was blended with 99.98 parts by weight of commercially available 100% straight lemon juice, sealed in a retort pouch, and then heat-sterilized at 75°C for 10 minutes to obtain a lemon juice-containing beverage. The content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained lemon juice-containing beverage and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days are shown in Table 2.

[0068]

Table 2

[0069] (Examples 18 and 19) Preparation of lemon juice-containing beverage According to the formulation in Table 2, a lemon juice-containing beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Example 17, except that the blending amounts of the food and beverage additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 and commercially available 100% straight lemon juice were changed. The content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained lemon juice-containing beverage and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days are shown in Table 2.

[0070] (Example 20) Preparation of lemon juice-containing beverage According to the formulation in Table 2, a lemon juice-containing beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Example 17, except that 0.02 parts by weight of the food and beverage additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was changed to 0.1 parts by weight of the food and beverage additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 2, and 99.98 parts by weight of commercially available 100% straight lemon juice was changed to 99.9 parts by weight. The content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained lemon juice-containing beverage and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days are shown in Table 2.

[0071] (Examples 21 to 23) Preparation of lemon juice-containing beverage According to the formulation in Table 2, a food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was changed to a food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 3 (Example 21), a food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 4 (Example 22), or a food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 5 (Example 23). A lemon juice-containing beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Example 17, except for this change. Table 2 shows the content of the foreign flavor inhibitor in the obtained lemon juice-containing beverage and the evaluation results of the occurrence of foreign flavors after storage at 50 °C for 7 days.

[0072] (Comparative Example 3) Preparation of a lemon juice-containing beverage According to the formulation in Table 2, a lemon juice-containing beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Example 17, except that the food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was not added. Table 2 shows the content of the foreign flavor inhibitor in the obtained lemon juice-containing beverage and the evaluation results of the occurrence of foreign flavors after storage at 50 °C for 7 days. In addition, the results of the sensory evaluation of the lemon juice-containing beverage obtained in Comparative Example 3 immediately after production and before storage are shown in Table 2 as Reference Example 1.

[0073] As is clear from Table 2, lemon juice-containing beverages (Examples 17 to 23) in which the content of the foreign flavor inhibitor is in the range of 0.00007 to 0.017% by weight in the whole lemon juice-containing beverage all had good evaluation results with almost no foreign flavors felt after storage. On the other hand, in the lemon juice beverage (Comparative Example 3) without the food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor, foreign flavors were clearly felt after storage.

[0074] (Examples 24, Comparative Examples 4 and 5) Preparation of a lemon juice-containing beverage According to Table 3, a lemon juice-containing beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Example 17, except that the food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was changed to a food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 6 (Example 24), a food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Comparative Example 1 (Comparative Example 4), or a food and beverage additive containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Comparative Example 2 (Comparative Example 5). Table 3 shows the content of the foreign flavor inhibitor in the obtained lemon juice-containing beverage and the evaluation results of the occurrence of foreign flavors after storage at 50 °C for 7 days.

[0075]

Table 3

[0076] As is clear from Table 3, the lemon juice-containing beverages (Examples 17 and 24) formulated with the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor, where the heat treatment conditions during extraction are in the range of 80 to 130°C and 0.5 to 5 hours, both showed almost no off-flavor after storage and had good evaluation results. On the other hand, the lemon juice-containing beverage (Comparative Example 4) formulated with the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor with a low heating temperature of 70°C during extraction, and the lemon juice-containing beverage (Comparative Example 5) formulated with the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor with a short heating time of 0.25 hours during extraction, both showed off-flavors after storage.

[0077] (Example 25) Preparation of a lemon juice-containing beverage According to Table 3, a lemon juice-containing beverage was obtained in the same manner as in Example 17, except that the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was changed to the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 7. The content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained lemon juice-containing beverage and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days are shown in Table 3.

[0078] As is clear from Table 3, the lemon juice-containing beverage (Example 25) formulated with the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor extracted with 80% ethanol showed almost no off-flavor after storage and had good evaluation results.

[0079] (Examples 26 to 28) Preparation of a lemon juice-containing beverage According to Table 4, a beverage containing lemon juice was obtained in the same manner as in Example 17, except that the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was changed to the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 8 (Example 26), the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 9 (Example 27), or the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 10 (Example 28). Table 4 shows the content of the foreign flavor inhibitor in the obtained beverage containing lemon juice and the evaluation results of the occurrence of foreign flavors after storage at 50 °C for 7 days.

[0080]

Table 4

[0081] As is clear from Table 4, regardless of the components other than the foreign flavor inhibitor used in the production of the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor and the properties of the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor, beverages containing lemon juice (Examples 17, 26 to 28) in which the content of the foreign flavor inhibitor is in the range of 0.00007 to 0.017% by weight in the whole beverage containing lemon juice had almost no foreign flavors felt after storage and had good evaluation results.

[0082] (Examples 29 to 34) Preparation of a beverage containing lemon juice According to Table 5, a beverage containing lemon juice was obtained in the same manner as in Example 17, except that the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was changed to the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 11 (Example 29), the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 12 (Example 30), the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 13 (Example 31), the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 14 (Example 32), the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 15 (Example 33), or the additive for food and drink containing a foreign flavor inhibitor of Example 16 (Example 34). Table 5 shows the content of the foreign flavor inhibitor in the obtained beverage containing lemon juice and the evaluation results of the occurrence of foreign flavors after storage at 50 °C for 7 days.

[0083]

Table 5

[0084] As is clear from Table 5, lemon juice-containing beverages (Examples 17, 29 to 34) containing an additive for food and drink containing a flavor generation inhibitor extracted from at least one selected from the group consisting of Enoki mushroom, Maitake mushroom, Tamogitake mushroom, Shimeji mushroom, Shiitake mushroom, Eringi mushroom, and Mushroom all had almost no detectable off-flavors after storage and had good evaluation results.

[0085] (Examples 35 and 36) Preparation of lemon juice-containing beverage In accordance with the formulation in Table 6, except that the storage conditions of the lemon juice-containing beverage immediately after production were changed from 50°C for 7 days to 25°C for 180 days (Example 35), or -20°C for 360 days (Example 36), in the same manner as in Example 17, a lemon juice-containing beverage after storage was obtained. The content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor in the obtained lemon juice-containing beverage and the evaluation results of the generation of off-flavors in the lemon juice-containing beverage after storage are shown in Table 6.

[0086]

Table 6

[0087] (Comparative Examples 6 and 7) Preparation of lemon juice-containing beverage In accordance with the formulation in Table 6, except that the storage conditions of the lemon juice-containing beverage immediately after production were changed from 50°C for 7 days to 25°C for 180 days (Comparative Example 6), or -20°C for 360 days (Comparative Example 7), in the same manner as in Comparative Example 3, a lemon juice-containing beverage after storage was obtained. The content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor in the obtained lemon juice-containing beverage and the evaluation results of the generation of off-flavors in the lemon juice-containing beverage after storage are shown in Table 6.

[0088] As is clear from Table 6, the beverages containing lemon juice with the off-flavor inhibitor (Examples 17, 35, and 36) all had good evaluation results with almost no off-flavor detected after storage regardless of the storage conditions. On the other hand, the lemon juice beverages without the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor (Comparative Examples 3, 6, and 7) all had off-flavors detected after storage regardless of the storage conditions.

[0089] (Example 37) Preparation of a beverage containing lemon juice According to the formulation in Table 7, 5 parts by weight of commercially available 100% straight lemon juice was blended with 7.5 parts by weight of sugar, 0.2 part by weight of citric acid, 0.04 part by weight of trisodium citrate, 87.24 parts by weight of water, and 0.02 part by weight of the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1, sealed in a retort pouch, and heat-sterilized at 75°C for 10 minutes to obtain a beverage containing 5% lemon juice. The content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained beverage containing lemon juice and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days are shown in Table 7.

[0090]

Table 7

[0091] (Comparative Example 8) Preparation of a beverage containing lemon juice A beverage containing lemon juice was obtained in the same manner as in Example 37, except that the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was not blended, according to the formulation in Table 7. The content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained beverage containing lemon juice and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days are shown in Table 7. In addition, the results of the sensory evaluation of the beverage containing lemon juice obtained in Comparative Example 8 immediately after production and before storage are shown in Table 7 as Reference Example 2.

[0092] As is clear from Table 7, the beverage containing lemon juice blended with the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor (Example 37) had almost no off-flavor detected after storage. On the other hand, the beverage containing lemon juice without the food additive containing the off-flavor inhibitor (Comparative Example 8) had off-flavors detected after storage.

[0093] (Example 38) Preparation of a beverage containing apple juice According to the formulation in Table 7, to 20 parts by weight of commercially available concentrated apple juice, 7.5 parts by weight of sugar, 0.2 part by weight of citric acid, 0.04 part by weight of trisodium citrate, 72.24 parts by weight of water, and 0.02 part by weight of the food additive for foods and beverages containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 were blended, sealed in a retort pouch, and heat-sterilized at 75°C for 10 minutes to obtain a beverage containing apple juice. The content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained beverage containing apple juice and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days are shown in Table 7.

[0094] (Comparative Example 9) Preparation of a beverage containing apple juice According to the formulation in Table 7, a beverage containing apple juice was obtained in the same manner as in Example 38, except that the food additive for foods and beverages containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was not blended. The content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained beverage containing apple juice and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days are shown in Table 7. In addition, the results of the sensory evaluation of the beverage containing apple juice obtained in Comparative Example 9 immediately after production and before storage are shown in Table 7 as Reference Example 3.

[0095] As is clear from Table 7, in the beverage containing apple juice (Example 38) blended with the food additive for foods and beverages containing the off-flavor inhibitor, almost no off-flavors were felt after storage. On the other hand, in the beverage containing apple juice (Comparative Example 9) not blended with the food additive for foods and beverages containing the off-flavor inhibitor, off-flavors were felt after storage.

[0096] (Example 39) Preparation of a beverage containing grape juice According to the formulation in Table 7, to 20 parts by weight of commercially available concentrated grape juice, 7.5 parts by weight of sugar, 0.2 part by weight of citric acid, 0.04 part by weight of trisodium citrate, 72.24 parts by weight of water, and 0.02 part by weight of the food additive for foods and beverages containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 were blended, sealed in a retort pouch, and heat-sterilized at 75°C for 10 minutes to obtain a beverage containing grape juice. The content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained beverage containing grape juice and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days are shown in Table 7.

[0097] (Comparative Example 10) Preparation of a Beverage Containing Grape Juice According to the formulation in Table 7, a beverage containing grape juice was obtained in the same manner as in Example 39, except that the food additive for suppressing generation of off-flavors of Example 1 was not added. Table 7 shows the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor in the obtained beverage containing grape juice and the evaluation results of the generation of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days. In addition, the results of sensory evaluation of the beverage containing grape juice obtained in Comparative Example 10 immediately after production and before storage are shown in Table 7 as Reference Example 4.

[0098] As is clear from Table 7, in the beverage containing grape juice (Example 39) to which the food additive for suppressing generation of off-flavors was added, almost no off-flavors were felt after storage. On the other hand, in the beverage containing grape juice (Comparative Example 10) to which the food additive for suppressing generation of off-flavors was not added, off-flavors were felt after storage.

[0099] (Example 40) Preparation of Apple Preserves According to the formulation in Table 8, 0.05 part by weight of the food additive for suppressing generation of off-flavors of Example 1 was added to 99.95 parts by weight of a commercially available apple preserve, sealed in a retort pouch, and heat-sterilized at 75°C for 10 minutes to obtain apple preserves. Table 8 shows the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor in the obtained apple preserves and the evaluation results of the generation of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days.

[0100] [Table 8]

[0101] (Comparative Example 11) Preparation of Apple Preserves According to the formulation in Table 8, apple preserves were obtained in the same manner as in Example 40, except that the food additive for suppressing generation of off-flavors of Example 1 was not added. Table 8 shows the content of the off-flavor generation inhibitor in the obtained apple preserves and the evaluation results of the generation of off-flavors after storage at 50°C for 7 days. In addition, the results of sensory evaluation of the apple preserves obtained in Comparative Example 11 immediately after production and before storage are shown in Table 8 as Reference Example 5.

[0102] As is clear from Table 8, the apple preserve (Example 40) containing the additive for food and drink containing the off-flavor inhibitor hardly had an off-flavor after storage. On the other hand, the apple preserve (Comparative Example 11) without the additive for food and drink containing the off-flavor inhibitor had an off-flavor after storage.

[0103] (Example 41) Preparation of strawberry puree According to the formulation in Table 8, 0.05 parts by weight of the additive for food and drink containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was added to 99.95 parts by weight of commercially available strawberry puree, sealed in a retort pouch, and heat-sterilized at 75 °C for 10 minutes to obtain strawberry puree. Table 8 shows the content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained strawberry puree and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50 °C for 7 days.

[0104] (Comparative Example 12) Preparation of strawberry puree According to the formulation in Table 8, strawberry puree was obtained in the same manner as in Example 41, except that the additive for food and drink containing the off-flavor inhibitor of Example 1 was not added. Table 8 shows the content of the off-flavor inhibitor in the obtained strawberry puree and the evaluation results of the occurrence of off-flavors after storage at 50 °C for 7 days. In addition, the results of the sensory evaluation of the strawberry puree obtained in Comparative Example 12 immediately after production and before storage are shown in Table 8 as Reference Example 6.

[0105] As is clear from Table 8, the strawberry puree (Example 41) containing the additive for food and drink containing the off-flavor inhibitor hardly had an off-flavor after storage. On the other hand, the strawberry puree (Comparative Example 12) without the additive for food and drink containing the off-flavor inhibitor had an off-flavor after storage.

Claims

1. An off-flavor generation inhibitor used in food and drink products containing fruit juice, comprising: a solid content contained in an extract of mushrooms; the mushrooms being at least one selected from the group consisting of Enoki mushrooms, Maitake mushrooms, Shimeji mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, and Portobello mushrooms; the extract being an extract obtained by heating a mixture of mushrooms / solvent (weight ratio) of 0.05 to 10 at 80 to 130°C for 0.5 to 5 hours and then removing the extraction residue; the solvent being water and / or naturally-derived ethanol; an off-flavor generation inhibitor.

2. The off-flavor generation inhibitor according to Claim 1, wherein the food and drink product containing fruit juice has not undergone a freezing process.

3. A food and drink product containing fruit juice (excluding apple juice) containing 0.00007 to 0.017% by weight of the off-flavor generation inhibitor according to Claim 1 or 2 in the whole food and drink product.

4. A method for producing an off-flavor generation inhibitor used in a food and drink product containing fruit juice, comprising mixing at least one mushroom selected from the group consisting of Enoki mushrooms, Maitake mushrooms, Shimeji mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, and Portobello mushrooms with a solvent so that the mushroom / solvent (weight ratio) is 0.05 to 10 to obtain a mixture, heating the mixture to 80 to 130°C, holding the temperature at that level for 0.5 to 5 hours after reaching the temperature, and then removing the extraction residue.

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