Composition containing fruit juice and ethanol and method for producing same

Abstract

To provide a citrus fruit juice-ethanol mixed composition that has clarity and keeps the citrus fruit-like flavor that the citrus fruit-squeezed cloudy juice possesses.SOLUTION: The present invention discloses a method for producing a citrus fruit juice-ethanol mixed composition containing 1 v / v% or more ethanol, the method including the steps of: (a) mixing the citrus fruit-squeezed cloudy juice with ethanol so that the ethanol concentration becomes 1 v / v% or more, resulting in a fruit juice-ethanol mixture; and (b) subjecting the fruit juice-ethanol mixture to solid-liquid separation treatment.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition containing fruit juice and ethanol and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Squeezed juice from fruit is called cloudy juice, and in the case of citrus fruits, it contains solid matter such as pulp from the fruit mixed in. These solid matter has a unique texture on the tongue and can also cause aggregation and sedimentation, which can be perceived as undesirable characteristics depending on the intended use of the juice.

[0003] To solve this problem, there has been a type of fruit juice called clear fruit juice, which is made by subjecting cloudy fruit juice to enzyme treatment or solid-liquid separation to reduce the solid content. However, these treatments have the problem of impairing the citrus fruit-like flavor. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present inventors have found that by preliminarily mixing a predetermined amount of ethanol with a cloudy citrus juice and then subjecting the resulting mixture to solid-liquid separation, a citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition can be obtained that maintains the characteristic citrus fruit flavor while ensuring sufficient clarity. The present invention is based on this finding.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a citrus juice ethanol mixed composition that has clarity and maintains the citrus fruit-like flavor of cloudy citrus juice, and a method for producing the same.

[0006] That is, the present invention provides the following inventions. (1) A method for producing a citrus juice ethanol mixed composition containing 1 v / v% or more ethanol, (a) a step of mixing ethanol with cloudy citrus fruit juice to an ethanol concentration of 1 v / v% or more to obtain a fruit juice-ethanol mixture; (b) performing solid-liquid separation on the fruit juice ethanol mixture The method comprising: (2) The method according to (1) above, wherein the temperature of the fruit juice-ethanol mixture is 0 to 50°C from the start of contact between the cloudy fruit juice and ethanol to the start of solid-liquid separation treatment. (3) The method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein ethanol is mixed with the cloudy fruit juice so that the ethanol concentration is 10 to 65 v / v%. (4) The method according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the time from the start of contact of the cloudy fruit juice with ethanol to the start of solid-liquid separation is 120 hours or less. (5) A citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition produced by the method according to any one of (1) to (4) above. (6) A citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition containing citrus juice, having an ethanol concentration of 1 v / v% or more, particles present having a median diameter of 0.1 μm or more, and a limonene concentration of 0.1 ppm or more. (7) The citrus juice / ethanol mixed composition according to (6) above, wherein the limonene concentration is 1 to 5000 ppm. (8) The citrus juice / ethanol mixed composition according to (6) or (7), wherein the median particle size is 20 to 100 μm. (9) The citrus juice ethanol mixture composition according to any one of (6) to (8) above, wherein the ethanol concentration is 10 to 65 v / v %. (10) An alcoholic beverage comprising the citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition according to any one of (5) to (9).

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition that is clear and maintains the citrus-like flavor and aroma of cloudy citrus juice. This citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition can be used as a raw material for alcoholic beverages in place of conventional citrus juice or citrus flavorings, and the resulting alcoholic beverage will be clear and have the citrus-like flavor and aroma of cloudy citrus juice. Furthermore, during the production process of the citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition, the ethanol treatment conditions and solid-liquid separation treatment conditions can be appropriately adjusted to adjust the limonene concentration and particle size within certain ranges, thereby further improving the flavor of the citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition. Specific Description of the Invention

[0008] In the present invention, the term "alcoholic beverage" refers to a beverage with an alcohol content of 1% or more that is considered an alcoholic beverage under the Liquor Tax Act.

[0009] As used herein, "ppm" is synonymous with "mg / L" and "ppb" is synonymous with "μg / L."

[0010] The citrus juice-ethanol mixture composition of the present invention contains 1 v / v % or more of ethanol and is produced by mixing ethanol with cloudy citrus juice so that the ethanol concentration is 1 v / v % or more to prepare a juice-ethanol mixture, and then subjecting the juice-ethanol mixture to a solid-liquid separation process.

[0011] The citrus fruit used as a raw material may be any type of citrus fruit, and will be appropriately selected by those skilled in the art depending on the flavor of the alcoholic beverage to be produced. Therefore, the type of citrus fruit is not particularly limited, but for example, lemon, grapefruit, orange, mandarin orange, yuzu, kumquat, kabosu, sudachi, shikuwasa, lime, citron, bush citrus, etc., which are easily used as raw materials for alcoholic beverages, are preferred, and lemon and grapefruit are more preferred.

[0012] Cloudy citrus juice is a squeezed liquid of citrus fruit and contains solids such as fruit-derived pulp. The cloudy citrus juice used in the present invention may be any of squeezed citrus fruit juice, its concentrate, and its dilution, but is preferably a concentrated cloudy citrus juice. Furthermore, the cloudy citrus juice mixed with ethanol in the present invention may be in the form of a mixture with clear citrus fruit juice. In other words, in the present invention, it is sufficient that the liquid containing cloudy juice has been adjusted to a predetermined ethanol concentration, and even if clear fruit juice is present in the liquid, it is sufficient that the ethanol concentration is within a predetermined range.

[0013] The ethanol used in the present invention may be any ethanol suitable for consumption, such as industrial alcohol, alcoholic beverages, etc. As ethanol, for example, alcoholic beverages can be suitably used, and as alcoholic beverages, for example, distilled alcoholic beverages, spirits, and liqueurs are suitable, and vodka is preferably used.

[0014] When adding ethanol to a cloudy fruit juice at a predetermined concentration, a predetermined amount of ethanol may be added to the cloudy fruit juice and water may be added to the mixture as needed. Alternatively, ethanol may be diluted with water in advance and the diluted mixture may be added to the cloudy fruit juice. Alternatively, water may be added to the cloudy fruit juice in advance and the required amount of ethanol may be added thereto. Alternatively, ethanol and water may be added simultaneously to the cloudy fruit juice. Furthermore, after adding ethanol to the cloudy fruit juice, a mixing operation may be performed before the subsequent solid-liquid separation process to ensure sufficient mixing. Such a mixing operation may be performed by means known in the art, such as a stirring blade, bubbling, a static mixer, or circulation in a pipe.

[0015] The lower limit of the ethanol concentration in the mixture obtained by adding ethanol to cloudy citrus juice is 1 v / v%, preferably 2.5 v / v%, more preferably 5 v / v%, even more preferably 10 v / v%, even more preferably 15 v / v%, even more preferably 25 v / v%, and even more preferably 35 v / v%. The upper limit of the ethanol concentration in the mixture is preferably less than 100 v / v%, more preferably 80 v / v% or less, even more preferably 75 v / v% or less, even more preferably 65 v / v% or less, and even more preferably 55 v / v% or less.

[0016] The solid-liquid separation treatment may be any treatment that can reduce the solid content concentration in the fruit juice-ethanol mixture, such as centrifugation, filtration, or decantation, with centrifugation or filtration being preferred, and centrifugation being more preferred.

[0017] The time from the start of contact between ethanol and fruit juice to the start of solid-liquid separation is not particularly limited, but is preferably 150 hours or less, more preferably 120 hours or less, and even more preferably 1440 minutes (24 hours) or less.

[0018] The temperature of the fruit juice-ethanol mixture from the start of contact between the ethanol and the fruit juice to the start of solid-liquid separation is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0 to 60°C, more preferably 0 to 50°C, even more preferably 0 to 40°C, and even more preferably 1 to 40°C.

[0019] The citrus juice ethanol mixed composition obtained by the method of the present invention is clear and maintains the citrus fruit-like flavor and taste that cloudy citrus juice has.

[0020] Furthermore, the analysis results of the above citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition showed that a citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition containing citrus juice, having an ethanol concentration of 1% v / v or more, a median particle diameter of 0.1 μm or more, and a limonene concentration of 0.1 ppm or more, will have clarity and maintain the citrus-like flavor and aroma of cloudy citrus juice, even if not obtained by the method of the present invention. Thus, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition that satisfies the above conditions is provided. Hereinafter, the term "citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition of the present invention" includes not only a citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition obtained by the method of the present invention, but also a citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0021] The lower limit of the ethanol concentration in the citrus juice / ethanol mixed composition of the present invention is 1 v / v%, preferably 2.5 v / v%, more preferably 5 v / v%, even more preferably 10 v / v%, even more preferably 15 v / v%, even more preferably 25 v / v%, and even more preferably 35 v / v%. The upper limit of the ethanol concentration in the mixed composition is preferably less than 100 v / v%, more preferably 80 v / v% or less, even more preferably 75 v / v% or less, even more preferably 65 v / v% or less, and even more preferably 55 v / v% or less.

[0022] The lower limit of the limonene concentration in the citrus juice / ethanol mixed composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1 ppm, more preferably 0.5 ppm, even more preferably 1.0 ppm, even more preferably 5.0 ppm, and even more preferably 10 ppm. The upper limit of the limonene concentration in the citrus juice / ethanol mixed composition of the present invention is preferably 5000 ppm, more preferably 3000 ppm, even more preferably 1000 ppm, even more preferably 500 ppm, and even more preferably 100 ppm. The limonene concentration can be measured by a known method using GC / MS.

[0023] The lower limit of the median diameter of particles present in the citrus juice / ethanol mixed composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1 μm, more preferably 0.5 μm, even more preferably 1.0 μm, even more preferably 5.0 μm, even more preferably 10 μm, even more preferably 20 μm, and even more preferably 30 μm. The upper limit of the median diameter of particles present in the citrus juice / ethanol mixed composition of the present invention is preferably 1000 μm, more preferably 750 μm, even more preferably 600 μm, even more preferably 200 μm, and even more preferably 100 μm. The median diameter can be measured by laser diffraction / scattering. The refractive index can be selected from 1.60 to 0.10 μm.

[0024] The turbidity of the citrus juice / ethanol mixed composition of the present invention is preferably 500 ntu or less, more preferably 400 ntu or less, even more preferably 250 ntu or less, even more preferably 100 ntu or less, and even more preferably 50 ntu or less. The turbidity can be measured by a transmitted light measurement method.

[0025] The lower limit of the sugar content of the citrus juice ethanol mixed composition of the present invention is preferably 5°, more preferably 10°, even more preferably 15°, and even more preferably 20°. The upper limit of the sugar content of the citrus juice ethanol mixed composition of the present invention is preferably 200°, more preferably 100°, and even more preferably 50°. The sugar content can be measured by a refractive index method.

[0026] The citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition of the present invention, when added to a beverage, can impart a citrus fruit-like flavor to the beverage without increasing the turbidity of the beverage. The content (i.e., the amount added) of the citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition of the present invention in the beverage is not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined by those skilled in the art depending on the type of beverage and the desired flavor intensity.

[0027] The beverage of the present invention may be one into which carbon dioxide has been injected, i.e., a carbonated beverage.

[0028] The pH of the beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably adjusted to 2.5 to 5.0. The pH of the beverage can be easily measured using a commercially available pH meter.

[0029] The beverage of the present invention may contain other ingredients used in beverage production, such as sweeteners (e.g., sugar, glucose, fructose, oligosaccharides, isomerized liquid sugar syrup, sugar alcohols, and high-intensity sweeteners), acidulants (e.g., citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, phytic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, adipic acid, acetic acid, and salts thereof), colorings, and food additives (e.g., foaming and foam retention improvers, bittering agents, preservatives, antioxidants, thickening stabilizers, emulsifiers, dietary fiber, and pH adjusters).

[0030] The beverage of the present invention is preferably provided as a packaged beverage. The container used may be any container commonly used for filling beverages, such as a metal can, a barrel, a plastic bottle (e.g., a PET bottle or cup), a paper container, a bottle, or a pouch, with metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., a PET bottle), or bottles being preferred. [Example]

[0031] The present invention will be specifically described based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0032] The following methods were employed in the experiments in the examples. (1) Sensory evaluation For the sensory evaluation, water or alcohol was added to each sample to adjust the alcohol concentration to 16 v / v%. The sensory evaluation was performed by five trained panelists, and the average value was used. The standard error for all samples was 0.2 or less.

[0033] (2) Turbidity The turbidity was measured by the transmitted light measurement method.

[0034] (3) Limonene concentration The concentration of limonene was measured by GC / MS analysis under the following conditions: GC / MS main unit: QP2010 SHIMAZU, AOC20i; Column: J&W Scientific 1909is-936 HP-1MS Agilent.

[0035] (4) Median diameter of particles contained in the sample The median diameter was measured by the laser diffraction / scattering method using a Shimadzu SALD-2200 / WingSALD II with a refractive index of 1.50-0.20i.

[0036] Example 1: Study of ethanol concentration in citrus juice ethanol mixed composition In this example, the ethanol concentration in citrus juice ethanol mixed compositions was investigated. Specifically, various amounts of water and ethanol were added to cloudy lemon or grapefruit concentrated juice, mixed for 1 second, and then centrifuged at 1000 G for 10 minutes. After centrifugation, the supernatant was collected to obtain samples of citrus juice ethanol mixed compositions. All samples were maintained at 20°C during the experiment. The turbidity of all samples was measured and sensory evaluation was performed.

[0037] The sensory evaluation items and evaluation criteria were as follows: (i) Fruity flavor: The overall strength of the citrus fruit aroma and flavor. The higher the intensity, the better. For the tasting samples using lemon as the fruit, test plot 1 was scored at 5 points, test plot 4 at 9 points, and the tasting samples using grapefruit as the fruit were scored at equal intervals, test plot 7 at 5 points, test plot 10 at 9 points, and the samples were all scored at equal intervals, with each sample evaluated using a score ranging from 1 point (weak) to 9 points (strong). (ii) Bitterness and astringency: The intensity of bitterness and astringency that goes beyond the characteristics of citrus fruits. The lower the intensity, the better. For the tasting samples using lemon as the fruit, test plot 1 was scored at 5 points, test plot 4 was scored at 1 point, and the tasting samples using grapefruit as the fruit were scored at equal intervals, with test plot 7 scored at 5 points, test plot 10 scored at 1 point, and all were evaluated using a score ranging from 1 point (weak) to 9 points (strong). (iii) Burning sensation: The intensity of the tingling and burning sensation in the throat that accompanies the stimulation of alcohol. The lower the level, the better. For the tasting samples using lemon as the fruit, test plot 1 was scored at 5 points, test plot 4 was scored at 1 point, and the tasting samples using grapefruit as the fruit were scored at equal intervals, with test plot 7 scored at 5 points, test plot 10 scored at 1 point, and all were evaluated using a score ranging from 1 point (weak) to 9 points (strong). (iv) Roundness of acidity: The degree of mellowness of the acidity characteristic of citrus fruits. The higher the value, the better. For the tasting samples using lemon as the fruit, test plot 1 was scored at 5 points, test plot 4 at 9 points, and the tasting samples using grapefruit as the fruit were scored at equal intervals, test plot 7 at 5 points, test plot 10 at 9 points, and the samples were all scored at equal intervals, with each sample evaluated using a score ranging from 1 point (weak) to 9 points (strong). (v) Saltiness: In citrus fruits, the lower the saltiness, the better. For the tasting samples using lemon as the fruit, test plot 1 was scored at 5 points, test plot 4 was scored at 1 point, and the tasting samples using grapefruit as the fruit were scored at equal intervals, with test plot 7 scored at 5 points, test plot 10 scored at 1 point, and all were evaluated using a score ranging from 1 point (weak) to 9 points (strong). (vi) Grassy smell: The strength of an unpleasant smell reminiscent of a fishy smell. The lower the value, the better. For the tasting samples using lemon as the fruit, test plot 1 was scored at 5 points, test plot 4 was scored at 1 point, and the tasting samples using grapefruit as the fruit were scored at equal intervals, with test plot 7 scored at 5 points, test plot 10 scored at 1 point, and all were evaluated using a score ranging from 1 point (weak) to 9 points (strong).

[0038] The results are shown in Table 1. [Table 1]

[0039] Example 2: Investigation of processing temperature and processing time in the production of citrus juice ethanol mixed composition In this example, the processing temperature and processing time in the production of a citrus juice ethanol mixed composition were investigated. Specifically, water and ethanol were added to cloudy lemon or grapefruit concentrated juice so that the ethanol concentration was 45%, and the mixture was mixed for a certain period of time, followed by centrifugation at 1000 G for 10 minutes. After centrifugation, the supernatant was collected to obtain a sample of the citrus juice ethanol mixed composition. During the experiment, all samples were maintained at the temperatures shown in Table 2. All turbidities were below 100 NTU. Sensory evaluation was performed on all samples.

[0040] The sensory evaluation items and evaluation criteria were as follows: (i) Fruity flavor: The overall strength of the citrus fruit aroma and flavor. The higher the intensity, the better. For the tasting samples using lemon as the fruit, test area 1 of Example 1 was scored at 5 points, test area 4 of Example 1 was scored at 9 points, and for the tasting samples using grapefruit as the fruit, test area 7 of Example 1 was scored at 5 points, and test area 10 of Example 1 was scored at 9 points, and all were scored at equal intervals, and all were evaluated using a score of 1 point (weak) to 9 points (strong).

[0041] The results are shown in Table 2. [Table 2]

[0042] For both the lemon-based sample and the grapefruit-based sample, the samples treated at 40°C for 150 hours and the samples treated at 60°C for 24 hours or more had a potato-like off-flavor and overall palatability was reduced.

[0043] Example 3: Examination of limonene concentration and median particle size in citrus juice ethanol mixed composition In this example, we investigated the limonene concentration and particle median diameter in citrus juice ethanol mixture compositions. Specifically, water and ethanol were added to cloudy lemon or grapefruit concentrated juice to adjust the ethanol concentration to 5-80%, and the mixture was mixed for 10 seconds and immediately centrifuged (200-1000 G, 2-20 minutes). After centrifugation, the supernatant was collected to obtain samples of the citrus juice ethanol mixture composition. All samples were maintained at 20°C during the experiment. The turbidity and limonene concentration of the samples were measured, and the limonene concentration was adjusted by adding limonene fragrance as appropriate. All turbidities were below 100 NTU. Sensory evaluation was performed on all samples.

[0044] The sensory evaluation items and evaluation criteria were as follows: (i) Fruity flavor: The overall strength of the citrus fruit aroma and flavor. The higher the intensity, the better. For the tasting samples using lemon as the fruit, samples with a limonene concentration of 0.3 ppm / median diameter of 1.3 μm were scored as 5 points, and samples with a limonene concentration of 1000 ppm / median diameter of 70.5 μm were scored as 9 points, all at equal intervals.For the tasting samples using grapefruit as the fruit, samples with a limonene concentration of 0.4 ppm / median diameter of 1.1 μm were scored as 5 points, and samples with a limonene concentration of 1000 ppm / median diameter of 31.6 μm were scored as 9 points, all at equal intervals.Each sample was evaluated using a score ranging from 1 point (weak) to 9 points (strong).

[0045] The results are shown in Table 3. [Table 3]

[0046] All samples with a limonene concentration of 5000 ppm had a strong astringent taste, and overall palatability was reduced.

Claims

1. A method for producing a citrus juice ethanol mixed composition containing 1 v / v % or more ethanol, comprising: (a) a step of mixing ethanol with cloudy citrus fruit juice to an ethanol concentration of 1 v / v% or more to obtain a fruit juice-ethanol mixture; (b) subjecting the fruit juice ethanol mixture to solid-liquid separation treatment comprising The method, wherein the cloudy fruit juice is a squeezed juice (excluding the case where the citrus juice ethanol mixed composition is an alcoholic beverage containing fruit juice that has not been subjected to any heat treatment).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the fruit juice-ethanol mixture is 0 to 50°C from the start of contact of the cloudy fruit juice with ethanol to the start of solid-liquid separation treatment.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein ethanol is mixed with the cloudy fruit juice so that the ethanol concentration is 10 to 65 v / v %.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the time from the start of contact of the cloudy fruit juice with ethanol to the start of solid-liquid separation is 120 hours or less.

5. A citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition containing citrus juice, having an ethanol concentration of 15 to 65 v / v%, particles present having a median diameter of 0.1 μm or more, and a limonene concentration of 1 to 1000 ppm.

6. The citrus juice ethanol mixed composition according to claim 5, wherein the median particle size is 20 to 100 μm.

7. An alcoholic beverage comprising the citrus juice-ethanol mixed composition according to claim 5 or 6.

Images