Carbon dioxide generating composition having an indicator and method for preserving the freshness of vegetables using the same

Abstract

To provide a carbon dioxide generation source having an indicator, enabling visual checks of the progress and endpoints of carbon dioxide generation, and a product for preserving the freshness of vegetables using the same.SOLUTION: A carbon dioxide generating composition contains following components (A)-(D): (A) solid tricarboxylic acid and / or dicarboxylic acid, (B) bicarbonate and / or carbonate, (C) stearate and (D) anthocyanin dye. There is also provided a method for preserving the freshness of vegetables using the same.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a carbon dioxide generating composition having an indicator and a method for preserving the freshness of vegetables using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that vegetables can maintain their freshness when exposed to high concentrations of carbon dioxide. There are currently known technologies for generating high concentrations of carbon dioxide in a short period of time (several days) that can be applied to containers used for distributing vegetables (e.g., Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] However, when carbon dioxide is generated in the manner described above, there is no known method by which the progress and end point of carbon dioxide generation can be visually confirmed, and there is also the problem that it is completely unclear how long the effect will last. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-327400 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-91817 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-183608 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a carbon dioxide generation source having an indicator that allows the progress and end point of carbon dioxide generation to be visually confirmed, and a product for preserving the freshness of vegetables that utilizes the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of intensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have found that a composition containing a solid tricarboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acid, a bicarbonate or carbonate, a stearate, and an anthocyanin pigment allows the progress and endpoint of carbon dioxide generation to be visually confirmed, and have completed the present invention.

[0007] That is, the present invention provides the following components (A) to (D): (A) Solid tricarboxylic acid and / or dicarboxylic acid (B) Bicarbonate and / or Carbonate (C) Stearates (D) Anthocyanin pigments The carbon dioxide generating composition is characterized by containing:

[0008] The present invention also provides a product for preserving the freshness of vegetables, which comprises the carbon dioxide generating composition housed in a container made of a water vapor permeable material.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for preserving the freshness of vegetables, which comprises placing the above-mentioned vegetable freshness preservation product together with vegetables in a closed space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The carbon dioxide generating composition of the present invention has an indicator that changes color depending on the progress of the carbon dioxide generating reaction, allowing the continuation and end point of carbon dioxide generation to be visually confirmed. Therefore, a vegetable freshness preservation product using this composition can be appropriately replaced, making it suitable for preserving the freshness of vegetables in closed spaces such as refrigerators. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of invention products 1 to 3 versus the elapsed time in Test Example 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The carbon dioxide generating composition of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the composition of the present invention") comprises the following components (A) to (D): (A) Solid tricarboxylic acid and / or dicarboxylic acid (B) Bicarbonate and / or Carbonate (C) Stearates (D) Anthocyanin pigments It contains:

[0013] The solid tricarboxylic acid and / or dicarboxylic acid (Component (A)) used in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include citric acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, adipic acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, glutaric acid, phthalic acid, and metaphosphoric acid. These components (A) can be used alone or in combination of two or more, with citric acid being preferred. The content of Component (A) in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 20 to 50 wt %, preferably 30 to 40 wt %.

[0014] The component (B) bicarbonate and / or carbonate used in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and sodium carbonate. These components (B) can be used alone or in combination of two or more, with sodium bicarbonate being preferred. The content of component (B) in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 50 to 70 wt%, preferably 55 to 65 wt%.

[0015] The stearate salt (component (C)) used in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include calcium stearate, zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, lithium stearate, sodium stearate, calcium 12-hydroxystearate, and lithium 12-hydroxystearate. While these components (C) can be used alone or in combination, calcium stearate is preferred. The content of component (C) in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 0.1 to 10 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 5 wt%. The particle size of component (C) is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a median diameter of 1 μm to 50 μm, preferably 4 μm to 20 μm. Because calcium stearate has a fine particle size, it adheres to the particle surfaces of components (A), (B), and (D) simply by mixing them at room temperature. This inhibits reaction with water and oxygen, prolongs the period of carbon dioxide generation, and reduces discoloration. Furthermore, the composition has almost no medicinal odor.

[0016] The anthocyanin pigments (component (D)) used in the composition of the present invention are flavonoid plant pigments that give fruits such as grapes, apples, strawberries, and blueberries, as well as red cabbage, red radish, purple sweet potato, eggplant, perilla, and bean seeds their beautiful red and purple colors. In plants, they generally exist in the form of glycosides bound to sugars. The aglycones (the pigment components other than the sugars) are called anthocyanidins. There are many types of anthocyanins, depending on the substituents on the benzene ring, the type and number of sugars bound, and the presence or absence of acyl groups. The six main anthocyanidins are pelargonidin, cyanidin (Cy), delphinidin (Del), peonidin, petunidin, and malvidin. Sugars that bind to anthocyanidins include monosaccharides such as glucose, rhamnose, galactose, and xylose, and disaccharides such as rhamnoglucose, gentiobiose, sambubiose, and sophorose. The anthocyanin pigment (D) used in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains the above pigment components. For example, red cabbage pigment (main component is cyanidin acylglucoside) extracted from red cabbage leaves is preferred because it is used as a food coloring additive. The content of component (D) in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.1 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.2 to 1 wt%. By adding component (D), the reaction between components (A) and (B) progresses, shifting the pH of the composition from acidic to neutral to basic, and the color of the composition changes from white to pink, light blue, and greenish-brown in this order, allowing the progress and endpoint of the reaction to be determined.

[0017] The composition of the present invention preferably further contains component (E) ascorbic acid to prevent decomposition of component (D) anthocyanin pigment, particularly at the end of the reaction. The ascorbic acid is not particularly limited, and for example, L-ascorbic acid or isoascorbic acid may be used alone or in combination. The content of component (E) in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 to 30 wt%, preferably 1 to 10 wt%.

[0018] The composition of the present invention preferably contains component (F), a polyhydric alcohol, because this allows the reaction between components to proceed uniformly regardless of the environment, resulting in stable carbon dioxide generation, uniform and clear color development, and easy recognition of the end point. The polyhydric alcohol is not particularly limited, and examples include dihydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, and 1,3-butylene glycol, and trihydric alcohols such as glycerin. These components (F) can be used alone or in combination of two or more, but propylene glycol is preferred. The content of component (F) in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 0.1 to 10 wt%, preferably 1 to 5 wt%.

[0019] The molar ratio of components (A) to (D) in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but for example, (A):(B) is 1:1 to 1:6, preferably 1:2 to 1:5.

[0020] The composition of the present invention may further contain fragrances, deodorants, anti-mold agents, antibacterial agents, thickeners, etc. in addition to the above components (A) to (D), (A) to (E), or (A) to (F), within the scope of not impairing the effects of the present invention.

[0021] The method for producing the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method of sequentially mixing the components, a method of mixing components (B) and (C) and then mixing components (A) and (D), or a method of mixing components (A) and (D) and then mixing component (C) and finally mixing component (B). Among these production methods, the method of mixing components (A) and (D) and then mixing component (C) and finally mixing component (B) is preferred because the resulting composition of the present invention is delayed in reaction with the bicarbonate and / or carbonate because the stearate coats the solid tricarboxylic acid and / or dicarboxylic acid and the anthocyanin pigment, the anthocyanin pigment is kept highly stable because it is placed under acidic conditions, and the color initially exhibits an acidic color due to the solid tricarboxylic acid and / or dicarboxylic acid with which the anthocyanin pigment is coated, and changes from a neutral to a basic color as the reaction with the bicarbonate and / or carbonate progresses.

[0022] The composition of the present invention thus obtained can gradually react with moisture in the air to generate carbon dioxide, and since the anthocyanin pigment functions as an indicator, the end point of carbon dioxide generation can be visually confirmed by a color change.

[0023] The composition of the present invention can be made into a product for preserving the freshness of vegetables (hereinafter referred to as "the product of the present invention") by storing it in a container made of a water vapor-permeable material. Examples of containers made of a water vapor-permeable material include bags made of a water vapor-permeable material and boxes made of a water vapor-impermeable material with a portion made of a water vapor-permeable material. The water vapor-permeable material has pores large enough to allow water vapor to pass through but not allow aqueous solutions to pass through, and examples of such materials include microporous membranes having a plurality of pores with a diameter of 0.1 μm to 10 μm. The water vapor permeability of such water vapor-permeable materials is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 2000 g / m 2 24h~8000g / m 2 24h, preferably 2000g / m 2 24h~4000g / m 2 24 hours. Such a water vapor permeable material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include resins such as polyolefin resins. The thickness of the water vapor permeable material is not particularly limited, but is 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less.

[0024] The water vapor permeable material may be fixed on one or both sides with a nonwoven fabric that allows water vapor to pass through. The water vapor permeability of the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited, but is preferably 8000 g / m 2 24 hours or more, preferably 10,000 g / m 2 The nonwoven fabric preferably has a basis weight of 10 g or more and 100 g or less.

[0025] Furthermore, it is preferable that a portion of the container made of a water vapor permeable material that contains the composition of the present invention is made of a transparent or translucent material, which allows the indicator to be visually observed. The transparent or translucent material is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include resins such as polyethylene resin.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the product of the present invention, 20 g to 100 g of the composition of the present invention is mixed with a cloth having a water vapor permeability of at least 2000 g / m 2 24h~8000g / m 2 24h microporous membrane with a capacity of 50cm 3 ~150cm 3 The product is then placed in a bag or container made of a water vapor impermeable resin to prevent contact with moisture until use.

[0027] The product of the present invention can maintain the freshness of vegetables by placing it together with the vegetables in a closed space. Here, a closed space refers to the interior space of a refrigerator, a polystyrene foam box, a cardboard box, etc. Maintaining the freshness of vegetables means suppressing the respiration of the vegetables, thereby preventing loss of moisture content, wilting, and discoloration of the leaves and stems. The types of vegetables that can be maintained fresh are not particularly limited, but examples include lettuce, komatsuna, bok choy, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, etc. The product of the present invention can generate carbon dioxide for a long period of time in such a closed space. Here, a long period means that the effect can be maintained for at least one month at a low temperature of 5 to 10°C. Furthermore, the product of the present invention can maintain its effect regardless of the humidity in the closed space. Furthermore, after the product of the present invention has completely generated carbon dioxide, the end point can be determined because the composition of the present invention contained therein changes color due to anthocyanin pigments, allowing appropriate replacement. [Example]

[0028] The present invention will be described in detail below by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way.

[0029] Example 1 Preparation of carbon dioxide generating composition: The components listed in Table 1 were mixed in the order listed to prepare a carbon dioxide generating composition.

[0030] [Table 1]

[0031] Test Example 1 Indicator color test: Products 1 to 3 of the present invention produced in Example 1 were each placed in a petri dish and placed in a constant temperature room at a temperature of 40°C and humidity of 90% (accelerated test: 24 hours corresponds to 2 to 3 months if used in a refrigerator). The appearance of each product was photographed with a camera after 0 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 180 minutes, and 24 hours. The results are shown in Figure 1. The appearance was also evaluated and the results are shown in Table 2.

[0032] [Table 2]

[0033] Present Invention Products 1, 2, and 3 were initially white (before use), turned pale pink to pink during carbon dioxide generation, and turned greenish-brown at the end. After 24 hours, samples were placed in sealed containers (volume: 103 L) and the carbon dioxide concentration was measured using a carbon dioxide gas concentration meter (Satotech Data Logger CO2 Monitor CO2-9904SD, manufactured by Sato Shoji Co., Ltd.). No carbon dioxide generation was detected. Therefore, it was determined that carbon dioxide generation had ceased after 24 hours for all of Present Invention Products 1 to 3. Furthermore, the color of Present Invention Products 2 and 3 at the end was darker than that of Present Invention Product 1, making the end point easier to determine. Furthermore, Present Invention Product 3 showed less pink unevenness during the production of its effect compared to Present Inventions 1 and 2.

[0034] Example 2 Vegetable freshness keeping products manufacturing: 50 g of the present invention product 3 produced in Example 1 was placed on one side of a sheet of paper with a water vapor permeability of 2800 g / m2 24h polyolefin resin microporous membrane on both sides with water vapor permeability of 8000g / m 2 A bag (capacity 100cm) made of a moisture-permeable sheet fixed with a nonwoven fabric of 60 μm thickness and 50 g basis weight for 24 hours or more, and a transparent polyethylene resin film of 60 μm thickness on the other side. 3 ) to produce a product for preserving the freshness of vegetables.

[0035] The above-mentioned vegetable freshness-keeping product generated carbon dioxide when placed in a refrigerator (9 to 10°C). At the end of the carbon dioxide generation, a change in color was visually confirmed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0036] The carbon dioxide generating composition of the present invention can be used to maintain the freshness of vegetables in a closed space such as a refrigerator.

Claims

1. The following components (A) to (D) (A) Solid tricarboxylic acid and / or dicarboxylic acid (B) bicarbonate and / or carbonate (C) Stearates (D) Anthocyanin pigments A carbon dioxide generating composition comprising:

2. 2. The carbon dioxide generating composition according to claim 1, wherein the molar ratio of (A):(B) is 1:2 to 1:

5.

3. 3. The carbon dioxide generating composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein (A) is 30 to 40 wt%, (B) is 55 to 65 wt%, (C) is 0.1 to 5 wt%, and (D) is 0.1 to 5 wt%.

4. 4. The carbon dioxide generating composition according to claim 1, wherein the solid tricarboxylic acid and / or dicarboxylic acid (A) is citric acid.

5. The carbon dioxide generating composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bicarbonate and / or carbonate (B) is sodium bicarbonate.

6. 6. The carbon dioxide generating composition according to claim 1, wherein the stearate (C) is calcium stearate.

7. The carbon dioxide generating composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising (E) ascorbic acid.

8. The carbon dioxide generating composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising (F) a polyhydric alcohol.

9. A product for preserving the freshness of vegetables, comprising the carbon dioxide generating composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8 housed in a container made of a water vapor permeable material.

10. The water vapor permeability of the water vapor permeable material is 2000 g / m ２ ・24h~8000g / m ２ The product for preserving the freshness of vegetables according to claim 9, wherein the freshness preservation period is 24 hours.

11. A method for preserving the freshness of vegetables, comprising placing the product for preserving the freshness of vegetables according to claim 9 or 10 together with vegetables in a closed space.

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