drinks

Abstract

To provide a beverage that is prevented from emitting a foreign odor even when containing a predetermined level of 2-acetyl pyrazine.SOLUTION: A beverage contains 5-50 ppb of 2-acetyl pyrazine and 115-1000 ppb of acetoin. In the beverage, the content of acetoin may be 115-300 ppb. The beverage may contain extract from roasted grain.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to beverages. [Background technology]

[0002] In beverages, increasing palatability often requires designing beverages with drinkability that is refreshing and thirst-quenching, as well as satisfying flavors that enhance the natural flavor and richness of the ingredients. To meet these quality requirements, it is essential to design flavors through the selection of various ingredients and extraction techniques. However, when extracts derived from natural ingredients are included, it is not uncommon for undesirable components that reduce palatability to be mixed in during the design process. 2-acetylpyrazine is known to be one of the components that can reduce palatability. Even small amounts of 2-acetylpyrazine in beverages can be perceived as off-flavors such as nutty or oily, adversely affecting flavor.

[0003] Therefore, in beverages, it is important to prevent the contamination of 2-acetylpyrazine in order to improve and enhance palatability, but since 2-acetylpyrazine is contained in many ingredients, there is a problem that it is not easy to prevent contamination.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for searching for odor suppressants using pyrazine derivatives. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2013 / 119312 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, there is no known means for effectively reducing the unpleasant odor caused by 2-acetylpyrazine in beverages.

[0007] The present invention has been proposed in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a beverage in which the off-flavor is suppressed even when it contains 2-acetylpyrazine at a certain concentration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of intensive research aimed at solving the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by adding a predetermined amount of acetoin to a beverage containing a predetermined amount of 2-acetylpyrazine derived from an extract derived from a natural material, for example, and have thus completed the present invention. More specifically, the present invention provides the following.

[0009] <1> A beverage containing 2-acetylpyrazine at a content of 5 to 50 ppb, Contains acetoin at a content of 115 to 1000 ppb. Beverage.

[0010] <2> The acetoin content is 115 to 300 ppb. <1> The beverage described in

[0011] <3> Contains roasted grain extract, <1> or <2> The beverage described in

[0012] <4> Acetoin is added to a beverage having a 2-acetylpyrazine content of 5 to 50 ppb so that the content is 115 to 1000 ppb. A method for suppressing off-flavors in beverages.

[0013] <5> Contains acetoin, The acetoin is added to a beverage having a 2-acetylpyrazine content of 5 to 50 ppb so that the acetoin content is 115 to 1000 ppb. An agent for suppressing unpleasant odors in beverages. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage in which off-flavors are suppressed even when 2-acetylpyrazine is contained at a certain concentration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. In this specification, the expression "X to Y" (X and Y are arbitrary numerical values) means "at least X and at most Y."

[0016] <1. Beverage> The beverage may be derived from an extract of natural materials and contain 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine, and 115 to 1000 ppb of acetoin. By designing the beverage to contain acetoin at a specific ratio, the beverage can be made to suppress the unpleasant odor caused by 2-acetylpyrazine.

[0017] In this specification, the term "off-flavor" refers to off-flavors such as nutty or oily odors derived from 2-acetylpyrazine.

[0018] Acetoin is an aroma component of yogurt and butter, and the present inventors have unexpectedly found that adding acetoin to a beverage containing 2-acetylpyrazine suppresses off-flavors.

[0019] The type of beverage is not particularly limited, and examples include beverages containing roasted grain extracts, dairy beverages, coffee beverages, functional beverages, carbonated beverages, etc. Among these, beverages containing extracts of various materials are preferred, and tea beverages are more preferred, from the viewpoint that 2-acetylpyrazine is likely to be mixed in.

[0020] When a beverage contains an extract of roasted grain, it includes not only a liquid containing an extract obtained by extracting a certain type of roasted grain, but also a liquid obtained by mixing that extract with an extract of another plant, or a liquid obtained by adding an additive to such a liquid, or a liquid obtained by dispersing the dried version of such a liquid.

[0021] When the beverage is a tea beverage, the variety, place of origin, harvesting time, harvesting method, and cultivation method of the plant from which the extract contained in the beverage is derived are not particularly limited. The type of plant is also not particularly limited, and examples that can be used include barley, Job's tears, brown rice, Habu tea, corn, black beans, soybeans, adzuki beans, sweet potato, loquat leaves, tea leaves, kelp, Japanese kumazasa, sesame, persimmon leaves, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, mulberry leaves, Reishi mushrooms, wolfberries, mandarin orange peel, yuzu peel, Eucommia ulmoides, perilla leaves, Houttuynia cordata, plantain, gymnema, rooibos, Rahma, dandelion, peppermint, mulukhiyah, dried orange peel, ginkgo, pine needles, lotus, olive, young barley leaves, Cassia capita, Xiangyang grass, Angelica keiskei, mugwort, and evening primrose. Among these plants, it is preferable to use one or more selected from the group consisting of barley, Job's tears, brown rice, Habu tea, corn, adzuki beans, loquat leaves, yuzu peel, dandelion, and Cassia capillaris, which may be used alone or in combination.

[0022] [2-acetylpyrazine] The beverage contains 2-acetylpyrazine. The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in the beverage is in the range of 5 to 50 ppb. The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in the beverage may be 7 ppb or more, 10 ppb or more, or 20 ppb or more.

[0023] On the other hand, from the viewpoint of preventing the unpleasant odor caused by 2-acetylpyrazine from becoming excessive, the upper limit of the content of 2-acetylpyrazine in the beverage may be 40 ppb or less, or may be 30 ppb or less.

[0024] The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in a beverage can be measured using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS). GC-MS measurements can be performed, for example, under the conditions shown in the Examples. Alternatively, if the concentration in each ingredient is known, it can also be calculated.

[0025] [Acetoin] The beverage contains acetoin. The acetoin is not particularly limited, but may be a commercially available compound, or may contain natural products or extracts thereof containing acetoin.

[0026] Furthermore, since acetoin is found in large amounts in fermented materials, the beverage may contain fermented ingredients.

[0027] The acetoin content in the beverage is in the range of 115 to 1000 ppb. By setting the acetoin content in the beverage in this range, the off-odor in the beverage containing 2-acetylpyrazine can be reduced. From the viewpoint of enhancing the effect of suppressing the off-odor caused by 2-acetylpyrazine, the acetoin content in the beverage may be 117 ppb or more, or may be 120 ppb or more.

[0028] On the other hand, adding a large amount of acetoin may impair the taste of the beverage. Therefore, from the viewpoint of maintaining the taste of the beverage, the upper limit of the acetoin content in the beverage is preferably 500 ppb or less, more preferably 300 ppb or less, even more preferably 200 ppb or less, and particularly preferably 150 ppb or less.

[0029] The acetoin content in a beverage can be measured using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS). GC-MS measurements can be performed, for example, under the conditions shown in the Examples. Furthermore, if the concentration in each ingredient is known, it can also be calculated.

[0030] [Other ingredients] In beverages, other ingredients and additives commonly used in general beverages can be appropriately blended as long as they do not impair the effects of the beverage. The blending amounts can be adjusted appropriately depending on the desired effects. Specifically, various additives such as antioxidants, pH adjusters, flavorings, various esters, organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic acids, inorganic acid salts, inorganic salts, colorants, emulsifiers, preservatives, seasonings, and quality stabilizers may be included.

[0031] [container] Beverages can be made into packaged beverages by filling them into containers. Any sealed container known in the beverage industry can be used, and can be appropriately selected and determined depending on the distribution format and consumer needs. Specific examples include sealed containers made of glass, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc.), paper, aluminum, steel, etc., or composite or laminated materials thereof. Transparent (including translucent) containers are particularly preferred. Transparent containers may be entirely transparent or partially transparent.

[0032] <2. Beverage manufacturing method> The beverage can be produced under any conditions or by any method commonly used in beverage production. For example, a beverage containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine is prepared by adding acetoin to the beverage so that the 2-acetylpyrazine content is 115 to 1000 ppb, and further adding other ingredients as needed.

[0033] The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in the beverage may be adjusted by any suitable method, and acetoin may be added in a conventional manner.

[0034] In the production of beverages, for example, a method is exemplified in which a prepared extract or the like containing a predetermined amount of each component and a predetermined amount of acetoin are added sequentially or simultaneously and mixed by stirring or the like. The order in which the components are mixed is not particularly limited. Another method is to premix multiple plants and perform an extraction process to obtain an extract, and then add acetoin to the obtained extract to achieve a predetermined concentration. Examples of methods for adding acetoin include adding it as a flavoring (such as a chemically synthesized compound) or adding a food ingredient containing acetoin.

[0035] The produced beverage can be filled into a container to form a packaged beverage, and may be sterilized as appropriate before or after filling into the container. The sterilization method is not particularly limited, and examples include conventional plate sterilization, tubular sterilization, retort sterilization, batch sterilization, autoclave sterilization, etc.

[0036] <3. Methods for suppressing unpleasant odors in beverages> As described above, according to the present invention, by adding acetoin to a beverage having a 2-acetylpyrazine content of 5 to 50 ppb so that the acetoin content is 115 to 1000 ppb, the off-odor caused by 2-acetylpyrazine can be suppressed.

[0037] <4. Beverage odor suppressant> The beverage off-flavor suppressant contains acetoin, and is added to a beverage containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine so that the acetoin content is 115 to 1000 ppb.

[0038] The beverage off-flavor suppressant can be produced by any method employed in the art or by a method with appropriate modifications. Furthermore, when the beverage chemical suppressant contains components other than acetoin, the type and content of the components can be appropriately designed according to the desired effect. [Example]

[0039] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0040] ≪Test 1: Verification by addition of 2-acetylpyrazine≫ [Preparation of reference product and test sample] 10 g of roasted barley (L* = 41) was extracted with 30 times the volume of water at 90°C. The above L* value was obtained by measuring the sample at room temperature after pulverizing it for 20 seconds using a Milsur IFM-300 (manufactured by Iwatani Corporation), and then measuring the pulverized sample by the reflection method using a spectrocolorimeter SE7700 (manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.). 0.3 g of sodium L-ascorbate, 0.1 g of L-ascorbic acid, and 0.2 g of sodium hydrogen carbonate were added to the obtained extract, and the volume was adjusted to 1000 g with pure water to obtain a prepared solution. The obtained prepared solution was subjected to UHT sterilization, diluted 10-fold, and aseptically filled into PET bottles to obtain a sample (reference product 1). 2-acetylpyrazine was added to the obtained reference product 1 at each concentration of 3 to 25 ppb to prepare a test sample for evaluation.

[0041] [Analysis of 2-acetylpyrazine content] The content of 2-acetylpyrazine in reference product 1 and the test samples was measured under the following conditions using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Specifically, 100 μL of the beverage to be analyzed was placed in a vial (capacity 10 mL) and introduced into GC-MS (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) by the MVM (Multi Volatile Method) method using MPS manufactured by Gerstel. The calibration curve was prepared by the standard addition method, and cyclohexanol was used as the internal standard. <Analysis conditions of GC-MS> · Instrument GC: Agilent 7890B GC System (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) MS: Agilent 7000D GC / MS Triple Quad (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) Collection tube (adsorbent): Tenax TA, Carbopack-B & Carbopack-X Column: DB-WAX UI, 20 m x 0.18 mm, film thickness 0.30 μm (Agilent Technologies) Injection method: Splitless Carrier gas: He (1.0 ml / min) Transfer line: 250℃ Heating program: 40°C (hold for 3 minutes) → 5°C / min → 240°C (hold for 7 minutes) Precursor ion > Product ion (CE (collision energy)) :2-acetylpyrazine 122>94(5V) Ionization method: EI ·Quadrupole temperature: 150℃ Ion source temperature: 230℃

[0042] [Sensory evaluation] A sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of five experts on the prepared reference product 1 and the test samples. Specifically, the sensory evaluation was conducted by comparatively evaluating the "taste," "good aroma," "strength of the nutty aroma," and "strength of the oily odor" against the reference product. Each evaluation score was calculated as the average of the evaluation scores given by each panelist according to the following evaluation criteria. In this evaluation, the score of reference product 1 was used as the standard value (4 points). "Taste" was evaluated as "high palatability," "good aroma" as "impression of the overall aroma of the grain tea," "strength of the nutty aroma" as "strength of the almond-like, nutty aroma," and "strength of the oily odor" as "strength of the bean-like, oily aroma."

[0043] The "taste" and "aroma" were evaluated on a 7-point scale using the following evaluation criteria. 7 points: Fairly good 6 points: Good 5 points: Fairly good 4 points: Equivalent to the standard product 3 points: Somewhat bad 2 points: bad 1 point: Very bad

[0044] The "strength of the nutty aroma" and "strength of the oily odor" were evaluated on a 7-point scale using the following evaluation criteria. 7 points: Very strong 6 points: Strong 5 points: Somewhat strong 4 points: Equivalent to the standard product 3 points: Slightly weak 2 points: Weak 1 point: Very weak

[0045] (result) Table 1 below shows the 2-acetylpyrazine concentrations in the reference product 1 and the test samples, as well as the sensory evaluation results. Note that for "taste" and "good aroma," the higher the score, the higher the evaluation. Also, for "strength of nutty aroma" and "strength of oily odor," the lower the score, the less noticeable the odor and the higher the evaluation.

[0046] [Table 1]

[0047] As shown in Table 1, as the 2-acetylpyrazine concentration increased, the "stronger nutty aroma" and "stronger oily odor" were perceived, and the "taste" and "good aroma" were poor.

[0048] <Test 2: Verification by adding acetoin> [Production of standard and test samples] 2-acetylpyrazine was added to the above-obtained Reference Sample 1 to a concentration of 50 ppb to prepare Reference Sample 2. The acetoin concentration in Reference Sample 2 was 9 ppb. Acetoin was added to the obtained Reference Sample 2 to a concentration of 50 to 1000 ppb to prepare a test sample.

[0049] The contents of acetoin in the reference product 2 and the test samples were measured under the following conditions using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Specifically, they were introduced into GC-MS (manufactured by Agilent Technologies) by the MVM (Multi Volatile Method) method using MPS manufactured by Gerstel. The calibration curve was created by the standard addition method, and methyl undecanoate was used as the internal standard. <Analysis conditions of GC-MS> · Instrument: GC: 7890B manufactured by Agilent Technologies MS: 5977B MSD manufactured by Agilent Technologies HS: MPS manufactured by Gerstel, TUBE: Tenax TA, CarbopackB / X · Column: DB-WAX UI 0.25mm×30m×0.25μm · Quantitative ion: acetoin m / z=88 · Temperature condition: 40°C (2 minutes) ~ 8°C / minute → 240°C (10 minutes) · Carrier gas flow rate: He 1ml / minute · Injection method: Splitless · Ion source temperature: 230°C

[0050] [Sensory evaluation] For the prepared reference product 2 and test samples, sensory evaluation was conducted by 5 professional panelists. Specifically, for the reference product 2, comparative evaluation was performed on "taste", "goodness of aroma", "intensity of nutty aroma", and "intensity of oily odor". Each evaluation score was calculated as the average value of the evaluation scores given by each panelist according to the same evaluation criteria as in Test 1. In such evaluation, the score of the reference product 2 was used as the reference value (4 points) for evaluation.

[0051] (Results) Table 2 below shows the 2-acetylpyrazine concentration, acetoin concentration, and sensory evaluation results for the reference product 2 and the test samples. Note that for "taste" and "good aroma," the higher the score, the higher the evaluation. Also, for "strength of nutty aroma" and "strength of oily odor," the lower the score, the less noticeable the odor and the higher the evaluation.

[0052] [Table 2]

[0053] As shown in Table 2, in Examples 1 to 4, the "strength of the nutty aroma" and the "strength of the oily odor" were suppressed compared to Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 3, in addition to suppressing the "strength of the nutty aroma" and the "strength of the oily odor," the "taste" was improved. Furthermore, although the pleasant aroma of the beverage in Example 4 was slightly reduced, the aroma derived from the ingredients of the beverage was well maintained in Examples 1 to 3. The decrease in pleasant aroma in Example 4 is thought to be due to the relatively high amount of acetoin blended.

Claims

1. A beverage containing an extract of roasted grains and containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine, Contains 115 to 300 ppb of acetoin, Beverage.

2. 115 to 300 ppb of acetoin is added to a beverage containing an extract of roasted grains and containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine. A method for suppressing off-flavors in beverages.

3. An agent for suppressing off-flavors in beverages, the agent comprising an extract of roasted grains and added to beverages containing 5 to 50 ppb of 2-acetylpyrazine, The suppressor contains acetoin and is added to the beverage so that the content of acetoin in the beverage is 115 to 300 ppb. An agent for suppressing unpleasant odors in beverages.

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